Seeds
| 1. North Allegheny 2. Peters Township 3. Upper St. Clair 4. Seneca Valley 5. Pine-Richland 6. North Catholic 7. Hempfield |
8. Shaler 9. Penn-Trafford 10. Canon-McMillan 11. Kiski Area 12. Greater Latrobe 13. Armstrong 14. Fox Chapel |
Our First Impressions
The top three seeds were no-brainers — North Allegheny, Peters, and Upper St. Clair separated themselves early and never looked back. Section 2 earned plenty of respect from the committee, with four teams landing inside the top six.
Hempfield, Penn-Trafford, and Shaler all have a case for being under-seeded, but they’ll need to prove it on the floor. Unfortunately for Hempfield, that means drawing a brutal first-round matchup with Canon-McMillan, who is far more dangerous than a No. 10 seed usually is.
Overall, this bracket feels deep — there’s star power, coaching pedigree, and a handful of teams that could pull off real noise. Expect some chaos before we reach the semis.
Who Actually Has a Chance to Hoist the Trophy
North Allegheny, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair, and Pine-Richland
Who Could Make a Cinderella Run to the Semis
Canon-McMillan is the best bet for a deep surprise. Don’t let the No. 10 next to their name fool you — they’ve battled through one of the toughest sections in the WPIAL and can hang with anyone when their serve-receive is sharp.
North Catholic, meanwhile, might not fit the “Cinderella” label, but their bracket draw is intriguing. If they can get hot early, they’re absolutely capable of knocking off Upper St. Clair in the quarters — and if that happens, the 4A bracket will turn upside down.
Our Picks
Round 1
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Shaler over Penn-Trafford
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Seneca Valley over Armstrong
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Pine-Richland over Greater Latrobe
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Canon-McMillan over Hempfield
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Upper St. Clair over Fox Chapel
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North Catholic over Kiski Area
Quarterfinals
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North Allegheny over Shaler — NA has too much firepower.
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Pine-Richland over Seneca Valley — expect a five-set classic.
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Peters Township over Canon-McMillan — but the Big Macs could scare them.
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Upper St. Clair over North Catholic — high-level volleyball on both sides.
Semifinals
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North Allegheny over Pine-Richland — the Tigers still have the mental edge.
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Upper St. Clair over Peters Township.
Championship
Upper St. Clair def. North Allegheny in five — a final worthy of the hype.
