Gilbert High volleyball hosts its annual Gilbert Invitational Friday Oct. 5 and Saturday Oct. 6 with nearby American Leadership-Gilbert North offering an invite as well on Saturday.

There are eight schools competing at Gilbert High: Basha, Corona del Sol, Gilbert, Hamilton, Highland, Mountain Pointe, Sunnyslope and Xavier Prep. Each school plays a match with each of the other teams (seven total) over the two days. Play begins Friday at 9 a.m. and continues through late afternoon. Play resumes Saturday and continues through mid-afternoon.

American Leadership-Gilbert North'a Spike Town Invite features nine schools  with every conference represented (6A-1A) -- American Leadership-Gilbert North, Desert Ridge, Higley, Horizon, Notre Dame Prep, Odyssey Institute, St. David, Seton Catholic and Thatcher. Play begins Saturday at 9 a.m. and continues through late afternoon.

Bracket play consists of two rounds - semis (3 p.m.) and finals (4 p.m). Gold Bracket semi is #3 seed vs. #2 seed and winner plays #1 for title. Silver Bracket semi is #6 seed vs. #5 seed and winner plays #4 for title. Bronze Bracket semi is #8 seed vs. #9 seed and winner plays #7 for title.

Many schools around the Valley will take a break or cut down significantly on matches next week (Oct. 8-12) to take in fall breaks beginning or still in progress.