Pitt volleyball wins hard-fought match against Michigan to advance to NCAA regional semifinal
Pitt women’s volleyball coach Dan Fisher would love more preparation between the first and second round of the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament. All 32 coaches who advanced to the second round felt like that to some degree about the 24-hour or so turnaround they face. The Panthers found ways to...
Babcock sets record as Pitt women’s volleyball team rolls in 1st round of NCAA Tournament
Olivia Babcock didn’t realize her performance during the first round of the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament gave her the Pitt record for most kills in a season. Babcock knew she met the previous record holder, Wendy Hatlestad, during alumni weekend. Babcock recorded 13 kills during the Panthers’ 25-10, 25-17, 25-13...
Better on the mat than on the mic, Spencer Lee gears up for Real American Freestyle bout
Spencer Lee hit a barrier that no amount of takedown drills would help him with. While promoting the Real American Freestyle wrestling event Nov. 29 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, the Franklin Regional graduate needed many takes to get the proper amount of “smack talk” committed to video. Lee, who...
Acrisure experience nothing new for Seton LaSalle, Steel Valley in WPIAL Class 2A title game
Having a good gameday experience at Acrisure Stadium for the WPIAL football championships isn’t always within the control of officials, players or coaches. Seton LaSalle coach Tim Storino would like to have a more regimented lead-up to the Class 2A title game on Saturday at 2 p.m. against No. 3...
Valley baseball coach Jim Basilone steps down, ending successful 8-year run
Jim Basilone took over at a time when Valley baseball was stuck in a deep, dark hole. The veteran coach leaned on his considerable experience to lead the Vikings to five playoff appearances in a tenure that started in 2016 and ended with his recent resignation. “They wanted to go...
Shaler notebook: 1st playoff victory in almost 40 years inspires girls soccer team
Gabby Alcalde stepped to the line first for the Shaler girls soccer team during its penalty kick shootout with Franklin Regional in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. Alcalde’s attempt was saved and she agonized over the next few minutes. But the Titans pulled through during what...
Playoff win gives Shaler football something to build on
The Shaler football program laid the foundation for more success in 2026. With a potential seismic change to how the WPIAL schedules football on the horizon, it will be an interesting time for all programs. The Titans closed this season with a 42-10 loss to Pine-Richland in the Class 5A...
Bentworth nets overtime winner, claims 1st PIAA soccer title
Bentworth coach Nick Malarbi had plenty of discussions with sophomore Adam Moessner about different ways to score goals. The Bearcats expected their young center back to be in a position to deliver plenty this season. With Bentworth seeking a state title, Moessner employed a soft touch to make history. Moessner...
Fox Chapel runners enthusiastic after productive cross country season
The Fox Chapel cross country program should be more energized going into the indoor track season after having a strong fall. The girls team won its first section title since 2023 and qualified for states as a team. On the boys side, the Foxes won their seventh consecutive section title...
Fox Chapel notebook: Former Foxes soccer star returns to Riveters
Kate Friday will be coming back for a second season with the Pittsburgh Riveters. The team recently announced Friday, a Fox Chapel graduate, will be back to build on the pre-professional team’s success during their first season in the USL-W. Friday, who plays for Florida Gulf Coast University, appeared in...
Fox Chapel girls enjoy championship season, gear up for return to Class 4A
Carlo Prati didn’t want to take the Seneca Valleys and North Alleghenys of the world off of the Fox Chapel girls soccer schedule. The Foxes coach knew that their stay in Class 3A may not be very long. Fox Chapel finished this season 20-2-1, winning its second WPIAL title in...
Shady Side Academy junior reflects on rewarding cross country season
Charlotte Barker chose to come back to cross country as a junior because she wanted to compete for a state title. The Shady Side Academy runner was able to leave a strong first impression, as an individual and with the Bulldogs collectively. “It was my first season, obviously,” Barker said....
Laurel stuns 2-time defending WPIAL champ Fort Cherry in Class A semifinals, ending Matt Sieg’s career
Jack Miles felt good about Laurel’s chances to unseat two-time defending WPIAL Class A champion Fort Cherry all week. The Spartans senior linebacker/running back knew that wasn’t a sentiment shared outside of Lawrence County. Laurel rolled up its sleeves and used its power running game to eliminate Fort Cherry with...
Penn State New Kensington men’s soccer advances to USCAA tournament
Penn State New Kensington men’s soccer coach Mark Duffield didn’t look but could only imagine the heart rate level charted by his fitness watch during the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference championship game. Few things went right for the local Lions before Armstrong graduate Tanner Stockdill scored in overtime to...
Burrell, Freeport girls soccer teams meet again, this time with spot in state final on line
The Burrell and Freeport girls soccer teams challenged some of the best squads in the state in the first two rounds of the PIAA Class 2A playoffs. After both programs collected a pair of wins, the road to the state championship game led back to each other. The Buccaneers and...
Herald notebook: Shady Side Academy, Fox Chapel field hockey bow out of state playoffs
The most challenging sports for teams coming out of the WPIAL to compete with teams out east may be field hockey. All three WPIAL champions — Pine-Richland, Fox Chapel and Shady Side Academy — were all shut out in the first round of states. The Foxes lost to Hershey, 2-0....
With patience, determination, Fox Chapel girls march into state playoffs
The Fox Chapel girls soccer team hasn’t had to worry about battling through another version of the WPIAL tournament through the first few rounds of the PIAA Class 3A playoffs. That’s exactly how Foxes coach Carlo Prati prefers things to shake out. Fox Chapel knocked off District 10 champion Harbor...
Pair of Fox Chapel players cap season with all-conference honors
The Fox Chapel football program has many markers it would like to hit on its way back to respectability. Foxes coach Dave Leasure was happy to cap the season, where Fox Chapel finished 3-7 overall and 0-5 in the Northeast Conference, with Harran Zureikat and Max Melocchi earning all-conference honors....
Playoff goal still remains for improving Penn Hills boys soccer program
Kevin Truman wanted to find a way to help the Penn Hills boys soccer program find a way back to the WPIAL playoffs. While the Indians’ coach felt like they had made tremendous progress, they couldn’t find enough punch on offense to emerge from Section 1-4A. What Penn Hills hopes...
Shady Side Academy girls focus on team success, win program’s 1st cross country state title
Shady Side Academy girls cross country coach Jeff Perlis talked to Charlotte Barker and Josephine Lenart the night before the PIAA Class A championship race to discuss strategy. Both girls were among the favorites to cross the finish line first. Lenart and Barker had traded wins at meets back and...
Freshman QB sparks Western Beaver past Apollo-Ridge in WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinals
Western Beaver freshman Amari Marshall didn’t expect to be a quarterback coming into the preseason. But when the program lined up for its first night WPIAL Class 2A postseason game, Marshall was under the gun and ready to try and help the Golden Beavers make history. No. 2 Western Beaver’s...
Cohesive, mature Apollo-Ridge ready to challenge No. 2 Western Beaver in quarterfinals
Apollo-Ridge lineman Connor Bogdanski and his teammate sent a signal in early August that they were ready to show off everything they had learned during a difficult 2024 season. The Vikings won a big-man challenge event against competitors from Fox Chapel and Knoch. After Apollo-Ridge finished with one win last...
Deer Lakes resets after WPIAL title, beats Harbor Creek in PIAA 1st round
Coming back down from the high of winning the WPIAL Class 2A championship was a weird feeling for Deer Lakes keeper Wesley Boyle. The Lancers are excited to pursue a state championship, but they understand nothing about moving on in the PIAA playoffs is easy. Peyton Kushon headed in a...
Led by stellar senior class, Beaver sweeps Oakland Catholic for WPIAL 3A volleyball crown
Susan Pollins has spent nine years with the seniors on the Beaver girls volleyball team. The Bobcats coach believes any group coming behind them will have a high hurdle to clear to match what they’ve accomplished. Beaver, the No. 2 seed, swept Oakland Catholic 3-0 (25-15, 27-25, 27-25) in the...
No. 11-seeded Avonworth caps playoff run with WPIAL Class 2A volleyball championship
Julia Cernich had enough of the five-set wars. If No. 11 seed Avonworth was going to win its first WPIAL Class 2A girls volleyball title Saturday against top-seeded Hopewell, the Antelopes wanted to do so in tidy fashion in the fourth set. Avonworth had a dream start, rolling off the...
