MaxPreps Top 25 girls high school volleyball rankings

By tom mauldin Nov 16, 2016, 12:01pm

Oak Ridge is two wins from 50, unbeaten season and mythical national championship.

Video: Xcellent 25 girls volleyball rankings presented by the Army National Guard
See which teams rise to the top in girls volleyball.

Texas is in the spotlight this week as Oak Ridge is two wins away from 50 wins and an unbeaten season. As a result, the War Eagles remain atop MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Volleyball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.

Due to No. 2 Mother McAuley's arguably tougher schedule, Oak Ridge most likely needs a perfect season to be proclaimed MaxPreps mythical national champion.

Mother McAuley, 40-1, wrapped up its season last week with the Illinois State 4A title and 31 straight victories.

Oak Ridge opens Texas 6A (the state's largest division) state semifinal play on Friday against defending 6A champion Hebron (44-6). On Saturday, the winner will face Friday's Clear Creek-Reagan winner for the state title. Hebron and Reagan have not played Oak Ridge this season.



If Oak Ridge falls, No. 3 Novi, which has won 39 in a row, certainly is in the discussion. Novi goes for its second-straight A Division title this weekend and could end with a 52-1 record. A Tuesday win over Marian would put the Wildcats in the state semifinals on Friday night. The state title game is Saturday.

New to the Top 25 this week are Reagan, Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Ankeny Centennial and previously ranked Corona del Sol and Pope John Paul. Brecksview, Ankeny, Corona del Sol and Pope John Paul all ended seasons with state titles.

Three California teams are ranked in the Top 25 and a half-dozen others are making noise and on the verge of being ranked. California begins state tournament action in all divisions this week with the finals slated for Dec. 3.

MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Volleyball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard

1. (1 last week) Oak Ridge (Conroe, Texas), 48-0
The War Eagles, who have lost 17 sets in 48 matches, eliminated Round Rock and The Woodlands last weekend from postseason action and will open state 6A Final Four play against Hebron (Lewisville).

2. (2) Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.), 40-1
McAuley won the State 4A title with a 2-1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-19) win over Minooka. It was the Macs' 15th State title. Junior Charley Niego led the win with a team-high 14 kills and 15 digs.

3. (3) Novi (Mich.), 49-1
Defending large school champion Novi has won 39 straight as it enters State A Division quarterfinal play n Wednesday versus 24-9 Marian (Bloomfield Hills).



4. (4) Lewis-Palmer (Monument, Colo.), 29-0 * season over
The Rangers defeated Holy Family (Bloomfield) to win the State 4A title and go unbeaten for the second time in three seasons.

5. (5) Yorktown (Ind.), 37-1 * season over
The Tigers to won the State 3A title.

6. (6) Bishop Moore (Orlando, Fla.), 32-1
Led by Morgan Davis (Texas A&M recruit), the Hornets ran their win streak to 14 and beat 21-10 Ponte Vedra, 3-0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-23) to win the State 6A title. Davis was a perfect 12 for 12 in kills. Moore, which hasn't lost a set since losing to 35-6 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) on Oct. 1, has state titles in four of the last five seasons.

7. (7) Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.), 34-0 * season over
The Chargers won the State 3A title.

8. (8) Skutt Catholic (Omaha, Neb.), 44-0 * season over
The Skyhawks won the State B title with a 3-0 win over Northwest as Brooke Heyne hammered 15 kills and Allison Schomers dished out 34 assists. The Skyhawks won 104 sets out of 110 in 2016.

9. (10) Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), 31-4
Winners of 22 straight, Santa Margarita defeated 35-5 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) for the fourth time this season, but this time the CIF Southern Section title was a stake. Next up: 25-7 Liberty (Bakersfield) in round one of the State Open Division Championships on Thursday.

10. (11) Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.), 40-4 * season over
The Valkyries won the Kentucky State championship.



11. (12) Penfield (N.Y.), 46-0
The Patriots defeated Clarence and move into Saturday's NYSPHSAA State Semifinal Pool Play versus 34-2-1 Shenendehowa (Clifton Park).

12. (14) Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.), 46-2 * season over
The Cavaliers blanked Wando to win the State 5A title and end the season on a 17-match winning streak.

13. (15) Ventura (Calif.), 34-2
The Cougars defeated Marlborough and Beckman to capture the CIF-SS D2 title. Next up: State D1 tournament play on Wednesday versus 33-11 Central (Fresno).

14. (16) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 34-4
The Monarchs won the CIF-Central Coast Section Division 1 title with a 3-0 win over St. Ignatius (San Francisco). Up next: 27-5 Christian Brothers (Sacramento) in the First Round of the State Open Division tournament.

15. (19) Eagan (Minn.), 28-1 * season over
The Wildcats won their second straight State 3A title and third in four years with a 3-1 win over Champlin Park. Senior Brie Orr (Iowa commit) had a team-high 18 kills, junior McKenna Melville (Central Florida commit) recorded 11 kills with 23 digs, and senior Taylor Olstad (St. Cloud State commit), registered a match-high 36 digs as the Wildcats avenged their lone loss of the season.

16. (NR) Brecksville-Broadview Heights (Broadview Heights, Ohio), 28-1 * season over
Lead by junior setters Shannon Williams' 50 assists and 20 digs, the Bees captured the State 3A title with a 3-1 win over Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati). In the first round of the State tournament, the Bees avenged their only loss of the season in the Region 1 semis over Jesuit Walsh. The Bees lost just six sets in 2016.



(17) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 30-2 * season over
The Raiders won their third-straight State 8A title with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-21) win over Tampa (Plant). The Raiders haven't lost a set since Sept. 17.
St. Thomas Aquinas won its third straight Florida 8A volleyball title.
St. Thomas Aquinas won its third straight Florida 8A volleyball title.
Photo by Jann Hendry
18. (NR) Reagan (San Antonio, Texas), 42-4
Led by juniors Lydia Niebla and Elissa Barbosa, the Rattlers will carry a 21-match winning streak into Thursday's State 6A Tournament Final Four League City (Clear Creek), winners of 20 straight.

19. (NR) Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.), 39-5 * season over
The Aztecs ended the season with 13 straight wins and a State 6A title (3-0 over Mountain Pointe of Phoenix).

20. (20) Cathedral (Indianapolis), 31-4 * season over
The Fighting Irish repeated as State D4 champions.

21. (NR) Ankeny Centennial (Ankeny, Iowa), 35-3 * season over
Led by tournament MVP Kenna Sauer, the Jaguars captured the State 5A title for the third-straight season.

22. (NR) Pope John Paul II (Slidell, La.), 45-2-1 * season over
Led by freshman MVP Ansley Tullis, the Jaguars captured their third consecutive LHSAA Division IV state championship, defeating district rival Archbishop Hannan, 3-1 (28-26, 20-25, 25-18, 25-21).

23. (23) Northwest (Olathe, Kan.), 36-4 *season over
The Ravens won their final 16 matches and the State Large School title.



24. (24) Edmond Memorial (Edmond, Okla.), 33-2 * season over
Memorial captured the State 6A title.

25. (25) Brentwood (Tenn.), 50-4 * season over
Brentwood won its fourth-straight 3A State title.

Dropped Out This Week: Lake Catholic (Ohio), West Valley (Wash.), DeWitt (Mich.), Logan Elm (Ohio), Marian Central ( Ill.).