The four PIAA girls volleyball championships will be held Saturday at Cumberland Valley High School and only two of the schools that appeared in last year’s finals are back — and both are from the WPIAL.

North Allegheny and North Catholic are both making return trips to the title games — and both are returning champions. In fact, North Allegheny is the five-time defending Class 4A champ while North Catholic won titles two of the past three years. Those championships came in Class 2A, but the Trojans moved to 3A this year.

Last year’s other two champions — Spring Grove in Class 3A and Clarion in Class 1A — did not qualify for the state tournament this year.

Below is a preview of the championship matches involving WPIAL teams:

Class 4A

North Allegheny, despite losing to Pine-Richland in the WPIAL final, is back for a sixth consecutive appearance in the finals. The Tigers (21-1) avenged their loss to the Rams in the PIAA semifinals.

North Allegheny’s opponent in the Class 4A final is District 1 champion Garnet Valley. It’s the last of the four Saturday championships (6 p.m. start). Garnet Valley (25-1) is making its second appearance in the finals and first since pulling one of the biggest upsets in PIAA history.

In 2016, the first year of Class 4A competition, Garnet Valley came into the bracket as a No. 5 finisher from District 1. The Jaguars recorded four upsets, including a five-set shocker over two-time defending champion Parkland in the title match.

“It’s great to be back in the state finals,” Garnet Valley coach Mark Clark said. “Our goal this year was to qualify for the state tournament. We’ve exceeded our goal and are hoping to pull another upset.”

North Allegheny is a strong favorite since most of its squad played in last year’s title match.

“(North Allegheny) is loaded,” Clark said. “We are clearly the underdog. The only player on our team who has been to a title match is our setter, Maddie Wood. Maddie was in 6th grade when we played in the title match. She traveled with our team since her dad was one of our coaches.”

Garnet Valley’s Maddie Wood, a PVCA All-Star last year, has accepted a scholarship to play beach volleyball at Tampa University. Her sister, Sarah, is a freshman outside hitter.

North Allegheny’s lineup includes two PVCA All-Stars: senior setter Mia Tuman, and senior libero Caroline Curran. Tuman, an Ohio State recruit, is a two-time PVCA honoree.

“This will be the final match for the seniors. We want to go out with another title,” Tuman said.

Class 3A

North Catholic won PIAA Class 2A titles in 2019 and 2021. The Trojans have posted a 22-1 record since moving up to Class 3A, with their only loss to North Allegheny. North Catholic will face District 1 champion Pope John Paul II at 3:30 p.m. Pope John Paul II (24-0) is making its maiden voyage into the PIAA finals

“This is my 10th year and we’ve qualified for the state playoffs nine times,” Pope John Paul II coach Ryan Sell said. “We had never made it past the quarterfinals until this year.”

Pope John Paul II’s lineup features three players who were PVCA All-Stars last season: senior libero Grace Cooper, junior opposite Natalie Ricevuto, and junior outside hitter Hutton Cordrey.

“In past years we’ve always been missing one piece of the puzzle,” Sell said. “This year, we have all the pieces and were able to get this far. Beating a returning champion like North Catholic will not be easy, but we are up for the challenge.”

North Catholic’s roster also features three players who were PVCA All-Stars last year: senior outside hitter Ally Feczko, senior setter Sydnei Jones, and senior middle hitter Stephanie Lynch. Feczko and Jones are two-time PVCA honorees.

“It’s amazing and exciting to get back to the state finals,” Jones said. “I’m going to enjoy some chocolate, kick it with my girls, and maybe get another state championship.”

Class 2A

In Class 2A, Freeport is making its second appearance in the finals, and first since claiming the title in 2017. The Yellow Jackets fell one win short of a title berth last season while competing in Class 3A.

“We only lost one starter from that team,” Freeport coach Tom Phillips said. “The girls have worked hard to take it to the next step this year. We have a chance to realize the ultimate goal and the girls are excited for that opportunity.”

Freeport (22-2), the WPIAL champion, will face District 3 champion York Catholic (23-1) in the title match at 1 p.m. Freeport earned their title berth with a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Philipsburg-Osceola.

“Philipsburg-Osceola featured the best high school player I’ve ever seen,” said Phillips, referring to junior outside hitter Reese Hazelton, a two-time PVCA All-Star. “She is so dynamic and hard to stop.”

Freeport was fortunate to have junior middle blocker Autumn English back in the lineup.

“Autumn fractured her foot early in the season and missed 6 1/2 weeks,” Phillips said. “She is one of our best blockers. She was cleared to play two days before the semifinals. Having her back on the front line really helped.”

Both schools feature a PVCA All-Star — Freeport senior setter Cassidy Dell and York Catholic senior outside hitter Adeline Phillips.

First Published: November 17, 2022, 7:35 p.m.