Tigers Bedevil Blue Devils In WPIAL Quarterfinals, 3-0
by Randy Gore
The top-seeded North Allegheny boys’ volleyball team opened the WPIAL playoffs on Thursday night with a 3-0 sweep over eighth-seeded Mt. Lebanon in the quarterfinal round at UPMC Court.
The Tigers secured convincing victories in the first two sets, winning 25-15 and 25-13, thanks to a well-rounded performance. Junior Brendan Moore paced the attack with nine kills, while fellow junior Will Robertson followed with eight kills. Juniors Elliott Swierczynski and Jackson Failla facilitated the offense with 17 and 15 assists, respectively.
The Blue Devils, who were making their first WPIAL playoff appearance since the boys’ volleyball program went dark in 2011, weren’t going down without a fight in the third set and built a 20-15 lead. Facing a five-point deficit, North Allegheny staged a rally and went on a 6-0 run thanks in part to the serving of Robertson. The run was sparked by a Robertson kill, and included a block by senior Garen White and a pair of kills by Moore. With NA leading 21-20, the two teams traded barbs down the stretch and were deadlocked 23-23. Junior Peter Bratich gave NA a 24-23 lead with a kill and senior Eli Braun followed with a match-clinching block to cap a 25-23 triumph.
One of the deciding factors in the victory was NA’s dominance at the net. Leading the Tigers in that department was White, who tallied a team-high six blocks and added five kills on offense. For his efforts, White was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Game.
On defense, senior libero Emmett Morris totaled a team-best 13 digs, followed by Robertson’s 10 digs. Junior defensive specialist Nicholas Di Prato registered nine blocks and provided a spark off the bench with athletic plays in the first set.
With the win, North Allegheny improves to 13-1 overall and advances to the WPIAL semifinals to face section rival Pine-Richland on Tuesday night at a site and time to be determined. Mt. Lebanon’s season comes to a close with a 14-2 mark.
Boys Volleyball Summary vs. Mt. Lebanon, 5-15-25
| SCORE BY SETS | 1 | 2 | 3 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Lebanon | 15 | 13 | 23 | 0 |
| North Allegheny | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
