Presenting 2020 All-Main Line girls volleyball teams

Although the COVID-19 pandemic put the 2020 Main Line high school girls’ volleyball season at risk of cancellation, the local squads were able to play a limited schedule, and making their mark this fall were Lower Merion (10-2, second place in Central League), Villa Maria Academy (11-4) and Sacred Heart Academy (PIAA District 1 A champion).
The schedules for every team were limited this past fall, and one local school, Baldwin School, played only one girls’ volleyball contest and decided not to participate in the rest of the shortened Inter-Ac league season due to health and safety reasons – see special note regarding the Polar Bears at the end of this article.
The All-Main Line high school girls’ volleyball teams are selected by the coaches. Because Main Line Media News covers 19 high schools, the Main Line Media News sports staff limits the number of sports available to first team, second team and honorable mention – but follows the priority of the coaches’ selections.
What follows are the 2020 All-Main Line high school girls’ volleyball teams:
FIRST TEAM
Christine Colvello, Academy of Notre Dame – Senior setter and captain, a repeat All-Main Line first team selection, was the Irish team’s Most Valuable Player and the first in school history to record 1,000 career assists.
Lillian Caldwell, Conestoga – Junior outside hitter was the Pioneers’ Most Valuable Player and a first team All-Central League pick. Was team leader in kills (138) and aces (28), and chipped in with 97 digs and 12 blocks. A repeat first team All-Main Line selection.
Cara Fredericks, Haverford High – Senior libero, a second team All-Central League selection, was the Fords’ Most Valuable Player and recorded her 1,000th career dig.
Abiah Lane, Lower Merion – Junior outside hitter, a first team All-Central League pick, was among the league leaders in kills (152), and recorded 57 digs, 11 blocks and a .255 hitting percentage.
Sara Beqiraj, Lower Merion – Senior setter, a second team All-Central League pick (narrowly missed first team), led Aces with 379 assists (including her 1,000th career assist) and recorded 112 digs. Was Maxpreps/AVCA Player of the Week in mid-November.
Talia Bierscwale, Lower Merion – Senior libero led team in digs with 213 (averaged 5.2 per set) and contributed 19 aces. A second team All-Central League pick, narrowly missing first team, she was considered one of the top passers in the league.
Erin Corcoran, Sacred Heart Academy – Senior outside hitter and second-year co-captain was a two-time PVCA all-state selection and an AACA all-star, while leading team in kills (190) and finishing third all-time on the school’s list of career kills and the first four-time district champion in program history.
Alessia Giannandrea, Villa Maria Academy – Senior outside hitter and co-captain was an AACA all-star and a valuable player for the Hurricanes, averaging nine kills, one block and three digs per game this fall.
Erin Keaveny, Villa Maria Academy – Senior right side hitter and co-captain was an AACA all-star, averaging six kills and five blocks per game for a strong Hurricane squad this past fall.
SECOND TEAM
Academy of Notre Dame – Grace Guerin, senior middle blocker/outside hitter.
Conestoga – Natalie Wright, junior middle hitter.
Lower Merion – Laila Newborn, junior middle hitter; Sophie Shin, junior middle hitter.
Merion Mercy Academy – Gabrielle Brignola, senior middle blocker; Jessica Sack, junior libero.
Sacred Heart Academy – Bella O’Toole, junior libero/outside hitter; Elizabeth Cuskey, sophomore middle hitter; Emily McKenna, sophomore outside hitter/right side hitter.
Villa Maria Academy – Skylar Kelly, junior libero; Gabriele Konrad, sophomore setter.
HONORABLE MENTION
Academy of Notre Dame – Keegan Bradley, senior right side hitter; Maddie Schultz, senior defensive specialist/libero.
Agnes Irwin – Golda Mehl, junior outside hitter; Avery Seibert, senior outside hitter; Jenna Zwilling, junior setter; Anahla Thomas, sophomore right side.
Conestoga – Sara Walheim, sophomore setter; Lulu Coll, senior libero/defensive specialist.
Harriton – Lucy Klein, sophomore libero; Isabel Telfer, sophomore outside hitter; Maya Burke, senior middle blocker; Susannah Rubin, senior middle blocker.
Haverford High – Macy Dahl, junior setter; Elsa Daley, senior outside hitter; Ahdyah Kwon, junior middle hitter.
Lower Merion – Claire Hamilton, sophomore outside hitter; Ella Lawrence, senior defensive specialist.
Radnor – Josie Darrach, senior outside hitter/setter; Samantha Worontzoff, senior middle blocker; Lucy Criscuolo, senior outside hitter; Mary Kate Colleran, senior right side hitter.
Sacred Heart Academy – Alessandra Albanese, sophomore libero; Annie Corcoran, freshman setter.

Note: Baldwin School played only one match this fall and decided to not participate in the shortened Inter-Ac league season due to health and safety reasons. For the 2020 All-Main Line girls’ volleyball team, Baldwin chose to honor their top seniors this fall, which included middle hitter Tessa Pearlstein, who was a first team All-Main Line selection in 2019; libero Elise Kait, who was a second team All-Main Line pick in 2019; and setter Olivia Stratton,who was a second team All-Main Line selection in 2019.

– Archbishop Carroll did not file an All-Main Line girls’ volleyball nomination ballot.