All-Delco Girls Volleyball: Cain, Goldberg make it a trio of picks for Garnet Valley

In addition to Player of the Year Erin Patterson, the All-Delco team includes:

Rachel Cain, Garnet Valley: How did the Jaguars replace All-Delco setter Gabby Davis? Cain, a junior, was the answer to that question. But she was no stranger to varsity competition. Cain saw action as a freshman when Davis missed a few matches with an injury and went along for the ride last season as the Jaguars won the PIAA Class 4A championship. That experience proved valuable this season. She was the facilitator of a powerful attack that carried the Jaguars to a second straight Central League title and to the PIAA semifinals for the second year in a row. A first-team All-Central selection, Cain averaged 34 assists per match and racked up an incredible 854 helpers. She also put 95 percent of her serves in play and recorded 33 aces.

Gina Custer, Archbishop Carroll: Don’t be fooled by her diminutive size. Custer is a fearless competitor who was the glue to Carroll’s defense. The Patriots had a huge hole to fill with the graduation of All-Delco libero Mary Kate Painter, and Custer filled it quite nicely. Her ability to dig out balls was key to the Patriots run to consecutive Catholic League and District 12 Class 4A championships. Custer led the Patriots with 229 digs and also dished out 65 assists. Custer was money at the service line with 98.4 serve percentage, which included 33 aces. She earned first-team All-Catholic honors as a senior and was a first-team Class 4A all-state selection as a junior.

Amber Goldberg, Garnet Valley: Goldberg was another player who had huge shoes to fill, taking the libero position vacated by the graduation of Lizzie Herestofa, the 2016 Daily Times Player of the Year. Goldberg did so with aplomb. A key reserve on last year’s state championship team, Goldberg anchored a back-line defense that was the critical to Garnet Valley’s run to the state semis. Goldberg was at her best in the state tournament. She had 26 digs against Hempfield, 21 against Armstrong and 27 in the five-set loss to North Allegheny. She averaged 21 digs per match and finished with 532 digs for the season. Goldberg also put 85 percent of her serves in play and recorded 21 aces.

READ: Full list of All-Delco honorees

Breanna Hickey, Cardinal O’Hara: Hickey was the player the Lions went to when they needed a point, and the senior outside hitter usually delivered. The two-time first-team All-Catholic selection led O’Hara with 277 kills, the fourth most in program history. Three times she tied the program record for kills in a match (21) and finished eighth in program history with 506 kills. She also holds the program mark for hitting attempts in a season (749). Hitting, though, is not her only skill. She also had a team-high 229 digs and 54 aces, where she is the program’s career leader with 182. Hickey also finished her career second in sets played with 324.

Paige Monastero, Archbishop Carroll: The senior outside hitter teamed with sophomore Audrey Jones to give the Patriots a solid 1-2 punch at the net. Monastero recorded 261 kills to pace the Patriots to the Catholic League and District 12 Class 4A titles for the second year in a row. She was huge in Carroll’s 3-0 victory over Pennsbury in the opening round of the state tournament with 15 kills, four digs, three blocks and three assists. Monastero followed that up with a 12-kill, 15-dig performance in the 3-1 loss to Bishop Shanahan in the quarterfinals. She was second on the team in digs (163) and among the leaders in serve receiving.

Morgan Silks, Archbishop Carroll: An ankle injury may have forced the senior setter to miss the better part of six matches, but it could not slow Silks down. She guided the Patriots to back-to-back Catholic League and District 12 Class 4A championships. She was voted Catholic League MVP by the conference’s coaches. The four-year starter set the attack in motion and led the team in assists, including a season-high 40 in Carroll’s 3-2 win over Garnet Valley. She also had seven digs, three kills and two aces in that match. Silks also dished 37 assists in Carroll’s 3-0 victory over Pennsbury in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A tournament.