Was last Thursday's showdown between Norwin and North Allegheny, the top teams in the WPIAL Coaches Association rankings, a preview of the WPIAL boys' volleyball title match?

"I wouldn't be surprised to see a rematch in the championship match," said Norwin coach Al Warden. "I'm sure North Allegheny would like a rematch.

"But neither team can be concerned with that until next week.

"My theme all season has been assume nothing. I tell the kids they have to show up for every point, regardless of the opponent. You can't overlook anybody when you get to the playoffs."

Norwin, ranked No. 1 the past three weeks, secured the top seed in the crowded 22-team WPIAL playoff bracket with last Thursday's 3-1 win against North Allegheny in a non-section match.

The two-time defending WPIAL champion Tigers were ranked No. 1 until a 2-1 loss to Norwin in the final of the Plum Invitational April 23.

"That was a benchmark match to see what we needed to do against the best," said Tigers coach Dan Schall. "We'll have to make some adjustments and hope we get another chance to face them in the playoffs."

For that to happen, Norwin and North Allegheny would have to win three matches because they are in opposite halves of the bracket.

Norwin, the Section 5 champ, will face Mt. Lebanon in tonight's first round.

"That was the biggest crowd we've ever had at a boys' volleyball match at Norwin," said Warden.

"We had an important baseball game before our match and many of the people who watched came to our match. The crowd made a difference."

North Allegheny, the Section 2 champion, is seeded No. 2 and will face Central Catholic or Hopewell in the first round.

Norwin finished third in the WPIAL last season and earned its first PIAA berth, but did not place among the top four at the PIAA tournament.

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As a member of the WPIAL Volleyball Steering Committee, Penn Hills coach Dan Brown experienced first-hand how tough it was to seed this year's bracket, which included four extra teams due to ties.

"The top three seeds were relatively easy," said Brown, referring to Norwin, North Allegheny and Upper St. Clair. "The ties really made it hard to seed 4 through 10."

Penn Hills, Plum and Fox Chapel finished the regular season in a three-way tie for first place in Section 3 at 10-2. Plum posted a 6-0 record in the first half of section play, but lost to Penn Hills and Fox Chapel the final week of the regular season.

"We had the strongest trio of teams of any of the WPIAL's six sections," said Brown. "So it didn't totally surprise me that we ended in a three-way tie for first place.

"Our tie, along with Montour and Ambridge tying for the Section 1 title, made our task of seeding very tough."

Penn Hills came away with the No. 4 seed and will face Butler in the first round. Fox Chapel is seeded No. 6 and will face Baldwin. Plum is seeded No. 9 and is matched with No. 8 Montour in the first round.

Penn Hills, Norwin, Plum and Central Catholic are among six teams from the East area that qualified for the playoffs. Derry Area, seeded No. 5, placed second in Section 5; Hempfield finished third. The Spartans beat Keystone Oaks, 3-0, in a pigtail Tuesday, and meet Derry in the first round.