Nov 6, 2019 3 min read

Name: Jenna Vogen

School: Canon-McMillan

Sport: Volleyball

Class: Junior

Vogen’s week: The 5-10 outside hitter had five service aces, 17 kills and 18 digs for the Big Macs last week in defeating North Allegheny and winning the WPIAL 4A volleyball championship.

Canon-McMillan ended North Allegheny’s 65-match winning streak with a five-set victory.

“What stands out most to me is how much we grew as a team,” said Vogen. “I don’t know if other teams do this, but we had a goal sheet at the beginning and we didn’t even know if we would become section champs. As the season went on, we got more confident and knew we could go far. We worked so hard and we made an impact on the program by winning that first WPIAL title.”

State College ended Canon-McMillan’s season Tuesday by rallying for a five-set victory in the first round of the PIAA tournament played at North Catholic High School.

“I am extremely proud of what this team did,” Vogen said. “We have some girls who will step into the leadership role and will have another strong team next year.”

For the season, Vogen had 37 aces, 295 kills and 225 digs.

“Jenna had a strong tryout,” said Canon-McMillan head coach Sheila Mitchell. “She just came in and really played well. She is very vocal, very passionate about volleyball. She likes the game. She even likes to pick up the balls after we’re done.”

Mitchell said that type of spirit from her and the other players on the team allowed them to accomplish so much this season. The senior class was responsible for the first playoff victory, the first WPIAL title and first appearance in the state tournament.

“If any team was going to do it, this team was going to do it,” said Mitchell, who has coached the team for nine seasons. “They have a no-letdown attitude. They play from the beginning to the end of games. They fight for every point. Even when they were down, they never gave up and that showed against (North Allegheny).”

A Windy City transplant: Vogen didn’t start her varsity career at Canon-McMillan. She transferred into the district from a high school in the suburbs of Chicago, Plainfield Central, because of her father’s work. She played on the volleyball team there but never advanced as far as she did with Canon-McMillan this year, despite having talent.

“Volleyball here is very similar there,” she said. “The top teams can compete both here and in Illinois. This team in Pennsylvania really worked together all season. In Illinois, we struggled coming together as a whole.”

Compiled by staff writer Joe Tuscano.