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UIL state volleyball preview

Sara Shaw Westlake Volleyball

Sara Shaw and Austin Westlake could see Amarillo again in the Class 5A final.

The 43rd annual UIL State Volleyball Championships are set for Thursday-Saturday at Strahan Coliseum in San Marcos.

The UIL Web site has ticket information, as well as profiles of each team and tournament history.

Here's a quick breakdown of the five tournaments:

Class A

Ranked teams (final regular-season TGCA poll): No. 1 Lindsay, No. 2 Louise, No. 4 Bronte, No. 21 Normangee

Players to watch: Amber Bain, Louise; Jill Riley, Normangee; Chelsea Cook, Bronte; Kaylee Murphree, Lindsay

Overview: Things line up nicely for a Louise-Lindsay showdown in the final, but don't discount always-tough Bronte. And in a tight match, watch out for Normangee, which needed two four-set wins and two five-set wins just to get here.

Class 2A

Ranked teams (final regular-season TGCA poll): No. 2 White Oak, No. 6 Poth, No. 12 Aubrey, No.  13 Peaster

Players to watch: Abbie Bybel, White Oak; Tara Dunn, Poth; Courtney Haney, Peaster; Kelsey Lynn, Aubrey

Overview: Based on rankings, the state champ should come from Thursday's first semifinal. But Peaster had to knock off red-hot Denver City to get here, and Aubrey outlasted Quitman in five sets to win Region II.

Class 3A

Ranked teams (final regular-season TGCA poll): No. 1 Lucas Lovejoy, No. 2 Monahans, No. 7 Wimberley, No. 18 Caldwell

Players to watch: Bailey Marcum, Monahans; Allison Alford, Caldwell; Natalie Puckett, Lovejoy; Britney Schindler, Wimberley

Overview: The field includes schools that have won nine of the past 13 state 3A titles, including defending champ Lovejoy, whose victims include 4A No. 1 Richardson Pearce. Nine-time champ Monahans has nine wins over 5A teams. Caldwell coach coach Jane Anne Giese played on the Hornets' 1998 state-championship team. Wimberley, a six-time champ that won back-to-back crowns in 2006-07, has won 16 straight matches.

Class 4A

Ranked teams (final regular-season TGCA poll): No. 1 Richardson Pearce, No. 2 Canyon Randall, No. 7 Brenham

Richardson Pearce

Richardson Pearce is ranked No. 1 in 4A.

Players to watch: Ashley Davis, Randall; Marquisha Matthews, Seguin; Elyse Burkert, Pearce; Caroline Young, Brenham

Overview: Cinderella arrives in Seguin ISD buses; the Matadors' upset-filled trip through Region IV ended with a four-set win over Lake Travis. But the field here is loaded: Pearce was the only team to beat 5A No. 1 San Antonio Reagan in the regular season, Randall hasn't lost since its season opener against 5A top-seed Amarillo, and Brenham upended 4A No. 4 Friendswood in the Region III semifinals.

Class 5A

Ranked teams (final regular-season TGCA poll): No. 3 Amarillo, No. 5 Austin Westlake, No. 8 Katy Cinco Ranch, No. 21 Georgetown

Sheridan Burgess Kill Amarillo

Amarillo's Sheridan Burgess (6).

Players to watch: Micah Nolan, Amarillo; Shelbi Goode, Georgetown; Erika Chin, Cinco Ranch; Sara Shaw, Westlake

Overview: The only class in which  neither No. 1 (San Antonio Reagan) nor  No.  2 (Round Rock Westwood) reached the final four. But three-time defending state champ Amarillo was the preseason No. 1, and Georgetown erased two District 16-5A losses to Westwood by beating the Warriors in the Region II final. Westlake is making its third straight semifinal appearance, and Cinco Ranch has won 17 straight.

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