Trib Cup: OLSH volleyball working to limit unforced errors

Even the best teams have areas that require improvement.

For the OLSH girls volleyball team — despite its 11-0 Section 1-A record and 12-1 record overall — that area is limiting its unforced errors.

Coach Mike McDonald and his staff recognized the recurring issue early in the season, and have been working on cutting down on those errors ever since, focusing on continuing the game by making the opponent touch the ball instead of ending the game on an error.

“We take a lot of stats … but the one stat that I'm in charge of is earned and unearned points and seeing how many points we give away without having to touch the ball. Continuously, our goal is to lower that number.

“We're inconsistent in that area, and really, if we want to see significant improvement from ourselves going forward, those areas have to be cut down, and they need to continuously be cut down.”

With just three section games remaining between the Chargers and their fifth consecutive section title, OLSH is highlighted as this week's Trib Total Media High School Sports Award feature team, and is a big reason why the Chargers are in third place in the Class AA standings.

Also contributing to OLSH's overall athletic success this fall is the girls soccer team, which after finishing last in its section last year, earned the Section 4-A title this season.

McDonnell said he is beginning to notice a decrease in his team's errors, an area the players come prepared to work on each and every day at practice.

“We are always coming into the gym ready to work hard and become better players,” sophomore outside hitter Katie Tarasovich said. “We also really support each other, and together we achieve our great goals of success.

A team that rotates a lot of players in and out of the lineup each match, OLSH has been led by its seven seniors and a talented group of underclassmen.

Tarasovich leads the team in kills, while senior Rachel Leininger also has been an effective hitter. Senior Rachel Kuchnicki and sophomore setter Sabrina Skukalek have paced the team at setter, while junior libero Shannon O'Donnell and freshman hitter Gianna Platt have been contributors, as well.

“We run a lot of kids through the lineup,” McDonald said. “… We're pretty diverse. We have a smattering of seniors, juniors, sophomores and one freshman, and that's kind of how we're going right now.”

“The seven seniors are a real asset to the team,” added Tarasovich. “They are always being great role models for the rest of us and always pushing us to be the best we can be on and off the court.”

With the playoffs just over a week away, OLSH is still focused on its three remaining section matches, including a contest against Beaver County Christian, which OLSH handed its only section loss earlier this year.

But as the playoffs draw near, the Chargers know they will need to rely on their team chemistry and ball-control style to advance past their WPIAL quarterfinal playoff exit from a year ago. While undefeated, other Class A teams like Frazier, Fort Cherry and Greensburg Central Catholic also are unblemished in section play, posing a challenge in the playoffs.

“There are teams out there that are very good,” McDonald said, adding that defending champion Bishop Canevin is strong once again. “I think they may be better than us, but it's just kind of hard to measure yourself when you don't have a chance to play them.”

To make a playoff run, McDonald harkened back to a similar theme: limiting mistakes.

“Very good ball control and mistake-free volleyball (is the key for postseason success), because we're not going to out-size anybody,” he said.

Alex Oltmanns is a freelance writer.