Boys' Volleyball News

by Randy Gore

In a rematch of the last two WPIAL Class AAA championships, the North Allegheny boys’ volleyball team earned a measure of revenge against the Shaler Titans, 3-0, on Tuesday night at UPMC Court. The Tigers prevailed by set scores of 25-14, 25-18 and 26-24.

Shaler, the 2024 PIAA champions and winners of two consecutive district titles, dropped down to Class AA this season. Ranked No. 6 by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association in Class AA, the Titans faced a motivated North Allegheny squad ranked No. 2 in the state by the PVCA in Class AAA.

The Tigers stormed out of the gates in set one and cruised to a 25-14 victory. In a well-balanced attack, NA capitalized on numerous Shaler service errors and was sparked by three kills and a block by junior Brendan Moore in game one.

Junior Jackson Failla started set two with a pair of aces for a quick 2-0 lead, but service errors on both sides saw the Titans draw even, 7-7. Two kills by junior Will Robertson helped NA regain the advantage at 12-9, but following another service error, North Allegheny head coach Dan Long called a timeout. The timeout proved beneficial to the Tigers’ cause, as Moore immediately answered the call with two kills and a block to increase the NA lead to 15-10. From that point on, North Allegheny seized control and pulled away for a 25-18 victory. A block by junior Luke Conlon, a tip by senior James Zimmer and a finishing kill by senior Brandon Goetz capped game two.

The third set was a much closer affair as Shaler held a 24-23 lead with an opportunity to force a fourth set. However, another timely timeout by Coach Long turned the tables. North Allegheny rattled off three consecutive points, aided by a Garen White and Nathan May kill to secure a 26-24 triumph. Senior Matthew LaMay provided pivotal points along the way with three kills and an ace in set three.

On a well-rounded effort with most of the roster seeing floor, Moore provided the most consistent performance throughout the night with an unofficial eight kills and three blocks to earn Wright Automotive Player of the Match honors.

Following the season-opening win, North Allegheny will visit North Hills for another non-section match on Thursday night before hosting the annual NA Invitational on Saturday.

Boys Volleyball Summary vs. Shaler, 3-18-25

SCORE BY SET	1st	2nd	3rd	Final
Shaler	14	18	24	0
North Allegheny	25	25	26	3