Young lineup develops for Shaler girls volleyball

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 7, 2018 | 7:25 PM

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Facing 100 degree temperatures in the gymnasium was a difficult enough challenge for the Shaler girls volleyball team. Adding in the Titans’ Section 1-4A opener was against defending WPIAL and PIAA champion North Allegheny turned up the heat even more.

While Shaler lost 3-1 on Sept. 4 at home, Titans senior setter Cassidy Rossi was able to catch a glimpse of what the team would look like.

With four freshmen and a sophomore seeing time, Shaler was able to prevent a sweep by taking the second set 27-25. Playing fundamentally sound, Rossi believes, could help the Titans head to the postseason for the third straight season.

How Shaler played in its opener, with such a young lineup, was a boost for Rossi.

“I honestly think we have to focus on the fundamentals and play from there,” said Rossi, who handed out a team-high 19 assists. “We have to believe in ourselves. We are sort of the underdog. If we believe in ourselves and focus on the fundamentals and fight back hard like we did, we’ll have a good shot.”

Shaler coach Paul Stadelman, who also coaches the boys team, took over the program from Amanda O’Connor. An emphasis this season has been on picking up the pace. Keeping opponents on their heels is a focus for the Titans.

“I definitely thought we were quicker and explosive compared to previous years,” Stadelman asid. “I’ve seen these girls play before. I liked the effort and energy they brought. Four freshmen and one sophomore played that didn’t see any varsity time last year.”

Oyinda Agbale, a senior, led Shaler with seven kills in the opener. Mia Schubert (six) and Kailyn Colucci (five) also made key contributions on offense. Tia Bozzo and Kaitlyn Colucci tied for a team-high nine digs.

Stadelman wants to see Shaler continue to build on this effort by refining its approach.

“I think we have to keep working on the fundamentals and not forgetting about the little things,” Stadelman said. “Whatever that has to be, I think focusing on fundamentals and key skills make us better team as the season progresses.”

Rossi believes strong leadership, mixed in with the skills of the new players, will help Shaler continue to improve. All the Titans are looking to move a little quicker.

“We’re working on making our tempo a lot faster and speeding up our team a little bit,” Rossi said. “In previous seasons, we’ve run a slower-paced offense. This year, we’re working on speeding it up and making it a lot harder and faster.”

Josh Rizzo is a freelance writer.

Tags: Shaler