‘Last chance’ motivates Deer Lakes volleyball seniors

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, May 21, 2018 | 11:57 PM

As its WPIAL Class AA boys volleyball quarterfinal against Beaver County Christian approached a winner-take-all fifth game, Deer Lakes gathered in a team huddle with one thought dominating the players' minds.

Don't let it end here.

The No. 3 Lancers stayed their execution, winning the decisive set to advance to the semifinals for the last season. But the thought didn't go away. In fact, it has been there all season.

“It's been mentioned (before), but at the end of that game, that fifth game, we all kind of looked at each other and said, oh, this is real,” senior Tyler Osselborn said. “It really could have been it.

“Since the beginning of the season, that's been it for us.”

With a roster full of seniors with postseason experience, the Lancers know any match could be their last. By advancing to the semifinals, they're guaranteed at least two more — Tuesday's semifinal against Ambridge, scheduled for 6 p.m. at North Allegheny, plus either the consolation or championship match Thursday at Baldwin.

But after three deep postseason runs without a title, Deer Lakes' seniors want that to change.

“It's our last chance,” said senior Dan Hutchinson, a four-year starter. “If we lose this one, we're done. It gives us extra motivation. It's shocking how close we were to being done (against Beaver County Christian).

“No one wants to be done, so we're doing our best to keep it going.”

A team's impending mortality can become a powerful motivating factor, especially in the playoffs, as Deer Lakes coach Brady Schuller knows well from his own playing days.

Deer Lakes had three WPIAL semifinal appearances, including a runner-up finish, and two PIAA tournament berths, including a trip to the semifinals, from 2008-10, Schuller's first three seasons playing for the Lancers. But in 2011, his senior season, the team put it all together, winning the WPIAL and PIAA championships.

“We had the experience, and the fact that we were down to one game at a time really drove us,” Schuller said.

Now this Deer Lakes senior class faces a similar situation. The Lancers advanced one step further on the postseason ladder each of the past three seasons: the WPIAL quarterfinals in 2015, the semifinals and PIAA tournament in 2016 and the WPIAL championship match and PIAA quarterfinals last season.

The only remaining unchecked box for Deer Lakes' senior-heavy group is a championship.

Hutchinson and Osselborn have started all four seasons. Fellow seniors Devin Demase, Tyler Noble, Josh Solomon and Chad Tindall all have multiple years of experience; another, Trevor Sutch, is out with injury. Yet another senior, Shane Yarussi, joined the team this spring.

“We're guaranteed at least two more games, but we'd like to make them both wins,” Osselborn said.

Deer Lakes exorcised some postseason demons in the semifinals; Beaver County Christian beat the Lancers in the WPIAL playoffs each of the last three years. The Lancers got their revenge, though it wasn't easy — Beaver County Christian rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force the fifth game before Deer Lakes finally put them away.

“We (usually) have a problem with starting slow,” Hutchinson said. “I don't think we started slow in the BCCS game, but we just kind of gave up early, which isn't something we always do. But we now know we have to play the whole game, can't give up at all. Momentum is everything in volleyball; our coaches have always told us that, and it's so true. In the playoffs, especially. It's a game of runs.”

Deer Lakes faces another experienced team in the semifinals; No. 2 Ambridge is making its 13th consecutive semifinal appearance and has won seven titles in that span.

Tuesday's match is a rematch of last season's semifinals, when Deer Lakes beat the Bridgers, 3-1. The Lancers expect another battle Tuesday.

“It's always fun playing teams that are competitive with you,” Osselborn said. “You know you both want it, and you're both capable of getting it.”

Tags: Deer Lakes