The volleyball season is off and running already, with last week's elementary tournament, and this week's early bird event for Grades 9 through 12.

The action will be taking place at F.H. Collins Secondary School starting at 4 p.m. today and going till 9 p.m. for the Grade 11 and 12 players and at Vanier Catholic Secondary for the Grade 9 and 10 students at the same time. Both boys and girls teams will be competing.

Saturday the tournament continues, starting at 9 a.m. and going till 5 p.m. at Vanier and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at F.H. Collins.

The tournament is the beginning of the season, and is aimed at getting students out.

"The idea is just to get the kids playing a bit,” said Jeff Cressnan, vice principal of F.H. Collins.

All of Whitehorse's high schools are participating in the tournament, with the exception of Ecole Emilie Tremblay who did not have enough students to enter.

Students from Haines Junction and Dawson will also be making the trip down to compete.

"We were expecting teams from Watson Lake but they couldn't make it,” said Cressnan. He isn't sure how many people to expect to watch the games, but says in previous years the final games have been packed.

"You never know. I would think there would be some big crowds for (the four o'clock game),” said Cressnan.

Whoever does show up will get to see teams that are raring to go.

"They're pumped,” said Cressnan. "It's their first chance to play.”

The tournament will be important practice for the F.H. Collins and Porter Creek Secondary School teams that head off to Vancouver next week for a tournament at the University of British Columbia.

"I don't think they go there with the expectation of winning but their competitive anyways,” said Cressnan.

Last year the teams managed to pull off wins in two of their games, which Cressnan says is an achievement.

"That's pretty good for being against the big city boys,” he said. "(It's) a chance for them to show that they can play volleyball in the north too.”

While the boys are heading out on the road right away, the girls teams will have to wait until October, when they will head to dawson for a Halloween tournament, and then tackle the Yukon Championships.