2014 Arizona high school volleyball season could be full of surprises

It just might be one of those years in girls volleyball where the favorite won't be truly known until two months from now.

That is especially true in Division I where Desert Vista (Phoenix), Hamilton (Chandler) and Gilbert begin the year as favorites and Xavier College Prep (Phoenix), regardless of how young it is, is always a contender. Horizon (Scottsdale) will always be involved and O'Connor (Phoenix) is trying to build off last year's success.

All of these programs have been squeezed into the always ultra-competitive Division I playoffs.

"It's going to be interesting because there are a lot of teams that are traditionally strong that will be there and they might be stronger than ever," Desert Vista coach Molly West said.

West wasn't talking directly about her own Thunder team, but she very could have been, as Desert Vista has a roster of college commits along with younger players who will eventually find their way to a college campus.

"This is probably the most athletic and talented group I've had at Desert Vista," West said. "The thing is we are uniquely deep at each position. It isn't like we have two or three really good players and we have to piece together the rest of the puzzle. It's all there."

The team's core will come from senior middle blocker Maggie Byrne-Quinn (Colorado School of Mines), junior middle blocker Rachael Kramer (Florida), senior outside hitter Matisse Monty (Wingate), junior outside hitter Hailey Harward (undecided), senior setter Kirstyn Sperry (Bryant University) and senior opposite hitter Jenna Tunnell (Pepperdine).

There are several teams that also bring back similar loads of talent to give Division I the potential to have a pretty special year.

Hamilton has a couple of boomers in senior McKenna Woodford and junior Olivia Hallaran, who ranked No. 2 and No. 1, respectively, in kills last season. The Huskies, who went 37-8 last year in finishing as state runner-ups, return their top three leaders in blocks as well.

"I think this group of kids has worked really hard," Husky coach Sharon Vanis told the East Valley Tribune. "We only have two seniors again so that leadership is going to be important. A couple of younger kids are going to have to play bigger roles."

One of the storylines in Division II will be the development of Campo Verde (Gilbert), which earned the No. 1 seed last season in the Coyotes' initial year after bumping up one classification before finishing as state runner-up. Campo Verde has a new coach in Tayler Bader and a younger roster, but a standard has been set and the Coyotes hope to follow a similar script.

"This year's team is very young. Campo lost a few key players from last year," Bader, who replaces the highly successful Tricia Melfy, told the Tribune. "I believe that this team, as young as they are, will be able to grow as a team together to make it back to the state finals."

Defending champion Sunnyslope (Phoenix) and two-time state semifinalist Ironwood Ridge (Tucson) might have something to say about it.

In Division III Flagstaff will always be a strong contender along with Cactus (Glendale), Snowflake, Tuba City and Safford all showed glimpses of being champions as well last year.

Northwest Christian (Phoenix) returns as the defending champ while Veritas Prep (Phoenix) came up one win short of a title. Semfinalists Thatcher and Chandler Prep will be looking for redemption as well.

St. David and Desert Christian (Tucson) ruled Division V a year ago while St. Johns and Glendale Prep Academy had good seasons as well.

All the talent in the world will get most teams through a match on a given night, but once the final few rounds of the postseason comes around, team play is more vital than someone who can jump out of the gym.

"It is important that we do not focus on individual players and stay committed to what the team needs to be successful," West said. "That is key as there are a lot of talented players but they have to work together in whatever their role will be."

Jason P. Skoda, a former Arizona Republic and current Ahwatukee Foothill News staff writer, is a 19-year sports writing veteran. Contact him at jskoda1024@aol.com or 480-272-2449.