The fourth year of the Breakdown's Summer Elite Volleyball Invitational is bigger and better than ever. Our event now features two single-day tournaments over the Aug. 3-4, 2013 weekend at Midwest Volleyball Warehouse in Burnsville. Thirty-two teams play each day, a terrific field that includes all three preseason No. 1 ranked teams and defending state champions (Lakeville North, Marshall and Bethlehem Academy).

In all, 28 of the participating programs are ranked in our preseason top-15 rankings, including 10 of the top 11 programs in Class AAA, eight of the top 10 programs in Class AA and six of the top 7 programs in Class A. It’s tough to imagine a better field to open the high school volleyball preseason.

Breakdown Sports USA, in conjunction with Midwest Volleyball Warehouse present this elite – and unique – tournament for the fourth year in a row. Last August, Lakeville North earned its second tournament title in three years – and for the second time, followed it up with a state championship. The Panthers are back looking for another sweep this fall, led by Miss Volleyball candidate Alyssa Goehner and host of other All-State players.

In addition to Goehner, individuals such as Miss Volleyball candidates Shelby Kaster (Win-E-Mac), Megan Norby (Nevis), Shelby Seurer (Delano), Lydia Dimke (Blaine), Sydney Griffin and Kenzie Beekman (Marshall), Mackenzie Horkey (SW Christian), Belle Sand (Mabel-Canton) and many more could be representing their programs.

The first round of play will be in pool format with eight pools of four (4) teams, running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by playoffs for the top three (3) teams in each pool from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. All pool play matches will be best-of-3, with the first two games to 25 points (no cap) and the third to 15 points (no cap) if needed.

SATURDAY, AUG. 3 

• Pool 1 
• Pool 2 
• Pool 3
• Pool 4
• Pool 5
• Pool 6
• Pool 7 
• Pool 8 

SUNDAY, AUG. 4

• Pool 1
• Pool 2
• Pool 3
• Pool 4 
• Pool 5
• Pool 6 
• Pool 7 
• Pool 8

THE SKINNY:

Chanhassen's Kelli Katherman stepped down as coach after last season, while former Eden Prairie assistant Mike Domeier came on board. The Storm have some talent in the system and should be improved on last year's campaign. Look for leadership from All-Missota libero Taylor Soine and outside/middle Danielle Gitzen. Both are just juniors this fall.

Jackson County Central quite possibly has had the second best team in Class AA the past few years, but the Huskies have had the misfortune to play in the same section as juggernaut Marshall. Last fall, JCC again won 24 matches and advanced to the Section 3AA final, but lost to Marshall in three straight games. The Huskies graduated All-State setter Michelle Van Epps, a huge part of that success, but coach Teresa Van Epps isn't changing her expectations for the program.

Mounds View returns a trio of All-Conference performers in senior outside hitters Tessah Indlecoffer and Olivia Fixsen and setter Ashley Linn. They should form the foundation of a good offensive attack that could lead the Mustangs to the top of Section 5AAA.

Spring Lake Park looks to get on track after a tough 9-16 season and a first-round Section 5AAA loss to Centennial. The Panthers have some young talent coming through the pipeline for coach Sarah Herlofsky.

THE SKINNY:

St. Croix Lutheran broke through with its first state tournament berth last fall, setting a school record with 30 victories and enjoying every minute of it. With the big tandem of Kira Grev and Afton Sobasky back for their senior seasons, the Crusaders should again be a force. "It should be a fun and exciting season," said coach Rachel Grev. "Coming off of our first trip to the state tournament, the girls now know what it takes to get there.  We will be returning five starters, led by seniors Kira Grev and Afton Sobasky who have started since their freshman year.  Working hard, playing aggressively, and continuing to build on our skills from last season will be keys to a successful season."

Prior Lake has solid height and ball control for the upcoming season, anchored by libero Brittany Luethmers and outside hitter Jacqueline Luth.

Hopkins has the look of a program that is ready to break through with another state tournament berth soon. The Royals return three starters who made significant contributions last season, when the team was 27-5 and lost in the section final to Eden Prairie. Junior Audrey Erickson plays opposite for the Royals and she is much improved over the off season. "Audrey is a strong attacker who like to hit the ball," said coach Vicki Seliger Swenson. "She has also developed into a great block for the Royals on right side." Erickson's versatility will serve her well in her junior year on the left or right side. Also returning is Ingrid Werner, a junior who played on the left pin. "This will be Ingrid's third year on the varsity and is one of the best passers around," said Seliger Swenson. "She will lead our passing efforts and continue to swing outside. Our third returning veteran is Samantha Seliger Swenson, also a junior. Swenson is a playmaker who runs our offense. This is her fifth year starting on the varsity team and her experience is invaluable. She is uber competitive and will find a way to win. For the Royals to be successful, we need to identify our younger players who will step in a fight for a spot. The key will be finding the right mix of talent."

St. Francis joins the Mississippi 8 Conference this fall after participating in the North Suburban Conference last fall. It isn't the only change the Fighting Saints will experience, as powerful Maggie Ewen graduated after a highly-decorated career as an outside hitter. But coach Tracey Norton remains optimistic the program can build on last year's 21 victories. "Our team should be strong defensively returning our libero and one of our outside hitters that helped make our 2012 team successful," said Norton. "Two of our strongest hitters graduated (Maggie Ewen and Angie Roberts), so we need to find competent replacements for them.  We also need to replace one setter.  We will have quite a few seniors, so hopefully this helps us out in terms of team chemistry and dynamics."

THE SKINNY:

Win-E-Mac overcame graduation and transfer losses to advance to its third straight state tournament last fall, winning 28 games and falling in the third-place match to Minneota. The Patriots did suffer a few losses to graduation again, but should remain strong thanks to a veteran crew returning under coach Lynette Kaster. "Our team will be stronger next season," said Kaster. "We graduated two starters, (but) we started an eighth-grader and a ninth-grader and both will make a bigger contribution to the team." Seniors Shelby Kaster and Korbyn Ross have also been through the battles the past few years and anchor the squad.

Delano has continued to succeed despite the move up to Class AAA volleyball, although residing in the very tough Section 2AAA hasn't allowed the Tigers to reach the state tournament at that level yet. That could change with a veteran returning team. "Although we were somewhat injury plagued last season, our team still found a way to compete," said longtime coach Rebecca Rue, whose team won 22 matches last season. "Hopefully this year we can keep the injuries to a minimum and take our play to the next level.  We have a strong nucleus of players coming back in 2013, and with the return of Alex Wittinger (she missed all of last season due to an ankle injury) we are setting high expectations for ourselves.  I think our confidence and court communication will be keys to our success."

St. Peter has a terrific defense anchored by All-State caliber libero Brooklyn Braun and middle Olivia Hass. Add in All-Conference setter Kirsten Makela and right-side hitters Dani Leonard and Lauren Chabot and the Saints could be ready to make a big push in Section 2AA.

Willmar returns a deep group of veterans hoping to improve on last year's 13-12 record in the first year under coach Traci Grussing. "We hope to improve on our record from last year," agreed Grussing. "Although we graduated our top two hitters, we return five starters who were able to gain valuable experience last year and should be ready to step up this season. We return two-time all-conference setter Riley Grussing who will need to set smart and fast to help our hitters be successful. Our passing should be a strength, but we will have to pick up our defense to do well in our section."

THE SKINNY:

Belle Plaine reached the state tournament for the first time in seven years but it was a familiar face who led the way, Cassie Wolpern. The former star player for the Tigers is now in her fourth year as coach and looks to have her alma mater back in the thick of the state race, despite steep graduation losses. "This fall will bring several new faces to the varsity starting line up," said Wolpern, whose team won 26 matches. "We will replace four starters that graduated, but hopefully gain in team chemistry as the team this year has competed together for most of their careers. We will have depth in each position, which will provide for great competition during our own practices, producing our best team come game time. We will however have limited experience, as only one player returns to an all-around starting position. We do bring a passionate group of younger players to the floor now, which will hopefully fill most of the experience gap."

Fergus Falls, which moves down to Section 8AA after winning 25 matches in Class AAA action last fall and lost in the section final to Bemidji, is a program worth keeping an eye on. The Otters are laden with top athletes who are anxious to break through with the program's first state tournament bid. "The Otters are very much looking forward to the 2013 season," said Erickson. "The last two years have found us playing for the section championship and both times we have come up short. We are returning seven letter winners, who are ready to try and make the state tournament a reality. Our strength will be our experienced players. For several of them, this will be year three on the varsity. The key to our success will be our perseverance. These athletes are eager to take Otter volleyball to the next level."

East Ridge coach Erin Nickleby took the Raptors to a 17-victory season in her first as head coach, but with the graduation of setter Tess Kelzenberg and hitter Margaret Eggert a reloading effort may be in order.

Farmington will look to some younger faces this fall as the program reloads after losing a big senior class that led the team to a 14-15 season. "Despite losing nine seniors from last year's team, we will be returning six girls that were either starters, or saw the court regularly," countered coach Michael Woody. "We have a young but solid group of left sides that will anchor our defense and serve receive. We are also returning two setters, a middle and a defensive specialist that should round out a very competitive group."

THE SKINNY:

New Prague is looking to make a jump to the front of the Missota Conference and Section 2AAA race this fall with a deep group of returning veterans. "Players put in a lot of time in the off season, so we are looking to make some strides in our competitive play to improve against opponents next season," said coach Angie Andersen, whose team was 15-14 last fall. "Key to success for next year's season is going to be team chemistry and leadership."

Thief River Falls broke through with its first-ever state tournament berth last year under coach Laurie Bitter -- and it shouldn't be the last time for the program. The Prowlers did graduate a pair of important front row players, but return setter Shelby Norlin, libero Emily Bergland and some other key hitters such as Brooke Yaggie, Meleah Biermaier and Courtney Amirayan.

Holy Family Catholic is returning all but two starters from last year's squad, which could lend itself to an improved season for the Fire. The team ended its year with a strong finish in the Benilde-St. Margaret's tournament and a great showing against Belle Plaine in the section tournament, so the five wins posted overall are deceptive. Senior OH Abbie Clough and junior S Katharine Mallak will play a major role in this season's play, according to coach Mary Stude.  "Returning libero, Grace Willeck, will anchor the defense as she continues to be one of  the best serve receive specialists in the conference.  Sophomore OH Natalie Waltz will have more swings as she continues to improve her play.  Captains, senior Abbie Clough, senior Sarah Almquist and junior Katharine Mallak, are geared to lead their team as they begin their second season in the Wright County Conference," said Stude. "The Fire are looking forward to a much improved season."

Monticello coach Beth Modaff expects her Magic team to be contenders for both the Mississippi 8 Conference and Section 8AAA titles -- no small task for a team that returns just four letter winners. But they're a pretty darn good quartet, led by record-setting hitter Jamie Maus. "We need to continue to strengthen our defensive game, starting at the net with solid blocking," added Modaff, whose team won 16 matches last fall. "Serving is a huge focus for our team, and it is one of our strengths.  We have a solid core of returning players including last year's kill leaders which will also contribute to our team's success."

THE SKINNY:

Roseville advanced to the state tournament for the first time in nearly two decades last fall -- but it shouldn't be that long for a return visit. "We hope to build off the most successful season in Roseville volleyball history," said coach Greg Ueland, whose team won 27 matches and won the Class AAA state consolation title over Bemidji. But the Raiders did graduate three of their top hitters in twin sisters Meghan and Melissa Koop and middle Larissa Graham. "We will be extremely young, but reeturn many talented and experienced players. Our strengths like primarily in the fundamentals of the game and playing smart. The keys to our success hinge around the development of new leaders in our program and that many young players step up and are ready to take on key roles on the court."

Cannon Falls continues its ascent this fall, as the Bombers have bumped their win total from 18 to 23 last year and look for even bigger things this season, despite graduation losses. "Although we are losing two stellar seniors in MaKenzie Franklin (playing at Bemidji State) and MiKayla Quinn, I expect to once again be at amongst the top teams in our conference," said coach Melissa Huseth. "I have four returning starters and two others with valuable playing experience returning to our lineup this coming fall.  We are participating in tournaments with teams who have been in the state tournament the past few years so it is our goal to compete with these teams to better prepare us to play at a higher level."

Centennial recovered nicely from the graduation of Miss Volleyball Leigh Pudwill last winter, winning 15 matches and being competitive all season long. "We had a fairly inexperienced and young team last year but were still successful," said coach Jackie Rehbein-Manthey. "This year we will have a large number of seniors and underclassmen looking to build off of last year's successes.  Because of the large number of seniors returning, team unity should be a strength coming into the season.  In order for us to be successful in our conference and section we need to be smarter than are opponent and have a fearless attitude on defense."

Mankato West has been hidden in the very difficult Section 2AAA field for the last few years, but coach Sarah Kirby's team will tower above the rest this fall -- quite literally. The twin 6-foot-3 towers of Megan Hulscher and University of Minnesota commit Molly Lohman hope to bring the Scarlets success. "We have five returning starters for the 2013 season and look to have a very successful season making it further into playoffs," said Kirby, whose team was eliminated in the first round by Prior Lake last fall, ending a 13-11 season.

THE SKINNY:

Southwest Christian will enjoy this fall, the first full season for the program in its new gymnasium. The gym should be rocking, as well, with a talented team that won 25 matches and advanced all the way to the Class A state championship match last fall. "We expect to contend for the conference, section, and state title," said coach Greg Sayuk. "We return a lot of good ball control and defensive players, as well as our top three offensive threats.  To be successful, we'll need a couple younger players to learn the systems quickly and gain the experience necessary to compete against the best teams in the state."

North St. Paul may just have the strongest trio of juniors in the state in Nevena Vukomanovich, Clara Krenz and Holly Ellwanger, who helped the Polars win 22 matches last fall as sophomores. With them returning and only one graduation loss, North St. Paul should be a factor in the Section 4AAA race. "My expectations for this group is to continue to improve every day at practice," said coach Steve Anderson. "We had a fairly successful season last year due to our work ethic and if we can duplicate our efforts in practice and continue to grow as a team we will have a good year.  We return the majority of our team from last year and one of the strengths of this group is their chemistry.  Supporting each other and growing as a unit is our biggest key entering the 2013 season."

Moorhead is one of the northwest's traditional powers, having made 19 state tournament trips in school history. The Spuds gave eventual Section 8AAA champion Bemidji fits in the semifinals last year before losing in five games, a result that could bode well for this year's club. "Graduating only two seniors should provide some experience returning to this year's squad," said longtime coach Char Lien. "The players know that they have to put in the extra time during the off-season inorder to improve on last season's record. Returning setter, Amber Gunkel is entering her third year on the varsity squad and that experience will be vital for that position. Maddie Swanson also will return for her third year. Now with one full season under belt at the OH position and being asked to play both front and back row, we are expecting the consistency to be an advantage."

Stewartville is easily one of the winningest programs in the state, qualifying for 21 of the last 26 state tournaments, although the Tigers had to watch the state tournament from the stands instead of the court last fall. This could be one of the most challenging seasons for longtime coach John Dzubay, as he also graduated a strong senior class anchored by University of Minnesota-committed middles Paige and Hannah Tapp. But he seems to be looking forward to it. "We will be a team hungry to improve on our 2012 season," said Dzubay. "We will only have four seniors and five returning underclassmen.  All of these athletes have had playing time, though, so we will bring some experience to the floor in 2013, despite being young.  Three talented setters will be fighting for a starting position.  We lose a lot of our height, but I am confident our back row will be very solid.  Our strength will be in our desire to work hard and become a solid team.  We won't be as athletic as last year, but our overall team play will be very good."

THE SKINNY:

Wayzata has always had a strong team under coach Scott Jackson, one that is anchored by its good ball control and balanced attack. That shouldn't change this year, despite the graduation of All-State libero Lauren Houg and 10 other key seniors. It will just take on even more importance. "We have high expectations for the 2013 season," said Jackson, whose team won 21 matches last fall. "We will be strong in virtually every phase of the game.  Chemistry, hard work, a great attitude, health, and good luck will be keeps to a successful season."

Mora advanced to the second state tournament in school history last fall and the Mustangs just might be favored to make another trip this season. "We have experience with five returning starters," said coach Lisa Gustafson, whose team won 24 matches but was two-and-out in the state tournament. "We will be consistent in the setting position which will enable a quick and strong front row attack.  We look to be defensively sound as well, aided by returning defensive specialists.  We strive to contend for a top finish in conference and repeat in the section finals."

St. Michael-Albertville will have a new look this fall, as it's the first time in eight years there hasn't been a Yager on the roster. Combined with four other graduation losses and the Knights must look to new faces to lead the way. "This year will be an interesting year for us, replacing Candice (Yager) and Becky (Hackenmueller) who have been the center of our defense and offense," said coach Ryan Dehnel, whose team went 18-12 last year. "We will be a defense-focused team again, depending on serving, passing, and defense against bigger teams.  Offensively, we will depend on balance and using the strengths of each attacker to apply pressure."

Osseo coach Bill Quan runs a terrific program that always has high goals at season’s start, no matter the offseason changes. The Orioles lost some terrific athletes to graduation, including a pair of D1 basketball players in Janay Morton and Phillis Webb, but should remain strong. "We hope to compete for a Northwest Suburban Conference and a Region 5AAA title," said Quan, whose team won 18 matches last fall and advanced to the section final before losing to Blaine. "We return six players that started in the region final against Blaine in 2012. We have lots of experience back in key positions. We have girls that understand the team concept and have put team goals ahead of individual goals."