First stop is Philly for local state qualifiers

For five of the six qualifying Delaware County teams, the road to a state title snakes though Philadelphia.

The PIAA tournaments for girls volleyball, field hockey and soccer open Tuesday, and the popular destination is District 12.
The postseason tournaments begin with a field hockey doubleheader at the Germantown Super Site. District 12 Class AA champ Archbishop Carroll hosts Southern Lehigh, the runner-up in District 11, at 3:30 p.m. Catholic League and District 12 Class AAA champ Cardinal O’Hara tangles with Conestoga, the third seed from District One, in the nightcap at 5:30.

The volleyball hub is High School of the Future in West Philly, which will host two Delco teams. District 12 Class AAA champ Cardinal O’Hara welcomes District One runner-up Great Valley at 5 p.m., followed by a matchup of Class A district champs in District 12’s MaST Charter and District One’s Sacred Heart at 7. Also in the AAA volleyball tourney, Penncrest’s fourth seed in District One means it hits the road, venturing to play District 3 champ Hempfield at Exeter Township High School in a 7:30 start.

The only surviving soccer team is the Springfield boys, the fourth seed from District One. It starts its first state tournament in three decades with a 7 p.m. meeting with Northeast, the District 12 champ, at the South Philadelphia Super Site.

Cardinal O’Hara field hockey, Penncrest volleyball and Springfield soccer are all on the western halves of their brackets. Tuesday’s winners advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals, with state champions crowned Nov. 21.