Walton skipped the county tournament last season, opting instead for a change of scenery.

The Lady Raiders changed their plans this year.

A part one of the most dominant areas of Class AAAAA, Walton wants all the competition it can get against its rivals, not to mention other high-caliber Cobb programs.

A year ago, Pope won the county and Area 1AAAAA titles before advancing to the state finals. Lassiter and Kell, also area powers, both made the semifinals.

Not only are the Lady Raiders playing in the county tournament, but stand a good chance of winning it. They're the only team to have beaten Pope this season.

Pool play begins today at various east Cobb sites before bracket play will get under way Saturday at Kell. The tournament also includes a gold and silver bracket.

Seven of Class AAAAA's top 10 teams are from Cobb, with Pope heading the list at No. 1 and Walton at No. 2. Lassiter and Kell are fifth and sixth, respectively, followed by No. 7 North Cobb and No. 10 Kennesaw Mountain.

Walton has shown few weaknesses this season with Kelly Murphy and Katherine Plessy both tenacious on the outside and Leah Best anchoring the middle. But they're well aware of the competition they're up against.

"We didn't partake (in the county tournament) last season, and it was a detriment to us," Walton coach Suzanne Fitzgerald said. "For us, it's an opportunity to learn more about our opponents going into area. We have so much respect for teams in our area and we understand that people will have their best matches against us. We won't underestimate anybody."

Kell's certainly not underestimating the Lady Raiders. The teams are in the same pool and will play today. The Lady Longhorns are on a momentum swing after beating Blessed Trinity, Class AA/A's top team, to win the Collins Hill Classic last Saturday. Outside hitter Emily Barnhill was named the tournament's most valuable player.

"(Walton is) the main one we've been preparing for," Kell coach Tracy Steinlight said. "(The wins at the Collins Hill Classic gave) us strong intensity (for county) and that's going to help us out."

Lassiter hosting North Cobb at Lassiter should be another key match. The Lady Trojans are 23-6 on the year with outside hitter Katy McCollister and libero Melissa Woodall leading the way. The Lady Warriors (26-5) are an Area 5AAAAA favorite behind veterans Kristin Miller and Ashley Neff and newcomer Tori Forrest.

Pope, however, is still the team to beat. The Lady Greyhounds (31-1) returned five starters from last year's team, including 2008 Marietta Daily Journal/Cobb County Player of the Year Mary Hoey, and most of their wins have been routine.

"We'll have a bunch of solid teams in the tournament this year, and a bunch of these teams that been on solid runs," Pope coach Bryan Jones said. "For us, it will be more experience playing together."