Here we are in full swing of conference play, with district tournaments just around the corner.

Volleyball season seems to fly by as it starts before school is in session but it's over before the first trimesters are finished!

We are in the peak of the season with just three weeks to go before the state tournament.

In our dedicated state, we had so many amazing matchups last week.

Rigby defeated both Highland and Thunder Ridge, Centennial won another tournament as they took the title at the Rocky Mountain Invitational, and Butte County also claimed first place at their annual "I Pink I Can" Tournament.

Madison, by the way, is still undefeated as they now sit at 25-0.

There's plenty of good volleyball happening all around the state, which brings more and more recognition of the sport to life!

This week we are going to key in on a couple of teams that are playing some exciting volleyball with some high-level athletes.  These teams are flying under the radar a little bit as they're not at the top of any rankings, but they are looking good at the right time.

Things are coming together for Eagle and Rigby as they battle in their tough conferences.  Eagle is currently fourth in the tough Southern Idaho Conference.  They are 16-4 overall and ranked sixth overall in the state of Idaho.  The Eagles lost some strong leaders after last season but they look to their new seniors to lead them now.  Maija Howse leads her team in kills per set and aces per set, and she is heading to Purdue soon to continue her volleyball career.

Howse is in the top three in Idaho for kills, top three in Class 6A for hitting percentage, and top three in the SIC for overall kills.  She is a leader, setting the example from her experience as she plays volleyball year round.  She's always competing at such a high level and has played with other top recruits from her class for a few years now.

Joining Maija in leading the Mustangs in aces and kills is her senior teammate Madison Jones, another high profile player who has been paying volleyball for a very long time as well!

Another Eagle standout running the offense is their setter Avery Smith.  Again, Smith is a tenured senior who leads in assists and betters many balls, which leads to more opportunities for big plays!

These three standouts are joined by seven additional seniors who create the competition needed within their own practices, where an intense environment has teammates competing against each other every day.  Pushing each other in practice leads to team progression!

Rigby is another team with a lot of talent that is often overlooked due to their powerful conference and state classification.  The Trojans are currently 13-7 and ranked second in the High Country Conference.  Rigby is a strong team overall in the 6A classification, with a few players standing over 6-feet tall as well.  in volleyball, that's usually an indicator of strong front row play and this year they are putting up better blocks and more kills.

Rigby has two teams in their conference that are state champions over the past five years in Madison and Thunder Ridge.  Needless to say, their conference is tough and always creates a great challenge for all teams within it to advance to state.

The year Rigby has three seniors in Kylee Aerts, Rylie Robinson, and Tiade Togiai.  The seniors help keep the team chemistry positive and all three lead by example.  Tiade is a 6-foot-2 outside hitter and opposite hitter that leads the Trojans in kills and blocks per set.  She is a smart, forceful hitter who can hit over and around the block.

Joining Togiai at the top of the kills leaderboard is Brinley Bybee.  Brinley is ranked in the top ten in Idaho for overall kills, and in the top five in Class 6A for hitting percentage.  Bybee is another tall addition to the Rigby roster, and the Trojans are heading into this week with momentum from last week's wins over two district rivals.

The Trojans are utilizing their strengths and we will continue to check in on them to see how their district tournament plays out this year.

Good luck to all as it's crunch time!  It all comes down to these last few weeks!