Last weekend's high school volleyball action saw champions crowned and what might be the opening salvo in a Southern California battle that could determine the MaxPreps National Champion.
Topping the list of champions is No. 3
Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.), which capped an unbeaten season with a second Class 4A crown by beating
Castle (Newburgh, Ind.) 3-1. The Royals have won 67 straight dating back to last season.
Setters
Macy Hinshaw (38) and
Ava Hunter (20) combined for 58 assists while libero
Sophie Ledbetter had 17 digs, taking her over 1,000 for her career.
Lindsey Mangelson led the Royals with 17 kills, Memphis commit
Tiffany Snook added 14 and
Lauren Harden contributed 13.
In Kentucky, Ron Kordes and
Assumption (Louisville) captured their 23rd state crown with a 3-1 win over
Notre Dame Academy (Park Hills). The Rockets, who played one of the most aggressive national schedules, fell to the Pandas earlier this season but got it done when it mattered most.
In Wisconsin,
Divine Savior Holy Angels (Milwaukee) beat
Oconomowoc for the fourth time this season to grab the Division I title in a five-set thriller, winning 15-8 in the deciding set. It was the second straight title for the Dashers, whose previous three wins over the Racoons were three-set matches..
The Georgia AAAAAA final featured a battle of two MaxPreps Top 25 teams. No. 14
Alpharetta came away with a straight-set win over No. 24
Pope (Marietta). It was the third match between the two squads and the Raiders came away with two victories.
Dike-New Hartford (Dike) made a jump in the rankings after capping a 50-0 season with the Iowa Class 2A crown. The Wolverines, who lost one set all season, got 20 kills from
Payton Petersen and
Maryn Bixby added 13 in the sweep of Hinton in the finals. Junior
Lucy Varney had 20 assists.
Finally, No. 1
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) swept
Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) in Saturday's Southern Section Division 1 final, earning the No. 1 seed in the CIF Southern California Open Division bracket. The Monarchs draw Los Alamitos and face a potential semifinal meeting with the winner of
Huntington Beach and
Torrey Pines (San Diego).
Meanwhile, Mira Costa landed the No. 2 seed and battle
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth), the seven seed and No. 18 nationally. That winner battles either
Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), the reigning MaxPreps National Champion, or
Marymount (Los Angeles).
Some Pace Academy players pose with the Georgia AAAA trophy after the Knights beat Lovett for the title. It was the seventh straight championship for Pace. (Photo: Cecil Copeland)
Record: 39-2 |
Last week: 1
Isabel Clark had 18 kills and 12 digs while
Layli Ostovar chipped in 11 digs and seven kills as
Julia Kakkis posted 26 assists as the Monarchs grabbed the Southern Section Division 1 title.
2. Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Record: 38-3 |
Last week: 2
Sophomore
Audrey Flanagan led the way for the Mustangs with nine kills in the loss to Mater Dei. Two of Mira Costa's three losses are to the Monarchs.
3. Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.)
Record: 33-0 |
Last week: 3
The Royals' last loss came in the first match of the 2022 season.
4. Grand Oaks (Spring, Texas)
Record: 45-1 |
Last week: 4
Samara Coleman and
Halle Thompson combined for 29 kills in a sweep of Langham Creek (Houston) in the area round of the 6A tournament. Bridgeland is up next on Tuesday.
5. Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas)
Record: 34-4 |
Last week: 5
Swept Incarnate Word Academy (San Antonio) to reach the TAPPS 6A semifinals on Friday against Concordia Lutheran (Tomball). A win gets them back to the title game against either Ursuline Academy (Dallas) or Antonian College Prep (San Antonio) on Saturday.
6. Cathedral Catholic (San Diego
Record: 32-4 |
Last week: 6
Handled Torrey Pines (San Diego) in four sets Saturday to win their third San Diego Section Open Division title.
7. Pace Academy (Atlanta)
Record: 37-3 |
Last week: 8
Won their seventh straight state title with a five-set thriller over Lovett (Atlanta). It was the second straight AAAA crown for Pace, having also won three titles in AAA and two in AA/A.
Record: 47-1 |
Last week: 9
Junior
Madison Quest led the way with 24 kills, five aces and 15 digs as senior
Sophia Wendlick added 22 kills and 13 digs in the victory. Junior setter
Jordan Czajkowski tossed up 43 assists in the title match.
9. Assumption (Louisville, Ky.)
Record: 36-5 |
Last week: 11
Charlotte Moriarty had game-high 18 kills and 15 digs in the state title match.
10. Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.)
Record: 31-0 |
Last week: 13
Grabbed the No. 1 seed in the AAAA bracket and draw Edina in the opening round on the march to the Saturday final.
11. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
Record: 30-4 |
Last week: 14
After dropping the first set of the Central Coast Section finals against Saint Francis, Mitty rallied for a 3-1 win and title. The season series between the two programs is now 3-2 in favor of the Monarchs, who grabbed the No. 1 seed in the CIF Northern California Open Division bracket. They will likely meet the Lancers, the two seed, for a sixth time for the right to play in the Open final.
12. Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.)
Record: 38-2 |
Last week: 16
On a collision course with No. 13 Mother McAuley in the Class 4A bracket. Up first is Willowbrook on Friday.
13. Mother McAuley (Chicago.)
Record: 35-5 |
Last week: 17
Ellie White had 11 kills in the Mighty Macs' sweep of Normal West (Normal) in the super-sectionals as freshman
Peyton Heatherly had 21 assists.
14. Alpharetta (Alpharetta, Ga.)
Record: 38-3 |
Last week: 21
Grabbed their second state title with the other coming in 2020 in AAAAAAA.
15. Dike-New Hartford (Dike, Iowa)
Record: 50-0 |
Last week: 25
The Wolverines lost one set in 110 all season and grabbed the Class 2A state title over the weekend.
16. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)
Record: 43-5 |
Last week: NR
Senior hitters
Avery Hamlin and
Camden Besecker have powered the Cavaliers into the 6A Region 4 quarterfinals with a date against 33-12 Reagan on Tuesday.
17. Lafayette (Wildwood, Mo.)
Record: 36-2 |
Last week: NR
Junior
Maya Witherspoon pounded 21 kills as the Lancers grabbed the Class 6 title with a sweep of Howell (St. Charles). Senior setter
Alyssa Nelson had 34 assists. The two losses were back-to-back in September to Saint Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.) and Lee's Summit West (Lee's Summit).
18. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Record: 34-8 |
Last week: 18
The Trailblazers get No. 2 Mira Costa in the opening round of the Southern California Open Division bracket.
19. Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.)
Record: 33-5 |
Last week: 15
Hitters
Erin Curtis and
Taylor Williams hope to power the Lancers back to the CIF Open Division for the second year in a row.
20. Lake Catholic (Mentor, Ohio)
Record: 27-0 |
Last week: 24
Katie Sowko had 18 kills,
Natalya Bergant added 13 and
Claire Duricky chipped in 13 in a four-set win over Crestview (Columbiana) in the Division III playoffs.
Julia Oster had 22 digs and
Hannah Pattie posted 56 assists as the Cougars draw 24-3 St. Henry in Thursday's semifinals.
21. Carrollwood Day (Tampa, Fla.)
Record: 29-2 |
Last week: NR
Freshman
Lydia Chinchar bombed 31 kills, adding 23 digs in a five-set 3A quarterfinal win over Berkeley Prep (Tampa).
Elena Dibbs-Frantz added 13 and
Naomi Chinchar posted 43 assists as the Patriots play Lake Highland Prep (Orlando) on Tuesday in the semis.
22. Kamehameha Kapalama (Honolulu)
Record: 27-3 |
Last week: NR
Led by senior hitter
Adrianna Arquette (326 kills), the top-seeded Warriors get Moanalua (Honolulu) on Wednesday in the Division I postseason. Their lone in-state loss was to Punahou (Honolulu) in early September
23. Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio)
Record: 34-5 |
Last week: 23
Season complete.
24. Pope (Marietta, Ga.)
Record: 39-4 |
Last week: 20
Season ended with a loss in the AAAAAA final to Alpharetta.
25. Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.)
Record: 25-2 |
Last week: 10
The Titans fell for the second time in a week to rival Papillion-LaVista in the Class A quarterfinals.
On the bubble: Hudsonville (Mich.), 45-2;
Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas), 32-4;
St. Mary's Dominican (New Orleans), 41-2;
Flint Hill (Oakton, Va.), 30-3;
Northville (Mich.), 44-2;
Dripping Springs (Texas), 46-6;
Viera (Fla.), 26-4;
O'Connor (Phoenix), 31-1;
Skutt Catholic (Omaha, Neb.), 29-13;
Colleyville Heritage (Colleyville, Texas), 37-10;
Notre Dame Academy (Park Hills, Ky.), 33-6
