The 4A and 5A state volleyball tournaments have been among the premier high school events in Utah for at least a decade now, and this year should be no exception.

This crowning event for the big-school spikers takes place Friday and Saturday at Utah Valley University's McKay Special Events Center.

With four matches played at a time until the placement rounds begin Saturday afternoon, the noise, excitement and atmosphere are unlike anything else these players experience during the prep season.

Here's a look at how the weekend is shaping up.

Class 4A

It's been a few years since a local team has carted off the gold trophy in this classification, but with several strong teams among the six Valley entrants, that could change.

At the top of the list of contenders is Region 8 champion and No. 2-ranked Spanish Fork. After sweeping the league competition, Dons coach Diana Troyer is very excited about her squad's prospects in the playoffs.

"I think we are going to be with the top group," she said. The favorite is two-time defending champion and top-ranked Snow Canyon. "They have done so well and have a history of winning.

"Lehi is going to be good, too," she continued. The Pioneers finished sixth in the 5A playoffs last year. "Mountain View and Springville could do well also and are in the other side of the bracket."

The coach identified serve-receive and defense as the keys to her squad's success in the tournament.

"If we can do those two things well, we'll always have a chance," she said. "Our attack is awesome and our blocking is good, so we've been focusing on those other two areas in practice this week."

Five of the eight Dons who are in the regular rotation are seniors who have a lot of experience with each other and with their coach, who joined the program when they were sophomores.

The lineup is built around 6-foot-2 outside hitter Erin Redd, a University of Utah commit.

"She's our go-to girl," Troyer explained. "She has a hitting percentage of .41, which is very high."

Not far behind is 6-2 middle blocker Kylie Schofield, who hits a .32 and has committed to Southern Utah University.

"Those two put the ball away when they got the chance," the coach said.

Spanish Fork opens against Region 5 third seed Mountain Crest at 1:45 p.m.

Region 8's second seed, No. 4-ranked Springville, lost only to the Dons in league play. The Red Devils take on Region 9 second seed and No. 5-ranked Dixie in the first round at 9 a.m.

Uintah, winner of a three-way playoff on Monday to get the final berth, faces Region 5 champion Sky View at 10:30 a.m.

Region 7 turned out to be a battle that lasted the entire season. Co-champions Mountain View and Lehi both finished at 10-2, splitting with each other and third-seed Orem, just one game back.

Any of these teams are capable of making a run in the tournament. The Tigers got a tough draw, as they must face Snow Canyon in the first round at 1:45 p.m. The Bruins get Region 6 fourth seed Stansbury at 10:30 a.m., while the Pioneers have Region 6 third seed Olympus at 12:15 p.m.

"The fun thing about volleyball tournaments, especially one with the state's best teams all there, is that any one of the teams, depending on the day, could take it all the way to the end," said Mountain View coach Andrew Young.

As for his own team, he said, "If everyone is healthy and everyone is mentally and physically 100 percent there, 100 percent of the time, we'll be successful.

"When we play as a team, communicating, supporting and staying focused, then I would say our chances are incredibly high," he added.

Lehi coach Jamie Ingersoll acknowledged the tough field and knows her team will have to on top of its game, but she also knows they can compete with anyone.

"Every team in the bottom bracket could potentially win it, including us," she said. "We must serve strong and consistent. Our defense has always been strong, but offensively, our middles need to be effective and the outsides have to be consistent. We'll just see how our girls handle the atmosphere and the pressure."

Another top contender is Region 6 champion and No. 3-ranked Highland, who meets Westlake in the first round.

Class 5A

There aren't as many Utah County entrants in the heavyweight division this year because of realignment, but the ones who are there will sound pretty familiar to the sport's fans -- Pleasant Grove and Lone Peak.

The Knights have reached the title game for six straight years, winning the last two 5A titles, and 4A titles in 2003 and 2004 before being moved up to the top classification.

The Vikings won the 5A title in 2005 and the 4A title in 2001. They finished second to Lone Peak in 2003, 2004 and 2008, and defeated the Knights for the crown in 2005.

In 2009, Pleasant Grove has established itself as the team to beat. Ranked No. 1 virtually the entire season, the Vikings have lost only once in Utah this year, to Taylorsville in a two-set match during the Rocky Mountain Champions Classic on Sept. 12.

The Vikings didn't lose even a single game in October. Their senior-heavy lineup includes 6-7 opposite Jennifer Hamson, outside hitter Danica Mendivil (6-2) and setter Kemi McFarland (6-2).

This trio, along with junior middle Kimberly Dahl (6-1), are all solid college prospects, and others on the team are drawing interest, too. The team opens against Region 1 fifth seed Weber at 1:45 p.m.

By contrast, Lone Peak is coming into the tournament almost under the radar and lacks the overall size and experience of Pleasant Grove.

The Knights ended up as the third seed after a coin toss fell for Brighton, and they will face Region 3 second seed Taylorsville at 9 a.m. However, the Warriors aren't likely to be celebrating their draw.

Lone Peak lost just three games in its last eight matches during the final three weeks of the regular season. One of those was to 3A runner-up Morgan, and the other two were to No. 2-ranked Brighton, also one of the top contenders.

Curiously, the Bengals stayed at their spot in the rankings after that loss, and the Knights didn't move up.

Starting Friday morning, however, it won't matter. Lone Peak knows how to win in the playoffs and can't ever be overlooked.

Besides those three Region 4 teams, others expected to perform well include Region 3 champion Bingham, Region 2 champion Hunter and Region 1 champion Northridge.

• Beky Beaton can be reached at bbeaton@heraldextra.com.