The girls volleyball teams at Freeport and North Catholic will not have a chance to defend the WPIAL titles they won in 2021 when the 2022 season begins in September.

The two champs are among 22 schools who have changed classifications under the WPIAL's new alignment, which will be used during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Freeport, the WPIAL Class 3A champion, is one of 17 schools who have moved down in classification.

"I'm not surprised," Freeport coach Tom Phillips said. "Our enrollment was significantly lower than it was two years ago."

Freeport spent the past two years in Class 3A after making eight appearances in the WPIAL Class 2A finals in an 11-year stretch. The Yellow Jackets remained competitive despite the move up in class.

"We won two section titles and a WPIAL title in Class 3A, despite being one of the smallest schools," Phillips said. "We had the option of staying in Class 3A, but decided that moving back down was our best option. We may have moved, but our goal every year is to win the WPIAL title."

Freeport will be the team to beat in Class 2A, as the Yellow Jackets lose only one starter to graduation.

North Catholic, the Class 2A champ three of the last four years, is one of five schools who have moved up in classification.

"I knew we were close, so it wasn't a surprise that we are moving up," North Catholic coach Amanda Fetter said. "North Catholic is growing as a school and that is reflected in our increased enrollment."

North Catholic also won PIAA titles two of the last three years. Repeating their success at both the WPIAL and PIAA levels will be much harder for the Trojans in Class 3A, despite having most of their 2021 championship squad returning.

"The talent in Class 3A is really good," Fetter said. "We're excited for the opportunity to compete with them. It may be a tougher road, but our goals have not changed."

North Catholic is the only school that moved from Class 2A to 3A. Four other schools moved from Class 1A to 2A: Apollo-Ridge, Fort Cherry, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and Sto-Rox.

"It wasn't easy determining the section alignment with so many schools changing classes," said Our Lady of the Sacred Heart coach Mike McDonald, who also serves as chairman of the WPIAL volleyball committee. "Most of it worked out, but there were a couple schools that didn't get a good geographic placement."

The most significant change was in Class 4A, as five schools — Connellsville, Gateway, Latrobe, Moon, and Oakland Catholic — have moved down to Class 3A. That leaves only 16 schools in Class 4A. Sections 1 and 3 have only five schools, while Section 2 has six. That means 10 of the 16 schools have only eight section matches.

"I don't care for this at all," said Chris Kelly, who served as Baldwin's coach the past eight years. "It doesn't seem as competitive with so few schools. It will not be easy finding opponents to fill out schedules."

Kelly will be coaching in Section 2 again, but at a different school.

"I decided to step down at Baldwin at the end of the season and take a break from coaching," said Kelly, who is an eighth-grade science teacher at Peters Township Middle School. "But those plans changed when (Peters Township Athletic Director) Brian Geyer told me that that Nikki Oakes had stepped down as head coach and asked if I would take over. Peters Township is the only other place I would coach. I know most of the girls, since I've had many of them in class."

Moon and Oakland Catholic will join Chartiers Valley, Montour, South Fayette, Trinity, and West Allegheny in Class 3A Section 2 in what looks to be the strongest section in the entire WPIAL.

"I was not expecting to be in such a strong section moving down to Class 3A," said Moon coach Steve Nicola, who led the Tigers to back-to-back section titles in Class 4A. "Winning a section title may be more difficult in this section."

The number of schools in Class 3A will remain at 36 with six new schools and six moving down to Class 2A. The six schools moving down are Beaver, Burrell, Central Valley, Hopewell, Freeport, and Yough.

The most change occurred in Class 2A as it has ballooned to 41 schools. Six schools moved down to Class 2A, four moved up from Class 1A, and six moved down to Class 1A. The Class 2A alignment also includes two schools — Riverside and Neighborhood Academy — who are making their WPIAL debut.

The six schools moving down to Class 1A are Burgettstown, Carlynton, Carmichaels, Chartiers-Houston, Frazier, and Serra Catholic.

"Class 1A will be more competitive with those schools moving down," McDonald said. "Bishop Canevin will find it a bit tougher to defend its WPIAL title."

Frazier is back in Class 1A after a two-year stay in Class 2A.

"I feel like we are back to our roots," Frazier coach Mandy Hartman said. "I am glad we had the opportunity to play in Class 2A for two years. It was good for our girls, but we were one of the smallest schools in Class 2A. It's good to be back in Class 1A. Our softball team is also moving back to Class 1A."

Hartman would like to see her squad end Bishop Canevin's five-year reign as WPIAL champs.

"We have almost our entire squad coming back," Hartman said. "We're looking forward to next season."

The WPIAL playoff format will remain the same, as the top four teams in each section will qualify for the WPIAL tournaments. That means 12 of the 16 teams will qualify in Class 4A.

"We didn't feel it would be fair to those schools to cut the number of qualifiers," McDonald said. "It will still be a great Class 4A bracket. And keep in mind, this alignment is only for two years. We could have significant changes again two years from now."

WPIAL Girls Volleyball Alignment

(For 2022 and 2023 seasons)

Class 4A (16 schools)

Section 1 - Butler, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley.

Section 2 - Baldwin, Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan, Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair.

Section 3 - Fox Chapel, Hempfield, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Shaler.

Class 3A (36 schools)

Section 1 - Gateway, Hampton, McKeesport, Penn Hills, Plum, West Mifflin, Woodland Hills.

Section 2 - Chartiers Valley, Montour, Moon, Oakland Catholic, South Fayette, Trinity, West Allegheny.

Section 3 - Albert Gallatin, Belle Vernon, Connellsville, Elizabeth Forward, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson, Uniontown.

Section 4 - Ambridge, Blackhawk, Knoch, Lincoln Park, Mars, New Castle, North Catholic.

Section 5 - Armstrong, Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Highlands, Indiana, Kiski Area, Latrobe.

Class 2A (41 schools)

Section 1 - Beaver, Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Laurel, Mohawk, Neshannock, Riverside, Shenango.

Section 2 - Brentwood, East Allegheny, Fort Cherry, Keystone Oaks, Seton LaSalle, South Allegheny, South Park, Steel Valley.

Section 3 - Bentworth, Beth-Center, Brownsville, Charleroi, McGuffey, Southmoreland, Washington, Waynesburg, Yough.

Section 4 - Avonworth, Central Valley, Freedom, Hopewell, New Brighton, O.L. Sacred Heart, Quaker Valley, Sto-Rox.

Section 5 - Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Derry, Freeport, Ligonier Valley, Neighborhood Academy, Valley.

Class 1A (29 schools)

Section 1 - Aliquippa, Beaver C.C., Burgettstown, Rochester, South Side Beaver, Union, Western Beaver.

Section 2 - Avella, California, Carmichaels, Frazier, Geibel Catholic, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, West Greene.

Section 3 - Bishop Canevin, Carlynton, Chartiers-Houston, Cornell, Eden Christian, Hillcrest Christian, Northgate.

Section 4 - Greensburg C.C., Leechburg, Riverview, St. Joseph, Serra Catholic, Springdale, Trinity Christian.

First Published: February 4, 2022, 10:45 a.m.