Volleyball: One more weekend of invitationals

October 12, 2016 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Even though fall breaks dominate the Arizona landscape, it won't stop many schools from competing in one final invitational this weekend.

Gilbert High plays host to an eight-team, round-robin invite Friday Oct. 14 and Saturday (Oct. 15). The tournament always brings in top teams and this year is no exception. All this year's participants are currently ranked in the top 10 of either 6A or 5A power rankings. 6A schools competing are Competing are ranked Corona del Sol (#3), Xavier Prep (#4), Mtn. Pointe (#5), Gilbert (#6), Horizon (#8) and Basha (#9). 5A schools are Centennial (#1) and Sunnyslope (#3).

Matches begin each day at 9 a.m. with four on Friday and three on Saturday. Admission is free.

Goldwater HS continues its long tradition as host of its Goldwater Volleyball Festival, also Friday Oct. 14 and Saturday Oct. 15. Three other schools will also host matches both days -- Sunrise Mountain HS, Thunderbird HS and Sandra Day O'Connor HS. There will be eight pools of four teams each. -- two pools competing at each school on Friday. Matches begin Friday at 9 a.m. and run through late afternoon and start up again on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. Finals in each pool are scheduled for approximately 6 p.m. on Saturday at each site. Goldwater hosts the top eight schools once they are determined late Saturday morning.

Schools competing and the sites they are at on Friday:

At Goldwater HS -- Chaparral, Northwest Christian, Shadow Mountain and North Canyon; Arcadia, Prescott, Westview, Goldwater. At Sunrise Mountain HS -- Millennium, Deer Valley, Valley Christian, Tempe; Sunrise Mountain, Cienega, Raymond Kellis, Paradise Valley; At Sandra Day O'Connor -- SDO, Boulder Creek, Saguaro, Casteel; Flagstaff, Snowflake, Desert Mountain, Agua Fria. At Thunderbird HS -- Cactus Shadows, Veritas, Cactus, McCilintock; Mesqjuite, Scottsdale Christian, Thunderbird, Mesa Mtn. View.