What to watch for in WPIAL sports on Oct. 22, 2025: Bigger-than-usual field begins quest for Class 4A volleyball gold

By: Don Rebel
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | 12:23 AM

The opening round of the WPIAL girls volleyball playoffs concludes Wednesday with the spotlight shining on first-round matches in Class A and 4A.

There are only four sections in Class 4A girls volleyball with the top three teams qualifying for the postseason, setting up a field of 12 playoff teams.

However, because of a three-way tie for second place between Seneca Valley, Pine-Richland and North Catholic with all qualifying and the tie for third place in Section 4 between Armstrong and Fox Chapel and both clinching, the field has ballooned to 14 teams.

That leaves two first-round byes, which went to top seed North Allegheny and No. 2 Peters Township. Both the Tigers and Indians await their quarterfinals matches Saturday.

Here are the six first-round matches slated for Wednesday:

• No. 9 Penn-Trafford (11-5) battles No. 8 Shaler (13-3) at Gateway at 7:30 p.m.

• No. 4 Seneca Valley (10-6) hosts No. 13 Armstrong (5-11) at 7:30 p.m.

• No. 12 Latrobe (9-5) will take on No. 5 Pine-Richland (11-5) at Seneca Valley at 6 p.m.

• No. 7 Hempfield (12-3) goes up against No. 10 Canon-McMillan (10-6) at Gateway at 6 p.m.

• No. 3 Upper St. Clair (13-3) is home to No. 14 Fox Chapel (5-11) at 7:30 p.m.

• No. 11 Kiski Area (12-5) faces No. 6 North Catholic (8-6) at Upper St. Clair at 6 p.m.

Few former champs

Of the 16 volleyball teams ready to begin the 2025 WPIAL Class A first-round playoffs, only two programs can say they have captured district Class A gold in the past.

Top seed Frazier (11-3) won WPIAL Class A titles in 2010 and 2022.

No. 6 Serra Catholic (11-5) won it all two years ago in 2023.

The Commodores begin the 2025 postseason at home against No. 16 Union (8-10) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

The Eagles’ first playoff game this fall will be against No. 11 Apollo-Ridge (9-4) at Fort Cherry at 6 p.m.

Here are the other six girls volleyball Class A first-round contests:

• No 8 Rochester (11-6) will battle No. 9 Carmichaels (7-12) at Frazier at 6 p.m.

• In a doubleheader at St. Joseph, No. 5 St. Joe’s (13-5) will face No. 12 West Greene (6-5) at 7:30 p.m., preceded by No. 4 Eden Christian Academy (14-4) taking on No. 13 Springdale (9-7) at 6 p.m.

• In a doubleheader at Beth-Center, No. 7 California (13-4) will take on No. 10 Beaver Christian Academy (8-7) at 6 p.m. and No. 15 Western Beaver (12-7) will challenge No. 2 Beth-Center (14-2) at 7:30 p.m.

• No. 3 Fort Cherry (13-2) will host No. 14 Trinity Christian (9-6) at 7:30 p.m.

Back to the quarters

Seven of the eight teams set to play in the Class 3A boys soccer quarterfinals Wednesday also participated in the second round a year ago.

The only team that was not in the elite eight a year ago is West Allegheny.

Fresh off a first-round win over Latrobe, the Indians have reached the quarterfinals for the first time in four years.

No. 8 West Allegheny (11-6) is in for a challenge as it visits top seed Hampton (15-2-2) on Wednesday at 8 p.m.

Both teams pitched shutouts on the pitch in the first round with the Talbots beating Belle Vernon, 4-0, and the Indians shutting out Latrobe, 5-0.

The last time West Allegheny reached the quarterfinals was when the Indians, as top seed, lost to No. 2 Hampton in the 2021 WPIAL Class 3A championship match, 1-0.

Here are the other three 3A quarterfinals:

• No. 5 Thomas Jefferson (16-2-1) travels to No. 4 Moon (13-5-1) at 8 p.m. The Jaguars blanked Shaler in the first round, 1-0, while the Tigers shut out Laurel highlands, 4-0.

• No. 2 Bethel Park (13-2-3) hosts No. 7 Mars (12-5-2) at 8 p.m. The Black Hawks rolled past Knoch in the opening round, 6-0, while the Fightin’ Planets edged Penn-Trafford, 2-1.

• No. 3 Franklin Regional (16-3) is home to Chartiers Valley (11-4-1) at 6:30 p.m. The Panthers shut out Montour in the playoff opener, 2-0, while the Colts galloped past Trinity in the first round, 3-2.

Private party

If the WPIAL boys soccer quarterfinals were a private shindig, Bentworth and Neshannock would be the party crashers of the event.

Of the elite eight teams left in Class A, six are private schools with the Bearcats and the Lancers being the exceptions.

The top-seeded Bearcats are the two-time defending champions and became only the third public school champ in the 25-year history of Class A boys soccer when they won gold in 2023. Riverside in 2012 and Avonworth in 2018 were the other two.

No. 1 Bentworth (18-0) will take on No. 9 Eden Christian Academy (9-9) at Bethel Park on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Both teams are coming off first-round shutouts, the Bearcats 8-0 over Brentwood and the Warriors needing an overtime shootout to knock out Beth-Center, 1-0.

No. 12 Neshannock (14-4-1) will challenge Section 1-A foe No. 4 Beaver County Christian (15-2) in the second round at Ewing Stadium at Ellwood City at 6 p.m.

The Lancers upset No. 5 Springdale in the opening round, 6-1, while the Eagles blanked Chartiers-Houston, 5-0.

The teams split in the regular season, with Beaver County Christian winning at home, 3-0, and Neshannock taking the rematch in Lawrence County in double overtime, 1-0.

Here are the other two Class A quarterfinals Wednesday:

• No. 2 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (16-0) goes up against No. 7 Sewickley Academy (11-4) at Moon at 6 p.m. The Chargers destroyed Greensburg Central Catholic in the first round, 14-1, and the Panthers picked up a Round 1 shutout of Trinity Christian, 4-0.

• No. 3 Winchester Thurston (12-4-1) battles No. 6 Aquinas Academy (13-5) at Hampton at 6 p.m. Both won in the opening round via shutout, the Bears over Serra Catholic, 8-0, and the Crusaders defeating Riverview, 3-0.

Team golf state championships

With the PIAA individual golf finals in the books, Happy Valley will host the state team golf championships on Wednesday.

The state team golf finals will take place at the Blue and White courses at Penn State University.

Class 3A boys and girls will play the Blue Course while the 2A boys and girls are on the White Course.

All four 2025 WPIAL team golf champions will be participating with North Allegheny boys in 3A, Peters Township girls in 3A, North Catholic boys in 2A and Shady Side Academy girls in 2A all teeing it up for double gold on the links.

Tee times on both courses are slated for 9 a.m.

Field hockey final four

It is the smallest postseason in the WPIAL with only four teams in each of the three classes participating.

The 2025 WPIAL field hockey playoffs begin Wednesday with six semifinals.

Six-time defending Class 3A champion Pine-Richland is the top seed as it hosts No. 4 Norwin at 7 p.m.

In the other 3A match, No. 3 North Allegheny visits No. 2 Mt. Lebanon at 7 p.m.

Defending Class 2A champion Peters Township is the No. 1 seed and will host rival Upper St. Clair at 7 p.m.

Also in 2A on Wednesday, No. 2 Fox Chapel is home to No. 3 Latrobe at 7 p.m.

Finally, two-time defending Class A winner Shady Side Academy welcomes No. 4 Winchester Thurston at 6 p.m., followed by No. 2 Aquinas Academy battling No. 3 The Ellis School at Shady Side Academy at 7:30 p.m.