Behind Westmoreland County players, coach Drew Vosefski, Exile East volleyball team finds success

By: Dave Mackall
Thursday, January 2, 2025 | 9:37 AM

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As with most Olympic sports, volleyball teams, by their nature, represent a unique genre.

It takes an insanely passionate group to stick with it.

And it doesn’t hurt to have a passionate leader, such as Drew Vosefski, Latrobe High School’s longtime boys coach.

“I want people to know this is a gentleman’s sport,” said Vosefski, retired from his job but going strong with his coaching passion. “The togetherness, the camaraderie, the coaches on this team, we’re here to promote boys volleyball and make sure that we’re a group of coaches who like each other.

“These are good guys.”

By “this team,” Vosefski was referring to Exile East, a division of Exile Volleyball Club of Pittsburgh, sanctioned by USA Volleyball.

Prior to the holiday break, Exile East 18-1, an 18-year-old division team coached by Vosefski, was ranked No. 1 in the Ohio Valley Region of USA Volleyball.

Composed mainly of players on Latrobe’s roster, the team had taken part in five tournaments this season, placing first or second in all of them.

It is among several Westmoreland County-based club teams competing in the Ohio Valley Region.

“It just makes Westmoreland County volleyball that much better,” Vosefski said, referring to players’ year-round commitment to the sport. “We’re here to make this area stand out and to show that we have good volleyball players. I think we’re doing pretty well.”

Led by all-tournament selection Owen Ward, Exile East 18-1 finished runner-up to STL Crossfire of St. Louis at the recent Columbus (Ohio) Reindeer Ruckus tournament.

“It’s all a learning experience playing these teams,” said Ward, a senior at Latrobe. “The play is faster than what we’re used to seeing.”

Exile East 18-1 fell just short in the best-of-three championship match, losing 26-24 and 25-23.

The competitive nature of the match, not the end result, was the focus of the day for both teams, the players said.

“One thing about volleyball that we love so much is it’s a team sport,” said Eric Bisignani, a high school teammate of Ward’s at Latrobe. “It’s being connected. We’re not out there to make a name for ourselves.”

To the guys with Exile East, it’s more about honing skills, bonding friendships and being in top shape for the start of the PIAA boys volleyball season in March.

“That’s what we’re hoping for,” said Bisignani, a senior at Latrobe.

Open gyms. Conditioning. Scrimmaging. They’re all there for Vosefski to take in. Of course, it helps that his passion has spurred an army of young players to take part, as well.

“I finally obtained the status of what I’ve always wanted,” he said. “All my life, I was a full-time working guy and a part-time coach. Now, I’m a (full-time) coach.

“I get to spend time with young men who want to be better than they were last year, kids that want to get to the next level, and I’m happy to provide the outlet for them to do that and, hopefully, get recruited to go to college.”

His passion for volleyball comes as no surprise to Vosefski’s peers.

“He clearly has a flame that keeps burning,” said Mike Feorene, who will lead the inaugural boys team at Franklin Regional beginning next spring.

A former boys coach at Norwin for 12 seasons, Feorene’s teams battled Vosefski’s often.

“His resiliency is pretty impressive,” Feorene said. “Obviously, the amount of time he’s put into the game is fantastic. I remember when he first came in at Latrobe, we were archrivals — Latrobe and Norwin. We were competitors. His drive for making the sport in Western Pennsylvania relevant is second to none. He put the time in, and you need those type of people who can go out and better the sport. He’s one of them.”

The trip to Columbus proved fruitful for Exile East, some of whose team’s rosters include a portion of players previously competing for A10 Volleyball Club of Pittsburgh.

Besides Ward and Bisignani, other members of Exile East 18-1 are Cal Akins, Tyler Bauer, Luke Fiore, Jayden Holnaider, Jack O’Neil, Jay Sumner, Dan Sweeney and Gabe Watson, all also of Latrobe; Nick Aims and John Olshanski, both of Norwin; and Landen Kelp, of Hempfield.

Elsewhere, two Exile East teams have won their divisions in Ohio Valley Region competition.

The 15-year-old division team, led by Mike Palaschak, boys coach at Norwin, finished first in the Copper Division, and the 14-year-old division team, coached by Dave Olsen, won the Nickel Division.

Meanwhile, the 16-year-old division team, coached by Mirko Pandini and Doug Menhorn, took third in the Copper Division.

Other Exile East teams include 16 Red, coached by David Gealey; 17 Red and 18 Blue, both coached by John Lawrence; 17 Blue, coached by Christian Marini, a Seton LaSalle girls assistant; 18 Red, led by Seton LaSalle girls coach Kaleb Krebs; and 18-2, led by Penn-Trafford boys coach James Schall.

The success of Exile East’s teams, with Vosefski serving as club director, is no surprise to Ward and others.

“We’re very familiar with his passion for the game. He basically created my passion for the game,” Ward said.

With so many club teams meshing players from various school districts, Vosefski said the drive to play goes beyond normal boundaries.

“With little regard to the teams they will go back to in the spring,” he said, “it’s a testament to these young men to form a brotherly bond, have a common goal and become friends. When you do that, anything is possible.”

Tags: Franklin Regional, Hempfield, Latrobe, Norwin