McMurray, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) held its championship games for the WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Girls’ Volleyball Championships this past Saturday at AHN Arena on the campus of Peters Township High School. Three of the four top seeds and two new schools emerged as champions, with North Allegheny winning Class 4A, Hampton capturing Class 3A, Beaver taking home Class 2A, and Serra Catholic victorious in Class 1A.
North Allegheny won its ninth WPIAL girls’ volleyball title, and its fifth since 2017 in Class 4A. The Tigers are fourth all-time in WPIAL girls’ volleyball championships behind Farrell (20), Norwin (15), and Baldwin (11), with their newest 2023 trophy joining ones from 1993, 1996, 2008, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021 in their trophy case.
Hampton is one of two new WPIAL girls’ volleyball champions, becoming the first first-time winner in Class 3A since Franklin Regional in 2020. Class 3A has now had five different champions over the last five seasons, with the Talbots proceeded by North Catholic in 2022, Freeport in 2021, Franklin Regional in 2020, and Knoch in 2019. Hampton had previously made the championship game in 2016 and 2021.
Beaver captured its second WPIAL girls’ volleyball title in Class 2A and its first since 2017. This was the Bobcats’ first championship game appearance since their previous win and fourth overall, as they netted runner-up finishers in 2001 and 2016.
After falling in last year’s championship game, Serra Catholic finished one spot better to win its first WPIAL girls’ volleyball championship in Class 1A. The Eagles’ title tilt appearance in 2022 was their first in program history, with their only other final four berths coming in 2015, 2017, and 2018.
The top two teams in Class 4A, top three teams in Class 1A, and top four teams in Class 2A and Class 3A have qualified for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Girls’ Volleyball Championships, which begin on Tuesday, Nov. 7 with first-round games at home sites and conclude with the championship games on Saturday, Nov. 18 at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg.
CLASS 4A RECAP
Making its seventh consecutive WPIAL championship game appearance, top-seeded North Allegheny defeated third-seeded Canon-McMillan, 3-1 (25-21, 13-25, 25-13, 25-23), to win the Class 4A title.
North Allegheny (16-1, 8-0 Section I) hit at .168 clip offensively and posted 13.0 total team blocks and 55 digs defensively. Senior outside hitter Kyra Schmidt posted a double-double with 11 kills on a .296 hitting percentage and 10 digs, while adding a team-best three service aces. Freshman Molly Robertson and junior Mackenzie Jones combined for 35 of the team’s 41 assists.
Tigers senior Marin Dunaway shared the team lead in kills with Schmidt, while adding a solo and an assisted block defensively. Senior middle blocker Arian Schiller recorded a game-high eight blocks (two solo), and classmate Jamie Frisco added six block assists. Senior libero Avery Butcher paced all players with 14 digs.
Canon-McMillan (15-4, 9-1 Section II) saw two players reach double-figures in kills with sophomore Natalie Carr’s match-best 18 and junior middle hitter Abby Tucker’s 13. Senior setters Josephine Carter and Olivia Gross dished out 21 and 12 assists, respectively, while junior outside hitter Cali Dagen recorded three service aces.
Carr also led the Big Macs in digs with 10, recording a double-double in the process. At the net, Tucker and junior right side Lillian Thornbury each posted a solo block and five assisted rejections.
North Allegheny reached the championship game with wins over ninth-seeded Hempfield Area (3-0) and fourth-seeded Pine-Richland (3-0) in a rematch of last year’s final. Canon-McMillan dispatched of sixth-seeded Penn-Trafford (3-1) and second-seeded Seneca Valley (3-0) to punch its ticket to the PIAA Championships.
North Allegheny opens PIAA Championships play against District X champion McDowell, while Canon-McMillan matches up versus District VI champion State College.
CLASS 3A RECAP
Top-seeded Hampton became a new WPIAL girls’ volleyball champion in dominant fashion, as the Talbots swept second-seeded North Catholic, 3-0 (25-10, 25-16, 25-21), to capture the Class 3A trophy.
Hampton (22-0, 12-0 Section I) posted a .243 hitting percentage and held North Catholic (18-2, 12-0 Section IV) to a .009 mark in that department. Talbots senior outside hitter Emerson Schrom led all players with 15.0 points thanks to 12 kills and three service aces, while adding 13 digs defensively for a double-double. Classmate Emma Rick added nine kills at a .292 clip, and sophomore setter Lilly Muczinski dished out 28 of the team’s 34 assists.
Defensively, senior libero Avery Koontz had a team-best 17 digs for Hampton, while Muczinski added 12 digs and three blocks (one solo).
North Catholic was led offensively by junior outside hitter Ella Koziara and her 10 kills. Classmate Sienna Cozza recorded 18 assists and 11 digs for a double-double and provided three block assists. Senior libero Alex Sepcic paced the field with 18 digs and added a service ace.
Hampton made it to its second championship game in three years with 3-0 victories over 17th-seeded Laurel Highlands, ninth-seeded Montour, and fourth-seeded Thomas Jefferson. North Catholic earned wins over 15th-seeded Indiana (3-0), seventh-seeded Trinity (3-1), and third-seeded Oakland Catholic (3-1) to make it to AHN Arena.
Hampton and Oakland Catholic face each other to begin the PIAA Championships first round, while North Catholic will travel to District X champion Warren and Thomas Jefferson plays on the road to District IX champion DuBois.
CLASS 2A RECAP
Second-seeded Beaver reached the WPIAL girls’ volleyball mountaintop for the second time in program history, as the Bobcats outlasted top-seeded Freeport, 3-2 (25-22, 25-19, 18-25, 13-25, 15-13), to win the Class 2A championship.
Beaver (20-0, 14-0 Section I) senior outside hitter Chloe List recorded a double-double, leading the Bobcats with 21 kills and 25 digs. Sophomore middle hitter Kailyn Connelly added 18 kills on a .325 hitting percentage, while junior setter Zoe Ringer distributed 48 of the team’s 53 assists.
Defensively, in addition to List’s 25 digs, Beaver also saw sophomore libero Aubrey Bumblis tally 17 digs, and classmate Jaedyn Brown registered 10. Connelly and List both paced the Bobcats at the net with three block assists each.
Freeport (20-2, 14-0 Section V) hit at a .298 clip and had three players reach double-digit kills in junior outside hitter Alaina Whitlinger (24), junior opposite hitter Leah Schreckengost (18), and senior outside hitter Sydney Selker (14). Whitlinger converted at a .467 rate and recorded 18 digs and three block assists for a total of 27.5 points. Schreckengost also posted a double-double with 13 digs, as did senior setter Grace Beach, who had 57 assists and 14 digs.
Sophomore libero Peyton Cene was the fourth Yellowjacket with double-digit digs, collecting 13. Senior middle hitter Josie Russo posted three block assists, and classmate Autumn English tallied a solo block and two assisted rejections.
Beaver’s run to the WPIAL championship game included wins over 18th-seeded South Park (3-0), 10th-seeded Burrell (3-0), and third-seeded Quaker Valley (3-1). Freeport won all its playoff matches by 3-0 scorelines before the title tilt, defeating 16th-seeded Charleroi, ninth-seeded Shenango, and fifth-seeded Avonworth.
Beaver begins the PIAA Championships with a home first-round game against District X runner-up Corry. Freeport will play District X champion North East, Quaker Valley matches up with District IX winner Kane Area, and Avonworth takes on District VI champion Philipsburg-Osceola.
CLASS 1A RECAP
Top-seeded Serra Catholic brought home its first WPIAL girls’ volleyball championship with a 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 25-21, 30-28) win over third-seeded Bishop Canevin in the Class 1A final.
Serra Catholic (20-0, 12-0 Section IV) had two players record double-figures in kills as senior outside hitter Maria Goldstein posted a game-high 19 and junior outside hitter Cassidy Trahan added 16. Both Goldstein and Trahan recorded double-doubles with 11 and 18 digs, respectively, as did senior setter Emerson Trahan, who had 42 assists and 20 digs.
The Eagles netted 101 digs as a team, with five players tallying double-digits. Senior libero Riley Kostandinu had a match-best 27 to go along with three service aces, and senior outside hitter Caitlyn Cooley recorded 22. Senior middle hitter Bri Battles had three block assists to lead Serra Catholic.
Bishop Canevin (19-2, 12-0 Section III) junior middle hitter Clare Ruffing paced her team in points with 15.0, thanks to eight kills, five blocks (one solo, four assist), and four service aces. Senior outside hitter Ella Whalen had a team-high 11 kills and added 18 digs for a double-double, while classmate Jade Bailey registered a 31-assist, 21-dig double-double.
The Crusaders had two more players with double-figures in digs, as juniors Ayla Altman and Emmie Maziarz netted 20 apiece of the team’s 98. Maziarz also posted three block assists and junior middle hitter Dominique Panza tallied a solo block and two assisted stops.
Serra Catholic defeated 16th-seeded Western Beaver and eighth-seeded West Greene by 3-0 scores before topping fourth-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic, 3-2, in the semifinals. Bishop Canevin won over 14th-seeded Union (3-0), 11th-seeded California (3-1), and second-seeded Frazier (3-1) to reach the championship game. In the third-place consolation game on Thursday, Nov. 2, Frazier knocked off Greensburg Central Catholic, 3-1, to earn the final PIAA qualifier spot.
Serra Catholic starts the PIAA Championships with a home match against District X runner-up Cochranton. Bishop Canevin will hit the road to face District V champion Berlin Brothersvalley, and Frazier opens the tournament at District X champion Maplewood.
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