HS VOLLEYBALL NOTEBOOK: Blue Ridge closes in on Lackawanna League title; Teams fight for playoff spots
Blue Ridge is closing in on a second straight Lackawanna League championship, and teams are aiming to qualify for the District 2 playoffs as the high school volleyball season winds down.
On Thursday, the undefeated Raiders play at Valley View in a rescheduled game from earlier this spring. Blue Ridge (9-0) has won 33 of its last 34 games, and after concluding the regular season, it embarks on a challenging five-game nonleague schedule to get ready for the playoffs.
Connor Cranage, last season’s Times-Tribune Player of the Year and a Class 2A all-state player, leads the Raiders with 143 kills. Nick Laude has 62, and Morgan Thomas has 47. Carson Gallagher has 267 assists, and Aiden Glasgow has 61 digs.
Blue Ridge (11-0, .752) has the top power rating in Class 2A, and Holy Redeemer (10-1, .707) is second.
After the match with Valley View, Blue Ridge plays at Crestwood on Friday, hosts Western Wayne and Pocono Mountain East on Saturday, and finishes with a road match at Holy Redeemer on May 6 and at Wilkes-Barre Area on May 9.
The District 2 Class 2A playoffs start on May 14 if first-round matches are needed. The quarterfinal matches are on May 16 at the site of the higher-seeded team, and the semifinal matches are held as a doubleheader at the highest-seeded team. The championship final is May 23.
Mountain View (11-4 overall) holds the No. 3 seed with three matches remaining. The Eagles close their Lackawanna League season at Scranton on Tuesday and have two nonleague matches at home against Holy Redeemer on Friday in a potential playoff matchup preview and a road match at Lake-Lehman on May 6.
Crestwood (5-3), Berwick (6-3), and Dallas (8-3) all had Wyoming Valley Conference matches Monday and started the week holding the No. 4 through No. 6 spots.
West Scranton (5-5), which is in its first official varsity season in the Lackawanna League, has a league match against Lackawanna Trail (4-9) on Tuesday and a second clash against Scranton (2-5) on Thursday. The Invaders hold the No. 7 seed and are poised to make the field of eight teams for the Class 2A playoffs.
Forest City (4-5) needs a win in its season finale at home against Elk Lake (2-9) on Tuesday to reach a record of .500 to reach the playoffs. A minimum of eight teams qualify for the tournament in Class 2A. That means the top eight in the standings and any team with a record of at least .500.
Valley View (5-5), which is in its first varsity season, holds the 10th spot in the standings and needs a win in one of its final two games to finish at .500. The Cougars have a home match against Western Wayne on Tuesday, which amounts to a play-in game for both teams, and are home against Blue Ridge on Thursday.
Western Wayne (6–8) is also still alive. The Wildcats have three matches remaining: at Valley View on Tuesday and at Blue Ridge for a nonleague game on Saturday. They too will play Pocono Mountain West on Saturday.
Class 3A
All six teams qualify for the District 2 Class 3A playoffs.
Quarterfinal matches are at the site of the higher-seeded team on May 15, and the semifinals are on May 20 in a doubleheader at the site of the highest-seeded team. The championship final is on May 23.
Wilkes-Barre Area (11-1) holds the top seed.
Delaware Valley (7-3 overall), the defending Class 3A champion and leader in the WVC standings, has a win over Wilkes-Barre Area, 3-1, on April 16.
Hazleton Area (5-2) started the week third in the power rating standings. Abington Heights (6-5) is fourth. The Comets have four matches remaining and are home against North Pocono on Tuesday at Elk Lake on Thursday.
Wyoming Valley West (2-5) is at Wilkes-Barre Area on Tuesday. Scranton, which is in its first official varsity season, is sixth and has three games remaining.
TIMES-TRIBUNE TOP 5 POLL
1. Blue Ridge (11-0)
2. Delaware Valley (7-3)
3. Abington Heights (6-5)
4. Mountain View (11-4)
5. West Scranton (5-5)
