There were a lot of long faces for the Knoch volleyball team on Thursday.

The Knights had just been swept by Hampton in the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals and lost one of their key players, Abby Pospisil with a torn ACL.

“Thursday was a rough day,” said Knoch volleyball coach Diane Geist.

But Knoch battled back and swept South Fayette Saturday to get into the PIAA playoffs.

And on Tuesday at Cochranton High School in the first round of the state playoffs, Knoch persevered again with a 25-21, 11-25, 25-23, 25-18 upset win over Fort LeBoeuf.

“I feel like pinching myself right now,” Geist said. “What did we just do?”

The Knights got 11 kills from Sarah Armahizer, seven kills and 11 service points from Kerrie Fitzpatrick and 15 service points from Makenzie McDowell to pull off the upset.

It wasn't easy.

The Bison rallied from that first-set loss and dominated in the second set.

“We had a little bit of a letdown,” Geist said. “They started tipping the ball and we weren't getting to it.”

But Knoch adjusted and pulled out wins in the next two sets to set up a matchup with WPIAL champion West Allegheny Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

“We just played hard and played as a team,” Geist said. “We got leads and kept them. It's pretty exciting.”

Seneca Valley 3, Exeter Township 0 — The WPIAL champion Raiders had little trouble in this 25-17, 25-19, 25-22 win in the first round of the PIAA quad-A playoffs at Hempfield High School.

Tatum Poirier had 12 kills, Emily Devlin added nine kills and Maria Alfano seven for Seneca Valley.

“It went well,” said Seneca Valley coach Karen Martini. “We know the road only gets harder.”

Madi McDonough had 30 assists for the Raiders, who will play the winner of Hempfield-State College Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

North East 3, Freeport 1 — The WPIAL Class AA champion Yellowjackets fell 25-22, 19-25, 13-25, 22-25 at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic.

Maplewood 3, A-C Valley 0 — The Falcons were swept 25-18, 25-21, 25-16 by the District 10 champion in the first round of the PIAA Class A playoffs.

Olivia Boocks and Josey Terwilliger each had eight kills and Sydney Rankin added 18 assists for A-C Valley.

Boys Soccer

Austin Rocke scored on a cross from Garrett Riddle with a little more than five minutes left to lift Mars to a 2-1 win over Hollidaysburg in the first round of the PIAA Class AAA playoffs.

Cory Ferguson put the Planets ahead 1-0 in the first half, but Hollidaysburg tied it just before the break.

Mars will play Lower Dauphin Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

Seneca Valley 1, State College 0 (double overtime) — Matt Happ scored the game-winner with 2:28 left in the second overtime to lift the Raiders to a PIAA quad-A soccer win.

Seneca Valley will play North Allegheny Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic 6, Iroquois 0 — The Trojans, coming off a tough loss in the WPIAL Class A title game Friday, scored three goals in each half to rout the Braves in the first round of the state playoffs.

North Catholic will play Seton-La Salle Saturday at a site and time to be determined.