Breaking down the brackets: MIAA releases high school girls volleyball field

The Massachusetts high school volleyball playoffs are here.

There are eight teams on Cape Cod that made the cut. Dennis-Yarmouth and Bourne will play the waiting game, as they host the winners of preliminary-round games.

The other six teams (Barnstable, Nantucket, Sandwich, Cape Tech, St. John Paul II and Sturgis East) will play host in their respective divisions for their first game of the postseason.

More:Driven by last year's title game defeat, Dennis-Yarmouth volleyball has eyes on the prize

Division 1

The Field

1. Newton North (19-1)

2. Lincoln-Sudbury (18-2)

3. Newton South (17-3)

4. Franklin (14-3)

5. Barnstable (16-2)

6. Andover (15-4)

7. Attleboro (16-2)

8. Methuen (18-2)

9. Winchester (18-2)

10. Needham (14-4)

11. Haverhill (13-4)

12. Shrewsbury (13-7)

13. Acton-Boxboro (11-7)

14. Algonquin (14-6)

15. Natick (11-5)

16. Peabody Veterans (17-3)

17. Concord-Carlisle (12-8)

18. Bishop Feehan (15-4)

19. Wellesley (11-7)

20. Wachusett Regional (12-8)

21. Hingham (14-6)

22. Chelmsford (11-8)

23. Boston Latin (11-7)

24. Brookline (7-9)

25. North Andover (8-12)

26. Westford Academy (8-12)

27. Quincy (13-9)

28. Belmont (10-9)

29. Beverly (7-11)

30. Medford (14-5)

31. Lexington (9-11)

32. Lowell (5-13)

33. Springfield Central (14-6)

34. Malden (15-5)

State championship prediction: No. 1 Newton North

Best first-round game: No. 17 Concord-Carlisle at No. 16 Peabody Veterans

Upset pick: No. 20 Wachusett Regional over No. 13 Acton-Boxboro

When/Where do the Cape locals play?

No. 28 Belmont at No. 5 Barnstable, TBD

More:Barnstable High girls volleyball team continues to honor the life of Olivia Brodt

No. 5 Barnstable - Contender

The Red Hawks are a No. 5 seed but only have two losses on the season. One was to Div. 2's top seed in Westboro, who they went five sets with. The other was to the Div. 2's No. 4 seed in Dartmouth. With Tom Turco at the helm, the Red Hawks will always have a shot at the state title. They have a good all-around team.

Division 2

The Field

1. Westboro (16-0)

2. King Philip (18-2)

3. Duxbury (19-0)

4. Dartmouth (17-3)

5. Oliver Ames (16-4)

6. Melrose (16-4)

7. Westwood (15-4)

8. Longmeadow (14-4)

9. North Quincy (19-1)

10. Woburn (15-5)

11. Billerica (14-6)

12. Masconomet (15-5)

13. Canton (13-7)

14. Amherst-Pelham (17-3)

15. Marblehead (15-3)

16. Burlington (16-4)

17. Milton (13-5)

18. Nashoba (13-7)

19. Revere (20-0)

20. Hopkinton (11-9)

21. Milford (8-10)

22. Plymouth South (10-8)

23. Reading (9-9)

24. West Springfield (14-6)

25. Agawam (14-6)

26. Plymouth North (11-7)

27. Stoughton (8-10)

28. Mansfield (6-10)

29. Whitman-Hanson (10-10)

30. Danvers (7-13)

31. Notre Dame Academy of Hingham (8-12)

32. Westfield (10-10)

33. Scituate (10-10)

34. Ludlow (10-10)

35. Somerset Berkley (11-9)

36. Grafton (16-4)

37. Chelsea (11-6)

38. Holyoke (10-8)

State championship prediction: No. 1 Westboro

Best first-round game: No. 20 Hopkinton at No. 13 Canton

Upset pick: No. 19 Revere over No. 14 Amherst-Pelham

Division 3

The Field

1. Dennis-Yarmouth (15-5)

2. Tewksbury Memorial (16-4)

3. Newburyport (17-3)

4. Norton (17-3)

5. Old Rochester Regional (14-6)

6. Ashland (11-9)

7. Cardinal Spellman (17-3)

8. Medfield (11-9)

9. Fairhaven (11-5)

10. East Longmeadow (12-6)

11. Greater New Bedford (15-7)

12. Bedford (5-11)

13. Hudson (17-3)

14. Foxborough (7-13)

15. Wayland (4-15)

16. Groton-Dunstable (14-6)

17. Essex North Shore (13-7)

18. Holliston (6-12)

19. Greater Lowell Tech (12-6)

20. North Reading (7-12)

21. Putnam Vo-Tech (16-4)

22. Triton Regional (5-11)

23. New Mission (19-3)

24. Dighton-Rehoboth (8-12)

25. Archbishop Williams (7-11)

26. Belchertown (10-8)

27. Pembroke (4-16)

28. Apponequet Regional (7-13)

29. North Middlesex Reg. (10-10)

30. Bishop Fenwick (7-13)

31. Swampscott (7-11)

32. Diman RVT (12-5)

33. HS of Commerce (14-6)

34. Montachusett RVT (10-9)

35. O'Bryant (13-5)

36. Burncoat (10-8)

37. East Boston (11-7)

38. Saint Paul Diocesan (10-8)

Bracket Breakdown:

State champ prediction: No. 1 Dennis-Yarmouth

Best first round game: No. 23 New Mission at No. 10 East Longmeadow

Upset pick: No. 17 Essex North Shore at No. 16 Groton-Dunstable

When/Where do the Cape locals play?

Winner of No. 33 Commerce/No. 32 Diman at No. 1 Dennis-Yarmouth, TBD

More:Driven by last year's title game defeat, Dennis-Yarmouth volleyball has eyes on the prize

No. 1 Dennis-Yarmouth - Favorite

The Dolphins are the top seed with five losses this season, but have only fallen to three teams: Barnstable (two losses on the season), Westboro (unbeaten) and Dartmouth (No. 4 team in Div .3). They had an 11-game win streak, all of which were sweeps. With hall of fame coach Dru Sisson leading the way, the Dolphins have a good chance of competing for a state title.

Division 4

The Field

1. Ipswich (16-2)

2. Lynnfield (17-3)

3. Case (19-1)

4. Nipmuc (19-1)

5. Weston (11-8)

6. Ursuline Academy (18-2)

7. Nantucket (16-1)

8. Medway (10-8)

9. Wahconah (18-2)

10. Blackstone Valley Tech (17-3)

11. Hamilton-Wenham (107)

12. Arlington Catholic (13-7)

13. Norwell (17-3)

14. Sandwich (10-8)

15. Rockland (15-3)

16. AMSA (14-6)

17. Lowell Catholic (11-7)

18. Shawsheen Valley (12-5)

19. Whittier (13-7)

20. South Lancaster (16-3)

21. Bellingham (5-14)

22. Abington (13-7)

23. Malden Catholic (11-9)

24. East Bridgewater (10-8)

25. Monument Mountain (8-10)

26. Asset Valley (12-7)

27. Greater Lawrence (9-11)

28. Southbridge (13-6)

29. Notre Dame Academy of Worcester (10-10)

30. Bay Pat (9-10)

31. Northeast Metro (10-7)

32. Stoneham (2-17)

33. Snowden (14-4)

34. South Shore Christian Academy (0-6)

35. Tech Boston (8-8)

36. Charleston (8-8)

37. Roxbury Prep (7-4)

State championship prediction: No. 3 Case

Best first-round game: No. 19 Whittier at No. 14 Sandwich

Upset pick: No. 24 East Bridgewater over No. 9 Wahconah

When/Where do the Cape locals play?

No. 26 Assabet Valley at No. 7. Nantucket, Thursday at 5 p.m.

No. 19 Whittier at No. 14 Sandwich, TBD

More:Barnstable still on top; new teams enter: Cape Cod high school girls volleyball rankings

No. 7 Nantucket - Contender

The Whalers only dropped one game this season, which was to Div. 3's top-ranked team in D-Y. Prior to that loss, they had won nine straight, sweeping seven of them. After the loss, they ended the regular season on a seven-game win streak. They have a lot of momentum going into the postseason winning 16 of 17 games, but this bracket has some tough competition with the top six seeds. Hall of fame coach Andrew Viselli has turned this program around and has a chance of making a deep run.

No. 14 Sandwich - Contender

The Blue Knights played a tough schedule and will prepared for the high level of talent they face in the tournament.

Division 5

The Field

1. Frontier Regional (19-1)

2. Hopedale (14-4)

3. Mount Greylock (15-3)

4. Turners Falls (16-2)

5. Paulo Freire SJ (20-0)

6. Easthampton (14-6)

7. West Bridgewater (18-2)

8. Douglas (12-6)

9. Lee (11-9)

10. Taconic (13-5)

11. Millis (6-12)

12. Bourne (10-10)

13. Whitinsville Christian (9-11)

14. Saint John Paul II (13-4)

15. Southwick Regional (15-5)

16. Millbury (13-7)

17. South Shore Tech (17-3)

18. Innovation Academy (15-4)

19. Blackstone-Millville (9-11)

20. Tri-County (11-7)

21. Sutton (6-12)

22. Fellowship Christian (10-6)

23. Georgetown (6-12)

24. Franklin County Tech (13-7)

25. Mohawk Trail Regional (10-7)

26. Westport (11-7)

27. Sturgis Charter East (9-7)

28. Lenox Memorial (8-12)

29. Cape Cod Tech (12-4)

30. Norfolk Aggie (13-7)

31. Springfield International (8-12)

32. Wareham (6-14)

33. Pioneer Valley Christian (11-8)

34. Holbrook (11-11)

35. Oxford (11-9)

36. Mount Alvernia (9-9)

37. Bristol Aggie (10-10)

38. KIPP Academy (10-7)

39. Cathedral (14-5)

40. Pioneer Charter II (11-6)

41. Matignon (10-8)

42. Prospect Hill Academy (13-2)

43. Burke (11-5)

44. Excel (8-8)

Bracket breakdown

State champ prediction: No. 1 Frontier Regional

Best first-round match: No. 17 South Shore Tech at No. 16 Millbury

Upset pick: No. 20 Tri-County over No. 13 Whitinsville Christian

When/Where do the Cape locals play?

Winner of No. 44 Excel/No. 21 Sutton at Bourne, TBD

No. 19 Blackstone-Millville at No. 14 St. John Paul II, TBD

No. 38 Kipp Academy at No. 27 Sturgis East, TBD

No. 36 Mount Alvernia at No. 29 Cape Tech, TBD

No. 12 Bourne - Contender

The Canalwomen had a rough start to the season losing their first three games and starting 2-5. Since then, they have played much better going 8-5, which included a four-game win streak. Under hall of fame coach David Moore, they can upset some teams.

No. 14 St. John Paul II - Contender

The Lions won nine of their last 11 matches to end the regular season. Although their record shows four losses, they only lost to Sandwich and Nantucket. They are competitive and play very well together.

No. 27 Sturgis East - Underdog

The Storm have caught fire at the right time. They finished the regular season winning five of their last six. They have a preliminary-round matchup where they will host against KIPP Academy. If they win, the road will get tough as they will go up against the No. 6 seed in Easthampton.

No. 29 Cape Tech - Contender

The Crusaders won their last six of seven matches and are heating up at the right time. They will host their first match in the prelims against Mount Alvernia. If they win, they will face the No. 4 seed in Turners Falls.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: MIAA high school girls volleyball tournament pairings announced