PIAA girls volleyball, soccer quarterfinals set in Saturday’s 3 things to watch in high school sports

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, November 9, 2018 | 6:06 PM

While it was a great start to the state playoffs for soccer teams around the WPIAL, the same can’t be said for district girls volleyball teams.

Only five of 12 WPIAL teams were able to pick up victories in the opening round of the PIAA postseason on Tuesday.

Among the seven teams that were one and done include the two-time WPIAL Class A champion Bishop Canevin Crusaders. In fact, the other two teams from the WPIAL in Class A were also bounced as Carmichaels and Fort Cherry both lost in three games.

On Saturday in the state quarterfinals, two of the five remaining district teams square off in Class AA where WPIAL champion North Catholic takes on defending state champion Freeport at 1 p.m. at North Allegheny.

The other three matches are WPIAL champ Knoch facing Dover at Hollidaysburg at 3:30 p.m. and Thomas Jefferson squaring off with District 10 champion Warren at Punxsutawney at 3:30 p.m. in Class AAA.

In Class AAAA, WPIAL champ North Allegheny meets District 6 champion State College at Central Cambria at 5 p.m. in a match on the TribLive High School Sports Network.

PIAA boys soccer quarters

What a start to the PIAA playoffs in boys soccer for the WPIAL as district teams were 9-2. Only Norwin in Class AAAA and Thomas Jefferson in Class AAA were unable to move on.

So with all the first-round success comes a busy day on the pitch Saturday.

There are a pair of head-to-head quarterfinal matches as Quaker Valley faces Deer Lakes in Class AA at North Allegheny at 3 p.m., while in Class A, Seton LaSalle battles Greensburg Central Catholic at Peters Township at 1 p.m.

The Quakers were No. 1 and the Lancers No. 2 in the WPIAL bracket but did not meet in the WPIAL playoffs as both teams lost to Shady Side Academy. Deer Lakes lost to the Indians in the semifinals while Quaker Valley fell in the district finals.

Greensburg Central Catholic beat Seton LaSalle in the WPIAL semifinals, 2-1.

The other boys’ soccer matches on Saturday involving WPIAL teams:

WPIAL 4A champ Seneca Valley vs. Abington at Chambersburg at 3 p.m.

WPIAL 3A champ Franklin Regional vs. Cathedral Prep at Slippery Rock HS at 4 p.m.

WPIAL 2A champ Shady Side Academy vs. Mercyhurst Prep at Mars at 3 p.m.

West Allegheny vs. Hershey at Mansion Park in Altoona at 2 p.m. in Class AAA

Avonworth vs. Rockwood at Peters Township at 3 p.m. in Class A

PIAA girls soccer quarters

Like the boys, it was a tremendous start to the state playoffs for WPIAL girls soccer teams, who were a combined 9-2.

It was a clean sweep for District 7 teams in Class AAAA, AAA and A, with only Hopewell and Avonworth being knocked out in the first round earlier this week.

There will be two battles of WPIAL teams on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals.

In Class AAA, WPIAL champion Oakland Catholic meets Hampton at North Allegheny at 1 p.m., while in Class A, Shady Side Academy takes on Bentworth.

It’s the first meeting of the year between the Eagles and Talbots as well as the Indians and Bearcats.

The other quarterfinals matches are:

WPIAL AAAA champion Seneca Valley vs. Souderton at Chambersburg at 1 p.m.

WPIAL AA champion South Park vs. Villa Maria Academy at Slippery Rock HS at 2 p.m.

WPIAL A champion Freedom vs. Wilmington at Slippery Rock HS at noon

Peters Township vs. Cumberland Valley at Mansion Park in Altoona at noon in Class AAAA

Mars vs. Blue Mountain at Bald Eagle at 1 p.m. in Class AAA

Don Rebel is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Don at drebel@tribweb.com or via Twitter @TheDonRebel.

Tags: Bentworth, Deer Lakes, Freeport, Greensburg C.C., Hampton, Knoch, North Allegheny, Oakland Catholic, Quaker Valley, Shady Side Academy, Thomas Jefferson