Upper St. Clair qualifies for PIAA volleyball
After falling to Baldwin, 3-2, in the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals, there was a silver lining for the Upper St. Clair girls’ volleyball team. The Lady Panthers would have a shot at redemption and reaching their objective. They defeated Seneca Valley, 3-1, in the consolation match and earned a berth in the PIAA tournament.
“We set a goal as a team at the beginning of the year to make the state playoffs and the girls were more than excited to accomplish that goal with the victory,” said USC skipper Alex Hinsey said.
Only two weeks prior, the Raiders had toppled the Panthers, 3-1, in a match. Hence, Hinsey expected the best from his girls to post a victory. “We would need to put out a strong performance to get the win,” he said.
In the loss against Baldwin, 25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 21-25 and 12-15, Sam Amos had a strong performance. She recorded 34 kills. Alex Amos racked up 14 kills and Isabelle Walsh followed with eight. Emily Kennedy led with 15 digs, followed by the Amos sisters with 24 total and Walsh with 10.
The loss to the Highlanders was USC’s second this season. During the regular season, the Panthers fell, 3-1, and Maddi Sgattoni factored into the losses.
“She’s a real nice middle hitter. A difference maker. You don’t stop her.”
USC’s opponents have a tough time stopping the Amos sisters. Sam is a senior bound for Duke while Alex is a sophomore. According to Hinsey, the siblings are good but better as a tandem.
“They put a lot of effort into their play,” he added. “They are great volleyball players but they are also great teammates. They are most happy when their teammates succeed, too.”
In the quarterfinals, Bethel Park tried to stop the Panthers but USC succeeded, winning, 3-2. Though the Hawks fell behind, losing the first two games, 25-15 and 25-23, they tied the match with 25-21 wins in the third and fourth set. USC won the fifth game, 15-12.
“I absolutely expected this type of match (from Bethel),” Hinsey said. “This was a real test for our team. But, it’s typical. We fight for every point. We all give 100 percent, not just the starters but everybody on the bench. These kids go the distance in every match and they seize every opportunity.”
Qualifying for the state tournament certainly was the chance of a lifetime for the Panthers. Their triumph in the consolation match capped a rigorous week for them.
“After playing 10 sets earlier in the week between two matches, we weren’t sure what to expect from the girls,” Hinsey said, “but they came out ready to go.”
In the final, Baldwin was ready to go and the Highlanders defended their title. They defeated North Allegheny for the second year in a row to claim the championship, 21-25, 25-18, 14-25, 25-22, 15-12.
Canevin wins
Bishop Canevin captured its second WPIAL Class A title in three years when the Crusaders edged Shenango, 3-2. While it was Canevin’s fifth title appearance in six season, Shenango competed in the final for the first time.
After dropping the first set, 25-23, the Crusaders bounced back and won the next two games, 25-23 and 25-13. Shenango forced a fifth set when it won Game 4, 25-23. Canevin sealed the match and title with a 15-9 victory in the fifth and final game. In the semifinals, the Crusaders came from behind to topple No. 1 seed Greensburg Central Catholic, 3-2. After falling behind, 2-0, Canevin tied the bout, 2-2, and won the fifth game, 15-9.