HOMETOWN — High school girls’ volleyball fans across Pennsylvania have known for the past two years that Marian’s Abby O’Donnell is one of the best setters in the state.
Now The Republican-Herald’s 2014 Girls’ Volleyball Player of the Year has been recognized as one of the leading setters in the nation.
O’Donnell, a senior, recently was named to the MaxPreps 2014 Small Schools All-American Girls’ Volleyball Team’s second team.
The 5-foot-7 O’Donnell was one of two setters named to the second team while three were named to the first team.
Three others were third-team selections, but O’Donnell was the lone Pennsylvania setter mentioned among two state players on the roster. The other was Brooklyn Goodsel, a senior middle hitter from Corry of District 10.
For the honor, O’Donnell received a certificate and letter noting her accomplishment.
This latest award caps a high school career in which O’Donnell was recognized twice on the Pennsylvania High School Volleyball Coaches Association Class A All-State Team. She also has been named to The Republican-Herald All-Area first team three times, including this year’s Player of the Year award. She was also named to the Schuylkill League coaches’ all-star first teams, twice in Division IV and once in Division II, and is a three-time District 11 Class A all-star first-team setter.
Directing Marian’s attack, O’Donnell led Marian to a 68-6 dual-match record over the past three seasons. That record includes back-to-back Schuylkill League championships and three straight District 11 Class A crowns. Marian also made back-to-back appearances in the PIAA Class A championship match, including the Fillies’ state championship win over Cochranton in 2013.
The Fillies posted a 39-match winning streak, including a 26-match streak of three-set sweeps which was snapped in last November’s PIAA title match, a five-set loss to Greensburg Central Catholic.
Along the way, O’Donnell, who overcame painful injuries in both feet which put one of them in a cast during the 2014 offseason, produced 3,486 assists, second on Marian’s all-time list to current Marian assistant coach Rachel Krajcirik.
The complete team is printed in the Scoreboard on Page B4.