The Western Massachusetts Division 3 Girls Volleyball Tournament seeds were released on Tuesday, which has also become known as the day that the field gets to figure out how long it can avoid playing perennial powerhouse Frontier.
The 13-time defending sectional champion Red Hawks (18-2) earned the top seed in the 11-team tournament. The Eastern League champion’s two losses came against Hopkinton and Westborough, the former being the third seed in the Central-West Division 1 field, and the later the No. 3 seed in the Central Division 2 field. Frontier also has strong wins littered throughout its schedule.
“To beat Notre Dame twice, to beat Melrose, to have tough matches with Hopkinton and Westborough two five-set losses, I think if you are going to lose two matches out of the 20, those would be the two,” Frontier coach Sean MacDonald said. “Two very quality teams. I felt like we competed really well with those two. It feels like a different year.”
Lee picked up the No. 2 seed and is the team most likely to face Frontier at West Springfield High School on Nov. 10 in the championship game. Lee and Frontier have met in each of the past three title games. Last season, Lee beat Frontier in the regular season, but lost in the finals. This season, Lee took Frontier to five sets before the Red Hawks pulled out the close victory.
“They beat us the previous two years in the regular season, one of them was our senior night last year,” MacDonald said. “I think the last three regular-season matches have been five sets with Lee. They are a challenge. We respect them. They are there every year and they are ratcheting up what they do.”
Frontier will begin its tournament Monday at home at 6:30 p.m. against the winner of the first-round matchup between No. 8 Easthampton (9-7) and No. 9 Sabis. That first-round match is Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Easthampton.
The Eagles lost to the Bulldogs, 3-2, on Oct. 17. That loss put Easthampton at 6-7 and on the brink of being eliminated from playoff contention.
Easthampton followed with sweeps of East Longmeadow, Belchertown and South Hadley to qualify.
South Hadley (13-7) earned the No. 7 seed and will host No. 10 Ware, Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the first round.
The Tigers beat the Indians, 3-1, on Oct. 3.
South Hadley stumbled a bit down the stretch. The Tigers were 11-3 at one point, but Easthampton’s victory was the last of four straight losses.
South Hadley recovered to beat Belchertown and Agawam heading into the postseason.
Amherst Regional (9-9) earned the ninth seed and will visit No. 8 West Springfield (9-9), Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the first round.
The Hurricanes swept the Terriers on Sept. 7 in their second game of the season.
If Amherst advances, it will visit No. 1 Westfield, which swept the Hurricanes to open the season on Sept. 5.