NA Knocks Off Top-Ranked Shaler, 3-1
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
| GAME SUMMARY | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCORE BY SETS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Shaler | 23 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 1 |
| North Allegheny | 25 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 3 |