Girls 5A State Volleyball Tournament Tips Off Thursday
Verrado, Notre Dame, Chaparral and Horizon headline the field as the bracket runs through Saturday, Nov. 14.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Volleyball
The 5A girls state volleyball tournament begins Thursday and runs through Saturday, Nov. 14, with the championship game set for 4:45 p.m. at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Verrado is seeded No. 2 after a 16-0 regular season, while Notre Dame is the top seed at 24-7.
Why it matters
The tournament determines the 5A girls state champion and brings together the top programs of the season in a single bracket. Chaparral, the defending champion, returns as the No. 3 seed, setting up a test of whether last year's title holds.
Verrado enters as the No. 2 seed with a 24-10 overall record after a 16-0 regular season, while Notre Dame sits at No. 1 with a 24-7 mark. Chaparral (24-10) and Horizon (18-11) round out the seeds three and four, with Ironwood (13-4) seeded fifth.
The players
Verrado High School
Verrado is a Buckeye, Arizona high school whose girls volleyball team enters the state tournament as the No. 2 seed after a perfect 16-0 regular season.
Notre Dame Preparatory
Notre Dame is a Scottsdale, Arizona Catholic high school whose girls volleyball program is the top seed in the 5A tournament at 24-7 overall.
Chaparral High School
Chaparral is a Scottsdale, Arizona high school and the defending 5A girls state champion, seeded No. 3 this year after beating Sunrise Mountain in five sets in 2025.
The details
The tournament bracket features 16 teams seeded one through eight in each half, with Verrado and Notre Dame placed on opposite sides. Chaparral won the 2025 title as the top seed by beating Sunrise Mountain in five sets, ending Horizon's four-year championship run.
Timeline
Thursday: Girls 5A state volleyball tournament begins (week of Nov. 9-14, 2026)
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, 4:45 p.m.: 5A state championship game at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Season Trajectory
Chaparral's 2025 title ended Horizon's four-year championship run, and the defending champion returns this year as the No. 3 seed. The bracket now tests whether the title holds against top seeds Notre Dame and Verrado.
Fans planning to attend the championship on Saturday, Nov. 14, will need to plan around the 4:45 p.m. start time at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Watch the seeding as it sets up the path for Verrado, Notre Dame, and Chaparral through the bracket.
The takeaway
The tournament opens Thursday, and the championship game follows on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 4:45 p.m. The bracket's seeding makes the path to the final clear for the top four teams.
What happens next
The 5A girls state championship game is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, at 4:45 p.m. at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Further reading
For more on the teams and rankings, see Volleyball coverage in the Phoenix area.
