NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Ryley Pago got to wear her Redbank Valley volleyball uniform one more time. Be introduced one more time. Stand out on the court one more time.
She didn’t want to leave.
But she must. A bulky brace still steadied her surgically repaired left knee. She couldn’t jump. She couldn’t even bend the knee.
Her start on Senior Night in October was symbolic. Still, it meant much more to Pago, who missed the entire season with a torn ACL and meniscus.
“It was very emotional,” Pago said. “It was a surprise to me that my coach put me out on our court again. There was a flood of emotion going through me because it was like flashbacks to everything, and then the thoughts, ‘If I could just on this court and hammer some balls …’ I’m just grateful my coach set that up because it was a special night I’ll never forget.”
Pago admits it was a trying season for her. She injured the knee July 1, just before the start of her senior season, and knew immediately it was serious. When the word finally came down a month later that her final campaign for the Bulldogs was over, Pago was understandably distraught.
But she decided to make the best of this heartbreaking situation. She was a fixture on the bench, sitting with the coaches and helping her teammates as much as she could with encouragement and her insights about the game.
As her knee began to heal, she participated in pre-game warmups, serving balls over the net, bumping hits and making sets.
“The girls were so supportive of me,” Pago said. “They tried to include me in as much stuff as was possible. Toward the end of the season, I would do some drills, but my feet were still on the ground — I couldn’t jump. It still made me so happy because I was able to touch the ball again.”
It wasn’t the same. She longed to be out on that court in games. To jump and make a block. To dive for a dig. To take a big swing.
Pago could take solace, though, in the fact her volleyball journey would soon begin anew at the next level. She committed to the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and recently signed her letter of intent to play there, making it all official.
Finally a done deal.
“I’m so happy and so grateful because this past year has been rough for me,” Pago said. “This was just a little light at the end of the tunnel that is giving me hope.”
Pago, a 6-foot middle hitter, was coming off an impact junior season in which she helped Redbank Valley to a District 9 Class 2A championship. She had big goals, not only for herself, but for the team this year.
Then the injury happened.
It was important for her, though, to stay involved with the team. She never missed a practice, except on the occasions when she had to visit the doctor or go to physical therapy. She never missed a match.
“There’s a lot I could say about Ryley,” said Redbank Valley volleyball coach Ashley Anderson. “Her determination is unmatched, and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead for her.”
Anderson said Pago became an invaluable extension of the coaching staff this season.
“She rallied around the team the entire season and, in turn, they all rallied around her through her recovery,” Anderson said. “She was a huge mentor to the younger girls and that was so important for them. I think she learned a lot about herself this season and is not letting anything hold her back.”
Pago said in a strange way, the year off from playing may actually help her in the long run.
Being on the bench gave her a new perspective of the game. She got to see things from a different angle and a new mindset.
“People don’t realize how much you can learn off the court as well as on the court,” Pago said. “When I’m watching these girls play, I’m also watching where they should be putting the ball, where they could have put the ball, what play they could make. I feel like after a season of just watching these girls play, it’s going to help me in college. I didn’t realize how much sitting on the bench and just watching can help.”
Pitt-Bradford was 18-8 this season, advancing to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference semifinals, where the Panthers lost to Penn State Behrend.
Pago is ahead of schedule in her recovery. She has transitioned to a smaller brace and is jogging now.
She still isn’t permitted to jump.
“July 1. That was the last time I jumped,” Pago said, laughing.
That last time she jumped, her ACL shredded and her meniscus snapped. She still remembers that fateful play. Crumpling to the floor. Feeling her teammates hook their hands under her arms to try to pull her to her feet. Knowing she couldn’t stand.
She can’t wait to jump again to make those memories just that. Memories. Things of the past.
Her main goal now is to get in the best shape she can for next fall.
“I’m focused on getting back to where I was before the injury,” Pago said. “That’s my No. 1 priority. But my second priority is pushing myself to do my best to help the team out. I want to be an impact player my freshman year.”
What this year has also shown Pago is to be grateful for what you have.
It can be gone as fast as an awkward landing.
“You don’t realize how much you miss something,” Pago said, “until that something is taken away.”
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