The Armstrong River Hawks varsity girls volleyball team has been one of the most consistently impressive athletic programs in the county since the merger of Kittanning and Ford City for four years ago.
Head coach Andrea Lasher’s team has now captured four straight section championships in the program’s four years of existence and this season the River Hawks were a perfect 14-0 inside WPIAL 3A, Section 1 play and the team was repeatedly recognized recently when the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) announced its all-section and all-3A teams.
Senior outside hitter Loryn Bowser capped a fantastic year by being named a first team all-section selection as well as a first team WPIAL 3A all-star.
Bowser was a key component in the River Hawks’ potent offensive attack and picked up the slack at the team’s outside hitter position following the graduation of Kenzie Lasher.
Bowser utilized her outstanding leaping ability to record double-digit kills in each of the River Hawks’ 18 games during the 2018 season which included two WPIAL playoff games. The hard-swinging right-hander led Armstrong with 221 kills on the year, good enough for an average of 12.3 kills per match. Bowser’s total was made even more impressive considering the amount of straight sets victories that Armstrong recorded this year, which gave her of an opportunity to rack up a larger amount of kills due to the quickness with which the River Hawks routinely dispatched their opponents.
Senior middle hitters Sophia Duncan and Emma Halutick were also named first team all-section selections. Both Duncan and Halutick teamed with Bowser to form a dominant, three-sided offense that gave opposing defenses fits and helped the River Hawks to their fourth-straight WPIAL playoff berth. Duncan finished second on the team to Bowser in kills with 122 and was also named to the second team of the WPIAL 3A all-star team.
Danielle Kunst, a senior libero for Armstrong, joined her teammates on the all-section first team following a solid defensive season for the River Hawks. Kunst was also strong at the service line throughout the season, but it was her willingness to sacrifice her body for a critical dig to keep the ball alive that earned her recognition from the section’s opposing coaches. Kunst led the River Hawks with 216 digs and was also named a third team WPIAL 3A all-star.
Other River Hawks to earn distinction for their performances in 2018 were junior setter Elsie Williams (second team), junior libero Emma Kilgore (second team), junior middle hitter Taylor Claypoole (third team) and junior outside hitter Halle Hooks (third team).
The River Hawks finished the regular season with a 15-1 overall record, their lone loss coming to 2017 state champion Knoch. Armstrong beat Mars in the first round of the WPIAL 3A playoffs, 3-0, but were upset by Elizabeth Forward in the quarterfinals, 3-1.
