This year’s state volleyball tournament participants include many that have been to the tournament in the past and a few first-timers.

Conference 5A, featuring two relative veterans and a first-timer, is no different.

Cy-Fair (37-2) plays defending champion Amarillo (44-1) in the second of two 5A semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday.

Amarillo is making its second consecutive state appearance and 12th overall. Cy-Fair is making its fist appearance in 17 years and seventh overall. These two teams faced each other at the Pearland Tournament earlier in the season, where Cy-Fair lost to Amarillo.

“We’re going to have to keep our focus. We can’t get too ahead of ourselves,” Cy-Fair middle blocker Nneka Ogwumike said. “Right now our focus is Amarillo. We’re going to try to practice as much as we can so we can match up against their defense and offence. We just have to work on little details and fundamentals. It’s those things that will help us to be successful and move forward.”

Austin Westlake (41-1) plays Plano West (34-8) in Friday's first semifinal at 5 p.m. Westlake is making its seventh state tournament appearance, Plano West its first.

Plano West came close to qualifying last year, but lost to Allen in the regional final.

"We had an amazing team last year," senior Shannon Hawari told the Dallas Morning News. "I just can't believe that we got farther than that team did."

Southeast Texas has two other teams in the finals: Friendswood in 4A and Columbus in 3A.

Friendswood (37-6) plays New Braunfels Canyon (36-7) in the semifinals Thursday. The Mustangs, at state for the second straight year, lost in the semifinals last year to Cedar Park Vista Ridge.

Canyon is at state for the 10th time.

"It seems like we've always waited for this," Canyon outside hitter Brandie DeBacker told the San Antonio Express-News. "We always thought of going to state, and it's so exciting."

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