Defending champ Shaler, undefeated Mars earn top seeds for WPIAL volleyball playoffs

By: Triblive
Friday, May 10, 2024 | 5:01 PM

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A pair of regular-season matchups between the top two teams in WPIAL Class 3A boys volleyball solved nothing.

Perhaps a third meeting in the WPIAL championship game is in the cards.

Shaler and North Allegheny, who met in last year’s final with the Titans winning 3-0 and who split a pair of regular-season meetings in Section 2-3A this year, are the top two seeds in Class 3A in the WPIAL boys volleyball playoffs, which begin with first-round matches Tuesday.

The third seed also comes from Section 2, with Butler earning a first-round bye.

Norwin, which won Section 1 with an undefeated record, slots in as the No. 4 seed. Canon-McMillan, which went undefeated as Section 3 champ, slid to the No. 7 spot.

In Class 2A, last year’s WPIAL finalists — champ North Catholic and runner-up Ambridge — also come from the same section, and they also split a pair of meetings this year, with both matches going five sets. But neither is the top seed.

That honor goes to Section 2 champ Mars, the only undefeated team in either bracket at 17-0. North Catholic is the second seed, and Ambridge is fourth.

Behind Mars, the next four teams in Section 2 — Latrobe, Gateway, Armstrong and Derry — finished with 5-5 records. Derry, which needed a win over Deer Lakes on the final day of the regular season to get into the field, received the top seed from the quartet, getting the No. 3 spot and the corresponding first-round bye.

Section 3 champ South Fayette is the No. 5 seed.

The finals are set for Thursday, May 23, at Peters Township.

WPIAL playoffs

Class 3A

First round

Tuesday’s schedule

Shaler (13-1) bye

Hempfield (9-6) at Baldwin (10-8), 7 p.m.

Norwin (15-1) bye

Moon (8-8) at Seneca Valley (12-6), 7 p.m.

North Allegheny (11-1) bye

Central Catholic (9-8) at Canon-McMillan (13-2), 7 p.m.

Butler (10-6) bye

Upper St. Clair (7-8) at Penn-Trafford (13-3), 7 p.m.

Class 2A

First round

Tuesday’s schedule

Mars (17-0) bye

Seton LaSalle (11-9) at Gateway (8-5), 7 p.m.

Trinity (8-9) at Ambridge (11-3), 7 p.m.

Montour (7-11) at South Fayette (15-2), 7 p.m.

North Catholic (14-2) bye

Thomas Jefferson (11-4) at Latrobe (6-9), 7 p.m.

Derry (9-7) bye

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (9-6) at Armstrong (8-8), 7 p.m.