Volleyball is back and with it comes one of the top preseason tournaments in the state, as Katy ISD and Cy-Fair will combine to host the Katy ISD/Cy-Fair Volleyball Classic from Thursday to Saturday. 

Host sites will be spread throughout the two districts and the tournament will include some of the top talent from around the state, including three teams that are ranked in the top five of the Texas Girls Coaches Association Class 6A Preseason Class 6A Volleyball poll. 

Two of those teams come from Katy ISD, both Cinco Ranch and Seven Lakes will be participating in the tournament and hoping to make strong runs in some of the best tune ups they will get before district this year. 

The teams will be grouped up at different sites throughout the tournament. There will be 12 pools at the start of the tournament which will compete in the pool stages, it will then be split into a winners bracket on the second day, and on the final day there will be a gold, silver and bronze bracket as the teams battle to take home the top prize from the tournament. 

Cinco Ranch, which is ranked third in the state, will host their pool along with Jordan, Katy and Taylor. Seven Lakes, the fifth ranked team in the state, will compete in the Cy-Fair pool, while Mayde Creek will also play at Cy-Fair, Morton Ranch will play at Taylor, Tompkins will play at Cy-Lakes and Paetow will also play at Cy-Lakes. Other hosts include Cy-Woods and Bridgeland. Katy ISD will look to make an impact after it was not a school from the district that took home top honors from the event last year.

Katy will be joined by the top ranked team in the state and reigning state champions in Grand Oaks in their pool. The Grizzlies won last year’s tournament and look to be one of the strongest teams in the state again this year. 

Seven Lakes was the lone Katy ISD team to make it all the way through to the gold bracket and top four teams of the tournament last year. The Spartans lost to Stratford in the gold bracket semifinals to Stratford in straight sets before winning the third place game to claim the tournament's bronze medal. Katy made the tournament's bronze bracket and finished third in that, while Tompkins finished off its consolation by winning as did Cinco Ranch and Jordan. Katy ISD will be posting updates throughout the event and it is gearing up to be a great one as we prepare for another exciting volleyball season, a sport in which Katy ISD has excelled at, especially within the past few years where they have sent teams to the state tournament three out of the past four years and to the regional final each of the past four years, with back to back Region III-6A Finals being an All-Katy ISD affair.

The Katy Times will be providing recaps of the tournament and you can keep up to date with the whole tournament by checking the @kcfvballtourney account on X (formerly twitter) which will have live brackets, schedules and scores at their site.