Tigers Tame Little Lions in PIAA Quarterfinals, 3-0
By Randy Gore
The North Allegheny boys’ volleyball team extended its winning streak to 15 in a row with a 3-0 sweep over State College on Saturday afternoon at Indiana Area High School. The Tigers caged the Little Lions by set scores of 25-15, 25-14 and 25-19.
The District 6 champion Little Lions stormed out of the gates in the first set and took an early 4-0 lead, including a block by George Mason University commit Derrick Campbell to cap the run. North Allegheny answered back with a 4-0 run of its own and tied the score at 4-4 on an ace by senior Will Robertson. With State College holding a slim 6-5 lead, the tide turned when North Allegheny put together an 8-0 run that was sparked by senior Brendan Moore. He accounted for five consecutive points during the NA surge, including three kills and two blocks, and the Tigers held a 14-6 lead. From that point on, the Tigers controlled the action and cruised to a 25-15 win.
For his momentum-turning contributions, Moore was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Match. He powered the NA offense with a team-best 12 kills and added four blocks and eight digs.
In the second set, the Tigers led 11-8 before taking control of the game thanks to a 6-0 run. Robertson led a well-balanced attack with three kills and spearheaded a 25-14 victory. Robertson totaled nine kills on the afternoon.
State College played its best game of the day in set three and went toe-to-toe with North Allegheny. Trailing 8-7, the Little Lions clawed their way to a 12-8 lead on the strength of a 5-0 run. The effort was sparked in large part by sophomore Max Henning’s five kills. The State College outside hitter finished with a team-best 10 kills. Despite the Little Lions’ uprising, North Allegheny erased a 14-10 deficit with a 7-0 run and rode that wave of momentum en route to a 25-19 win and closed out a 3-0 sweep.
Along with Moore and Robertson, other NA contributors included senior Peter Bratich, who delivered a team-high five blocks and four kills. Senior libero Ethan Morris provided stellar defense and led the team with 14 digs. The setter duo of Jackson Failla and Elliot Swierczynski dished out 12 and 11 assists, respectively.
With the win, North Allegheny improves to 15-0 overall and advances to the PIAA semifinals to face section rival Butler. State College’s season comes to an end with a record of 11-5. Tuesday’s state semifinal contest will be broadcast live by the North Allegheny Sports Network.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL SUMMARY VS. STATE COLLEGE, 6-6-26
| SCORE BY SETS | 1 | 2 | 3 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State College | 15 | 14 | 19 | 0 |
| North Allegheny | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
