NAVB sweeps Armstrong to advance to WPIAL Semifinals
by: Brandon Rossi
The North Allegheny girls volleyball team began its WPIAL playoff journey with a 3-0 sweep of Armstrong Thursday night, winning by scores of 25-16, 25-23, 25-19 on UPMC Court at North Allegheny High School.
The first set went back and forth between the Tigers and the River Hawks. Armstrong held the early lead at 4-1 before both teams traded points until North Allegheny took the lead at 8-7. NA was able to go on 5-0 and 6-0 spurts to seize the advantage for good, building a lead as large as nine points thanks to the play of sophomore standouts Molly Robertson and Alicia Mokube.
The second set was much more back and forth with both sides trading blows, and nobody leading by more than five points. After NA went ahead 13-8, Armstrong scored the next six points to take a 14-13 lead. With the score tied at 23, Robertson registered a kill following a timeout and then the set was iced with a service ace by junior libero Reagan Riordan.
The third set started identically to the first with Armstrong taking a quick 4-1 lead before North Allegheny clawed back and the lead was juggled back and forth. After a Robertson’s kill made the score 12-11, the Tigers would not surrender the lead for the remainder of the set, thus finishing the match with a three-set sweep.
Robertson led the way with 14 kills, 13 digs, and two aces, all team highs. Mokube chipped in nine kills and four blocks. Mokube was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Game. Robertson, Riordan, and junior Keely McMahon-Regan all had two aces, and the other ace was sealed by sophomore Keira Duffy. McMahon-Regan led the team with 22 kills while also tallying 10 digs. Sophomore Mackenzie Jones dished out 10 more assists and added a pair of blocks. Senior Anna Bridges also had double digit digs with 10 and classmate Hannah DeLucia added four kills.
North Allegheny will play in the WPIAL semifinals for the eighth year in a row, where they will play No. 4 Upper St. Clair, which swept Shaler in its quarterfinal match. The date, site and time has yet to be determined.
Girls Volleyball Summary vs. Armstrong, 10-24-24
| SCORE BY SETS | 1 | 2 | 3 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armstrong | 16 | 23 | 19 | 0 |
| North Allegheny | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
