News at St. Catherine's
Times-Dispatch: St. Catherine’s Quinn Menger commits to Penn State
Volleyball setter will play at Penn State.
Both her parents were coaches, and the junior setter at St. Catherine’s spent much of her youth on and around the court.
“I was kind of born into it. It’s something I love to do,” she said. “I played softball, I played soccer, I did dance. But growing up nothing really compared, my heart was where the court was.”
Menger committed to her “dream school,” Penn State on Sept. 16. Growing up on the East Coast, she said the program in Happy Valley has always been the gold standard for players aspiring to compete at the collegiate level.
Nittany Lions coach Russ Rose has led the program since 1979. Under Rose, Penn State has won seven national championships, the most recent in 2014.
Menger went to a camp in Happy Valley when she was 10 years old, and knew where she wanted to play collegiately ever since.
“Penn State is just a great place to be, it’s been my dream school ever since I was a little girl,” she said. “It was just meant to be and it was home.”
Eagles’ dominance: Mills Godwin has won 24 of 25 sets this year and remain atop our rankings as the clear No. 1 team in the Richmond area. Only No. 4 Patrick Henry has taken a set from Godwin this year. Coach Chris Wakefield’s Eagles boast 3-0 wins over No. 5 Atlee and No. 3 Deep Run.
Menger has been around the sport for as long as she can remember, but truly fell for life on the court in middle school while watching the Clover Hill and Powhatan teams her father coached.
“Watching them be successful was the moment I fell in love with it. Because they were such good role models for me,” she said, adding that she strives to be a similar source of inspiration for younger athletes.
“I always try and go back and teach a middle school clinic every now and then to rekindle my love for the game. … Watching little kids have fun is where it all comes back to. Because they’re going to be you one day and that’s a great feeling to have. … It just warms your heart.”
In 2018, Menger was a first-team All-Metro selection after recording 95 kills, 553 assists, 52 aces and 44 blocks as a sophomore. This season, Menger’s Saints, ranked No. 2 in the T-D Top 10, are off to a 6-0 start (12-4 including invitationals).
Saints coach Skip Weston, who Menger referred to as “Grandpa Weston,” has coached Menger since she was in fifth grade. Although he always asks his players how they’re doing off the court, he also expects the best out of them, as Menger does herself.
“He definitely is a tough coach, and playing for him is a challenge and you have to be mentally prepared to work,” she said. “But overall he makes you better, he makes you improve every day, he’s just a great guy to be around.”
With an experienced starting six including fellow first-team All-Metro honoree and senior libero Claire Ellis, sophomore outside hitter Elise Williamson, senior right side hitter Jessie Atkinson, junior outside hitter Rian Sherod and senior Jailah Chandler, Menger said she’s excited to see what the Saints can accomplish this year.
Menger has met many of her best friends and found a road to her dream school through the sport she loves. Her advice to young people, not just athletes, she said, is to find their passion and stick with it.
“Any sport, any activity you do is a good vehicle to take you through teenage years. Mine just happened to be volleyball,” she said. “And it surrounded me with people who love to do what I love to do just as much. And it created relationships that I’ll never forget.”
Eagles’ dominance: Mills Godwin has won 24 of 25 sets this year and remain atop our rankings as the clear No. 1 team in the Richmond area. Only No. 4 Patrick Henry has taken a set from Godwin this year. Coach Chris Wakefield’s Eagles boast 3-0 wins over No. 5 Atlee and No. 3 Deep Run.
Royals join the party: Prince George cracks our top 10 after an 8-0 start to the season. The Royals have not faced a ranked team but will have their work cut out for them in their next two matchups, both at home — No. 5 Atlee on Thursday and No. 1 Mills Godwin on Monday.
Team, Record, previous ranking
(Records current as of Monday; records do not include invitational results)
1. Mills Godwin, 8-0, 1
2. St. Catherine’s, 6-0, 2
3. Deep Run, 6-1, 4
4. Patrick Henry, 4-2, 3
5. Atlee, 5-1, 6
6. Powhatan, 7-1, 9
7. Prince George, 8-0, —
8. James River, 5-1, 8
9. Glen Allen, 3-3, 7
10. Midlothian, 4-3, 5
Located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, St. Catherine’s School is a private, all-girls pre-K, kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school. We provide a well-rounded educational experience for girls from communities across Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and all of central Virginia. St.Catherine’s all-girls educational experience is rooted in more than a century of history and tradition. From our revolutionary past to our dynamic present, St. Catherine’s has always focused on preparing students for a boundless future.
