The district’s annual Volleypalooza tournament kicks off Thursday on Leander ISD campuses. The Raiders’ first game against Hutto is at 12 p.m. Thursday.

The tournament will have 48 teams total from Central Texas schools, with games being played at all LISD high schools. Games on campus will run throughout the day Thursday through Saturday.

With a home court advantage, the volleyball team is hoping for an outpouring of support from the school community.

“I’m very excited to be kicking off the games at home, the crowd is going to be great,” senior Averi Foster said.

This year’s varsity team includes 15 players, three of which are seniors. They are currently 14-8 in pre-season matches and hope to improve that record with the tournament.

“Playing in Volleypalooza is amazing,” senior Sydney Harter said. “There’s never a dull moment and our goal is to be better each time we step out on the court. Playing at home is probably the best part though because we have our locker room and we don’t have to take a bus anywhere. Plus, Rouse students can drop in whenever and it’s so great when they stay and watch and cheer for us.”

Fans can stay updated on the match schedules and scores by accessing the Volleypalooza website . The tournament continues through Saturday.

The Lady Raiders play Hutto at 12 p.m., Texas City at 2 p.m. and Aledo at 4 p.m. Thursday on campus.

UPDATE: Varsity went 2-1 in pool play the first day, winning their first two matches in straight sets against Hutto and Texas City and losing in three sets to Aledo in the final match of the day.

Friday they also went 2-1, dropping the first match to Reagan 2-0, but bouncing back with three set wins over St. Agnes Academy and Lake Dallas.

The team plays Cedar Park at 9 a.m. and Tomball Memorial at 10 a.m. Saturday in the silver division.