Arizona boys' high school volleyball preview: Who will contend?

The boys' high school volleyball regular season is winding down and the AIA's state playoff tournament is scheduled to begin wih conference play-in games on May 2, and the first round getting underway May 5.

With that in mind, here are some teams to watsch in each conference:

6A

Can anyone stop Highland?

The 6A runner-up from last year, Highland, is one of only three undefeated teams in the state this season and the only team undefeated in 6A. Despite the 15-0 record, No. 1-ranked Highland was coming off of a less-than-dominant showing in the Brophy Invitational Tournament a few weeks ago, collecting only two wins while drawing four times and losing twice, which came at the hands of No. 2 Perry and No. 4 Sandra Day O'Connor. Those tournament losses don't count against Highland's AIA conference record, but they showed the Hawks were vulnerable. Still, they just swept No. 11 Corona del Sol, No. 12 Desert Vista and No. 20 Gilbert, so it's safe to assume they've shaken off the lackluster tournament results.

Brophy, Perry again look strong

No. 2 Perry and No. 3 Brophy follow closely behind. Perry's only loss of the season came to Highland, and Brophy's only three losses of the season came to both Highland and Perry. The two recently played each other on April 19, where Perry swept the Broncos. Both of these schools made state semifinals last season, and it won't be a surprise if the Broncos or Pumas get at least that far this year.

Can O'Connor defend its title?

Defending 6A champion Sandra Day O'Connor is ranked No. 4. The Eagles went undefeated last year en route to a 6A championship. However, things haven't been so easy for them this time around, as they have two losses this season, which came to Brophy and Highland. There is a good chance they could play Highland in the semifinals, which wold shape up as a highly competitive match.

Shadow Ridge looks to leave mark

No. 6 Shadow Ridge is 14-2 with the only losses coming from No. 4 Sandra Day O'Connor and No. 7 Mesa. Their 14 wins are the second most in 6A, tied with No. 4 Sandra Day O'Connor, and they look like they can cause some noise if they're able to get out of the first round.

Who could pull off an upset? Possibly Tucson, Maricopa

No. 10 Tucson is having a season to remember, with a 12-3 record. Two of their losses were decided in the fifth set while they've only been swept once, which came at the hands of defending 5A champion Cienega. They avenged their second loss of the season by beating No. 16 Marana on April 13 and swept the regular season series with No. 14 Rincon. They could give a much higher seeded team trouble.

No. 13 Maricopa is another team to watch out for. They're the second lowest ranked 6A team that has at least 10 wins, and if they make the state playoffs. While the Rams lost to No. 8 Chandler on April 21, but defeated No. 14 Mountain Ridge in their next match.

5A

Can Cienega keep the good times rolling?

The talk of the 5A division is the defending 5A champions Cienega. Despite being undefeated and not having lost a match since the 2021 5A state championship to Casteel, the Bobcats are ranked No. 4 in AIA's latest conference rankings. Cienega has been on a tear this season, defeating Tucson and Rincon, both ranked within the top 14 of the 6A division, and sweeping all of their opponents outside of one. The real question is are they capable of a repeat? It's hard to make a case against them, even though three teams are ranked higher: Casteel, ALA-Gilbert North and Sunrise Mountain, based on an AIA formula that includes schedule strength.

What about Casteel and Sunrise Mountain?

No. 1 Casteel has responded from a heartbreaking semifinal loss to Gilbert last season with 16-1 record this year. Their only loss of the season came to 6A No. 2 Perry, and 12 of those 16 wins have been sweeps. Casteel won the 5A title in 2021, and they are making a case for asecond title in three years. They have to play No. 10 Campo Verde to close out season April 27, and a win should assure them the No. 1 seed in the 16-team tournament.

No. 2 Sunrise Mountain made the semifinals last year but fell to Cienega. Like Casteel, they only have one loss this season, to Casteel, but they've been dominating outside of that, earning a sweep in 11 out of their 15 wins. The Mustangs have consistently been a top-notch program in 5A, finishing with back-to-back No. 4 seeds in their previous two seasons.

Two ALA schools could make some noise

Last season, ALA-Gilbert North (No. 3 now) and ALA-Queen Creek (No. 5 currently) both made the 4A championship game, which saw ALA-Queen Creek win in a sweep. Both of those schools then mad ethe jump to 5A, and haven't slowed down. The two American Leaderhsip Academy schoolssplit the regular season seriesthis year.

Could Ironwood Ridge pull an upset?

No. 11 Ironwood Ridge (11-4,) has played some tough teams, including 6A teams Marana and Rincon along with Cienega twice. It should also be noted that Ironwood Ridge has been the only team to take a set off of Cienega in regular season play.

4A

Can Northwest Christian finally break through?

If you had to make an argument for who has been the best school in 4A, Northwest Christian certainly belongs in the discussion. The No. 1 Crusaders are poised to finish with their third consecutive undefeated regular season. However, in the previous two seasons, they were stopped by one team, ALA-Queen Creek. The Patriots bested Northwest Christian in the 2021 4A title game and then dispatched the Crusaders in the semifinals last year. However, Northwest Christian won't have to deal with them anymore, as the Patriots made the move up to 5A last offseason. There might not be a better opportunity for the Crusaders to capture the 4A state title.

Deer Valley, Estrella Foothills among challengers

There are five teams that could challenge for the 4A tiles, including No. 2 Deer Valley and No. 3 Estrella Foothills. Deer Valley's only loss of the season came to Northwest Christian, while Estrella Foothills' only two losses came to Deer Valley. Deer Valley is one of the only two schools to take a set off of Northwest Christian, so the Skyhawks might be the best equipped team to face the Crusaders. Estrella Foothills has two losses on the season, but 10 of their 13 wins have been sweeps.

No. 4 Tucson Salpointe Catholic, No. 5 AZ College Prep and No. 6 Mesquite are the other three teams capable of a deep run. The Lancers have the second most wins in all of 4A with 15 and their only loss came to ALA-Queen Creek. AZ College Prep's three losses have come to both ALA schools Gilbert North and Queen Creek. While Mesquite wasn't able to beat No. 7 Seton Catholic Prep on Tuesday, they still hold firm at No. 6 and only have three losses on the season.

Upset potential? Prescott, Flowing Wells

No. 9 Prescott is a team that could give higher-seeded schools problems. After starting 4-4, the Badgers have rattled off eight straight wins and have plenty of momentum. If they're able to win their first-round matchup, they'll likely take on either No. 1 Northwest Christian or No. 2 Deer Valley, dep;ending on seedings.

No. 12 Flowing Wells is another team that was riding high, taking a seven-game winning streak into their Tuesday matchup against No. 4 Salpointe Catholic. While the Caballeros did get a 2-1 set lead over the Lancers, it wouldn't be enough as they dropped the final two sets to lose the match. Despite the loss, Flowing Wells showed they can hang with anybody.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona boys' high school volleyball preview: Who will contend?