For Callie Chevalier, volleyball didn’t come into her life until the third grade. That is, until her future high school coach, Gary Bynon, introduced it to her.
“I was tall when I was young. [Coach Bynon] gets everyone when they’re really young to start playing,” Chevalier said.
The senior from Charlton, New York played basketball and volleyball during her time at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School (BHBL). It would be Bynon who helped her to realize her passion.
“He’s the one that just made me fall in love with the game. He coached [on] how to be a good teammate and a good person. I think that’s what really made me fall in love with the sport.”
Chevalier excelled over the course of her high school career, being the first athlete at BHBL to amass 1,000 kills and 1,000 points in both sports. Additionally, she led the volleyball team to New York State Championships in 2019 and 2022.
It was during her senior year when she was faced with a tough decision.
“Up until halfway through my senior year, I thought I was going to play basketball. I just think I was burnt. I played school basketball and travel, and I was doing it all year and was like ‘you know what, this isn’t for me anymore.'”
After deciding on volleyball, Slippery Rock came calling. Chevalier, a health and education major, initially majored in exercise science before switching. The prestige of both programs made the decision an easy one for her.
“I knew that education was a big focus for me, because I’m not coming to just play volleyball. I need to make sure I get an education,” she said.
As a freshman, Chevalier started 17 of 23 games for The Rock, finishing third on the team in total kills with 165. She says her success early on has given her the confidence needed to flourish over the past four years.
“Playing as a freshman definitely made me realize ‘oh, I can compete at the collegiate level.’ It also helps the team aspect as well. They have trust in me, and I have trust in them.”
Her motivation to constantly improve stems from her teammates.
“I’m a very team-oriented person. If I can play [well] enough to have another one of my teammates have success, that’s really what drives me.”
Chevalier was named the 2022 and 2025 Fairmont State University Classic All-Tournament Team, the 2025 Hall-Of Fame City Challenge All-Tournament Team, and ranks 15th in SRU history for career kills. Despite her achievements, she says that’s on the back burner.
“It’s great being recognized for those achievements, but I really don’t pay attention to stuff like that. I just like being a good person for them to be able to talk to.”
This proved especially true in March, when acting head coach Erin Street stepped down from her position at SRU to accept an assistant coaching job at Carnegie Mellon.
“Last year, specifically, we were going through a rough patch with coaching. A lot of times I just sit there and let people talk to me because sometimes people just need someone to listen.”
“She’s gained respect from her teammates and the coaching staff,” said Rock volleyball head coach Dylan Lasher. “She brings that extra off-court thing that nobody really talks about. It’s not the volleyball side of things; it’s the life side of things too.”
Her relationship with her on-court family is heavily influenced by her family off the court.
“I’ve always been a really big family person. I just think my family has been the biggest support system for me. Even though my parents are six-and-a-half hours away, I can call them any time of day and they’ll be there for me.”
It’s her younger sister, Sophie, who she calls her best friend.
“She’s now 10 hours away from me. That’s been really hard, honestly. We’ve never been that far away, but we both know, if she calls me at 2 a.m., I’m waking up and answering. I want to make sure everyone feels like they have someone to come talk to, especially the freshmen. I’ve always had that support system, and I want to make sure everyone has that.”
In addition to Chevalier, Lauren VonderHaar, Arielle Walter and Jaeden Yost make up the senior class for the team. The four have been together since their freshman season back in 2022. It’s their bond that has made all the difference.
“They are there for me when I need help, just because we’ve all been together for so long. I would say all three of them are some of my best friends here; we’ve been through thick and thin together for four years.”
If Chevalier could talk to her freshman self, she’d say to stop taking things so seriously.
“It’s so cliché, but time flies. Me and the upperclassmen talk about ‘we’re going to be playing our last volleyball game together soon,’ and we can’t believe it,” the senior said. “Just have fun; really enjoy where you are in the moment.”
