NA Tops North Hills In Section Matchup
by Jared Barton
After winning the Derry Invitational title over the weekend, the North Allegheny boys’ volleyball team swept section foe North Hills at UPMC Court on Monday night.
The Tigers needed to dig themselves out of an early hole in the first set after starting down 6-0 in the early stages. Seniors Jeremiah Satcho and Stone Gaertner pulled NA back into the frame with multiple timely kills and blocks. Sophomores Peter Bratich, Brendan Moore and Will Robertson worked with junior Eli Braun to continue the comeback, as NA didn’t tie the set until 20 apiece. The teams went back and forth until a North Hills service error and Robertson kill secured the set 25-23 for the Tigers. Senior Ryan Quatman had the lone ace in the first frame for NA.
North Allegheny’s early struggles initially hampered the team in set two, but the deep roster and experienced squad fought back. Satcho, Bratich and Robertson registered three kills in a row, while senior Will Hahn notched an ace as North Allegheny took a 4-2 advantage. Senior Nicolas Carioto earned a block, while junior Matthew LaMay recorded a kill and sophomore Elliott Swierczynski notched an ace to keep ahead of North Hills. The Indians eventually clawed back into the set and tied it at 20. Kills from Braun, Satcho and Bratich (off the best sequence of the match) paired with a North Hills service error gave the Tigers a 25-23 set two win.
NA found their usual stride in set three and pushed out to an early 7-5 lead. The Tigers then scored 10 straight points in a row, including three straight kills from Gaertner, a Carioto ace, a kill from senior Josh Farr, a block from senior Theo Wilkinson and an additional two kills from Gaertner plus another ace from Carioto. Late kills from LaMay and sophomore Nathan May kept set three much shorter. The Tigers took the final frame 25-17 on a kill from junior Brandon Goetz.
Gaertner earned Wright Automotive Player of the Game laurels for his unofficial 10 kill – three block performance.
The Tigers improve to 2-0 overall and in section to start the young season. NA hits the road Tuesday to face Fox Chapel in another section match.
Boys Volleyball Summary vs. North Hills, 4-8-24
| GAME SUMMARY | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCORE BY SETS | 1 | 2 | 3 | FINAL |
| North Hills | 23 | 23 | 17 | 0 |
| North Allegheny | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |