Volleyball powers get a look at their path to gold as the WPIAL announces playoff pairings

By: Michael Love
Friday, October 21, 2022 | 4:42 PM

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North Allegheny, North Catholic, Freeport and Serra Catholic drew No. 1 seeds as the WPIAL released the four girls volleyball playoff brackets Friday afternoon.

North Allegheny will attempt to win its fifth Class 4A title in six years as it begins play Thursday at home in the quarterfinals against the winner of a first-round matchup between No. 8 Bethel Park and No. 9 Norwin.

North Catholic and Freeport technically aren’t entering the WPIAL playoffs as defending champions — the Trojans moved up to Class 3A from Class 2A, and the Yellowjackets moved down to Class 2A — but both enter the postseason looking to add to their playoff legacy.

Freeport hopes to win its seventh WPIAL title since 2010, while North Catholic will go for its fourth WPIAL crown in five years.

Serra Catholic, which went undefeated to win the Section 4-A title, is in the top spot with Frazier at No. 2 and Greensburg Central Catholic at No. 3 in Class A. Five-time defending Class A champion Bishop Canevin is seeded fifth.

Class 3A is the largest field with 22 teams involved, necessitating six play-in games to pare the field down to a 16-team first round.

Class 2A is almost as large with 21 teams and five play-in games.

All four class tournaments will conclude with championship matches set for Nov. 5 at Robert Morris University’s UPMC Events Center.

The four semifinalists in Class 3A and Class 2A will advance to the PIAA playoffs, while the two finalists in Class 4A will punch tickets to states. In Class A, the top three teams advance, and a consolation game will be needed to determine the third qualifier.

Check out complete WPIAL playoff brackets here.

Watch an archived broadcast of the WPIAL Girls Volleyball Pairings Show on the TribLive High School Sports Network.

Here are the schedules for the opening rounds:

Volleyball

Girls

WPIAL playoffs

Class 4A

First round

Tuesday’s schedule

Norwin (5-10) at Bethel Park (11-5), 7:30 p.m.; Butler (7-9) at Penn-Trafford (9-5), 7:30 p.m.; North Hills (6-12) at Canon-McMillan (11-5), 7:30 p.m.; Upper St. Clair (5-8) at Shaler (8-6), 7:30 p.m.; Baldwin (4-9) at Seneca Valley (9-5), 7:30 p.m.; Hempfield (6-10) at Peters Township (12-4), 7:30 p.m.

Bye: North Allegheny (16-0), Pine-Richland (13-2)

Class 3A

Preliminary round

Monday’s schedule

Woodland Hills (6-7) at Indiana (9-5), 7 p.m.; Ringgold (11-8) at Trinity (10-5), 7:30 p.m.; Franklin Regional (8-8) vs. Blackhawk (9-5) at North Allegheny, 7:30 p.m.; Plum (12-3) vs. Uniontown (8-9) at Hempfield, 7:30 p.m.; Knoch (9-8) at Penn Hills (9-10), 7:30 p.m.; Gateway (8-6) vs. Laurel Highlands (7-8) at Hempfield, 6 p.m.

First round

Wednesday’s schedule

Times, locations TBD

North Catholic (14-1) vs. Gateway/Laurel Highlands winner; Moon (9-5) vs. Albert Gallatin (13-3); Thomas Jefferson (15-1) vs. Indiana/Woodland Hills winner; Montour (11-4) vs. Plum/Uniontown winner; Hampton (18-0) vs. Knoch/Penn Hills winner; Armstrong (10-4) vs. South Fayette (10-5); Latrobe (16-0) vs. Blackhawk/Franklin Regional winner; Mars (11-5) vs. Trinity/Ringgold winner

Class 2A

Preliminary round

Monday’s schedule

Derry (10-6) vs. Seton LaSalle (9-8) at Penn Hills, 6 p.m.; Burrell (12-4) vs. Fort Cherry (12-6) at North Allegheny, 6 p.m.; Southmoreland (13-6) vs. Hopewell (8-8) at Peters Township, 7:30 p.m.; Deer Lakes (11-6) vs. Bentworth (13-4) at Peters Township, 6 p.m.; Waynesburg Central (11-8) vs. OLSH (8-8) at Trinity, 6 p.m.

First round

Wednesday’s schedule

Times, locations TBD

Freeport (17-2) vs. Waynesburg Central/OLSH winner; Brownsville (17-1) vs. Neshannock (11-4); Central Valley (14-3) vs. Deer Lakes/Bentworth winner; Quaker Valley (15-3) vs. Burrell/Fort Cherry winner; Shenango (13-1) vs. Southmoreland/Hopewell winner; South Park (13-3) vs. Laurel (13-5); Avonworth (13-3) vs. Derry/Seton LaSalle winner; Beaver (11-5) vs. Brentwood (11-5)

Class A

First round

Tuesday’s schedule

Serra Catholic (15-1) vs. Burgettstown (9-8) at Thomas Jefferson, 6 p.m.; Carlynton (15-3) vs. Carmichaels (9-5) at Bethel Park, 6 p.m.; Union (16-0) vs. Chartiers-Houston (8-9) at Seneca Valley, 6 p.m.; Bishop Canevin (12-4) vs. Beaver County Christian (9-4) at Thomas Jefferson, 7:30 p.m.; Trinity Christian (8-8) at Frazier (18-0), 7 p.m.; Leechburg (11-4) vs. Western Beaver (15-3) at Shaler, 6 p.m.; Greensburg C.C. (11-3) vs. West Greene (7-6) at Penn-Trafford, 6 p.m.; Mapletown (16-2) vs. Eden Christian (13-5) at Peters Township, 6 p.m.

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.