WPIAL girls volleyball playoff preview: Predicted champs, dark horses, players to watch
Ken Wunderley / Tri-State Sports & News Service
North Allegheny and Beaver have three things in common as they enter the WPIAL girls volleyball playoffs.
Both teams are returning champions. Both teams were preseason favorites. And both enter the playoffs as a No. 1 seeds.
North Allegheny is the top seed in Class 4A for the eighth consecutive year. The Tigers have been the most dominant team in the state — in any classification — over the past seven years.
Beaver is the No. 1 seed in Class 3A. The Bobcats moved up in classification after winning the Class 2A title last year.
The other two returning champs are Hampton and Serra Catholic. Both were hit hard by graduation losses but earned a return trip to the playoffs. Hampton is seeded No. 4 in the Class 3A after tying for second place in Section 2. Serra Catholic is the No. 8 seed in Class 1A after tying for second place in Section 5.
The playoffs began Monday with preliminary round matches in Class 3A and 2A. First-round action in Class 4A and 1A begins on Tuesday, with Class 3A and 2A to follow on Wednesday.
Here is a look at the playoff field in each classification:
Class 4A
Defending champion: North Allegheny
Top seeds: 1. North Allegheny (14-1) 2. Canon-McMillan (15-1) 3. North Catholic (14-2) 4. Upper St. Clair (11-5)
Winner will be: North Allegheny. The Tigers have won the WPIAL Class 4A title five of the last seven years and are seven-time defending PIAA champs. Coach Russ Hoburg has rebuilt the Tigers after losing 10 very talented players to graduation, including four WPIAL all-stars. The Tigers are led by sophomore outside hitter Molly Robertson, sophomore middle hitter Alicia Mokube, senior setter Mackenzie Jones and senior libero Macey Casten.
Team that could surprise: North Catholic. The Trojans have made six consecutive appearances in the WPIAL finals, four in Class 2A and the last two in Class 3A. North Catholic ended the regular season with a 3-2 victory against North Allegheny. It was the Tigers’ only loss of the season. Coach Amanda Fetter has a talented squad led by senior setter Sienna Cozza and senior outside hitter Ella Koziara.
The scoop: The 13-team Class 4A bracket features three teams that appeared in the finals last year. Canon-McMillan was the Class 4A runner-up. Coach Sheila Mitchell's squad is led by junior outside hitter Natalie Carr. Pine-Richland was ranked No. 2 in the preseason but finished with six losses in its last seven matches after losing junior setter Isabelle Hoppe to a knee injury.
Class 3A
Defending champion: Hampton
Top seeds: 1. Beaver (15-3) 2. Mars (14-4) 3. Chartiers Valley (16-2) 4. Hampton (11-5)
Winner will be: Beaver. The Bobcats got off to a 2-3 start due to various injuries and illnesses, but rebounded with 12 consecutive 3-0 sweeps to earn the top seed. The Bobcats moved up to the top spot with a 3-0 sweep of Mars on Oct. 1. Coach Suze Pollins has all but one player returning from last year's team. Beaver's top returnees are a pair of WPIAL all-stars: junior outside hitter Kailyn Connelly and senior setter Zoe Ringer.
Team that could surprise: Mars. Despite their loss to Beaver, the Planets have one of the most potent front lines in Class 3A with senior outside hitters Ella Nicotra and Lily Javor, junior middle hitter Cecilia Christy and junior outside hitter Rylee Wooldridge. Christy and Nicotra were second-team WPIAL all-stars last season.
The scoop: Chartiers Valley claimed its first section title since 2018, which is quite an accomplishment since Section 1 is the strongest of the five Class 3A sections. The Colts are led by senior middle hitter Kaylie Baumgart and senior setter Addison Varnish. Hampton earned the No. 4 seed with a 3-0 sweep of Freeport in the final week of section play. Freeport dropped to No. 6 after losing its last two matches.
Class 2A
Defending champion: Beaver
Top seeds: 1. Quaker Valley (14-2) 2. Neshannock (13-1) 3. Hopewell (14-2) 4. South Park (13-5)
Winner will be: Quaker Valley. The Quakers have never made an appearance in the WPIAL finals. They advanced to the Class 2A semifinals the past two years but had the misfortune of facing the eventual champion both times. Quaker Valley's only two losses were to Beaver and Freeport, two teams that are now competing in Class 3A. Coach Mike Vavrek's squad features two WPIAL all-stars: senior setter Vanessa Pickett and senior outside hitter Molly MacDonald.
Team that could surprise: Neshannock. The Lancers recorded 13 consecutive wins after losing their season opener to Laurel and won their first section title since 2018. Coach Jenny Bolinger's top hitters are junior outside hitter Payton Newman and junior setter/opposite Rian Owens.
The scoop: The 22-team Class 2A bracket is the largest of the four classes after three sections had a tie that could not be broken. It's also the weakest of the four brackets, as both WPIAL finalists from last year moved up to Class 3A. Hopewell is a team to watch, as its only losses were to Quaker Valley. Sophomore setter Marina Pinchotti has only four matches of varsity experience after taking over for junior Bella Ceccarelli, who suffered a season-ending knee injury. Number 6 seed Waynesburg (17-0) is the only remaining unbeaten team in the WPIAL, but two of its top players are ineligible due to transfer rules.
Class 1A
Defending champion: Serra Catholic
Top seeds: 1. Frazier (12-3) 2. Eden Christian (18-2) 3. Greensburg Central Catholic (13-3) 4. St. Joseph (15-3)
Winner will be: Frazier has been ranked No. 1 all season. The Commodores have all but one player back from last year's squad that advanced to the semifinals before losing to eventual runner-up Bishop Canevin. Frazier won the Section 4 title with a pair of wins against No. 3 seed Greensburg Central Catholic. Coach Mandy Hartman's squad features three WPIAL all-stars: senior setter/opposite Gracen Hartman, senior outside hitter Grace Vaughn, and junior opposite Maddy Salisbury.
Team that could surprise: Eden Christian. The Warriors have never made it to the WPIAL semifinals in school history. That could change this year, as Eden Christian won its first section title. Coach Jillian Zentko has all starters back from last year's squad that advanced to the quarterfinals. Eden Christian's top players are senior libero Alexis Fowler and junior outside hitter Ava Arnold.
The scoop: Greensburg Central is a team to watch. The Centurions ended the regular season with 3-0 sweeps of Eden Christian and St. Joseph. The Centurions’ lineup features a pair of WPIAL all-stars: junior opposite Ashlyn Black and senior outside hitter Eva Denis.