Signature win shows progress being made by Pine-Richland boys volleyball

By: Jerin Steele
Sunday, April 14, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Going into the season, first-year Pine-Richland boys volleyball coach Tyler Trimbath was confident his team was going to surprise some people after going winless in section play in 2023.

Well, just two games in, the Rams certainly pulled off a shocker.

Pine-Richland scored a 3-2 win over Seneca Valley, the seventh-ranked team in the state by the PVCA, on April 5.

It was a five-set thriller and a major step forward for a young team that’s mainly underclassmen.

“It was a huge win for us and it showed that we are a team to be nervous about playing,” Trimbath said.

The match went back and forth. The Rams took the first set 25-14 before Seneca Valley answered 25-15. Pine-Richland won a tighter third set 25-21, but the Raiders took the fourth set 25-12 to even the match.

The Rams found themselves in a similar position to their Section 2-6A opener against Butler, where they were tied 2-2 after four sets.

Butler went on to win that match, but the Rams didn’t let the same thing happen against Seneca Valley.

“I told the guys that we had been here, and we need to remember that feeling when we lost to Butler and not want to feel that again,” Trimbath said. “The guys responded with the belief that they could do it. The whole bench and the entire JV team were behind us and cheering each other on. It was great to see.”

It was a total team victory for the Rams, but there were several players that produced eye-popping stats.

Junior setter Matteo Rotelli put up 50 assists as well as four kills, three aces and 10 digs. Rotelli missed last season due to injury but is back to being a major contributor.

“He really led the team (against Seneca Valley),” Trimbath said. “I talked to him throughout the night. I was a setter, so I talk to him one on one a lot, and I just told him we needed his energy because he can bring a lot of energy to us. He’s been trying to take everything in, but I reminded him that he also has to have fun, and in that final set, he was smiling and he was ready. He knew the team could win and he played a big part in us pulling it out.”

Sophomore hitter Doolin Stober had a huge night with 26 kills and fellow hitter Luke Jancy produced 11 kills and four aces.

Stober has mainly been a middle hitter in the past, but he’s been setting up at the outside hitter spot this year to become a more versatile weapon.

“He came through for us,” Trimbath said. “At the beginning of the season, he was getting used to the outside (hitting) position, but now he’s used to putting balls away with all of our different sets.”

Pine-Richland played in another five-set match against North Hills on April 9 and fell 3-2.

The Rams were in search of respect coming into the season. They wanted to show they are no longer a doormat, and so far, they’re proving that they’ll be competitive every time they enter a gym.

“I feel like we’ve earned (respect), but we still have a lot to prove,” Trimbath said. “We’d like to stop going to five sets. That’d be great, but even against the best teams, we’ve shown that we can hang on against them. We have gained some respect in the section, but we still have a long way to go from the beginning of the season.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Pine-Richland