Welcome to the
NORTH ALLEGHENY SPORTS NETWORK

The Official Source of North Allegheny Sports

Photo Courtesy of Jeff Gleason

TIGERS FALL TO HEMPFIELD IN FIVE GAMES

The three-time defending WPIAL champion Tigers were eliminated from the 2006 tournament by Hempfield on Monday night at Penn Hills.  After falling behind, two games to one, the Tigers battled back to defeat the Spartans in game four.  In the fifth and deciding contest, Hempfield was able to hold off NA, 15-11, to win the match, three games to two.

In the first game, the Tigers defeated the Spartans, 25-17, to take a 1-0 lead in the match.  In game two, Hempfield came back to tie the match with a 25-18 victory.  In a close match, the Spartans edged NA, 26-24, in game three before the Tigers returned the favor, 25-23, in the fourth game.  The fifth and final game belonged to the Spartans who advance to the semifinals with the victory.

The loss gave the Tigers a final season record of 13-4.  NA won the section title with a 9-1 mark.

MATCH SUMMARY
HEMPFIELD - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2

WPIAL BOYS' VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS HOLD ON TO DEFEAT CENTRAL CATHOLIC, 3-2, IN FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF ACTION

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

The Tigers held off a tenacious Central Catholic team for a 3-2 victory in the first round of the WPIAL Playoffs at the Senior High gym on Thursday night.  NA won the first game, Central the second, NA the third, Central the fourth, until the Tigers put away the Vikings for good with a 15-9 victory in the fifth and decisive contest.

The Tigers controlled the first game, taking an early lead and never looking back.  Strong hits by senior OH Brian Block and senior MB Kevin Vater gave NA a 4-1 lead at the outset.  After two kills by Central senior Ryan Gebler, seniors OH Russ Hoburg and Brett Alexander led a 9-1 Tiger run to increase the margin to 14-4.  Alexander and Block added two more kills to counter Viking OH Dan Gloekler and MH Ben Cratsley to keep the Tigers on top, 18-9.  Down the stretch, NA used a 6-1 run to close out the game with Alexander finishing with a final kill to give the Tigers a 25-13 victory in game one.

In game two, Central jumped off to a 5-3 lead before a dink by sophomore OH J.J. Leroux and a Viking hitting error tied the score at 5-5.  Cratsley and Gloekler put Central ahead until Alexander recorded a pair of kills to tie the game at 10-10.  Once again, the Vikings took a narrow lead with Gloekler and senior setter Chad Restori doing most of the damage until NA came back to take a 17-16 lead behind Alexander's blast down the middle.  The game was tied at 17, 18, and 19 before the Vikings put together a 6-3 run to close out game two.  Hits by Cratsley and a final kill off the NA blockers by Charles Duggan gave Central a 25-22 victory to tie the match at one game each.

Game three was close throughout the contest.  Central took an early 5-2 lead, but a block by Block, a Viking hitting error, and a kill by Hoburg knotted the score at 7-7.  With senior OH Naveed Bozorg serving, Central committed two hitting errors to put NA ahead before senior OH Bradley Cameron scored off the NA blockers to tie the game at 10-10.  The Tigers then went on a 5-0 run behind a block by Block, a kill by Vater, two hitting errors, and a service ace by junior setter Matt Snyder.  NA increased the margin to 18-12 with the Vikings committing more hitting errors.  Gloekler and Cratsley brought the Vikings back to within three at 20-17, but Hoburg scored off the Central blockers and another hitting error pushed the margin back to five at 22-17.  After Alexander hammered a kill down the middle, Central rallied to cut the NA lead to 23-20.  Alexander's cross-court kill made it 24-20, but a service error and a Gloekler kill cut the lead to 24-22.  Leroux gave NA a 25-22 victory in game three with a kill off the Central blockers as the Tigers took a two games to one lead in the match.

Central fought back in game four to tie the match.  After the Vikings took an early 2-1 lead, NA rallied behind a Hoburg kill, a left handed tip by senior setter Nate Zunic, and another kill by Hoburg to move in front, 6-3.  After Zunic set Vater for a kill to put NA ahead, 10-8, the Tigers put together a 4-2 run to increase the margin to 14-10.  Two kills by Block, an ace by Alexander, and a service error by Central were key for the Tigers.  Gloekler then led Central back as they rallied to take a 17-16 lead.  After Alexander tied the game with yet another kill, Gloekler answered and a hitting error by the Tigers made it a 19-17 Viking lead.  Central closed out the contest with a 6-3 run down the stretch with Gloekler's ace ending game four with Central pullling out a 25-20 victory.

In the fifth and final game, the Tigers took control early and held off Central to win the match.  Two kills by Block put NA on top, 2-1, before senior DS Derek Brady served three straight points, helped out by Central hitting errors. Glockler came back with two straight kills, but Hoburg  answered with a kill off the Viking blockers to make it a 6-3 NA lead.  After a lift called on Central, Gloekler kept the Vikings in the game with another kill to cut the lead to 7-4.  The Tigers would not be denied, however, as they scored three straight points on blocks by Hoburg and Zunic, along with a net violation by Central, to make the score 10-4.  Restori scored two straight, on a tip and a block, to cut the margin before a hitting error by Central made it a 11-6 NA advantage.  Alexander blocked two consecutive Viking attempts to increase the lead to 13-6.  With the Tigers up, 14-9, Vater ended the game and the match as his kill gave the Tigers a 15-9 victory.  NA won the match, three games to two, to eliminate the Vikings.

It was a great team effort by the Tigers will good play at the net by a number of NA players.  Consistent setting by both Tiger setters resulted in a number of successful hits for the NA front line.  For his efforts that resulted in ten kills and three blocks, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Brian Block as the Player of the Match. 

With the win, the Tigers advance to the quarterfinals against Hempfield.  The match will be played on Monday night at Penn Hills High School.  The starting time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  CENTRAL CATHOLIC - 2

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS WIN MT. LEBANON INVITATIONAL!

In the last competition before the WPIAL Playoffs, the Tigers stepped up and won the Mt. Lebanon Invitational on Saturday.  NA knocked off Norwin, 25-22, in the semifinals and Montour, 25-22, in the championship game to take the title.

In pool play, the Tigers finished first in Pool A with a 9-1 record.  The Tigers defeated Mt. Lebanon, Plum, Meadville, and Cochranton twice while splitting a pair of games with Montour.

NA will host Central Catholic in the first round of the WPIAL Playoffs on Thursday night at the Senior High gym.  Match time is set for 7:00 pm.

MT. LEBANON INVITATIONAL

PLAYOFFS

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NORWIN RALLY TOPS TIGERS,
3-2, ON SENIOR NIGHT

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

The Tigers won two of the first three games against Norwin at the Senior High gym on Thursday night, but the Knights rallied to capture the final two to win the match, three games to two.  It was Senior Night as the eight NA seniors and their parents were honored in a pre-match ceremony.

In game one, the Tigers came out strong and took control from the outset.  Sophomore OH J.J. Leroux led the early surge with two kills and a block with senior opposite Tony Cerilli adding a kill as NA raced off to a 7-3 lead.  A kill by senior MB Kevin Vater and a service ace by senior OH Brett Alexander helped the Tigers push the margin to 12-7.  Norwin rallied behind the hitting of seniors Brad Bouldin and Mike Ferragonio to cut the margin to 14-12 before the Tigers regrouped.  Two kills and a block by Vater pushed the lead back to five at 20-15.  Leroux added a pair of kills and Vater scored on a dink before senior OH Russ Hoburg put the game away with a strong hit as the Tigers won game one, 25-19.

In game two, it was Norwin that took control early, building a 4-2 lead behind the hitting of Bouldin and senior OH Jesse Josephic.  The Tigers tied the score at 5-5 with Leroux scoring off the blockers and the Knights committing a pair of hitting errors.  A Ferragonio kill off the NA blockers put the Knights ahead, 6-5, and the Tigers could not reclaim the lead.  Strong hitting by senior OH Brian Block, Leroux, and senior setter Nate Zunic kept NA in the game as they finally fought back to tie the game at 12-12.  Once again, Ferragonio reclaimed the advantage for the Knights.  A block by Block and a dink by Hoburg tied the game again at 15-15.  Hoburg scored on a slide to again tie the game at 16.  After kills by Josephic and Bouldin pushed the margin to 20-18. the Tigers again came back to tie the game at 20 on Block's kill.  Norwin was able to outscore NA, 5-2, down the stretch with an NA hitting error providing the final point in a 25-22 victory.  The match was tied at 1-1.

In the critical game three, Norwin took a 4-0 lead before the Tigers came back to tie the game at 5-5.  A dink by Bouldin and a blast by Ferragonio put Norwin up two at 7-5 before NA rallied.  A cross-court point by Block, a block by Hoburg, a point off the blockers by Leroux, and two Norwin hitting errors gave the Tigers a 9-8 lead.  NA would not trail again.  A Vater block, a cross court hit by Alexander and hitting errors by the Knights put the Tigers ahead, 15-10.  Kills by Hoburg and Vater pushed the margin to 17-11.  The Knights came back to cut the lead to 20-16, but game three belonged to the Tigers.  Down the stretch, Alexander scored off the Norwin blockers and blocked for a point, as Vater put the game away with a big hit as the Tigers won game three, 25-19.  NA held a two games to one lead in the match.

In game four, Norwin used kills by Josephic, Bouldin and Ferragonio to build an early 5-2 advantage.  Hoburg, Alexander and Vater led an NA rally to bring the Tigers back to within two at 10-8 before the Knights went on another run.  With Norwin ahead, 16-11, Hoburg scored a pair of points on a kill and a block to cut the lead to 16-13.  Kills by Ferragonio and junior MH Garret McNamara extended the margin to 20-14 before Zunic and Block were able to score.  A net violation and hitting error brought the Tigers to within two at 20-18, but the Knights put together a 5-1 run to win game four, 25-19.  The match was tied at two games each as the teams went into the 15-point final game.

The teams traded points in the early going with Alexander, Block, and Leroux scoring on kills to keep the game tied at 4-4.  Ferragonio, McNamara and Josephic put the Knights ahead by four before Vater was able to go off the Knight blockers to cut the margin to 9-6.  After Josephic scored, Block countered to keep the margin at three.  A service error and another kill by Block brought the Tigers to within two at 11-9.  Bouldin then took over with two powerful kills to push the margin to 13-9.  Hoburg scored twice to keep the Tigers close, but Ferragonio's strong hit down the middle ended the evening for the Tigers as Norwin went on to a 15-11 win in game five. 

It was an outstanding night of volleyball with two of the top teams in the WPIAL going at each other.  In the end, the combination of Bouldin and Ferragonio proved to be the difference as the Knights took a 3-2 victory.  On Senior Night, the Tigers got good performances from all eight NA seniors.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named senior Kevin Vater as the Player of the Match.

The loss dropped the final NA record to 12-3 on the season.  The Tigers will travel to Mt. Lebanon tomorrow for the Mt. Lebanon Invitational.   Most of the top WPIAL teams will be there in what is usually a preview of the upcoming tournament. 

MATCH SUMMARY
NORWIN - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS SHUT OUT NORTH HILLS, 3-0, TO CLINCH SECTION TITLE

The Tigers traveled to North Hills on Tuesday night and defeated the Indians, 3-0, to finish in first place in Section 2.  NA won the first game, 25-12, took the second, 25-17, and edged NH, 26-24, in the third and final game.  Butler knocked Seneca Valley out of a first place tie with a 3-2 victory last night.

The win gave the Tigers a final section record of 9-1 and an overall mark of 11-2.  NA will host Norwin tomorrow night in a final tuneup for the playoffs.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-match show at 6:50 pm.  Match time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  NORTH HILLS - 0

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS BEAT BUTLER, 3-1

After dropping the second game, 27-25, the Tigers came back to defeat the Tornado in the next two games to win the match, three games to win.  NA won the first game, 25-19, before dropping the close second contest.  In game three, the Tigers downed Butler, 25-18, before closing out the Tornado, 25-20.

The win improved the NA section record to 8-1 and kept them in a first place tie with Seneca Valley.  The overall Tiger record improved to 10-2 on the season.  The Tigers will complete the section schedule with a visit to North Hills on Tuesday night for a 7:00 pm match.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  BUTLER - 1

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SENECA VALLEY TOPS TIGERS, 3-1, TO
TIE FOR FIRST PLACE

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

The Seneca Valley Raiders won the last two games to break a 1-1 tie and defeat the Tigers, three games to one, at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night.  The Raiders won the first game, 26-24, but NA came back to win game two by the same score.  In the crucial game three, Seneca rallied to win, 25-22, before controlling the fourth and final game, 25-16.

After an early 5-5 tie, the Tigers put together a 7-2 run to take a 12-7 lead.  A kill by senior OH Russ Hoburg off a set by senior setter Nate Zunic started the run.  Another Hoburg blast and three straight points by senior OH Brett Alexander and a block by senior MB Kevin Vater increased the lead to 10-6 .  The Raiders rallied behind three NA hitting errors to cut the lead to 12-10.  A kill by Alexander was answered by junior OH Dan Follett of the Raiders before the Tigers were able to go on another run.  Kills by sophomore OH J.J. Leroux and Zunic pushed the lead to 17-13.  Junior OH Mike Emling brought the Raiders back to within one at 17-16, but a kill by Alexander and a left handed dump by Zunic gave the Tigers a 20-17 advantage.  At this point, Seneca regrouped to to take a 22-21 lead.  Alexander scored down the middle, but Follett hit off the NA blockers to make it 23-22.  A dink by Vater and a violation by Seneca tied the score at 24-24.  A kill by junior Jon Lutz put Seneca at game point, and a block by junior Adam Beebe and senior Brad Wahal won the first game for the Raiders, 26-24.

Game two was almost a repeat of the first contest but with the Tigers rallying for the win.  After NA took a 2-1 lead on a Raider hitting error, kills by Alexander, Leroux, and Hoburg kept NA ahead. 8-6.  After Adam Beebe cut the lead to one with a kill, Vater answered to make it a 10-8 NA lead.  Seneca tied the game at 10-10 when junior Justin Hoffman put back an NA overpass.  After senior OH Brian Block gave the Tigers an 11-10 lead with a hit off the SV blockers, the Raiders scored three straight points to take a 13-11 lead.  Kills by Vater, Hobrug and Leroux lifted NA into a 14-14 tie.  Junior setter Dan Beebe scored on a left hand dump and Emling served an ace with a Hoburg kill in between as the score went to 17-15 with Seneca ahead.  The Raiders increased the margin to 22-18 before a Tiger rally tied the game.  Two big hits and an ace by Alexander brought the Tigers even as Seneca coach Jeff Beavers took a time out.  Alexander then scored on another ace before an NA hitting error allowed the Raiders to tie the game at 23-23.  Leroux gave the Tigers a 24-23 lead before SV again tied the score.  The Tigers put the second game in the win column as Hoburg's two kills gave NA a 26-24 victory in game two and tied the match at 1-1.

In game three, Seneca took an early 6-4 lead behind kills from Emling and Follett.  A kill by Hoburg, a putback of an overpass by Leroux and a block by Zunic lifted the Tigers into an 8-6 advantage.  After an Emling kill tied the score, Alexander and a pair of SV hitting errors put NA on top, 12-9.  A block by Vater, a kill by Alexander and more Raider errors increased the lead to 16-11 as the Tigers looked like they were in control.  Kills by Leroux and Alexander down the middle kept the Tigers ahead, 18-14, before Adam Beebe and an NA mistake cut the lead to 18-16.  Leroux scored off a slide, and SV again committed a hitting error as NA took a 20-16 lead.  The Raiders regrouped, however, to put together a 9-2 run to win the crucial third game.  Follett led the way for the Raiders and his kill gave Seneca Valley a 25-22 victory in game three and a two games to one lead in the match.

The fourth and final game belonged to Seneca Valley.  After the Raiders took a 4-1 lead, two kills by Block brough the Tigers back to within one at 4-3.  After a Hoffman kill, Hoburg scored on a quick set by junior setter Matt Snyder to again make it a one-point game at 6-5.  The Raiders then went on a 13-3 run to put the game away.  Strong hitting by Adam Beebe, Emling, Follett and Wahal accounted for most of the damage as the Tigers had no answer as the Raiders went out to a 19-8 advantage.  Leroux, Block, and Hoburg led a brief NA rally as they cut the lead to 20-11.  With Seneca leading, 23-15, setter Dan Beebe injured his ankle and had to leave the game.  Follett finished things off for the Raiders with a big hit to give SV a 25-16 victory in game four and a three games to one win in the match.

It was a tough night for the Tigers after game two.  NA seemed out of sync at times throughout the match, and the Raiders took advantage of a number of Tiger misplays.  At times, the Tigers were strong at the net with good play by Hoburg, Leroux and Alexander keeping NA in contention.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named sophomore J.J. Leroux as the Player of the Match.

The loss dropped the NA section record to 7-1 with Seneca Valley improving to 7-1 and moving into a first place tie.  The Tigers will host Butler tomorrow night at the Senior High gym with match time scheduled for 7:00 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
SENECA VALLEY - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

ALEXANDER LEADS TIGERS TO 3-0 VICTORY
OVER PINE-RICHLAND

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

Senior OH Brett Alexander recorded 16 kills and six service aces to pace the Tigers to a 3-0 victory over the Pine-Richland Rams at the Senior High gym on Thursday night.  NA won the first two games by identical scores of 25-15 before putting the Rams away in game three, 25-18.

The Rams kept it close early in game one behind the hitting of 6-5 junior RS Jake Barone and sophomore Andrew Pohlod.  With Pine-Richland leading, 6-5, the Tigers rallied to take the lead for good.  A dink by sophomore OH J.J. Leroux tied the game at 6-6.  Junior John Friel came off the bench to serve three straight points with a block by senior OH Brian Block and hitting errors by the Rams key in putting NA on top 9-6.  After senior Jeff Thompson dinked for a point, Leroux had another kill and senior MB Kevin Vater and senior setter Nate Zunic combined on a block to push the lead to 12-8.  The Tigers continued to increase the margin as senior OH Naveed Bozorg served an ace, Vater scored off the Ram blockers, and the Rams committed several hitting errors as the Tigers took a 17-12 advantage.  Alexander then took over with his powerful jump serve to pick up three straight points, including a pair of aces, to make it 20-12.  Barone came back with two kills, but Leroux and Vater answered to push the lead to 23-15.  After a Ram hitting error, a block by Zunic ended the first game with the Tigers winning, 25-15.

In game two, the Tigers jumped off to a quick lead and dominated play.  With the score tied at 3-3, Block put away a P-R overpass and the Tigers never trailed.  Alexander again used the jump serve to pick up another pair of points, including an ace, to push the lead to 6-3.  A Leroux kill and a block by Vater increased the margin to 8-4.  After the Rams cut the lead to 11-8, junior MB Trevor King scored on a dink and Alexander blasted a kill cross court to push the lead to 13-8.  After Alexander scored off the Ram blockers, the Tiger senior again used the jump serve for points.  Three aces and a block by Block pushed the margin to 19-10.  Barone picked up a pair of kills down the stretch, but the Tigers were able to win game two, 25-15, with the final point coming on a Pine-Richland hitting error.  NA took a two games to none lead in the match.

The Rams took a 2-0 lead in game three, but the Tigers answered with a 7-1 run to take control.  Again it was Alexander with three kills, along with sophomore John Skarupa off the NA bench, that led the charge.  Vater served four of the points, including a service ace.  Thompson led a Ram comeback that cut the margin to 10-8 before the Tigers answered again.  Skarupa went off the Ram blockers, Bozorg recorded a kill, and Block scored on a dink to push the NA lead to 13-9.  With NA ahead 14-10, Bozorg served four straight points, including an ace, to push the lead to 18-10.  After Alexander drove a hard swing down the line, the Rams came back to cut the lead to 22-18.  A kill by Block and a hitting error by the Rams put the Tigers at game and match point.  Vater finished things off with a block to give the Tigers a 25-18 win in game three and a three games to none win in the match.

It was a good performance by the Tigers who were missing one of their top players as senior Russ Hoburg was out with illness and did not play.  The Tiger defense was strong again and serving was outstanding.  Zunic was the setter for most of the match and was on target for his big hitters.  For his efforts at the net, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Brett Alexander as the Player of the Match.

With the win, the Tigers remained in first place in section play with a record of 7-0.  Their overall record improved to 9-1 on the season.  NA will host second-place Seneca Valley in a battle for the section title on Tuesday night.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-match show at 6:50 pm.  Match time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  PINE-RICHLAND - 0

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SHALER FALLS TO TIGERS, 3-0

The Tigers put three strong games together on Tuesday night at the Senior High gym to defeat Shaler, 3-0, in a section contest.  NA won the first game, 25-18, game two, 25-22, and the third and final game, 25-20.  The win improved the NA section record to 6-0, the overall mark to 8-1.

NA will host Pine-Richland tomorrow night at the Senior High gym.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-match show at 6:50 pm.  Match time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  SHALER - 0

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS LOSE TO AMBRIDGE IN QUARTERFINALS OF PLUM TOURNAMENT

The Tigers were defeated by eventual tournament champion Ambridge, 25-20, in the quarterfinals of the Plum Invitational on Saturday.  Ambridge downed Hempfield, 25-17, in the final.

The Tigers will host Shaler tonight at the Senior High gym in a section contest.  Match time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

PLUM INVITATIONAL
Saturday, April 22, 2006

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WPIAL BOYS' VOLLEYBALL - 2006

The Tigers will compete for the WPIAL Championship along with 38 other teams in 2006.  The top three teams and ties for third place will enter the team championships set to begin on May 18, 2006.  Ties for first place will not be broken.  Teams tied for first place will be declared section co-champions.  Both will receive a plaque and both will enter the tournament.  The third playoff entry will be the runner up to the co-champions.  If two teams tie for the third playoff entry, but one of the teams has lost both head to head section contests, that team will not enter the tournament round.  If multiple teams tie for the third playoff entry, that tie will be broken in the following manner:

a.  Section won-lost records of all the tied teams will be compiled.
b.  The team with the best numerical record among the tied teams will enter post-season play.
c.  If the tie cannot clearly be broken, all will enter post-season play.

All matches will be played with the best of five game format.  The top three teams will represent the WPIAL at the PIAA Championships.  The PIAA Championships will be held on June 2 and 3, 2006.

WPIAL SECTION ALIGNMENT

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