Lose a girls’ volleyball player as dynamic as Rachel Snyder to injury just before a the season starts, and the impact is potentially devastating.
Four matches into the Mid-Penn Commonwealth season, and it appears Snyder’s Cumberland Valley Eagles possess the depth and moxie to push forward without their star outside hitter, who tore her ACL in a preseason scrimmage.
The Eagles rolled Carlisle 3-0 Thursday night at Cumberland Valley High School, drilling the Thundering Herd 25-9, 25-16 and 25-15 behind a typically balanced effort.
“It stinks a lot,” junior outside hitter Karleigh Lutz said of the injury to Snyder, a senior. “But it just pushes us. She wanted it, and we all want it, and now we have to do it in her absence.”
Lutz, who developed a nasty jump-float serve this summer at Pepperdine University, served eight aces for the Eagles (4-0, 4-0) to go along with eight kills and 10 digs.
Half of those aces came in the Game 1 rout, which also featured a barrage of kills from opposite hitter Lizzie Scott.
“Obviously when [Snyder] went down, they were devastated,” CV coach Jackie Orner said. “They’re obviously very close, and they know her love for the sport and the fire she has for it. That being said, we have other players, and you saw that tonight, who can get right up there and work hard.
“Rachel is Rachel, and our big thing with the girls is don’t try to be Rachel. Be you. The beauty of our bench is it’s so deep. We can spread things out. Kelly [Friers, setter] has a boat-load of options.”
Indeed, Friers (28 assists, five kills) distributed the ball all over the floor, with Lutz, Scott (team-high nine kills), Emily Thomas, Kristine Jahn, Abbie Hamilton and Emma Hager all beneficiaries.
“It’s great to know we can turn to anyone, and everyone can get the job done,” said Friers, a junior. “It’s great to be able to not have to push one player.”
Right now, at least in Thursday night’s match, that’s unfortunately the situation at Carlisle, a program hit hard by graduation after winning last year’s Commonwealth crown.
Junior outside Lydia Mueller was arguably the most impressive player on the floor, and she collected a match-high 17 kills for the Thundering Herd (2-2, 2-2), but coach Mike Beachy’s club needs continued and rapid growth if it hopes to contend for this year’s title.
“We’ve had that in other matches,” Beachy said, “but it wasn’t so evident tonight. Lydia was putting the ball away, so we really pushed it to her. Other girls are stepping up. We just need to get the experience CV has.”