Girls Volleyball MVP: Ava Leroux, South Fayette
South Fayette enjoyed a successful 2022-23 school year in athletics and Ava Leroux played a key role. Not only did she excel at center for the WPIAL championship and PIAA state runner-up basketball team by averaging 11.9 points and 8.1 rebounds, the 6-3 graduate spearheaded the Lions’ amazing volleyball run.
After recording upset wins against Armstrong, Hampton and Latrobe, the Lions met their match when they succumbed to top-seeded North Catholic, 3-1, in the Class 3A final played at UPMC Events Center on the Robert Morris University campus. The Lions battled hard in the opening two sets but dropped both, 25-22 and 25-20, before winning the third game, 25-12. North Catholic wrapped up the match with a 25-22 win in the fourth set. Leroux led the Lions with 17 kills.
South Fayette ended its 13-7 season after succumbing to Conneaut, 3-1, in the PIAA playoffs.
Leroux gained all-state acclaim for her efforts this past fall to go along with all-section and all-WPIAL honors.
As a junior, she helped South Fayette to a 12-0 section title and a quarterfinal appearance in the WPIAL playoffs. She gained second-team all-conference and all-district laurels. She also helped the Lions win the WPIAL basketball title while gaining all-section acclaim.
Leroux committed to play basketball at Elon University after receiving offers from Colgate, Lafayette, Bucknell, Monmouth, Purdue Fort Wayne, Duquesne, Oakland and Niagara.
“We are excited about Ava’s ability to run the floor and her skillset from the post position, where she can do so many different things,” said Elon coach Charlotte Smith said. “We are looking forward to adding that to the Phoenix family.”
Leroux, who played AAU basketball for Jamal Woodson at SLAAM, has innate talent as well as honed skills as her father, Francois, was an NHL defenseman, spanning 10 seasons with stints with the Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche.
Honorees Bella Bowers, senior, South Fayette Beth Cree, senior, Carmichaels Rayne Elling, senior, Trinity Mailea Hufnagel, junior, Peters Township Gianna Reamer, freshman, Canon-McMillan {related_content_uuid}9c0b3955-ca01-413d-997f-56ca64f558a8{/related_content_uuid}
Bella Bowers, senior, South Fayette
Beth Cree, senior, Carmichaels
Rayne Elling, senior, Trinity
Mailea Hufnagel, junior, Peters Township
Gianna Reamer, freshman, Canon-McMillan