Mercury All-Area: Constantly looking to prove herself, Hutton Cordrey brought the X-factor for Pope John Paul II’s repeat state champions

Few teams have ever faced outside expectations like the Pope John Paul II girls’ volleyball team this past fall.

With three PVCA All-State players and the majority of its rotation returning from last year’s 27-0 state championship season, the Golden Panthers found themselves in a position where anything short of a repeat state title would be labeled failure.

Set aside the outside noise though. Inside, Hutton Cordrey and her fellow seniors wanted to prove to themselves the first was no fluke.

“We knew we had to prove ourselves to not even everyone else, but to ourselves. We knew how much we wanted it, we just needed to show it,” Cordrey said.

Cordrey is just the right person for such a task. She goes out to prove herself every game she steps on the volleyball court.

At 5-foot-5, she’s an unlikely outside hitter. But being undersized for the position has its benefits. She’s smart and tactical, which has factored into her becoming a complete volleyball player, equally capable receiving serve and passing as she is going for a kill.

“I feel like it makes me have to think and have a more strategic game because I know that sometimes I’m not going to get the ball over these huge blockers,” Cordrey said of her size. “I need to place it in the right spots. I feel like it definitely makes me work harder because I want to prove myself and not just be seen like, ‘They just need an extra hitter so they put this 5-5 girl on the outside.’ It makes me want to prove myself.”

Cordrey and the Golden Panthers have nothing more to prove.

Pope John Paul II solidified itself as arguably the greatest team in Pioneer Athletic Conference history with a second consecutive undefeated season and sweep of the PAC, District 1-3A and PIAA Class 3A championships.

The Golden Panthers were a titan with six All-State players in Cordrey, opposite hitter Natalie Ricevuto and setter Madison Monahan – all three repeat selections – plus senior libero Gabriella Cooper, junior hitter Maeve Gallagher and sophomore middle hitter Norah Busch.

While there was individual excellence throughout the lineup, Cordrey was the glue that brought it all together with her versatility being the special ingredient to PJP’s powerhouse run. It’s why Cordrey is the 2023 Mercury All-Area Girls’ Volleyball Player of the Year.

“Hutton’s involved in pretty much every single play,” PJP head coach Ryan Sell said. “She’s a primary passer, her defensive skills are really good and honestly if we have taller attackers she could be a different position, play libero even. And sure, she loves to attack and get kills too. She’s a kid who can play any position and will never question how you’re deploying her – she’s not like that, she’s there to help the team to play the best she can. She affects the game in so many ways.”

PJP’s two-year run featured a 54-game winning streak and the team this year only dropped three sets. Cordrey was a statistical leader in nearly all categories: she was second to Ricevuto (310) in kills with 302, tops in attacks (777), second in aces (46), serve attempts (235) and digs (261) over 40 matches (including tournament play).

PJP became just the third PAC team – and first in 30 years – to earn back-to-back state championships, joining Perkiomen Valley field hockey in 1986 and 1987 and Pottstown boys’ track and field in 1993 and 1994.

Amazingly, another member of the Cordrey household knows the feeling. Hutton’s mom Heather (née Bucher) was a starter on the PV field hockey title-winners.

“She was in shock too,” Hutton said of their reaction when they learned of the shared rare feat. “What are the odds of that happening? It’s very small.”

Hutton, who resides in Gilbertsville, is the third of Heather and Dan Cordrey’s four children. While her parents provided the athletic foundation, oldest sister Myah was Hutton’s inspiration in volleyball.

Myah Cordrey was a past PJP standout (2017 graduate), a two-time All-State selection who helped the team to four straight PAC titles and went on to play at Marymount University (Va.).

“I went to every single one of her tournaments with her and that just made me want to play even more,” Hutton said. “I saw her play and obviously you want to be just like your big sister when you’re that little. That definitely got me into the sport and we would always play outside together.

“She’s the one that taught me how to play and then I got into it and have never stopped since.”

The inspiration to want to be a hitter also came from Myah, except for one thing …

“She’s tall, she’s like 6-0. I didn’t get her genes at all. I got the runts,” Hutton joked.

“I started playing when I was in fifth grade and I knew I wanted to hit because my sister was a hitter. I tried hitting and then they moved me to a setter, so I was like, ‘OK, maybe this is my position.’ Then they moved me back to hitter and I thought, ‘OK, I’m going to redeem myself this time.’ I just kept working for it every day and didn’t let my height define me.”

Her leaping ability makes it indistinguishable that she isn’t the typical height of a hitter. Meanwhile, it’s led her to diversify her attacking with placement, tempo changes, tips.

“Watching smaller players play is really fun I think because it’s like, ‘She shouldn’t be able to do this,’” Sell said. “It’s how big is your toolbox for scoring points or how many tools you have. For her, there’s a lot of ways.”

While staying on the floor through every rotation, Cordrey’s ability to do it all was an X-factor for the Golden Panthers.

“I think being an adhesive player is really an important part of the team,” she said. “I definitely am very grateful and thankful that I am considered that player. It’s definitely hard at times, but I feel like you need to know your teammates are relying on you and that also really helps motivate me.”

Despite their standing as reigning state champion, the Golden Panthers made a humble approach central to their title defense.

“We made our 50 goals in the beginning of the season, and the No. 1 rule is ‘be humble’,” she said. “The most detrimental thing is if you’re overconfident, then you’re going to not play your best because you think you’re automatically going to win. But you have to work for it if you really want to win. I think we worked really hard for it every game.”

PJP only dropped three sets all season, one in a regular season meeting with Upper Merion, another in the PAC championship to eventual state qualifier Spring-Ford and then in the PIAA championship game to District 7 champion Hampton.

Unlike the year before when they needed to sweat out a pair of five setters in its state run, including an iconic 18-16 fifth-set win over North Catholic in the final, their dominance this year was never in doubt.

Cordrey set herself apart as a big-game player by being selected as the most outstanding player of both state championship games by TV broadcaster PCN. This year, she registered a team-high 17 kills and 20 digs, her varied ability on display on the biggest stage.

“If you would have told me when I was in fifth grade that I’d be a back-to-back state champion, I would not believe you,” Cordrey said. “It’s so crazy to hear people say it out loud. It doesn’t feel real.”

Her volleyball career will continue next fall at Rowan University in New Jersey where she’ll be joined by best friend Cooper. Cordrey will no doubt find success. But it will be hard to ever replicate the special experience of her last two years at Pope John Paul II.

“I love this team. They are definitely unforgettable to me,” Cordrey. “It was such a great group of girls. They are all so reliable and I’m just so thankful I got to play with them.”