New coach brings changes to Chartiers Valley girls volleyball

By: Ted Sarneso
Sunday, September 21, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Previous Next

Over the past two-plus years, Cullen Vereb has been an assistant coach on the Peters Township girls soccer team under his father Pat, who is the head coach.

When Cullen was contacted by former Chartiers Valley girls volleyball coach Mackenzie Greene about taking the head coaching position with the Colts, he knew the quality time he spends with his dad would take a hit.

“He’s my best friend, so I’m missing some games and that opportunity for us to hang out as father and son,” Vereb said. “It’s nice that my dad is a head coach and he understands that volleyball is my priority now.”

Vereb took over as the CV girls volleyball coach in mid-July and has plenty of experience in coaching.

Apart from helping his dad with girls soccer, Vereb was an assistant coach with the Seton LaSalle boys team in 2021 when they won the WPIALs and was also on their sideline last year as well. He was also the Peters Township boys volleyball coach from 2023-24.

Vereb stepped into a Chartiers Valley girls program that is on the rise thanks to Greene and her swift turnaround from Year 1 to 2.

“She did a great job putting the program in the right direction,” Vereb said. “I know the team struggled her first year, but they really came on last year.”

The Colts were 4-11 and finished in last place in Section 1-3A in Greene’s first year.

Last season, the Colts went from worst to first, finishing 16-3 and making it to the quarterfinals in the WPIAL playoffs where they lost in five sets to Freeport.

Vereb inherited a talented and deep roster and wanted to bring something to the girls’ game that he believes most teams lack.

“The boys game is about power, hitting and serving,” Vereb said. “That’s something I’ve brought along this year. We’re going to hit the ball hard, serve the ball hard and aggressive to try and take them to the next level offensively. Every girls team plays good team defense, but not every girls team has the ability to hit.”

In his two weeks of open gyms and offseason workouts, Vereb and his coaching staff set out to pinpoint what the girls on the roster were proficient at while also trying to fill spots in his lineup that would fit his scheme and make the team even more successful.

That meant some players would be playing different positions than they did last year, but the players were open to the changes proposed by Vereb.

“The eagerness and willingness to learn and accept more responsibility is something that sets all our girls apart,” Vereb said. “It was encouraging to see that all the girls wanted to learn as much as they could about every position.”

With everyone on board, Vereb embarked on filling the most important position on the court.

“The biggest thing for me coming in was to find who my setter was going to be,” Vereb said. “I talked to three or four different girls, but it was clear that Sophia Russell was the clear winner of that battle.”

The only question that still remained was whether or not Vereb wanted Russell to be a full-time setter or have her hit when she was in the front row.

Ultimately, he and the coaching staff chose the former decision and it has paid off for both Russell and the Colts, who have gotten out to a 6-1 record overall and 3-1 in section play.

“Hitting is the most fun part of volleyball and we knew it would be tough for Sophia to give that up,” Vereb said. “But when she saw the opportunity to be the leader of the team on the court, she leapt at it.”

Russell, who was named all-section playing exclusively on the right side, leads the team in assists with 206 and aces with 28.

“I think setting’s the hardest position in the sport, and she figured it out as quick as any player I’ve ever seen in the sport,” Vereb said. “I think the kids have adapted well to her at that position and the power is there, especially on the serving side.”

Russell’s not the only one to make a position change this year.

Junior Megan Dumpman was a defensive specialist last year and has switched to playing all around on the right side. Isabella Fries, another all-section selection last year, played on the defensive back row and is now the team’s libero and virtually never leaves the court.

“Megan has figured out hitting very quickly and Bella has been A-plus all year from that libero spot,” Vereb said. “We’ve gone against girls who hit the ball very hard, and she’s held up against every single one of them.”

Fries leads the team with 116 digs, and Dumpman has engineered 38 kills and 51 digs.

Junior Tessa Zemaitis leads the team with 89 kills from her outside hitting position.

Among the other starters, sophomore Payton Friburger, an all-WPIAL selection who only hit last year, is playing all the way around as the team rotates and is learning how to play defensively in the back row. She has totaled 86 kills and 48 digs.

Friburger has teamed with junior Ava Sobkowiak to form a pair of servers who can produce top-spin serves, something that’s a near rarity in the girls game.

“They’re the only ones I’ve seen all year, from any team, that have the ability to do that,” Vereb said. “Ava is a 5-foot-5 middle and we’re asking her to play a little out of position, but serving is the best part of her game.”

Rounding out the Colts’ rotation of eight players are two newcomers to the varsity team.

Sophomore Alexa Opalanko plays on Zemaitis’ back row on the defensive side and has amassed 52 digs and is second on the team with 19 aces.

Freshman Brea Sadowyj is new to the middle having played outside for her club team and has produced 20 kills.

Vereb knows there’s still some growth that needs to happen before the Colts can reach the goals they’ve set for themselves.

“We’re still young and inexperienced in the big moments,” Vereb said. “There isn’t a player returning from last year’s team that played six rotations all the way around, and that showed in our first loss of the year.”

That loss was a 3-0 sweep at the hands of section foe Oakland Catholic on Sept. 11, but Vereb has faith his team will get it sorted out before they play next Oct. 8.

“We’ll figure it out, get used to rotations, and be up to the task the next time we square off,” Vereb said.

Getting it figured out won’t just help the next time the Colts play Oakland Catholic, but as they get ready for the final 11 games of their season, specifically in what Vereb calls the, “hardest division in 3A, maybe even the toughest in all the WPIAL.”

Even though both West Allegheny and Moon have started section play 0-3, Vereb still feels all seven teams in the section could make a playoff appearance, and it would be a shame to leave three teams out.

“This section is absolutely brutal,” Vereb said. “We have to go into every section match prepared for a battle, but I think our kids are up for the challenge.”

Tags: Chartiers Valley