North Allegheny volleyball standouts savor time in elite program

By: Antonio Rossetti
Saturday, May 21, 2022 | 2:36 PM

The North Allegheny boys volleyball team is taking on Central Dauphin for the 2021 PIAA championship. The team’s adrenaline is rushing and the players are about to cement their legacy as champions. With the team about to clinch the victory, coach Dan Shall calls a timeout.

“We were up 24-16 and our coach, my dad, called a timeout,” said Caleb Schall, who is a senior volleyball player for the Tigers. “It was super special just because we got to spend the last moment of that season in the huddle just together and really looking back at all we did, all the accomplishments we had, and then to go back out on the court and to win a state championship was so special.”

It’s not often a volleyball team wins 75 straight matches, but that’s what North Allegheny did over the span of five years. Caleb Schall credits the team’s success to its chemistry.

“We had lots of practice and getting to know each other on and off the court,” Caleb Schall said. “We became really good friends just from playing together and I think that’s what really helped us play well together. Just days in the gym, even over the summer and in the winter when the season isn’t going on, we were just always practicing, always playing together.”

Schall made a tremendous impact on the team for the past four seasons. In his senior year, he led the team in assists with 477 and is also third on the team in digs with 110.

“I credit that to having good teammates to work with and just always practicing on my game, whether we’re in season or not,” Schall said. “It’s super cool to be able to contribute to this team just because we have so much depth. I do my best every day to help the team and always I can.”

Schall’s father, coach Dan Schall, is a Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Famer. Coach Schall was inducted in 2015 after leading the team to eight WPIAL championships in nine seasons. Last year’s WPIAL championship win was his 15th as head coach.

Caleb Schall is grateful that he is able to play under his father and continue the Schall legacy at North Allegheny. Schall acknowledges that he and his father have a similar mindset in volleyball.

“It’s just super cool that I get to spend my high school volleyball career with him as a coach and just to be able to talk to him about certain things about our team, our matchups and everything,” Schall said. “We share the same mind, which makes it easier to play for him. He just knows the game really well, and I think that translates to my game as well.”

Senior Ryan Treser also is grateful for his time at North Allegheny. Treser was glad that he could play with his brother Trevor during his freshman season.

“Getting to finally play at the same level as him was crazy to think about,” Treser said. “Growing up, I looked up to him and was always trying to be as good as him. Finally getting to be on the court with him was a very exciting experience for me.”

Treser was called up to varsity during his freshman season and witnessed the team pull away and win the WPIAL championship in 2019.

In his senior season, Treser led the team in digs with 346 and was second in aces with 41. Treser said his best dig and his defining moment was digging Seneca Valley’s Michael Devlin in last year’s WPIAL finals.

“It feels great to be able to play at a high level. It is a really cool experience playing for such a great program,” Treser said. “I feel like there is nothing else I can do but play my best in trying to be as good as players before me.”

The team continues to perform at a high level and was position to claim its third straight PIAA title and fourth consecutive WPIAL championship.

Treser and the team did not find success overnight. He and his teammates have been playing together for years now.

“My teammates have had a huge impact on me. I’ve been playing with most of them since seventh grade. We played school ball and club every year since then, and I think being together for so long got us closer and closer,” Treser said. “After spending so much time in the gym and hotels with each other, we’ve bonded and gained so much chemistry over the years.”

Treser also attributes the team’s success to the coaches.

“The North Allegheny coaching staff is the best I have ever had,” Treser said. “This is not invalidating the other teams I have played for. They are just that good. The way the coaches treat the players is as if they are their own kids. They truly care about each individual, and it is a great feeling and honor to play for them.”

The Tigers dominated their competition throughout the 75-match win streak. The run finally came to an end with a loss to Seneca Valley this season, but even though the team was upset after the loss, the Tigers couldn’t wait to get back out there and continue to get better.

Seventy-five straight wins is a streak that might be unbeatable, and the team’s bond is unbreakable.

“I would describe my time at NA as amazing,” Treser said. “I don’t really think there are other words to describe it.”

Tags: North Allegheny