The Montour High School boys' volleyball team entered last Wednesday's Section 1-AA match against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart as a strong favorite to earn the No. 3 seed in the WPIAL Class AA tournament, which begins next week.

An unexpected loss to the Chargers, though, leaves Montour in limbo.

"We would have been the No. 3 seed if it wasn't for our loss to OLSH," Montour coach Brendon Aleski said. "Now I don't know what to expect. There's still a slim chance we could be seeded that high, but we could drop as low as No. 6. We will just have to wait and see what the WPIAL [Volleyball Steering] Committee comes up with."

Montour recorded a 3-0 victory in its first match against OLSH, but dropped a 3-1 decision to the Chargers in the rematch.

"We didn't have our big middle Al Heater," said Aleski, who sat Heater for undisclosed reasons. "It really hurt not having him in the lineup. He's been a big part of our success."

Montour enters tonight's Section 1-AAA finale against Moon with an 8-3 record. Its only other section losses were to unbeaten section champion Ambridge (11-0). The Bridgers won the WPIAL title last year and placed second in the PIAA.

"Ambridge is clearly the team to beat in the WPIAL and in the state," Aleski said. "Deer Lakes has earned the No. 2 seed. The other six seeds are up for grabs."

OLSH coach Mike McDonald, who is also chairman of the WPIAL Volleyball Steering Committee, agrees with Aleski's assessment.

"Ambridge and Deer Lakes are clearly the top two seeds," McDonald said. "The next five or six teams are very close. Montour most likely would have been the No. 3 seed if it didn't lose to us."

OLSH has a 6-5 record and Beaver County Christian is 5-6 after losing to Ambridge Tuesday. OLSH has clinched a playoff spot but BCC must defeat winless Avonworth Friday to qualify. OLSH concludes its section schedule Saturday against Avonworth. Beaver County Christian plays its final match tomorrow against Avonworth.

"One thing that must be considered in the seeding process is that Section 1 is much stronger than the other two sections," McDonald said. "With that in mind, a team that finishes second or third in Section 1 could be seeded higher than a team that placed first or second in a different section."

In Class AAA, the scenario is much the same, as Penn Hills and North Allegheny are Nos. 1 and 2 in the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association rankings.

"Penn Hills has earned the No. 1 seed by winning three regular-season tournaments and placing second at another," McDonald said. "North Allegheny was the team Penn Hills beat in all three tournaments it won. And all three were close finishes. After Penn Hills and North Allegheny, the other seeds are up for grabs."

McDonald mentioned seven other teams he believed would be considered in the seeding process -- Seneca Valley, Fox Chapel, Butler, Latrobe, Penn-Trafford, Baldwin and Bethel Park.

The volleyball committee will meet Monday to set up the playoff brackets.