Blues Look To Build Off Pioneer Title Success
The Parry McCluer High School volleyball team put together its best postseason run in nearly two decades last year. Even with a new head coach and some big shoes to fill on the court, the Fighting Blues will aim to keep the momentum rolling in 2025.
The Blues entered last fall’s Pioneer District tournament as the No. 3 seed, but they proceeded to defeat No. 2 Bath County and top seed Narrows on the road on consecutive nights to claim the program’s first district title since 2005. PM fell to Grayson County in the Region 1C quarterfinals to cap the year with a 15-12 overall record.
Following the season, head coach Jessie Moala stepped down after guiding the Blues for three years in order to focus on earning her master’s degree in administration and supervision from the University of Virginia. Moving up from her previous role as the junior varsity coach is Jilane Hall, formerly Jilane Pedersen, who graduated from Southern Virginia University in 2024 after a standout athletic career in both volleyball and track and field.
Hall and the Blues must also replace four all-district performers from the 2024 roster: Peira Conner, Keely Mahaffey, Natalie Mohler and Logan Vest. Mohler and Mahaffey were also second-team allregion performers.
All-district picks Kadence Zollman, Allie Cullen and Emory Slagle return alongside Josie Martinez, Bryleigh Tobias and Jaelyn Manning. With eight new players rounding out the roster, Hall plans to lean on those six veterans as she acclimates to coaching on the varsity level.
“I’m definitely going to rely on my returners for their experience,” Hall said. “As much as I need to lead them, they need to help me, especially because they’ve been on the [varsity] team longer than I have.”
The Blues’ game plan will often focus on Zollman. Despite seeing limited playing time in 2024 while recuperating from a softball injury that she suffered during the previous spring, Zollman still made enough of an impact to repeat as a first-team All-Pioneer District honoree and land on the All-Region 1C second team.
Hall, who also competed as a middle, said that Zollman “reminds me a lot of how I was in high school,” lauding the senior’s quickness and athleticism. “She’s going to be a huge asset for the team, a huge leader,” the PM coach said.
Cullen, the only other senior on the Blues’ roster, will take over for Vest at libero after garnering honorable mention all-district laurels as an outside hitter last fall. Cullen made tremendous strides during the offseason, and PM can benefit from her speed and passing acumen on the back row.
Slagle, a junior, was another honorable mention all-district selection last year. After bouncing back and forth between outside and middle a season ago, she’ll now feature as a middle, where the Blues will depend on her presence as both a blocker and a hitter.
Manning and Tobias didn’t see extended playing time as sophomores on the varsity squad last season, but that should change during their junior campaign. Manning will compete as an outside, with Tobias seeing time as either an outside or defensive specialist. Marina Ramsburg, a varsity newcomer, rounds out the junior class and will play as a setter.
Martinez cracked the rotation mostly as a back row substitute in 2024, and the sophomore has now worked her way up to what Hall describes as PM’s “go-to outside.” She brings the well-rounded skill set necessary for the six-rotation position: a great arm, passing skills, scrappiness and energy.
Other sophomores on the team include Sophia Bouchelle, who will see time as a libero or defensive specialist; Jordyn Hostetter, who has bounced back and forth between right side and middle; and Maddie Wade, who will play in the middle.
The Blues will also feature four freshmen on the varsity squad, with Jorja Catlett slated to start at setter. Hall describes Catlett, who’s also a member of the PM cheerleading team, as a “freak athlete” with a great desire to win.
And there’s plenty of upside for the other ninth-graders. Presley Camden could spell Cullen as the Blues’ libero, while outside Sophie Porterfield and right-side hitter Caroline Watts add depth to PM’s offensive cache.
With a large roster and so many fresh faces, the Blues will use their early-season nondistrict slate as a chance to build confidence – and to tinker with the rotation to find the right combinations on the court. Among other schedule highlights, PM will take on Class 3 stalwart Rockbridge County twice, and the Blues will compete in a multi-class tournament at James River on Sept. 27.
“I’ve experimented with quite a few lineups, and I haven’t nailed it down yet,” Hall said. “I think that’s a good problem to have, especially on a varsity team. You want to compete for spots; you want to have that competition in practice.”
Meanwhile, PM’s own 2024 postseason run showed off the depth of the Pioneer District. It also proved what was possible for the Blues as they look ahead to more battles with Narrows, Bath, Eastern Montgomery and Craig County.
“I would love to go back-toback” as district champions, Hall said. “I think we have the potential. … We have a lot of work to do, because we have a lot of young blood. But they are so excited to learn; they’re so excited to get better.”
“I know that they’ll put in the work, and we can be a tough team to beat by the end of the season,” Hall added.
PM will travel to RC on Tuesday, followed by the Blues’ home opener against Roanoke Catholic on Thursday, Aug. 28. The Blues will then play at Nelson County on Tuesday, Sept. 2. PM’s first Pioneer District competition is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 15 at home against Eastern Montgomery. All nights are scheduled to start with junior varsity action at 5:30 p.m.
