Franklin County volleyball teams got the road map to a possible state championship with the MIAA releasing brackets for statewide competition on Tuesday afternoon.
Tournament play begins this week.
Exact dates and times for each contest have yet to be determined for all matches. Higher seeds hosts all games until the state semifinals, where the MIAA selects neutral locations.
The most decorated team in the region, Frontier Regional, will begin its quest for another state championship on Thursday at 6 p.m. The program has 11 state championships during its history. Frontier (7-12) is the No. 14 seed in Division 4. In the round of 32, the Red Hawks will match up with No. 19 Millbury.
Third-seeded Nipmuc Regional is likely Frontier’s opponent in the next round, should the Red Hawks advance. Nipmuc plays the winner of a match in the preliminary round between No. 30 Mashpee and No. 36 Sturgis Charter East.
Frontier reached the state quarterfinals last year, falling to Joseph Case, 3-0. It was Courtney Parent’s first season as coach of Frontier, taking over for longtime coach Sean MacDonald. Bourne is the top-seed in the Division 4 bracket.
In the Division 5 bracket, Franklin County is well represented. There are five teams vying for a deep playoff run in the area. Hopedale is the No. 1 seed in the bracket.
No. 13 Franklin Tech (14-6) will host No. 20 Holbrook in the Round of 32. A win would send the Eagles to face the winner of No. 4 Lenox Memorial and a preliminary opponent. No. 29 KIPP Academy Linn Collegiate hosts No. 36 University Park Campus in the preliminary round.
Turners Falls drew the 14th seed and will host a match against No. 19 Avon. The Thunder would play the winner of No. 3 Pioneer Valley Christian and another preliminary opponent. Pioneer Valley Christian plays the winner of No. 30 Georgetown and No. 35 English High.
Fifteenth-ranked Mahar Regional will host No. 18 Southbridge. No. 22 Greenfield will travel to the Berkshires for a showdown with No. 11 Lee. No. 31 Pioneer Valley Regional plays in the preliminary round against No. 34 Muniz Academy. The Panthers would play No. 2 Madison Park in the next round should they advance.
The Senators would play the winner of the preliminary opponent and Madison Park.