After sluggish start, Pine-Richland found grove to make playoff push

By: Jerin Steele
Sunday, October 29, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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It’s important for coaches to have the pulse of their team, and Pine-Richland girls volleyball coach Angela Seman could sense something wasn’t quite right.

After a 2-4 start, Seman noticed her girls were pressing a bit and worried more about defending their WPIAL title than focusing on the present.

“We had to have a real talk about being OK with not being the team we were last year, find our own strengths and find our weaknesses and turn them into strengths,” Seman said.

The Rams went on to win nine in a row and earn the fourth seed in the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs. They swept Mt. Lebanon, 3-0, in the first round and faced No. 5 Upper St. Clair in the quarterfinals.

“I told them to forget about the WPIAL title because we were hung up on thinking that we have to do this rather than how we can become a better team,” Seman said. “We had to look at who we are now and work toward that goal instead of making it a fear of ours.”

During the Rams’ nine-game winning streak they avenged section losses to Butler and Seneca Valley.

Seneca Valley earned the No. 2 seed in the 4A bracket.

The Rams also opened their new gym with a 3-0 win over North Hills before falling 3-0 to top-seeded North Allegheny in their regular-season finale.

Still, a 9-1 mark over the last month of the regular season has put them in a good position.

The aforementioned team discussion had helped reshape their outlook.

“We started off really thinking about defending our title, but we’re a new team,” senior setter Sofia Morse said. “We’re going to make it our own. We’re not what we were last year, but we’re going to be the best we can this year and do everything we can to defend.”

The Rams have a balanced team, but they also have one of the top players in the WPIAL in sophomore Isabelle Hoppe.

Hoppe is listed as a setter, but she’s more of a utility player. She can move anywhere within the rotation and has a devastating jump serve.

“Isabella is one of the best players in the WPIAL statistically, and nationally she’s statistically one of the top setters for her age group,” Seman said. “She brings a passion to volleyball to this team and a maturity to this team that we need constantly. She’s continuing to become a leader and grow in that position. We’re very happy and glad to have her as a part of our program.”

Morse is one of four seniors on the team, along with Sydney Servagno, Macey Hayes and Kaylee Oglan. They’ve helped shepherd a young team.

Watching the Rams on the court, it’s clear they enjoy playing together and they hope they can continue to do so for a little while longer.

“I consider the underclassmen my little sisters and the seniors my older sisters,” junior outside hitter Tiffany Gathers said. “It’s really a family. I have fun every time I get on the court.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Pine-Richland