Tigers’ Record-setter Named Mvp

By KIM TRANELL Times Leader Sports Correspondent
Wednesday, December 15, 1999 Page: 1B

Tunkhannock coach Steve Howell calls Jessie Didier a natural athlete.

Aside from being the Tigers’ all-time leading blocker and a three-year
starter at the middle hitter position, Didier is a star hurdler for the track
team and a state meet participant.
This natural athleticism, combined with hard work and dedication, has made
Didier successful on the court. A first-team all-star last year, her
consistent play and constant improvement earned her the 1999 Wyoming Valley
Conference Girls Volleyball Most Valuable Player award.

The team was picked by the WVC coaches.

“(Jessie) had to be a more complete player this year,” Howell said. “The
things she needed to work on she did very well on doing so.”

Didier helped Tunkhannock finish 18-0, win the WVC title, and capture its
second consecutive District 2-3A championship.

Joining Didier on the first team are Barbara Grimaud, Tunkhannock; Erin
Fine, Crestwood; Heather Roback and Lauren Kurkowski, Nanticoke; Sue Frye and
Maureen Myers, Abington Heights; and Amber Brennan, Wyoming Valley West.
Howell was named coach of the year.

Grimaud is another overall athlete who made an impact for Tunkhannock. A
star basketball player and state medalist in the javelin, she was an outside
hitter and controlled the Tigers’ passing game.

“We wanted her to touch the ball whenever it came on our side, at least
once,” said Howell.

Crestwood, which lost to Tunkhannock in the district semifinals, owed part
of its 13-4 record and playoff berth to Erin Fine. She came out for the team
last year as a sophomore and stepped into a starting position at outside
hitter/setter. She ended the 1999 season with a team-leading 56 service aces,


Nanticoke’s Heather Roback also began her career as a sophomore. A second
team selection last year, she starred at the outside hitter position as a
senior this year. Roback used her ability to hit with both hands to throw off
the defense. Her teammate, Lauren Kurkowski, also played at the outside hitter
position. Only a sophomore, she is a two-year starter for the Trojans. Roback
and Kurkowski led the Trojans to the District 2 championship game, where they
lost to Tunkhannock.

Although Wyoming Valley West did not make the playoffs, senior Amber
Brennan helped her team pick up its play at the end of the season. As an
all-around player for the Spartans, Brennan accumulated 82 service points, 29
service aces, 64 assists, 67 digs and 18 kills. She holds the school record
for digs (67) and service points (161) in a season. Brennan also had 304
career service points.

Abington Heights’ Maureen Myers and Sue Frye also enjoyed successful senior
seasons. Frye, who had a strong and consistent serve, was the team leader in
assists. Myers led the team in kills, and both players helped Abington earn a
spot in the district playoffs where it lost to Nanticoke in the semifinals.

Howell was named coach of the year for the second consecutive year. He has
coached at Tunkhannock for 17 years and has been head coach for four seasons.
Howell also led his players into the state playoffs for the second consecutive
year, finishing the tournament with a 1-2 record that included a loss to the
eventual state champions. MD112chart has correct coding and depth

Girls Volleyball

All- Stars





Here are the 1999 Wyoming Valley Conference girls volleyball all-stars, as
selected by the league’s coaches.

First Team

Name School Yr. Jessie Didier Tunkhannock Sr. Heather Roback
Nanticoke Sr. Barbara Grimaud Tunkhannock Sr. Sue Frye Abington Hts.
Sr. Erin Fine Crestwood Jr. Maureen Myers Abington Hts. Sr. Lauren
Kurkowski Nanticoke So. Amber Brennan Valley West Sr.

Second Team

Name School Yr. Joann Lesh Crestwood Sr. Elissa Kilmer Tunkhannock
Sr. Karrie Reinard Coughlin Sr. Charyse Bosavage Hanover Area Jr.
Katie Gabriel Tunkhannock Sr. Sheridan Fischi Bishop Hoban Sr. Jen Frank
Lake-Lehman Sr. Erin Otto Abington Hts. Sr.

Third Team

Name School Yr. Sandy Grigas Tunkhannock Sr. Janet Davis Hazleton
Area Sr. Bronwyn Graeffe North Pocono Sr. Roxanne Mahle Tunkhannock Sr.
Nancy Wiaterowski Nanticoke So. Stacy Rosenbaum Lake-Lehman Sr. Angela
Warman Valley West Jr. Fallon Remington Tunkhannock Jr.

Honorable Mention



Abington Heights: Stacey Rosenburg, Liz Yatko, Natalia Cusmano. Bishop
Hoban: Jill Michalek, Theresa Price, Shana Keeler, Traci Kazmerski. Coughlin:
Jen Jones. Crestwood: Jehan Kahn, Kristin Boone. Dallas: Kim Derhammer.
Hanover Area: Stacy Kubsky, Alison Uzdella, Candice Cruikshank, Stacy
Sakavinas. Hazleton Area: Tracey Stecker, Sarah Brislin, Joy Gallagher.
Lake-Lehman: Sarah Davis, Kari Maskalis, Monica Cabrera. Nanticoke: Jill
Sikorski, Patti Warkevicz. North Pocono: Nicole Gorke, Beth Gaughan, Kathleen
Orr. Pittston Area: Tracey Nawrocki, Leah Dudzynski. Tunkhannock: Claire
Henning. Wyoming Area: Allison Black, Jessica Hilstosky, Missy Manganiello.
Wyoming Valley West: Donna Melton, Erin McCormick, Kristin Mikolosko, Jill
Adams, Susan Parry.

Most Valuable Player: Jessie Didier, Tunkhannock.

Coach of the Year: Scott Howell, Tunkhannock.