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Welcome to the 2008 Spring Sports Season!!!
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JV Photo Gallery
Standings and Rankings
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Junior High Rosters (Girls)


NORTH ALLEGHENY VARSITY
BOYS' VOLLEYBALL
* PIAA - 3rd PLACE *
* WPIAL CHAMPIONS *
* SECTION CHAMPIONS *

TIGER ALL-STARS!

 Photos Courtesy of Jeff Gleason

TIGERS GRAB POST-SEASON HONORS

The WPIAL Champion Tigers were recognized with four members selected to the first team of both the PVCA Class AAA team and the WPIAL Class AAA All-Stars.  Senior MB John Skarupa was named co-MVP in the WPIAL along with a position on the first team all-stars.  Senior OH J.J. Leroux, senior setter/opposite Steve Semler and senior libero John Wappler were also chosen for the first team.

Earning honorable mention in the WPIAL were junior MB Matt Miller and sophomore setter Michael Krepp.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TIGER VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS!!!

PVCA ALL-STATE TEAM
CLASS AAA
(Selected by coaches)

NAME TEAM CLASS HGT. POS.
J.J. LEROUX NORTH ALLEGHENY SR. 6-3 OH
STEVE SEMLER NORTH ALLEGHENY SR. 6-3 S
JOHN SKARUPA NORTH ALLEGHENY SR. 6-8 MB
JOHN WAPPLER NORTH ALLEGHENY SR. 5-9 L
Manny Acosta Kensington Sr. 5-8 OH
Kyle Adams Carlisle Sr. 6-7 MH
John Almquist Central York Sr. 6-2 S
Steve Ankney Schenley Sr. 6-2 MH
Alex Bahn Dallastown Sr. 5-9 S/RH
Justin Beachy Carlisle Jr. 5-9 L
Ryan Bigos Pennsbury Sr. 6-4 RH
Austin Clemens Central York Sr. 6-4 MH
Tor Covello Pennsbury Sr. 6-3 S
Mike Curl Cumberland Valley Sr. 5-8 L
Andrew Dentier Cumberland VAlley Sr. 6-4 OH
Matt Ferragonio Norwin Sr. 6-2 OH
Jared Gittleman Haverford Sr. 6-3 MH
Joseph Irwin Bethel Park Sr. 6-2 S
Drew Kaibach Cumberland Valley Sr. 6-2 S
Levi Kauffman Red Lion Sr. 5-10 S
Piotr Kuczaj Parkland Jr. 6-6 MH
Micah Larson Penn Hills Jr. 5-11 OH
Nate Leister Dallastown Sr. 5-10 OH
Nate Michaluk State College Sr. 6-5 OH/MH
Grant Mitchell Fox Chapel Sr. 5-11 L
Matt Morabito Council Rock North Sr. 6-3 RH
Justin Mueller Pennsubry Jr. 5-11 L
Ricky Pfister Cumberland Valley Jr. 5-11 L
Matt Rae Dallastown Sr. 6-5 MH
Sean Reese Bethlehem Freedom Jr. 6-3 OH
Shawn Sangrey Landisville Hempfield Sr. 6-5 RH
Jese Seil Emmaus Sr. 6-1 MH
Matt Shannon Bethel Park Sr. 6-3 MB
Nick Sheleman Central Dauphin Sr. 6-2 OH
Rob Strauss Penn Hills Jr. 6-2 S
Ryan Sweeney Haverford Sr. 6-3 OH/RH
Nick Turko Red Land Jr. 6-5 MH
David Ulmer Souderton Sr. 6-0 OH
Tim Washman William Tennent Sr. 6-1 OH
Ryan Wolf Central :York Sr. 6-3 OH

WPIAL CLASS AAA ALL-STARS
FIRST TEAM

PLAYER TEAM POSITION
JOHN SKARUPA* NORTH ALLEGHENY MB
J.J. LEROUX NORTH ALLEGHENY OH
STEVE SEMLER NORTH ALLEGHENY S/OPP
JOHN WAPPLER NORTH ALLEGHENY LIBERO
Joseph Irwin* Bethel Park Setter
Mike O'Brien Bethel Park OH
Matt Ferragonio Norwin OH
Micah Larson Penn Hills OH

* - Co MVP's

SECOND TEAM

PLAYER TEAM POSITION
Mike Cratsley Central Catholic MB
Mike Cuccaro Plum MB
Matt Shannon Bethel Park MB
Kevin Sparks Penn Hills MB
Juan Manfredi Fox Chapel OH
Bryan Guzewicz Norwin S
Rob Strauss Penn Hills S
Grant Mitchell Fox Chapel Libero

HONORABLE MENTION

PLAYER TEAM POSITION
MATT MILLER NORTH ALLEGHENY MB
MICHAEL KREPP NORTH ALLEGHENY S
Matt Kapusta Bethel Park OH
Jordan Schmitt Plum OH
Mike DeLyser Baldwin MB
Paul Kurlak Seneca Valley MB
Brad Yagla Penn-Trafford MB
Mike Schmitt Norwin Libero

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

TIGERS FALL IN PIAA SEMIFINALS

Photo Gallery

The Tigers gave a valiant effort but fell just short in the PIAA Class AAA semifinals at the Multisport Indoor Facility at Penn State on Saturday as eventual champion Cumberland Valley edged NA, 3-2.  After losing the first two games, the Tigers came back to win games three and four before the Eagles pulled out a 15-13 win to clinch the victory in the fifth and final game.

Senior MB John Skarupa led NA will 18 kills with senior OH J.J. Leroux close behind with 17.  Senior OH Kevin Dyer added 11 kills, senior OH/S Steve Semler seven, and junior MB Matt Miller five.  Skarupa posted seven blocks, Semler six, and Miller five.  Leroux recorded 22 perfect passes and senior libero John Wappler added fifteen.  The NA passing attack was led by sophomore setter Michael Krepp with 30 assists while Semler posted 27.  Defensively, Wappler led with 18 digs, Leroux added 12, and Dyer eleven.  Leroux also served a pair of aces.

The Tigers finished an outstanding season with a final dual match record of 20-2.  NA was the WPIAL and section champion and finished in third place in the PIAA tournament.

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH SCHALL AND THE TIGERS
FOR A GREAT SEASON!!!!!

MATCH SUMMARY
CUMBERLAND VALLEY - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 4 5 FINAL
NORTH ALLEGHENY 21 25 25 25 13 2
Cumberland Valley 25 27 17 22 15 3

PIAA CLASS AAA PLAYOFFS

FIRST ROUND
Cumberland Valley - 3 Willilam Tennent - 0 (25-10, 33-31, 25-13)
Emmaus - 3  Haverford - 0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-22)
Central York - 3  Bethel Park - 2 (17-25, 25-20, 18-25, 25-18, 19-17
Penn Hills - 3  McDowell - 1 (25-19, 25-18, 23-25, 25-13)
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  Schenley - 0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-18)
Hempfield - 3 Kensington - 0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-18)
Souderton - 3 Parkland - 1 (25-22, 9-25, 25-22, 25-23)
Pennsbury - 3  Central - 0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-20)
QUARTERFINALS - Pool play, Friday, May 30 at Penn State
POOL A
Cumberland Valley - 3 Penn Hills - 0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-15)
Penn Hills - 2 Emmaus - 1 (17-25, 25-23, 25-20)
Penn Hills - 2 Central York - 1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-23)
Cumberland Valley - 3 Emmaus - 0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-15)
Central York - 2 Cumberland Valley - 1 (28-26, 25-17, 17-25)
Central York - 2 Emmaus - 1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-17)
Tiebreakers: Central York - 25  Penn Hills - 21
POOL B
Hempfield - 2 NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1 (25-22,  23-25, 26-24)
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  Souderton - 0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-18)
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2 Pennsbury - 1 (25-20, 21-25, 27-25)
Souderton - 3 Hempfield - 0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-19)
Hempfield - 2 Pennsbury - 1 (25-23, 25-23, 15-25)
Pennsbury - 3 Souderton - 0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-22)
SEMIFINALS - Saturday, May 30 at Penn State at 11:00 am
Cumberland Valley - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2 (25-21, 27-25, 17-25, 22-25,
15-13)
Central York - 3 Hempfield - 1 (25-21, 25-17, 25-27, 25-16)
FINAL - Saturday, May 30 at Penn State at 3:00 pm
Cumberland Valley - 3 Central York - 2 (17-25, 25-20, 25-27, 25-21, 15-9)

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

TIGERS ADVANCE TO PIAA SEMIFINALS

The Tigers needed a great effort in game three against Pennsbury on Friday at Penn State and they got it with a 27-25 victory that sent them to the PIAA Class AAA semifinals.  NA lost to Hempfield, 2-1, in the first match of the quarterfinal pool play but rallied to beat Souderton, 3-0.  In the third match with the winner going to the semis and the loser going home, the Tigers won game one, 25-20, before losing game two, 25-21.  In the crucial third game, senior OH Derek Zweig finished the Falcons with a big kill that gave the Tigers the two-point victory.

In the first match against Hempfield, the Tigers lost the first game, 25-22, won game two, 25-23, but were defeated by the Black Knights, 26-24 in the third game.  Senior MB John Skarupa led NA with 13 kills and three blocks, senior OH J.J. Leroux posted 9 kills, three blocks and eleven perfect passes while senior S/OH Steve Semler added 23 assists and eight digs.  Senior libero John Wappler recorded nine digs and 13 perfect passes.

The Tigers regrouped to beat Souderton in three straight.  NA won game one, 25-18, game two, 25-14, and the third and final game, 25-18.  Leading the way was Leroux with 12 kills and five digs while Skarupa added nine kills and four blocks.  Senior OH Kevin Dyer recorded six kills, 5 digs and 6 perfect passes with junior MB Matt Miller and junior opposite Adam Miller adding three blocks each.  Semler posted 27 assists while Wappler led the defense with ten digs and eight perfect passes.

In the crucial third match, it was Skarupa again stepping up with 20 kills and seven blocks while Leroux chipped in with ten kills, 9 digs, 2 aces and fifteen perfect passes.  Matt Miller added four kills while senior opposite Steve Nicklas posted four kills and three blocks.  Leading the passing attack were Semler with 21 assists while sophomore setter Michael Krepp added 19.  Wappler again was strong in the back with 15 digs, nine perfect passes and 2 aces.

With the win, the Tigers advanced to the semifinals where they will meet Cumberland Valley at 11:00 am at the Multisport Indoor Facility at Penn State.  In the other semi, Hempfield will face Central York.  The winners will play at 3:00 pm for the state title.  The Pennsylvania Cable Network will televise the match LIVE on Comcast Cable channel 48 and Armstrong Utilities channel 49.

MATCH SUMMARIES
HEMPFIELD - 2  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
NORTH ALLEGHENY 22 25 24 1
Hempfield 25 23 26 2

  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  SOUDERTON - 0

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
Souderton 18 14 18 0
NORTH ALLEGHENY 25 25 25 3

NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  PENNSBURY - 1

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
Pennsbury 20 25 25 1
NORTH ALLEGHENY 25 21 27 2

FINAL POOL STANDINGS

POOL A

PL TEAM RECORD
1. Cumberland Valley 2-1
2. *Central York 2-1
3. Penn Hills 2-1
4. Emmaus 0-3

POOL B

PL TEAM RECORD
1. Hempfield 2-1
2. NORTH ALLEGHENY 2-1
3. Souderton 1-2
4. Pennsbury 1-2

* - won 25-21 tiebreaker

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

TIGERS CRUISE OVER SCHENLEY, 3-0, IN FIRST ROUND OF PIAA PLAYOFFS

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

The Tigers downed City League Champion Schenley in three straight games in the PIAA First Round at North Hills on Tuesday night.  NA won the first game, 25-15, the second, 25-13, and the third and final game, 25-18.  Senior MB John Skarupa and senior OH J.J. Leroux led the Tigers with six kills each while sophomore setter Michael Krepp posted 20 assists.

After an early 2-2 tie, the Tigers took control of game one on a Schenley error and a service ace by Skarupa.  With NA up 7-4, junior Kevin Gleason served an ace and several Spartan hitting errors pushed the margin to 9-5.  With senior libero John Wappler serving, senior OH Derek Zweig went down the middle, Wappler served an ace, and senior OH/S Steve Semler scored down the line as the Tigers increased the lead to 12-6.  Schenley rallied behind the serving of Nathan Howell to cut the margin to 13-10 before the Tigers answered.  Senior OH Kevin Dyer served three straight points, including an ace, and Leroux went cross court to make it 18-11 before Steve Ankney came back with a kill for Schenley.  Junior MB Matt Miller scored on a cross court hit and Dyer added a pair of kills down the middle as NA extended the margin to 22-14.  After an NA hitting error, the Tigers finished game one with three straight points with Dyer getting the game winner as NA took game one, 25-15.

The Tigers dominated game two as they jumped off to a quick 10-3 advantage.  An ace by Semler and a kill off a quick set by Skarupa offset a pair of kills by Ankney as NA led 4-3 early.  The Tigers then went on a 6-0 run behind the hitting of Leroux who posted three kills during the run.  After an NA violation, Leroux went off the Schenley blockers, Semler put back an overpass, Gleason served an ace, and Semler blocked for a point as the NA lead went to 17-4.  After an NA service error, junior OH Ricky Divosevic scored off the Spartan front line blockers and Semler put back another overpass as the Tigers took a commanding 20-5 lead.  Schenley rallied to cut the lead to 20-9 on kills by Ankney and Max Murrell.  Down the stretch, however, the Tigers were able to take advantage of Schenley hitting errors to take game two, 25-13, and the lead in the match, two games to none.

Once again in game three, the Tigers took an early lead.  After an NA hitting error gave the Spartans their only lead of the match at 2-1, NA came back behind the serving of Zweig to score five straight points with senior opposite Steve Nicklas going off the Spartan blockers and Skarupa scoring on a block during the run.  A kill by Leroux, an ace by Skarupa, and a Schenley hitting error pushed the NA lead to 10-4.  After Nicklas went down the middle for a point, Schenley took advantage of NA errors to cut the margin to 12-8.  Kills by Dyer and Skarupa and a Schenley service error pushed the margin to 15-9.  A kill by Dyer and an ace by sophomore setter Michael Krepp were offset by three NA errors as the score went to 17-12.  Sophomore MB Kyle Gregan then blocked for a point, but kills by Murrell and Ankney cut the NA lead to 19-14.  Junior opposite Adam Miller and junior MB Freddy Haas answered to push the margin to 21-14.  After an NA hitting error, sophomore OH Brian Tevis went down the middle to make it 23-14.  Schenley stayed alive on kills by Michael Whitelock, Jake Fine, and Howell, but sophomore OH Alex Verlinich finally put the Spartans away with a kill off the blockers to give NA a 25-18 win in game three and a three games to none victory in the match.

The Tigers got contributions from the entire squad in the victory.  At the net, Dyer added five kills, Semler and Nicklas three each, and Zweig and junior OH Dennnis O'Neill two.  Haas recorded four blocks while Skarupa and Leroux posted two blocks each with Nicklas adding one.  Defensively, sophomore DS Evan Buysee, Leroux and O'Neill  had four digs each while Wappler and Zweig had three each.  Junior libero Matt Robertson and Wappler had four perfect passes while Skarupa led with two service aces.   For his all-around play throughout the match, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Steve Semler as the Player of the Match.

With the win, the Tigers improved their dual match record to 18-0 as they advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals at Penn State on Friday.  NA will play in Pool B with the top two teams moving on to the semifinals and finals on Saturday.  Along with NA in Pool B will be Hempfield, Souderton, and Pennsbury.

Photo Gallery

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  SCHENLEY - 0

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
Schenley 15 13 18 0
NORTH ALLEGHENY 25 25 25 3

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

TIGERS GOLDEN WITH 3-0 VICTORY
OVER BETHEL PARK

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

The Tigers won their fifth title in six years with a 3-0 victory over Bethel Park at LaRoche College on Friday night.  Senior MB John Skarupa had 11 kills and nine blocks, senior OH J.J. Leroux posted eight kills, and senior opposite Steve Nicklas had a season high eight blocks to lead NA to the victory.  The Tigers downed the Blackhawks, 25-18, in game one, rallied to take game two, 25-20, and dominated in game three, 25-10.

In game one, Bethel Park took an early 3-2 lead before the Tigers took control.  After Skarupa tied the game on a quick set, Leroux went cross court, BP committed a hitting error, and Nicklas also scored on a cross court hit as NA went ahead, 6-3.  After Bethel setter Joe Irwin stopped the run with a tip, Mark Malone put back an overpass to cut the margin to 6-5.  With NA up 9-7, three Hawk errors gave NA a 11-8 lead.  Matt Shannon of the Hawks and senior OH Derek Zweig exchanged points to make it a 12-9 NA lead.  A Nicklas block, a putback on an overpass by Skarupa, an ace by senior OH/S Steve Semler, and another block by Nicklas extended the margin to 16-9.  The Tigers continued to control the contest with Skarupa scoring on a tip, Leroux on a blast down the middle and yet another Nicklas block as NA raced to a 21-12 lead.  Matt Kapusta came off the Bethel Park bench to lead a Hawk comeback that cut the margin to six at 22-16.  Junior MB Matt Miller answered with an overpass kill and a cross court hit to put NA at game point.  Zweig ended game one with a kill as the Tigers took a 25-18 victory.

Bethel Park came out strong in game two and threatened to tie the match.  After an early 3-3 tie, Irwin served three straight points and Kapusta went cross court to give the Hawks a 7-4 advantage.  The Tigers battled back behind a Zweig kill and several BP errors to get within a point at 10-9.  Matt Shannon then answered with a pair of kills and an NA hitting error made it a 13-9 Hawk lead.  Matt Miller scored down the middle to cut the margin to 14-12, but Mark Malone blocked for a point as BP took a 15-12 lead.  After a Kapusta dink made it 16-13, the Tigers began their game winning rally.  After Semler went down the line, Wappler served four straight points, including an ace, to put NA on top 18-16.  Kapusta came back with a big hit down the line, but Leroux answered with a kill just inside the back line.  After Skarupa put back an overpass, the Hawks cut the lead to one on a Shannon kill and an NA error.  As has been the case all year, however, the Tigers went to a quick set to Skarupa to restore the two-point lead.  With NA up, 22-20, A Skarupa kill and a BP hitting error put the Tigers at game point.  Nicklas finished off the Hawks in game two with a kill as NA won by a 25-20 score and took a two games to none lead in the match.

The second game loss seemed to deflate Bethel Park and the Tigers went on to an easy victory in game three.  After Shannon blocked for a point to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead, the Tigers built a quick 11-2 advantage behind the hitting of Skarupa, Nicklas and Leroux.  After Mark Malone stopped the run with a kill, NA came back to build a double digit lead at 15-5 on kills by Skarupa, Matt Miller, and junior MB Freddy Haas.  Bethel rallied briefly on kills by Irwin and an ace by Kapusta to make it a 16-8 game.  The Tigers would not be denied at this point, however, as Semler went down the middle and Skarupa added a block and a blast to push the margin to 20-9.  After Mark Malone blocked for a point, the Tigers finished off the game and match with five straight points.  A kill by Nicklas off the BP blockers, two straight service aces by Skarupa, and a block by junior opposite Adam Miller made it 24-10.  A Bethel Park hitting error ended game three with the Tigers taking a 25-10 victory in the game and a three games to none win in the match.

Once again, the Tigers dominated at the net.  Skarupa's nine blocks were also a season high for NA.  In addition, junior Matt Miller had six kills and a block, Nicklas added five kills, and senior OH Derek Zweig recorded four kills.  The NA duo of Semler and sophomore setter Michael Krepp were on target all night long with Semler recording 18 assists and Krepp 16.  Defensively, senior libero John Wappler had seven digs, Semler added seven more, Zweig and senior OH Kevin Dyer four, and Krepp three.  Wappler led with eleven perfect asses, Leroux posted ten, Dyer five, and Zweig four.  Leroux served a pair of aces and Semler one.   For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Steve Nicklas as the Player of the Match. 

With the win, the Tigers improved their season record to 17-0 and did not lose a game in capturing the WPIAL crown.  NA finished 51-0 in dual match competition.  NA will begin play in the PIAA Class AAA tournament on Tuesday night against City League Champion Schenley.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 pm.  Match time is scheduled for 7:00 pm at North Hills High School.

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH SCHALL AND THE TIGERS AND GOOD LUCK IN THE PIAA PLAYOFFS!!!

Photo Gallery

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  BETHEL PARK - 0

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
Bethel Park 18 20 10 0
NORTH ALLEGHENY 25 25 25 3

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

TIGERS DROP PENN HILLS, 3-0, TO ADVANCE TO WPIAL TITLE MATCH

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

The Tigers dominated Penn Hills at the net to take a 3-0 victory over the Indians in the Class AAA semifinals at North Hills on Wednesday night.  Senior MB John Skarupa led the way with 12 kills and eight blocks with senior OH J.J. Leroux close behind with eleven kills and three blocks.

The Tigers started quickly in game one building an 8-3 lead.  After Micah Larson gave Penn Hills at 1-0 lead with a kill down the line, Skarupa tied the game off a quick set.  Skarupa then put back an overpass and scored on a block before Larson went down the line again to make it a 3-2 NA lead.  Skarupa continued his early dominance with yet another block before Leroux chipped in with a dink and a blast.  Larson came back with a kill and Kevin Sparks added a dink to cut the NA advantage to 8-5.  After senior opposite Steve Nicklas blocked for a point, a kill by Will Piccolino and an NA hitting error cut the margin to 9-7.  At this point, the Tigers rallied to extend the margin.  After Leroux went down the line for a kill, the Tiger senior served a pair of aces, and junior Matt Miller scored of the PH blockers as the NA lead went to 13-7.  Penn Hills rallied, however, behind the hitting of Larson and Sparks, along with several NA hitting errors, to close with one at 14-13.  That was as close as the Indians would get.  A Skarupa blast off a quick set, a kill by Leroux just inside the back line, and another Skarupa kill down the middle extended the margin to 17-13.  Dalton Cesaratto answered for the Indians off the NA blockers, but the Tigers responded with five straight points.  A block by Nicklas, a block and a kill by Leroux, and a pair of kills by Skarupa gave the Tigers a 22-14 advantage.  After Larson scored off the NA front line, a pair of NA errors cut the margin to 22-17 before Skarupa blocked for a point.  With NA up 23-18, Matt Miller scored on a quick set and Leroux blocked for a final point to give the Tigers a 25-18 victory in game one.

Game two belonged to the Tigers as they jumped off to a quick 6-0 led.  After a violation by the Indians, senior S/OH Steve Semler served five straight points, including an ace, behind kills by senior OH Derek Zweig, a block by Nicklas and a pair of PH errors.  After Larson went cross court and the Tigers were called for hitting the net, a kill by Skarupa and two Indian hitting errors pushed the margin to 9-2.  The indians continued to make mistakes that offset a pair of kills by Cesarotto and Piccolino, as the Tigers led, 11-7.  Senior OH Kevin Dyer then went cross court for a kill, Matt Miller blocked for another point, and Zweig scored down the middle as the NA lead went to 14-8.  Larson and Cesaratto led a Penn Hills comeback that brought the Indians within four at 16-12.  At the point, the Tigers regrouped.  Skarupa once again went down the middle, Leroux went cross court, Skarupa served an ace, and Leroux again scored on a cross court hit as the Tiger lead went to 20-13.  NA outscored the Indians, 5-2, down the stretch to win the game.  Matt Miller scored down the middle, Leroux served another ace, Matt Miller scored on a cross-court kill, and junior MB Freddy Haas came in to pick up a kill.  With NA up 24-16, Zweig put the Indians away with a block as the Tigers won game two, 25-16, and took a two games to none lead in the match.

With their backs against the wall, Penn Hills took an early lead in game three.  After the Tigers went ahead, 3-1, kills by Sparks and Cesarotto, along with an NA hitting error, put the Indians ahead, 4-3.  A service error and an ace by John Potts extended the margin to 6-4.  After Skarupa and Larson exchanged kills, Leroux tied the game at 7-7 with a kill just inside the back line.  Two Penn Hills hitting errors put the Tigers ahead for good at 9-7.  A tip by Matt Miller off the PH blockers and a put back of an overpass by Semler pushed the NA lead to 11-7.  Piccolino came back with a kill, Cesarotto blocked for a point,  and Rob Strauss also scored on a block to cut the margin to 11-10.  Kills by Leroux and Semler, along with a hitting error, extended the lead to 14-11 before an NA hitting error and a putback of an overpass by Sparks cut the advantage to 14-13.  After the teams exchanged points, the Tigers scored the next four points as Skarupa blocked for consecutive points and the Indians were guilty of a pair of hitting errors.  Once again, Larson and Sparks rallied the Indians to within three at 20-17, but the night belonged to the Tigers as they closed out the game and match with five straight points.  Nicklas went cross court before the Indians committed yet another hitting error.  After Semler put back an overpass, Matt Miller scored on a quick set to make it a 24-17 game.  Fittingly, Penn Hills returned the ensuing serve into the net as the Tigers won game three, 25-17, and the match, three games to one.

Statistically, Matt Miller stepped up with six kills and two blocks while Nicklas recorded six blocks for the winning Tigers.   Semler and sophomore setter Michael Krepp ran the NA offensive attack with Semler posting 17 assists and Krepp thirteen.  Leroux served three aces, Skarupa one and Semler one.  Defensively, senior libero John Wappler led with 13 digs while Dyer recorded nine, Leroux eight and Krepp six.  For his efforts at the net, the North Allegheny Sports Network named John Skarupa as the Player of the Match.

With the win, the Tigers remained unbeaten in dual matches with a record of 16-0.  NA will face Bethel Park in the Class AAA final tomorrow night at LaRoche College.  The Tigers defeated Bethel, 3-0, in an earlier non-section match at the Senior High gym.  Match time has been changed to 6:00 pm.  The North Allegheny Sports Network WILL be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 5:45 pm.

Photo Gallery

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  PENN HILLS - 0

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
Penn Hills 18 16 17 0
NORTH ALLEGHENY 25 25 25 3

2008 WPIAL CLASS AAA TOURNAMENT

FIRST ROUND - Wednesday and Thursday, May 14 and 15
NORTH ALLEGHENY, bye
Penn-Trafford - 3  Baldwin - 0
Penn Hills, bye
Seneca Valley - 3  Upper St. Clair - 0
Bethel Park, bye
Plum - 3  Butler - 0
Norwin, bye
Central Catholic - 3  Fox Chapel -0
QUARTERFINALS - Monday, May 19
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  Penn-Trafford - 0
Penn Hills - 3  Seneca Valley - 0
Bethel Park - 3  Plum - 0
Norwin - 3  Central Catholic - 0
SEMIFINALS - Wednesday, May 21
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  Penn Hills - 0
Bethel Park - 3  Norwin - 0
FINAL - Friday, May 23 at LaRoche College
NORTH ALLEGHENY vs. Bethel Park, 6:00 pm

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

TIGERS TOP PENN-TRAFFORD, 3-0, IN QUARTERFINALS OF WPIAL TOURNAMENT

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

The Tigers defeated the Penn-Trafford Warriors, 3-0, in the WPIAL Quarterfinals at the Senior High gym on Monday night.  Senior MB John Skarupa led NA with 10 kills and four blocks as the Tigers took game one, 25-19, game two, 25-18, and the third and final game, 25-20.  Senior OH J.J. Leroux added nine kills, three blocks, 14 PPT, and two service aces.

Penn-Trafford got off to an early 4-2 lead in game one behind the hitting of Brad Yagla and Justin Savulak.  A kill by Skarupa, a block by senior opposite Steve Nicklas, a P-T hitting error, and a blast by Leroux off the Warrior blockers gave the Tigers a 6-4 advantage.  After Savulak brought P-T even at 6-6, the Tigers took the lead for good on a Warrior service error.  NA went on an 8-1 run to take control of the game.  A pair of blocks by Nicklas, a kill by Semler down the line, and numerous P-T hitting errors gave the Tigers a 14-7 advantage.  After Ryan Nedley broke the run with a kill, the Tigers extended the margin to 16-9 on a dink by senior OH Derek Zweig.  Zweig went off the Warrior front row blockers and P-T continued to make hitting errors as NA took a 19-13 lead.  Kills by Savulak and Mike Masarik led a Warrior comeback that cut the margin to 19-16 before Skarupa answered off a quick set.  Down the stretch , NA outscored the Warriors, 6-3, with junior Matt Miller finishing off the game with a kill as the Tigers took game one, 25-19.

Once again, Penn-Trafford took an early 3-2 lead in game two behind a kill from Mike Galet.  Leroux's dink and a blast by junior opposite Adam Miller down the line gave the Tigers the lead at 5-4.  After Nedley tied the game, NA scored the next three points with Matt Miller scoring down the middle and Skarupa adding another point on a big blast also down the middle as NA took a 10-6 lead.  Skarupa scored again in the middle before Yagla answered to cut the margin to 13-9.  With NA ahead, 14-10, the Warriors came back to tie the game at 14-14 on kills by Yagla, Savulak and a block by Geoff Blasko.  Matt Miller then answered for NA with a cross-court kill as the Tigers took an 18-16 lead.  Semler put back an overpass and Zweig blocked for a point to make it 20-16.  after an NA service error, Zweig scored on two straight kills and Semler served an ace as NA extended the margin to 23-17.  After an NA hitting error, Leroux picked up a kill down the middle, and Skarupa ended the game off a quick set as the Tigers won game two, 25-18, to take a two games to none lead in the match.

Penn-Trafford led for much of the early going in game three.  After a kill by Yagla and an NA hitting error gave the Warriors a 4-3 lead, Leroux tied the game with another cross-court kill.  The teams exchanged errors until Matt Miller went off the P-T blockers to tie the game at 6-6.  A kill by Savulak and two NA errors, Zweig found an open space to cut the Warrior lead to 9-8.  A kill by Skarupa on another quick set was answered by Yagla and more NA errors as P-T took a 12-9 lead.  After Galet made it 13-10, the Tigers rallied behind a block by Matt Miller and a pair of kills by Semler to tie the game at 14-14.  Leroux then served a pair of aces around a P-T violation as NA took a 17-14 advantage.  The Warriors stayed close, however, on kills by Nedley, Masarik and Galet matching a pair of kills by Skarupa and another by Leroux as P-T came within one at 20-19.  Once again down the stretch, the Tigers dominated closing out the game and match with a 5-1 run.  Kills by Leroux, Matt Miller and Semler set the stage for a final block by Leroux that put away the Warriors.  The Tigers won game three, 25-20, and the match, three games to none.

It was not a classic match as both teams committed a number of hitting errors.  In addition, P-T was guilty of 12 service errors and NA eleven.  Statistically for the Tigers, Semler added seven kills, 16 assists, 5 digs and an ace.  Zweig chipped in with six kills for the winning Tigers.  Sophomore setter Michael Krepp added 19 assists with senior libero John Wappler contributing 11 perfect passes and senior OH Kevin Dyer five PPT.  Defensively, Wappler led with 15 digs with Dyer and Semler adding five each.  Junior DS Matt Robertson also had several spectacular digs for the Tigers.  For his all-around play, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Steve Semler as the Player of the Match.

With the win, the Tigers advanced to the semifinals against Penn Hills, a 3-0 winner of Seneca Valley.  The match will be played at North Hills with the scheduled starting time set for 7:00 pm.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 pm.

Photo Gallery

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  PENN-TRAFFORD - 0

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
Penn-Trafford 19 18 20 0
NORTH ALLEGHENY 25 25 25 3

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

TIGERS TAKE CARE OF AMBRIDGE, 3-0,
TO FINISH UNBEATEN

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The #1 team in Class AAA defeated the #1 team in Class AA as the Tigers downed the Ambridge Bridgers, 3-0, in the regular season finale at Ambridge on Thursday night.  Senior OH J.J. Leroux led the way with 15 kills while senior OH Derek Zweig added twelve.  Directed the NA attack were sophomore setter Michael Krepp with 23 assists along with senior S/OH Steve Semler who recorded 15.

Ambridge provided a good opponent for the Tigers as they prepare for the playoffs.  In games one and two, NA was able to edge the Bridgers, 25-23.  In game three, the Tigers finished off the sweep with a 25-15 victory.

In addition to Leroux and Zweig at the net, junior MB Matt Miller posted 8 kills, Semler four, and junior Dennis O'Neill two.  Senior MB John Skarupa led with three blocks while Leroux, Zweig, and junior MB Freddy Haas recorded two blocks each.  Leroux started the NA attacks with 11 perfect passes with senior DS/L John Wappler adding eight and Zweig five.  Defensively, Leroux led with 18 digs with Wappler adding 16, senior OH Kevin Dyer and Krepp eight each, and Semler six.  Leroux served a pair of aces with Wappler also posting a service ace.

With the win, the Tigers completed the regular season with a final record of 14-0.  NA will begin play in the WPIAL tournament next week.  The volleyball pairings meeting will be held on Monday.  We will post playoff pairings as soon as they are available.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team also completed an unbeaten season with a win at Ambridge.  The Tigers downed the Bridgers, 25-9 and 25-21, to complete the undefeated regular season.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  AMBRIDGE - 0

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
NORTH ALLEGHENY 25 25 25 3
Ambridge 23 23 15 0

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

NORTH HILLS NO MATCH FOR TIGERS IN 3-0 VICTORY

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

The Tigers rolled over North Hills, 3-0, at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night in the section finale.  Senior OH Kevin Dyer led the way with five kills with senior setter Steve Semler posting 26 assists on Senior Night.

The Tigers jumped off to a 6-2 lead in game one behind the hitting of senior OH Derek Zweig, senior MB John Skarupa, and senior opposite Steve Nicklas who recorded two cross court kills during the run.  After the Indians came back behind the hitting of Andrew Dames, a kill by senior OH J.J. Leroux off the NH blockers, a cross court hit by Zweig and several Indian hitting errors pushed the NA lead to 10-4.  Dames brought the Indians to within three at 10-7 with an ace, but the Tigers took over at this point.  An ace by Semler, a kill by Skarupa off a quick set and more NH hitting errors gave the Tigers a 15-9 advantage.  After a kill by NH's Sean O'Brien, NA went on another run on kills by Skarupa, Leroux, a pair by Dyer, and an ace by Skarupa to push the margin to 22-11.  After kills by Leroux and Dyer extended the lead to 24-14, a North Hills hitting error ended game one with Tigers taking a 25-14 victory and a one game to none lead in the match.

In game two, after the Indians took their first lead of the match at 2-1 on an ace by Doug Barber, the Tigers gradually took control of the game.  An ace by junior OH Dennis O'Neill, a kill by junior MB Phil Timcheck, and a kill by Zweig of the NH blockers game the Tigers a 7-4 lead.  After Dames went cross court, the Tigers pushed the margin to 12-7 behind a kill and a block by O'Neill, a blast by Semler off the Indian front line, and another kill by O'Neill.  The Indians rallied behind Barber who had a kill and an ace to cut the lead to 14-12.  A kill by Timcheck was matched by Dames who went off the NA blockers.  Kills by junior MB Freddy Haas and Dyer made it a 17-14 NA lead.  Sophomore setter Michael Krepp then took over the serving duties and picked up three straight points including an ace to extend the lead to 20-14.  After Barber stopped the run with a kill, Dyer, Haas and junior OH Ricky Divosevic answered with big hits to put NA at game point, 24-17.  After an NA service error, the Indians committed a service error of their own to end game two with the Tigers winning, 25-18, to push the lead in the match to two games to none.

In game three, NA Coach Dan Schall continued to use his bench along with the seniors playing in their last regular season match at home.  The Indians jumped off to a short-lived 3-1 advantage early on a kill by Dames and an ace by Jimmy Hankins.  The Tigers quickly answered with a 13-1 run.  A pair of kills by Divosevic, a block and another pair of kills by junior MB Matt Miller, a kill by junior opposite Adam Miller, and a pair of aces by Krepp pushed the NA advantage to 13-4.  The Indians came back with four straight points, including two by O'Brien, before Nicklas went cross-court to make it a 14-8 game.  Kills by Leroux and sophomore MB Kyle Gregan pushed the lead to 17-9.  After Gregan scored again on a block, a pair of kills by O'Brien and an ace by Hankins cut the margin to 18-13.  After an O'Brien kill and another ace by Barber, NH came to within four at 20-16.  Senior John Wappler came back in to record a kill, and Semler put back a NH overpass to extend the margin to 22-16.  With junior DS Kevin Gleason serving, sophomore DS Evan Buysse dropped in a kill from the back row to make it 23-16.  After a pair of NA errors, Matt Miller finally finished off the Indians with a big hit off the front row as the Tigers won game three, 25-17, and the match, three games to none.

It was a genuine team effort by the Tigers on Senior Night.  Although the seniors started and played game one, the NA bench saw a lot of playing time in games two and three.  Zweig and Skarupa posted four kills while Dyer, Zweig and Leroux added five perfect passes with Wappler registering four PPT.  Defensively, Gleason led with seven digs with Krepp and Semler adding four each.  Krepp served up four aces with Semler adding a pair.  For his overall effort throughout the match, the North Allegheny Sports Network named senior Kevin Dyer as the Player of the Match.

With the win, the Tigers finished unbeaten in section play with a 10-0 record.   NA will travel to Ambridge tomorrow night to meet the AA #1 ranked Bridgers in a final non-section match.  The scheduled starting time is set for 7:00 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team also finished unbeaten in section play with a 10-0 record.  The Tigers downed North Hills in two straight by scores of 25-10 and 25-14.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  NORTH HILLS - 0

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
North Hills 14 18 17 0
NORTH ALLEGHENY 25 25 25 3

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

TIGERS HOLD OFF SENECA VALLEY, 3-0,
TO CLINCH SECTION TITLE

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The Tigers defeated Seneca Valley in three straight games at Seneca on Thursday night, but it wasn't easy.  After NA won the first game, 25-14, the Tigers were extended to 27-25 in game two, and 26-24 in the third and final game.  Senior MB John Skarupa paced the Tigers with 14 kills and six blocks.

Statistically, junior MB Matt Miller recorded 9 kills and six blocks, senior OH J.J. Leroux added 8 kills and three blocks while senior OH/S Steve Semler contributed 6 kills and three blocks.  The Tiger duo of Semler and sophomore Michael Krepp orchestrated the NA attack with Semler picking up 18 assists and Krepp 21.  Senior DS/L John Wappler posted 16 perfect passes with Leroux adding 14.  Defensively, Wappler had 14 digs, Krepp seven, and Leroux  and Semler five each.  Wappler and Leroux each served three aces.

With the win, the Tigers clinched the section title as they improved their section mark to 9-0 with just one section match remaining.  NA will host rival North Hills on Tuesday night as section play concludes.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 pm.  Match time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team continued unbeaten with a 2-0 win over the Raiders.  The Tigers won game one, 25-22, and game two, 25-13.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  SENECA VALLEY - 0

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
NORTH ALLEGHENY 25 27 26 3
Seneca Valley 14 25 24 0

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

TIGERS SWEEP FOX CHAPEL TO REMAIN UNBEATEN

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

The Tigers defeated Fox Chapel in three straight games at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night.  In the first game, NA prevailed, 25-15, with the Tigers taking game two, 25-19.  In game three, the Foxes rallied late but NA held on for a 25-22 win.  Senior MB John Skarupa led the Tigers with 14 kills and five blocks.

The Tigers opened an early 6-2 lead in game one behind a pair of kills by Skarupa and a dink by senior OH Derek Zweig.  After the Foxes came back on a kill by Mike Rios to cut the lead to 6-4, the Tigers answered with junior MB Matt Miller going off the Fox Chapel blockers and senior OH/S Steve Semler posting a kill to increase the margin to 8-5.  The Foxes tied the game at 8-8 on a kill by Rios down the line and two straight points by Eric Redfern.  With senior DS/L John Wappler serving, the Tigers then went on a 6-0 run with Matt Miller, senior OH J.J. Leroux, and Skarupa doing most of the damage.  After Dan Tublin scored off the NA blockers, Skarupa came back with a big blast down the middle to make it a 15-9 NA lead.  Fox Chapel was unable to get any closer than three points as the Tigers continued to dominate at the net.  With NA up 16-12, Skarupa put away a quick set, Leroux sent back an overpass, senior opposite Steve Nicklas scored on a cross court hit, and Skarupa served an ace as the Tiger lead went to 20-13.  Down the stretch, NA outscored the Foxes, 5-2, with senior OH Kevin Dyer finishing things in game one with a kill down the middle as the Tigers won game one, 25-15.

After Fox Chapel took an early 2-1 lead on a block by Juan Manfredi, Skarupa again scored on a quick set, Matt Miler on a block and Leroux on a putback of an overpass as NA regained the lead at 5-3.  The Tigers never trailed from this point in the game.  A kill by Nicklas off the FC blockers, a cross court hit by Leroux on a slide, a putback of yet another FC overpass by Matt Miller, and a kill by Zweig pushed the NA lead to 10-6.  After the Foxes closed to within two at 10-8 on a kill by Justin Mroz and an NA hitting error, Semler and Nicklas both went cross court, Skarupa scored on two quick sets and FC committed a pair of hitting errors as the Tigers took a 15-9 lead.  A pair of kills by Leroux and a FC hitting error offset kills by Tublin and Rios as the margin went to 18-12.  Semler followed with a kill and a block to extend the lead to 21-13.  Two blocks by Mroz and Manfredi brought the Foxes closer, but Skarupa answered with another kill off a quick set to make it 22-17.  Leroux hit the back line and then picked up another kill to put the Tigers at game point, 24-18.  Nicklas got the game winner off the FC blockers as NA won game two, 25-19, and took a two games to none lead in the match.

In game three, the Tigers took a quick 6-2 lead on a pair of kills by Skarupa, an ace by Semler and a kill off the FC blockers by Nicklas.  Mroz and an NA hitting error brought the Foxes to within two at 6-4, but the Tigers again took control of the game.  Leroux scored on a block, Nicklas added a kill, and Matt Miller went off the blockers to make it a 9-6 game.  After an NA service error, Semler scored off the Fox Chapel front line and a FC hitting error extended the Tiger lead to 12-7.  The Foxes cut the margin to 13-10 behind the hitting of Tublin, but Skarupa and Leroux answered to restore the five point lead.  Two kills by Matt Miller, a hitting error by the Foxes, and a cross court kill by Dyer made it 20-13.  Tublin again rallied the Foxes with three kills as the Foxes cut the Tiger advantage to 21-18.  A FC hitting error, another kill by Dyer and another Skarupa kill off a quick set pushed NA to game and match point at 24-19.  Tim Goodwin came off the Fox Chapel bench to score three straight points off the serve, but Leroux finished off the Foxes with another big hit down the middle.  The Tigers won game three, 25-22, and the match, three games to none.

Statistically, the Tigers continued to play well at the net with Leroux adding 11 kills and two blocks, Matt Miller six kills, Semler five kills and Nicklas five kills and three blocks.  Directing the NA offense, Semler recorded 25 assists with sophomore setter Michael Krepp adding 19.  Wappler posted 17 perfect passes with Leroux adding eleven and Dyer six. Defensively, Wappler led with 9 digs while Krepp and Leroux posted six each for the winning Tigers.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named John Skarupa as the Player of the Match.

With the win, NA improved their section record to 8-0, the overall mark to 11-0.  The Tigers will travel to Seneca Valley tomorrow night to meet the Raiders in a 7:00 pm section contest.

Photo Gallery

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  FOX CHAPEL - 0

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
Fox Chapel 15 19 22 0
NORTH ALLEGHENY 25 25 25 3

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

TIGERS FALL TO BETHEL PARK IN SEMIFINALS
OF PLUM INVITATIONAL

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The Tigers completed pool play without a loss and downed Deer Lakes, 25-9, in the quarterfinals of the Plum Invitational at Plum High School on Saturday.  In the semifinals, however, the Bethel Park Blackhawks eliminated NA from the tournament with a 25-21 victory. In pool play, NA downed Penn-Trafford, Hempfield, Mt. Lebanon, and Conneaut Valley all in two straight games.

The Tigers will resume section play on Tuesday night when they host Fox Chapel in a key section contest.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the match LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 pm.  Match time is scheduled for 7:00 pm at the Senior High gym.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team continued their winning ways with a 25-17 win over Penn-Trafford in the Penn Hills tournament final.  The JV's have won all their tournaments this year.

PLUM INVITATIONAL
Plum High School
Saturday, April 26, 2008

POOL PLAY (NA only)

NA def. Penn Trafford, 25-21, 27-25
NA def. Hempfield, 25-13, 25-19
NA def. Mt. Lebanon, 25-12, 25-19
NA def. Conneaut Valley, 25-23, 25-21

PLAYOFFS

QUARTERFINALS
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 25  Deer Lakes - 9
Bethel Park - 1 Norwin - 0
Derry - 1  Penn Hills - 0
Conneaut Valley - 1 Plum - 0
SEMIFINALS
Bethel Park - 25  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 21
Conneaut Valley  - 1 Derry - 0
FINAL
Bethel Park - 1  Conneaut Valley - 0

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

TIGERS REMAIN UNBEATEN WITH
3-0 WIN AT BUTLER

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The Tigers won their seventh section match without a loss with a 3-0 win at Butler on Thursday night.  NA took game one, 25-20, game two, 25-21, and finished off the Tornado with a 25-13 win in game three.  Senior OH J.J. Leroux led the Tigers with 10 kills, ten perfect passes, three digs and an ace.  Senior MB John Skarupa added ten kills and five blocks for the winning Tigers.

Senior opposite Steve Nicklas recorded six kills while junior MB Matt Miller had five kills and five blocks.  Senior OH/S Steve Semler posted five blocks.  Senior DS/L John Wappler started the attack with 14 perfect passes while Semler earned 25 assists and sophomore setter Michael Krepp added 10 more assists.  Defensively, Wappler led with eight digs while senior OH Kevin Dyer added four and Semler three.  Semler served three aces and Dyer one.

With the win, the NA section record went to 7-0, the overall mark to 10-0 on the season.  The Tigers will travel to Plum tomorrow for the Plum Invitational.  Action is scheduled to get under way at 8:30 am.

JV UPDATE:  The JV continued unbeaten with a 2-0 win over Butler.  The Tigers downed the Tornado 25-15 and 25-23.  The JV team will travel to Penn Hills tomorrow for the Penn Hills JV Tournament with the starting time set for 8:30 am.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  BUTLER - 0

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
NORTH ALLEGHENY 25 25 25 3
Butler 20 21 13 0

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

TIGERS DOWN STUBBORN SHALER, 3-0

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

The Tigers held off a challenge from neighborhood rival Shaler at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night to take a 3-0 victory over the Titans.  NA won the first and second games by 25-20 scores before finishing Shaler, 25-17, in game three.  Senior OH J.J. Leroux led the Tigers with 14 kills and six blocks.

In game one, the Tigers jumped off to a 6-2 lead on kills by Leroux and senior OH/S Steve Semler with senior OH Kevin Dyer serving an ace during the run.  Shaler rallied, however, to take the lead at 8-7 on kills by senior MH Jeff Szczypinski and a number of NA hitting errors.  Junior MB Freddy Haas came back with a strong hit down the middle to tie the score at 9-9.  After another NA hitting error gave the Titans a 10-9 lead, the Tigers took advantage of several Shaler hitting errors to go back ahead, 12-11.  A kill by Skarupa and an ace by Semler extended the margin to 16-11 before Shaler came back on a pair of kills by Szczypinski to cut the lead to 17-14.  The Titans would get no closer.  Two Leroux blasts down the middle, along with more Shaler hitting errors, made it a 21-16 NA lead.  A block by Semler and a kill by Dyer off the Shaler blockers put NA at game point, 24-17.  The Titans scored the next three points, but Dyer finished off game one with a kill that gave the Tigers a 25-20 victory.  NA took a one game to none advantage.

The second game started with the Tigers again posting an early lead.  Senior DS/L John Wappler started the game with two aces, senior OH Derek Zweig added a kill, and Semler served an ace as the Tigers built an early 6-2 lead.  After a pair of Shaler hitting errors, junior opposite Adam Miller went off the Shaler blockers to extend the margin to 8-3.  Once again, however, Shaler rallied.  The Titans eventually came back to take an 11-10 lead on hits by sophomore MH Evan Proksell, a kill and an ace by senior setter Taylor Perri along with a number of NA hitting errors.  Semler finally tied the game for NA at 12-12 with a strong hit just inside the back line.  The Tigers scored the next four points behind the serving of Wappler and a block by Semler and a kill by Leroux as NA took a 16-12 lead.  After a block by Shaler OH Ted Chieffe, Dyer and Adam Miller scored on kills to increase the margin to 19-14.  Blocks by Skarupa and Leroux increased the margin to 21-14 causing Shaler coach Jim Nicola to call a time out.  After the time out, the Titans rallied to score the next six points.  A kill by senir OH Kyle Stein, an ace by senior DS Sam Vecenie, a kill by Proksell and three NA errors made it a 21-20 game that forced NA coach Dan Schall to call a time out.  The Tigers then regrouped to outscore Shaler down the stretch and win game two.  Skarupa started things with a kill down the middle off a quick set.  Leroux followed with a kill and a block, and a Shaler hitting error ended the game with NA taking a 25-20 victory and a two games to none lead in the match.

Shaler got off to an early 8-4 lead in game three with senior OH Kurt Stein doing most of the damage.  Semler came back with a pair of points and junior OH Dennis O'Neill scored off the Titan blockers to finally get NA back into a tie at 9-9.  Shaler was not finished, however, with a dink by Szczypinski and an ace by Kyle Stein that gave the Titans a 13-11 lead.  Skarupa answered with two quick points to tie the game at 13-13.  At this point, Leroux took over the game.  The Tiger Senior went down the middle, Haas added a block, Leroux scored off the Shaler blockers and Adam Miller added another kill off the Titan front line as NA took an 18-15 lead.  Leroux continued on his own personal scoring streak as he scored the next three points on two kills and a block as the Tigers increased the margin to 21-15.  After an NA violation, Leroux put back an overpass to make it 22-17.  Fittingly, Leroux served out the match with three straight points including an ace that gave the Tigers a 25-17 win in game three, and a three games to none victory in the match.

At the net, Skarupa posted 9 kills and three blocks while Semler added 5 kills and 4 blocks.  Semler recorded 20 assists with sophomore setter Michael Krepp adding 14 while leading the NA attack.  Leroux posted eight perfect passes, junior DS/L Matt Robertson eight and Wappler seven.  Defensively, Robertson led with 14 digs while Wappler posted ten.  Wappler and Semler each had two service aces.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named J.J. Leroux as the Player of the Match.

With the win, the Tigers improved their section leading record to 6-0, their overall mark to 9-0.  The Tigers will travel to Butler tomorrow night to meet the Tornado in a 7:00 pm section match.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team remained unbeaten with a 25-6 and 25-14 trouncing of Shaler at the Senior High gym on Tuesday night.

Photo Gallery

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  SHALER - 0

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
Shaler 20 20 17 0
NORTH ALLEGHENY 25 25 25 3

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

TIGERS FALL TO PENN HILLS, 25-20, IN
YORK QUARTERFINALS

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The Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals of the York Invitational on Saturday at Central York High School but were defeated by Penn Hills, 25-20.  NA went 6-2 in pool play against some of the best teams in the state and defeated Souderton, 25-19, in the first round of the playoffs.

Senior MB John Skarupa led NA in the tournament with 29 kills, 15 blocks and five aces.  Senior OH J.J. Leroux had a good all-around performance with 26 kills, 29 perfect passes, 4 blocks, 11 digs, and 7 aces.  Junior MB Matt Miller posted 10 kills and six blocks while senior S/OH Steve Semler recorded 10 kills, 48 assists, 11 digs, and three aces.  Sophomore setter Michael Krepp pitched in with 41 assists and 12 digs while senior DS/L John Wappler tallied 55 perfect passes and 38 digs.  Senior Kevin Dyer added 18 perfect passes, 11 digs and three aces.

The Tigers will resume section play tomorrow night when they host Shaler 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-game show at 6:45 pm.  Match time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team won the York JV Invitational by defeating Northeastern, 25-14, in the final on Friday night.

YORK INVITATIONAL
Central York High School
Saturday, April 19, 2008

POOL PLAY (NA only)

NORTH ALLEGHENY def. State College, 25-19, 25-17
NORTH ALLEGHENY def. Hempfield, 25-13, 25-21
NORTH ALLEGHENY split with New Oxford, 25-21, 23-25
NORTH ALLEGHENY split with Central York, 20-25, 25-23

PLAYOFFS (NA only)

FIRST ROUND
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 25  Souderton - 19
QUARTERFINALS
Penn Hills - 25  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 20

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

TIGERS REMAIN UNBEATEN WITH 3-0
WIN OVER BETHEL PARK

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

Senior OH J.J. Leroux recorded 12 kills and served four aces to lead the Tigers to a 3-0 victory over previously unbeaten Bethel Park at the Senior High gym on Thursday night.  Senior OH Derek Zweig added nine kills and four blocks as NA won by scores of 26-24, 25-17 and 25-17.

In game one, the Tigers opened a 5-2 lead early behind kills by senior MB John Skarupa and Leroux.  Bethel Park regrouped, however, on Kills by Mike O'Brien and Matt Kapusta to catch the Tigers and take an 11-8 lead.  Senior setter/OH Steve Semler and Zweig answered with a pair of kills off the Bethel Park blockers to cut the margin to 11-10.  The Blackhawks continued to lead with O'Brien, Mark Malone, and Joe Malone all picking up kills as the lead went to 16-13.  After a Bethel hitting error, the Tigers finally regained the lead at 19-18 behind a kill by Leroux.  The Blackhawks came back to go ahead again at 21-20 on a Mark Malone kill.  Semler and Zweig put NA back on top, 22-21, with big hits.  Leroux served an ace and narrowly missed a second on a disputed call as NA took a 23-22 lead.  After Zweig gave the Tigers a two-point lead, Matt Shannon and O'Brien answered with kills to tie the score at 24-24.  Semler then hit the back line, and Bethel Park sent a return long as the Tigers took an exciting and hard-fought 26-24 victory in game one.

The Tigers jumped off to a quick 6-1 lead in game two.  Zweig scored off the BP blockers, Semler served an ace, and junior opposite Adam Miller and Skarupa scored on blocks during the run.  After a time out, the Blackhawks rallied and finally tied the game at 8-8 on a Mark Malone kill.  Semler then scored on a kill of the Bethel blockers to put NA on top for good at 9-8.  Leroux put away two service aces, and Zweig went down the middle as NA took a 12-9 lead.  After a kill by Skarupa on a quick set and a cross court kill by Leroux, the Blackhawks rallied behind O'Brien and Mark Malone to cut the deficit to one at 15-14.  That was as close as Bethel would get.  Leroux went cross-court, Adam Miller scored off the blockers, and Skarupa served an ace to push the margin to 18-14.  After an NA violation, junior MB Matt Miller put away a Bethel Park overpass and Leroux went down the middle to make it a 21-15 game.  Down the strech, Leroux served another ace, and Bethel Park was called for hitting the net before Semler finished off the Blackhawks with a block as NA won game two, 25-17.  The Tigers took a two games to none lead in the match.

Once again in game three, the Tigers took an early lead.  A cross court hit by Semler, a block by Adam Miller and an ace by senior OH Kevin Dyer put NA on top 5-2.  After an O'Brien kill, a Leroux kill, an ace by Skarupa and a block by Adam Miller extended the margin to 8-3.  Mark Malone and Kapusta kept the Blackhawks in the game with kills, but Semler hit the back line to give NA an 11-6 lead.  The lead stayed at three and four for much of the remainder of the game.  Semler's dink and Skarupa on a quick set made it 13-8 before Bethel answered on kills by Shannon and O'Brien to cut the lead to 15-12.  After Matt Miller went off the BP blockers, Joe Irwin scored on a block to cut the margin to 20-17.  Down the stretch, however, NA took charge again.  Leroux scored down the middle, Zweig blocked for a pair of points, and the Blackhawks committed a pair of hitting errors as NA won game three, 25-17, and the match, three games to none.

The Tigers got contributions from a number of players in the victory.  Semler posted 8 kills and two blocks along with 15 assists and six digs.  Skarupa added 7 kills, two blocks and two aces.  Sophomore setter Michael Krepp posted 21 assists while senior L/DS John Wappler had 14 perfect passes, Leroux 10 perfect passes, and Dyer had four PPT and two aces.  Defensively, Wappler led with 11 digs with Leroux adding five.  Overall, NA had nine service aces on the evening.  For his overall effort, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Steve Semler as the Player of the Match.

With the win, the Tigers improved their overall record to 8-0 on the season.  The Tigers will travel to Central York for the York Invitational with the starting time set for 8:30 am tomorrow for the varsity.  The JV team will be in the York JV Tournament that starts tonight at 3:30 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team continued to roll with a 2-0 victory over Bethel Park.  NA won the first game, 25-15, and came from behind to win the second, 26-24.

Photo Gallery

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  BETHEL PARK - 0

SCORE BY GAMES 1 2 3 FINAL
Bethel Park 24 17 17 0
NORTH ALLEGHENY 26 25 25 3

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

WPIAL VOLLEYBALL - 2008

The Tigers will compete once again in the WPIAL in Class AAA along with 18 other teams.  The top four teams and ties for fourth place will enter the team championships set to begin as early as Tuesday, May 13, 2008.   All playoff entries will be determined by section record only and will be determined by the best section won-loss record.  Teams that tie for first place will not have the tie broken and ALL of the tied teams will be declared section champions, will receive a section winner's plaque, and will be entered into the WPIAL playoffs.  If four or more teams tie for first place, only those teams will qualify for the playoffs.

In the event of a multiple tie (two or more teams) for a playoff position, head-to-head will be the first determinant.  If head-to-head does not break the tie, the following tie-breaking system will be used.  If three or more teams tie for third place and the tie-breaking system identifies one team as the third place team, the remaining teams will be then tied for fourth place and the process begins all over with head-to-head competition being the first determinant for establishing the fourth place.  If a tie cannot be broken, all tied teams will enter the playoffs.  In the event of multiple ties, the following tie-breaking system will be used:

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

All matches will be played with the best of five format.  The top three teams will represent the WPIAL at the PIAA Championships.  A consolation match will be held to determine the third place team.  The PIAA Championships will begin on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 with a Western Regional and the finals will be held on May 30 and 31, 2008.

CLASS AAA - 19 TEAMS

SECTION 1 SECTION 2 SECTION 3
Baldwin NORTH ALLEGHENY Gateway
Bethel Park Butler Hempfield
Canon McMillan Fox Chapel Norwin
Central Catholic North Hills Penn Hills
Mt. Lebanon Seneca Valley Penn Trafford
Upper St. Clair Shaler Plum
- - Woodland Hills

 

 

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

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