A-K Valley volleyball notebook: Springdale in position to snap playoff drought

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, October 8, 2025 | 4:44 PM

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The Springdale girls volleyball team is on the cusp of ending an eight-year WPIAL playoff drought.

The Dynamos outlasted Aquinas Academy, 3-2, on Tuesday as they held off a furious rally after grabbing a two-set lead in the match.

Led by 14 kills from junior Bella George, 11 kills from senior Cambra Fersch, and eight kills from sophomore Laylah George, Springdale improved to 5-2 in section play, tied with Apollo-Ridge for second behind defending section champion St. Joseph (6-1) with three matches left in the section schedule.

The Dynamos visit St. Joseph at 7 p.m. Thursday in a match with first place on the line. Springdale handed the Spartans their only section loss to date, 3-1 on Sept. 16.

Apollo-Ridge hosts Leechburg on Thursday as the Vikings hope to keep pace at the top of the standings.

“This is our make-or-break week with Aquinas and St. Joseph,” Springdale coach Diana Killian said. “We’re keeping hope alive for the section title. Thursday’s match with St. Joseph is going to be pretty exciting.”

The top three teams in each six-team section qualify for the WPIAL playoffs.

Aquinas Academy, which swept Springdale, 3-0, in the teams’ first meeting Sept. 11, fell two games off the pace at 3-4 with Tuesday’s loss to the Dynamos.

Bucs, Lancers battle

Burrell and Deer Lakes are in a mad dash to the finish with Southmoreland in Section 5-2A.

The Bucs finished runner-up to the Scotties in the section last year, but with senior Meadow Keyes and junior Delaney Ploskunak leading the attack, they now are at the top of the section with the Scotties at 6-1 heading into Thursday’s matches.

Deer Lakes, fronted by senior Laney Dineff and junior Maria Hannoune, are in the mix at 5-2.

All three teams have all but cemented their spot in the WPIAL playoffs. The Lancers finished on the outside of the playoff chase last year.

Burrell visits Southmoreland to wrap up section play Oct. 16, in a match that could decided the section title. The Scotties outlasted the Bucs, 3-2, on Sept. 23.

But the Lancers don’t want to be counted out and will travel to Burrell next Tuesday in a rematch of a 3-2 Burrell win from Sept. 18. Deer Lakes handed Southmoreland its lone section loss, 3-2, on Sept. 9.

Yellowjackets playoff bound

Freeport is in solid position for a spot in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, but the youthful Yellowjackets want to go in with a lot of momentum, and that can begin Thursday with a Section 5-3A match against Highlands at Freeport Middle School.

Freeport is third in the section at 5-2, a game behind Hampton and Mars. The Yellowjackets suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Hampton and a 3-1 loss to Mars in the first meetings Sept. 18 and 23, respectively.

Freeport hosts Hampton on Tuesday before wrapping up section play on Thursday at Mars.

Knoch (3-4) remains mathematically eligible for a berth to the playoffs. The Knights must beat Hampton on Thursday and have Freeport lose to Highlands to stay alive.

Cavaliers, Foxes make push

Kiski Area is 5-2 in Section 4-4A and will continue its push to the WPIAL playoffs with a match at Armstrong (3-4) at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The Cavaliers’ goal of a section title, however, took a hit Tuesday with a 3-1 loss to Shaler (7-0).

Kiski Area’s only other section loss came to the Titans, 3-1, on Sept. 11. The Cavaliers wrap up section play next week against Woodland Hills (1-6) on Tuesday and then Fox Chapel.

The Foxes (4-3), who lost to Kiski, 3-0, on Sept. 23, are hoping to catch the Cavaliers and hold off Armstrong in the playoff chase. Fox Chapel meets Penn Hills (1-6) on Thursday before a crucial matchup with the River Hawks on Tuesday.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Kiski Area, Knoch, Springdale, St. Joseph