Zach Shaw considered leaving in the middle of Tuesday's WPIAL Class AAA boys' volleyball semifinal match against Bethel Park, but Shaw, a senior at North Allegheny High School, didn't want to let his teammates down, even if it meant a drop in his final grade-point average.
"I can't talk. I have to go to a band concert," said Shaw, after North Allegheny rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Bethel Park, 3-2, and earn its sixth consecutive trip to the WPIAL title match. "I didn't want to let my teammates down."
Shaw, a 6-foot-4 outside hitter, ranks among the top students in his class. He is also a member of North Allegheny's band, which had a concert scheduled for Tuesday night that conflicted with the WPIAL semifinals.
"Zach was told his grade would drop by one letter if he missed the band concert," North Allegheny coach Dan Schall said. "It was a tough decision for Zach, but he didn't want to let his teammates down. This match and our journey [to win another WPIAL title] meant a lot to him."
North Allegheny was granted a request to play in the first match of the Class AAA semifinal doubleheader, which began at 6 p.m. at Chartiers Valley High School. The band concert was to begin at 8 p.m. at North Allegheny.
"Zach told me before the match that he would stay until the end," Schall said. "He was in it for the long haul tonight. Our hope was to win quickly, so he wouldn't be late for the band concert. Unfortunately, he was here a little longer than he wanted to be."
North Allegheny struggled most of the night. The Tigers won the first set, 25-20, despite trailing by four points on three different occasions. The same scenario developed in the second set, but North Allegheny was unable to rally from another four-point deficit, as Bethel Park won, 25-22.
The situation didn't get any better in the third set, as Bethel built an early 10-4 lead and held on for a 25-21 victory. That left the five-time defending WPIAL champion Tigers one set from elimination.
"I have to admit, I was a little worried," said Tigers junior Tommy Keisling, a 6-4 outside hitter. "It was a little rough at the start. Some of us were worried that we might let it slip away."
But the Tigers rallied to pull out victories of 25-16 and 15-9 in the final two sets.
"It was a great team effort to come back and win those last two games," said Keisling, who led NA with 26 kills, five serving aces and 12 digs.
The semifinal match with Bethel Park ended at 7:45 p.m., which meant Shaw, who had 15 kills in the match, would be late for the band concert. According to MapQuest, the schools are 23.69 miles and 33 minutes apart.
"I don't know how it works if you show up late in a sweaty volleyball uniform," said Schall, when asked if Shaw's grade would be affected if he showed up late. "We'll just have to wait and see how it works out. I'm just glad he decided to stay."
The semifinal victory earned North Allegheny its ninth title match berth in 10 years. It's opponent in Friday's championship match, at Chartiers Valley is a bit of a surprise. The top-seeded Tigers were expecting a rematch with No. 2 seed Seneca Valley, as the two teams split Section 2-AAA matches during the regular season. Instead, another rematch will occur, as No. 3 seed Norwin upset Seneca Valley, 3-1.
"We played Norwin a couple weeks ago and they gave us all we could handle," said Schall, referring to a 3-0 victory over the Knights in a non-section match.
Seneca Valley coach Dan Mountain was obviously disappointed that the Raiders would not be making a return trip to the WPIAL title match, but didn't think his squad was looking ahead to the expected rematch.
"We tried to take it one game at a time and tell the kids that Norwin was a worthy opponent," Mountain said.
The loss drops Seneca Valley to the consolation final. The Raiders will face Bethel Park, Friday night at Chartiers Valley, with the winner earning a PIAA berth.
Deer Lakes, last year's WPIAL and PIAA champion, is facing a similar scenario in Class AA. The Lancers dropped a 3-1 decision to Derry Area in the WPIAL Class AA semifinals played Tuesday at North Allegheny. Deer Lakes will face Montour in the consolation match, Friday at Chartiers Valley, with the winner qualifying for the PIAA tournament.
(Photo: North Allegheny's Dave Haus goes up for a spike in April as Seneca Valley's Brian Pudlo tries for a block. By J.J. LaBella for Tri-State Sports & News Service.)
Zach Shaw considered leaving in the middle of Tuesday's WPIAL Class AAA boys' volleyball semifinal match against Bethel Park, but Shaw, a senior at North Allegheny High School, didn't want to let his teammates down, even if it meant a drop in his final grade-point average.
"I can't talk. I have to go to a band concert," said Shaw, after North Allegheny rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Bethel Park, 3-2, and earn its sixth consecutive trip to the WPIAL title match. "I didn't want to let my teammates down."
Shaw, a 6-foot-4 outside hitter, ranks among the top students in his class. He is also a member of North Allegheny's band, which had a concert scheduled for Tuesday night that conflicted with the WPIAL semifinals.
"Zach was told his grade would drop by one letter if he missed the band concert," North Allegheny coach Dan Schall said. "It was a tough decision for Zach, but he didn't want to let his teammates down. This match and our journey [to win another WPIAL title] meant a lot to him."
North Allegheny was granted a request to play in the first match of the Class AAA semifinal doubleheader, which began at 6 p.m. at Chartiers Valley High School. The band concert was to begin at 8 p.m. at North Allegheny.
"Zach told me before the match that he would stay until the end," Schall said. "He was in it for the long haul tonight. Our hope was to win quickly, so he wouldn't be late for the band concert. Unfortunately, he was here a little longer than he wanted to be."
North Allegheny struggled most of the night. The Tigers won the first set, 25-20, despite trailing by four points on three different occasions. The same scenario developed in the second set, but North Allegheny was unable to rally from another four-point deficit, as Bethel Park won, 25-22.
The situation didn't get any better in the third set, as Bethel built an early 10-4 lead and held on for a 25-21 victory. That left the five-time defending WPIAL champion Tigers one set from elimination.
"I have to admit, I was a little worried," said Tigers junior Tommy Keisling, a 6-4 outside hitter. "It was a little rough at the start. Some of us were worried that we might let it slip away."
But the Tigers rallied to pull out victories of 25-16 and 15-9 in the final two sets.
"It was a great team effort to come back and win those last two games," said Keisling, who led NA with 26 kills, five serving aces and 12 digs.
The semifinal match with Bethel Park ended at 7:45 p.m., which meant Shaw, who had 15 kills in the match, would be late for the band concert. According to MapQuest, the schools are 23.69 miles and 33 minutes apart.
"I don't know how it works if you show up late in a sweaty volleyball uniform," said Schall, when asked if Shaw's grade would be affected if he showed up late. "We'll just have to wait and see how it works out. I'm just glad he decided to stay."
The semifinal victory earned North Allegheny its ninth title match berth in 10 years. It's opponent in Friday's championship match, at Chartiers Valley is a bit of a surprise. The top-seeded Tigers were expecting a rematch with No. 2 seed Seneca Valley, as the two teams split Section 2-AAA matches during the regular season. Instead, another rematch will occur, as No. 3 seed Norwin upset Seneca Valley, 3-1.
"We played Norwin a couple weeks ago and they gave us all we could handle," said Schall, referring to a 3-0 victory over the Knights in a non-section match.
Seneca Valley coach Dan Mountain was obviously disappointed that the Raiders would not be making a return trip to the WPIAL title match, but didn't think his squad was looking ahead to the expected rematch.
"We tried to take it one game at a time and tell the kids that Norwin was a worthy opponent," Mountain said.
The loss drops Seneca Valley to the consolation final. The Raiders will face Bethel Park, Friday night at Chartiers Valley, with the winner earning a PIAA berth.
Deer Lakes, last year's WPIAL and PIAA champion, is facing a similar scenario in Class AA. The Lancers dropped a 3-1 decision to Derry Area in the WPIAL Class AA semifinals played Tuesday at North Allegheny. Deer Lakes will face Montour in the consolation match, Friday at Chartiers Valley, with the winner qualifying for the PIAA tournament.
(Photo: North Allegheny's Dave Haus goes up for a spike in April as Seneca Valley's Brian Pudlo tries for a block. Tri-State Sports & News Service.)Zach Shaw considered leaving in the middle of Tuesday's WPIAL Class AAA boys' volleyball semifinal match against Bethel Park, but Shaw, a senior at North Allegheny High School, didn't want to let his teammates down, even if it meant a drop in his final grade-point average.
"I can't talk. I have to go to a band concert," said Shaw, after North Allegheny rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Bethel Park, 3-2, and earn its sixth consecutive trip to the WPIAL title match. "I didn't want to let my teammates down."
Shaw, a 6-foot-4 outside hitter, ranks among the top students in his class. He is also a member of North Allegheny's band, which had a concert scheduled for Tuesday night that conflicted with the WPIAL semifinals.
"Zach was told his grade would drop by one letter if he missed the band concert," North Allegheny coach Dan Schall said. "It was a tough decision for Zach, but he didn't want to let his teammates down. This match and our journey [to win another WPIAL title] meant a lot to him."
North Allegheny was granted a request to play in the first match of the Class AAA semifinal doubleheader, which began at 6 p.m. at Chartiers Valley High School. The band concert was to begin at 8 p.m. at North Allegheny.
"Zach told me before the match that he would stay until the end," Schall said. "He was in it for the long haul tonight. Our hope was to win quickly, so he wouldn't be late for the band concert. Unfortunately, he was here a little longer than he wanted to be."
North Allegheny struggled most of the night. The Tigers won the first set, 25-20, despite trailing by four points on three different occasions. The same scenario developed in the second set, but North Allegheny was unable to rally from another four-point deficit, as Bethel Park won, 25-22.
The situation didn't get any better in the third set, as Bethel built an early 10-4 lead and held on for a 25-21 victory. That left the five-time defending WPIAL champion Tigers one set from elimination.
"I have to admit, I was a little worried," said Tigers junior Tommy Keisling, a 6-4 outside hitter. "It was a little rough at the start. Some of us were worried that we might let it slip away."
But the Tigers rallied to pull out victories of 25-16 and 15-9 in the final two sets.
"It was a great team effort to come back and win those last two games," said Keisling, who led NA with 26 kills, five serving aces and 12 digs.
The semifinal match with Bethel Park ended at 7:45 p.m., which meant Shaw, who had 15 kills in the match, would be late for the band concert. According to MapQuest, the schools are 23.69 miles and 33 minutes apart.
"I don't know how it works if you show up late in a sweaty volleyball uniform," said Schall, when asked if Shaw's grade would be affected if he showed up late. "We'll just have to wait and see how it works out. I'm just glad he decided to stay."
The semifinal victory earned North Allegheny its ninth title match berth in 10 years. It's opponent in Friday's championship match, at Chartiers Valley is a bit of a surprise. The top-seeded Tigers were expecting a rematch with No. 2 seed Seneca Valley, as the two teams split Section 2-AAA matches during the regular season. Instead, another rematch will occur, as No. 3 seed Norwin upset Seneca Valley, 3-1.
"We played Norwin a couple weeks ago and they gave us all we could handle," said Schall, referring to a 3-0 victory over the Knights in a non-section match.
Seneca Valley coach Dan Mountain was obviously disappointed that the Raiders would not be making a return trip to the WPIAL title match, but didn't think his squad was looking ahead to the expected rematch.
"We tried to take it one game at a time and tell the kids that Norwin was a worthy opponent," Mountain said.
The loss drops Seneca Valley to the consolation final. The Raiders will face Bethel Park, Friday night at Chartiers Valley, with the winner earning a PIAA berth.
Deer Lakes, last year's WPIAL and PIAA champion, is facing a similar scenario in Class AA. The Lancers dropped a 3-1 decision to Derry Area in the WPIAL Class AA semifinals played Tuesday at North Allegheny. Deer Lakes will face Montour in the consolation match, Friday at Chartiers Valley, with the winner qualifying for the PIAA tournament.
(Photo: North Allegheny's Dave Haus goes up for a spike in April as Seneca Valley's Brian Pudlo tries for a block. Tri-State Sports & News Service.)Zach Shaw considered leaving in the middle of Tuesday's WPIAL Class AAA boys' volleyball semifinal match against Bethel Park, but Shaw, a senior at North Allegheny High School, didn't want to let his teammates down, even if it meant a drop in his final grade-point average.
"I can't talk. I have to go to a band concert," said Shaw, after North Allegheny rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Bethel Park, 3-2, and earn its sixth consecutive trip to the WPIAL title match. "I didn't want to let my teammates down."
Shaw, a 6-foot-4 outside hitter, ranks among the top students in his class. He is also a member of North Allegheny's band, which had a concert scheduled for Tuesday night that conflicted with the WPIAL semifinals.
"Zach was told his grade would drop by one letter if he missed the band concert," North Allegheny coach Dan Schall said. "It was a tough decision for Zach, but he didn't want to let his teammates down. This match and our journey [to win another WPIAL title] meant a lot to him."
North Allegheny was granted a request to play in the first match of the Class AAA semifinal doubleheader, which began at 6 p.m. at Chartiers Valley High School. The band concert was to begin at 8 p.m. at North Allegheny.
"Zach told me before the match that he would stay until the end," Schall said. "He was in it for the long haul tonight. Our hope was to win quickly, so he wouldn't be late for the band concert. Unfortunately, he was here a little longer than he wanted to be."
North Allegheny struggled most of the night. The Tigers won the first set, 25-20, despite trailing by four points on three different occasions. The same scenario developed in the second set, but North Allegheny was unable to rally from another four-point deficit, as Bethel Park won, 25-22.
The situation didn't get any better in the third set, as Bethel built an early 10-4 lead and held on for a 25-21 victory. That left the five-time defending WPIAL champion Tigers one set from elimination.
"I have to admit, I was a little worried," said Tigers junior Tommy Keisling, a 6-4 outside hitter. "It was a little rough at the start. Some of us were worried that we might let it slip away."
But the Tigers rallied to pull out victories of 25-16 and 15-9 in the final two sets.
"It was a great team effort to come back and win those last two games," said Keisling, who led NA with 26 kills, five serving aces and 12 digs.
The semifinal match with Bethel Park ended at 7:45 p.m., which meant Shaw, who had 15 kills in the match, would be late for the band concert. According to MapQuest, the schools are 23.69 miles and 33 minutes apart.
"I don't know how it works if you show up late in a sweaty volleyball uniform," said Schall, when asked if Shaw's grade would be affected if he showed up late. "We'll just have to wait and see how it works out. I'm just glad he decided to stay."
The semifinal victory earned North Allegheny its ninth title match berth in 10 years. It's opponent in Friday's championship match, at Chartiers Valley is a bit of a surprise. The top-seeded Tigers were expecting a rematch with No. 2 seed Seneca Valley, as the two teams split Section 2-AAA matches during the regular season. Instead, another rematch will occur, as No. 3 seed Norwin upset Seneca Valley, 3-1.
"We played Norwin a couple weeks ago and they gave us all we could handle," said Schall, referring to a 3-0 victory over the Knights in a non-section match.
Seneca Valley coach Dan Mountain was obviously disappointed that the Raiders would not be making a return trip to the WPIAL title match, but didn't think his squad was looking ahead to the expected rematch.
"We tried to take it one game at a time and tell the kids that Norwin was a worthy opponent," Mountain said.
The loss drops Seneca Valley to the consolation final. The Raiders will face Bethel Park, Friday night at Chartiers Valley, with the winner earning a PIAA berth.
Deer Lakes, last year's WPIAL and PIAA champion, is facing a similar scenario in Class AA. The Lancers dropped a 3-1 decision to Derry Area in the WPIAL Class AA semifinals played Tuesday at North Allegheny. Deer Lakes will face Montour in the consolation match, Friday at Chartiers Valley, with the winner qualifying for the PIAA tournament.
(Photo: North Allegheny's Dave Haus goes up for a spike in April as Seneca Valley's Brian Pudlo tries for a block. Tri-State Sports & News Service.)Zach Shaw considered leaving in the middle of Tuesday's WPIAL Class AAA boys' volleyball semifinal match against Bethel Park, but Shaw, a senior at North Allegheny High School, didn't want to let his teammates down, even if it meant a drop in his final grade-point average.
"I can't talk. I have to go to a band concert," said Shaw, after North Allegheny rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Bethel Park, 3-2, and earn its sixth consecutive trip to the WPIAL title match. "I didn't want to let my teammates down."
Shaw, a 6-foot-4 outside hitter, ranks among the top students in his class. He is also a member of North Allegheny's band, which had a concert scheduled for Tuesday night that conflicted with the WPIAL semifinals.
"Zach was told his grade would drop by one letter if he missed the band concert," North Allegheny coach Dan Schall said. "It was a tough decision for Zach, but he didn't want to let his teammates down. This match and our journey [to win another WPIAL title] meant a lot to him."
North Allegheny was granted a request to play in the first match of the Class AAA semifinal doubleheader, which began at 6 p.m. at Chartiers Valley High School. The band concert was to begin at 8 p.m. at North Allegheny.
"Zach told me before the match that he would stay until the end," Schall said. "He was in it for the long haul tonight. Our hope was to win quickly, so he wouldn't be late for the band concert. Unfortunately, he was here a little longer than he wanted to be."
North Allegheny struggled most of the night. The Tigers won the first set, 25-20, despite trailing by four points on three different occasions. The same scenario developed in the second set, but North Allegheny was unable to rally from another four-point deficit, as Bethel Park won, 25-22.
The situation didn't get any better in the third set, as Bethel built an early 10-4 lead and held on for a 25-21 victory. That left the five-time defending WPIAL champion Tigers one set from elimination.
"I have to admit, I was a little worried," said Tigers junior Tommy Keisling, a 6-4 outside hitter. "It was a little rough at the start. Some of us were worried that we might let it slip away."
But the Tigers rallied to pull out victories of 25-16 and 15-9 in the final two sets.
"It was a great team effort to come back and win those last two games," said Keisling, who led NA with 26 kills, five serving aces and 12 digs.
The semifinal match with Bethel Park ended at 7:45 p.m., which meant Shaw, who had 15 kills in the match, would be late for the band concert. According to MapQuest, the schools are 23.69 miles and 33 minutes apart.
"I don't know how it works if you show up late in a sweaty volleyball uniform," said Schall, when asked if Shaw's grade would be affected if he showed up late. "We'll just have to wait and see how it works out. I'm just glad he decided to stay."
The semifinal victory earned North Allegheny its ninth title match berth in 10 years. It's opponent in Friday's championship match, at Chartiers Valley is a bit of a surprise. The top-seeded Tigers were expecting a rematch with No. 2 seed Seneca Valley, as the two teams split Section 2-AAA matches during the regular season. Instead, another rematch will occur, as No. 3 seed Norwin upset Seneca Valley, 3-1.
"We played Norwin a couple weeks ago and they gave us all we could handle," said Schall, referring to a 3-0 victory over the Knights in a non-section match.
Seneca Valley coach Dan Mountain was obviously disappointed that the Raiders would not be making a return trip to the WPIAL title match, but didn't think his squad was looking ahead to the expected rematch.
"We tried to take it one game at a time and tell the kids that Norwin was a worthy opponent," Mountain said.
The loss drops Seneca Valley to the consolation final. The Raiders will face Bethel Park, Friday night at Chartiers Valley, with the winner earning a PIAA berth.
Deer Lakes, last year's WPIAL and PIAA champion, is facing a similar scenario in Class AA. The Lancers dropped a 3-1 decision to Derry Area in the WPIAL Class AA semifinals played Tuesday at North Allegheny. Deer Lakes will face Montour in the consolation match, Friday at Chartiers Valley, with the winner qualifying for the PIAA tournament.
(Photo: North Allegheny's Dave Haus goes up for a spike in April as Seneca Valley's Brian Pudlo tries for a block. Tri-State Sports & News Service.)
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