Stephanie Lynch Hopes to Help North Catholic Volleyball Repeat as State Champs; Committed to Washington and Lee Volleyball

“A few months ago, I talked to a college coach about why I loved volleyball so much. What we talked about was that volleyball is a different sport. You have three touches on the ball before it has to be returned to the other team. Those touches create trust between you and your teammates. Going from pass, to set, to attack brings the team together in a competitive way. You have to be able to be held accountable and relied on by the people you share the court with. This is exactly why I love the sport.”

(Photos submitted by Stephanie Lynch)

For North Catholic rising senior Stephanie Lynch, volleyball is more than a game. It’s poetry in motion out on the court. Many of the closest relationships she has in her life are because of volleyball. With a team so close both on and off the court, the Trojans have been able to accomplish some great things during Lynch’s career so far.

It will be hard to top a state title win from a year ago, but the Trojans return a great deal of talent from a year ago, with the future General volleyballer being one of the many talented players.

“Throughout the summer, we’ve been putting in hours conditioning and getting reps at open gyms. For me and my closest friends, it is our senior season, so we are very excited to see what we can do in our last year at NC. At practices, we have a lot of fun, but we are also very focused. We are all putting in full effort to become better volleyball players and a better team as a whole. I believe we will be able to do great things again this season.”

Lynch is one of several Trojan players that play club volleyball for Renaissance Volleyball Club, one of the premiere clubs in the nation. She said this about playing for North Catholic and “Renny” as the players refer to the club as.

“Being a part of NC volleyball is being a part of a family away from home. Since freshman year, I have made my best friends through volleyball. I know I can rely on my teammates on and off the court. We are also each other’s number one supporters. Being a part of Renaissance Volleyball Club is also very special. We all have a common goal, which is to become better teammates and better volleyball players. At both NC and Renny, we talk about the things we can control, and being the best teammate we can be is one of those things. Whether on the court or on the sides, everyone is cheering each other on. The volleyball community is competitive, but it is also a tight-knit community of people who love playing the same sport.”

Interestingly, Lynch is not the only family member with ties to college athletics as her older brother Danny is currently playing baseball for Williams College and was previously featured in a story in 2021. Danny has been one of the biggest influences for her to succeed in athletics as she and her sisters were constantly brought to the ball fields to watch his games growing up.

While those memories are still clear to her at the ball fields, she’s made her own core memories from her own athletic career. Winning a state title, overcoming a 2-0 deficit against Philipsburg-Osceola in the state semifinals after falling to them in the previous season, and winning two WPIAL titles are at the top of her list as favorite moments from volleyball so far.

Over her high school career, Lynch has become a two-time All-Section performer, a WPIAL All-Star, and a PVCA All-Star for North Catholic. With her club, she’s become a Steel City Freeze Champion, a West E Champion, a Grit Champion, an Irish Rumble Champion, and qualified for the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships. 

There’s already been much success in her career, but Stephanie Lynch has a lot left to look forward to in her volleyball career and her life. At Washington and Lee, she intends to major in biology, with her major career goal to become a doctor after her undergraduate days.

Stephanie Lynch has already had a career to remember, but there’s a lot left to go as she enters her senior season with the Trojans. With strong family, community, school, and teammate support behind her, she’s destined to make a difference on the court and in the medical field for a long time to come.

Best of luck as you enter senior year, Steph! Thank you for the chance to share your success 🏐