Bethel Park senior a leader on, off the court for ’Hawks

Tri-State Sports & News Service

Bethel Park senior Kayte Zeiler is a leader on and off the court.

“I enjoy being a leader and having teammates look up to me,” said Zeiler, who serves as a captain on the Black Hawks’ girls volleyball and lacrosse teams. “I want to set a good example and serve as a role model for our younger players.”

Zeiler, a three-year starter for the volleyball team, was voted second-team allWPIAL Class 3A last season as a 5-9 outside hitter.

“Kayte leads our team in kills and attempts,” Bethel Park coach Shawn Palmer said. “We try to get the ball to her as much as possible. She’s a leader on and off the court.”

Zeiler is also a midfielder for the Black Hawks’ lacrosse team who was voted all-WPIAL Division 2 Section 2.

“I want to continue my athletic career in college, but I haven’t decided which sport,” said Zeiler, who has a 3.8 grade point average. “My goal is to commit to a college by mid-October and sign by November.”

Zeiler is considering offers from IUP and Ursuline for lacrosse, and California, Pa., for volleyball.

Bethel Park is one of 12 teams entered in Saturday’s Upper St. Clair tournament. The other 11 entries are Armstrong, Canon-McMillan, Hempfield, North Allegheny, North Hills, Oakland Catholic, Penn-Trafford, Pine-Richland, Shaler, South Park and Upper St. Clair.

“If our team comes together and stays away from mistakes, we should do well in the tournament,” Zeiler said. “We’re looking forward to the challenge.”

took over and coached the Tornado for three years, but stepped down after last season to spend more time with his family. That’s when Lucas decided to come out of retirement.

“I never thought I would come back,” Lucas said. “I made sure it was OK with my girls before I made my decision. I’ve been coaching them in club ball since they started playing, so they are used to having me as a coach.”

Two of Lucas’ daughters are on the varsity team.

“Maria is a sophomore and Gabby is a freshman,” Lucas said. “Sophia is an eighth-grader and Sarah is in fourth grade. My son Isaiah is the oldest, he’s in 11th Chippewa Alliance Church.”

Blackhawk is off to a good start. The Cougars entered Thursday night’s match against Hampton with a 2-0 record in Class 3A Section 4.

“We were hit by serious injuries the past two years, so one of the biggest keys to our success is staying healthy,” Muir said.

Blackhawk is one of 12 teams entered in Saturday’s MAC Big Schools tournament at Hopewell. The other entries are Ambridge, Beaver, Central Valley, Hopewell, Mars, Montour, Moon, Quaker Valley, Shenango, South Side Beaver and West Allegheny.

“The MAC tournament will be a good test for us,” Muir said. “We get to face some teams that we don’t normally see.”

Gateway