The Shaler Area Girls Volleyball team heads into its first WPIAL championship match against the North Allegheny Tigers after two competitive victories against Canon McMillan and Oakland Catholic.

The girls playoff journey started with a second-round home match against Canon McMillan where the Titans dominated the court with a 3-0 win. The Titans were able to shut down the Big Macs in three short games with scores of 25-14, 25-10, and 25-12.

“Our team came out with lots of intensity and confidence.  We jumped in front early on them and never wavered,” head coach Paul Stadelman said.

The players knew that the performance against Canon McMillan was a good way to get ready for the semi-finals.

“We played well as a team and the big win will definitely help us transition into our game against Oakland Catholic,”  junior outside hitter Mia Schubert said.

The home match against Oakland Catholic certainly brought a new level of intensity. The Titans fought through five competitive games against the Eagles before prevailing 3-2.

“This match was a battle between two very good teams,” Stadelman said. “I was pleased with their effort and battle level.  They truly worked hard and deserved the win.”

The win places the Titans in the WPIAL finals in what will be their most challenging match of their entire season. The Titans will play North Allegheny at 5 pm on Saturday at Chartiers Valley.

The Titans faced North Allegheny twice earlier in the season and were able to take multiple games off of the Tigers. Unfortunately, the girls were not able to finish the matches off with wins. The Titans were up 2-0 in the match at North Allegheny 1-0 in the rematch at Shaler before the Tigers won 3 straight in each match.

Despite those results, the team and coaching staff are confident that the girls’ hard work and dedication will pay off.

“We are ready to seek some redemption this Saturday and bring our best effort.  We are confident that if we perform well, we can come out on top,” Stadelman said.

The team knows what they need to do in order to execute in these next few sets against North Allegheny.

“Our defense is really important, just to keep the ball alive because obviously they’re going to have their swings and we are going to have our swings, but the defense is what keeps it alive,” Addie Kania said.