Bishop Canevin’s Noah Kelsch develops into ‘quick’ volleyball player

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, April 20, 2018 | 11:00 PM

Trying volleyball came naturally for Noah Kelsch. His older sisters, Samantha and Katie, won WPIAL titles at Bishop Canevin, with Katie winning a PIAA title as a senior.

Mastering the sport, however, didn't come so naturally. In fact, Kelsch said he hated it at first.

He learned quickly that skills from other sports don't necessarily translate to the volleyball court, and it takes more than jumping ability to compete.

“Volleyball is a completely different sport,” said Kelsch, a junior libero for the Crusaders. “It's extremely technical. It's about positioning and proper placement. You can't win at volleyball through pure athleticism.

“I found myself getting into my own head my freshman year a lot.”

His sisters encouraged him, assuring him it would get better. During his sophomore year, he had an epiphany: It was OK to make a mistake. Dropping one point in a game in which the winner must score 25 isn't a big deal.

Once he had the mental aspect of the game conquered, he could focus on all those technical nuances that frustrated him early on. Now, he's helping to guide coach Peter Barakat's team toward what he hopes will be another playoff berth and a longer stay in the tournament.

Bishop Canevin was 6-1, 3-1 in Section 3-AA, through April 18. Kelsch is an integral part of the effort, anchoring the back row and directing the Crusaders' defense.

“He's very steady, and he's always in the right position,” Barakat said. “He's quick. He's actually made a couple of plays diving on the floor that the referees ruled he didn't make.

“You can tell him things, and he adjusts.”

Libero might seem like a thankless position. The libero technically is in the starting lineup yet rarely on the floor for the start of a set. He gets bruises and floor burns to get the ball to the front row so the hitters can get all the glory.

Kelsch doesn't see it that way.

“I find that I'm not in the background as much as you might think,” he said. “Everyone has their own chance to shine once in a while. I have to direct everybody around, so I have to be a leader in that way.”

Being in a prominent position is nothing new for Kelsch. He has a featured part in Bishop Canevin's upcoming production of the musical “Working.” He also is ranked No. 2 in his class behind his best friend, Darius Legleitner.

With his aptitude for academics, Kelsch wants to study engineering at Carnegie Mellon — a school that doesn't have an intercollegiate men's volleyball team.

That doesn't mean he will stop playing. He once couldn't picture himself playing volleyball. Now he can't picture himself not playing.

Intramurals will do nicely, or he might try to find a community league, he said. Anything to keep volleyball in the picture long-term.

In the more immediate future, he wants to get the Crusaders past the first round of the WPIAL playoffs. Bishop Canevin is in just its third season of WPIAL competition, and though it made the playoffs in both previous seasons, the stays were brief.

To a degree, the Crusaders remain a work in progress. But Kelsch said he can see the team heading in the right direction.

“I definitely don't think we can just walk in, goof around and expect to win,” he said. “This is a team that, whenever we try our best and are focused, we can be a section contender.”

Chuck Curti is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at ccurti@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CCurti_Trib.

Tags: Bishop Canevin