McMurray, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) hosted its WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Girls’ Volleyball Championships on Saturday, Nov. 2 at AHN Arena on the campus of Peters Township High School. The day saw one repeat champion in Class 4A with North Allegheny taking the crown, a first-time winner in Class 2A with Quaker Valley, and Mars and Greensburg Central Catholic winning Class 3A and Class 1A, respectively.
North Allegheny is a new member of the 10-time champion club, becoming the fourth school to do so alongside Farrell (20), Norwin (11), and Baldwin (10). The Tigers have won in 1993, 1996, 2008, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2023.
Mars captured its second WPIAL girls’ volleyball championship and first in 12 years. The Fightin’ Planets also won in 2012.
Quaker Valley is the 33rd different school to win a WPIAL girls’ volleyball title and the third new champion in two years, joining Hampton and Serra Catholic from last season. This was also the Quakers’ first WPIAL championship game appearance.
Greensburg Central Catholic earned its fourth WPIAL title, pulling it into a tie for ninth all-time with North Catholic and Pine-Richland. The Centurions also won in 2012, 2014, and 2016.
The top two teams in Class 4A, top three teams in Class 1A and Class 3A, and the top four teams in Class 2A have qualified for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Girls’ Volleyball Championships, which begin with first round games on Tuesday, Nov. 5 and conclude with championship games on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg.
CLASS 4A RECAP
After dropping the first set, top-seeded North Allegheny came back to win a marathon second frame, 33-31, and ultimately carried that momentum to win the Class 4A title, as the Tigers defeated third-seeded North Catholic, 3-1 (23-25, 33-31, 25-17, 25-23) this past Saturday.
North Allegheny (17-1, 9-1 Section II) trailed by as many as four in the second stanza and faced set point on seven occasions. The Tigers hit .200 over that frame compared to the .065 mark of North Catholic (16-3, 8-2 Section II), and then held the Trojanettes to a negative .056 mark in the third set to gain control of the match.
Three North Allegheny players recorded double-doubles in sophomore opposite hitter Molly Robertson (22 kills, 10 digs), junior setter Keely McMahon-Regan (25 assists, 17 digs), and senior setter Mackenzie Jones (17 assists, 11 digs). Sophomore middle blocker Alicia Mokube collected 14 kills at a .462 clip and added four block assists, while senior middle blocker Bridgit Murphy led all players with seven blocks (one solo). Senior libero Macey Casten tallied a game-high 27 digs.
For North Catholic, senior setter Sienna Cozza recorded a 35-assist, 25-dig double-double with five kills and three block assists. Classmate Ella Koziara also posted a double-double with 22 kills and 14 digs, and senior defensive specialist Josie Lorish served all six of the Trojanettes’ aces. Sophomore middle hitter Lauren Reitz registered two solo and two assisted rejections defensively.
The Tigers opened the WPIAL Championships with a 3-0 win over ninth-seeded Armstrong, then qualified for their eighth straight championship game with a 3-2 triumph against fourth-seeded Upper St. Clair. North Catholic was appearing in its seventh consecutive WPIAL championship match thanks to a 3-0 quarterfinal win over sixth-seeded Peters Township, and a 3-2 nailbiter versus second-seeded Canon-McMillan.
North Allegheny begins PIAA Championships play at home against District III fourth-place Manheim Township, while North Catholic is on the road versus District VI champion State College. Both the Tigers and Trojanettes won PIAA championships in their histories, with North Allegheny capturing the last seven at Class 4A and 10 overall, and North Catholic raising the trophy in 2019 and 2021 at Class 2A.
CLASS 3A RECAP
Second-seeded Mars made up for a regular-season loss to top-seeded Beaver, as the Fightin’ Planets defeated the Bobcats, 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-23, 25-15) this past Saturday for the Class 3A championship.
Mars (18-4, 10-0 Section II) was extremely efficient offensively, hitting at a .357 clip while serving a total of 10 aces. Beaver (18-4, 10-0 Section IV) also was successful with its swings, converting at a .300 rate, but was held to a .179 hitting percentage in the fourth set that ultimately sealed the match.
The Fightin’ Planets had four players reach double-digit kills, headlined by junior middle blocker Cecilia Christy’s 15 on a .500 hitting percentage. Christy added a team-high three blocks (one solo) for 17.0 points. Classmate Rylee Wooldridge collected 13 kills, eight digs, and two aces, and senior outside hitter Lily Javor fell a dig shy of a double-double with 13 kills and nine digs. Another senior, Ella Nicotra, recorded 11 kills and a game-high four aces, and junior libero Alaina Graham netted 12 digs to lead the team. Freshman setter Gabi Weidemann collected 51 assists, six digs, and went a perfect 4-for-4 with her attacks.
The Bobcats were led offensively by junior middle blocker Kailyn Connelly, who recorded a game-best 25 kills on a .396 hitting percentage. Classmates Alaina Malobabich and Jaedyn Brown registered 12 and 10 kills, respectively, and senior setter Zoe Ringer dished out 42 assists. Junior libero Aubrey Bumblis led all players with 21 digs.
Mars qualified for the WPIAL championship match with 3-0 wins over 18th-seeded Albert Gallatin and seventh-seeded Indiana, as well as a 3-2 triumph against sixth-seeded and Section II foe Freeport in the semifinals. Beaver defeated 16th-seeded Gateway, 3-0, eighth-seeded Oakland Catholic, 3-1, and fourth-seeded Hampton, 3-0, to make it to AHN Arena.
Hampton topped Freeport, 3-0, in the third-place consolation match to earn the final PIAA qualifier spot.
Mars opens the PIAA Championships by hosting District VI champion Central Mountain, while Beaver travels to District IX champion DuBois and Hampton plays at District X champion Meadville. All three schools are searching for their first PIAA championships, with the Talbots appearing in last year’s Class 3A championship match.
CLASS 2A RECAP
Appearing in its first WPIAL championship match in school history, top-seeded Quaker Valley captured the gold in impressive fashion, defeating third-seeded Hopewell, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-16) in the Class 2A final this past Saturday.
Quaker Valley (18-2, 14-0 Section I) was superb defensively against its Section I rival Hopewell (17-3, 12-2), holding the Vikings to a .012 hitting percentage. The Quakers converted at a .244 rate offensively and recorded nine assists – six coming from senior setter Vanessa Pickett.
Quaker Valley saw two players post double-doubles in senior outside hitters Amalia MacDonald and Nora Hammond. MacDonald led all players with 18 kills, adding 11 digs and a solo block, while Hammond collected 14 kills and a team-high 17 digs. Pickett dished out 33 assists to go along with her six aces and seven digs.
Hopewell received 17 digs from senior libero Mena Catanzarite and 12 from classmate Jordan Sirianni. Sirianni paced the team with five kills on a .222 hitting percentage. Senior right side Reese Murray and junior outside hitter Briana Inderelest served two aces each.
The Quakers didn’t drop a single set throughout the WPIAL championships, winning 3-0 against 16th-seeded Keystone Oaks, eighth-seeded Ellwood City, and fifth-seeded Southmoreland. The Vikings were 3-1 winners versus 14th-seeded McGuffey and 11th-seeded Avonworth, then topped second-seeded Neshannock, 3-2, to make the championship match.
Neshannock topped Southmoreland, 3-0, in the third-place consolation match, becoming the third-seeded team from the WPIAL. The Scotties enter the PIAA tournament as the fourth-seeded WPIAL team.
Quaker Valley plays at home against District X runner-up Cathedral Prep to begin the PIAA Championships. Hopewell, Neshannock, and Southmoreland all start on the road, with the Vikings at District VI champion Richland, the Lancers taking on District X champion Corry, and the Scotties facing District V champion North Star. Hopewell is the lone school of the four to have won a PIAA title, doing so in 2004.
CLASS 1A RECAP
The third time was the charm for third-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic, as the Centurions avenged two regular-season losses to top-seeded Frazier in a 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-15) win this past Saturday in the Class 1A championship match.
Greensburg Central Catholic (17-3, 6-2 Section IV) hit .245 as a team, served eight aces, and collected 61 digs to the 42 accumulated by Frazier (15-4, 8-0 Section IV). The Centurions also held the Commodores to a .071 hitting percentage, including a negative .032 mark in the third set.
Greensburg Central Catholic was led by junior right-side hitter Ashlyn Black, who posted a double-double with 24 kills on a .340 hitting percentage and 13 digs. Senior outside hitter Eva Denis added 14 digs and six kills, and senior libero Brianna Evans paced all players with 15 digs and three aces. Classmate Maura Oslosky quarterbacked the offensive attack with 34 assists and a pair of aces, and fellow senior Erin Grace registered four blocks (one solo) defensively.
Frazier junior right-side hitter Madelyn Salisbury led her team with nine kills on a .250 hitting percentage. Senior setter Gracen Hartman recorded a 21-assist, 11-dig double-double with four kills. Sophomore outside hitter Allie Monack and junior middle hitter Addison Schultz tallied two block assists each.
The Centurions defeated 14th-seeded West Greene and sixth-seeded Beaver County Christian by identical 3-0 scores, then topped second-seeded Eden Christian Academy, 3-2, in the semifinals. The Commodores were 3-0 winners versus 16th-seeded Rochester and eighth-seeded Serra Catholic, then booked their tickets to AHN Arena with a 3-1 win over fourth-seeded Saint Joseph.
In the third-place consolation match, Eden Christian Academy defeated Saint Joseph, 3-0, to earn the final PIAA qualifier spot.
Greensburg Central Catholic commences the PIAA Championships at home against District IX runner-up Clarion Limestone, while Frazier and Eden Christian Academy are respectively on the road to District X champion Saegertown and District IX champion Clarion. The Centurions enter the tournament as two-time PIAA champions, having won in 2014 and 2016.
PIAA PREVIEW
Start Date: Tuesday, Nov. 5
Championship Date & Location: Nov. 16 at Cumberland Valley High School (Mechanicsburg, Pa.)
Total Champions from WPIAL: 53 (7 in Class 4A, 25 in Class 3A, 16 in Class 2A, 5 in Class 1A)
- Previous Champions: Norwin (12), North Allegheny (10), Farrell (8), Baldwin (4), Elderton (3),
Bishop Canevin (2), Freeport (2), Greensburg Central Catholic (2), Mt. Lebanon (2),
North Catholic (2), Greensburg Salem (1), Hopewell (1), Knoch (1), Pine-Richland (1),
Plum (1), Shannock Valley (1), West Allegheny (1)
Last Class 4A Champion from WPIAL: North Allegheny (2023)
Last Class 3A Champion from WPIAL: Knoch (2017)
Last Class 2A Champion from WPIAL: Freeport (2022)
Last Class 1A Champion from WPIAL: Greensburg Central Catholic (2016)
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