OAKLEAF - Area volleyball teams will be opening up their seasons in two places on Saturday with Bishop Kenny High hosting a day's worth of top-ranked programs with four Clay County teams. At the same time, Keystone Heights and Clay High will travel to the JJVA complex in Jacksonville for their openers.

At Bishop Kenny, annually one of the most vital season-opening fields in the area features the likes of Bolles, Ridgeview, Middleburg, Fleming Island, Creekside, Oakleaf and Orange Park in action all day starting at 8 a.m. and ending near 4 p.m.

Ridgeview is a top drawer for the tournament with a region final finish last year (loss to Ocala Vanguard) off an 18-12 regular season record. Ridgeview returns power hitter Haley Johnson (305 Kills) as part of a three-hitter front of seniors with Briana Adams (189 Kills) and Harper Herring (148 Kills). Ridgeview opens with games at 8 a.m. vs. Beachside and 9:30 a.m. vs. Bishop Kenny. Bishop Kenny dominated through regions with 3-0 wins to the Final Four but got smacked by eventual 4A champion Santa Fe 3-0 in the state semifinal.

Beachside opened their new school and the volleyball program with a 15-6 final record, a region playoff berth (lost to Fernandina Beach in quarters) and the entire team returning.

The second round of play features Middleburg with a new head coach, Meredith Forkum, the assistant under Carrie Prewitt, but a wealth of returning firepower with the Rahn sisters; Camden and Connor, and the third strikes Brooke Forkum. The Broncos open with Bolles at 11 a.m. then Creekside at 12:30 p.m.

Bolles, in 3A, got ousted in region semis last year by Souther Walton while Creekside got dumped by Winter Park in region quarters of 7A.

Middleburg surprised Ridgeview for the district title but also lost to Vanguard in quarters.

In the final round of play, Fleming Island and Oakleaf square off at 2 p.m. with Oakleaf at 3:30 p.m. playing Episcopal and Fleming Island playing Nease.

Oakleaf now has former Fleming Island coach Jamie Reed as head coach while Fleming Island features former player Amy Schermerhorn as her replacement.

Keystone Heights and Clay will play in the JJVA preseason classic down the road. Keystone Heights graduated a bucket load of seniors with senior Kadence Carlton and junior Kierstyn Shaw as top returners.

At Orange Park High, starting at 9 a.m., the Lady Raiders will host games against Stanton Prep at 9 a.m. and Mandarin at noon.