Each Memorial Day weekend Penn State University holds its annual Super Regional AAU Happy Volley junior girls club volleyball tournament. This year Penn State hosted 440 different junior girls volleyball teams ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old and hailing from both the United States and Canada.

Emmaus-based volleyball club Push The Rock sent 14U, 15U and 16U teams to compete at the Happy Volley tournament.

Push The Rock 15 White, PTR's 15U team, ended up having a remarkable weekend.

When the weekend started there were 76 15U club teams all vying to be crowned the 2014 Happy Volley champions. The PTR 15 White team started the weekend ranked second overall, just behind KVC 15 Green from Greensburg.

On day one, PTR 15 White played three matches. After day one, the team found itself undefeated in both matches (3-0) and sets (6-0) in comfortable fashion. Defensive specialists Ana Martinez (freshman, Parkland High School) and Corie Bartholomew (freshman, Bethlehem Catholic) along with libero Erin Skibbens (freshman, Central Catholic) gave setter Halle Stalsitz (freshman, Central Catholic) plenty of great passes to work with.

However on day two, the team found itself in a tough match against Whirlwind 15 Elite from eastern New York, who finished 10th overall. Despite struggling from the serving line, PTR 15 White still won the match 23-25, 26-24 and 18-16. "Serving has been the strong point of this team all club season long, but for some reason we struggled today," head coach Jason Smith said. "The team had to find a different way to get it done and fortunately they did.

After the second day, PTR 15 White remained unbeaten and was on its way to Monday's gold medal bracket. PTR 15 White faced South River Storm from Maryland in a quarterfinals match and won in straight sets.

The team was able to control the ball and attack well in their opening match of the gold medal bracket. Outside hitters Lexi Smith (eighth grade, Eyer MS) and Jasmine Pavlinsky (freshman, Northampton HS), along with middle blockers Angie Costano (eighth grade, St. Thomas More MS) and Rachel Tanczos (freshman, Bethlehem Catholic HS), had effective outtings at the net.

In the semifinals, the team faced Ballyhoo 15 Black from York and won in three sets. That victory paired PTR White against Downstate 15 Red from Peekskill, NY, in the championship.

In a close match, PTR 15 White battled from behind in both sets to earn the victory. In the second set of the finals, PTR 15 White faced an 11-3 deficit, but they slowly chipped away to take the set, 27-25, and the championship. The gold medal match championship ended on an ace from opposite side hitter Paige Fenstermacher (freshman, Brandywine HS). "What an incredible achievement for these players to win a tournament of this caliber," Smith said.