Hempfield grad Arin DeLattre plays key role in abrupt turnaround for Thiel women's volleyball team
From a personal standpoint, Hempfield grad Arin DeLattre was pretty pleased with her freshman volleyball season at Thiel. The middle blocker played in all 25 matches, averaged 1.61 kills, 0.78 blocks and 0.88 digs per set.
From a team standpoint, however, the season couldn't have been more trying.
Four matches into the schedule, the Tomcats, who, just the fall prior, reached the Presidents' Athletic Conference championship match, were without a coach. (An athletic department spokesman said the college could not comment on the vacancy.) Dylan Lasher, who had been coaching the Thiel men's volleyball team, stepped in on an interim basis.
Lasher took over Sept. 4, and the Tomcats had a match two days later. Thiel stumbled to a 3-22 record, 1-9 in the PAC.
With the abrupt change, Lasher said, the goal was just to get through the season. DeLattre said she and her teammates gritted their teeth and tried to plow ahead as best they could.
"It was tough for everybody finding out all of this and having matches coming up and going against PAC schools," she said. "And trying to make a name for ourselves because the previous season was really good.
"Just adjusting to adversity. We really stuck together as a team."
The Tomcats look a lot different in 2024. Lasher had the "interim" tag removed from his title, and the players, many of whom returned from 2023, approached the season with a renewed fervor.
Their resolve was made even more firm when they were picked to finish ninth in the 11-team PAC in the preseason poll. As the Tomcats prepare to enter PAC play, they appear to be a team on a mission.
Through their nonconference schedule, the Tomcats went 12-3, including tournament wins over Grove City and Westminster, which were picked third and fourth, respectively, in the PAC poll. Those matches didn't count toward the conference standings, but they were a big boost for the Tomcats.
"It was fantastic," Lasher said. "I think it means a little more to them than they even let on. ... They've been very level-headed, but they are confident that they are here to compete, that we are here to step up and be back in the PAC battle."
DeLattre echoed those sentiments.
"It definitely was a confidence booster. But we knew going into preseason that we would be low in the preseason polls. But that really meant nothing to us because we knew what we had. ... We knew we could compete."
DeLattre has been a big reason for the Tomcats' early success.
Heading into PAC play, which the Tomcats open Monday at home against Waynesburg, the 6-foot middle is averaging 2.15 kills and 0.69 blocks per set. She even has 13 aces, already more than last season.
Lasher said he can see improvements across the board.
"She's really focusing on her volleyball IQ, studying the game more," he said. "Been working more on her form, spacing. Her attacking has gotten a lot cleaner. We're able to use her in a couple more different situations than we were last year.
"And she's starting to step up and be vocal on the court."
Last season, DeLattre registered only two matches with double-digit kills. She has four such matches already this season, including a personal-best 15 in a five-set win over Pitt-Bradford on Oct. 1.
Still a work in progress is getting her to hit for a higher percentage. Like many who played middle in high school, DeLattre found out quickly she couldn't simply overpower the opposition in college, so she worked to vary her hitting angles and use more finesse when the situation dictates.
"She's working hard," Lasher said. "She's understanding why we're doing things now. I think that was one of the big things early: 'Why do I need to change?' Now she's recognizing it and making the adjustments."
Blocking has been another area of concentration. DeLattre said she constantly is asking questions about her footwork, and she is trying to become more adept at reading the opposing setter to predict where the set is going. And if she gets out of position, she is figuring out ways to get back into the play and still get up a block.
But apart from the typical middle blocker skills, DeLattre said she has worked on her all-around game. Lasher is less concerned about her serve, which, he said, could be a liability last season. She also has worked to improve her passing.
Though DeLattre doesn't play all six rotations and doesn't pass often, when she does stay in to serve, she needs to be able to make a dig or pass accurately to her setter when the opponent gets out of system and sends a "free" ball over the net.
"I've always said to my teammates that I don't want to be that middle that cannot pass whenever I serve," she said.
"So any chance we do work on defense, I try to take it seriously, so if there is a game where I have to play defense — you never know — then I would be ready."
Perhaps the biggest difference this season isn't with DeLattre or any other individual player. It with the team itself.
The PAC has been put on notice that Thiel, despite its preseason ranking, can be a legitimate contender. DeLattre said the coaching stability has a lot to do with that. The team hit the ground running this fall, and there are no plans to slow down.
"I would say the team culture is the main thing that (Lasher) focuses on ... making sure we put team first and focusing on ourselves and each other and trying to make each other better is what he wants for us," she said. "And it's looking amazing.
"Last year was just 'get through the season.' This season, (the goal is) to win."
