Grand Island is known as the “Third City” to the general public. In volleyball circles, it’s simply referred to as No. 1.

Championship Saturday last November in Lincoln turned into Grand Island Day at Pershing Center. Grand Island Central Catholic was dominant in winning the Class C-2 state title. Grand Island had match points in the fifth set against Papillion-La Vista before the Monarchs outlasted the Islanders 19-17 in the Class A championship match.

Northwest was 2-1 against Lincoln Pius X during the regular season, but the Thunderbolts proved why they were the best team in the state last year regardless of class in the Class B finals. They swept a younger Northwest team in three sets to win their second straight title.

Three teams in the state finals ranks as a high-water mark for Grand Island volleyball. While there are no guarantees, a repeat performance certainly seems possible in 2008, looking at the teams on paper.

All three were young a year ago, which is why Grand Island is the preseason No. 2 pick in Class A and Northwest and GICC are No. 1 in Class B and C-1, respectively.

“Northwest and (Grand Island) Central Catholic are really loaded,’’ said Grand Island coach Bill Root, whose team has been in the state finals the past two seasons. “They’ll hold up their end of the deal. I think they both have great shots to win state. We’ll have our work cut out for us in Class A. Hopefully we’ll come around by the end of the season.’’

One thing all three programs share is high-quality coaching. All three — Root at Grand Island, Diane Rouzee at Northwest and Sharon Zavala at GICC — are Nebraska High School Hall of Fame-caliber coaches. Each of them combines a tireless commitment to kids, a competitive spirit to win and a thorough knowledge of the game.

Zavala has led the Crusaders to eight state championships and 719 victories during her 32 seasons at GICC. Northwest has won two state titles under Rouzee, who has a 435-119 record in 21 years as head coach. Root guided Giltner to four state championships in 1980s and ’90s before coming to Grand Island and gradually transforming the Islanders into a Class A power.

Combine that coaching expertise with talented girls who are willing to work and sacrifice, and results like we saw last year follow.

“We laugh about how long the three of us have been coaching,’’ Rouzee said. “You have to start wondering, ‘When are we too old for this?’’’

In recent years, volleyball-only facilities have popped up in several places around Omaha and Lincoln. That means more practice time and more opportunities to compete for the volleyball athletes around here during the offseason.

They’re still doing it the old-fashioned way in Grand Island, and it works. Most of the high school volleyball players are also multi-sport athletes, and they fit in club ball on Sundays around their winter and spring high school sports. Mid-week practices like they do in Lincoln and Omaha are rare.

Grand Island Senior High’s Ariel Krolikowski and Alex Armes played club ball with the Nebraska Volleyball Academy in Lincoln, but the rest of the returning players at GI, Central Catholic and Northwest were on local teams. All three high school coaches direct club programs.

“We tried having one elite club a few years ago, but it didn’t work,” Zavala said. “All three of us having separate club programs gives kids more opportunities to play.”

Some have suggested the three schools should play a regular-season triangular. It would attract a huge crowd and create great competition, but the coaches aren’t sure they want to head down that road.

They play each other in the Islander summer league, which also draws some of the top schools from the area, such as St. Paul, Aurora, Wood River and Hastings St. Cecilia. The intensity level and fan furor just from that is enough.

“That (a triangular) would build it up more than it should be,’’ Rouzee said. “There’s enough underlying tension when we play each other in the summer. We want to keep that under control.’’

Northwest could play GICC in the Crusaders’ tournament Sept. 13, the first matchup between the schools during high school season in several years. Since the first regular-season ratings won’t run until Sept. 16, it’s guaranteed to be a showdown of No. 1 teams.

Just what you’d expect in Grand Island.

Reach Ron Powell at 473-7437 or rpowell@journalstar.com.