NTL VOLLEYBALL: NEW LOOK NEB LOOKS TO RUN IT BACK IN 2025 (2025-08-20)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
It’s be a new era for NEB volleyball in 2025 as they say good-bye to a large senior class, and welcome in a younger team this season.

“It was a little intimidating being such a small school, and they had seven seniors graduate last year,” coach Valerie Vanderpool said. “That’s huge for any school, but especially this small of a school, but new faces just means new opportunities. We’re looking forward to being new to everybody, not just to me, but these are all new faces, even to other teams. We’re excited for that, too.”

They have several former JV players from the past few seasons who will now be getting their turn on the varsity court, including Sayde Heines.

“I’m very flipping excited,” Heines said about taking the varsity court. 

Heines will be looking to hold down the middle as she follows in the footsteps of Abby O’Connor.

“We’re working on blocking and hitting,” she remarked. “Obviously passing, but also more blocking and hitting.”

Stepping in beside her will be fellow senior Jaylin Wheaton.

“We’re just focusing on being a team and getting ourselves put together before we play,” Wheaton said. “I feel like we’re being an actual team about it, and getting to know one another. I think that will help a lot on the court.”

Chemistry and timing is big in volleyball that’s something they’ve been working on.

“We have these boxes that we stand on, and then we practice hitting,” explained Wheaton. “The coach will throw a ball, and then we’ll set it, and practice our timing.”

Joining the group is Nevaeh Potter, who moved in for her senior year.

“I’m thrilled,” Potter said. “It’s my senior year and I’ve been playing since kindergarten. This is an end chapter, and a beginning chapter at the same time.”

She’s excited to step into a program that’s had a lot of success over the past two seasons.

“It’s exciting to see a team that’s so competitive and so active in their sport,” remarked Potter. “Especially coming from a school that wasn’t very active sports wise - it’s fun to see.”

That’s the one thing the players talk about is legacy. NEB has clawed their way to two district and league titles over the last two years, and this year’s group wants to keep that going.

“I think we have a huge part that we all play in it,” said Wheaton. “We have big shoes we have to fill.”

Vanderpool stepped down from coaching seven years ago back when making districts was the highpoint for the program. She’s followed them every step of the way, and hopes to see them continue that legacy.

First, though, she’d like to see her three seniors step up and fill the leadership vacuum.

“I think that so far they’re doing great,” Vanderpool said. “If I need something my three seniors are at the top and they get it done. I really want the program to continue to grow, and I hope that we can make headlines in a great way like they have been.”

They know how much of an uphill battle it will be. Canton, Williamson, and Wyalusing are all looking to take the NTL Small School mantle from them, while any cross-over game is going to be against a strong opponent.

“We’ve been working all summer,” said Vanderpool. “We’ve been in here three to four times a week all summer. We’ve been working on individual skills, we’ve been working on just team skills. I think we need to work that much harder because people are going to be expecting that from us. We talked about the culture, and the girls have set that in their minds already. It’s not necessarily going to come back to us, the girls have a mindset, and this year our team slogan is ‘legacy.’ So, as far as coaches go, there’s been a legacy set before we got here, and we want to leave it for the next come, and the girls feel the same way.”

ROSTER
Jaylin Wheaton
Sayde Heines
Nevaeh Potter
Lilly Gernert
Ella Cooley
Lily Anne Marcy
Carlie Wheaton
Cheyenne Mahoney
Brianna Pelka
Allie Kuhn
Johnnie Breno
Holley Marcy
Charity Coon
Carlie Wheaton
Olivia Reeves
Dariella Ramirez-Reyes
Makenna Taylor

SCHEDULE
Aug. 28 vs Canton, 7 p.m.
Aug. 30 at Mountain View, 6:30 p.m.
Sep. 4 at Sayre, 7 p.m.
Sep. 6 trio-match at Central Columbia, 11:30 a.m.
Sep. 9 at Wyalusing, 7 p.m.
Sep. 11 at NPL, 7 p.m.
Sep. 16 at Canton, 7 p.m.
Sep. 18 vs Montoursville, 7 p.m.
Sep. 23 vs Sayre, 7 p.m.
Sep. 25 at CV, 7 p.m.
Oct. 2 vs Williamson, 7 p.m.
Oct. 7 at Wellsboro, 7 p.m.
Oct. 9 vs Athens, 7 p.m.
Oct. 11 vs Wyalusing, 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 vs CV, 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 at Williamson, 7 p.m.
Oct. 21 vs Troy, 7 p.m.
Oct. 23 at Towanda, 7 p.m.

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