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Experienced Hillers moving forward

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Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Trinity’s Courtney Dahlquist (13) makes a move to the basket against Chartiers Valley during the WPIAL Class 5A championship game last season. Dahlquist, a Campbell University recruit, is one of six returning players for the Hillers.

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Luke Campbell

Trinity’s Kaylin Venick intently guards Our Lady of Sacred Heart’s Haley Hamilton last season. Venick is part of an experienced backcourt that makes the Hillers among the section favorites.

It would be natural for the returning members of the Trinity High School girls basketball team to think about the end of the 2019-2020 season.

When the global COVID-19 pandemic shut down the PIAA playoffs in its tracks, the Hillers looked like a freight train. Trinity was coming off two exhilarating victories and were set to play in the state quarterfinals.

No one will ever know what would have happened, but the current Hillers are over it. They, and second-year coach Kathy McConnell-Miller, are looking ahead, not backward.

They do so with good reason. Trinity is set to make another run at a WPIAL Class 5A championship and has its sights set on a return to the PIAA playoffs and another opportunity in the state tournament.

Trinity returns four seniors, a junior, and one sophmore for a team that seems more than capable of competing at a high level from start to finish.

The Hillers went 21-5 overall last season and 11-3 in section play. They defeated Gateway and Woodland Hills before losing to Chartiers Valley, 58-40, in the WPIAL championship game. Trinity responded with a pair of rousing victories in the PIAA playoffs, a 25-point win over Penn Hills and 19-point decision over Great Valley to advance to the state quarterfinals.

“When last season ended, it was devastating,” McConnell-Miller said. “But the girls have comeback and picked up where we left off. They were excited to get together and to regain the momentum we had.

“We have strong team chemistry. I love where we are right now.”

The Hillers were set to open the season Friday night against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, but that game was canceled because of COVID-19 issues within the OLSH program. A game against Shaler was quickly scheduled and the Hillers opened Friday with a 62-18 victory.

“We were in a similar situation March 13,” McConnell-Miller said. “We always say play each practice and each game like it’s your last. We have a mature and experienced group that came back stronger than when they left.

“We’ve been through this before. That’s the message now and the conversations we are having. We accept and handle adversity. We had a lot of excitement going into this weekend. We’ll respond in three weeks and continue to work hard.”

When competition starts in January, Trinity will be the favorite in Section 3. The Hillers will play Albert Gallatin, Connellsville, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson and Uniontown.

They are also strong contenders for the WPIAL crown, along with Chartiers Valley.

Trinity will feature seniors Courtney Dahlquist (6-1), Emily Venick (5-5), Kaylin Venick (5-7) and Ashley Durig (5-7), junior Alyssa Clutter, and sophomore Eden Williamson.

Trinity has to replace Riley DeRubbo, who averaged 17 points per game in 2019-2020.

“That’s a lot of production to replace,” McConnell-Miller said. “We are returning a lot of playing experience, big-game experience. These girls have been through the grind.

McConnell-Miller credited her team for staying together and playing together during the off-season.

“They’ve created a strong team chemistry,” she added.

McConnell-Miller said her top six players are all starters and all are “next-level” players.

“One of our focuses in the off-season was three-point shooting,” she added. “We really needed to focus on that. We want to be able to score in multiple ways.

McConnell-Miller, in her second season at the school, is assisted by Bobbi Belleville and Bill Poletti.

McConnell-Miller’s message is clear: “We’re ready to move forward. No looking back.”

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