The North Allegheny boys volleyball team is proof that you can learn more from your losses than your wins.
The top-ranked Tigers have rebounded from a pair of lesson-building defeats to regain the form that made them preseason WPIAL favorites and a state title contender.
“It was a wake-up call,” senior outside hitter Matthew LaMay said. “Even though we are a good team, it’s going to be a long grind and a lot of hard work to achieve any sort of success.”
A startling loss to Ambridge in the North Allegheny Invitational quarterfinals on March 22 and a 3-2 loss at Seneca Valley on April 7 meant the Tigers, then ranked No. 2 in the state, still had work to do.
The Tigers (5-1 in Section 3-3A, 9-1 overall as of April 29) regrouped by winning five straight matches. During its turnaround, NA also took second at the prestigious Koller Classic at Central York on April 12.
Their April 29 rematch with No. 3 Seneca Valley was postponed due to severe weather.
“I felt like they responded really well,” coach Dan Long said. “I don’t want to be the team that is peaking on April 15. I want to be improving.”
The Tigers were fortified by the return of all-state junior outside hitter Will Robertson, who suffered a sprained ankle March 21 playing a school-sponsored 3-on-3 basketball event. Robertson, who missed about two weeks, and LaMay were named to the all-tournament team at York. The Tigers went 7-1 in pool play and beat Northern York, No. 2 Central York and No. 4 Cedar Crest to reach the finals, where they lost to state No. 1 Cumberland Valley, 25-20, 25-21.
“I thought we met the challenge,” Long said. “Certainly, you want to win it. But given the full perspective of the day, it was a really good effort. … They showed that when we are at our best, we’re really good.”
The rest of the state took notice. The Tigers, who had dropped to No. 6 in the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association poll after the loss to Seneca Valley, returned to No. 2 in the April 14 rankings.
LaMay, who had 18 digs, 13 kills and 10 aces at York, said the runner-up finish encouraged the Tigers.
“It showed our team our potential,” he said. “That, combined with our losses, showed us how easily we can fall but how great we can be.”
North Allegheny is embracing hard work after losing to Shaler in the past two WPIAL Class 3A championships. But it hasn’t come easily. While Roberson is fully recovered, LaMay is playing through a knee injury, and junior hitter Brendan Moore, who had 25 kills and eight blocks at York, missed some time with strained back ligaments. The 6-foot-4 Moore returned for a 3-0 win over Butler on April 24.
Robertson, meanwhile, didn’t play in the Ambridge loss and wasn’t fully healthy in the loss at Seneca Valley. The Tigers led Seneca Valley 2-0 before dropping the last three games.
“We were disappointed because we felt every part of our game could have been better that night,” LaMay said. “We should have played better and worked harder.”
North Allegheny nearly won anyway. NA had a couple of match points before dropping the final game, 21-19. But the Tigers grew from the loss.
“We could have easily escaped that match and gone, ‘Phew,’ and moved on with our lives,” Long said. “One point different, and it feels completely different, and maybe you miss the lesson of what that has to offer.”