Bethlehem Catholic’s volleyball season was never guaranteed amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the Hawks certainly made the most of their campaign, as they came home as state champions over the weekend.

The Hawks (18-0) capped off an undefeated season with a sweep over District 7 champion Franklin Regional 25-17, 25-21, 25-17 Saturday afternoon in the PIAA 3A final at Cumberland Valley High School.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be able to come home as state champions,” said head coach Kelly Brown. “I have been telling the players and others that this team could potentially be state champions this year. The girls have worked extremely hard throughout this entire season and never gave up. They pushed each other to get better each and everyday. You could see how they worked together to get to the state championship. And coming out as the state champions was a huge accomplishment for this group of girls and I could not be more proud of them.”

This marked the second state championship for the program, with the last one coming six years ago, as the Hawks won this season with relative ease. They only lost six games throughout the entire campaign, being pushed to five games only once this year in a win over Liberty.

MacKenzy Ruggiero led the team with 16 kills against Franklin Regional, while Jodi Hewitt added nine. Kyleigh Brown had 26 digs for the Hawks.

“This group of girls is one of the most talented group of girls I’ve had,” Brown said. “They all worked together to do what they had to do on the court. These girls showed their talent every time they stepped out onto the court no matter who we were playing.”

The Hawks competitive desire was prevalent throughout the season, but when you add top-end talent into the equation, it’s not surprising how Becahi steamrolled its way through the season.

“The girls were always very competitive and stayed composed throughout each and every game,” said Brown. “This is what stood out the most. They had a winning mentality since the beginning of the season, and it showed in their performances throughout the entire season. They never gave up and left it all out on the court.

“This title means everything. With the current pandemic going on, we were not sure we would even get a season. But, being able to have a season, winning districts, and winning the state title is the greatest feeling in the world.”