She’s been playing volleyball for six years. Her sophomore and junior year, she was recognized as an All-District Volleyball Player. This year, her senior year, she made it on the Quad-A All-State girls’ volleyball team.
Her name? Aunye Counsman.
“It feels pretty good [having made it to the state level]. Our coach, he’s a stern coach. So when you get a compliment, it’s rare. It feels good. So, to get compliments from him and let alone the state—I feel really good about all the work I’ve put in,” Counsman said.
The Pennsylvania Quad-A All-State volleyball team is a selection of team members that coaches and associations select as the best in the division.
Counsman’s volleyball journey began in middle school where she first learned to enjoy the sport.
“I like that every play, something new happens—it’s a fast-paced game,” Counsman said. “It’s just the team aspect. It’s really about who you’re on the court with.”
The senior has prepared over the course of her past years of high school to be recognized by the state. Her preparations stretched beyond the regular volleyball season, which she refers to as a “nonstop sport.”
“During every summer between seasons, we go into the school three days a week and lift 6 to 8 a.m. That’s definitely a big part of our athleticism on the team,” Counsman said. “There’s also club volleyball that we play during the winter until the spring.”
Looking back on the 2023-2024 season, Counsman’s most memorable moment was beating Cumberland Valley.
“They were first in our conference, and we were the only team to beat them this year. That was definitely a big accomplishment. They tend to win States,” Counsman said.
For other volleyball players aspiring to earn what she has achieved, Counsman advises them to be confident on the court.
“[I would advise them] to put everything onto the court and be a confident player because, you might not have the best skills or fundamentals, but confidence, it shows on the court. That’s what a lot of coaches from other teams have told me. The personality I bring to the court really helps the rest of my team,” Counsman said.
The senior has left an impression on her fellow volleyball teammates, including junior Ellaina Saylor, who has known Counsman for all five years of her volleyball career.
“I always have looked up to Aunye all along because she always has a positive attitude,” Saylor said. “Even when our team is down in the dumps, she always brings us up.”
For Saylor, Counsman brings positive energy to the team; when she heard that Counsman had made it to the Pennsylvania Quad A All-State girls’ volleyball team, Saylor felt “really excited.”
“I think out of our whole team she deserved it the most,” the junior said.
Saylor would describe Counsman as the “biggest leader” on the volleyball court, exhibiting the leadership skills of a team captain.
“Aunye contributed to our team with her defensive skills and her positive attitude, and she always brought the ‘wild’ to the team,” Saylor said. “If there was a hard ball hit, Aunye most likely got it up. And if she didn’t, she got the next ball up.”
Saylor reflected on the experiences she’s had with Counsman throughout the years.
“One of the most memorable moments I have with her is whenever she makes silly mistakes. We would always laugh. Somehow, all of us were on the floor at one point, but she was always on the ground first and it was funny. And then the bus rides too. We always played fun music and she was always the one playing music,” Saylor said.
With the conclusion of Counsman’s high school career, her time with the volleyball team is coming to a close as well. However, she is steadily looking into the future. And whenever that next opportunity comes flying over the net, she’ll hit it.
“She always hustled,” Saylor said. “I can’t remember a time where she wasn’t always moving and following the ball.”
