For the fourth year in a row the boys volleyball team entered Peters Township AHN Arena with high expectations, and that night they left with gold medals around their necks and a 1st place trophy in their arms. Currently the boys volleyball team has won as undefeated section champions, WPIAL champions, with their only loss coming from the North Allegheny Tigers at the beginning of the season, the Titans hold a record of 17-1. Since the 2023 season Shaler boys volleyball has been highlights of both the WPIAL and PIAA scenes, and they are nowhere near done, with the 2026 PIAA playoffs on the horizon.
Coach Mr. Paul Stadelman has a formula, and a formula that works very well. A formula that has four WPIAL championships, a PIAA championship and a PIAA runner-up. Coaching in environments where the expectations are high, and the stakes even higher has become a normal for him.
“We try to keep it simple and just focus on what is right in front of us and try not to look to far ahead. Playing your best each and every day is important then no game gets to be too much. It’s all the same level of preparation and execution,” he said.
Senior captain and right-side hitter Adam Hoffman, was a freshman when the team won its first WPIAL championship, in the four years he’s had with the program he stays undefeated at the WPIAL playoffs. He and his other senior teammates (Deven Wilson and Tristan Derry), will walk the graduation stage as some of the most decorated athletes in Shaler history.
“We have a standard. We work hard and we execute. We know what it takes to win games like the WPIAL championship, it’s just all about performing when we reach that point,” Hoffman said.
On the back of their warmups this season was the word “trust”. Junior middle blocker Brandon Aryee thinks it was the perfect word to not just sum up the team but also the season.
“We only have three seniors and four juniors, at a time we have multiple underclassmen in our starting lineup. I think that in those situations trusting each other and our coaches helps us stay calm on the court. Just knowing that every guy on the team can step up and play at a high level is reassuring when someone goes down,” Aryee said.
That trust has been building since the early fall for this team. During the off-season the coaches have a club team. Stadelman believes that the club season is crucial for not just the team but also his coaching when approaching the school season.
“It allows me to develop skills in multiple areas that complemented the team make-up. It also allows for chemistry and consistency amongst the players,” Stadelman said.
Aryee agrees, saying the club season helped him develop that trust early on, and that it makes school season that much more easier.
“We play tough teams during the club season, some that may be more competitive than teams we play in the school season. Knowing that we can do what it takes to beat those teams gives reassurance to all of us that everyone on the team has what it takes,” Aryee said.
Based off their accomplishments there is no doubt that the year-long playing time has played a crucial role in developing all their players. Additionally multiple players have stepped up in big roles for the team.
“We’ve had a couple of lineup changes throughout the season, but we’ve had key roles be filled effectively at big times. Sam (Miller) filled in for libero after Thomas (Bainbridge) went down with the broken hand. Trevor (Planz), KK (Walker), and Ryan (Hahn) have really stepped up as younger additions, and Richie (O’Brien) and Brandon are lethal in the middle,” Hoffman said.
Multiple players for the Titans were given all-section honors and were given spots on the WPIAL all-star teams. Hoffman, Aryee, Bainbridge, O’Brien, and Planz were honored with first team all-section honors, and Derry was given second team all-section honors. Additionally Hoffman, Aryee, and Planz were awarded first team all-WPIAL, O’Brien and Walker were awarded second team all-WPIAL, and Bainbridge was awarded third team all-WPIAL.
As Hoffman’s senior season comes to a close, another successful year has already been set in motion but the ultimate finish line is yet to be reached, that finish line being going back to Penn State and bringing back gold.
“We’ve had a lot of different accomplishments this season, though we still have a couple weeks of the season left, and we hope to make it even further.”
