WARREN, Pa. – Tori Newton led Elk County to its first PIAA championship in program history, and that is the reason the senior outside hitter is the 2023 YDL Sports Network/D9and10Sports District 9 Volleyball MVP powered by TapNPay+.
Newton averaged 4.3 kills per set while hitting .334 (479 kills-75-errors-1,208 attempts) while adding 101 digs, 67 aces, and 28 blocks for the District 9 and PIAA Class 1A champions.
In her final five postseason games, including all four PIAA games, she averaged 5.1 kills per set. In the PIAA playoffs, she averaged 5.0 kills and 4.0 digs per contest while recording three double-doubles.
Joining Newton in being honored with major awards are her coach, Tricia Bauer, as the YDL Sports Network/D9and10Sports District 9 Coach of the Year, and Clarion-Limestone freshman Hannah Beggs as the YDL Sports Network/D9and10Sports Rookie of the Year.
Beggs had 184 kills, 261 digs, and 48 aces to help the Lady Lions to the KSAC title, a runner-up spot in the District 9 Class 1A playoffs, and a PIAA playoff spot.
Bauer led ECC to its first-ever PIAA title, its first District 9 title since 1996, and a 21-0 record with wins over WPIAL champion Serra Catholic, District 10 champion and defending PIAA champion Maplewood, and District 6 champion and 2022 PIAA runner-up West Branch along the way. The Lady Crusaders lost just one set in eight playoff games, including a 12-1 record in the PIAA playoffs. In the PIAA championship match, she helped guide ECC past a West Branch squad that had taken three of four sets from the Lady Crusaders during tournament play in the regular season to a 3-0 win in a match that saw ECC trail just five times in three sets.
In addition to the major award winners, first- and second-team All-District 9 teams were also named. Those teams are listed below and include a new “catch-all” position called “All-around Impact Player” which is an award given to a player who might not be the best at any one position but is invaluable to her team.
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TAPN’PAY+ YDL SPORTS NETWORK/D9AND10SPORTS DISTRICT 9 ALL-DISTRICT TEAMS
Player of the Year: Tori Newton, Sr., Elk County Catholic
Rookie of the Year: Hannah Beggs, Fr., Clarion-Limestone
Coach of the Year: Tricia Bauer, Elk County Catholic
First Team
Setter: Kiri Emmert, Sr., Elk County Catholic
Hitter: Tori Newton, Sr., Elk County Catholic
Hitter: Morgan Pasternak, Sr., DuBois
Hitter: Ayanna Ferringer, Sr., Cranberry
Hitter: Jenna Dunn, Jr., Clarion-Limestone
All-Around Impact Player: Lucy Klawuhn, Sr., Elk County Catholic
Libero: Kalina Powell, Jr., Brockway
Second Team
Setter: Kaylee Smith, So., Clarion-Limestone
Hitter: Mia Anderson, Sr., Kane
Hitter: Reagan Bauer, Sr., Elk County Catholic
Hitter: Sierra Myers, Sr., Coudersport
Hitter: Kassidy Orinko, Sr., Sheffield
Hitter: Olivia Cook, Sr., Oswayo Valley
All-around Impact Player: Carrie Drummond, Jr., Otto-Eldred
Libero: Abby Knapp-Greeley, Sr, Clarion-Limestone
