Central York Tops North Allegheny for 3-A Volleyball Gold

By: Alec Italiano
Saturday, June 10, 2017 | 11:23 PM

The North Allegheny boys’ volleyball team opened the 2017 season with a victory over Central York for the championship at the NA Invitational in late March. The Tigers were hoping to finish the season the same way it began, with another win over Central York. The storybook finish was not to be, however, as the Tigers lost their only match of the season on Saturday in the PIAA Class AAA championship, a 3-1 defeat to the Panthers from District 3.

North Allegheny started strong and won the opening set convincingly, 25-20. Canyon Tuman posted four kills and Luke Visgitis totaled three kills and a pair of blocks. Tuman and teammate Jason Stiefvater hammered out a team-best 12 kills apiece.

The second set belonged to Central York as the Panthers clawed to a 16-9 lead and fended off the Tigers’ late-game efforts for a 25-21 win. Junior standout Cole Johnson tallied three kills and two aces in the second set but the Division I recruit was just getting warmed up. Johnson hammered out eight kills in the third set as Central York claimed a 25-22 victory.

In the fourth set, North Allegheny fought tooth-and-nail with Central York and held a 20-18 lead. Senior Seth Russell, a Keane University recruit, delivered three kills in the final set on his way to a nine-kill performance for the Tigers. However, Johnson reasserted himself for the Panthers in the late stages and propelled Central York to a 25-23 win to lock up a 3-1 triumph over North Allegheny and claim the PIAA Class AAA title.

For North Allegheny, Luke Visgitis totaled double figures in kills with 10 and added four blocks. Senior Danny Lebovitz garnered a team-best 22 digs and setter M.J. Barton handed out 30 assists.

Appearing in the PIAA title match for a record 15th time, North Allegheny ends the season with a 22-1 overall record. Central York captures its seventh PIAA crown and finishes the year with a perfect 21-0 mark.