Five defending state champions in football are solid favorites to repeat in 2011. It's also true to an extent iin girls volleyball.

Volleyball has five schools with mutlitple-title streaks intact (Xavier, Horizon, Sunnyslope, Seton Catholic and Monument Valley). At  least two will not repeat. Not because of lack of ability. It's due to competing in a different division with a school in that division that also won last year.

Xavier (D-I No. 2 seed) and Horizon (D-I No. 4 seed) were 5A-I and 5A-II champs, respectively, in 2010. Horizon, a two-time defending champ (5A-II), is sparring with four-time defending champ Xavier in D-I this year. Horizon is the only Arizona school to beat Xavier this season. Xavier won the other two times the teams met.

If Horizon reaches the final it has a shot to meet Xavier for the championship. Horizon, however, has to travel a road likely leading to No. 5 seed Centennial in the quarters and No. 1 Mountain Ridge, No.9 Basha or No. 8 Mountain Pointe in the semis. Xavier figures to have no trouble in its draw until the semis where No. 3 Gilbert, No. 6 Hamilton or possibly No. 11 Corona del Sol loom.

The same scenario could pop up in Division III where three-time 4A-II champ Seton Catholic may tangle in the quarterfinals with three-time, 3A champ Monument Valley. Seton is the No. 1 seed in D-III and Monument Valley the No. 8 seed. Seton is more invitational-tested and has faced better compeition, but defending champs often die hard.

The only defending champ that won't have to compete against another in its division is Sunnyslope, the three-time defending 4A-I champ now competing in D-II. Sunnyslope hasn't been beaten by any D-II school  this year in a power-point match or invitational match. Sunnyslope's No. 5 seed in the tournament is misleading. All its losses are to D-I schools in invitationals. No. 3 seed Ironwood is a team to watch in D-II. The Eagles only D-II losses are to Sunnyslope and Queen Creek. The others are to top teams in D-I. Ironwood also handed Horizon one of its four losses this season.

Top-seed Notre Dame Prep (D-II) and No. 2 seed Lake Havasu (D-II) were solid in their sections, but may be over-matched should they reach the semifinals. Notre Dame likely would face Sunnyslope in that round and Lake Havasu, if it gets by Prescott or Ironwood Ridge in the quarters, will be severely tested by Ironwood.

Here are the first-round matchups in Division I and Division II, which begin Tuesday Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds:

DIVISION I -- #16 Pinnacle at #1 Mountain Ridge; #9 Basha at #8 Mountain Pointe; #12 St. Mary's at #5 Centennial; #13 Valley Vista at #4 Horizon; #14 Westivew at #3 Gilbert; #11 Corona del Sol at #6 Hamilton; #10 Kofa at #7 Rincon and #15 Mesa Mtn. View at #2  Xavier.  DIVISION II -- #16 Cienega at #1 Notre Dame; #9 Marana Mtn. View at #8 Liberty; #12 Salpointe at #5 Sunnyslope; #13 Queen Creek at #4 Flagstaff; #14 Sabino at #3 Ironwood; #11 Marcos de Niza at #6 Arcadia; #10 Ironwood Ridge at #7 Prescott and #15 Agua Fria at #2 Lake Havasu.