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Ryley Pago’s Resiliency Proves Blue Collar Upbringing True
The town of New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania may just be a town along Route 28 for some, but for others, it’s their home and a place they are proud to be associated with. Who could blame them? They have perhaps the closest Subway to any high school in the state. All jokes aside, the New Bethlehem community is filled with hard working people, including hard working student-athletes who have had a great deal of success. University of Pittsburgh at Bradford freshman middle-hitter, Ryley Pago, is no exception.
Pago worked hard from the time she was in middle school to live up to others’ expectations of her. There was buzz that she could be a college volleyball player if she put in the work and truly wanted to accomplish this feat. It was an idea that was put into her mind from her athletic director and former junior high coach, Matt Darr. After hearing this, Pago made it her goal to one day become a college player.
Pago did the little things that added up and made a big difference. She joined the track and field team to improve her conditioning and jumping ability, she joined Club 1890 to play volleyball during the club season, and she continued to put in the work during her high school season at Redbank Valley High School. After four years of high school, she helped the Lady Bulldogs to two District 9 titles and a District 9 runner-up finish in volleyball and was selected Second-Team All-KSAC (Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference) as a high jumper. But, there was one hiccup that was not mentioned yet about her high school career; she missed her entire senior year of volleyball because of a torn ACL.
Just a few weeks out from official practice starting, Pago and the Lady Bulldogs were playing in an exhibition game against Clarion-Limestone. During the game, Pago jumped up to hit the ball just as she had done thousands of times before. But this time, her return to the ground was anything from routine. Immediately upon hitting the gymnasium floor, she heard her knee pop and she fell over in pain. A medical professional at the game checked her out after the play and knew that the diagnosis likely was not going to be a good one.
A torn ACL is one of the most routinely terrible injuries in all of sports if there is such a way to categorize them. While surgery and rehab continues to improve, the road to recovery can be anywhere from around 6 months to over a year. For Pago, she made it a goal to get a senior year of track and field, and that’s exactly what happened.
If there is such a thing as consolation, Pago made sure to treat each meet as a gift and soak up every moment of the last time she could represent Redbank Valley as a student-athlete. Fortunately, her days in volleyball have not ended. In fact, she made sure to find other ways to contribute to the team from the sideline during her senior year. She mentored the middle-hitter who was stepping up from junior-high to varsity in her absence. She also became a critical part of the team helping to put the girls who did play in a position to finish as runner-ups in District 9 in 2021. She even had one opportunity to enter the game for one game point senior year, something that she will always appreciate about her high school coach, Ashley Anderson.
Now having finished year one as a college player, Pago is grateful for the chance to play the game she loves again and does not take it for granted. “There was a point this season where I thought I tore it again,” explained Pago. “Thankfully, it was not too much of a slip up. What got me through that time was my teammate, Brianna Silvis (Otto-Eldred). She has not left my side since I first came to Pitt-Bradford. She’s helped me to become a better player, student, and person since meeting her.’
In year one as a Pitt-Bradford Panther, Pago played in 14 matches and helped the Panthers to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) playoffs. But, more than volleyball, she feels a sense of home at Pitt-Bradford. A small school in another relatively small community, Pago felt the transition has been fairly smooth. She also has been excited about her studies in radiological science and looks forward to helping patients one day get the care they need and deserve.
Having been a patient that needed scans and rehab, she’s so thankful for the care she received from the healthcare workers along the way, including the work from her physical therapist, Justin Moore. Morre helped Pago get back to the playing field in around eight to nine months and get ready to hit the floor with her club team during the spring season. Pago also appreciates her parents Jennifer and Frank and brothers Kaedyn and Gavyn for being the best support system at home that she could ask for.
Winning a District 9 title as a junior, playing in states against North Catholic, making the appearance during her senior year of high school volleyball, and setting foot on the floor for her first college game are all memories that will remain with her forever. But, the Clarion County native still has plenty of volleyball left to play and hopes to help bring another AMCC title back to Bradford. Her resiliency and blue collar work ethic has been proven and tested over these last two years, but here is to hoping from 2023 onward is smooth sailing and filled with good health for Ryley Pago.
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