The teams, however, appear to remain the same. Kamehameha Schools Maui and Seabury Hall both won Maui Interscholastic League girls volleyball crowns last year — in Divisions I and II, respectively — after finishing the regular season with 9-1 records, the same as Maui High.

The only two first-team MIL All-Stars to return are 2006 MIL Player of the Year Dreanne Shaw of Kamehameha and Alex Bolduc of Seabury Hall.

Seabury Hall lost only one senior from its fifth-place team in the D-II state tournament, but it was an important one in second-team MIL All-Star Bailey Roberts.

Baldwin, Lana'i and Moloka'i all finished with .500 or better regular-season records last year. The season begins tonight when Maui High plays Seabury Hall at the Spartans' Erdman Athletic Center.

"It seems like there is always a lot of parity in the MIL,'' Seabury Hall coach Scottie Zucco said to The Maui News. "Kamehameha is always a strong team and Maui High is too. In high school sports, if you take care of your side of the net, you will be OK and I feel like we can take care of our side of the net. I am really hoping that the girls have their focus and ball control the whole season — if they can do that, they can fare as well as they hope they can.''

As well as they hope they can do must include a possible run at a D-II state title. Last year, the Spartans lost their state tournament opener, then won their next two matches to finish fifth.

"We like to keep the girls focused on playing each game, but last year they took fifth at state and I think they all know there is a little bit more in them,'' Zucco said.

Kaimi Rocha will move outside from the middle, while Yacine Meyer will be on the other side hitting for the Spartans. They have plenty of experience in returning setter Anuhea Rilveria, who will run the 6-2 offense with sophomore Keana Cramer on the other side.

"Oh man, I think four of our six starters have been playing varsity volleyball since they were freshmen,'' Zucco said. "Bailey is a huge loss, but so far Yacine Meyer has been playing huge. I am really hoping Kaimi and Yacine both can take a load for us. There are so many girls who could be starting on this team — 80 percent of them played on club teams over the summer.''

New coaches in the league include Rachael Blair at Maui High and Charles Spencer at Kamehameha Maui.

At Maui High, Mandy Madrid and Kristy Inamasu return as seniors to lead the way. First-team All-Star Janet Ugaitafa and her younger sister, Tanya, moved to California, while setter Deithrea Kaiue, a second-team All-Star, graduated.

Madrid has moved from middle blocker to outside hitter, while Inamasu is the team's best defender and may see time at libero as well.

"Right now, I am really impressed with their defensive skills,'' Blair said. "I wouldn't say we are in a rebuilding year, but we did lose two players who were key players last year and were starters. And anytime you lose your setter, that is the quarterback of the team, the leader of the team, it is tough. So right now we are working with a young setter in (sophomore) Sala Kapisi. She is a phenomenal athlete and I think she will fill the setter role very well.''

The Sabers will also count on senior Joelle Walsh as a setter and the Schutte sisters – Amanda and Charis. Walsh missed last season with a knee injury.

Blair moved to the island from Las Vegas over the summer after coaching her Silverado High School team to the state AAAA championship match, where they lost in the fifth game by two points.

That is a change that will take effect this season in the MIL — best-of-five matches to 25 points on the rally scoring system with the fifth game to 15.

Moloka'i, which lost to Seabury Hall in the fifth-place match of the D-II state tournament, also returns some significant experience in seniors Hilary Chow and Kelsey Takashima, both middle blockers; outside hitters Vaoia Seumalo and Ku'ulei Keli'ikuli-Peters; and sophomore setter Danna-Lynn Hooper-Juario.

"We haven't seen anybody in the MIL, but I'm pretty sure Seabury Hall is going to be tough, Kamehameha will be tough because they are always good,'' Moloka'i coach Matt Helm said. "Maui High lost some people, but they still have plenty of talent. I know Hana is going to be tough as well. All the teams you never know and now with this new format, best of five, anything can happen.''

The Farmers have traveled to a pair of preseason tournaments — going 5-9 in sets at Iolani's preseason tournament and taking fifth in their 12-team pool on Kaua'i and beating every Hawai'i team they played there.

They start with a match Friday at Maui High.

"The state tournament is always a goal for us,'' Helm said. "We are hoping we are going to be there, but we will take one game at a time. In the MIL in both D-I and D-II you have pretty good teams everywhere. It is going to be very highly competitive. I think D-II is going to be just as competitive as D-I.''

Baldwin should also be in the mix with a high level of experience as well.

"We just lost a couple girls,'' Bears coach Kauila Houpo said. "But we have at least seven or eight who have been playing for a long time. Setter Jean Laskovics, the Satele sisters — Kathy and Tupusa — Liana Aki and Iesha Leota all have been around the program, so we have some experience. That is the basic core right there.''

Houpo says defending champion Kamehameha is the team to beat.

"It seems like it is always Kamehameha, you have got to go through them,'' Houpo said. "I think we can be in the mix, but we have got to play tough.''