Pioneer Athletics News

• October 17, 2025

Longtime head coach 3 wins shy of 500 with Pioneers

• October 13, 2025

Anora Robare and Sarah Lucas had career-high efforts in the first match and also led the Butler County Community College volleyball team in the second as the fifth-ranked Pioneers moved to 18-0 with victories Saturday against the College of Southern Maryland and Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood. The Pioneers beat Southern Maryland (25-27) 25-20, 28-26 and 25-10; then Westmoreland 25-12, 25-12 and 25-13.

• BC3 Pioneer Athletics | Sports
• October 09, 2025

Congratulations to the Region 20 Players of the Month for August/September 2025. Region 20 recognized eight student-athletes from six member institutions.

• October 08, 2025

Pioneers fall 4 strokes short in quest to win 5th team title in row.

• October 08, 2025

All-American Josie Russo and Dakota Weldon had nine kills each, Anora Robare 27 assists and Sarah Lucas nine digs as the fifth-ranked Butler County Community College volleyball team moved to 16-0 on Tuesday evening with its 15th sweep of the season. Molly Bissell added seven kills and with Robare seven digs each as the Pioneers topped Penn State Shenango 25-18, 25-21 and 25-17.

• October 05, 2025

Butler County Community College golfer Mitchell Covert fired a 72 on Friday and earned medalist honor as the Pioneers swept two opponents in advance of seeking their fifth consecutive postseason conference championship this week

• October 04, 2025

Former college coach Tom McConnell honored along with Rick Barger, retired CPA, with distinguished alumni awards on Oct. 4 during Oak Hills Celebration. McConnell becomes the sixth member of the college’s Charles W. Dunaway Pioneer Hall of Fame to also be selected as a distinguished alumnus. McConnell graduated from BC3 in 1980 with an associate degree in general studies. He led NCAA basketball programs at St. Francis University, Loretto, and at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 15 seasons as a head coach. The college’s Alumni Council reviews nominations and annually recognizes former students whose qualities include integrity, character and success, and who “provide inspiration to BC3 students and the community,” according to Bobbi Jo Cornetti, scholarship and development coordinator with the BC3 Education Foundation. McConnell “fits the bill and stands shoulder to shoulder with each of the alumni who began their academic and professional journeys at BC3 and are now respected citizens and leaders in their communities,” Butler resident John Reddick wrote in nominating the man he first met in the college’s Field House in 1979. "BC3 had everything to do with my development as a student, as a young man, as a leader," McConnell said. "And you know it was there that I found my calling to spend my adult life as a coach. I owe BC3 everything." Bill Miller, Kimberly (Burford) Geyer, Michael Franko, Dr. Andrew Matonak and John Stuper, a starting pitcher in a 1982 World Series game for the St. Louis Cardinals, were also inducted into the Pioneer Hall of Fame and chosen as distinguished alumni.

• September 28, 2025

In his fourth match as a first-year Butler County Community College golfer, Mason Phillips on Friday won medalist honor and led the Pioneers to a 7-2 fall record. The Knoch High School graduate fired a 1-over 73 at North Park Golf Course, Allison Park, as BC3’s four lowest scorers posted a fall season-low 309 to defeat Westmoreland County Community College, which had a 312, and the Community College of Allegheny County, which shot a 355. Jaxon Salata shot a 76 for BC3, Mitchell Covert tied his lowest score this fall with a 77 and Jeremy Scheidt had an 83. Ellis Rae and Bodie Spohn added 86s for the Pioneers. Salata and Spohn are graduates of Butler High; Covert, of Lincoln in Ellwood City; Scheidt, of Knoch; and Rae, of North Catholic. BC3 plays again at North Park Golf Course on Sept. 30.

• September 28, 2025

The Butler County Community College volleyball team for the first time this season had three players reach double digits in kills and setter Anora Robare had 34 assists and four service aces as the sixth-ranked Pioneers swept Pennsylvania Highlands Community College on Friday to move to 13-0. All-American middle hitter Josie Russo had 13 kills, Molly Bissell 11 and Dakota Weldon 10 as BC3 posted a 25-11, 25-8 and 25-13 victory in Johnstown. Summer Haney and Sarah Lucas led the Pioneers with eight digs each. Robare had seven and Bissell and Maeggie Wysocki six each. The sweep was BC3’s 12th in 2025 and 11th in a row. The Pioneers have held opponents to 16 or fewer points in 27 of the past 30 sets. They have not lost a set in 12 matches dating to Aug. 23. The Pioneers are ranked No. 6 among 86 National Junior College Athletic Association Division III programs. The program has been in the Top 15 in Division III in 31 of 35 polls dating to Oct. 4, 2021.

• September 21, 2025

Salata medalist for first time with career-low 73; Worsley’ score best in 17 matches

• September 21, 2025

Proceeds from runners, walkers and kids’ dashers, sponsors and donors benefit BC3’s intercollegiate athletics programs that have won 59 Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference and 29 National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region 20 championships. BC3’s programs have qualified for national championship tournaments 13 times and produced 40 All-American awards. “I think the community is really proud of our athletics programs,” said Megan M. Coval, BC3’s president, “and has a great appreciation and admiration for how hard our student-athletes work. They are doing their best in the classroom and many of them have jobs. Then they go out there on the court or course and come home winners.”

• September 19, 2025

Anora Robare tied a career high with five service aces and All-American Josie Russo reached double digits in kills for the fifth consecutive match as the seventh-ranked Butler County Community College volleyball team swept the Community College of Allegheny County on Wednesday and moved to 11-0 in 2025. Russo had 12 kills and Dakota Weldon nine, and Molly Bissell and Marissa Metzka added three service aces each as the Pioneers posted victories of 25-13, 25-9 and 25-12 in BC3’s Field House. The sweep was BC3’s 10th in 2025 and ninth in a row. The Pioneers have held opponents to 15 or fewer points in 21 of their past 24 matches.

• September 12, 2025

All-American Russo has 18 kills, career-high 15 digs in Pioneers' 8th sweep

• September 10, 2025

All-American middle hitter Josie Russo had 12 kills, setter Anora Robare 26 assists and defensive specialist Sara Lucas nine digs as the seventh-ranked Butler County Community College volleyball team moved to 8-0 on Tuesday by defeating Penn State DuBois 3-0. Outside hitter Dakota Weldon added seven kills and opposite hitter Emmy Fisher six service aces in the Pioneers’ 25-13, 25-15, 25-6 sweep, their seventh of the season. Fisher had eight digs and defensive specialist Maeggie Wysocki seven for BC3, ranked No. 7 among 86 National Junior College Athletic Association Division III programs for two consecutive weeks. Russo added three solo blocks and outside hitter Molly Bissell two for the Pioneers. Russo is second in Division III with 1.43 blocks per set, fourth in hitting percentage at .418 and eighth with 3.78 kills per set. Robare is sixth with 8.04 assists per set. The Pioneers are first in hitting percentage at .280 and third in blocks per set at 2.4 in Division III. Russo is a graduate of Freeport; Robare and Bissell, of Slippery Rock; Lucas, of Butler; Weldon, of Laurel; Fisher, of Seneca Valley; and Wysocki, of Apollo-Ridge. BC3 visits Penn State Greater Allegheny at 6 p.m. Thursday.

• September 08, 2025

Russo has 24 kills, Robare 63 assists as unbeaten Pioneers record sweeps Outside hitter Dakota Weldon had 11 kills in the first sweep and All-American middle hitter Josie Russo 16 in the second as the Butler County Community College volleyball team Saturday defended its jump to No. 7 nationally with two victories and began a third consecutive season with a 7-0 record. Setter Anora Robare had 26 assists in the Pioneers’ 25-23, 25-15, 25-11 win against Harrisburg Area Community College in the first match in BC3’s Field House. She had a career-high 37 in the second, a 25-15, 25-14, 29-27 victory against Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio, which represented the Pioneers’ sixth sweep of the season. Russo had eight kills in the first match, Robare and defensive specialist Marly Koleno each had 13 digs and outside hitter Molly Bissell eight. Koleno had a career-high 20 digs and Robare 12 in the second match, and Weldon and Bissell added seven kills each.

• September 03, 2025

The Butler County Community College volleyball team, which jumped to a No. 7 ranking in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association Division III poll, moved to 5-0 on Tuesday with its fourth sweep of the season. Dakota Weldon led BC3 with 12 kills, Anora Robare with 25 assists and Marly Koleno with a season-high 15 digs as BC3 topped Penn State Beaver 25-13, 25-13 and 25-12 in BC3’s Field House. Weldon is an outside hitter; Robare, a setter; and Koleno, a defensive specialist. Robare added nine digs and All-American middle hitter Josie Russo had six kills and five blocks. The Pioneers on Saturday host Harrisburg Area Community College at 11 a.m. and Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio, at 3 p.m.

• September 03, 2025

A race, a walk, and a dash on Sept. 13 will raise funds to support Butler County Community College intercollegiate athletic programs that have won 59 WPCC and 29 Region 20 titles, qualified for national championship tournaments 13 times, and turned 40 BC3 student-athletes into All-Americans. The college’s third Pioneer Pursuit will begin at 10 a.m. with a 5K race that includes three laps of the Shaffer Walking Trail that meanders inside BC3’s 330-acre main campus in Butler Township. The 1-mile walk starts at 10:30 a.m. and will include one lap of the trail. A 100-meter dash for children age 14 or under begins at 11 a.m. on College Drive across from Parking Lot 6. Thirty or more BC3 student-athletes are expected to volunteer at the Pioneer Pursuit, according to Alayna Chizmar, the college’s assistant director of student life for athletics.

• September 01, 2025

Dakota Weldon had 10 kills and All-American Josie Russo nine, and Molly Bissel recorded six service aces as the 10th-ranked Butler County Community College volleyball team moved to 4-0 on Friday with its third sweep of the season. Russo added a team-high seven digs and Anora Robare 27 assists as the Pioneers beat Pennsylvania Highlands Community College 25-8, 25-2 and 25-14 at BC3’s Field House.

• September 01, 2025

Parker Worsley and Jeremy Scheidt shots 81s on Friday as the Butler County Community College men’s golf team opened its fall season with a split at the par-72 Lake Arthur Golf Club. Aiden Duffy finished as medalist with a 3-under 78 to lead Westmoreland County Community College over the Pioneers 321-330. BC3 topped the Community College of Allegheny County, which finished with a 368. Mitchell Covert, Jaxon Salata and Ellis Rae had 84s for BC3, and Mason Phillips, an 87. Worsley and Salata are graduates of Butler Senior High School; Scheidt and Phillips, of Knoch; Covert, of Lincoln in Ellwood City; and Ray, of North Catholic. The Pioneers’ next match is Sept. 8 at Glengarry Golf Links, Latrobe.

• August 27, 2025

Anora Robare had at least 20 assists for the 13th time as the Butler County Community College volleyball team’s setter and All-American middle hitter Josie Russo added 17 kills Tuesday as the 10th-ranked Pioneers recorded their second sweep of the season and moved to 3-0. Robare had 21 assists in the Pioneers’ 25-6, 25-20, 25-22 victory against Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, in BC3’s Field House.

• August 24, 2025

All-American Josie Russo had a career-high 20 kills and nine blocks and Anora Robare tied a career-high with 31 assists in the second of two matches Saturday as the 10th-ranked Butler County Community College volleyball team opened its 2025 season with victories in BC3’s Field House. The Pioneers swept Erie Community College, Williamsville, N.Y., in the opener 25-11, 25-7 and 25-22, then defeated Lakeland Community College, Kirtland, Ohio, 25-18, 25-14, (27-29) and 27-25. BC3, which finished 25-2 and with its 20th consecutive winning record in 2024, was ranked No. 10 among 86 National Junior College Athletic Association Division III programs in the preseason.

• August 07, 2025

A golf outing whose proceeds benefit Butler County Community College raised Aug. 1 the second-highest amount in its 30-year history, introduced to its 31 competing teams an opportunity to capitalize on the accuracy of a BC3 All-American and presented to the winning squad the Champions Cup only after a tiebreaker. Squads in the scramble format could pay $20 to purchase an orange ball to be driven on a par-3 hole by Jacob Marquardt, a BC3 student-athlete who earned the prestigious postseason award in golf in June. First National Bank received its second consecutive Champions Cup after winning a tiebreaker against the Alliance for Nonprofit Resources. Each team finished regulation at 15-under on the par-70 course, but First National Bank had posted a lower total on a scorecard playoff. The BC3 Education Foundation in 30 golf outings has raised approximately $1.56 million in unrestricted funds, including a record $115,000 in 2021, that will support BC3 resources such as adult literacy, a food pantry and the college’s community opioid addiction recovery program.

• June 06, 2025

Marquardt, Voloch earn prestigious postseason award at national championships

• June 05, 2025

Marquardt moves within 6 strokes of lead; Voloch has best round at Chautauqua

• June 04, 2025

Marquardt tied for fourth place, Voloch alone in 15th at nationals

• June 03, 2025

WPCC, Region 20 individual champion fires 1-under-71 at Chautauqua

• May 30, 2025

Teen who battled baseball-sized brain tumor to become BC3’s first women’s golfer to compete at nationals

• May 16, 2025

Marquardt sets Region 20 low-scoring record for undefeated Pioneers

• May 11, 2025

Pioneers (7-0) would advance to Chautauqua with victory in regionals

• May 05, 2025

Lincoln High grad wins medalist honor for second time as Pioneers top CCAC

• April 28, 2025

Class of 2025 includes record-setters, top scorers and two-sport stars

• April 28, 2025

Pioneers’ Covert second as golf squad moves to 6-0