MIAA Volleyball Seeds Set: Franklin and Bellingham Face Path to Back-to-Back Titles

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Association released its 2026 girls' volleyball tournament seeds on Monday, positioning 191 teams across five divisions for the state playoffs. Franklin, the defending Division 1 champion, entered the bracket as the No. 5 seed, matching its placement from the previous year. The Panthers aim to become the second school in MIAA history to repeat as Division 1 champions after graduating a Player of the Year, a feat last achieved by Newton North in 2022.

Franklin's path to a second consecutive title includes a potential matchup against Chelmsford. The Panthers lost their only regular-season game against a Division 1 opponent to the Lions at Conrad Gymnasium in North Chelmsford. Chelmsford enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed and has lost just one regular-season match over the past two years.

Format changes in the Middlesex League resulted in high seedings for member schools. Winchester secured the No. 3 seed in Division 1, while Reading took the No. 2 spot in Division 2. Oliver Ames, the 2025 Division 2 champion, returns with the same core group of juniors that won the title last year. The Rockets face potential competition from Reading, which features a trio of junior hitters. Four other Middlesex League schools, Melrose, Woburn, Wakefield, and Burlington, also earned top-13 seeds in Division 2.

Bellingham enters the Division 3 bracket as the only undefeated defending champion in the state. East Bridgewater leads Division 4 as the previous year's winner, while Pioneer Valley Christian heads Division 5 with an undefeated record. Hopedale, the 2025 Division 5 champion, holds the lowest seed for a defending titleholder at No. 22.