The small school (1A-3A) indoor volleyball season for girls tips off Wednesday.

What follows are notes on some of the 1A-3A teams to help preview the upcoming season.

3A

Gilbert Christian: The program returns eight athletes from the 2023 season. “Our big goals this year include to own what we can control, compete hard each day and to represent our school and community well both on and off the court,” coach Andrew Rasmussen. The top returning players are So. pin hitter Sienna Cathey, So. pin Lillie Duitsman, Jr. pin Alexia Heyn, Jr. setter Sidney Loth, Sr. MB Kaila Aston, and Sr. DS/L Michelle Lopez.

Monument Valley: “The team wants to make it back to the Final Four and be in the final,” coach Rennell Gilmore said. “They are ready to work for it and make it a great season. Seven players return from last season’s semifinal team. Seniors Kaleigh Manygoats, Adriana Dominguez and Juliet Mitchell, and junior Tehya Yazzie are the returning starters.

Payson: Momentum is already on its side after winning two offseason tournaments. Plus, most of its varsity players led Payson’s JV squad to a 19-1 campaign last year. This year, reaching the state semifinals is a priority. Payson’s go-to players are So. Ava Sopeland and Sr. Jadyn Bradford. “Sophomore Madie Plain runs the offense superbly as a setter,” coach Arnold Stonebrink said.

San Tan Foothills: Coach Paris McFall is in his first season after moving from Chicago, where he was the director of MOD Volleyball Club and Loyola Academy and Evanston Township’s coach. “Our goal is to improve our system and stay competitive throughout the season,” he said. “For me, it’s more than just about wins and losses. It’s about how we approach every point and teams we will play. Our goals will be to make the state tournament and to finish a tournament in the top-5 this year.” The top players are Sr. MB Jazlyn Gilbert-Jones and So. setter Ruby Kim. Forty girls tried out for volleyball.

2A

Chandler Prep: Courtnee Oglesby is taking over the program. “The structure of the team looks different, but the competitiveness and determination remain the same,” she said. Winning the region and competing for a title are the goals. The top returning players are OH Abbie Unruh, OH Chelsea Erhart, libero Susan McGinley and setter Olivia Romesburg. Erhart is a sand player with D-I offers and will play indoor for the first time.

Highland Prep West: Meet the Hornets, a new varsity program in Avondale. MB/captain Isabella Rendon, OH Anaelle Nkeze and their teammates can’t wait to make a splash in their first season. “The girls have their sights on making the playoffs,” coach Mahogany Jimerson said. “We are hoping to win at least half of our games but know it will be challenging with some of the heavy hitter playoff teams in our region.”

Santa Rita: The key players are Sr. OH/S Naima Gomez, Sr. DS/L/S Carlene Alvarez and Fr. DS/L/OH Jlynn Smith. “We want to build a great team culture and help gain more recognition for Santa Rita as a whole,” coach Cheyenne Rice said. “One of our main goals is to finish with more wins than losses.”

1A

Cicero Prep: The defending champ lost some talented seniors, but it’s reloading. “Our underclassmen are more than ready to make a name for themselves,” coach Kirsten Frey said. Right side hitter Nicole Damian, middles Sam Atwood and Kate Harrigan, and freshman OH Pepper Burman are the offensive weapons. Handling the defense are Mirabella Medina and Hailey Proctor.

Duncan: After first round state exits the last two years, the goal is to make it to the second round and beyond this season. Returning senior varsity starters Elizabeth Basteen, Emily Kempton, Kenzie Babers and Shaylynn Rhoton are this year’s leaders. Basteen will assume the setting duties for the first time, and Rhoton will get some reps at libero this season.

Desert Heights: “We have a positive outlook going into the season and have worked hard over the summer to establish team norms and expectations,” coach Stefanie Haldiman said. “One of our goals this year is to create a culture that encourages all members of the team to work collectively towards our overall goals.” The team also wants to make the playoffs for the first time in quite a while. Lily Fjell, Angelina Ferguson and Alexa Buerhle are the top returning players. Fjell is a college recruit and will play alongside her sister, Anna, a freshman, for the first time.

Desert Start: The new school is located in Fort Mohave, a suburb of Bullhead City. Its coach, Alan Dale, is also a journalist. Learning as much as possible about the game and being competitive are goals they want to achieve. “Wins and losses will be reflective of how we do, but at the same time I’m not too consumed with that because we need to learn how to play the game together and then see what happens,” Dale said.

El Capitan: The new coaching staff is “ready to finish strong” with a handful of seniors on the team. “What I have seen so far during my first year in town is amazing,” coach Guinevere Timpson said. “We have a lot of strong talent and our goal is to win the state title.”

Superior: The Panthers are after a playoff berth this season. “This year (we want to also) display good sportsmanship, build good relationships with each other and our freshmen, be dynamic on the court, and to do better than last year,” coach Soñia Estatico said.