The IHSAA volleyball tournament starts Tuesday with sectional play. Here are five things to watch locally:

Avon has the talent to repeat as Class 4A state champions

Avon didn’t just win its 17th-straight sectional title in 2017, it won the sectional title on the way to a Class 4A state championship and 38-3 overall record. And this year it looks like it could pull off much of the same. The latest Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association poll ranks the team third in the state behind Providence and Yorktown, and the Orioles have all the momentum they might need ahead of a sectional opener against Brownsburg.

Among its talented roster is Purdue commit Ava Torrance, South Carolina commit Holly Eastridge and Ball State commit Chloe Rickenbach.

This could be Hamilton Southeastern’s year

The Royals, also in Class 4A, are ranked No. 5 in the state and enter postseason play eager for a challenge. Coached by Jason Young, HSE believes it has the necessary talent to grab the program’s first-ever state-title banner this fall.

“We’ve talked a lot about it this year,” senior captain Taylor Shelton said in September. “This year our team is more of a family than anything else. In past years we just haven’t worked together as well but there’s no drama this year on the team. Everyone fits together as one.”

Getting through its sectional will be tough, though. It always is. And an opening match against No. 8 Fishers, which HSE beat during the regular season, doesn’t make things any easier.

More:Hamilton Southeastern volleyball eyeing state title, winning culture

Indy could make it seven-straight Class 4A state champions

First it was Avon in 2012 and 2013. Then it was Carmel before back-to-back titles for Cathedral. And finally Avon again. Indy-area volleyball is always buzzing and with so many teams ranked in the top 25 in the state, it's safe to assume even if someone knocks out HSE or Avon that Indy won't be wanting for a team in the finals.

Brebeuf Jesuit could make another run

Brebeuf Jesuit didn’t have a whole lot of momentum ahead of the playoffs last year but still powered through to the Class 3A state finals, where it ultimately lost to New Castle in three sets. This year the team is ranked 25th in the state and 10th among Class 3A teams.

It went undefeated in the regular season against teams in its sectional.

Tough matchups nothing new

There will be high-profile matchups across all classes as sectional play proceeds. HSE and Fishers is just one of many. And because coaches know that's going to happen come October they made sure during the season they'd be prepared.

"We want that challenge early so that come later in the season when you’re playing in a sectional environment it’s kind of been there, done that," HSE coach Jason Young said in September.

Area Sectional Pairings

Class 4A

Sectional 6 At Ft. Wayne North Side

M1: Ft. Wayne North Side vs. Ft. Wayne South Side

M2: Muncie Central vs. Homestead

M3: Huntington North vs. Yorktown

M4: Ft. Wayne vs. Winner of M1

Sectional 7 at Harrison (West Lafayette)

M1: McCutcheon vs. Lafayette Jefferson

M2: Logansport vs. Kokomo

M3: Zionsville vs. Winner of M1

M4: Harrison vs. Winner of M2

Sectional 8 at Westfield

M1: Fishers vs. Hamilton Southeastern

M2: Anderson vs. Carmel

M3: Westfield vs. Winner of M1

M4: Noblesville vs. Winner of M2

Sectional 9 at Greenfield-Central

M1: Richmond vs. Pendleton Heights

M2: Greenfield-Central vs. Connersville

M3: New Palestine vs. Winner of M1

M4: Mt. Vernon vs. Winner of M2

Sectional 10 at Warren Central

M1: Cathedral vs. Arsenal Tech

M2: Lawrence North vs. Lawrence Central

M3: Warren Central vs. Winner of M1

M4: North Central vs. Winner of M2

Sectional 11 at Ben Davis

M1: Perry Meridian vs. Decatur Central

M2: Roncalli vs. Pike

M3: Ben Davis vs. Winner of M1

M4: Southport vs. Winner of M2

Sectional 12 at Brownsburg

M1: Avon vs. Brownsburg

M2: Terre Haute South vs. Mooresville

M3: Terre Haute North vs. Winner of M1

M4: Plainfield vs. Winner of M2

Sectional 13 at Greenwood

M1: Franklin vs. Franklin Central

M2: Whiteland vs. Martinsville

M3: Greenwood vs. Winner of M1

M4: Center Grove vs. Winner of M2

Sectional 14 at Bloomington South

M1: East Central vs. Columbus East

M2: Bloomington North vs. Shelbyville

M3: Columbus North vs. Winner of M1

M4: Bloomington South vs. Winner of M2

Class 3A

Sectional 24 at Wapahani

M1: Hamilton Heights vs. Delta

M2: New Castle vs. Blackford

M3: Jay County vs. Muncie Burris

M4: Wapahani vs. Winner of M1

Sectional 25 at Southmont

M1: Lebanon vs. Greencastle

M2: North Montgomery vs. Southmont

M3: Benton Central vs. Winner of M1

M4: Crawfordsville vs. Winner of M2

Sectional 27 at Crispus Attucks

M1: Guerin Catholic vs. Cardinal Ritter

M2: Brebeuf Jesuit vs. Bishop Chatard

M3: Crispus Attucks vs. Winner of M1

Sectional 28 at Tri-West

M1: Manual vs. Herron

M2: Beech Grove vs. Tri-West

M3: Indian Creek vs. Winner of M1

M4: Danville vs. Winner of M2

Class 2A

Sectional 40 at Lapel

M1: Lapel vs. Monroe Central

M2: Frankton vs. Elwood

M3: Alexandria Monroe vs. Winner of M1

M4: Sheridan vs. Winner of M2

Sectional 42 at Knightstown

M1: Knightstown vs. Howe

M2: Shenandoah vs. Triton Central

M3: Irvington Prep vs. Winner of M1

M4: Eastern Hancock vs. Winner of M2

Sectional 43 at Scecina

M1: Washington vs. Shortridge

M2: Park Tudor vs. Heritage Christian

M3: Scecina vs. Winner of M1

M4: Speedway vs. Winner of M2

Sectional 44 at Monrovia

M1: Cloverdale vs. North Putnam

M2: Covenant Christian vs. Western Boone

M3: Monrovia vs. Cascade

M4: South Putnam vs. Winner of M1

Class A

Sectional 58 at University

M1: Math and Science vs. International

M2: Indiana Deaf vs. Indianapolis Metro

M3: University vs. Traders Point

M4: Bethesda Christian vs. Tindley

Sectional 59 at Morristown

M1: Providence Cristo Rey vs. Christel House

M2: Greenwood Christian vs. Central Christian

M3: Morristown vs. Lighthouse South

M4: Lutheran vs. Winner of M1

Sectional 60 at Hauser

M1: South Decatur vs. Waldron

M2: Oldenburg Academy vs. Southwestern

M3: Hauser vs. Jac-Cen-Del

M4: Rising Sun vs. Winner of M1