STAC VOLLEYBALL: OWEGO READY TO COMPETE DESPITE GRADUATION LOSSES (2024-08-21)

By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
OWEGO — The adage “they don’t rebuild, they just reload” seems to apply to the Owego volleyball team. The River Hawks have been a Section IV powerhouse for what seems like an eternity, having won Class A or B titles in 12 of the past 13 seasons, and have also dominated the Southern Tier Athletic Conference courts.

Owego had 17 players in 2024, 10 of whom graduated, including five of their six STAC all-stars. Still, the River Hawks will have a small core of veterans to work with who were part of last year’s state semifinalist squad.

“We will have six seniors coming back to play with us,” said coach Abbey Manning. One of those six was an all-state pick. The team will also have five juniors, three sophomores and a freshman.

“I do expect us to be competitive. We have some good players coming up, but we did lose a lot. We lost a couple that I actually wasn't expecting, but we're in the gym, we're going to do our job, and we're going to get one percent better every day.

Owego’s winning tradition has spilled over into the players’ attitudes.

“These kids were in the gym all summer long,” Manning said. “They want to be here, they want to get better, and they want to continue to succeed,”

The River Hawks open the season Sept. 4 at Susquehanna Valley.

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IN PHOTO 1: Owego returns four seniors from last season’s state semifinal squad. IN TOP PHOTO: Abbey Manning will look to reload her lineup after heavy graduation losses. … PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.

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