Westmoreland volleyball teams set to make playoff seeding cases

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, October 14, 2018 | 9:27 PM

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Halloween decorations, a drop in temperatures and pumpkin-spice everything are synonymous with the fall months, but they also mark the end of the WPIAL girls volleyball regular season.

And while this week is the end of the road for some local teams, eight Westmoreland County WPIAL teams will use the final two matches to make their final cases for postseason seeding before playoffs begin Oct. 23.

“As a team, last year our focus in the last week was to be a spoiler,” Franklin Regional coach Mike Feorene said. “This year, our focus is to beat the last two teams so that we’re playing in the middle of the pack, or better, of a 16-team playoff tournament.”

The Panthers are a bit new to this. It’s been more than a decade since Franklin Regional (9-5, 8-4 Section 1-AAA) made the postseason. The Panthers last reached the playoffs in 2007, when they were the No. 11 seed and lost to No. 6 Seneca Valley in the first round.

“Right now, we have earned a playoff berth, but position in the section could be anywhere from tied for second, third or fourth (in the section),” Feorene said. “We are playing our most consistent volleyball to date.”

The Panthers will wrap the final week of the regular season against section rival Indiana (6-7, 5-7) at home and then travel to Gateway (1-13, 1-11). The Panthers beat Indiana, 3-2, in the first meeting and downed the Gators, 3-0, earlier in the season.

Greensburg Salem (9-4, 9-3 Section 1-AAA) is back in the bracket this year. The Lions reached the postseason last season as a No. 10 seed before losing a first-round match to No. 7 Hampton, 3-2.

Greensburg Salem has an uphill trek to close out the season. It travels to Class AAA No. 3-ranked Armstrong (13-1, 12-0) on Tuesday before coming home Thursday for the finale against an upstart Kiski Area (9-3, 9-3) squad in a game that could be second place in the section.

Latrobe (10-3, 9-1) reigns supreme in Section 3-AAAA. The Wildcats’ last loss came in mid-September to section rival Connellsville (8-4, 7-3). Latrobe will travel down Route 30 to face rival Norwin (9-4, 7-3) and will welcome Hempfield (9-5, 7-3) to finish its section schedule.

Hempfield, Norwin and Connellsville are in a three-way tie for second in the section. The Spartans will get another crack at the Falcons on Tuesday. Hempfield turned into a dark horse last season as a No. 13 seed and upset No. 5 Pine-Richland in the first round. The Spartans lost in the semifinals to North Allegheny, 3-0. The Tigers went on to win the WPIAL Class AAAA title.

Norwin will get another shot at Latrobe at home before traveling to fifth-place Penn-Trafford (5-8, 4-6) on Thursday.

Greensburg Central Catholic (12-3, 12-0 Section 4-A) is two years removed from winning it all, and the Class A No. 2-ranked Centurions appear headed for anther long run. It finishes section play on the road against second-place Leechburg (11-3, 9-3) before coming home to face another postseason team in third-place Trinity Christian (7-7, 7-5).

The Southmoreland Scotties (10-2, 8-2) have a half-game lead over Waynesburg (8-4, 8-3) for second place in Section 3-AA. The Scotties got a taste of the postseason last year when they fell to Burrell, 3-2, in the preliminary round.

“I’ve always expected the unexpected because that always seems to be what takes us out,” Southmoreland coach Kristy Bunner said. “Last year, it was the tipping that got us and that’s when we played the middle (hitter) up.”

Southmoreland will travel to McGuffey (3-7, 3-7) and come back home against section leader Frazier (13-1, 10-0), ranked No. 5 in Class AA.

“Literally, we’re just going to take it one game at a time and make a change, improve and better ourselves from one game to another,” Bunner said.

Derry (8-2, 8-2 Section 5-AA) is no stranger to the postseason. The Trojans have not missed the playoffs this millennium but are overshadowed in the section by WPIAL and PIAA champion and No. 1-ranked Freeport (11-1, 10-0). The Trojans finish at home against Burrell (5-5, 5-5) before traveling to Apollo-Ridge (1-10, 1-8).

“This year is very similar to the previous five or six,” Derry coach Brook Smith said. “We have put ourselves in a good position, (and) now it is up to us to ensure that we deserve what we have worked so hard for.”

William Whalen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Latrobe, Southmoreland