Upper St. Clair poised to make playoff run in boys’ volleyball
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Tyler Simpson spikes the ball against Peters Township blockers Nathan Bayer (14) and Sean Werner (24) while his teammates Kevin Kerr (9) and Max Cooley (22) watch. Simpson shared Player of the Week honors in Class AAA along with Blake Todorowski from Pine-Richland and RJ White from Upper St. Clair. The selection was made by the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association.
Eleanor Bailey/Almanac
R.J. White (21) battles Dolan Waldo (23) and Joshua Sprandle (27) at the net during WPIAL boys’ volleyball action. Bethel Park defeated Upper St. Clair 3-0 to remain undefeated in section. The Panthers slipped to 4-4.
Thanks to the play of RJ White, Upper St. Clair finished the first half of section action in boys’ volleyball strong and poised to make a run at a postseason berth in the WPIAL Class AAA tournament, which is scheduled to start May 14.
White led the Panthers with 56 combined kills on 111 attempts in the team’s most important matches against Canon-McMillan and Baldwin. On the season he has 151 kills on 299 attempts.
For his efforts, White gained Player of the Week honors from the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. The junior middle hitter shared the distinction with Tyler Simpson, a junior middle hitter from Bethel Park and Blake Todorowski, a junior libero from Pine-Richland.
A starter since his sophomore season, White is USC’s “most-experienced varsity player” said Joshue Ficorilli, the Panthers head coach. He added White may also be the squad’s “most complete player” because, in addition to his hitting capabilities, he has the ability to serve and pass so well.
Ficorilli is impressed with White’s transformation from last year.
“RJ was not recognized last season for even honorable mention in our section, but he has grown and matured so much since,” he said. “I find it hard to believe that he would not be a starter on any of the other six teams in our section. Because he is typically so steady, he has become our go-to (player) in most cases.”
As the Panthers round into the last leg of the regular season, they will depend upon White, who has had 91 kills in the last four matches on only 168 sets.
“In order to keep him playing as hot as he has been, we will need to rely on steady passing from the back row players and balance with the rest of our offensive weapons,” Ficorilli said.
In addition to White, junior Landon Rauch and sophomore Hunter Hannah are outside hitters while seniors Tommy Howell and Sam Berlin dominate the middle and juniors Ryan Junko and Cal Collie control the right side.
Senior Nate Murphy is the team’s setter. While sophomore Franco D’Amico is the libero, Felipe Mola-Curi, Kody Dressler and Colby Alauzen are the defensive specialists.
“Nate has sured up our hands,” Ficorilli said. “Sam is our emotional leader when he’s on. Landon has given us another outside hitting threat to compliment RJ and Hunter has filled in very well when one of our hitters were out sick or for spring break. Franco started as a setter but has really taken to his role as a Libero, helping to solidify our passing game. Cal and Ryan providie a nice block and a swing that teams have to honor. Tommy quietly goes about his work in the middle and is really smart when selecting a swing.
“We may lack depth at a ton of positions,” he added, “but we are trying to emphasize balance.”
In a league that boasts balance, the Panthers posted a 4-2 record during the first half of the season. The losses came against Bethel Park, which is ranked No. 2 in the WPIAL behind North Allegheny, and Peters Township. In addition to wins against the Highlanders and Big Macs, USC defeated Central Catholic and Moon.
Though the Panthers were ranked No. 10 in WPIAL Class AAA by the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association to start the week, there is still room and time to make gains before the postseason commences.
“We still have a decent amount of things we can improve on,” Ficorilli said. “Being a streaky team isn’t a great thing, but I hope we have learned a few things along the way. I hope we are continuing to learn from our mistakes, and I hope we’ve learned how to win in some instances. Time will tell.”
PT topples USC
The second time around in section action, USC lost to Peters Township.
After winning the first game, the Panthers tumbled twice before tying the match, 2-2. PT won the match with a 15-8 decision in the fifth and decisive game.
Right side hitter Alex Puhl led the Indians with 17 kills. Middle hitter Sean Werner had 15 blocks, including a big one to win game four and force the final game. Additionally, Sam Chlystek had many timely blocks and hits throughout the match, said PT head coach Nathan Swauger. All three players are seniors.
RJ White led the Panthers with 18 kills and four aces.
With the win, PT moved into a tie for second place with USC. Both had 4-3 records in the league, which is led by undefeated Bethel Park. The Indians are 7-4 overall after their 4-1 win against Keystone Oaks.
Sigg named POTW
Christopher Sigg earned Player of the Week honors from the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association.
The Seton LaSalle High School senior shared the Class AA distinction with Jimmy McChesney, a senior setter from Beaver County Christian, and Jake Horigan, a junior outside hitter from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
Sing recorded 38 kills, five blocks and 15 digs for the Rebels, who blanked Keystone Oaks 3-0, but lost 3-1 to Butler, which is one of the top 12 teams in Class AAA. He also maintained a +.329 hitting percentage.
The Bethel Park native also has the Rebels ranked No. 2 in the WPIAL and No. 9 in the state rankings.