Morningstar led the way for NA
The girls volleyball season almost ended before it started for Paige Morningstar and her North Allegheny teammates.
The Tigers started the season two weeks later than scheduled due to a COVID-19 shutdown.
“I didn’t know when we would be coming back or if our season would even start,” said Morningstar, a 6-foot senior setter. “And when we did start playing, there was no guarantee that we would be able to finish the season.”
The shutdown brought back a painful memory from six months earlier.
“Our basketball team had made it to the PIAA [Class 6A] quarterfinals when our game with Nazareth was postponed and eventually canceled,” Morningstar said. “We were favored to win the state title, but didn’t get a chance to prove it. It was so disappointing to have our season end that way.”
Fortunately, Morningstar and her North Allegheny teammates were able to complete the volleyball season, and it couldn’t have been a better conclusion to her high school volleyball career.
North Allegheny won its third WPIAL title in four years, then tied a PIAA record by winning its fourth consecutive state title.
“We went 88-1 over the past four years and won four PIAA titles and three WPIAL titles,” Morningstar said. “I couldn’t ask for a better career.”
Morningstar was also voted to the first team of the WPIAL all-star team three times and recognized for a third time on the PVCA allstate team. She has also accepted a scholarship to play volleyball at the University of Louisville.
With those credentials in mind, Morningstar has been named the Post-Gazette’s girls volleyball Player of the Year.
“It’s a big honor,” Morningstar said. “I’m very blessed to be picked.”
Morningstar was quick to point out that this honor wouldn’t have been possible without the contribution of her teammates.
“Every team I played for at North Allegheny was very talented,” Morningstar said. “We had a special connection, on and off the court, and the right mindset. We worked very hard to reach our goals. It was a total team effort. I’m very blessed to have them as teammates.”
Morningstar was a member of the varsity team during her freshman year, but saw most of her playing time as the junior varsity setter. She moved into a starting role as a sophomore as a setter/rightside hitter, sharing those duties with Abby Miller in a 6-2 offensive alignment. The two shared the same role in Morningstar’s junior season.
With Miller moving on to college, North Allegheny switched to a 5-1 alignment this season with Morningstar as the lone setter.
“Paige was in more of a leadership role this year,” North Allegheny coach Heidi Miller said. “It was a big step for her. She was able to figure out her team and respond to certain situations. She was able to keep her cool and poise when needed, but also knew when to say things to get them fired up.”
Morningstar is strong in every phase of the game.
“Paige has the size and athleticism to be a very good college player,” Miller said. “She is an offensive setter who can also hit and block which is something you don’t see very often.”
With her play both on the volleyball and basketball courts, Morningstar has an impressive collection of gold medals. She has four PIAA and three WPIAL gold medals in volleyball, and two WPIAL gold medals in basketball.
“I have them hanging on the wall behind my bed,” Morningstar said. “I also have a WPIAL silver medal for volleyball, but I don’t have that one displayed. I still have room for two more. I’m hoping to add two more during basketball season.”
But Morningstar also realizes that with the growing number of COVID-19 cases that nothing is assured and that her final season of basketball could end prematurely again.
“We went through volleyball season with the mindset that every practice and every match could be our last,” Morningstar said. “The same is true for basketball season.”
Morningstar will continue her athletic and academic career at Louisville.
“Paige oozes leadership, poise, and volleyball IQ,” Louisville coach Dani Busboom Kelly said. “She is a taller setter, at 6 foot, who puts up a great block and can be very offensive when she needs to. She’s led her high school to multiple state championships, has excelled on the basketball court, and also has been accepted into the honors program here at Louisville. Coming from a very athletic family, she knows what it takes physically and mentally to exceed at this level.”
Morningstar is the last of three sisters who played volleyball at North Allegheny.
“I’ve had a Morningstar in our program for 10 years,” Miller said.
Meg Morningstar played volleyball at Notre Dame, while sister Piper took the basketball route and is now at Washington & Jefferson.
Paige Morningstar was one of four players considered for the player of the year honor. The others were Franklin Regional’s Aly Kindelberger (Class 3A), North Catholic’s Elizabeth Feczko (Class 2A) and Bishop Canevin’s Gillian Galupski (Class 1A).