Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) hosted its championship games for the WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Boys’ Volleyball Championships last Saturday at AHN Arena on the campus of Peters Township High School.
CLASS 3A RECAP
Top-seeded North Allegheny continued its recent dominance of WPIAL boys’ volleyball, securing its second consecutive title with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-15) sweep of second-seeded Butler this past Wednesday in the Class 3A championship match.
Offensively, the Tigers executed at an efficient .360 clip during a pivotal second set, while their defensive front stood tall to register 9.5 total blocks. North Allegheny also generated a 45-21 advantage in assists, ultimately out-digging the second seed 43 to 23 over the course of the three-set battle.
Three North Allegheny players reached double-figure kills, led by Brendan Moore who hammered home 13, followed by Peter Bratich with 12 and Will Robertson with 11 kills. Setter Jackson Faila orchestrated the offense with 38 assists whil echipping in two digs for the tigers
Defensively, Robertson and Moore safeguarded the floor with 12 and 9 digs, respectively, while Bratich and Nathan May had two block assists in the three sets.
Butler's attack was paced by Zane Stiemer, who tallied a team-high 9 kills, fueled by setter JAcob Proudfoot, who distributed 12 assists. Maddox McCall spear-headed the Golden Tornado's defensive standard with 8 digs, respectively, while Steimer had a team-high three block assists.
North Allegheny earned its spot in the final by defeating eighth-seeded Peters Township 3-0 in the quarterfinals and sweeping fourth-seeded Baldwin 3-0 in the semifinal round. On the bottom half of the bracket, Butler advanced by blanking seventh-ranked Upper St. Clair 3-0 in the first round, defeating seventh-seeded Upper St. Clair 3-1 in the quarterfinals, and outlasting third-seeded Seneca Valley in a 3-2 semifinal thriller.
In the third-place consolation match played on Wednesday, Seneca Valley defeated Baldwin 3-1 to lock up the final PIAA tournament berth.
CLASS 2A RECAP
Top-seeded Shaler contined their storied reign, securing its fourth consecutive title with a 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-23, 25-19) victory over third-seeded South Fayette this past Wednesday in the Class 2A championship match.
Three Shaler players reached double-figure kills, led by Richard O'Brien who hammered home 13 on a stellar .611 hitting percentage, followed by Krisztian Walker with 11. Setter Trevor Planz orchestrated the offense with 42 assists while chipping in eight digs and three kills. Defensively, Sam Miller and Ryan Hahn safeguarded the floor with 11 and 10 digs, respectively, while Brandon Aryee dictated play at the net with a match-high 10 blocks (3 solo, 7 assist).
South Fayette's attack was paced by Arya Pamecha and Dilsher Goraya who each tallied 19 kills. Pamecha and Dave Kavvy spear-headed the Lions' defensive standard with 12 and 15 digs, respectively, while Quinn Leroux chipped in with three block assists.
Shaler earned its spot in the final by defeating eighth-seeded OLSH 3-0 in the quarterfinals and sweeping fifth-seeded Thomas Jefferson 3-0 in the semifinal round. On the bottom half of the bracket, South Fayette advanced by blanking sixth-seeded Derry 3-0 in the quarterfinals, and outlasting two-seeded Seton La Salle in a 3-2 semifinal battle.
In the third-place consolation match played on Wednesday at Moon Area High School, second-seeded Seton LaSalle defeated Thomas Jefferson 3-1 to lock up the final PIAA tournament berth.