The Lady Wolverines squad collected a birth in the WPIAL volleyball playoffs that begin this week. Ellwood City will face a 6-6 Beth Center team in a play-in round of the WPIAL Playoffs Tuesday evening. The match will take place at Our Lady of Sacred Heart at 6:30pm.
The Wolverines (9-3 overall) team finished second in Class 2A Section 1. The team earned four more victories in 2018, improving from their 5-7 record last year, en route to this year’s playoff birth.
“These girls have been working extremely hard since we started off-season workouts in May,” said head coach Jenna Ricciuti. “Getting a taste of playoffs last year helped boost their confidence in knowing anything is possible.”
Ricciuti believes the team can hang with any competition in the playoffs.
source: Next Level Photography
“If we play Ellwood City ball and not beat ourselves, I believe this team can do absolutely anything they put their minds to,” said Ricciuti.
With a play-in match victory Tuesday night, the Lady Wolverines would next square off against an undefeated, Class 2A Section 4 champion Serra Catholic (12-0 overall) in a first round match-up on Thursday, October 25.
“Who doesn’t love to see the underdog win,” Ricciuti said about the potential first round match-up.
With a victory over Serra Catholic (another upset of an undefeated section leader), the Wolverines would move onto a second round match-up versus Neshannock.
Ellwood City had upset the Lancers earlier in October at a home game, in which they gave Section-1 champion Neshannock their only loss of the season. The Wolverines showed resilience in the second half of the season, knocking off Neshannock, Beaver, and Laural – all teams who beat Ellwood earlier in the season.
“This team deserves to be recognized for their hard work and determination,” Ricciuti added. “We have becoming a family with a bond that will not be broken, no amount of wins or losses can compare to that.”
Top seeded, Section-5 champion Freeport (12-0 overall) will be defending their 2017 championship.
Tickets for volleyball playoff matches will be sold at the gate only $5-student & $7-adults.
Be the first to comment on "Ellwood City Varsity Girls Volleyball On To WPIAL Playoffs"