The first regular season MaxPreps Top 25 high school volleyball rankings are out with five newcomers joining the fray. Tournament season and early matches have shown the dominance of
Marymount (Los Angeles) a year ago en route to the national title might not be replicated this season.
There are only seven unbeatens among MaxPreps Top 25 teams with No. 1
Marian (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) among them along with No. 2
Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.). Time will tell if they will continue their perfection, but we've already seen a handful of teams drop a match or two, especially in hotbeds of Southern California, Texas, Georgia and Indiana.
The key moving forward will be isolating those losses and earning bounce-back wins.
Recap: The Mustangs start the year where they ended last season … rolling.
Ava Sarafa notched career assist 4,000 in a a win against Divine Child
Up next: Sept. 7 at Notre Dame Prep
2. (7) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), 11-0
Recap: The Dons said aloha to competition and grabbed the title at the Kamehameha Volleyball Tournament over the weekend on the Big Island. One of the wins was over No. 22 Kamehameha Kapalama.
Up next: Sept. 20 at La Jolla
3. (3) McCutcheon (Lafayette, Ind.), 10-1
Recap: The Mavericks fell to MaxPreps Top 25 newcomer Yorktown but bounced back with four straight victories.
Allie Shondell leads the team with 253 assists (10.5 per set) while
Chloe Chicoine is pounding 6.2 kills per set.
Up next: Sept. 6 vs. Noblesville
4. (4) Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.), 3-0
Recap: The Trojans bumped their win streak to 57 with victories over Minnetonka, Rogers and Maple Grove.
Up next: Sept. 6 at Chaska
5. (5) Fayetteville (Ark.), 4-0
Recap: Seniors
Brooke Rockwell and
Kennedy Phelan have the Bulldogs off to a fast start but will be tested this weekend in Oklahoma.
Up next: Sept. 8 vs. Bentonville West, Sept. 9-10 Bishop Kelley tournament
6. (9) Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), 9-0
Recap: The Rockets might have lost All-American Sydney Helmers but others have stepped up with six hitters in double-digit kills including sophomore
Bailey Blair and junior
Chloe Smith. Senior
Whitney Woodrow has found those hitters tossing up 12.4 assists per set. The LIVT is up next with a strong field including Knoxville Catholic, Male, Mercy, No. 14 Mother McAuley, Sacred Heart and St. Henry.
Up next: Sept. 9-10 LIVT play
7. (NR) Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), 10-2
Recap: The Mustangs are the first of five newcomers to the MaxPreps Top 25, jumping all the way inside the top 10 after heavyweight wins over Marymount, Harvard-Westlake, Sierra Canyon, ‘Iolani and Punahou as
Charlie Fuerbringer and hitter
Drew Wright have aced chemistry early in the season. The losses are to Sierra Canyon and Mater Dei.
Up next: Sept. 8 vs. Torrey Pines
8. (NR) Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio), 34-2
Recap: The Warriors captured the Volleypalooza title and nearly grabbed the Nike TOC Southeast crown in successive weekends. The 2-1 loss to Westminster Christian in the TOC finals were the lone sets lost as Cornerstone only lost one set at Volleypalooza. Senior
Nayeli Gonzalez (307) and sophomore
Megan Fitch (288) are leading the team in hitting, while setters
Taylor Anderson (463) and
Kaia Thiele (299) are finding hitters in stride.
Up next: Sept. 6 vs. Canyon
9. (24) Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 9-4
Recap: Mele Corral-Blagojevich overpowered former No. 2 Mater Dei, hammering 19 kills in the four-set win over the Monarchs. A showdown with Marymount awaits next week.
Up next: Sept. 8 vs. Torrance, Sept. 12 at Marymount
10. (2) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 3-2
Recap: You have to come to play every night in SoCal and in addition to the loss to Redondo the Monarchs dropped a straight-setter to Lakewood before sweeping Huntington Beach. If the Southern California gauntlet wasn't enough, Mater Dei has No. 6 Assumption at home on Sept. 14.
Up next: Sept. 6 vs. Foothill, Sept. 8 at Vista Murrieta
11. (8) Dike-New Hartford (Dike, Iowa), 14-1
Recap: The lone loss was to Dowling Catholic on Aug. 27 but the Wolverines bounced back with 12 straight wins including a Shirley Ryan tournament title.
Payton Petersen leads the team with 128 kills and sister
Jadyn Petersen has 99 while
Madelyn Norton has 288 assists
Up next: Sept. 6 vs. Osage, Wapsie Valley
12. (10) Marymount (Los Angeles), 4-1
Recap: The Sailors' loss snapped a 37-match win streak as everyone is going to give them their best shot. It won't get easier for
Torrey Stafford,
Alexa Trapani and teammates as Sierra Canyon, Harvard-Westlake and Redondo Union all are in the next week.
Up next: Sept. 6 at Sierra Canyon, Sept. 8 vs. Harvard-Westlake, Sept. 12 vs. Redondo Union
13. (12) North Allegheny (Wexford, Pa.), 2-0
Recap: The Tigers made quick work of their first two matches, winning each in straight sets.
Ella Deeter had 14 kills against Norwin and 12 in the win over Freeport.
Up next: Sept. 6 at Shaler, Sept. 10 at Upper St. Clair Invitational
14. (13) Mother McAuley (Chicago), 8-0
Recap: Ellie White is pacing the Mighty Macs with 71 kills (4.4 per set) in the young season. Libero
Gigi Navarrete has been solid on defense with a team-high 60 digs in 16 sets.
Up next: Sept. 8 at Sacred Heart.
15. (16) Cleveland (Tenn.), 23-1
Recap: Lauren Hurst (288 kills) and
Addison Hurst (241 kills) and
Kinslee McGowan (507 assists) have fueled a Blue Raiders offense that owns wins over Mercy, Brentwood, Sacred Heart, Dorman and Hoover. The lone blemish is a second-match slip to Knoxville Catholic.
Up next: Sept. 8 vs. Hardin Valley Academy
16. (NR) Yorktown (Ind.), 12-1
Recap: Charlotte Vinson is showing no signs of a sophomore slump as she's leading the Tigers with 11 kills with senior
Emilee Hill is right behind with 110. The win that vaulted them into the MaxPreps Top 25 was a two-set victory over No. 3 McCutcheon but Yorktown has some heavyweights on the horizon.
Up next: Sept. 6 vs. Hamilton Southeastern. Sept. 8 at Mt. Vernon
17. (21) Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas), 26-1
Recap: The Bobcats have been almost flawless against some of the Lone Star State’s best competition led by freshman hitter
Kylie Kleckner (263 kills), senior
Samantha Hoppes (250 kills) and sophomore
Sydnee Peterson (246 kills). They get a chance to even the score for their only loss with Southlake Carroll this week.
Outlook: Sept. 9 vs. Southlake Carroll
18. (17) Tompkins (Katy, Texas), 22-3
Recap: Cindy Tchouangwa with 288 kills leads a trio of hitters for the Falcons. There have been three missteps, but as we’ve seen this year that’s going to happen.
Outlook: Sept. 6 at Katy Taylor
19. (18) Skutt Catholic (Omaha, Neb.), 9-3
Recap: The Skyhawks dropped a pool play match and their first bracket match before regrouping to down Buford and Bishop Gorman to grab fifth in the Nike TOC Southeast National Gold bracket.
Outlook: Sept. 9 at Aquinas, Sept. 10 vs. Lafayette, St. Teresa’s Academy
20. (19) Oconomowoc (Wis.), 12-1
Recap: Junior setter
Lilly Wagner (10.1 assists per set) has the Raccoons rolling despite a tournament loss to Divine Savior Holy Angels.
Outlook: Sept. 6 at Catholic Memorial
21. (15) Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.), 9-2
Recap: The Titans dropped a match to St. James Academy and Millard West but
Stella Adeyemi (4.1 kills per set) and
Lauren Medeck (3.9) are providing firepower for the reigning Nebraska champions.
Outlook: Sept. 7 at Pius X, Sept. 8 at Elkhorn South
22. (20) Kamehameha Kapalama (Honolulu), 9-1
Recap: The lone blemish on the record is to No. 2 Cathedral Catholic. The Warriors have a tough stretch with 'Iolani and Punahou this week.
Outlook: Sept. 6 at Mid-Pacific Institute, Sept. 8 at Punahou
23. (23) Buford (Ga.), 18-4
Recap: The Wolves took seventh in the Nike TOC Southeast Gold Bracket with a bounce-back win over St. Thomas Aquinas after falling to Skutt Catholic. Cummings has the Buford offense humming with 363 assists, nearly 10 per set.
Outlook: Sept. 8 at Central Gwinnett
24. (NR) Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.), 8-1
Recap: The lone loss is to McCutcheon but the Royals also own a win over Brebeuf Jesuit Prep as junior setter
Macy Hinshaw has 174 assists and senior hitter
Avery Hobson is dropping 4.7 kills per set.
Outlook: Sept. 6 at Yorktown, Sept. 8 at Fishers
25. (NR) Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas), 22-1
Recap: Sophomore hitter
Macaria Spears (177 kills) and juniors
Jadyn Livings (125 kills) and
Mikala Young (94 kills) along with junior setter
Camille Edwards (240 assists) have the Lions rolling with some nice wins. The lone loss is to Cornerstone Christian.
Outlook: Sept. 6 at Gunter, Sept. 9 vs. Decatur
On the bubble: Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), 13-2;
Cypress Ranch (Houston, Texas), 26-2;
Alpharetta (Ga.), 20-3;
Westminster Christian (Miami), 8-0;
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 5-2;
Sequoyah (Canton, Ga.), 13-2;
Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.), 6-0;
Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory (Indianapolis), 10-2;
Highland Park (Dallas), 24-2;
Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), 9-1.
