Dorn’s return from injury fuels NA’s run

Cole Dorn remembers the play as if it happened yesterday. It was March 31, one week into the 2022 volleyball season, and North Allegheny had traveled to Shaler for a Class 3A Section 2 match with the Titans. “We were in the third set and were trailing, 22-21,” said Dorn, a 6-foot-3 senior who entered the season as one of the top returning outside hitters in the WPIAL who was voted to the PVCA Class 3A all-state team last season. “[Tigers setter] Jake Koch set me on an out of system play. On the way down I came down his foot and it rolled my foot forward. It was very painful and really looked gross.” Despite the injury to Dorn, North Allegheny rallied to win the third set and record a 3-0 sweep in the match. “Shaler’s trainer checked me out and gave me an ice pack and crutches,” said Dorn, who insisted that he ride back to North Allegheny on the bus with his teammates. “The next morning, we went to a med express and got my foot X-rayed. It was negative.” Dorn returned home and iced and elevated his leg for a couple days, which forced him to miss a couple days of school. He eventually met with an orthopedic doctor and found that his injury was pretty bad. “The doctor told me that it was a grade two or three sprain that was also a high ankle sprain,” Dorn said. “He said it would have been better if I broke the foot. I just looked down at my foot and laughed. This may sound a little crazy, but I actually took a picture of my foot at that point.” Many felt Dorn’s season was over, as a high ankle sprain can take more than two months to heal. “Knowing how tough Cole is, and knowing how much volleyball means to him, it was tough for me to think he was completely done,” North Allegheny coach Dan Schall said. “But you never know in these situations. We just had to wait and see how quickly his foot healed.” One week after the injury, Dorn began physical therapy. “I had PT twice a week for 60-90 minutes,” Dorn said. “It wasn’t easy, but I was determined to get back for the playoffs, hopefully before the regular season ended.” Dorn missed eight matches and three tournaments. “I sat with my team at every match and attended almost every practice,” Dorn said. “The only days I missed practice were when I was having PT.” Dorn’s return to North Allegheny’s lineup on May 5 was very surprising, especially for Dorn. The Tigers were hosting Fox Chapel and it was senior night. “I wanted Cole to be able to play on senior night, but he had not been cleared to play yet,” Schall said. “I talked it over with his parents and we came up with a plan.” Schall inserted Dorn into the match four times to serve, then pulled him on the next play. “I was really surprised when coach told me the day before in practice that I would get a chance to play on senior night,” Dorn said. “I was not allowed to use my jump serve and I wasn’t allowed to move much after I served.” Five days later, North Allegheny faced Seneca Valley in a showdown for first place, but Dorn was still not allowed to play. The Tigers faced the Raiders earlier in the season and recorded a hardfought, 3-0 victory. The Raiders won the rematch, 3-1, ending North Allegheny’s 75-match win streak which dated back to 2017. “It was really tough to see the streak come to an end, especially since I couldn’t play,” Dorn said. “But there was a lot of pressure to keep that streak alive. In the long run that loss doesn’t hold us back from reaching our goal of defending our WPIAL and PIAA titles.” Two days after the loss to Seneca Valley, on May 12, Dorn was cleared to play. “Cole came into the classroom the day of our last match [against Pine- Richland] and told me he was cleared,” Schall said. Dorn played that night and saw some action two days later at the Shaler tournament, thus reaching his goal of returning before the regular season ended. “He’s not 100% yet,” Schall said. “He’s only 85%, but that’s still pretty darn good. He’s better at 85% than most kids at 100%.” Dorn proved that in North Allegheny’s first two matches in the WPIAL Class 3A tournament. The No. 2-seeded Tigers opened with a 3-0 sweep of Upper St. Clair in the quarterfinals and followed with a 3-0 sweep of Penn-Trafford in the semifinals. Dorn led the Tigers with 13 kills in each match. “Cole is one of the finest players to have ever played at North Allegheny,” Schall said. “He’s an allaround talent on the court with a wide range of skill and versatility. He combines that with selflessness and leadership that brings out the best in his teammates. His injury this season has been one of the most unfortunate and undeserved setbacks that I have seen in coaching. We’re so happy he’s back in the lineup.” North Allegheny and Seneca Valley face off for the third time Wednesday, this time with Dorn back in the lineup.

PIAA tournament

The PIAA tournaments begin Tuesday with firstround matches in both classifications. The top three teams from the WPIAL qualify in each class. North Allegheny and Seneca Valley earned automatic berths by advancing to the WPIAL finals. The same is true for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Montour, as the two teams faced off in the WPIAL Class 2A final. North Allegheny has won three consecutive titles in Class 3A. Central Dauphin, last year’s runner-up, enters the state tournament ranked No. 1 in the PVCA state rankings, while Seneca Valley and North Allegheny are No. 2 and No. 3. Lower Dauphin is the defending champ in Class 2A, but ranked No. 2 in the state. Meadville, the champ in 2019 and runnerup in 2021, is ranked No. 1. OLSH is the WPIAL’s highest ranked team at No. 6. “Meadville is a clear favorite to win the Class 2A title,” OLSH coach Mike McDonald said. “It will take a great performance for anybody to beat them.” The PIAA quarterfinals will be held June 4, the semifinals will be June 7 and the final will be June 11 at Penn State’s Recreation Hall.