It’s been three years since an Anne Arundel County team has claimed a volleyball state title. It’s time for area teams to line up in attempt to end that drought.
The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association dropped the 2024 playoff volleyball seedings on Monday. Region quarterfinal play begins Wednesday for most teams, though plenty of Anne Arundel squads are taking a first-round bye.
Such is the case in the four-team 4A East I Region. Meade, which traveled as far as the region final last year, is the top seed and will host fourth-seeded Glen Burnie (5-10) on Friday. The Mustangs knocked the Gophers out in three sets last year, but fell to Old Mill — which has since dropped a class — in the region final. This fall, Meade (7-6) has not played Glen Burnie yet. No. 2 Crofton (7-7) lost to Old Mill in the playoffs last fall, but will host No. 3 North County (6-8) in the region semifinal this year. The Cardinals swept North County on Oct. 9.
Broadneck is fortunate for now in that, as the second seed, it doesn’t have to travel to Leonardtown for its first playoff round in 4A East Region II. Bruins coach Tracey Regalbuto stated after Broadneck’s victorious county championship her program targeted the Raiders as its main focus.
The Bruins (12-3) will instead host the winner of No. 3 Annapolis (10-3) and No. 6 Suitland, which the a region quarterfinal the Panthers will host at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
3A South Region I is stacked with Anne Arundel teams, starting with No. 2 Old Mill (9-3), which will welcome No. 7 Mt. Hebron at 6 p.m. Wednesday at 6. Severn Run (7-5) is the No. 3 seed in its first season and hosts No. 6 Northeast at 5:30. The Eagles served as Severn Run’s first program win on Sept. 12.
As the No. 5 seed, Chesapeake (5-7) will have to board the bus to Marriotts Ridge.
Likewise, 3A East Region I brims with Anne Arundel teams. State final regular and county championship runner-up Arundel (11-3) will begin its path to avenging last year’s state championship shortcoming after taking a bye to the region semifinal. It’ll host the winner of No. 4 South River (8-6) and No. 5 Stephen Decatur. The Wildcats lost to South River this fall, a 3-1 final on Sept. 10.
Severna Park (8-5) is the No. 3 seed and will travel to J.M. Bennett on Friday.
Southern (1-12) is the No. 5 seed in 2A West Region II and heads to No. 4 Wilde Lake on Wednesday.
Region finals will all be held Nov. 6 at the better seed’s site. The eight regional champions from each class are reseeded based on regular season winning percentage, and the state quarterfinals will begin at home sites on Friday, Nov. 8. State semifinals follow on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at predetermined neutral sites.
The state championships will be held at Harford Community College in Bel Air on Saturday, Nov. 16.
Records are based on MPSSAA information. To submit a correction, email [email protected] or DM @capgazsports on Instagram.
