The state’s top high school volleyball teams begin play in the state Class 4A and Class 3A state tournaments Thursday at the Alaska Airlines Classic.
Four-time defending Class 4A champion Dimond, the top seed from the Cook Inlet Conference, takes on Soldotna, the No. 3 seed from the Northern Lights Conference, in a first-round match at 3:15 p.m.
Nikiski, the defending 3A champion and the No. 3 seed from the Southcentral Conference, faces Monroe, the top seed from the Aurora Conference.
Championship matches are set for Saturday.
ASAA/First National Bank state volleyball tournaments
Thursday’s matches
Class 4A
First round
10 a.m. -- South vs. Juneau-Douglas
11:45 a.m. -- Bartlett vs. Palmer
1:30 p.m. -- North Pole vs. Wasilla
3:15 p.m. -- Dimond vs. Soldotna
Winners bracket
5:15 p.m. -- South-Juneau winner vs. Bartlett-Palmer winner
7 p.m. -- North Pole-Wasilla winner vs. Dimond-Soldotna winner
Class 3A
First round
10 a.m. -- Barrow vs. Kenai Central
11:45 a.m. -- Sitka vs. Valdez
1:30 p.m. -- Monroe vs. Nikiski
3:15 p.m. -- Homer vs. Kotzebue
Winners bracket
5:15 p.m. -- Barrow-Kenai winner vs. Sitka-Valdez winner
7 p.m. -- Monroe-Nikiski winner vs. Homer-Kotzebue winner