Top teams off to strong start
Beaver C.C., North Allegheny are teams to beat
Tri-State Sports & News Service
The opening weekend of the boys volleyball season always features tournaments at Norwin and North Allegheny.
With 24 of the WPIAL’s 39 teams participating in these tournaments, the results give volleyball fans an early look at the teams to watch in the WPIAL playoff picture.
The winner of both tournaments was no surprise, as Beaver County Christian and North Allegheny were touted as the teams to beat coming into the season.
Beaver County Christian won the 14-team Norwin tournament, while the host Tigers claimed the crown at the 16-team North Allegheny tournament.
“It’s important to get off to a good start,” said Beaver County Christian coach Christen Adels, whose squad is the WPIAL favorite in Class 2A. “Winning the Norwin tournament is a significant achievement.”
Beaver County Christian claimed its first WPIAL title last year by upsetting fourtime defending champion Ambridge. Six of the top eight players from that squad are back, including three who were voted allWPIAL Class 2A.
“We have an experienced core of seniors, which on paper make us the team to beat in Class AA,” Adels said. “We will probably use an eightman rotation, so we will have two new starters who will be filling key roles. We should be strong in passing and setting. We need to focus on blocking and serving to go deep into the postseason.”
The Eagles are led by Matthew Knab, a 6-1 senior setter; Class 3A M.J. Barton, North Allegheny (6-0, Sr., S)
Nash Bryan, Butler (6-0, Jr., OH/DS)
Matt Gagnon, Seneca Valley (6-5, Sr., OH)
Mike Kapusta, Bethel Park (6-4, Sr., OH)
Brandon McGowan, Penn-Trafford (6-2, Sr., OH)
Lance Todorowski, PineRichland (5-11, Sr., S) Daniel Townsend, a 6-0 senior outside hitter; and Adam Shaw, a 5-9 senior outside hitter. Knab and Townsend were WPIAL first-team selections, while Shaw was recognized on the second team.
Deer Lakes is ranked No. 2 in Class 2A. The Lancers have two returning outside hitters who were recognized on the all-WPIAL team. Tyler Osselborn, a 6-4 junior, was voted to the first team, while teammate Dan Hutchinson, a 6-3 junior, was a second-team pick.
“We’re a little banged up to start the season,” said first-year coach Brady Shuller. “We have three starters who are dealing with injuries. If we can get them healthy, we can be one of the top teams in AA.”
Ambridge coach Glenn Freed agreed that Beaver County Christian is the team to beat in Class 2A, but
Canyon Tuman, North Allegheny (6-6, Jr., OH)
Eric Visgitis, North Allegheny (6-4, Sr., MH)
Luke Visgitis, North Allegheny (6-4, Sr., MH)
Zach Werksman, PennTrafford (6-3, Sr., MH) Class 2A Dan Hutchinson, Deer Lakes (6-3, Jr., OH)
Andrew King, O.L. Sacred Heart (5-9, Sr., S)
Matthew Knab, Beaver C.C. (6-1, Sr., S)
Matt Menosky, Bishop Canevin (5-10, Soph., OH)
Dan Morgret, South Park (6-3, Sr., MH)
John Olexovich, Ambridge (6-4, Sr., MH)
Tyler Osselborn, Deer Lakes (6-4, Jr., OH)
D.J. Pfarner, Montour (62, Jr., MH)
Adam Shaw, Beaver C.C. (5-9, Sr., OH)
Daniel Townsend, Beaver C.C. (6-0, Sr., OH) knows first hand how tough it is to stay on top.
“BCC is wearing the bull’s eye this year,” Freed said. “They have the most experienced team returning, but staying on top is never easy.”
North Allegheny, the team to beat in Class 3A, found that to be true the past two years. The Tigers won 11 WPIAL titles in 12 years from 2003-14, but lost in the quarterfinals in 2015 and lost in the semifinals last year.
“The past couple years illustrate just how hard it is to stay on top,” North Allegheny coach Dan Schall said.
North Allegheny has 15 of its top 19 players returning from last year’s squad, including five who were recognized on the all-WPIAL Class 3A team.
“We only had four seniors last year,” Schall said. “That’s the lowest number I’ve had in 16 years.”
Four of the Tigers returnees were recognized on the WPIAL second team: 6-0 senior setter M.J. Barton, 6-6 junior outside hitter Canyon Tuman, 6-4 senior Eric Visgitis and 6-4 senior Luke Visgitis. Danny Lebovitz, a 5-9 senior libero, was a thirdteam pick.
“Depth and versatility are our biggest strengths,” Schall said. “I have 15 kids who I am comfortable using in almost any situation. I still haven’t found our best lineup yet.”
North Allegheny’s stiffest competition should come from Seneca Valley, PennTrafford and Bethel Park.
Seneca Valley has seven starters returning from a squad that advanced to the WPIAL semifinals, including two all-WPIAL selections. Matt Gagnon, a 6-5 senior outside hitter, was a first-team pick, while Marshall Price, a 6-0 senior libero, was a third-team pick.
“Just getting out of our section is a challenge,” Schall said. “It’s the strongest section in the WPIAL.”
Penn-Trafford is the defending WPIAL Class 3A champion. The Warriors have five of their top eight players back from last year’s squad, including three allWPIAL selections: 6-2 senior outside hitter Brandon McGowan, 6-3 senior middle hitter Zach Werksman and 5-9 senior setter Joe Salesi.
“I expect us to be among the top teams in the WPIAL, but we have to keep working hard and improving,” PennTrafford coach Jim Schall said.
Bethel Park, last year’s WPIAL runner-up, lost Class 3A Most Valuable Player Jake Dixon to graduation, but the Black Hawks have four starters back, including WPIAL first-team pick Mike Kapusta, a 6-4 senior outside hitter.