With inaugural season cut short, Saint Vincent men's volleyball looks to future

The Saint Vincent men’s volleyball team finally was showing signs of progress in its inaugural season when college sports shut down amid growing concerns over the spread of coronavirus.

The Bearcats were 0-13 and won only three sets all season. Coach Scott Wisneski said the team’s improvement was evident nonetheless.

“Each match got better,” Wisneski said. “You could see the progression they were making, just working together as a group.

“Maybe twice or three times we got blown out. The other times, we were hanging in there with everybody.”

In its final match before the season was halted, Saint Vincent took a set from Thiel, the reigning Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference champion. Momentum was building, and the program’s first victory seemed imminent.

Now, it will have to wait. That will serve as motivation for next season.

“We already talked about it,” said freshman Matt Klasnic, a defensive specialist and Latrobe grad. “When we get back in the fall, we’re not going to wait a week or a month. We’re going to hit the ground running and do everything we can to make sure we are game-ready when we start practicing.

“We are going to come in with a work ethic like no other.”

In putting together a first-year program, Wisneski expected to hit some snags, especially considering the relatively short time — less than a year — he was given to find players. With a limited window to recruit, Wisneski relied on players from the school’s club team and a few first-time players.

Next season was supposed to represent a big step forward for the Bearcats. That, too, might be running into a stumbling block.

The high school boys volleyball season remains in limbo, so Wisneski might not have a chance to get out to evaluate talent. And there is plenty of that in Saint Vincent’s backyard, with perennially strong programs such as Penn-Trafford, Norwin, Latrobe and Derry minutes away.

But there also is the issue of the Bearcats’ visibility. Wisneski said being out recruiting serves two purposes.

“This is the part I am kind of concerned about because we’re a brand-new program,” he said. “A lot of people don’t know we have a program yet. I like to see players, but I need to be seen.”

Wisneski will have to rely on other avenues to fill out his 2021 roster. Recruiting websites will help. He also plans to use social media to get the program’s name out there.

Then there is good, old-fashioned word-of-mouth.

He said he has one recruit from central Pennsylvania who is putting in a good word with another player in that region. Klasnic said he also will be talking to players he knows around the Westmoreland County area.

Still, Wisneski said a lack of “traditional” recruiting could stunt the program’s growth.

“Right now we are staying the course,” he said. “But now I think it might take one more year. By the (2022) season, that’s when we go.”

Everyone involved, understandably, was disappointed to see the Bearcats’ first season cut short. The team, Klasnic said, just was beginning to develop cohesion on and off the court.

But the Bearcats are looking forward to a bright, smoother-sailing future. At the same time, they value the lessons learned this spring.

“It was something to take into next year and learn from all the experiences we had to go through,” Klasnic said. “It’s never fun getting your season cut short, but I am grateful for the time we had.”

Added Wisneski: “Once we got going, it was a great group of guys to work with. Even the guys who never played before took good steps.”