1. Sharyland High – 21-1. 3-0 in tournament championships and a 17-match win streak. Two-time defending district champions and with the best 1-2 punch in the Valley with Kenisha Martinez and Kassandra De La Garza. Traveling to McHi on Tuesday The Rattlers are 63-5 during the past two seasons. Until someone knocks them from the top of the hill – and convincingly – they’ll continue to reign as queens of the court.

2. Sharyland Pioneer – 17-3. Playing without arguably their most dynamic player, Aleena Zuniga, the Diamondbacks, as always, are just plain dangerous. They may not be the most exciting team you watch, but that’s because they execute to perfection and make the easy look easy. They have a varied offense, solid middles and on of the top two liberos in the land.

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4. McAllen High – 15-10. Took some bumps and bruises in one of the nation’s largest, and toughest tournaments – Volleypalooza. It’s an event with multiple Div. 1 players and state champions from beyond Texas. During their first match, which they won, the setter on the opposing side was a 6-foot-2 Penn St. commit but hung with everyone. Facing Sharyland on Tuesday. The key to their district play is how well their middles will play – they can dominate or sometimes hide in the shadows. When they dominate – good night.

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   Edinburg Vela – 19-5. Just a little bit away from going good to great. The SaberCats could be a darkhorse in the 31-5A title race if they can gain consistency. They have height, experience and great setters. Their hitters just need to swing more and swing harder and take advantage of being able to look over the defense.

McAllen Rowe – 20-2. The Warriors won’t overpower anyone. But everything is solid – from their usual impeccable defense to a variety of hitters. When Breanna Sanchez gets on a role, they need to ride her to the victory. If one of their other attackers can step it up a bit, it will go a long way in make them a legitimate playoff-run contender.

Los Fresnos – 19-7. The Falcons started the season 3-4, looking for an identity. Looks like they’ve found it, going 16-3 since then. Should run the table for a district title, especially if coach Anissa Lucio keeps them improving.

7. McAllen Memorial – . The Mustangs are looking for that one big win. So far, they’ve won the ones they should with a young team, and look better every time out. Coach Raul Castillo has them on the right path, but their development may take a little while.

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   Mission High – 15-5. The Eagles don’t necessarily have a superstar to carry them, but they have synergy and chemistry – and they are so stubborn when it comes to letting a ball drop. They will challenge for the district title. If they develop a big-time go-to player, they could be the favorite

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   Mission Veterans – 16-4. The Patriots will go as far as Mady Perez can carry them. The freshman star already has more than 160 kills on the season (a 4.7 average) and she’s still holding back, respecting the upperclassmen. Don’t worry, head coach Diana Lerma will make sure her young star unleashes fury as district gets under way. Look out, though, defending district champ Palmview and a surprising Rio Grande City won’t be pushovers

PSJA High – 13-10. Led by stud hitter Julianna Guajardo, other Bears need to step up if they are to win a fourth straight district title. The Bears lost an all-star lineup but Guajardo and middle Kamila Figuero need to take over as vociferous leaders. If they do, and the others continue to develop, 31-6A will be an interesting race.