ST. MARYS, Pa. – When Elk County Catholic plays for the PIAA Class 1A volleyball title Saturday morning, the team will be trying to accomplish something fairly rare – two state girls’ championships in the fall season for one school.
If ECC were to beat West Branch, the Crusaders volleyballers would join the ECC girls’ cross country team as state champions.
That is something that has never happened in girls’ fall sports in District 9, one school, two state titles.
In fact, it has only happened 19 times during the girls’ fall season which features six opportunities to win state titles – tennis, field hockey, golf, soccer, volleyball, and cross country.
Not only has it only happened 19 times since girls’ sports started playing PIAA championships in the fall of 1974, but only 9 schools have ever done it.
All of those schools are medium-sized to large schools like North Allegheny, which will be going for its eighth multiple fall championships when its volleyball team plays for the 4A title Saturday after the Tiger cross country team won the title this year.
None of the nine schools to have done it currently have a girls’ athletic enrollment number less than the 163 of Wyoming Seminary, which won tennis and field hockey titles in 2021.
ECC’s girls enrollment is just 76 making what is happening at the tiny private school in St. Marys all that more remarkable.
“It would be so cool to be able to do that,” ECC volleyball coach Tricia Bauer said.”I think it is an amazing testament to the dedication the athletes at our school have. I know the time our cross country coach, his staff, and the runners put in.”
Bauer believes the longevity and dedication of the coaches at ECC have a lot to do with that success as well.
“We tend to keep our coaches for a long time,” Bauer, who teaches at the school, said. “I truly think that helps. Every year, players get better and I think that is a lot about having the same coaches. I also know that the coaches get better every year. This year, I am a much better coach than I was last year.”
Bauer said because of the familiarity the coaches and players have for each other, a level of respect ensues.
“I think there is a lot of respect for the athletes and the coaches,” Bauer said. “These girls put in a lot of time in the gym, a lot of time outside of the gym on their own.”
Bauer also pointed to community support as one of the reasons ECC has such a strong athletic tradition.
“I am talking not just about the school support but the support we get from St. Marys in general,” Bauer said. “They really stand behind our athletes and the school.”
Bauer also pointed out that many of ECC’s athletes are second- or third-generation Crusaders.
“We have parents and grandparents who were athletes and came through the school,” Bauer said. “Four of our players started here in pre-school.”
TIMES IN PIAA HISTORY A SCHOOL HAS WON TWO OR MORE PIAA TITLES IN GIRLS SPORTS IN THE FALL SEASON
2000
Wyomissing – Tennis, Cross Country
2001
Wyomissing – Tennis, Cross Country
Allentown CC – Volleyball, Cross Country
2002
Wyomissing – Tennis, Cross Country
2005
Pine-Richland – Soccer, Volleyball
2007
Emmaus – Field Hockey, Cross Country
2011
Peters Township – Tennis, Soccer
2012
Peters Township – Tennis, Soccer
2013
Central Valley – Golf, Soccer
2014
Villa Maria (District 10) – Golf, Cross Country
2015
Villa Maria (District 10) – Golf, Soccer, Cross Country
North Allegheny – Tennis, Golf
2017
North Allegheny – Tennis, Golf, Volleyball
2018
North Allegheny – Golf, Volleyball, Cross Country
2019
North Allegheny – Volleyball, Cross Country
2020
North Allegheny – Volleyball, Cross Country
2021
North Allegheny – Volleyball, Cross Country
Wyoming Seminary – Tennis, Field Hockey
2022
North Allegany – Volleyball, Cross Country
