Pope John Paul II's Norah Busch Named Miss Pennsylvania Volleyball

Busch helped the Panthers finished with a 103-3 record and win four PIAA Class 3A championships during her time in high school

Pope John Paul's Norah Busch, seen here playing in a match in 2023, was recently named Miss Volleyball Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. Busch, who helped the Panthers win four consecutive state titles, will play at N.C. State next season / Shelly Stallsmith / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pope John Paul II girls volleyball coach Ryan Sell saw flashes of the player Norah Busch could become in middle school. Busch, who will play at N.C. State next season, eventually became the first player under Sell to top 1,000 kills in her career.

But Busch’s progress was a climb. She was initially a role player.

“We first saw Norah as a seventh and eight grader and immediately recognized her athletic potential,” said Sell, who took over the program in 2012. “But by her freshman year, it was clear she was trending in the right direction. She didn’t play a ton on varsity, but she was trusted in big moments — and she delivered.”

Busch was recently named Miss Volleyball Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. The award is presented to the top female senior volleyball player in Pennsylvania and is to honor “exceptional talent, unwavering distinction and inspiring leadership demonstrated throughout the season.”

Panthers claim PIAA Class 3A crown

The Panthers, who won the District 1 Class 3A championship, finished the 2025 season with an 18-2 record. In the state playoffs, Pope John Paul II never had to play more than four sets. Along the way, the Panthers knocked off Carver E&S, Bethlehem Catholic and Berwick before sweeping Oakland Catholic in the PIAA final.

It was the fourth consecutive state champion for the Panthers. During Busch’s time with the program, Pope John Paul II went 103-3.

“That wasn’t just North—we had a lot of strong players come through in that stretch—but she was a major part of what we did,” said Sell, who is also the president of the PVCA. “She’ll leave as one of the most decorated players in PJP history, which is saying something given the level of success and the strong tradition we’ve built since the school opened in 2010.”

No sophomore slump

Busch left a lasting impression during the 2022 PIAA playoffs. During the Class 3A quarterfinals, Sell stepped in when the Panthers’ starting middle ran into some issues.

Pope John Paul had seen Twin Valley battle back from a two-set deficit to tie the match.

“As a freshman, she came in and did an outstanding job, and we were able to win that match,” Sell said. “That match was on a weekend and our starting setter could barely move on Monday, so we made a game-day decision to run a 6-2, and we put Norah on the right side to block Bethlehem Catholic’s best outside attacker. That’s the kind of trust she earned early.”

After surviving the quarterfinal match with Twin Valley, the Panthers won their first state title in school history by beating WPIAL champion North Catholic in five sets after dropping the opening set.

When Busch came back for the following season, Sell said he felt like he saw a major difference.

“Her sophomore year is where you really saw the jump from the club season—she was becoming dominant as a middle,” Sell said. “Junior year brought another major leap, and we were able to move her around, including using her on the pins in serve receive when we were struggling to stay in system. Senior year, we made the decision to move her to a six-rotation outside hitter. It wasn’t an easy transition and we knew there would be growing pains, but she embraced it. That year, she grew the most as a leader and competitor, and it showed in how she handled every moment.”

Not the only option

The Panthers weren’t reliant on only having Busch to win matches. Pope John Paul wanted to have a balanced attack. That’s what Sell appreciated about Busch setting the program records for kills in a season and for her career, it all came as a result of how the match flowed.

“What makes it even more meaningful is that we were never a ‘one-player team’ where everything funnels to one hitter,” Sells said. “We spread the offense and played balanced volleyball. That said, when the moments were biggest, our setters knew where the best matchup was—and a lot of the time, the ball found Norah when it mattered most.

--Josh Rizzo | rizzo42789@gmail.com | @J_oshrizzo