Boys' Volleyball Game Summaries

by Jared Barton

The North Allegheny Boys Volleyball team earned a Senior Night victory over Fox Chapel 3-0 at UPMC Court Thursday night. The Tigers beat the Foxes 25-22, 25-23 and 25-14 in consecutive sets.

A veteran-laden lineup took care of business in set one, with strong play from seniors Sam Kinzler and Stone Gaertner. Gaertner finished the first frame with four kills and a block in the first set. Kinzler tallied six kills in the first, including the final two points to secure the set after Fox Chapel rallied late. Fellow senior Theo Wilkinson also registered three kills in the first set.

North Allegheny and Fox Chapel battled hard in the second set, as Gaertner continued his dominance on the floor. He finished with two more kills as well as a block that he earned with senior Jeremiah Satcho at the end of the stanza. Senior Josh Farr registered an early kill, while senior Nicolas Carioto tallied the first of two aces on the night.

Other members of the Tigers squad entered the final set, as sophomore Brendan Moore teamed up with fellow sophomore Jackson Failla to provide multiple kills. Sophomore Peter Bratich notched a kill in the middle of the frame along with Junior Elijah Braun who had two kills and a block. Juniors Ryan Young and Ryan Dyga ended set three with a kill and a block respectively.

Senior Will Hahn led the team in digs with 16, while Carioto accumulated a game-high 29 assists.

Kinzler earned Wright Automotive Player of the Game laurels for his 10-kill performance.

With the win, North Allegheny improves to 9-1 on the season. The team is back in action Saturday in State College for the State College Invitational ahead of the final week of the regular season.

Boys Volleyball Summary vs. Fox Chapel, 5-2-24

The North Allegheny boys’ volleyball team earned a 3-0 sweep at Butler on Tuesday in Section 2-AAA action. The Tigers, now ranked No. 2 in the state in the latest PVCA Top 10 poll,  earned the victory by set scores of 25-20, 25-23 and 25-16.

In a well-balanced effort, senior Stone Gaertner and sophomore Peter Bratich paced the offense with 10 kills each. Senior Jeremiah Satcho added to the attack with seven kills. Senior setter Nicolas Carioto facilitated the offense with 25 assists.

At the net, Satcho and sophomore Will Robertson posted two blocks apiece. Sophomore Elliott Swierczynski posted a team-high two aces. On defense, senior libero Will Hahn notched a team-high 17 digs, followed by Swierczynski and senior Josh Farr with eight digs each.

North Allegheny leaps to 8-1 overall and in section play. Butler slips to 8-6 overall and 5-5 in the section. The Tigers look to continue their winning ways on Thursday night with a home date against Fox Chapel. The section contest will be broadcast live by the North Allegheny Sports Network.

Boys Volleyball Summary vs. Butler, 4-30-24

Coming off a thrilling win over top-ranked Shaler, the North Allegheny boys’ volleyball rode that momentum toward a 3-0 sweep at North Hills on Friday night. The Tigers prevailed by set scores of 25-19, 25-19 and 25-17.

Leading the attack was senior Stone Gaertner with nine kills, followed by sophomore Will Robertson with eight kills. Senior Sam Kinzler chipped in with five kills.

Senior middle blocker Theo Wilkinson protected the net with a team-best three blocks. Junior Eli Braun tallied one ace, while senior libero Will Hahn paced the defense with nine digs. Junior defensive specialist Aidan Mowry and senior setter Nicolas Carioto totaled four digs each. Carioto also led the team in assists with 21. Sophomore Jackson Failla and junior James Zimmer helped facilitate the offense with eight and seven assists.

The victory propels North Allegheny’s record to 7-1 overall and in section play. North Hills falls to 5-7 overall and 2-7 in Section 2-AAA. The Tigers will look to continue their winning ways with a visit to Butler on Tuesday night.

Boys Volleyball Summary vs. North Hills, 4-26-24

For the third time in 11 days, the North Allegheny boys’ volleyball team faced off against the top-ranked team in the state, the Shaler Titans. Following previous losses to the Titans at the Koller Classic and in section play last week, the third time was the charm for the Tigers, who knocked off their section foe, 3-1. The Tigers triumphed over the Titans at UPMC Court by set scores of 25-23, 23-25, 26-24 and 25-22.

It was a night of resiliency for the Tigers, who displayed their mettle when times got tough. NA’s stoicism was on full display in set one, trailing 20-18. Following a timeout by head coach Dan Long, the Tigers rallied back on the big swings of sophomore Will Robertson for a 25-23 win. Robertson finished with a game-high 24 kills, to go along with 11 digs and two aces.

Shaler answered back in a seesaw second set and prevailed, 25-23, thanks to four kills from senior Dante Palombo. Palombo tallied a team-high 12 kills on the night for the Titans.

In the third set, Shaler built a 24-22 lead thanks to the southpaw swings of senior Peyton Planz, who finished with 10 kills. However, North Allegheny once again rallied and rattled off a 4-0 run to claim a 26-24 victory. A kill by sophomore Brendan Moore, a tip by Robertson, a block by sophomore Peter Bratich, and another kill by Moore, capped the comeback. Bratich had a strong night in the middle with 10 kills and four blocks, while Moore had a breakout performance with 12 kills and three blocks. For his efforts, Moore was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Match.

In the fourth and final set, North Allegheny trailed 19-17 before yet another comeback. Robertson had six kills in the set and Moore contributed timely kills to help NA prevail 25-22 and cap a 3-1 victory.

Junior Matthew LaMay posted nine kills, three blocks and two aces to help spark the Tigers. Additionally, senior Jeremiah Satcho totaled four blocks, while senior libero Will Hahn tallied a team-high 20 digs and a pair of aces. Senior setters Nicolas Carioto and Ryan Quatman contributed 30 and 20 assists, respectively.

The win pulls North Allegheny into a first-place tie with Shaler with both teams sitting at 6-1 in Section 1-6A. The Tigers look to continue their winning ways on Friday night with a section visit to North Hills.

Boys Volleyball Summary vs. Shaler, 4-23-24

by Jared Barton

The North Allegheny boys’ volleyball team suffered its first setback of the season Friday night on the road to reigning WPIAL Champion Shaler, 3-1. The Tigers won the first set, 26-24, but the Titans took the remaining sets 25-21, 30-28 and 25-16.

The Tigers were paced by sophomore Will Robertson, who notched a team-high 22 kills while adding nine digs and five blocks. Senior Stone Gaertner had a solid night on the floor registering 12 kills and an ace. Senior Jeremiah Satcho and Sophomore Peter Bratich each had seven kills with five blocks. Senior Will Hahn tallied 20 digs, while fellow senior Nicholas Carioto had 47 assists and eight digs. Senior Ryan Quatman also added six assists.

North Allegheny falls to 5-1 both overall and in section play. It’s a quick turnaround for both squads, as NA and Shaler meet up again Tuesday night at North Allegheny for a 7:00 p.m. start. The contest will be broadcast live by the North Allegheny Sports Network.

Boys Volleyball Summary vs. Shaler, 4-19-24