Harmony, Pa. – The Frazier Middle School girls volleyball team faced defending state champion Maplewood in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals on Saturday at Seneca Valley High School. After a hard‑fought match, the Commodores fell 3-0, with set scores of 25-19, 25-18 and 27-25.
Season highlights and matchup history
Coach Mandy Hartman, who also coaches the Frazier girls, remembered the teams meeting a year ago when Maplewood, then the District 10 champion, defeated Frazier in the quarterfinals before winning the state title. Both programs moved up to Class 2A this season, setting up another showdown.
Maplewood entered the match with an 18-1 record and advanced to the semifinals, where they will meet WPIAL champion Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Frazier finished its season at 19-5 after the loss.
Game recap
Frazier trailed by as many as eight points in the first set but rallied to within 23-18 before Maplewood closed the set. The Tigers used a three‑point run to pull ahead, and despite several close moments, Maplewood secured the first set.
The second set saw Maplewood jump to an early four‑point lead. Frazier tied the score multiple times—8‑8, 9‑9, and 11‑11—thanks to kills from Mia West. Maplewood responded with a three‑point run to regain momentum and held on for the set.
In the third set, Frazier surged to a 13‑5 advantage, highlighted by a six‑point run and three straight service aces from Allie Monack. Maplewood answered with a 9‑2 run to narrow the gap, but Frazier fought back, extending the lead to 19‑14. After a brief Maplewood surge to 21‑16, the Tigers earned match points. Frazier saved both, but Maplewood closed out the set and the match.
Coach and player reflections
“We’re playing a legacy program, last year’s state champion,” Hartman said. “They’re very experienced and seemed to really crank it up when they needed to. I have to give my girls all the credit in the world. The progress they’ve made from June till now is unreal. I’m just so proud of everyone and their efforts. We played great today. We got beat by a team that was a little bit better than us.”
Maplewood’s coach Sheila Bancroft noted her team dropped only two sets all season, one of which came against Frazier in a 3‑1 loss the previous year.
Senior class farewell
Saturday marked the final match for Frazier seniors Allie Monack, Mia West, Grace Polkabla, Addison Hiles and Lola Marish. “This senior class will be one I will always hold very dear to my heart,” Hartman said. “From day one, they were leaders on and off the court. They’re going to be greatly missed. Their performance and heart are unmatched, and I believe they’ll continue to excel in volleyball and in life.”
Frazier entered the tournament after an epic five‑set victory over District 9 champion Clarion Limestone in the first round, while Maplewood opened its run with a 3‑1 win over Northern Cambria.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
