Before last year, only four teams from Oakland County ever advanced to a state championship game in volleyball. Last season, three did on the same day (Birmingham Roeper, Birmingham Marian, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep), with Notre Dame Prep becoming the first area team to ever win a state volleyball title.
Of course, most around the state probably thought it was a fluke that Oakland County was flexing its muscle in volleyball, but given the amount of teams left after last week's district round of this year's state tournament, maybe it wasn't an aberration.
Entering the start of regional play on Tuesday, there are 14 area teams left, a healthy number.
Given that, maybe Battle Creek, the sight of the state semifinals and finals, will be littered with area teams again in a couple of weeks. If that's the case, than Oakland County might truly be on the map as far as an area of power on the high school volleyball scene.