Boys and girls golf started last week with Xavier Prep highlighting the week by setting a school record for a nine-hole score in a match. Badminton did the same with last year's champ Xavier winning its opening match, last year's runner-up Perry winning two matches along with Mesquite and Horizon. The lone invitational title went to Skyline, which outdistanced seven other schools at the Highland High Flying Feathers Invite.

This week its girls volleyball, cross country, swimming and fall soccer that get their seasons underway. Volleyball starts it and swimming, cross country and fall soccer joining soon after meaning there won't be a dull moment in gyms, pools, fields or parks through mid-November.

Volleyball opens Aug. 31 nine matches scattered throughout the five divisions. Most everyone else kicks in the next day or two leading to the first week of invitationals. Those invites are: Chandler High (House Of Payne) Friday Sept. 4 and Saturday Sept. 5; the Payson Invitational at Payson HS; On the Edge Invite at Desert Edge HS; Tucson Unified School Distric Invite at Pueblo HS and Lady Rider Southwest Challenge at Youngker HS. Defending girls volleyball state champs are Desert Vista (Division I), Sunnyslope (D-II last year now competing in D-I); Monument Valley (D-III), Thatcher (D-IV) and Arizona Lutheran (D-V last year now competing in D-IV).

Cross country features a quartet of boys and girls invitationals on Saturday Sept. 5 -- the Chandler Invite at Tumbleweek Park; Peaks Invitational at Flagstaff's Buffalo Park;  Sue Fletcher Invite hosted by Buena HS and the Canyon del Chelly Invite hosted by Chinle HS. Swimming features some dual meets for most schools to open the year with invitationals to follow beginning the weekend of Sept. 12. Defending boys champs are Desert Vista (D-I), Gila Ridge (D-II), Page (D-III) and Hopi (D-IV. Defending girls champs are Desert Vista (D-I), Catalina Foothills (D-II), Page (D-III) and Northland Prep (D-IV).

Fall soccer for boys and girls opens with regular-season matches this week and a couple small invites on Sept 4-5 -- Chino Cup (boys) Sept. 4-5 at Chino Valley HS and Show Low Invitational (girls) at Show Low HS on Sept. 4-5. Two-time defending boys champ is Chino Valley and three-time defending girls champ is Blue Ridge.

Swimming features some dual meets for most schools to open the year with invitationals to follow beginning the weekend of Sept. 12. Last year's champs were Brophy (D-I) and Catalina Foothills (D-II). Last year's girls champs were Chaparral (D-I) and Campo Verde (D-II). Catalina Foothills, Chaparral and Campo Verde have moved up tp D-I this year.