Armstrong
Coach: Andrea Lasher (1st year)
Returning Starters:
Since this is my first year coaching the boys, I don't know who started last year. The boys are working hard and striving to be the best they can be as a team.
Season Outlook:
This is my first year as head coach for the Armstrong boys volleyball team. I have been the head coach for the girls team at Armstrong the last three years and then the Ford City girls' team the previous two years before that. At this time, I do not have any idea of how we will compare in our section or with any other team. I am looking forward to having the boys start playing teams so we can see and know what we are up against with the teams in our section. The boys are progressing along and I am seeing lots of improvement already. I think we will surprise some teams on how competitive we will be. They are a very strong-willed group who are very determined to be successful this season. My team is made primarily of juniors and sophomores this season so it will be nice to see how they develop as a team and gain more experience in the upcoming years.
Section Favorite:
I have been told that Penn Trafford, Hempfield, and Norwin should be good this year.
Young Players to Watch:
We have four juniors and a sophomore that I feel will have an impact on the season for Armstrong. They are Devin Goodgasell, Michael Cornman, Addison Johns, Kody Shankle, and Grant Crytzer. I'm also hopeful that we will have a couple more players that will step it up as the season progressive.
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Gateway
Coach: Kate McCauley (1st year)
Returning Starters:
6-6 senior John Paul Kromka
6-0 senior Mark Bozievic
5-10 senior Salvatore Aiello
5-10 senior Dylan Cassidy
Section Favorite:
Penn Trafford is a favorite in our section this year.
WPIAL Favorite:
Penn Trafford will be one of the favorites this year.
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Hempfield
Coach: John Howell (19th year)
Returning Starters:
6-4 senior setter Logan Horwatt
6-3 senior opposite hitter Jordan Dedo
5-9 senior libero Scott Yurek
6-1 sophomore outside hitter Will Kuhns
5-10 sophomore outside hitter Gavin White
6-0 sophomore setter Ryan Horwatt
Season Outlook:
Most of last year's playoff team returns this season and will bring with them a lot more experience than last year's team. Having the opportunity to truly prepare for this season will add greatly to this teams success. The sophomores maturity both mentally and physically should also assist the team in playing a strong brand of volleyball.
Section Favorite:
The strong teams in the section will be Penn Trafford, Norwin, Latrobe and Hempfield. There could always be a speaker team since there has been a number of coaching changes within the section.
WPIAL Favorite:
With more more boys and more schools playing volleyball, it seems there slowly is becoming a bit more diversity in the WPIAL and when it comes to the playoffs its all whose hot and whose not.
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Latrobe
Coach: Drew Vosefski (18th year)
Returning Starters:
6-5 senior middle hitter Mirko Pandini
6-3 senior middle hitter Holden Kemmerer
6-5 junior outside hitter Reed Fenton
6-4 junior outside hitter Alex Ryan
6-2 junior setter Tommy Labick
5-10 junior libero Myles Douglas
Season Outlook:
Solid, experienced and mature will be the recipe for a strong team in 2018 with designs on a title.
Section Favorite:
It will be another dog fight between Latrobe, Penn Trafford, Hempfield and Norwin. No clear favorite at this point.
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Norwin
Coach: Nick Fallone (1st year)
Returning Starters:
6-0 junior outside hitter Jake Williams
5-9 senior libero Tanner Cook
Season Outlook:
We are a young team with limited varsity experience. We have some great athletes on the court and plan to compete in every match. The goal is always to win our section so we'll practice hard and work to get better every time we step on the court.
Section Favorite:
Penn-Trafford is the favorite.
WPIAL Favorite:
North Allegheny is the favorite.
Young Players to Watch:
Hempfield has a sophomore outside hitter who is very good. Joey Ferragonio is our sophomore outside hitter who plays all the way around. Hoping for a big year from him.
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Penn Hills
Coach: Jay Mitlo (8th year)
Returning Starters:
6-0 senior outside hitter B.J. Smith
6-0 junior setter Napoleon Le
Season Outlook:
We are an inexperienced but athletic team. We finished one match out of the post season the past two years. We hope to break though this year.
Section Favorite:
I believe that Penn Trafford and Norwin are the favorites but Latrobe have a lot coming back as well.
WPIAL Favorite:
How can North Allegheny not be the favorite?
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Penn Trafford
Coach: Jim Schall (16th year)
Returning Starters:
6-4 senior outside hitter/setter Nick Tarabrella
6-0 senior libero Thomas Shaw
6-2 senior middle hitter/outside hitter Sean Kelly
Season Outlook:
I think our team will improve a lot throughout the season. We hope to play well in a section that will be very competitive this year.
Section Favorites:
Norwin, Hempfield, and Latrobe
WPIAL Favorite:
North Allegheny
Young Players to Watch:
Reed Fenton - junior from Latrobe, Will Kuhns - sophomore from Hempfield, Joe Ferragonio - sophomore from Norwin.
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Plum
Coach: Keith Nonnenberg (12 year, 1st since 2006)
Returning Starters:
6-0 senior setter/outside hitter Frank Czura
6-0 senior setter/outside hitter William Marzina
5-6 libero Mason McAndrew
5-7 backrow specialist Michael Gasdick
Season Outlook:
I played at Plum in 1987 & 1988 and coached from 1995-2006. I gave it up so I could be at my own children's athletic events. Now that they are older, I am able to return to coaching. I am optimistic for this season. We have a lot of new faces on the court this year. It's going to be a process to get the younger kids up to speed on what we are trying to accomplish. A lot has changed since 2006. Many of the strong programs have declined or disappeared completely, while many of the weaker programs have really improved. The landscape of high school volleyball has certainly changed over the past decade.
Young Players to Watch:
I expect a freshman from my team, 6-4 middle hitter Alex Vidas, to make an impact on both my team, and the section this season. Alex has picked up skills and concepts at an incredible rate thus far. He probably has more potential than anyone I've seen in a Plum uniform since the mid 1980's. Obviously, he has a lot to learn. However, if he continues to progress and work hard, the sky is the limit for this young man. I look foreword to seeing his progress throughout the next four years.