UNBREAKABLE: Clarion Senior Marley Kline Leads Talented Cast of District 9 Players to Earn All-State Honors
CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — The ache never really left.
Not September. Not in October. Not when the Clarion volleyball team was soaring again in the postseason.
Every step Marley Kline took this fall carried a reminder of a frightening afternoon at Cumberland Valley — the moment her left leg buckled, her hamstring yanked tight, and her knee wobbled in a way that made her heart sink. She came back quickly, wrapped tightly every night.
She kept swinging. Kept jumping. Kept carrying the Bobcats with piles of kills and digs like nothing was wrong.
And this week she was rewarded for it.
Kline, the senior outside hitter who refused to let pain dim her season, was named to the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association Class A All-State team on Wednesday — a validation she never imagined would mean so much.
“It means so much to me,” Kline said. “Especially after my knee injury this season. It was challenging, but pushing through it reminded me how much I love this sport.”
Kline was a force again for the Bobcats, her powerful right arm pounding kill after kill from perfect feeds from junior setter Addiwyn Campbell, another Class A all-state selection. The duo drove Clarion all the way to the District 9 title match, where the Bobcats fell to Elk County Catholic before bowing out in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.
Addiwyn Campbell
Still, the ending didn’t feel like regret — not for Kline.
“I knew I needed to work for my team, and I think this was the best I have ever played,” she said. “The honor feels like proof that the hard work and resilience were worth it, and I’m really grateful for the recognition.”
Next fall, she’ll take that same edge and energy with her to the PSAC, suiting up for Bloomsburg University.
Kline and Campbell weren’t the only District 9 standouts recognized.
Isabella Brandon
Keystone junior outside hitter Isabella Brandon earned all-state honors after delivering one of the most complete seasons in the state.
She’s had to adapt more than most.
Three head coaches in three years.
Three different systems.
Three different voices.
She’s persevered through all of it. This season under coach Kaci Weaver, she was a big part of a team that went undefeated in the regular season before falling to eventual D9 champ ECC in the postseason.
“I’m deeply honored that my hard work and dedication is seen and recognized by other coaches,” Brandon said. “Volleyball is very important to me. It’s been a challenge with all the changes, but I’ve been able to adapt and work through it.”
Clarion-Limestone senior setter Kaylee Smith also made the Class A list, capping an all-state career that included more than 2,000 assists and a KSAC MVP season — all while battling back from a late-season ankle injury.
Kaylee Smith
Payton Newton of Elk County Catholic and Jenna Renner of Port Allegany also made the Class A all-state team from District 9.
Molly Hansloven of St. Marys earned a nod on the all-state team in Class 2A for District 9. Sonny Diehl of Clearfield and Audrey Kennis of DuBois were district selections in Class 3A.
