Penn-Trafford Sweeps Bethel Park for First WPIAL Boys Volleyball Gold

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, May 28, 2016 | 1:38 AM

The Penn-Trafford Warriors claimed their first volleyball title with a straight-sets win against Bethel Park in the Class AAA Championship at Baldwin High School. Propelled by their success in extra points, the Warriors prevailed 33-31, 25-20 and 27-25.

In a matchup of two teams looking for their first championship, top-seeded Penn-Trafford captured the opening set in dramatic fashion. The squads frequently exchanged leads, but the No. 3 Black Hawks pulled ahead 24-22 and appeared poised to take the upper hand. Three consecutive points staked the Warriors to the lead, though, and the sides continued to exchange blows until Penn-Trafford finally prevailed 33-31.

In that initial set, Jake Dixon, the 6-foot-6 senior, keyed the attack for the Black Hawks, while teammates Michael Kapusta and Brandon Thorsen also chipped in. On the other side of the net, the duo of Brendan O’Toole and Brandon McGowan were particularly strong for the Warriors.

The momentum the Warriors garnered from that comeback carried into the second set, as PT never trailed in the stanza. The Warriors held an early edge, and after Bethel Park tied the scored at 6-6 and 7-7, the Warriors regained the advantage, and never relinquished it.

While the Warriors executed well in the set, the Black Hawks made several costly mistakes in the closing moments, including a pair of service errors that represented the last two PT points of the set. To that point, Dixon, who earlier displayed a devastating jump serve, committed a multitude of service errors, prompting him to turn to a set serve for a while.

Finally, the third set unfolded much like the first, with a frantic finish. Penn-Trafford held the lead for the vast majority of the frame, and at multiple times, the Warriors were up by seven points, including 19-12. With their backs against the wall, however, the Black Hawks mounted a surge, quickly trimming their deficit to four. The Warriors still had match point,
at 24-20, but the Black Hawks won five straight to take a 25-24 edge. Again, Bethel Park could not finish off its adversary, as the Warriors took the last three points to capture the set and the match.

While O’Toole shined throughout the match for PT, Zach Werksman proved to be a difference maker in the latter two sets, as he was frequently winning crucial points at the net.

In addition to the aforementioned standouts for Penn-Trafford, Austin Mossellem, Adam Lane and Andre Guest all made notable contributions. In the setback for Bethel Park, Derek Miller, Zachary Lizun and Caleb Pierson also provided strong efforts.

Both teams advance to the PIAA Class AAA playoffs next week, as the Warriors will face the fourth-place finisher from District 3, while the Black Hawks await District 6’s winner. Those matches will be contested on Wednesday, at times and locations to be determined.

Tags: Bethel Park