Megan Garvin will lead the offense at middle blocker, while Julia Potts will set for the squad. Britni Greenwood returns at outside hitter, and Whitney Oliver returns as the opposite hitter.

"I expect a lot out of my team this year," said first-year coach Cristin Johnson. "We have an experienced setter coming back, and that makes a big difference. We are not tall, but we play good quick defense."

Bear River was voted No. 4 and North Sanpete was voted No. 5. The Bears lost some significant players to graduation, while the Hawks return most of their team and are searching for consistency. They're led by senior outside hitter Erika May and setter Sylvia Bedford.

In addition to the usual contenders, Park City, Wasatch, Grantsville, Judge and Juan Diego could change the landscape before state.

Waterford will play its first year in 3A, but it also benefits from the transfer of senior setter Missy White, an all-state player who led Brighton to a 5A title last season. She joins a group of solid athletes and has already made waves in the preseason.

"We expect a lot of bumps and bruises along the way but we hope always to be competitive," said coach Steve Manning.

Preseason 3A volleyball rankings

1. Morgan

2. Hurricane

3. Carbon

4. Bear River

5. North Sanpete

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E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com