Making An Impact
ERIE — Their college volleyball careers ended a bit before they had hoped, but Seneca Valley graduates Anthony Sprentz and Tyler Herrmann will soon graduate knowing they had a major impact on Penn State Behrend's program.
The Lions fell in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference semifinals Friday with a five-set loss to top-seeded Wittenberg.
It ended a stellar four-year run for the 2015 SV graduates, a setter and outside hitter, respectively, who have been teammates for nine years.
Sprentz totaled 876 assists and 170 digs this season while Herrmann had 171 kills and 194 digs. Both have All-AMCC honors on their resumes.
“I think we were one of the better setter/hitter connections in the conference,” said Sprentz. “I know how to set Tyler. He's very consistent, not just in hitting, but he's one of the best passers on the team.”
“We formed a connection at Seneca Valley and brought it here,” said Herrmann. “We've both grown so much.”
The duo was thrown into the fire as freshmen, starting for a young squad in 2016.
Sprentz shed his inexperienced label quickly, leading the team with 846 assists and adding 150 digs.
“I wasn't expecting to get as much playing time as I did,” he said, “but I held my own. I got a lot of experience and that really helped me.”
Likewise, Herrmann contributed much to that 2016 team. He paced the Lions with 173 digs and also had 210 kills and 48 blocks.
But unlike Seneca Valley, where team success was the standard, Behrend struggled to an 8-18 record that year.
The Lions improved to 13-13 the next season, then won the AMCC championship last year.
“We had to battle through that (freshman) season,” said Herrmann. “I'm proud of that conference banner. We put a lot of hard work in to get there.”
But as Sprentz and Herrmann exit the program, several players are poised to become leaders themselves. Behrend's roster this season also included junior Jake Albert, a Seneca Valley graduate, and freshman Cody Schnur, from Butler High School.
Schnur had 148 kills and led the conference in hitting percentage.
“Cody is mature for his age,” said Sprentz. “He's very quick, goes hard on the court and is a fierce competitor.”
Sprentz picked up organized volleyball in the seventh grade, Herrmann a year later.
“It's not easy being a student athlete, especially at a school like Behrend,” Sprentz said. “Our coach (Phil Pisano) places a high standard on academics. It was challenging, but I had a great time and have no regrets. It's going to be tough to leave the competition behind.”
“There's so much to the game that people don't realize,” said Herrmann. “Outside of that, the people you meet and the friends you make, it's like a family.”
