AHSAA Super Regional volleyball tournaments begin on Wednesday at two sites with 208 teams, 104 at each site, playing for 56 spots in next week’s Elite Eight state championship tournament.

The South Super Regional is at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl Multiplex while the North Super Regional is at Huntsville’s Von Braun Center.

Teams in Class 7A, eight in each regional, need only win first round matches in the best-of-five format to earn a place in the championship tournament while Class 6A-1A teams with 16 in each regional, have to win first and second round matches to continue playing next week.

Below are some of the top storylines from this week’s super regional action.

The road for defending champs

Six defending champions are in the field with only Class 5A Westminster Christian failing to advance out of area action.

Class 7A third-ranked McGill-Toolen should win its first two South Regional matches before facing either seventh-ranked St. Paul’s or the second-ranked Enterprise-Fairhope winner for the regional crown.

Class 6A third-ranked Bayside Academy should play either fourth-ranked Northside or Briarwood in South Regional second round play. Second-ranked Spanish Fort – Bayside lost to the Toros twice before winning the area tournament match – will probably await on the other side of the bracket.

Class 4A top-ranked Montgomery Catholic also has a tough South Regional second round match against ninth-ranked Orange Beach with second-ranked Trinity the probable title match contender.

It’s a daunting road for Class 3A sixth-ranked Prattville Christian with ninth-ranked Houston Academy waiting in the second round and fifth-ranked St. Luke’s or eighth-ranked Straughn to follow. Second-ranked Mobile Christian should earn the opposing spot in the title match.

Class 2A is the toughest bracket in the tournament. Defending champion and third-ranked Donoho has seventh-ranked Holly Pond in its opening match along with sixth-ranked Sand Rock, eighth-ranked Cornerstone Schools and ninth-ranked Lindsay Lane on its side of the North Regional bracket. The other side features top-ranked Pleasant Valley, second-ranked Lexington and fifth-ranked Lamar County.

The must-see match in Class 1A features defending champion and top-ranked Addison against second-ranked Spring Garden in a potential North Regional semifinal. The Bulldogs wiil have to get by No. 10 South Lamar to face the Panthers.

Best first round matchups

Class 7A fifth-ranked Huntsville takes on eighth-ranked Hoover in North first round play with the loser going home.

Class 6A second-ranked Spanish Fort plays eighth-ranked Pike Road and fourth-ranked Northridge takes on unranked, but scrappy Briarwood in South Regional first round matches.

Another interesting first round South match includes Class 3A eighth-ranked Straughn vs. fifth-ranked St. Luke’s.

Other North Regional first round matches include Class 5A eighth-ranked Madison Academy vs. sixth-ranked Guntersville, Class 4A fourth-ranked DAR vs. eighth-ranked Deshler and sixth-ranked Central-Florence vs. fifth-ranked Madison County.

Class 3A Lauderdale County plays Geraldine, Class 2A eighth-ranked Cornerstone Schools plays No. 10 Winston County along with the aforementioned Holly Pond vs. Donoho match.

Absolute lock to advance

Class 5A top-ranked Montgomery Academy is the class standard for the South Regional with fourth-ranked Gulf Shores and ninth-ranked Sylacauga probably providing the title match opposition.

AHSAA SUPER REGIONAL SCHEDULE

NORTH SUPER REGIONAL

Von Braun Center, Huntsville

(area winners listed first)

CLASS 7A (Thursday)

Spain Park vs. James Clemens, 11:30 a.m.

Huntsville vs. Hoover, 11:30 a.m.

Thompson vs. Albertville, 12:45 p.m.

Bob Jones vs. Oak Mountain, 12:45 p.m.

CLASS 6A (Wednesday)

Fort Payne vs. Athens, 2 p.m.

Homewood vs. Huffman, 2 p.m.

Hazel Green vs. Cullman, 2 p.m.

Mortimer Jordan vs. Shades Valley, 2 p.m.

Mountain Brook vs. Pinson Valley, 2 p.m.

Hartselle vs. Buckhorn, 2 p.m.

Gardendale vs. Parker, 3:30 p.m.

Muscle Shoals vs. Oxford, 3:30 p.m.

CLASS 5A (Wednesday)

Boaz vs. Brewer, 10:15 a.m.

Ramsay vs. Moody, 10:15 a.m.

Madison Academy vs. Guntersville, 10:15 a.m.

Alexandria vs. Hayden, 10:15 a.m.

Jasper vs. Southside-Gadsden, 11:30 a.m.

Arab vs. East Limestone, 11:30 a.m.

Springville vs. Pleasant Grove, 11:30 a.m.

Lawrence County vs. Douglas, 11:30 a.m.

CLASS 4A (Thursday)

Curry vs. West Morgan, 9 a.m.

Corner vs. Ashville, 9 a.m.

DAR vs. Deshler, 9 a.m.

Good Hope vs. White Plains, 9 a.m.

Jacksonville vs. Oneonta, 9 a.m.

Central-Florence vs. Madison County, 9 a.m.

Cherokee County vs. Cordova, 10:15 a.m.

Priceville vs. Hamilton, 10:15 a.m.

CLASS 3A (Wednesday)

Susan Moore vs. Colbert Heights, 9 a.m.

Fayette County vs. Glencoe, 9 a.m.

Lauderdale County vs. Geraldine, 9 a.m.

Danville vs. Piedmont, 9 a.m.

Ohatchee vs. Vinemont, 9 a.m.

Plainview vs. Clements, 9 a.m.

Westbrook Christian vs. Carbon Hill, 10:15 a.m.

Phil Campbell vs. Brindlee Mountain, 10:15 a.m.

CLASS 2A (Wednesday)

Sand Rock vs. Mars Hill Bible, 11:30 a.m.

Cornerstone Schools vs. Winston County, 11:30 a.m.

Ider vs. Lindsay Lane, 12:45 p.m.

Holly Pond vs. Donoho, 12:45 p.m.

Pleasant Valley vs. Southeastern, 12:45 p.m.

Falkville vs. Fyffe, 12:45 p.m.

Lamar County vs. Altamont, 12:45 p.m.

Lexington vs. West End, 12:45 p.m.

CLASS 1A (Thursday)

Addison vs. Woodville, 10:15 a.m.

South Lamar vs. Brilliant, 10:15 a.m.

Shoals Christian vs. Hackleburg, 10:15 a.m.

Spring Garden vs. Jefferson Christian, 10:15 a.m.

Sumiton Christian vs. Cedar Bluff, 11:30 a.m.

Belgreen vs. Covenant Christian, 11:30 a.m.

Marion County vs. Holy Spirit, 11:30 a.m.

Athens Bible vs. Meek, 11:30 a.m.

SOUTH SUPER REGIONAL

Multiplex at Cramton Bowl, Montgomery)

(area winners listed first)

CLASS 7A (Thursday)

McGill-Toolen vs. Dothan, 11:30 a.m.

Auburn vs. Baker, 11:30 a.m.

St. Paul’s vs. Central-Phenix City, 12:45 p.m.

Enterprise vs. Fairhope, 12:45 p.m.

CLASS 6A (Wednesday)

Calera vs. Brookwood, 2 p.m.

Saraland vs. Stanhope Elmore, 2 p.m.

Pelham vs. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, 2 p.m.

Pike Road vs. Spanish Fort, 2 p.m.

Bayside Academy vs. Saint James, 2 p.m.

Northridge vs. Briarwood, 2 p.m.

Wetumpka vs. Murphy, 3:30 p.m.

McAdory vs. Chilton County, 3:30 p.m.

CLASS 5A (Wednesday)

Beauregard vs. Marbury, 10:15 a.m.

Gulf Shores vs. Providence Christian, 10:15 a.m.

Sylacauga vs. Demopolis, 10:15 a.m.

Brewbaker Tech vs. Citronelle, 10:15 a.m.

Faith Academy vs. Greenville, 11:30 a.m.

Montgomery Academy vs. Jemison, 11:30 a.m.

Rehobeth vs. Elberta, 11:30 a.m.

Elmore County vs. Eufaula, 11:30 a.m.

CLASS 4A (Thursday)

Montgomery Catholic vs. Hale County, 9 a.m.

Orange Beach vs. Andalusia, 9 a.m.

Munford vs. Bibb County, 9 a.m.

LAMP vs. Jackson, 9 a.m.

T.R. Miller vs. Dallas County, 9 a.m.

Montevallo vs. Talladega, 9 a.m.

Geneva vs. UMS-Wright, 10:15 a.m.

Sipsey Valley vs. Trinity, 10:15 a.m.

CLASS 3A (Wednesday)

Greensboro vs. Tarrant, 9 a.m.

Mobile Christian vs. Opp, 9 a.m.

Walter Wellborn vs. Alabama Christian, 9 a.m.

Thomasville vs. Ashford, 9 a.m.

Houston Academy vs. Excel, 9 a.m.

Prattville Christian vs. Randolph County, 9 a.m.

Straughn vs. St. Luke’s, 10:15 a.m.

Indian Springs vs. Sumter Central, 10:15 a.m.

CLASS 2A (Wednesday)

Pike Liberal Arts vs. Francis Marion, 11:30 a.m.

Bayshore Christian vs. J.U. Blacksher, 11:30 a.m.

Isabella vs. Lanett, 12:45 p.m.

G.W. Long vs. Geneva County, 12:45 p.m.

Wicksburg vs. Ariton, 12:45 p.m.

Horseshoe Bend vs. Fayetteville, 12:45 p.m.

Washington County vs. Chickasaw, 12:45 p.m.

Tuscaloosa Academy vs. Luverne, 12:45 p.m.

CLASS 1A (Thursday)

Sweet Water vs. Notasulga, 10:15 a.m.

Kinston vs. Fruitdale, 10:15 a.m.

Faith Christian vs. R.C. Hatch, 10:15 a.m.

Calhoun vs. Brantley, 10:15 a.m.

Pleasant Home vs. Central-Hayneville, 11:30 a.m.

University Charter vs. Wadley, 11:30 a.m.

Milley vs. Elba, 11:30 a.m.

Billingsley vs. Southern Choctaw, 11:30 a.m.