University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics

                Beth Kendera-Vaught, a 2013 First-Team Daktronics All-Atlantic Region selection and the Mountain Cats’ all-time leader in blocks, became one of the cornerstones that helped put Pitt-Johnstown volleyball on the NCAA Division II regional and national map.
                From 2010-2012, Ms. Kendera-Vaught played for fellow Pitt-Johnstown Hall of Famer Linda Renzi and led the Mountain Cats to a 44-35 overall record and a 26-16 mark, including going 18-8 overall and 10-4 in conference-play in 2012, as members of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).
                However, it was her senior season in 2013 that Ms. Kendera-Vaught and the Pitt-Johnstown volleyball program exploded into the spotlight.
                Joanna Haupt took over as head coach and promptly guided Pitt-Johnstown to a 26-11 overall record and a 15-7 mark in the program’s inaugural season as members of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).  The Mountain Cats got hot in the postseason and claimed the PSAC Tournament Championship with a five-set victory over California University (PA) to lock up the program’s first berth in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament.
                That season, Ms. Kendera-Vaught, a Johnstown native and Conemaugh Valley High School graduate, led Pitt-Johnstown with a .317 hitting percentage and a school-record 145 total blocks that also included team bests of 119 solo blocks and 26 block assists. She finished third on the team in kills (325), total points (418.5), and points per set (3.05) on her way to being named First-Team All-PSAC East and First-Team Daktronics All-Atlantic Region.
                Ms. Kendera-Vaught, a 2010 WVIAC All-Freshman Team choice, ranked 11^th in NCAA Division II in hitting percentage (.381) and 24^th in blocks per set (1.22) as a junior in 2012.  The following season, Ms. Kendera-Vaught finished second in the PSAC in hitting percentage (.317) and third in blocks per ser (1.06).  Nationally, she was 45^th in blocks per set and 73^rd in hitting percentage.
                Ms. Kendera-Vaught still holds the Mountain Cat record for career blocks with 460 and is 14^th in school history in kills with 802 and 11^th in sets-played with 414.
                After graduating in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education, she began her professional career with UPMC, serving in several different capacities.
                In 2023, Ms. Kendera-Vaught took the position of Community Manager at USSCO Federal Credit Union in Ebensburg, a position she still holds.
                In 2020, she assisted with the establishment of The Eastin Charles Foundation, a non-profit organization with the goal of providing water safety awareness and education, swimming lessons, and CPR education for families and children.
                Ms. Kendera-Vaught, who also served as an assistant girls’ basketball coach under Pitt-Johnstown Hall of Famer Teri Menett Cruse from 2014-23, and her husband Phil Vaught reside in Johnstown.
                “Being inducted into the Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame means receiving one of the highest honors in sports,” Ms. Kendera-Vaught said.  “It is an incredible honor that I accept with heartfelt appreciation. This recognition reflects the years of dedication, teamwork, and hard work.  My time at Pitt Johnstown helped shape who I am.  I was challenged by coaches who believed in me and supported by teammates who became family.  The success I had was not achieved alone, and this honor belongs to those who were on the journey with me.  I am humbled to become part of the lasting legacy of this athletic program and thankful for everyone who made this journey possible.”