While the focus at many local communities goes toward football on Friday evenings as fall sports get started, that isn't the case at every high school, especially for ones that don't have a football program.

Volleyball is also on the agenda for many schools this time of year. This Friday, Sept. 6, the winner of the annual Woodland Invitational Tournament will be decided in the championship match.

Woodland High School has hosted its annual Woodland Invitational Tourney since 1943.

Quarterfinal matches in the eight-team tournament began Tuesday, Sept. 3, and included No. 1 Leopold vs. Zalma, No. 4 Meadow Heights and No. 5 Woodland, No. 2 Bell City vs. No. 7 Greenville and No. 3 Perryville vs. No. 6 Oak Ridge.

Semifinal matches take place Wednesday, Sept. 4, at both 5 and 6:30 p.m., while consolation bracket semifinal matches occur Thursday, Sept. 5, at 5 and 6:30 p.m.

The championship match will take place Friday, Sept. 6, at 7:30 p.m. This will be preceded by a consolation game at 4:30 p.m. and the third place match at 6 p.m.

"The tournament is a great way to kick off the season," Woodland coach Emily Johnson said earlier this week. "Teams get to play two to three games of competitive volleyball during the first week of the season. Teams also get to see the performance of seven other teams from the area."

In 2023, Perryville won the event, while Leopold took second, and the host Cardinals placed third.

Historically, the event has consistently been an eight-team tournament. In addition to Woodland, the other schools that have been a part of it for many years include Zalma, Meadow Heights, Leopold, Greenville, Oak Ridge and Bell City.

Perryville joined last year, replacing Saxony Lutheran, which had been a regular participant for several years.