NA gets its revenge, beats Central York

A PIAA Class 3A semifinal match Tuesday between North Allegheny and Central York was a rematch of the 2017 title match. A year ago, Central York posted a 31 win, but North Allegheny gained revenge with a 3-2 victory Tuesday night at Johnstown Richland High School.

“Our kids certainly had revenge on their minds going into the match,” North Allegheny coach Dan Schall said. “The match was characterized by brilliant play and momentum swings, but we were more resilient than they were.”

The match featured two NCAA Division I recruits who are considered to be the top two players in the state. North Allegheny was led by Penn State recruit Canyon Tuman. Central York was led by UCLA recruit Cole Johnson.

Central York, the District 3 runner-up, posted a 25-23 victory in the first set after overcoming a 19-13 deficit. North Allegheny, the WPIAL champion, scored six of the final eight points ina 25-21 win in the second.

North Allegheny jumped to a 12-1 lead in the third and cruised to a 25-17 victory. Central York scored nine of the final 11 points to record a 25-18win in the fourth.

North Allegheny dominated the deciding set, posting a 15-6. The Tigers were led by Tuman (18 kills), Jason Stiefvater (15 kills) and Alex Zubrow (5 blocks).

The win earned North Allegheny its 16th trip to the PIAA final, which will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Penn State’s Recreation Hall. The Tigers will have to wait until Wednesday night to find out their opponent.

In Class 2A, it will be rematch of the District 3 final, as Northeastern and Manheim Central advanced to title match Saturday with semifinal wins.

Northeastern, the District 3 champion, advanced to the PIAA title match for the ninth time in the past 12 years with a 25-22, 25-11, 2518 win against District 3 third-place finisher Palmyra. Manheim Central, the District 3 runner-up, earned its first PIAA title berth with a 25-22, 25-16, 2513 win over District 10 champion Cambridge Springs.