The WPIAL will announce seedings and opening pairings for the boys volleyball playoffs Friday.
The tournaments are scheduled to begin May 11. The finals are set for May 20-23 at AHN Arena in Peters Township.
The PIAA playoffs open June 2.
The top three teams in each section — and ties – qualify for the postseason.
Local qualifiers include Penn-Trafford, Hempfield and Norwin in Class 3A, and Derry in Class 2A.
700 club
Jeannette senior Grace Stein, one of the top dual-threat softball players in the WPIAL for the entirety of her prep career, reached a milestone Friday on senior day.
Stein recorded her 700th career strikeout as the playoff-bound Jayhawks topped visiting South Allegheny, 5-3.
Stein, a Pitt-Greensburg commit, has 10 wins, a 1.22 ERA and 170 Ks this season.
Her career numbers: 44 wins, 1.27 ERA, 709 Ks.
Tight race
Section 1-5A baseball is jam-packed at the top with a week remaining in the regular season.
Latrobe (16-2), Plum (15-2) and Penn-Trafford (12-5) are tied for first place with 8-2 records.
Franklin Regional (13-4) is a game back at 7-3.
This week features vital two-game series with Penn-Trafford playing Franklin Regional and Latrobe facing Plum.
The home-and-home series will start Monday at Penn-Trafford and Plum. The scene shifts to Murrysville and Latrobe on Tuesday.
Overall head-to-head records could be what decides the section champion, although co-champions likely are based on previous results.
Latrobe is 1-1 against Penn-Trafford and Franklin Regional, while Plum is 1-1 against Penn-Trafford and Franklin Regional.
Roundball change
Roundball Classic organizer Allen Deep said the practice for this year’s senior basketball all-star event is now May 28, not May 29, at North Allegheny. The girls will take the court at 6 p.m., the boys at 7:15.
FR staff
New Franklin Regional football coach Brian Johnson has filled out his staff.
It will include Anthony Rickard (offensive coordinator), Nick Leopold (quarterbacks/JV coach), TJ Young (defensive coordinator), Jeffery Joyce (defensive backs), Shawn Jones (offensive line), Giulio Tommarello (wide receivers), Aaron Detweiler (defensive line), Tyrrell Herbert (safeties), Mike Kramer (tight ends), Jason Schmidt (running backs), Chris Edmonds (linebackes), Jim Ciecierski (quality control), Nate Williams (offensive line), Ricky Dotson (running backs), Andy Leopold (consultant) and Ishan Rayka (character).
Johnson takes over for Lance Getsy, who resigned after five years with the program.
On the record
Penn-Trafford senior Annabelle Aquino left quite a mark on the lacrosse program record book.
She now holds the No. 1 spot in career points (200), goals (150), caused turnovers (120), grounds balls (235) and draw controls (385).
She was adding to those marks with a handful of games left in the regular season.
Net ranks
Three local teams remained in the top 10 of the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Assocation Class 3A rankings for Week 7 of the season.
Penn-Trafford is No. 7, while Norwin dropped to No. 9, and Hempfield is No. 10.
Derry moved to No. 9 in 2A.
Capitol gains
The PIAA champion Norwin girls cross country team and Pennsylvania Cup champion Penn-Trafford hockey team visited the State Capitol and toured the venue with state officials.
Norwin and Penn-Trafford were recognized at the House of Representatives.
Norwin was dominant last fall when it won WPIAL and state titles in runaway fashion.
The Knights’ Brian Fleckenstein was the state coach of the year.
In the winter, Penn-Trafford followed its first PIHL Penguins Cup title with its first state championship.
Recruiting
Jeannette basketball standout Navarah Smith will continue her playing career at Division III La Roche.
Smith averaged 20.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.0 steals per game this season to lead Jeannette back to the WPIAL playoffs.
• Several athletes from Hempfield signed to compete at the college level. They were: Nico Kapusta (wrestling, Kent State), Nate Caracciolo (wrestling, Shippensburg), Evan Dunlap (baseball, John Carroll), Chase Damaska (baseball, Saint Vincent), Danny Husenits (basketball, Pitt-Greensburg), Donovan McMullen (volleyball, Washington & Jefferson), Alex Jeffries (swimming, Pitt-Johnstown), and Jill Sowers (volleyball, U.S. Merchant Marines).
• Norwin senior Stef Giannikas will continue his basketball career at Saint Francis (Pa.), a Division III program in Loretto.
• Jordan Epps, a standout basketball player at Shaler and the son of former Hempfield girls basketball coach Aaron Epps, committed to Saint Vincent.