A Visit with former WPIAL champion North Allegheny's Kathy Snediker

Kathy Snediker (center) at Keystone Games
with North Allegheny's Justin Otto (left) & Derry's Dan Schall (right)

Background Info: Kathy Snediker was a four-time letterman and three-year starter at North Allegheny High School. She graduated in 1995 after leading the Tigers to the WPIAL and PIAA finals three times. North Allegheny won three PIAA Class 3A titles and one WPIAL title during her high school career. Snediker played one year of college ball as a walk-on at the University of Virginia. She also played club ball at Virginia for a couple years. She now works as a faculty librarian at the University of South Carolina.

Snediker's first WPIAL & PIAA championship experience.
What I remember the most about the WPIAL tournament is how competitive it was. We had a senior-dominated team my sophomore year. We were tall and experienced and had 12 seniors, but lost to Baldwin in the WPIAL final. It was sad. We wanted to avenge that loss when we got to the PIAA tournament, but didn't get the chance. Instead, we played Norwin and beat them.

Snediker's second WPIAL & PIAA championship experience.
I was the only returning starter on this team. All the other starters graduated. There were no expectations for us. We were seeded near the bottom, but knocked off top-seed Ambridge in the quarterfinals. That was the least experienced team I played on, but we were able to win both titles. We played Plum in both title matches. Coach [Bob] Miller got the most out of us.

Snediker's third WPIAL & PIAA championship experience.
My senior year, we came into the season with a bullseye on our back. The WPIAL tournament was so competitive. We lost to Baldwin in the WPIAL final, then beat them in the PIAA final. All three years, we faced a WPIAL team in the state finals. The competition we faced in the WPIAL tournament helped prepare us for the state tournament.

Snediker's thoughts on former North Allegheny coach Bob Miller.
Playing for coach Miller was amazing. He was a very good teacher who was intense and demanding at times, but always had our best interest in mind. He was such a good leader and coach.