High school volleyball rankings: Marymount strengthens grip on No. 1 spot of MaxPreps Top 25 after breezing through Nike TOC event

For the second time in three weeks, Marymount captured a national tournament title to further cement its hold on the No. 1 spot in the MaxPreps Top 25 high school volleyball rankings. The Sailors sliced through the competition at the Nike TOC Southwest over the weekend, going 7-0 without dropping a set.

Marymount won the Durango Fall Classic in the middle of September, also without dropping a set. The Sailors are led by Stanford commits Elia Rubin and Kelly Belardi and Duke commit Kerry Keefe.

Next up for Marymount is this weekend's ESPN-televised round robin event with No. 7 Assumption, No. 23 Hamilton and previously-ranked Mount Notre Dame. Then the Sailors will gear up for the gauntlet of the Southern California CIF postseason.

Hamilton is one of four teams to enter the MaxPreps Top 25 along with Har-Ber, Bishop Dwenger and Victor. Har-Ber and Victor are among seven unbeatens in the rankings.
Highlights: The Sailors won their second national tournament in as many weeks, slicing through the Nike TOC Southwest field. They beat once-ranked Vista Murrieta and on-the-bubble Horizon in the title match without losing a set all weekend.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. Marlborough, Oct. 8 vs. Mount Notre Dame

2. (2) Flower Mound (Texas), 29-3
Highlights: The Jaguars bumped their win streak to 13 and remained perfect in District play with a 3-2 win over Plano West and a sweep of Hebron.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. Coppell, Oct. 8 vs. Lewisville

3. (4) St. Pius X Catholic (Atlanta), 41-1
Highlights: The Golden Lions won four matches last week. Kate Larocco, Annemarie Rakoski and Nina Shaw are the team's leading hitters, while Avery Brown has more than 600 assists. The loss is to once-ranked Ponte Vedra in the Nike TOC Southeast finals.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. Northview, Oct. 5 M.L. King

4. (5) Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.), 24-0
Highlights: Ava Legrand, Stella Adeyemi and Lauren Medeck continue to lead the unbeaten Titans.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. Millard South

5. (6) Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.), 23-2
Highlights: Since dropping their first two matches of the year, the Royals have been flush, winning 23 straight.
Next: Oct. 7 vs. Franklin Central, 4A Sectionals

6. (8) Notre Dame Prep (Pontiac, Mich.), 43-0
Highlights: The Fighting Irish won nine matches over the week to remain perfect on the year. They have three players (Alyssa Borellis, Margo Sudzina and Leah Greif) with more than 100 assists and five players (Borellis, Bianca Giglio, Sophia Sudzina, Abby Nellis and Grace Wenaas) with more than 125 kills.
Next: Oct. 9 vs. Utica Eisenhower

7. (9) Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), 24-4
Highlights: The Rockets rebounded from a disappointing showing at Durango with a title at the Asics Challenge that included wins over Marist and Notre Dame Academy.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. Holy Cross, Oct. 8 vs. Hamilton

8. (11) Marian (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), 25-1
Highlights: The Mustangs added a pair of wins last week as Ava Brizard and Ava Sarafa continue to shine. The lone loss is to No. 6 Notre Dame Prep.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. Mercy

9. (12) Brandeis (San Antonio), 33-2
Highlights: Jalyn Gibson pounded 13 kills with 15 digs while Carlee Pharris added 21 assists in a sweep over Clark.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. Johnson, Oct. 8 vs. Churchill

10. (16) Yorktown (Ind.), 23-3
Highlights: The Tigers took their eighth straight county title. Freshman Charlotte Vinson has 279 kills on the season.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. Fishers, 4A Sectionals

11. (13) Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas), 27-6
Highlights: Averi Carlson tossed up 28 assists as the Leopards won a pair of District matches last week.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. The Colony, Oct. 8 vs. Wylie East

12. (3) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 33-6
Highlights: The Monarchs lost four times at the Nike TOC Southwest — twice to Horizon and twice to Archbishop Mitty.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. Orange Lutheran, Oct. 7 vs. Santa Margarita

13. (21) Penn (Mishawaka, Ind.), 30-0
Highlights: Emma Hickey pounded 15 kills and Macy Hatkevich added 28 assists against Jimtown as the Kingsmen remained perfect.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. New Prairie, Oct. 8 vs. Munster, 4A Sectionals

14. (14) North Raleigh Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.), 20-2
Highlights: Led by all-around threat Riley Buckley, the Knights have won 13 straight matches. The two losses are to No. 3 St. Pius X Catholic and Florida's St. Thomas Aquinas.
Next: Oct. 7 vs. Wake Forest Christian

15. (10) Sequoyah (Canton, Ga.), 39-2
Highlights: The Chiefs dropped their second match of the season — both to Pope — in the finals of the St. Pius tournament.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. Buford, Oct. 5 vs. Blessed Trinity

16. (17) Marin Catholic (Kentfield, Calif.), 17-2
Highlights: Grace Oliva helped the Wildcats down Branson in four sets, pounding 21 kills while adding 18 digs.
Next: Oct. 6 vs. Terra Linda

17. (18) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), 17-4
Highlights: The Dons rolled to a pair of sweeps over La Jolla and Academy of Our Lady of Peace.
Next: Oct. 6 vs. Scripps Ranch, Oct. 7 vs. Point Loma

18. (19) V.R. Eaton (Fort Worth, Texas), 27-2
Highlights: The Eagles swept Southlake Carroll and Byron Nelson last week.
Next: Oct. 8 vs. Keller

19. (23) Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.), 18-0
Highlights: Sierra Moore (156 kills) and Katy Riviere (136 kills) continue to pace the Trojans with Stella Swenson's 484 assists setting the standard.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. Hopkins, Oct. 7 vs. Eden Prairie

20. (7) Hudsonville (Mich.), 30-2-1
Highlights: The Eagles dropped their second match of the year, falling 2-1 to Forest Hills North in the finals of their own tournament.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. East Kentwood, Oct. 7 vs. Grandview

21. (NR) Har-Ber (Springdale, Ark.), 22-0
Highlights: The Wildcats followed up their win over previously-ranked Fayetteville with sweeps of Bentonville and Rogers Heritage to remain perfect. Four seniors (Kat Cooper, Kyla Clubb, Kinleigh Hall and Jordan Benford) all have more than 140 kills while Caylan Koons has dished out 626 assists.
Next: Oct. 5 vs. Springdale, Oct. 7 vs. Bentonville West

22. (NR) Victor (N.Y.), 29-0
Highlights: Senior Emma Werkmeister has 321 kills as the Blue Devils have rolled through all-comers this season.
Next: Oct. 6 vs. Fairport

23. (NR) Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), 22-3
Highlights: The Huskies return to the MaxPreps Top 25 riding a 20-match win streak following three losses in their first five matches. Jordan Middleton (196 kills) and Micah Gryniewicz (174 kills) power the offense, while junior Melia Barlow is averaging 11.2 assists per set.
Next: Oct. 8 vs. Assumption

24. (NR) Bishop Dwenger (Fort Wayne, Ind.), 27-1
Highlights: Senior Eva Hudson has pounded 447kills (5.8 per set) as the Saints opened the season with a loss to Penn before reeling off 26 heading into Sectional play.
Next: 3A Sectionals

25. (15) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 18-4
Highlights: The Gaels dropped three matches at the Nike TOC, including a 2-1 loss to Mater Dei.
Next: Oct. 11 vs. Silverado

On the bubble: Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.), 23-2; Ponte Vedra (Ponte Vedra, Fla.), 17-1; Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.), 16-7; Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 19-5; Martin (Arlington, Texas), 27-2; Fayetteville (Ark.), 25-3; Pope (Marietta, Ga.), 28-5; Leon (Tallahassee, Fla.), 19-4; Horizon (Scottsdale, Ariz.), 20-4, Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.), 36-2-1.