JACKSON TWP — Jekyll or Hyde?

The Seneca Valley boys volleyball team has had an identity crisis at times this season.

Some nights, the evil Raider shows up. Other nights, the good one makes an appearance.

The good one showed up Tuesday in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs.

Behind kills from eight different players and a slew of service aces, Seneca Valley swept Gateway 25-11, 25-15, 25-12 at Seneca Valley High School.

“This team has been a little Jekyll and Hyde at times, at moments throughout the year,” said Seneca Valley coach Dan Follett. “They have all the talent in the world. It's just trying to realize how they have to actively earn it. No one's going to give it to you. You have to go out and earn every single point every single time.

“Every single touch is important. Every single ball is important. It's getting that mentality. If we can get that mentality consistently, we're going to put ourselves in a position to win.”

Seneca Valley trailed 3-1 in the first game and then rolled off 16 of the next 17 points to take a commanding lead.

The Raiders stormed ahead 10-3 in the second game and 10-1 in the third game to cruise to the victory.

Junior Will Hayes served 10 straight points with four aces during that stretch.

Matt Gagnon led the balanced hitting attack for the Raiders with 11 kills.

“I built this program four years ago with the idea of trying to get big senior classes and lots of kids involved,” Follett said. “That way if it's not working for one kid, you can plug in another. That showed tonight.”

For Gateway, it was the first playoff appearance since 2000.

Second-year coach Greg Lockley, who is also the girls volleyball coach at the school, only had 13 players on his roster this year and seven seniors — only one of which had any volleyball experience.

“We're trying to get some younger kids to come out,” Lockley said. “We have summer workouts and we invite all age groups, males and females, to come out. We're trying to get the boys involved without a middle school program.”

Gateway won five five-game matches this season on the way to a playoff berth.

“I'm proud to coach them and be with them,” Lockley said. “I knew it was going to be a tough match. I told them to just go out and compete. Our biggest problem is we're not very good handling the ball. Not enough practice time.

“When we're playing against teams that are comparable to us, it's a good, hard-fought match.”

Seneca Valley will play Norwin Thursday at Penn-Trafford in the second round of the playoffs. The match is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

Follett believes his team is poised for another long run.

Seneca Valley lost in the WPIAL final last season and advanced to the PIAA semifinals.

“Anything is possible,” Follett said. “If our guys set their minds to it and play the way they know they are capable of playing, we are a tough team to beat. It's just a matter of staying at that consistent level.”