Brazos Valley high school volleyball teams from the smaller classifications have been frequent residents of the Top 10. This year, one of the bigger programs joins them in the high-rent district.
A&M Consolidated is ranked ninth among the state's Class 5A teams going into the Lady Tigers' season opener Tuesday against Magnolia West. That match is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Tiger Gym.
Bryan and Rudder also will start the season with home matches Tuesday. Bryan will face Conroe at 6 p.m. Rudder, relegated to its practice court because of construction on the floor of the main gym, will have two matches, playing Iola at 4:30 p.m. and Franklin at 7.
The highest-ranked team from the area in the Texas Girls Coaches Association preseason poll is traditional power Leon. The Lady Cougars are ranked fourth in 2A as Jason Evans begins his first season as head coach at the school where his grandfather Billy Evans won 1,079 matches and nine state championships.
Centerville, the program Evans led to the state tournament last season, is seventh in Class 2A.
The preseason polls suggests a transfer of power in the Class A ranks among area schools. Normangee is No. 5 in the poll. Iola, which reached the state tournament in each of the last three seasons but lost a strong senior class, is not ranked.
Brenham is the area's other state-ranked squad, ninth in 4A. The Cubettes are led by senior Bethany Yeager, who made The Eagle's All-Brazos Valley first team in each of the last two years.
Consol earned a place in the Top 10 by making a strong playoff run last season with a young team. The Lady Tigers reached the regional semifinal round for the first time at the 5A level, with only two seniors on their roster.
In the private school ranks, Brazos Christian will start the season by playing host to Snook at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Allen Academy and St. Joseph will open next week.
High school volleyball
* Tuesday's matches in B-CS: Magnolia West at Consol, 6 p.m.; Conroe at Bryan, 6; Iola at Rudder, 4:30; Franklin at Rudder, 7