Athletics

It’s tough to buck a trend when that trend is a 6-foot-6 outside hitter and sends high-speed laser-like kills across the net. Ambridge junior Liam Buck set the tone early for the Bridgers with aggressive play at the net that was too much to handle as No. 4 seed Ambridge downed No. 2 Seton LaSalle, 3-1, to win back-to-back WPIAL Class AA boys volleyball championships Thursday evening at Fox Chapel. “I came out and just wanted to be aggressive and help my team win as best as I could,” said Buck, who was also awarded WPIAL Class AA co-MVP honors.

After Derry cruised through the second set to seize control of the match, it looked as if it was going to break a 20-year WPIAL championship drought and at the same time get past finals nemesis Ambridge in the process. Instead, the match became a flashback to 2012, and it wasn’t a good memory for the Trojans to relive. Just like they did six years ago, the Bridgers took the third set and the momentum with it. Then second-seeded Ambridge took the fourth set and eventually came all the way back to break the hearts of the Trojans with a …

Derek Kuhn experienced the thrill of playing in a PIAA boys volleyball title match during his sophomore year at Ambridge High School. He also knew the agony of losing in the first round of the state playoffs in his junior year. With that in mind, Kuhn and his Ambridge teammates entered the 2016 season with the goal of returning to the state finals. Then came the Bridgers’ stunning loss to Beaver County Christian, a team it beat twice during the regular season, in the WPIAL Class AA title match. The loss left Ambridge fans wondering whether a return trip to 

Ambridge won the WPIAL Class AA Boys Volleyball title with a 3-1 win against Obama Academy on May 22 at Baldwin High School. It was the seventh title in eight years for the Bridgers. Anthony Baronio and Capen Brendle watched the 2014 WPIAL Class AA boys volleyball title match from Ambridge’s bench. The two were junior varsity players last year, but dressed for varsity matches. “I watched last year’s title match hoping that we would go that far again this year, but this time I would be playing,” said Baronio, a 6-foot-1 junior outside hitter. Brendle, a 5-11 junior setter, …

Ambridge’s comeback in the WPIAL Class AA title match may not have been as impressive as the Bridgers’ improbable comeback in 2012, but it still resulted in a championship. In 2012, Ambridge rallied from a 2-0 deficit with three consecutive victories to defeat Derry Area in the WPIAL title match. Fast forward to last Thursday at Baldwin High School, and the two teams were once again facing off for the WPIAL title. “It wasn’t like it was two years ago when we came back after losing the first two sets,” said Ambridge senior Dan Zajac after collecting his third WPIAL …

When Ambridge’s volleyball team gathered for its championship photo, the shorter players stood in front and the taller players moved toward the back. It was fairly typical, except that the back row was awfully crowded. With three starters who measure between 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-6, Ambridge used its exceptional height to control the middle in Thursday’s 3-0 victory over Derry in the WPIAL Class AA championship at Baldwin. It was the second consecutive title for the No. 1 Bridgers and their fifth title in six years. “With our height and just our strength … we look pretty large out there,” said …

COLLIER TWP. – Two sets into the WPIAL Class AA boys volleyball championship, Ambridge found itself in an unfamiliar position. The Bridgers were down 2-0 to Derry and on the brink of elimination. Thanks to stellar play by senior Justin Gleason and rangy sophomores Brandon Buck, Lee Smith, and Dan Zajac, Ambridge rallied to win 3-2 and capture its fourth WPIAL title in five seasons. “Even down those two sets, it didn’t stop them,” Ambridge head coach Glenn Freed said. “They kept pushing and going harder and harder like I asked them.” Ambridge hadn’t lost a set to a WPIAL …

Boys’ Volleyball Champions Again The Ambridge Area High School boys’ volleyball team had another tremendously successful season in 2010. The team was Section Champions, WPIAL Champions for the third straight year, and 3rd Place at the State Championships. The 2010 team was led by seniors Brandon Rogers, Brian Presto, and Nick Goodell. Brandon was awarded the honors of Second Team All-Section and Third Team All-WPIAL. Brian was selected First Team All-Section, First Team All-WPIAL, All-Tournament Team at the State Championships, and Fab 40 All-State. Nick earned First Team All-Section, First Team All-WPIAL, All-Tournament Team at the State Championships, and Fab …

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — It was a long wait, but the Ambridge Area High School boys’ volleyball team finally realized its goal of winning a PIAA title. “The kids have been working toward this since the final day of last season,” Ambridge coach Dennis Damp said. “We’ve been dreaming of this goal. It’s a dream come true.” Damp and his 2009 Bridgers squad became the first volleyball team in school history to claim a PIAA title with a convincing 3-0 victory against District 10 champion Maplewood in the Class AA final Saturday at Penn State University’s Multi-Sports Facility. “This is …

After winning their first WPIAL softball title in school history the Ambridge Bridgers did not stop there. They went on to capture the state title and in doing so, Coach James Huwar’s squad became the first PIAA softball champion to hail from Beaver County. Liz Decima accounted for both runs in the victory over the District 3-AAA runners-up. In the first she scored on an aggressive base running move. After leading off with a single, a sacrifice bunt was called upon and she not only took second but attempted to take third. When the throw from the Hounds first baseman …

It was the most anticipated match-up in the history of local high school basketball. A battle of unbeatens. Five starters from the industrial town of Ambridge-all white-versus five starters-all black-from the inner city of Pittsburgh. The defending state champion Schenley Spartans and the Ambridge Bridgers met in the 1967 PIAA Triple-A state semifinals, with the winner obtaining the opportunity to face undefeated Chester for the state title. Both schools entered the game unbeaten “The ’67 championship season was a very, very, special time,” said Dennis Wuycik, who pumped in a game high 27 points. “I cherish fond memories of that …