Video: Xcellent 25 Girls Volleyball Rankings Presented by The Army National Guard
MaxPreps host Myckena Gurerro breaks down a wild week in the national rankings.
The on-court battle for MaxPreps national volleyball title is nearing a peak and the chants for who should be No. 1 get louder with each passing poll.
Not only is there a new No. 1, but there also are seven new teams in the MaxPreps Xcellent Top 25 National High School Volleyball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.
Number one for the last five weeks, Reagan (San Antonio) was swept, 3-0 by 44-4 O'Connor (Helotes, Tex.), 25-16, 25-22 and 25-22. As a result, Reagan drops from the Top 25 and finishes 44-2.
The argument for No. 1 is louder than ever this week and the loudest noise-makers come from Marist (Chicago), Walton (Marietta, Ga.) and Assumption (Louisville, Ken.). Each has won 40 or more matches and won a trio of tournament titles during the regular season. And they've taken their game on the road with impressive results.
Walton (Marietta, Ga.) beat 42-3 Assumption (Louisville, Ken.) and lost just four times in 101 sets. The lone loss for the Raiders was 2-1 to highly ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), a team that has played 10 teams ranked in the Top 25 at one time or another this season and is still in the hunt for California's large school championship.
The Raiders defeated teams from 10 different states, including three state champions and three teams that are still seeking state title titles — Lake Highland (Orlando, Fla.), Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) and Mater Dei.
Marist, which won 82 of 95 sets, closed out its season over the weekend with its 32nd-straight victory and an Illinois large school title. It also owns victories over teams from four states and three state champions, including Assumption.
Marist's only 2017 loss was more than two months ago to reigning national title holder Mother McAuley (Chicago), but the Red Hawks got revenge in the second round of the state tournament.
Assumption is ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Computer Rankings, has wins over three state champions and five teams still vying for state titles. The Rockets also have played 11 teams ranked at some point during the season in the Top 25.
Unbeatens Lewis-Palmer (Monument, Colo.) and West Orange (Winter Garden. Fla.) aren't out of the title search. Lewis-Palmer captured its second-straight state 4A title and has won 58 games in a row and West Orange has yet to lose in 28 matches and has a Saturday night date with 26-1 West Palm Beach Gardens in Florida's 9A title game.
Lewis-Palmer and West Orange, however, have not played out-of-state opponents.
Stay tuned.
Unbeaten Barnstable (Hyannis, Mass.) stretched its win streak to 44 in a row and cracked the Top 25. Barnstable, led by junior
Riley James, plays Tuesday in the state large school state semifinals. A win will put the Raiders into the state finals, potentially against North Newton — the only team to beat Barnstable in the past two seasons.
New to the Top 25 are Immaculate Heart (Washington Township, N.J.), Lakeville North (North, Minn.) and O'Connor.
Returning to the Top 25 are West Orange (Winter Garden, Fla.), Novi (Mich.) and Oregon large school champion Southridge (Beaverton, Ore.).
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Volleyball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard
Gianna Bartalo, Lewis-Palmer
Photo by Matt Daniels
Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.), Corona Del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.), George Washington (Charleston, W. Va.), Billings Senior (Mont.), Reagan (San Antonio), Eagan (Minn.), and Minooka (Ill.).
