WAYNESBORO, Pa. – The Waynesboro Maidens varsity volleyball season has been a rollercoaster ride for the players and coaches. It’s been filled with heartache and exhilaration, as well as early peaks and valleys.
Through it all, Waynesboro is a win away from obtaining a division championship. The Maidens (12-6, 7-2 MPC) host West Perry at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Waynesboro defeated West Perry in three sets on Sept. 8.
A week before preseason practices were set to begin, longtime head coach Kim Saunders died unexpectedly. She was a mainstay in the volleyball program, a winner both as a player in the late 1980s and early 1990s and as a coach from 2012 to 2025.
Saunders’ passing left a huge void, but, through the grief and adaptation to the traumatic change, head coach Emily Nystrom, her coaching staff, and the players who played under Saunders just a year ago, made tremendous strides after a 3-5 record near the midpoint of the season.
“I knew from the start that stepping up into the head coach role was not going to be easy,” Nystrom said. “But I can honestly say, it was and has been the girls. Not only did they all step up and adapt to my coaching, but they all have actively helped me and the coaching staff carry the weight of the season. Leadership in a situation like this is never a one-way street. The players have made it possible for this season to continue as the ‘new’ normal by choosing every day to lead alongside me and my coaching staff.”
One of the early-season losses was to Mid-Penn Colonial Division opponent Gettysburg on September 10. Losses to Red Lion and Central Dauphin followed.
And then, in the wink of an eye, the Maidens’ fortunes turned on a dime. Waynesboro won the next six matches, including divisional wins against Northern York, Shippensburg, Greencastle-Antrim and Gettysburg.
Suddenly, a Mid-Penn Colonial Division championship was within reach. It took a slight hit when the Maidens lost to Northern York in five sets on October 1, but they righted the ship after beating Shippensburg and Greencastle-Antrim to bring their division record to 7-2 with one league match remaining.
“As a program, we are hoping (the Greencastle match) was our last hurdle to the finish line, knowing if we beat West Perry, the Waynesboro Maidens will be the 2026 division champs, exactly what these girls need and deserve after overcoming a difficult start to their season,” said Nystrom. “The girls went in focused, ready to play hard and give their all the Maidens MAGIC (Make A Great Individual Contribution) they could. And sure enough, that’s exactly what each of them did.”
Waynesboro began the week with a three-set win against Red Land in the team’s final road contest. The regular-season finale is Oct. 20 at home against Bishop McDevitt.
It’s come down to this: one match, one mission.
What was Nystrom’s message to the team?
“Beginning with practice, Sunday, October 11, the coaching staff emphasized to the girls that we need to stay focused, go into this week just as we have any other week, and play Maidens volleyball,” Nystrom said. “They need to stay loose, relaxed and be prepared to execute their job for the team. Lastly, I have told the girls this all season, and that is to have fun.”
Gettysburg and Northern have both completed their play in the division, and both are 7-3. Waynesboro’s win over Greencastle had huge implications. A loss would have meant four teams in the division each had three league losses.
