A-K Valley high school notebook: Freeport girls volleyball likely to receive top seed

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, October 22, 2017 | 6:54 PM

Freeport hopes to end the WPIAL Class AA girls volleyball playoffs on top, and it seems all but certain the Yellowjackets will begin the postseason that way.

The two-time defending WPIAL champions, ranked first in the state by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association, look like a lock to receive the No. 1 seed in Class AA when the WPIAL volleyball committee releases its brackets Monday.

The Yellowjackets, who secured their 13th consecutive section championship last week, are seeking their third straight WPIAL title and fifth since 2010. The Alle-Kiski Valley has a four-year streak of champions in Class AA: Freeport in 2013, '15 and '16 and Ford City in '14.

Six A-K Valley teams qualified for the volleyball playoffs: Plum and Kiski Area in Class AAAA; Freeport, Deer Lakes and Burrell in AA; and Leechburg in A. Kiski Area, which finished fourth in Section 4-4A, snapped a five-season postseason drought. The Cavaliers last made the playoffs in 2011.

The playoffs begin Tuesday.

Foxes on top

Fox Chapel's field hockey team is seeking a three-peat of its own, and the Foxes received the top seed for the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs.

The Foxes will host North Allegheny in the Class AAA semifinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday, with the championship game scheduled for Nov. 1 at North Allegheny.

Pine-Richland and Peters Township will meet in the other semifinal.

They've got the Power(ade)

For the third consecutive season, Burrell and Kiski Area will travel to Canon-McMillan for the prestigious Powerade Wrestling Tournament.

The tournament, which is Dec. 27-30, brings together some of the top teams from across the country. Schools from nine states, including Florida team champion Lake Highland Prep, West Virginia team champions Independence and Parkersburg South and PIAA Class AA champion Reynolds will take part.

Kiski Area's Darren Miller finished as runner-up at 106 pounds in the 2016 Powerade.

Jake's take

Valley senior catcher Jake McNabb recently made his college decision, verbally committing to Pitt-Bradford.

A stalwart behind the plate for the Vikings, McNabb helped Valley reach the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs for the first time since 2008 last season, leading the team in most offensive categories. He batted .404 with six doubles and 14 RBIs.

“I am very excited to know where I will be spending my next four years,” McNabb said. “When I sat down after visiting schools, I felt that Pitt-Bradford was a place that fits me the best academically and athletically.

“I was very impressed with Coach (Zach) Foster and love his coaching style.”

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer.

Tags: Burrell, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Kiski School, Valley