Alle-Kiski Valley high school notebook: Freeport volleyball players honored

By: Alec Italiano
Wednesday, November 15, 2017 | 7:45 PM

Previous Next

Previous Next

The Freeport girls volleyball team is headed to Johnstown for the PIAA Class AA championship Saturday, and several of the Yellowjackets' individuals also received recognition recently.

Four Freeport players made the all-WPIAL teams released earlier this week for Class AA.

Senior libero Claire Crytzer and senior setter Courtney Grubbs received first-team recognition, and junior right-side hitter Ally DeJidas and senior outside hitter Hannah Mason made the second team.

A pair of Deer Lakes juniors — outside hitter Lydia Fink and middle hitter Kaylee Sciubba — were named third-team all-WPIAL.

Winter is coming

The fall sports season may still be going, but the winter is approaching quickly.

Friday marks the opening day for official practices in the WPIAL's winter sports — basketball, gymnastics, rifle, swimming and wrestling.

The first scrimmage date is Nov. 24, and first official competition date is Dec. 8.

Golden Retriever

Kiski Area cross country and track and field runner Nick Gabrielli signed a national letter of intent with University of Maryland Baltimore County. The Retrievers, a Division I program, compete in the America East Conference.

“It's kind of nerve-racking, a little bit,” Gabrielli said. “I'm nervous to be competing at that level, but I feel it's where I should be, almost. If I have the ability to get into this school and compete with these athletes, it'll make me a better athlete competing against these Division I athletes.”

Eastern Michigan and St. Vincent also showed interest in Gabrielli, who plans to run cross country and track at UMBC.

Gabrielli qualified for the PIAA Class AAA track and field championships as a junior after placing fourth in the 800-meter run at the WPIAL championships. He also finished 54th at the WPIAL Class AAA cross country championships this fall.

Corey time

Burrell senior wrestler Corey Christie signed a national letter of intent this week with Division II Coker (S.C.).

A starter since his freshman season, Christie holds a career record of 73-34. He finished 32-10 as a junior, winning a Section 3-AA individual title and placing third in the WPIAL at 145 pounds. He finished seventh in the WPIAL as a freshman.

Christie also helped Burrell win the WPIAL Class AA team title each of the past three seasons, extending the Bucs' WPIAL-record streak to 11 years.

Call to the Hall

The Plum High School Sports Hall of Fame will induct its Class of 2017 at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Edgewood Country Club.

This year's inductees, the 13th class since the hall of fame formed, include Anthony Cipollone (1988 graduate), Jeff Hahn (1985), Rick Jeletic (1992), Lori Lisowski Caranfa (1994), Karin Painter Stamford (1994), Matt Paradise (2001) and Scott Umberger (1996).

A wide variety of sports are represented in this year's class, including football, wrestling, basketball, volleyball, swimming, soccer, baseball and indoor/outdoor track and field. Umberger is the cousin of R.J. Umberger, a former Plum hockey star who played in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets. R.J. Umberger was inducted into the Plum High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

Michael Love contributed. Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer.

Tags: Deer Lakes, Freeport, Kiski School, Plum