What to look at for within the Arizona highschool volleyball season
The Arizona highschool ladies volleyball season suggestions off subsequent week, with most prime colleges starting play Tuesday night time. Listed below are 5 storylines to look at for:
How will Chandler Hamilton change Middleton, Gryniewicz?
Only one 12 months after profitable the primary state championship in program historical past in 2020, Hamilton repeated the feat in dominant vogue final fall. The Huskies went 34-5 and remarkably solely misplaced twice towards in-state opposition.
That success, although, got here largely due to Jordan Middleton and Micah Gryniewicz, who mixed for greater than eight kills per set, however are actually enjoying at USC and Alabama, respectively.
Now, coach Sharon Vanis has to discover a strategy to change their dominance.
The Huskies definitely have the items to take action. Neomi Seaside averaged two kills per set as a junior and can now be in a a lot bigger function as Vanis’ prime outdoors hitter. In the meantime, Melia Barlow is a returning All-Arizona setter and Tatum Thomas simply missed out on choice as among the best liberos within the state. However even with all that expertise, changing two gamers of Middleton and Gryniewicz’s caliber is not any simple job.
Who else will compete for 6A crown?
If Middleton and Gryniewicz’s departure does open the door atop 6A, there are many groups prepared to grab Hamilton’s crown.
Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor beat Hamilton within the season opener final fall and pushed the Huskies to 4 units within the state championship recreation. Tempe Corona del Sol went on an absolute tear over the ultimate month and a half of the 12 months to earn the No. 4 seed. Led by center blocker Ella Lomigoria — who’s now a senior — the Aztecs went up, 2-0, on O’Connor within the semis earlier than falling in 5 units.
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The most effective of the lot, although, could be Gilbert Perry. The third-seeded Pumas had been shocked within the first spherical of the playoffs, however had an unimaginable common season that featured a sweep over Hamilton. And Lengthy Seaside State commit Avery Burks is primed for an enormous senior 12 months at outdoors hitter.
How will Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep deal with 5A?
After profitable final 12 months’s 4A state championship, Notre Dame Prep is taking the leap to 5A this 12 months. As regular, the Saints are stacked this 12 months and will simply win the state championship of their first 12 months on the new degree.
Horizon returns a number of key items from final 12 months’s championship workforce whereas including Teraya Sigler — an All-Arizona choice as a freshman — as a switch from Phoenix Nation Day. The Huskies will seemingly be Notre Dame Prep’s hardest problem, however the remainder of the Northeast Valley area can also be harmful. That’s a gaggle that additionally consists of Cave Creek Cactus Shadows and Scottsdale Chaparral.
Elsewhere, Goodyear Millennium reached final 12 months’s championship recreation and will as soon as once more be harmful.
Who’s the most effective workforce in 4A?
With Notre Dame Prep gone to 5A, the street to the 4A title seemingly runs by means of Tucson.
Canyon del Oro went 24-3 final fall and reached the state championship. Salpointe Catholic, in the meantime, had a down 12 months in 2021 however nonetheless has three titles within the final six years. The Lancers are at all times harmful in nearly each sport.
Elsewhere, search for ALA-Queen Creek as a darkish horse. The Patriots are an ascending program that earned the No. 11 seed in final 12 months’s playoffs.
Who’s new finest participant within the state?
With Middleton — the reigning Arizona Republic and Gatorade Participant of the 12 months — gone, the race for prime participant within the state is broad open.
In an uncommon prevalence, seven out of 12 of the Republic’s All-Arizona picks had been underclassmen final fall, that means that there’s a sturdy cohort of returning expertise. 5 of these returners are outdoors hitters.
That group consists of Burks, Notre Dame Prep junior Evan Hendrix, Millennium senior Eryn Jones and the Horizon duo of Sigler and senior Kendal Murphy. With a much bigger function this 12 months, Seaside might additionally enter the dialog.
Inside a month, a front-runner for Participant of the 12 months might emerge, however for now, it seems to be a extra broad open race than final 12 months, when Middleton dominated each opponent in her path.
Theo Mackie covers Arizona highschool sports activities and Phoenix Rising FC. He might be reached by e-mail at theo.mackie@gannett.com and on Twitter @theo_mackie.
