With the regular-season formalities out of the way, the top area volleyball teams begin their quests for state championships. Odds are there will be more than one local team capture a state title over the next few weeks.

The SCHSL state playoffs for Class AAA, AA and A begin Wednesday, while the AAAA and AAAAA playoffs begin Thursday. State championships will be decided Nov. 4 at Chapin High School.

The SCISA state tournament begins on Friday and Saturday in Myrtle Beach. The state championships will be held Oct. 24.

Bishop England and Porter-Gaud look to continue long streaks as state champions. Bishop England, coached by Cindy Baggott, is seeking its 18th consecutive state title. The Bishops won 16 straight titles in Class AA before moving up to win the AAA crown last season.

As is the case each year, a new crop of seniors step forward to lead the charge. Seniors Gwen Conway, Anna Warren and Emma Meredith have been key performers this season. Warren leads the team in kills with 245 while Conway has recorded 238 kills. Meredith is a key leader defensively with 298 digs.

Junior setter Kelsey Stieby has 853 assists and junior middle blocker Madeline White has 44 blocks.

Porter-Gaud is the top program in SCISA and has won seven straight titles in Class AAA. The Cyclones have yet to lose to a SCISA team this season and have 34 wins overall.

Seniors Sammy Roskill (295 kills) and Priyanka Fernandes (285 kills, 53 blocks) are the play-makers along the net for coach Megan Crouch. Senior Lauren Tapp is a key defender with 588 digs and senior Anna Rhett Allen sets the table with 1,008 assists.

Ashley Hall is the other top SCISA program in Class AAA. The Panthers are led by junior outside hitter Mattison Matthews (348 kills, 65 blocks) and senior setter Emily Rapach (747 assists).

Cathedral Academy completed its region with a perfect 13-0 record and will be a top contender in the SCISA Class A ranks. Coach Madison LaPorte is a first-year head coach at the school and was an all-state player on Cathedral’s last state championship team in 2012.

Junior middle Katie Kerce has 152 kills and 61 service aces while sophomore setter Anna Grace Crosby has 113 aces and 537 assists. Sophomore Jacquelyn Adams leads the team in kills with 185 with 106 aces,

Wando appears to be headed for a fifth straight appearance in the championship game. Wando was state runner-up in Class AAAA in 2013 before winning back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015. Wando lost to Dorman in the Class AAAAA finals a year ago.

A rematch in the AAAAA finals is likely as Dorman is the clear front-runner in the upper state.

Wando has been on a roll down the stretch and enters the playoffs with a 44-3 record. The veteran team has several contributors, led by senior Keeghan Andrews, who has 368 kills. Senior Lexi Hellberg has 238 kills and 335 digs while sophomore Grae Gosnell is a force up front with 231 kills and 75 blocks.

Senior Brooke Medders has 505 defensive digs and setters Karen Majewski and Maddie Boylston have combined for more than 1,100 assists.

James Island (34-12) has been the area’s second-best Class AAAAA team, finishing as the Region 7-AAAAA runner-up to Wando. The Trojans could potentially make a deep run in the postseason, led by senior outside hitter Hailey Ryan (388 kills).