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HS VOLLEYBALL: Blue Ridge and Delaware Valley earn top seeds for D2 playoffs

joby fawcett, the times-tribune, scranton, pa.
·3 min read

Blue Ridge and Delaware Valley start defense of their boys volleyball district championships this week as the postseason gets underway.

Both teams earned the No. 1 seeds for their respective tournaments.

Blue Ridge (15-1), which has won 28 of its last 30 games, is the top seed for the Class 2A playoffs that begin with quarterfinal games Wednesday at the sites of the higher seeded teams. Delaware Valley (12-3), which has won nine straight games, leaped to the top seed for the Class 3A tournament and received a first-round bye.

In the Class 2A quarterfinals, Blue Ridge hosts No. 8 Forest City (5-5) in the quarterfinals. The Raiders defeated Forest City, 3-0, and won 15 matches this year by sweep.

Holy Redeemer (14-2) handed Blue Ridge its only loss of the season in an epic five-set match late in the season. Still, the Royals, whose losses are to Wilkes-Barre Area (15-3) and Delaware Valley (12-3) earned the No. 2 seed and host upstart program West Scranton (7-5), the No. 7 seed in its first official season as a member of District 2.

Mountain View (13-5) had a good season in the Lackawanna League and is the No. 3 seed. The Eagles open with a home game against No. 6 Crestwood (9-6).

Berwick (8-5), the No. 5 seed, is at No. 4 Dallas (12-5) in a quarterfinal. The two teams played on April 23, and Berwick won 3-1.

The winners of the quarterfinal games advance to a semifinal doubleheader at the site of the highest remaining seeded team on May 20. The championship final is May 23 at Scranton High School.

Two teams qualify for the PIAA playoffs from District 2. The champion faces the second-place team from District 12, and the second-place team plays the winner of the District 1-11 regional in the first round on June 4.

Delaware Valley (12–3) and Wilkes-Barre Area (15–3) receive byes in Class 3A.

Sixth-seeded Wyoming Valley West (2-9) is at No. 3 Hazleton Area (8-4), and No. 5 Scranton (3-8) is at No. 4 Abington Heights (9-6) in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Both games are rematches from the regular season. Hazleton Area swept Wyoming Valley West, 3-0, on April 24. Abington Heights defeated Scranton, 3-1, on May 7.

Delaware Valley hosts the semifinal doubleheader on May 21. The Warriors draw the winner of the Scranton-Abington Heights match, and Wilkes-Barre Area faces the winner of the Wyoming Valley West-Hazleton Area match.

The championship final is May 23 at Scranton High School.

Only the champion reaches the PIAA playoffs and will face the second-place team from District 11 on June 4.

DISTRICT 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS

CLASS 2A

Wednesday’s quarterfinals

8-Forest City (5-5) at 1-Blue Ridge (16-1), 6 p.m.

5-Berwick (8-5) at 4-Dallas (12-5), 6 p.m.

6-Crestwood (9-6) at 3-Mountain View (13-5), 6 p.m.

7-West Scranton (7-5) at 2-Holy Redeemer (14-2), 6 p.m.

Semifinals, May 20

Quarterfinal winners at site of highest remaining seed, 5 p.m.

Final, May 23

Semifinal winners at Scranton High School

CLASS 3A

Thursday’s quarterfinals

6-Wyoming Valley West (2-9) at 3-Hazleton Area (8-4), 6 p.m.

5-Scranton (3-8) at 4-Abington Heights (9-6), 6 p.m.

Semifinals, May 21

Quarterfinal winners at site of highest remaining seed, 5 p.m.

Final, May 23

Semifinal winners at Scranton High School