Palm Beach County high school volleyball district playoff predictions

The postseason has arrived for Florida high school volleyball.

The FHSAA released district tournament brackets Friday, kicking off the postseason chase for state championships across the state.

District champions receive automatic regional bids, while the remaining playoff spots are awarded on an at-large basis by MaxPreps rankings, which factor in record, strength of schedule and other metrics.

New this year is the inaugural Open Division tournament, which will pull the state's top eight teams into a separate bracket. While no Palm Beach County teams appear likely to qualify, the Open Division could create regional seeding shifts that benefit local contenders.

Here's a look at our predictions and playoff analysis for Palm Beach County high school

volleyball district tournaments:

District 12-6A

1. Jupiter — 15-7-0
2. Vero Beach — 11-6-0
3. Centennial — 16-7-0
4. Central — 8-11-0
5. Palm Beach Central — 5-18-0
6. Treasure Coast — 7-15-0

Our Pick: Jupiter

Dark Horse: Vero Beach

Playoff Stakes: The Warriors have enjoyed another strong season, losing all of their best-of-five matches in the full five sets. Another matchup with Vero Beach, which has won five straight, would be a fitting way to prepare for regionals. Jupiter could then move up to the No. 2 overall regional seed if Plant qualifies for the Open Division as expected.

District 13-6A

1. Wellington — 13-11-0
2. Dr. Joaquin Garcia — 12-11-0
3. Park Vista — 11-9-0
4. Leonard — 9-8-0
5. Santaluces — 4-7-0
6. Lake Worth — 2-15-0
7. Palm Beach Lakes — 2-12-0

Our Pick: Wellington

Dark Horse: Dr. Joaquin Garcia

Playoff Stakes: Now this should be a wild one. None of these teams are in a good position to grab an at-large regional bid, meaning that everyone will be desperate to win the district tournament. Wellington is the safe choice, but any of the three top seeds could prevail here with a good week of play.

District 14-6A

1. Boca Raton — 17-8-0
2. Stoneman Douglas — 12-8-0
3. Western — 11-9-0
4. Spanish River — 13-11-0
5. Coral Glades — 6-8-0
6. Nova — 4-12-0
7. South Plantation — 1-8-0

Our Pick: Boca Raton

Dark Horse: Spanish River

Playoff Stakes: Boca Raton enters as the district favorite but likely needs the automatic berth to avoid sweat on selection day. Stoneman Douglas, Western and Spanish River are all on the outside looking in and won't make things easy in this district.

District 13-5A

1. Dwyer — 12-10-0
2. Seminole Ridge — 21-3-0
3. West Boca Raton — 11-12-0
4. Martin County — 11-14-0
5. Royal Palm Beach — 13-10-0
6. Forest Hill — 8-7-0
7. Olympic Heights — 5-8-0
8. Palm Beach Gardens — 3-12-0

Our Pick: Dwyer

Dark Horse: Seminole Ridge

Playoff Stakes: Seminole Ridge owns the better record, but Dwyer's strength of schedule and battle-tested résumé give the Panthers a slight edge entering districts. Whichever of this district's top three seeds does not grab the automatic bid should comfortably qualify as an at-large bid for Region 4-5A. Archbishop McCarthy is poised to qualify for Open Division from this region, opening the door for a district champion to potentially move up to the No. 2 regional seed behind St. Thomas Aquinas

District 13-4A

1. Legacy — 17-7-0
2. Jensen Beach — 13-12-0
3. South Fork — 11-11-0
4. Okeechobee — 12-9-0
5. Suncoast — 10-10-0
6. Boynton Beach — 7-3-0
7. Port St. Lucie — 4-19-0
8. Atlantic — 2-11-0

Our Pick: Legacy

Dark Horse: Jensen Beach

Playoff Stakes: Two of the Treasure Coast's strongest programs headline this district. Legacy enters as the clear favorite, but Jensen Beach has enough firepower to turn a potential championship match into a competitive district final. None of the Palm Beach programs are in a good position to grab an at-large regional bid.

District 11-3A

1. Bishop Verot — 20-4-0
2. Oasis — 8-14-0
3. Cypress Lake — 6-12-0
4. Clewiston — 5-11-0
5. Glades Central — 1-6-0

Our Pick: Bishop Verot

Dark Horse: Oasis

Playoff Stakes: Verot is the only likely regional qualifier from this district and should be one of King's Academy's top competitors in Region 3-3A.

District 12-3A

1. King's Academy — 17-5-0
2. Dreyfoos School of the Arts — 14-7-0
3. Cardinal Newman — 13-12-0
4. Somerset Academy-Canyons — 14-4-0
5. American Heritage-Delray — 5-7-0
6. Lincoln Park Academy — 4-11-0
7. Tradition Prep — 2-10-0

Our Pick: King's Academy

Dark Horse: Somerset-Canyons

Playoff Stakes: The Lions are a clear favorite to grab a seventh consecutive district championship after a dominant regular season in which the Lions lost only once in a best-of-five match. Should Calvary Christian qualify for the Open Division as expected, King's has the inside track to a No. 1 regional seed. Dreyfoos, Cardinal Newman and Somerset-Canyons are in good position to nab at-large bids with a first-round win.

District 11-2A

1. John Carroll Catholic — 10-3-0
2. Benjamin — 9-10-0
3. Jupiter Christian — 13-10-0
4. Somerset College Prep Academy — 11-4-0
5. Oxbridge Academy — 10-10-0

Our Pick: Benjamin

Dark Horse: Jupiter Christian

Playoff Stakes: An intriguing semifinal matchup here between Benjamin and Jupiter Christian, two well-coached programs that have both played tougher schedules than the top district seed, John Carroll Catholic. Take Benjamin to grab the district title, but don't be shocked to see a motivated Jupiter Christian, who is currently the first team out of the regional bracket and desperately needs to beat the Bucs.

District 12-2A

1. Saint Andrew's — 14-7-0
2. Westminster Academy — 13-11-0
3. St. John Paul II Academy — 6-13-0
4. Florida Atlantic University — 4-14-0
5. Sports Leadership & Management — 3-7-0

Our Pick: Saint Andrew's

Dark Horse: Westminster Academy

Playoff Stakes: It's all about Saint Andrew's, who should lock up at No. 2 regional seed with a district title and could potentially move up to the No. 1 line if First Baptist Academy (Naples) can sneak into the Open Division. No other team from this district is in line for an at-large bid.

District 13-1A

1. The Pine School — 12-9-0
2. Berean Christian — 14-5-0
3. The Greene School — 11-9-0
4. Morningside Academy — 11-11-0
5. Atlantic Christian — 5-11-0
6. St. Andrew's Episcopal Academy — 1-10-0

Our Pick: Berean Christian

Dark Horse: Greene School

Playoff Stakes: Can Berean Christian win the first district championship in program history? It won't be easy with a battle-tested Pine School squad, who swept the Bulldogs in September, looming in a potential championship match. Berean would be wise not to overlook its semifinal with The Greene School, which has had a solid season in its second FHSAA campaign and is poised to grab its first regional at-large bid.

District 14-1A

1. Boca Raton Christian — 17-6-0
2. Lake Worth Christian — 12-9-0
3. Grandview Prep — 10-6-0
4. Highlands Christian — 4-14-0
5. Donna Klein Jewish Academy — 3-8-0

Our Pick: Boca Raton Christian

Dark Horse: Lake Worth Christian

Playoff Stakes: Boca Raton Christian's state championship defense begins as a massive favorite in a district tournament that should lock up a No. 1 regional seed for the Blazers. Lake Worth Christian is in position for a regional at-large bid in its first season after Terri Kaiser's retirement. Grandview Prep needs to beat the Defenders in their semifinal matchup as The Pride are currently the first team out in Region 4-1A.

Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [e-mail].

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County high school volleyball district playoff predictions