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NORTH ALLEGHENY VARSITY
GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL

 Photo Courtesy of Jeff Gleason

ALLYSON HODNIK NAMED TO FIRST TEAM WPIAL ALL-STARS

Senior setter Allyson Hodnik was selected to the first team All-WPIAL All-Star squad as announced by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  The team was selected by the WPIAL coaches.  Named to the second team were senior OH Michele Osterrieder, junior MH Maria Nolan, and sophomore OH Jackie Lang.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALLYSON, MICHELE, MARIA AND JACKIE!!!!

ALL-WPIAL GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL TEAMS

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STATE COLLEGE KNOCKS LADY TIGERS FROM PIAA TOURNAMENT WITH 3-1 VICTORY

The Lady Tigers were defeated by State College, 3-1, at Central Cambria High School on Tuesday night in the first round of the PIAA Class AAA playoffs.  After winning the first game, 25-22, NA lost three straight.  In game two, State College pulled out a narrow 26-24 win before winning the final two games, 25-10, and 25-18.

Three State College players ended up in double figures with kills as Sara McMullen and Courtney Glenn recorded 12 and Marta Smolarczyk eleven.  Moi McKenzie had nine kills and three blocks while Hallie Morse posted 39 assists for the winning Lady Little Lions.  State College coach Scott Horning said, "They knew coming into the match that North Allegheny was a tough opponent."  Horning added, "They are very excited" with the victory.

With the loss, the season came to an end for the Lady Tigers.  The final record was an impressive 18-3 with a section title and the WPIAL runnerup trophy.

(Thanks to the Centre Daily Times for information in this report!)

MATCH SUMMARY
STATE COLLEGE - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

PIAA CLASS AAA VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

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LADY TIGERS TAKE SILVER AS MOON WINS, 3-2,
IN WPIAL FINAL

To listen to a replay of the match, click here!

The Lady Tigers gave a great effort but fell just short as the Moon Tigers came from behind to defeat NA, 3-2, at Franklin Regional High School on Saturday evening.  After NA took a 2-1 lead in the match, Moon rallied to beat the Lady Tigers, 25-23, in game four and followed with a 15-13 victory in game five.  Senior setter Ally Hodnik won on target throughout the match with seniors Michele Osterrieder, Christy Parks, and Sydney Schwab, along with junior Maria Nolan, and sophomore Jackie Lang doing the hitting, but it was not enough to pull out the victory.

Moon jumped off to an early 4-0 start in game one on a tip by senior Jessica Carnright and a cross court kill by senior Lindsay Kresch.  NA rallied behind a kill by Lang down the line, a putback of an overpass by Hodnik and a block by Nolan to cut the margin to 5-4.  With Moon ahead, 9-7, the Lady Tigers score four straight points to take the lead for good.  Hodnik scored with a left handed tip, Parks went off the Moon blockers, Hodnik served an ace, and Moon committed a hitting error as NA took an 11-9 advantage.  A cross court kill by Schwab and a strong hit by Lang pushed the margin to 15-11.  After Jessica Pattyn scored off the NA blockers to cut the margin to 15-11, NA went on a 7-1 run.  Hitting errors by Moon and a kill by Lang set up a great serving sequence for Schwab who served five straight points, including four aces.  Down the stretch, Nolan went down the middle for a kill and Osterrieder finished off the Moon Tigers in game one with two strong hits.  NA won game one, 25-16.

In game two, Moon again took the early lead, 3-1 before kills by Schwab and Nolan tied the game at 4-4.  NA scored four of the next five points to take an 8-5 lead behind kills by Parks and Osterrieder and two service aces by senior DS Marissa Posteraro.  Kills by Hodnik, Schwab and Parks kept NA ahead, 12-9, before Moon rallied to tie the game on hits by Kresch and setter Lauren Fanelli.  Moon took the lead at 15-14 on a kill by Kresch off the NA blockers, but Lang tied the game with another kill.  Pattyn and Kresch helped push the Moon lead to 19-17 before the NA Tigers rallied to go ahead 21-20 on a Parks' block.  Parks gave NA another lead at 22-21 with a strong hit down the middle.  Two NA hitting errors and a kill by Ashley Buse put Moon back ahead, 24-22,  After a Moon service error, NA committed a hitting error that gave the win to the Moon Tigers, 25-23, in game two.  The match was tied at one game each.

Once again in game three, Moon scored first to take a 3-0 lead on hits by Buse and a service ace by Carnwright.  The NA Lady Tigers rallied to tie the game at 6-6 on a left handed tip by Hodnik, a kill by Parks on a slide, and another kill by Hodnik.  Kresch, Fanelli, and Layne Baggett led Moon to a 12-9 lead before NA was able to come back to tie the score at 14-14.  Nolan and Osterrieder led the NA rally, but Pattyn and Kresch answered to put Moon back on top, 16-14.  After a Moon service error, Osterrieder served two aces, Lang scored off the Moon blockers and again down the middle, as NA took a 20-16 lead.  After another Lang kill, Vukson served an ace, and Nolan scored a kill to push the lead to 23-17.  Moon came back with the next five points behind the serving of Carnwright.  With NA on top 23-22, a service error put the NA Lady Tigers at game point.   After Kresch cut the lead to one, Nolan ended game three with a perfect shot that hit the back line.  NA won game three, 25-23, and took a two games to one lead in the match.

The teams exchanged points early in the crucial game four.  With the score tied at 4-4, a Pattyn kill and an NA hitting error made it 6-4.  Moon maintained the early lead until Schwab scored on a cross court hit to tie the game at 8-8.  With junior DS Alyssa Vukson serving, NA scored the next four points behind a service ace, a strong hit by Nolan down the middle and a pair of hitting errors by Moon.  NA remained on top despite the efforts of Kresch with Osterrieder driving a strong hit down the line to make it a 15-12 lead.  Two errors by Moon pushed the margin to 17-13 before the Tigers of Moon rallied.  A kill by Brianna Razete, an ace by Stefanie Kelly, and a kill by Baggett off the NA blockers tied the game at 17-17 forcing NA Coach Dan Schall to call a time out.  The Teams exchanged points down the stretch with kills by Lang, Schwab, and Noland countering the kills by Kresch.  Osterrieder finally put NA on top, 22-21, but Kresch came back to tie the score.  After a block by Kresch and a lift called against NA, Nolan scored to cut the margin to 24-23.  It was Kresch again with a block to win game four, 25-23, and send the match to a fifth and deciding game.

The teams again exchanged points early with Nolan, Lang and Osterrieder all scoring kills.  After Pattyn put Moon ahead, 5-4, on a cross court hit, Osterrieder answered to tie the game.  Moon then scored five of the next eight points to take a 10-7 lead.  A tip by Lang, an ace by Schwab, and a block by Nolan tied the game at 10-10.  After Kresch scored off the NA blockers, a service error by Moon made it 11-11.  Nolan went down the middle to put NA ahead, 12-11, but a hitting error by the NA Tigers allowed Moon to tie the game again.  Osterrieder scored off the Moon blockers to put NA ahead again, 13-12.  Moon came back, however, to score the next three points on a Pattyn kill and two serves by Kresch to win game five, 15-13, and the match, three games to two.

The Lady Tigers gave it their all, but in the end, NA could not answer the play of 6-1 senior OH Lindsay Kresch, a Northwestern recruit.  Kresch continually got the big points for Moon that eventually led to the victory.  Kresch finished with 22 kills while Pattyn added 13.  A number of Lady Tigers played well, but the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Allyson Hodnik as the Player of the Match for her outstanding setting throughout all five games.  Nolan and Lang had fourteen kills each for NA while Osterrieder recorded thirteen kills and fourteen digs.

With the loss, the Lady Tigers overall record dropped to 18-2 on the season.  NA will begin play in the PIAA tournament on Tuesday when they meet the District 6 champions for the right to qualify for the PIAA finals at Central York next weekend.

MATCH SUMMARY
MOON - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2

WPIAL CLASS AAA PLAYOFFS

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LADY TIGERS ADVANCE TO FINAL WITH 3-0 WIN OVER PENN-TRAFFORD

To listen to a replay of the match, click here!

Once again, good setting by senior Ally Hodnik and strong play at the net by sophomore Jackie Lang, junior Maria Nolan, and senior Michele Osterrieder led the Lady Tigers to a convincing 3-0 victory over Penn-Trafford at North Hills on Thursday night in the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals.  NA won the first game, 25-17, game two, 25-18, and the third and final game, 25-19.

Penn-Trafford started with a 6-0 run at the beginning of game one.  A kill by Heather Keeny, an ace by Lauren Persico and four hitting errors by NA put the Lady Tigers in a hole at the outset.  NA rallied, however, to score the next nine points.  After senior OH Sydney Schwab scored the first point on a dink, Schwab took over the serve and put eight more points on the board, including two aces.  Lang scored down the middle, off the P-T blockers, and down the line during the run that put NA on top, 9-6.  After a kill by Brianne Reau stopped the run, Lang blasted a hard hit down the middle to make it 10-7.  The Lady Warriors came back with a run of 5-1 to recapture the lead at 12-11 behind the serving of Hannah Qualley and the hitting of Reau.  The teams traded points until junior Alyssa Vukson went back to serve with the score tied at 15-15.  After a P-T net violation, Lang put back an overpass, Nolan scored on a quick set, and Penn-Trafford committed a hitting error as the Lady Tigers took a 19-15 lead.  After MH Rachel Kuszaj ended the run with a kill, Lang made it 20-16.  Lang went down the middle, Nolan blocked for another point, P-T committed another hitting error, and Schwab served an ace to put NA at game point.  After a kill by Reau, Nolan hit the line on a slide to give the Lady Tigers a 25-17 victory in game one.

In game two, the Lady Tigers jumped off to a 4-1 lead behind the hitting of Lang and Nolan.  After Hodnik scored on a left handed tip, an NA service errror and an ace by Qualley cut the margin to 5-4.  Senior DS Marissa Posteraro came in to serve an ace and a hitting error pushed the lead to 8-4.  A kill by Lindsey Clifford, a block by Anna Bixler and a hitting error cut the margin to 8-7 before Hodnik served an ace.  P-T rallied to tie the score at 12-12 behind the hitting of Kuszaj, but Lang's two kills put NA back on top, 14-12.  After the Lady Warriors tied the score at 14-14, NA scored the next seven points to take control of the game.  Three straight P-T miscues made it 17-14, and a block by Osterrieder and Nolan, a putback of an overpass by Nolan, and another kill off an overpass by Osterrieder made it 20-14.  Nolan added a kill on a slide before a service error made it 21-15.  Rachel Keely came back with a pair of kills to cut the lead to 23-17, but a kill by Schwab put NA at game point.  Sophomore Gretta Freyermuth got her hand on a set and deflected it into open space to finish game two.  The Lady Tigers won the second game, 25-18, and took a two games to none lead in the match.

The Lady Tigers jumped off to an early lead in game three and were never behind.  A block and yet another kill off an overpass by Penn-Trafford by Nolan gave NA a 4-0 lead.  After Kuszaj brought the Lady Warriors back to 4-3 on a kill and a block, Schwab went cross court to make it 5-3.  NA continued to extend the margin as Nolan and Osterrieder both blocked for points and Lang scored off the P-T blockers to push the lead to 8-3.  After Nolan's kill off a slide, Rachel Keely cut the lead to 10-6.  The Lady Tigers then went on a 9-1 run to put the game out of reach.  A kill by Osterrieder, three straight points by senior MB Christy Parks, several P-T hitting errors, another block by Parks and a kill by Schwab were big during the run.  After Freyermuth and Parks combined on a block, Bixler scored on a kill to make it 20-8.  After two more kills by Nolan and a hitting error by Penn-Trafford pushed the lead to 23-12, the Lady Warriors fought back to outscore NA, 7-1.  With the score at 24-19, Osterrieder finished game three with a big hit down the middle as the Lady Tigers took game three, 25-19, and the match, three games to none.

It was a good win by the Lady Tigers with a number of players making contributions.  Nolan had eleven kills and five blocks, Lang posted eleven kills and one block, and Osterrieder added six kills and a block.  For her efforts early in the match that put NA ahead, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Jackie Lang as the Player of the Match.

With the win, the Lady Tigers improved their overall record to 18-1 as they advanced to the championship game against Moon.  The title contest will be played tomorrow afternoon at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 4:45 pm.  Match time is scheduled for 5:00 pm, but there are three matches scheduled for the AAA championship.  Check back at game time to be sure of the starting time.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  PENN-TRAFFORD - 0

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LADY TIGERS SWEEP LEBO TO ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS

To listen to a replay of the match, click here!

The Lady Tigers dominated play at the net at North Hills on Tuesday night as they defeated Mt. Lebanon in three straight games to advance to the semifinals of the WPIAL Class AAA tournament.  Strong play by junior Maria Nolan, sophomore Jackie Lang, and seniors Michele Osterrieder and Christy Parks, along with steady setting of senior Ally Hodnik, led NA to the 3-0 victory.  NA won the first game, 25-18, the second by the same 25-18 score, and finished off the Blue Devils, 25-19, in game three.

Mt. Lebanon started off quickly, scoring the first four points of the game behind the hitting of Kathryn Traut and NA hitting errors.  Senior OH Sydney Schwab put NA on the board with a service ace, Nolan added a kill, and Schwab another kill as the Lady Tigers cut the lead to 5-4.  After Sara Scheirman scored on a cross court kill, Hodnik put in a left handed tip, Osterrieder registered a kill and Schwab went off the Lebo blockers, but the Blue Devils still led, 8-7.  Osterrieder took over the serve with NA down, 9-8, and served seven straight points, including two aces, as the Lady Tigers took the lead for good at 15-9.  During the run, it was Parks and Lang with the big hits for NA.  Andrea Duvall and an NA hitting error cut the margin to 15-11, but Lang and Nolan scored kills to push it to 17-11.  After a service ace from Kate Begor, Hodnik dropped in another left handed dump and Lebo contributed hitting errors at the Lady Tigers took a 20-13 lead.  After Scheirman went off the NA blockers to cut the lead to 21-16, Nolan drove home a kill and senior DS Marissa Posteraro served an ace to push the margin to 23-16.  With  NA up 24-18, Osterrieder finished off Lebo with a big hit as the Lady Tigers won game one, 25-18.

In game two, the Lady Tigers took the lead from the outset and never looked back.  With Schwab serving, Nolan had a pair of blocks, Lang a block, and Hodnik and Nolan a combined block as NA built a 7-1 lead.  Nolan then scored three straight points on a dink, a block and a blast to push the lead to 10-2.  The Lady Tigers continued to control the net with Schwab scoring on a kill, Parks on a dink and a block, and Lang with a cross court hit and a put back off a Lebo overpass as NA extended the margin to 18-6.  Begor, Scheirman and Traut led a Lebo comeback to cut the lead to 20-15.  At this point, NA Head Coach Dan Schall called a time out.  After the time out, the Lady Tigers went on a 5-3 run to finish off the Blue Devils.  Three straight errors by Lebo, a block by Nolan and a hit by Osterrieder off the Lebo blockers put the score at 24-18.  Schwab finished game two with a good swing to give the Lady Tigers a 25-18 win in game two and a 2-0 lead in the match.

Game three started in similar fashion to the second game with NA taking an early 7-1 advantage.  Junior OH Alyssa Vukson served the first four points, including an ace, as Nolan and Lang did most of the damage during the run.  Lebo came back to cut the lead to 8-6 before a Schwab kill pushed the margin to three.  Hodnik put away an overpass and several Mt. Lebanon hitting errors extended the lead to 11-7.  After a block by Kelsey Jancisen, an ace by Osterrieder and another big hit by Lang made it a 14-9 NA lead.  Duvall kept Lebo in the game with a kill, but Lang went down the line to push the lead to 16-10.  With Vukson serving again, two Lebo misplays and a kill by Lang extended the lead to 19-10.  A Nolan kill and a service ace by Schwab pushed the advantage to 22-12.  Mt. Lebanon rallied behind Duvall, Traut and Scheirman to make it 23-16.  Nolan put away another Lebo overpass to take NA to game and match point. Kills by Alyssa Ropar and Begor, and an NA hitting error, cut the lead to 24-19 before Lebo was called for a double hit to end the game and the match.  The Lady Tigers won game three, 25-19, and the match, three games to none.

It was a good team victory for the Lady Tigers who dominated a good Mt. Lebanon team.  There were a number of candidates, but the North Allegheny Sports Network named Maria Nolan as the Player of the Match.

With the win, the Lady Tigers improved their overall record to 17-1 as they moved on to the semifinals.  NA will face Penn-Trafford, a 3-0 winner over Shaler on Tuesday night.  The Lady Tigers defeated the Warriors, 3-0, at Penn-Trafford earlier in the season.  The match will be played at North Hills High School with the starting time scheduled for 7:30 pm.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match beginning with the pre-game show fifteen minutes before match time.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  MT. LEBANON - 0

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LADY TIGERS DOWN LATROBE, 3-0, TO ADVANCE TO WPIAL QUARTERFINALS

To listen to a replay of the match, click here!

The Lady Tigers won three straight games against Latrobe at the Senior High gym on Thursday night in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.  Strong play at the net by sophomore Jackie Lang and seniors Christy Parks, Michele Osterrieder and Sydney Schwab helped NA down the Wildcats, 25-17, 25-9, and 25-21.  With the win, the Lady Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals of the WPIAL tournament and will play Mt. Lebanon on Tuesday night.  The site and time have not yet been determined.

The Lady Tigers started quickly, jumping off to an 8-1 lead.  After a Latrobe service error to start the game, Schwab served six straight points, including  four aces.  After a Latrobe hitting error, Osterrieder drove a kill down the middle.  Courtney Sherwin brought the Wildcats back into the game with a kill and a service ace to cut the margin to 9-5 before Parks responded with two kills and senior setter Allyson Hodnik dropped in a service ace.  With the score at 13-5, Latrobe scored the next seven points behind the serving of Emily Braden as the Wildcats closed to within one at 13-12.  A Parks' block and a kill by Emily Stewart made it 14-13.  After a Sherwin block kept Latrobe one back at 16-15, Schwab returned to serve four more points, including a pair of aces as the Tiger lead went to 21-15.  NA then outscored Latrobe, 4-2 down the stretch to win the game.  Osterrieder put back an overpass to end the Wildcat hopes as the Lady Tigers took game one, 25-17.

Latrobe jumped off to a quick start in game two behind the serving of Stewart who scored on three service aces.  NA came back behind Schwab and Lang to tie the score at 5-5.  After an NA service error, junior MH Maria Nolan tied the game at 6-6 and Osterrieder's kill gave the Lady Tigers their first lead of the second game at 7-6.    From this point, it was all NA as they outscored Latrobe 18-3.  During the run, Parks had two blocks and a kill, Lang had three kills and a block while Osterrieder added three serving aces.  Fittingly, junior Alyssa Vukson ended game two with an ace as the Lady Tigers easily won by a 25-9 score to take a two games to none lead in the match.

The third game was closer.  Latrobe took a 3-1 lead before a two Wildcat hitting errors let NA tie the score at 3-3.  Lang then served five straight points with two aces as Nolan put back an overpass and Osterrieder added a kill during the run.  Latrobe came back behind a block and a dink by Sherwin to cut the margin to 7-5.  Nolan picked up a kill and Osterrieder blasted a ball down the line to push the margin to 9-6.  NA then went on a 6-2 run with Osterrieder again going down the line, Schwab earning a kill, and Osterrieder scoring from the back row.  Stewart countered with a pair of kills, but Nolan, Lang and Schwab all picked up kills to put NA on top, 16-10.  After Nolan scored on a cross court hit on a slide, the teams exchanged service errors to make it an 18-13 game.  After Sarah Moss' kill for the Wildcats, there were four straight errors as the score went to 21-15.  After yet another service error, Lang went cross court to push the NA margin to 23-16.  Stewart scored off the NA blockers, but Schwab went down the line to put the Lady Tigers at game and match point.  An NA service error and three points from Stewart on serves cut the lead to 24-21.  Lang finally ended the game and match with a soft dink.  The Lady Tigers won game three, 25-21, and the match, three games to none.

It was a good opening match for the Lady Tigers who played well at times.  Good setting by Hodnik and good defensive play by senior Maria Posteraro and Vukson in the back helped NA hold off the Wildcats.  The Lady Tigers registered fourteen service aces to help their cause.  For her all around efforts throughout the match, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Sydney Schwab as the Player of the Match.  Schwab accounted for six of the NA service aces.

The Lady Tigers will face Mt. Lebanon in the semifinals on Tuesday at North Hills High School.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm with match time scheduled for 7:30 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  LATROBE - 0

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CHINA WINS NA INVITATIONAL

The team from Zibo No. 10 High School in Shandong province in China won the NA Invitational at the Senior High gym on Saturday.  State College was second as the Lady Tigers were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Pine-Richland.

The tournament was a great experience for the NA players and other American teams.   The delegation from China presented NA Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto and Senior High Principal Larry Butterini with gifts including a banner, scroll and volleyball signed by the players.  In the gift exchange between players, the Lady Tigers presented gift bags to the Chinese team in exchange for a decorated ornament.  The NA players also gave an NA t-shirt and keychains with the team picture.
(Note: Click here for additional pictures from the tournament!)

NORTH ALLEGHENY INVITATIONAL
Saturday, October 21, 2006
PLAYOFF RESULTS

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LADY TIGERS SHUT OUT NORTH HILLS, 3-0, TO END SECTION PLAY UNBEATEN

The Lady Tigers traveled to North Hills on Thursday night and defeated the Indians, 3-0, to complete the regular season unbeaten in section play.  The final section record was 12-0, the overall mark, 15-1.  The playoffs will start next week.

The Tigers will prepare for the playoffs tomorrow when they host the NA Invitational.  Ten top teams will be at the Senior High gym tomorrow for the final competition before the playoffs.  Included is a team from China, Shandong Zibo, No. 10, from Shandong province.  The team is the reigning champion in their province and are undefeated in Pennsylvania, winning three matches in Philadelphia last weekend and defeating Shaler on Wednesday night.  It's a great opportunity to see how players from another country play against top competition from our area.  Bring your cameras!!!

Action is slated to get underway at 8:45 am.  There will also be a JV tournament at the Baierl Center.

NA VARSITY INVITATIONAL
NA Senior High Gym
Saturday, October 21, 2006

TEAMS ENTERED

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LADY TIGERS SWEEP PINE-RICHLAND, 3-0, TO TAKE
SECTION TITLE

To listen to a replay of the match, click here!

With a large and vocal Senior Night crowd looking on, the Lady Tigers defeated the Pine-Richland Rams, 3-0, at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night to wrap up the section championship.  Led by strong play at the net by seniors Michele Osterrieder and Christy Parks, junior Maria Nolan and sophomore Jackie Lang, NA downed the Rams, 25-19, 25-23, and 26-24 to win their eleventh straight section match without a loss.  Senior setter Allyson Hodnik was on target for most of the night as the NA hitters were dominant.

The Rams jumped off to an early 7-3 lead behind the serving of sophomore Hillary Gaertner and several NA hitting errors.  After Parks scored with a strong hit down the middle, senior Sydney Schwab served an ac, and Nolan added another kill to cut the lead to 8-6.  After the Rams' Kendall Ashworth earned a kill off the NA blockers, junior Alyssa Vukson served four straight points to give the Lady Tigers their first lead at 10-9.  Osterrieder posted two kills during the rally.  NA pushed the margin to 15-11 with Osterrieder serving an ace, and the Rams picking up a pair of hitting errors.  Sophomore Carolyn Steger led a P-R rally as they tied the game at 16-16.  Lang went off the Ram blockers to put NA back on top, and Nolan scored down the middle as the NA lead went to 18-16.  It was Nolan again with two kills and a block, along with an Osterrieder kill, as NA pushed the margin to 13-18.  After Amber Depew cut the lead to 24-19, the Rams could not return Vukson's serve as NA won the first game, 25-19.

After Parks gave the Lady Tigers a 2-1 lead early in game two, the Rams rallied to build a 13-5 lead.  Ashworth, Depew and Steger all had kills during the run.  Once again, however, NA rallied.  A kill by Osterrieder, a block by Parks, and an ace from Vukson cut the margin to 13-8.  After Depew and Steger pushed the lead to 16-9, the Lady Tigers continued to battle back.  Parks scored on a quick set by Hodnik, Lang scored on a kill and Parks blocked again to cut the lead to 16-14.  A serving ace by senior Marissa Posteraro made it a one point game before Steger blocked for a point.  The Lady Tigers finally tied the score at 18-18 when a serve by Schwab was misplayed by the Rams.  P-R continued to play hard taking one-point leads over the next several points.  Nolan tied it a 19-19 and a two left handed dumps by Hodnik tied it at 20-20 and 21-21.  The Rams again went ahead again but a hitting error tied the game again.  With Pine-Richland up, 23-22, Osterrieder found an open space just inside the back line to tie the game at 23-23.  The Rams were then called for a carry, and Lang finished things with a blast down the line to give NA a 25-23 victory in an exciting game two.

The Tigers scored early in game three with an ace by Hodnik and a kill by Parks to tie the game at 2-2.  Once again, the Rams came back to build another early lead.  Stegar scored on an NA overpass, Ashworth went off the NA blockers, and Chelsea Young came off the Ram bench to record a kill as Pine-Richland went to an 8-5 advantage.  The Lady Tigers rallied to score six straight points to recapture the lead.  Lang started things with a strong hit down the middle, Noland put back an overpass, Hodnik added another left handed dump, Osterrieder and Parks combined on a block, and Osterrieder scored down the line as NA went ahead 11-8.  After a Young kill and several NA hitting errors cut the lead to 12-11, Lang scored twice off the Ram blockers as the Lady Tigers built a 16-12 lead.   After two Ram points, Nolan recorded a kill to push the margin to 17-14.  Another Nolan kill and a blast down the middle by Osterrieder put NA on top 20-16.  After a time out by Ram coach Emily Gerega, P-R went on a 7-1 run to recapture the lead.  A block by Sara Foster, a kill by Depew off the NA blockers, and a kill by Ashworth were prominent during the run.  NA coach Dan Schall countered with a time out.  Schwab brought NA back to within one with a kill, but Ashworth's kill took the Rams to game point at 24-22.  With the huge crowd cheering them on, the Lady Tigers scored four straight points to win the game and the match.  After a hitting error cut the lead to one, Posteraro's serve was not returned as NA tied the game at 24-24.  Lang found space down the middle to give the Lady Tigers a 25-24 advantage.  After another P-R timeout, Nolan finished the Rams with a big hit down the middle.  The Lady Tigers won game three, 26-24, and the match, three games to none.

The final score was not indicative of how close the match was.  All three games were competitive with the lead going back and forth.  When the games were on the line, however, it was the composure of the Lady Tigers that prevailed.  NA had a lot of players contribute to the victory.  The North Allegheny Sports Network selected Maria Nolan as the Player of the Match for her points in key situations.

The win improved the NA section record to 11-0, the overall mark to 14-1.  The Lady Tigers will travel to North Hills tomorrow night for the final section match.  The WPIAL playoffs will begin next week, and we will post the playoff schedule as soon as it is available.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  PINE-RICHLAND - 0

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LADY TIGERS SURVIVE AT SENECA VALLEY
WITH 3-2 VICTORY

The Lady Tigers got a tough test at Seneca Valley on Thursday night but came home with a 3-2 victory.  The win kept NA undefeated in section play and set up Tuesday night's home match with Pine-Richland as a battle for the section title.  NA defeated Pine-Richland, 3-2, at Pine-Richland earlier in the season for their only section loss. 

With the win, the NA section record improved to 10-0, the overall mark to 13-1.  The Lady Tigers will host Pine-Richland on Tuesday night.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 pm.  Match time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

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NEW CASTLE NO MATCH FOR LADY TIGERS, 3-0

To listen to a replay of the match, click here!

Coach Dan Schall's Lady Tigers rolled to their ninth consecutive section victory without a loss with an easy 3-0 victory over New Castle at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night.  Strong play at the net by NA on good sets by senior setter Allyson Hodnik kept NC off balance all night long.  The Lady Tigers recorded 25 service aces in a dominating performance.

The Lady Tigers took control of game one from the outset building a 7-0 lead.  Senior OH Michele Osterrieder served six straight points including three aces with sophomore OH Jackie Lang and senior OH Sydney Schwab picking up kills.  After the Lady 'Canes cut the lead to 7-2, Schwab scored with a hit down the middle.  Junior Alyssa Vukson then stepped behind the back line to serve ten straight points, including seven aces as the lead ballooned to 18-2.  Schwab and Lang again added kills during the run.  After an NA service error, junior Jackie Fitzgerald served another ace before two Tiger hitting errors cut the lead to 20-5.  Junior Maria Nolan hammered a kill down the line, Hodnik added a pair of kills, and senior DS Marissa Posteraro finished the game with an ace as the Lady Tigers won a 25-6 victory in game one.

The second game was more of the same as New Castle had difficulty in returned the NA serves.  After junior Caitlin Decker scored off the NC blockers, Schwab stepped back and served 16 straight points, including 11 service aces, as the lead went to 17-1.  Scoring kills during the run were senior MB Christy Parks, junior OH Kristen Wingrove, and Decker.  After an NA service error, Decker picked up two quick kills off the New Castle blockers to push the margin to 19-2.  Wingrove made it 20-2 before another hitting error by NA.  After junior Laura Sudo scored on a big hit, it was Wingrove who finished off the 'Canes with two kills and a service ace as the Lady Tigers won game two, 25-4.

In game three, New Castle played a much more competitive game.  After Wingrove and Decker gave NA a 2-0 lead, a kill by Trenice Scott and a hitting error by NA tied the game at 2-2.  Junior DS Liz Hoffman served three straight points and Sudo picked up a kill on a cross-court hit to give NA a 7-3 advantage.  Two NA errors cut the lead to 7-5 before Sudo answered down the middle.  The Lady Tigers went on a 5-2 run to push the lead to 12-7 behind the hitting of Wingrove and Nolan.  New Castle stayed close on NA hitting errors and a kill by Abby Allen as the score went to 14-10.  At this point, NA pulled away with a 7-1 sequence with kills by Decker, Hodnik and three by Sudo the key plays.  With the score at 23-13, two kills by Wingrove gave NA a 25-13 victory in game three and a 3-0 victory in the match.

The Lady Tigers dominated the match for most of the evening with good performances by a number of players.  For her efforts throughout the match, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected junior Kristen Wingrove as the Player of the Match.

With the win, the Lady Tigers improved their section record to 9-0, their overall mark to 12-1.  NA will host second-place Pine-Richland next Tuesday night in a battle for the section championship.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  NEW CASTLE - 0

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LADY TIGERS STAY UNBEATEN IN SECTION WITH 3-0 WIN OVER BUTLER

The Lady Tigers won their eighth consecutive section match without a loss with a 3-0 victory at Butler on Thursday night.  NA won the first game, 25-16, took the second, 25-18, and finished the Tornado with a 25-20 win in game three.  Junior MH Maria Nolan had fifteen kills and senior OH Sydney Schwab posted a career high 14 to pace the Lady Tigers.

Coach Dan Schall singled out two players for standout performance.  Senior DS Mo Sharick had a great defensive match.  Coach Schall said, "She energized the team through her play, which is exactly what you look for from a defensive specialist."  Sharick had six digs after entering the lineup midway through the second game.  Schwab had 14 kills but as Coach Schall stated, "Sydney does not always record the most impressive statistics, but she does so many important things that you cannot tabulate."  The NA mentor added, "She makes great contributions in every facet of the game; she continued that last evening".

The Lady Tigers will host New Castle in a section match on Tuesday night.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 pm.  Match time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  BUTLER - 0

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HAMPTON FALLS TO NA, 3-0

The Lady Tigers kept their unbeaten streak in section play alive on Tuesday night when they defeated the Hampton Talbots, 3-0, at the Senior High gym.  NA won the first game, 25-7, took game two, 25-18, and finished the match with a 25-6 trouncing in game three.

Senior MB Christy Parks led NA with nine kills while junior Alyssa Vukson served three aces.  According to Coach Dan Schall, the middle hitters and blockers had great matches.  Juniors Laura Sudo and Maria Nolan, along with Parks and sophomore Gretta Freyermuth all contributed to the Lady Tiger victory.  "Every player who stepped on the court last night made a positive contribution to the match - a very sharp match for us," said Schall.

The win improved the NA section record to 7-0, the overall mark to 10-1 on the season.  The Lady Tigers will travel to Butler tomorrow night as section play continues.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  HAMPTON - 0

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GREENSBURG SALEM ENDS NA UNBEATEN STREAK, 3-2

The #1 ranked AA team knocked off the #1 ranked AAA team last night at Greensburg Salem when the Lions edged the Lady Tigers, 3-2.  NA won the first game, 26-24, with the Lions coming back to win game two, 25-20.  After a Greensburg 25-22 win in game three, the Lady Tigers rebounded to take game four, 25-23.  In the fifth and final game, the Lions prevailed taking a hard-fought 18-16 match.

The match was a rematch of last year's quarterfinal meeting won by GS, 3-2.  Both teams had many returning players.  Leading the Lady Tigers in kills were sophomore OH Jackie Lang with 18, senior OH Michelle Osterrieder with 16 and junior MH Maria Nolan with 15.  Senior setter Allyson Hodnik posted 46 assists while Osterrieder recorded 15 digs and senior Sydney Schwab 11.  Junior Jackie Fitzgerald served 3 aces.

For Greensburg Salem, Mary Cook and Rachel Roddy each had 17 kills with Taylor Guido adding 15.  Greensburg Salem coach Brian Switala said, "It was an unbelievable match!"  For NA coach Dan Schall, "It was a valuable learning experience..."  Coach Schall added, "Great match.  We were put in pressure situations that are tough to duplicate in any practice setting."

With the loss, the overall NA record fell to 9-1.  The Lady Tigers will host Hampton on Tuesday night as section play resumes.  Match time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
GREENSBURG SALEM - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2

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LADY TIGERS STOP STUBBORN NORTH HILLS, 3-0

To listen to a replay of the match, click here!

The Lady Tigers defeated North Hills, 3-0, at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night behind the strong hitting of senior OH Michele Osterrieder.  NA won the first game, 25-12, came back to take game two, 25-23, and finished off the Indians, 25-16, in game three. 

The Lady Tigers took control of game one early as built an 8-2 lead.  A kill by senior OH Sydney Schwab, another by junior MH Maria Nolan, along with two service aces by junior Caitlin Decker, sparked the early rally.  After NH cut the lead to 9-4 on a kill down the middle by Christina Loritz, senior setter Allyson Hodnik scored on a block and a left-handed dump and senior MB Christy Parks added a kill  to push the margin to 12-4.  The Lady Tigers continued to control the net with Parks scoring on a hit down the middle and putting back a NH overpass.  It was Parks again on a quick set from Hodnik and Schwab with a dink as the lead went to 16-6.  The Tigers made NH pay as both Schwab and Decker scored on Indian overpasses to push the margin to 20-7.  After a service ace by NH Nicole McKay cut the lead to 22-10, Decker and  Nolan both had kills to make it 24-11.  A block by Parks ended game one with NA winning by a 25-12 margin.

North Hills came back strong in game two to lead for most of the contest.  The Indians jumped off to a 3-0 lead until junior MB Laura Sudo posted a kill to get NA on the board.  An ace by Hodnik, a NH hitting error, a blast by Nolan down the middle, and another ace by Hodnik put NA back ahead, 5-3.  North Hills scored three straight on NA errors to regain the lead before Sudo sent one down the line to cut the margin to 9-6.  Decker scored on a kill and an ace to make it 10-9, before Rachel Burnett's kill pushed it to 11-9.  NA stayed close but each time the Lady Tigers cut the lead, the Indians responded.  A kill by McKay, a block by Rachel Burnett, a block by Alyssa Osman, and a kill by Dee Burnett of the NA blockers kept NH ahead as they pushed the lead to 18-15.  At this point, Osterrieder returned to the NA lineup and took charge.  Two kills by Osterrieder and two aces by senior DS Marissa Posteraro put the Lady Tigers back ahead, 20-18.  North Hills came back, however, to score the next three points on a kill by McKay, an ace by Dee Burnett and a put back of an overpass by Loritz as the Indians went back on top, 21-20.  After a time out called by NA Coach Dan Schall, Osterrieder scored on two straight kills and junior DS Liz Hoffman served an ace to make it a 23-21 NA lead.  Another Osterrieder kill made it 24-22.  After NH cut it to one, Hodnik ended the game with another left-handed dump as the Tigers rallied to take game two, 25-23.

In game three, it was all NA.  After North Hills tied the game at 3-3 on Osman's kill, the Lady Tigers went on a 13-1 run to take control of the contest.  After Osterrieder posted two kills to make it 6-4, Hodnik served ten straight points to push the margin to 16-4.  During the run, a block by Parks, two kills by Schwab, two kills by Parks, and two aces by Hodnik were key.  After the Lady Tigers increased the lead to 19-6, North Hills rallied behind McKay to cut the margin to 20-13.  A kill by Sudo offset two by Osman as the Indians got within six at 22-16.  A block by Hodnik and two kills by Osterrieder finished game three with NA winning the game, 25-16, and the match three games to one.

It was a good performance by a number of NA players who were playing without sophomore OH Jackie Lang.  For her clutch performances at the end of games two and three, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Michele Osterrieder as the Player of the Match.

With the win, the Lady Tigers finished the first half of section play with a record of 6-0.  The overall mark on the season improved to 9-0.  NA will travel to Greensburg Salem tonight for a non-section match with the starting time set for 7:00 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  NORTH HILLS - 0

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LADY TIGERS EDGE PINE-RICHLAND, 3-2

The Lady Tigers took a 3-2 decision at Pine-Richland on Wednesday night to remain unbeaten.  NA won the first two games, 25-22 and 25-15, but the Rams rallied to win the next two, 25-23 and 25-21.  In the fifth and final game, NA built leads of 5-1 and 10-6 only to see Pine-Richland rally.  Sophomore Jackie Lang's tip finally ended the game and the match with the final score, 15-13.

According to Coach Dan Schall, "It was an emotional match between two very evenly matched teams.  The fifth game in particular served as a microcosm for the entire match."  Junior MH Maria Nolan led NA with a career high 14 kills with Lang adding 12 and senior OH Michele Osterrieder also recording 12.  Once again, senior setter Allyson Hodnik set well posting 52 assists for the match.  Junior Alyssa Vukson had a career high 12 digs while seniors Marissa Posteraro and Sydney Schwab served three aces each.  Sophomore Gretta Freyermuth finished with five kills but, according to Coach Schall, "Each was a timely kill including one in the fifth game that was followed by a solo block."

The win improved the NA section record to 5-0, the overall mark to 8-0 on the season.The Lady Tigers will be in action tomorrow night when they host rival North Hills in a section match.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 pm.  Match time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  PINE-RICHLAND - 2

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LADY TIGERS RALLY TO BEAT SENECA VALLEY, 3-1

The Lady Tigers won their fourth section match without a loss as they defeated Seneca Valley, 3-1, at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night.  NA had to fight back throughout the match to gain the victory.  In game one, the Lady Tigers prevailed, 25-19, and in game two, 25-20.  Seneca Valley rallied to edge NA, 25-23, in game three before the Lady Tigers won the fourth and final contest, 25-16. 

Seneca Valley used their height advantage forcing the Lady Tigers middle hitters and blockers to step up.  Coach Dan Schall said, "I think all four played great:  Maria Nolan, Christy Parks, Laura Sudo and Gretta Freyermuth."

The victory improved the overall NA record to 7-0 on the season.NA will travel to Pine-Richland tonight to meet the Rams in an important section match.  The scheduled starting time is set for 7:00 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  SENECA VALLEY - 1

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LADY TIGERS TOP PENN-TRAFFORD, 3-0, FOR
SIXTH STRAIGHT

The Lady Tigers extended their unbeaten streak to six with a 3-0 non-section win at Penn-Trafford on Monday night.  NA won game one 25-17, took the second game, 25-19, and completed the sweep with a 25-21 victory in the third.  Coach Dan Schall said, "This was a good win against a very solid opponent.  PT plays great defense, making us work hard for a lot of points".

Sophomore Jackie Lang recorded 19 kills and senior Michele Osterrieder added nine to pace NA at the net.  Junior Alyssa Vukson served five aces with Osterrieder posting four.  Junior Caitlin Decker subbed for senior setter Ally Hodnik who was out at the beginning of the third game with an injury.  Coach Schall added, "Caitlin did a great job of running the offense; her performance under pressure was critical."  Hodnik returned to the court later in the game.

With the win, NA improved their overall record to 6-0.  The Lady Tigers, 3-0 in section, will meet the Seneca Valley Raiders tonight at the Senior High gym in a section match.  The starting time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  PENN-TRAFFORD

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LADY TIGERS FALL IN FINAL OF
 NA INVITATIONAL

The Lady Tigers had a good day on Saturday at the NA Invitational before falling to Fox Chapel, 25-19, in the championship match.  In pool play, the Lady Tigers beat Fox Chapel three straight, followed a sweep of Richland in three games, and downed Mt. Lebanon in the first two games before losing the third.  NA finished first with an 8-1 record.

In the playoffs, the Lady Tigers easily defeated Richland, 25-11, while Fox Chapel came back from a 23-19 deficit to beat Lebo, 25-23.  In the final, the Lady Tigers fell behind, 7-2, and could not catch the Foxes.

NA INVITATIONAL
Saturday, September 16

TOURNAMENT TEAMS:  MT. LEBANON, FOX CHAPEL, RICHLAND (JOHNSTOWN)
AND NORTH ALLEGHENY

POOL STANDINGS

PLAYOFFS

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WPIAL GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL 2006

The Lady Tigers will compete again in Class AAA along with 32 other teams.  Three teams from each section will qualify for participation in WPIAL championship play at the completion of the regular season.  Ties in section records for first place will not be broken.  Both teams will enter the tournament and be declared section winners.  Ties for second and third place will be broken by head-to-head competition.  If a tie persists after the head-to-head competition format is applied, both teams will enter the playoff round.  Three way ties will be broken in the following manner:

1.  Section records of the tied teams will be compiled.
2.  The team that has the best numerical record among the tied teams will be the qualifier.
3.  If the tie cannot clearly be broken, all tied teams will enter the tournament.

All matches will be played with the best of five game format.

Three WPIAL Class AAA teams will qualify for the state championships to be held on November 10-11, 2006.

CLASS AAA - 33 TEAMS

Any questions or comments should be directed to Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto at:  bbozzuto@northallegheny.org