Becca Dougherty Embracing New Chapter in Life and Athletics

Since she was a young girl, New Bethlehem native Becca Dougherty has always had a high amount of enthusiasm for sports.

Both she and her older brother Jake kept parents Susan and Brian busy playing travel sports. Jake played travel basketball for Clarion Rising Stars in addition to attending quarterback camps and showcases while in high school. As for Becca, she played with Clover Volleyball out of Clarion, as well as with travel organizations out of Redbank with most of her high school teammates.

As a high schooler, Dougherty was named all-state as a senior and the KSAC MVP. She was recruited by several schools, but in the end, Dougherty chose Thiel College over offers from Penn State Behrend, Pitt-Bradford, and a few others.

“I actually first toured Thiel as a high school sophomore because they recruited my brother heavily for football,” said Dougherty. “I always said I would like to go there, and it ended up working out that they offered me a chance to play.”

Attending Thiel allowed her to major in communication studies with tracks in advertising, public relations, and integrated marketing and communications. It has landed her two roles near home, including her full-time job as a sales representative/marketing coordinator at Brookville Glove Manufacturing Company. She is also a part-time event planner at Long Shot Ammo and Arms.

Both of these roles keep her busy, but she also is now an assistant coach for the Redbank Valley Lady Bulldogs volleyball program who captured a D9 title this fall in addition to winning a first-round state playoff game. It is the perfect way to stay involved in the sport she loves, and she plans on coaching for the foreseeable future.

Looking back at her time with Thiel, she was one of many first-year players in her first college season in 2016. However, by the time the fall of 2020 rolled around, she became the lone senior for the Lady Tomcats. If anything, this shows her dedication and attitude to seeing things out and seeing things through. She served as a mentor to an extremely young team, and the team got much better over her final season.

When talking about her time with the Thiel program, she said: “It was hard seeing my teammates transfer and no longer play, but I was raised to not quit and always give my best. I think I did my best with that despite being tested throughout my career.”

In her four years, she racked up 369 kills as a middle hitter and became one of the go-to players for her team during her junior and senior seasons.

To become who she is today, she was quick to credit her family for their continued support in addition to some coaches who have changed her life. Lindsay Smith, Alee Kromer, and Tyler North are all coaches during high school and college who believed in her abilities and helped her become a better overall player.

Reflecting on attending Redbank in the mid 2010’s when many strong athletes walked the halls of Redbank Valley High, Dougherty offered her thoughts on why she thinks the school has had such great athletics over the years.

“The community and amount of people who volunteer help us out tremendously,” said Dougherty. “I got my start in volleyball in elementary school in camps, and I know that there are great YMCA basketball programs and youth soccer leagues who helped athletes, as well. Overall, the people make Redbank a great school to be an athlete at.”

Though her days as an athlete are behind her, she brings a fresh and higher level volleyball perspective to the Lady Bulldogs volleyball program. She also is performing meaningful work that is helping save lives right now through working at Brookville Glove by making masks. Finally, she has a terrific family who supports her along the way.

Overall, Dougherty has a lot going for her as a young professional and coach and has earned all that has come her way.