Welcome to the
NORTH ALLEGHENY SPORTS NETWORK

The Official Source of North Allegheny Sports
 

MATCH SUMMARIES

SIX TIGERS ALL-WPIAL, JOHNSON MVP

The WPIAL champion North Allegheny Tigers fittingly have filled the ballot on the All-WPIAL teams in 2011.  As the Tigers continue their run toward a state title, North Allegheny can celebrate the individual achievements of senior Seth Johnson who was named the WPIAL MVP and also earned first team honors.  Other first team members include sophomore Tommy Keisling and junior Zach Shaw.  Senior Steve Ferringer was named to the All-WPIAL second team.   Rounding out the third team is libero Jared Gross and sophomore setter Joe Murphy.  Check out the full list below of the All-WPIAL selections.

ALL-WPIAL FIRST-TEAM

ALL-WPIAL SECOND-TEAM

ALL-WPIAL THIRD-TEAM

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

TIGERS DEFEAT SENECA VALLEY FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT WPIAL CROWN

by Jordan Dee

North Allegheny completed its fifth consecutive WPIAL Class AAA championship run – and 8^th in nine years - with a 3-1 victory over Seneca Valley Friday night at Chartiers Valley.  The Tigers lost the first set (26-24), but swept the next three (31-29, 25-23, and 25-21).

Newly-named WPIAL Class AAA MVP Seth Johnson led North Allegheny with 17 kills. Tommy Keisling was the only other NA player to reach double figures in kills with 10. Zach Shaw added nine kills and two aces. Steve Ferringer had two of his three aces in the second set.

Shaw tied the first set at 1-1 with a kill. After falling behind 3-2, Johnson brought the teams back to even. Back-to-back kills by Seneca Valley’s Brian Pudlo and Ben Hart gave the Raiders a 5-3 edge. Keisling collected kills on two of the next three points to trim the Raiders’ lead to one point. A flurry of errors and a Zach Herrmann kill put Seneca Valley in front, 8-7. Johnson’s second kill and a Raiders error put NA in front for the first time, 9-8. After Herrmann tied the game, errors on both sides ran the score to 11-11. Patrick Follett followed a Brad Parrish kill with an ace to put Seneca in front by two. Johnson again trimmed the lead, but it was stretched to three points courtesy of North Allegheny errors. Another Pudlo kill and a Tigers error made it 17-12 Raiders. Joe Murphy and Ferringer notched kills in a stretch that included service errors on both sides to make the score 19-15 in favor of Seneca Valley. The teams traded errors after Johnson and Herrmann traded kills for a 22-17 score. Derek Wagner and Pudlo picked up two kills each, as the score became 24-20. Three Seneca Valley errors and a Shaw kill tied the game at 24-all. Herrmann picked up a kill and a block to give the Raiders the first set, 26-24.

Parrish and Hart opened the second set with blocks. Five sloppy points and a Johnson kill evened the score at 4-4. Pudlo sandwiched two kills between more error-filled points to give Seneca Valley a 9-6 lead. A kill by Keisling followed by two Seneca errors tied the set at 9-9. Pudlo and Wagner then traded kills. A Tigers’ service error was followed by Ferringer’s only kill of the set. Hart and Murphy notched kills in a stretch that featured two errors on each side to tie the score at 14-all. Chad Albert and Pudlo followed a Raiders’ error with kills to make it 16-15 Seneca Valley. Pudlo then split kills by Keisling and Shaw to tie things at 17. Herrmann followed errors on both sides with a kill for a 19-18 score. After NA tied it up, a kills by Herrmann and Albert combined with a Tigers error gave the Raiders a 22-19 lead. A Johnson kill and Ferringer ace cut the deficit to one point. Shaw and Johnson followed up another Albert kill with points of their own to tie the set at 23-23. A block by Johnson was answered by a Herrmann kill. After the Tigers went in front 25-24 with a Johnson kill, both teams committed service errors. Parrish and Keisling traded kills to make it 27-26 Tigers. The next six points were ended with errors, making the score 30-29. Ferringer delivered an ace to give the Tigers the set and even the match at 1-1.

North Allegheny was staked to a 4-1 lead in the third set courtesy of Raider mistakes. Johnson followed an NA service error with a kill and an ace to extend the early lead to 6-2. Kills by Pudlo and Keisling were followed by back-to-back Raiders errors to make it 9-3. Parrish and Hart cut the Tigers’ lead to four points with kills. Wagner and Shaw each had their kills followed by Seneca errors to run the score to 13-5. The Raiders scored seven of the next eight points to cut their deficit to 14-12. Johnson and Pudlo collected kills, and Cam Knight a block, to make it a 1-point game. An ace by Shaw accounted for the only errorless point in the next six to give North Allegheny a 19-16 lead. Kills by Hart, Herrmann, and Shaw cut the NA lead to two points. Errors on both sides and a kill by Keisling ran the Tigers lead to 22-19. Herrmann then collected three straight kills to tie the set. Shaw put the Tigers back in front. Albert answered a Seneca error with a kill to keep the score at 24-23. A Raiders’ service error gave the Tigers the set and a 2-1 match lead.

Albert and Wagner traded kills to open the fourth set. Herrmann counteracted a Raiders’ error with a kill to even things at 2-2. An NA error gave Seneca a lead that was quickly erased by Johnson and Murphy. Pudlo tied the score. Johnson and Keisling scored on either side of Raider errors to make it 8-4 Tigers. Kills by Pudlo and Johnson, along with two Tiger errors, made it 9-7. Wagner and Keisling sandwiched kills by Hart and Herrmann to keep the NA lead at two points. It would stay that way until a kill and an ace by Herrmann tied the set at 12-all. The teams traded points – and kept things tied – all the way to 20-20. Two kills by Johnson, two Keisling points, a Ferringer ace, and a Murphy kill were among the NA highlights over that span. Johnson and Shaw kills were followed by a Seneca Valley error to give the Tigers a 22-20 lead. Pudlo and Murphy traded kills to get North Allegheny to match point, 24-21. Shaw then finished off the Raiders with an ace.

North Allegheny will face Chambersburg in the opening round of the PIAA Class AAA tournament on Tuesday. Seneca Valley will meet the District 6 champion.

For the PIAA Class AAA volleyball brackets, click here!    

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

TIGERS DOMINATE BUTLER, ADVANCE TO
WPIAL CHAMPIONSHIP

By Jordan Dee

North Allegheny earned a chance at a fifth consecutive WPIAL championship with a decisive 3-0 victory over Section 2 foe Butler in Wednesday’s Class AAA semifinal at Chartiers Valley.  The Tigers won by scores of 25-17, 25-14, and 25-11.

Steve Ferringer led all Tiger hitters with 11 kills. Seth Johnson was dominant up front with nine kills and three blocks. Zach Shaw added seven kills, three blocks, and an ace. Tommy Keisling matched Shaw with seven kills and chipped in with a block.  Joe Murphy distributed the ball well and Jared Gross played a solid defense game as the libero.

Johnson quickly recorded two kills, as the Tigers jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the first set. Shaw broke a streak of errors on both sides with a kill to run the lead to 6-4. After a kill by Xavier Krause and a Tigers’ error cut the lead to one point, Keisling notched a kill-block-kill sequence to make it 10-6. An error on both sides and Jacob Black’s kill combined to make it a 3-point game. Keisling and Ferringer picked up back-to-back points to make it 13-8. Shaw’s third kill of the game snapped another string of error-filled points. Johnson then sandwiched two kills and a block around an NA service error to extend the lead to 18-12. Keisling’s final two kills of the game bookended another Tiger service error and a Krause kill for a 20-15 score. A final Ferringer kill and three Butler errors got the Tigers to game point. Zach Shaw blocked a Golden Tornado attempt to close the set, 25-17.

A Tigers’ error opened the second set, given Butler its one and only lead of the match. The Golden Tornado committed four errors, including two from behind the service line, over the next seven points to give North Allegheny a 6-2 lead. Shaw capped a 5-point service run with an ace and a kill to make it 8-2. Dustin DeFrancisis and Keisling traded kills to keep the lead at six points. NA errors on three of the next four points cut the lead to 10-6. Kills by Keisling and Derek Wilbert were followed by a Butler error and a Shaw block to make it 13-7. Errors on the next three points ran the score to 15-8. A kill by Ferringer and a Johnson block were on either side of service errors by both teams. Johnson split a pair of Tigers’ errors with a kill to make it 19-11. Ferringer followed a Butler service error with back-to-back kills to give North Allegheny a 22-11 lead. Ferringer recorded one more kill and Shaw another block before Butler committed a service error to end the second set, 25-14.

The Golden Tornado made three errors to open the third set. Shaw traded kills with Travis Myers and Wilbert put the Tigers in front 5-2. Five Butler errors over the next eight points ran the Tigers’ lead to 11-4. After an NA error ended the run, Ferringer picked up four kills over a 6-point span to make it 15-7. Kills by Johnson and Ferringer mixed with a handful of Butler errors gave the defending champs a 21-7 edge. Chris Conti collected the eighth of his nine consecutive service points with an ace to extend the lead to 15 points. Two kills by Johnson were separated by a Michael Dreher kill to reach game point at 24-8. Back-to-back errors and a Wilbert block close the gap to 24-11. Shaw ended the match with a block and a 25-11 set win.

Seth Johnson followed last week’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Athlete of the Week selection with a performance worthy of the Wright Automotive North Allegheny Player of the Match.

North Allegheny will face another Section 2 opponent, Seneca Valley, at 8 p.m. Friday in the championship match. The match will be held at Chartiers Valley and broadcast live on the North Allegheny Sports Network.  For the Class AAA volleyball brackets, click here!    

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  BUTLER - 0
 

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

TIGERS READY TO BATTLE BUTLER IN WPIAL SEMIFINALS

North Allegheny’s “drive for five” continues on Wednesday night when the Tigers face off against section rival Butler in the semifinals of the Class AAA Tournament.  The undefeated Tigers, and four-time defending WPIAL Champions, twice defeated the Golden Tornado in the regular season, 3-0 at Butler and 3-1 at North Allegheny.  Butler is one of the few teams to have even taken a set from the Tigers this season and will be a formidable opponent in the semifinal contest. 

North Allegheny enters this match with a record of 14-0, coming off a 3-0 victory over Penn Hills in the quarterfinals.  The Tigers are the top-seed in the Class AAA bracket and received a first round bye prior to their victory over the Indians.  Meanwhile, Butler is 11-4 on the year, having defeated Baldwin 3-0 in the opening round and edging Bethel Park 3-2 in the quarterfinals. 

NA and Butler are not the only teams from Section-2 in the semifinals.  Seneca Valley will battle Norwin, placing three teams in the section in the bracket’s final four.  Both semifinal games will be held at Chartiers Valley High School on Wednesday night, with the North Allegheny-Butler contest getting underway at 7:30 pm.  If you can’t be at Char Valley, you can listen to all the action live on the North Allegheny Sports Network.  For the Class AAA volleyball brackets, click here!    

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

NA ADVANCES TO SEMIFINALS WITH 3-0 WIN
OVER PENN HILLS

The North Allegheny moves on to the semi-finals of the Class AAA WPIAL playoffs by drubbing the Penn Hills Indians 3-0 on Thursday night.  The Tigers won in straight sets by scores of 25-19, 25-15 and 25-19. 

Senior Seth Johnson helped lead the way to the semis by pounding out 16 kills and posting four blocks.  Johnson was the team leader in both of those categories for the match.  Another large contributor was sophomore Tommy Keisling who led NA with eight digs, also amassing 12 kills and an ace along the way.  Joe Murphy set up his teammates all night long with 33 assists and Zach Shaw got in on the action with 10 kills, four digs and three blocks. 

The four-time WPIAL champions will continue their road toward a fifth straight with a meeting against the Butler Golden Tornado next week in the semifinals.  The match is schedule for Wednesday at 7:30 pm at Chartiers Valley High School.  The match will be carried live on the North Allegheny Sports Network. For the Class AAA volleyball brackets, click here!   

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  PENN HILLS - 0
 

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

TIGERS GET TOP SEED, FIRST ROUND BYE

After a perfect 13-0 regular season, the North Allegheny Boys’ Volleyball team was granted a first bye and the top-seed in the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs. The Tigers will host Penn Hills on Thursday night at NASH at 7:30 pm. The Tigers rolled through the regular season, losing only two sets all year. North Allegheny is not only ranked tops in the WPIAL, but also in the state according to the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. For good measure, the Tigers are nationally ranked as well in ESPN’s Fab 50, earning a ranking of 27th. For the Class AAA volleyball brackets, click here!

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

NA FINISHES PERFECT REGULAR SEASON WITH
WIN OVER AMBRIDGE

North Allegheny capped off a perfect regular season by taking down the Ambridge Bridgers on Friday night, 3-0. The win in straight sets saw NA claim victories with scores of 25-17, 25-17 and 25-23.

Senior Seth Johnson was again dominant for the Tigers, leading the team with 13 kills and eight blocks. Sophomore setter Joe Murphy posted 35 assists while also contributing three blocks and three digs. Continuing a season of strong serves, sophomore Tommy Keisling earned another ace, as did Apoorv Dhir and Mike Schmitt. Derek Wagner and Steve Ferringer each notched seven kills and Ferringer added four blocks to his credit. Dhir was the team leader in digs for the match with seven, followed closely by Chris Conti’s and Jared Gross’ four digs apiece.

North Allegheny ends the regular season with a 13-0 and record. The four-time defending WPIAL champion Tigers should most assuredly be the top seed and receive a first round bye when the Class AAA brackets are released.

JV Update: The Tigers defeated Ambridge 2-0 (25-22, 25-15).

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3 AMBRIDGE - 0
 

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

NA FINISHES SECTION SCHEDULE WITH WIN OVER NORTH HILLS

The NA Boys’ Volleyball Team closed out their section schedule with a 3-0 victory at North Hills on Thursday evening.  The Tigers barely broke a sweat by taking victories of 25-16, 25-15, and 25-19. 

As usual it was a complete team effort that dismantled the Indians.  Zach Shaw led the team with three aces and also posted six kills.  Sophomore Tommy Keisling was the squad leader in kills with 14 and added three blocks and two digs.  Seth Johnson dominated with 4.5 blocks and 10 kills.  Rock solid Joe Murphy was stable as usual with 30 assists and four digs.  Martin Majewski led the team in digs with five. 

North Allegheny will close out the regular season schedule with a non-section meeting with Ambridge tonight.  Action gets underway at 7:00 pm. 

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  NORTH HILLS- 0
 

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

NA RIPS RAIDERS, CLINCH SECTION TITLE

To listen to an archived broadcast of the match, click here!

In an atmosphere befitting of the top two teams in the WPIAL in Class AAA Boys’ Volleyball, the North Allegheny Tigers won the Section-2 title with a bang on a big time block by senior Seth Johnson to help give NA a straight sets, 3-0, victory over the Seneca Valley Raiders.  Johnson was the catalyst for the Tigers on this night, posting a team high 15 kills and seven blocks.  It was his seventh block that finished up the Raiders in the third set.  For his efforts, Johnson was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Game.

Right from the start, Johnson made his impact on the rowdy Raiders, who came to North Allegheny vowing to avenge an earlier loss to the Tigers on April 14.  In the early going in set one, it appeared the Raiders might be able to pull it off as they held a 15-11 lead, thanks in large part to junior Brian Pudlo who scored four kills and a block to out SV in front.  Unfortunately for the Seneca Valley, that’s when Johnson stepped to the forefront.  The Tigers’ 6-6 senior pillaged the Raiders for seven kills.  The teams continued to battle back-and-forth in the opening set as the score was tied 25-25 before Tommy Keisling gave the Tigers the lead with a timely kill.  Keisling and Steve Ferringer were also key contributors for North Allegheny, posting five and four kills respectively in set one.  A hitting error by Seneca Valley finished off a 27-25 win by NA to open the match.

The Raiders went toe-to-toe with Tigers again in set two with the teams were locked in a 13-13 tie.  As the set wore on, the Raiders couldn’t keep up with NA as a Zach Shaw ace and kills by Derek Wagner, Johnson and Keisling helped the Tigers stretch their lead to 18-14.  Keisling finished the night with 10 kills and Wagner posted seven.  While the Raiders would battle, the Tigers were on their way to a 25-21 set two victory that was closed out on a kill by Johnson.

In the third and final set, the raw emotion of both teams kept things tight throughout with NA holding a slim 18-17 advantage.  Wagner, who seemed to make the big plays at the most opportune times, earned a kill and block back-to-back to give the Tigers a little breathing room at 20-17.  With NA leading 23-19 a few minutes later, Ferringer posted a block to bring things to match point before Johnson’s block wrapped up the victory.

Among the many contributions from the Tigers, Chris Conti tied for the team lead with Shaw in digs with six.  Joe Murphy led in assists with 38.  Ferringer and Keisling each earned a service ace as well. 

The section champion Tigers, and top-ranked team in the WPIAL, remain undefeated at 12-0 and 10-0 in the section.  Seneca Valley drops to 10-2 overall and 9-2 in the section, with their only blemishes coming against North Allegheny.  The Tigers finish up their section schedule on Thursday night with a visit to North Hills.  Game-time is slated for 7:00 pm.    

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  SENECA VALLEY - 0
 

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

NA GETS REVENGE AGAINST HEMPFIELD, WINS STATE COLLEGE INVITATIONAL

Avenging an earlier loss to District 3 Hempfield at the York Tournament last month, North Allegheny out-dueled the Black Knights 30-18 on Friday to win the State College Invitational.  Hempfield, the second ranked team in the state, narrowly defeated NA 27-25 in April but could not handle North Allegheny in the rematch at State College.  The victory makes it the third time this season the Tigers have finished first at an area invitational.  The State College Invitational featured 36 teams from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, and Indiana. 

Preceding the championship game win over Hempfield, the Tigers raced through pool one with straight set victories over Bethlehem Catholic, Edler (OH), and Elizabethtown.  In the second pool, NA toppled Oak Hills (OH), Wapahani (IN), and Archbishop Alter (OH).  Playoff results saw the Tigers edged Chambersburg 30-28 in the quarterfinals and a semifinal victory over Northeastern 31-29.

Leading the way for the Tigers was junior Zach Shaw who notched 43 kills, followed closely behind by Seth Johnson’s 41 and Tommy Keisling’s 39.  Keisling was the team leader in aces with five.  Shaw, Joe Murphy and Chris Conti all posted four aces Murphy was tied for the team lead with Murphy in digs with 22.  Senior Mike Schmitt notched 21 digs as well.  Senior Derek Wagner did his best impression of a brick wall, posting 18 blocks.  Johnson came up with 14.5 blocks and senior Steve Ferringer followed with 13. 

North Allegheny will try to lock up a section title on Tuesday night when the Tigers host the Seneca Valley Raiders.  You can hear all the action live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network.  The match gets underway at 7:00 pm.         

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

NORTH ALLEGHENY TOPPLES FOXES, 3-0

The white hot North Allegheny Boys’ Volleyball team earned their third win in as many nights with a 3-0 victory over Fox Chapel on Wednesday night.  The Tigers took down the Foxes by scores of 25-23, 25-16, and 25-23.

The straight sets win was spearheaded by senior Seth Johnson who notched 14 kills and five blocks.  Senior Chris Conti led the Tigers in digs with seven.  Joe Murphy followed closely behind with six digs and set up his teammates with 41 assists.  Sophomore Tommy Keisling also had a strong night by posting 10 kills, five digs and an ace. 

North Allegheny is now 11-0 overall on the season and 10-0 in Class AAA, Section-2.  Fox Chapel drops to 7-5 and 6-5 in section play.  The Tigers will take part in the State College Invitational on Friday. 

JV Update: The Tigers JV team defeated the Foxes 2-0 (25-23, 25-11)

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  FOX CHAPEL - 0
 

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

TIGERS TAKE DOWN BUTLER, 3-1

For the second straight night North Allegheny went head-to-head with a team ranked in the top five in the WPIAL, and for the second straight night the Tigers proved victorious.  Living up to their own top ranking in the WPIAL, North Allegheny defeated Butler on Tuesday night, 3-1.  The Tigers took the match with scores of 25-15, 25-19, 23-25, and 25-18.

Despite sitting in an 8-8 tie in the opening set of the night, North Allegheny stormed through the Golden Tornado behind the play of junior Zach Shaw.  Shaw posted five kills, a block and an ace to help the Tigers take set one, 25-15.  Senior Seth Johnson aided NA with four kills of his own, on his way to a team high 15 kills for the night. 

In set two, the Tigers had their fair share of service errors that allowed Butler to hang around at 21-19.  However, Tommy Keisling made sure those errors would not come back to haunt the Tigers as he posted three consecutive kills to give NA a 24-19 advantage.  A Butler error gave the Tigers the game point and a 25-19 victory in the second set.

With Butler’s back against the wall, the Golden Tornado fought back to extend the action.  Quiet most of the night, junior Xavier Krause suddenly came alive with four kills, a block and an ace to lead Butler to a 25-23 set three win.  Dustin DeFrancisis also posted a pair of kills, including the set winner. 

Butler continued to hang tough in set four, but with the set tied at 14-14, North Allegheny began to pull away.  Steve Ferringer and Shaw posted a pair of kills apiece down the stretch and Johnson finished off the Golden Tornado with a game ending spike. 

While Johnson led NA in kills, Ferringer paced the team with six blocks and Keisling notched 13 digs.  Setter Joe Murphy of course collected a team best 47 assists.  Though he didn’t specifically lead in any statistical category, the presence of Shaw steadied the Tigers throughout the game and set the tone with a strong opening set.  Shaw finished the match with 12 kills, five blocks, three digs and an ace.  For his efforts, Shaw was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Match.

North Allegheny improves to 10-0 overall and 9-0 in Section-2.  Butler falls to 9-3 overall and 7-3 in the section.  The Tigers return to action tonight with a visit to Fox Chapel.  Play gets underway at 7:00 pm.     

JV Update: The Tigers JV team defeated the Golden Tornado 2-0 (25-18, 25-20)

To listen to Randy Gore's interview with Tigers senior Steve Ferringer prior to the match with Butler, click here!  You can find other player and coach interviews from NA athletics at the "audio vault" link at the top right of this web page. 

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  BUTLER - 1
 

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

TIGERS WIN JOUST WITH KNIGHTS, 3-1

While the Tigers did actually lose a set for the first time this season, North Allegheny ultimately triumphed over the previously unbeaten Norwin Knights on Monday night, 3-1.  To their credit, Norwin gave the Tigers a run for their money in the early going, taking the first set by a 25-22 score.  The opening set was a see-saw battle that had each teams trading jabs and points throughout.  Senior Seth Johnson helped the Tigers keep pace with the Knights, providing a block and a pair of kills late in the set to bring NA to within a point at 22-21.  Johnson led the Tigers with 16 kills and eight blocks in the contest.  However, Norwin’s Dylan Park, Ben Baird and Nate Derry all notched kills to close out the set and give the Knights a 1-0 match lead. 

Norwin continued to ride their momentum for a quick 3-0 lead in the second set, but North Allegheny began to assert their typical dominance and eventually took a 10-9 lead on a kill by Steve Ferringer.  Ferringer notched four more kills and a block to help NA to a 25-19 victory in set two.  The Tigers were also aided by numerous service errors by the Knights as four such self inflicted wounds contributed to the NA cause.

In set three, it was the Tigers who grabbed an early 4-1 lead behind two kills by Johnson, one by Tommy Keisling and a block by Zach Shaw.  Those three players would lead the charge for NA that put the Tigers in command at 23-15.  Like in the set two, the Knights jousted their way back into the game, this time behind Joe Supko and several North Allegheny errors.  The Knights closed the gap to within 24-20 before a Norwin error finished off a 25-20 victory in the third set.

A nip and tuck affair was in store for set four, with neither team capable of finish the other off until the Tigers grabbed a 28-27 lead on a Norwin error.  That’s when Jared Gross served up an ace to claim the set and the match, sending the Knights home with their first loss of the season.  Keisling was outstanding in set four, posting five kills.  Shaw also came up with four kills and ended the match with 10. 

While there were a bevy of different players who were instrumental to the win, the North Allegheny Sports Network chose setter Joe Murphy as the Wright Automotive Player of the Match.  Murphy closed the night with a remarkable 51 assists and also picked up seven digs, six blocks and three kills.

North Allegheny improves to 9-0 overall on the season following the non-section win, while Norwin falls to 8-1.  The Tigers will return to section play by hosting the Butler Golden Tornado tonight.  You can listen to the game live via the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network.  All the action begins at 7:00 pm. 

JV Update: The Tigers JV team defeated the Rams 2-0 (25-15, 25-17)

To listen to Randy Gore's interview with Tigers head volleyball coach Dan Schall prior to the match with Norwin, click here!  You can find other player and coach interviews from NA athletics at the "audio vault" link at the top right of this web page. 

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  NORWIN - 1
 

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

SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND FOR
TIGERS JV SQUAD

The North Allegheny Boys’ Volleyball JV team came away from the weekend with a 2^nd place finish at the Penn Hills Tournament.  The JV Tigers ended the tournament with a 10-1 record, falling to Penn-Trafford 25-22 in the title game.  The NA varsity team will host Norwin on Monday.  Action begins at 7:00 pm at NASH and the game will be carried live on the internet on the North Allegheny Sports Network. 

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

TIGERS ROADBLOCK RAMS FOR 3-0 WIN

North Allegheny won their eighth straight game with a 3-0 straight sets win over the Pine-Richland Rams on Tuesday night.  The Tigers pounded Pine-Richland in the first set by a 25-6 score and then followed that up with back-to-back 25-18 wins in sets two and three. 

Senior Steve Ferringer had a strong night with six kills, three blocks and an ace.  Senior Seth Johnson also notched six kills along with two blocks.  Joe Murphy picked up 24 assists and five digs.  Dominic LaBella led NA with three aces, while Apoorv Dhir paced the Tigers with seven digs.  Jared Gross was solid by collecting six digs and two aces.

North Allegheny’s record now sits at 8-0 overall and in the section.  Pine-Richland is still winless at 0-7 in the section and 0-8 overall.  The Tigers have most of the week off until Saturday when the NA JV team will compete at the Penn Hills Invitational.   

JV Update: The Tigers JV team defeated the Rams 2-0 (25-18, 25-13)

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  PINE-RICHLAND - 0
 

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

TIGERS DEMOLISH SHALER, 3-0

The North Allegheny Boys’ Volleyball team had little trouble with section foe Shaler on Wednesday evening, chopping down the Titans with a 3-0 victory.  The Tigers torched Shaler with scores of 25-8, 25-13 and 25-9. 

Junior Zach Morton helped keep Shaler off balance with his five aces on the night.  Senior Seth Johnson used his 6’6 frame to blast eight kills and make three blocks along the way.  Joe Murphy picked up 14 assists and five digs while Dominic Labella earned six assists and five digs.  A number of different Tigers saw action in this game as NA controlled the pace from start to finish.

The Tigers will rest up over Spring Break before visiting the Pine-Richland Rams on Tuesday, April 26 at 7:00 pm.  

JV Update: The Tigers JV team defeated the Rams 2-0 (25-9, 25-18)

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  SHALER - 0
 

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

NA HAMMERS NORTH HILLS

Along with the Tigers baseball and softball teams, the NA Boys’ Volleyball team completed a sweep of the rival North Hills Indians by North Allegheny on Monday night with a 3-0 win.  The Tigers toppled the Indians with scores of 25-15, 25-18, and 26-24.

Sophomore Joe Murphy once again led the Tigers in assists with 29 and also notched a block and a dig.  Steve Ferringer’s serves kept the Indians off balance as the senior posted five aces.  Sophomore Tommy Keisling pummeled North Hills with 15 kills, followed closely by Seth Johnson’s 11 kills and Zach Shaw’s nine.  Johnson and Dominic Labella each posted a pair of blocks.  Shaw paced NA in digs with 10. 

North Allegheny remains undefeated with a 6-0 record overall and in Section-2, Class AAA.  North Hills drops to 2-4 overall and in section play.  The Tigers host section foe Shaler on Wednesday night. 

JV Update: The Tigers JV team defeated the Indians 2-0 (25-8, 25-13)  

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

TIGERS REACH QUARTERFINALS AT
YORK TOURNAMENT

For the second time in less than a week, the North Allegheny Boys’ Volleyball team battled one of the top teams in the state.  Ranked second in the state themselves, NA toppled fourth-ranked Seneca Valley on Thursday night, and at the York Tournament the Tigers met third-ranked Hempfield from District 3.  Unfortunately for NA the Black Knights won this tournament quarterfinal contest, 27-25.  After finishing second in Pool C, the Tigers defeated Garden Spot 25-17 in the first round before falling to Hempfield.

Among the top players for the Tigers at the York Tournament were Zach Shaw who led the way in kills with 27 and four aces.  Seth Johnson tallied 13 blocks while also netting 22 kills.  Joe Murphy set up teammates with 80 assists.  Libero Jared Gross came through with 21 digs, followed closely by Tommy Keisling's 19 digs.  Steve Ferringer's typical all around play saw him post 10 kills, five blocks and three aces. 

The Tigers return to section play with a match-up against rival North Hills on Monday night.  Action at NASH gets underway at 7:00 pm.

JV Update: The Tigers JV team won their tournament in York, PA on Friday, defeating Central York 25-17 in the championship game.  It is the fifth year in a row that North Allegheny has won the York JV Tournament.   

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

TIGERS CONTINUE ROLL WITH WIN
OVER SENECA VALLEY

In a major test for the defending WPIAL champions, the Tigers earned a hard fought victory over the Seneca Valley Raiders on Thursday night, 3-0.  While the Tigers won in straight sets, each set went down to the wire with NA winning 26-24, 25-22, and 25-23.

Senior Seth Johnson was again a main catalyst for North Allegheny's success.  Johnson posted 11 kills, two digs, and a team high nine blocks on the night.  Zach Shaw was the top contributor in kills with 13.  Shaw added five blocks and three digs as well.  Senior Steve Ferringer notched eight kills, three blocks and an ace in the victory.  Sophomore Tommy Keisling lead the Tigers with seven digs and chipped in with eight kills.  Joe Murphy was the top assist man with 37.

The victory gives the Tigers a 5-0 record overall and in the section, and most importantly sole possession of first place in Section-2, Class AAA.  Seneca Valley falls to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in the section.  North Allegheny will take part in the York tournament over the weekend. 

JV Update: The JV team beat Seneca Valley 2-0 (25-18, 25-23). 

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  SENECA VALLEY - 0
 

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

NA TAKES DOWN FOXES, 3-0

With a 3-0 straight set victory over Fox Chapel, the North Allegheny Tigers won their fourth game in a row on Tuesday night.  It was a rematch of the 2010 WPIAL Class AAA championship and the results were ultimately the same as NA earned another win over the Foxes.  The Tigers jumped to a quick start thanks to junior Zach Shaw, who posted four kills and one ace in the opening set.  North Allegheny grabbed a 12-4 lead in set one and continued to cruise on five kills by senior Seth Johnson and five more kills by sophomore Tommy Keisling.  The Tigers took the first set by a 25-13 score.

Fox Chapel came out determined to sway the momentum back in their favor in set two.  The Foxes earned an early 3-1 lead and held a 6-5 advantage before the Tigers took the momentum away.  Keisling tied the game at 6-6 with a kill and served up a pair of aces to put NA up 8-6.  Senior Steve Ferringer added a kill, one of his seven kills on the night, to give the Tigers a 9-6 lead.  The usual suspects of Keisling and Johnson helped stretch out the North Allegheny advantage with nine combined kills to up the lead to 22-14.  To their credit, the Foxes rebound by taking six of the next eight points to cut the score to 24-20.  However, a kill by Shaw ended the Fox Chapel rally and the Tigers claimed set two by a 25-20 score.

The Tigers pounced on the Foxes in set three as Shaw paced North Allegheny to a 6-0 lead by contributing with three kills.  With numerous substitutions hitting the floor, NA rolled to a 23-11.  Senior Derek Wagner posted a pair of kills junior Kevin Rogers came off the bench for an immediate block.  North Allegheny closed out the set and the game on a block by J.J. Scherer to give the Tigers a 25-13 win.

For the match, Keisling led the Tigers with 14 kills and two aces.  Thanks to beautiful sets by sophomore Joe Murphy, Keisling was a menace to the Foxes all night long.  For his efforts, Keisling was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Match by the North Allegheny Sports Network.  Murphy also set the table for most of Johnson’s sets, who posted 12 kills.  Murphy finished the night with 35 assists and led the Tigers with four digs. 

After the win, North Allegheny’s record now sits at 4-0 overall and in section play.  Fox Chapel falls to 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the section.  The defending WPIAL champions face a major test on Thursday night with a visit to Seneca Valley.  Action gets underway at 7:00 pm.       

JV Update: The JV team beat Fox Chapel 2-0 (25-17, 25-21). 

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  FOX CHAPEL - 0
 

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

NA WINS BATTLE OF UNBEATENS
WITH BUTLER

The North Allegheny Boys’ Volleyball team remained undefeated and knocked Butler from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 3-0 win over the Golden Tornado on Thursday night.  The Tigers took down the Golden Tornado in straight sets with scores of 25-23, 25-20, and 25-22.  Sophomore Tommy Keisling was strong for the Tigers, providing two aces, 14 kills, one block and even one dig. 

Senior Steve Ferringer chipped in with 13 kills, two digs and one block.  Seth Johnson provided a spark with 12 kills and four blocks.  Jared Gross led NA in the digs category with 15, followed closely behind by Mike Schmitt’s 12 and Joe Murphy’s seven.  Murphy also posted 37 assists for the team lead in that category. 

North Allegheny improves to 3-0 on the season and 3-0 in the section.  Butler falls to 3-1 in overall and in the section.  The Tigers face Fox Chapel at home on Tuesday in another section match.     

JV Update: The JV team beat Butler 2-0 (25-18, 25-20). 

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  BUTLER - 0
 

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

TIGERS TAKE FIRST PLACE AT
 DERRY INVITATIONAL

With already one first place finish captured at the North Allegheny Invitational last week, the Tigers added more hardware to the trophy case with a first place showing at the Derry Invitational on Saturday.  Starting the tournament in pool play, NA defeated Baldwin and OLSH, 2-0. In the first place pool, the Tigers defeated Altoona 2-0, fell to Derry 2-0 and split with Penn-Trafford 1-1.  After concluding pool play, North Allegheny faced Latrobe in the quarterfinals and topped the Wildcats 25-18.  In a rematch with Derry in the semifinals, the Tigers edged the Trojans 25-23 and wrapped up the tournament with a 25-15 victory over Penn-Trafford in the championship game.

Leaders for North Allegheny at the all-day tournament included sophomore Tommy Keisling who posted 12 aces.  Seth Johnson hammered opponents with 58 kills.  Joe Murphy set up his teammates with 119 assists.  Derek Wagner frustrated opponents with 16 blocks and Jared Gross notched 32 digs.

The undefeated Tigers will return to action on Thursday night in a section match with Butler.  Play gets underway at 7:00 pm at Butler High School.       

JV Update: The JV team defeated Latrobe 25-12 in the championship game.

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

NA SWEEPS RAMS WITH EASE, 3-0

In a 3-0 straight sets victory, the North Allegheny Tigers cruised through the Pine Richland Rams on Thursday night.  The Tigers took down the Rams by scores of 25-6, 25-9, and 25-12.  A bevy of NA players contributed to the win, including junior Zach Shaw who produced four aces and four kills in the match.  For his effort, Shaw was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Match. 

In set one, it was Shaw’s serves that had Pine-Richland baffled in the to start.  After a Seth Johnson kill put the Tigers in front at 3-2, Shaw delivered three consecutive aces to bring the NA advantage to 6-2.  From there, things quickly got away from the Rams as the Tigers controlled the play in a 25-6 opening set win.  Amongst a battery of kills and blocks for North Allegheny, sophomore Tom Keisling notched three kills and Johnson posted an additional kill and a block for NA.

The Tigers pounced on the Rams again in the second set by jumping out to a 5-0 lead, and not long after, a 10-1 lead.  Apoorv Dhir posted three aces in the 25-9 win in set two.  J.J. Scherer added three kills and a block.

Pine-Richland easily put together their most cohesive play in the third set, jostling with the Tigers back and forth in the early going.  With the set tied at 4-4, it was Shaw who helped sway things back in the Tigers direction with a kill to give a NA a 5-4 lead.  Sophomore Daniel Rodgers then scored three of the Tigers next four points with kills to help North Allegheny widen the gap to 9-5.  A bit later in the set, Mike Schmitt posted three kills to put NA on top 15-7.  Junior Martin Majewski capped the 25-12 set victory with a tapper that rolled along the net before finally dropping over the Pine-Richland side of the floor.

For the game, Keisling ended the night with six kills while Joe Murphy led the Tigers in digs with six and assists with 10.  Suyash Fulay also posted 10 assists to tie Murphy in that category.  Junior Kevin Rogers led in blocks with three. 

With the Section-2 AAA win, North Allegheny improves to 2-0 overall and 2-0 in the section.  Falling in their season opener, Pine-Richland is now 0-1.  The Tigers are back in action this weekend at the Derry Invitational on Saturday.           

JV Update: The JV team beat Pine-Richland 2-0 (25-8, 25-13). 

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  PINE-RICHLAND - 0
 

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

TIGERS TOPPLE SHALER 3-0

The NA Boys Volleyball team collected their first section win of the season on Tuesday night with a 3-0 road victory over the Shaler Titans.  The Tigers didn’t have much trouble with Shaler by winning consecutive games 25-10, 25-13, and 25-13.

Zach Shaw helped lead North Allegheny with four aces and six kills.  Tommy Keisling added six kills and six digs.  Senior Chris Conti notched six digs, while Joe Murphy posted six digs and led the team with 11 assists.  Seth Johnson posted four blocks in the winning effort.

The Tigers are back at home on Thursday night for a meeting with the Pine-Richland Rams.  You can hear all the action live on the North Allegheny Sports Network.  Action gets underway at 7:00 pm.

JV Update: The JV team beat Shaler 2-0 (25-6, 25-12). 

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

TIGERS WIN NORTH ALLEGHENY INVITATIONAL

The defending WPIAL champions in boys’ volleyball started the year in grand style by winning the North Allegheny Invitational on Saturday.  The Tigers edged Central York 26-24 in the championship game.  NA's trek to the invitational title game began in pool play where the Tigers defeated Ambridge, Penn Hills and Manheim Central.  In the subsequent round of pool play. NA split with Penn-Trafford and defeated Fox Chapel and Plum.  In the playoffs, North Allegheny earned a 25-15 win over Shaler in the preliminary round and then followed that up with a 25-19 victory over Manheim Central in the quarterfinals.  In the semifinals of the tournament, the Tigers topped Penn-Trafford, 25-20. 

Senior MB Seth Johnson's play aided the Tigers toward the invitational title.  Johnson led NA with 15 blocks on the day, added 34 kills and led the team in hitting percentage at a .569 clip.  Sophomore Tommy Keisling was the squad leader in kills with 44.  Zach Shaw was another key contributor with 43 kills and six aces.  Jared Gross notched 22 digs, followed by Chris Conti's 20.  Joe Murphy was tops among the Tigers with 14 assists.  Senior Steve Ferringer was solid with 21 kills and four aces.  The Tigers will open section play with a match against Shaler on Tuesday night.  Action gets underway at 7:00 pm at Shaler High School.   

JV Update: The JV team lost to Central York 25-23 in the semifinals. 

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

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