Playoffs are underway in portions of the country and one of the toughest brackets features six teams in this week's MaxPreps Top 25 high school volleyball rankings.
The winner of the Southern Section likely earns the top spot in the Southern California Open Division bracket, which is almost guaranteed to include all six ranked teams as well as No. 15
Cathedral Catholic (San Diego). The Dons are the odds-on favorite to win the San Diego Section Open Division title.
While Texas is a week or so from its postseason gauntlet, the brackets will look a little different this season as the University Interscholastic League (UIL) changed the format to mirror the football postseason with two champions in each classification.
There will be Division I and Division II brackets in classes 2A through 6A based on enrollment. The change cuts the number of games needed to win a state title from seven to six.
Lynney Tarnow and Keira O'Donnell go for a block in a recent match for No. 3 Benet Academy. The Redwings are 33-0 and have dropped one set all season as Benet closes the regular season this week. (Photo: Norman Cohen)
MaxPreps Top 25 volleyball rankings
Record: 31-1 |
Last week: 1
The Bobcats haven't lost since Aug. 16. Junior
Kylie Kleckner is closing in on 500 kills, needing 53 to hit that threshold.
2. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Record: 32-4 |
Last week: 2
Sophomore middle
Emma Kingston has 80 blocks on the season and is one of four Monarchs with more than 40 blocks.
3. Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.)
Record: 33-0 |
Last week: 3
Senior libero and Indiana commit
Aniya Warren was the MVP at the Glenbard East Autumnfest as the Redwings beat No. 25 Mother McAuley in the finals.
4. Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas)
Record: 30-2 |
Last week: 4
Macaria Spears topped 500 kills for the season with a 30-kill night in a 3-1 win over John Paul II (Plano) on Thursday.
5. Roncalli (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Record: 31-0 |
Last week: 5
Grabbed the Section 28 title, beating Beech Grove, Shelbyville and New Palestine in sweeps. Next up is take 30-1 Northview (Brazil) on Saturday in Class 3A regional play.
6. Dripping Springs (Texas)
Record: 41-2 |
Last week: 6
Henley Anderson had 23 kills in a four-set win over Westlake (Austin) and backed that up with 15 kills in a sweep of Lake Travis (Austin) last week.
7. Divine Savior Holy Angels (Milwaukee, Wis.)
Record: 41-1 |
Last week: 7
Senior
Madison Quest leads the Dashers into Section 8 bracket play with 415 kills on the season.
8. Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.)
Record: 30-2 |
Last week: 8
Dispatched Zionsville and Westfield to win the Section 8 title. The two-time defending Class 4A champions take on Harrison (West Lafayette) on Saturday in regional play.
9. Alpharetta (Ga.)
Record: 33-0 |
Last week: 9
Brooke Boyles had 28 kills in the first two rounds of the AAAAAA playoffs. The Raiders draw East Coweta (Sharpsburg) on Tuesday in the quarterfinals.
10. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Record: 30-3 |
Last week: 10
Sophomores
Olive Shum (534) and
Lucky Fasavalu (305) and senior libero
Lauren Lynch (109) have combined for nearly 1,000 assists for the Trailblazers.
11. Marymount (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Record: 31-6 |
Last week: 11
Olivia Penske had 27 assists and
Samantha Destler pounded 12 kills as the Sailors ended the regular season with a sweep of Chaminade (West Hills).
12. Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio, Texas)
Record: 32-4 |
Last week: 12
Season complete.
13. Plant (Tampa, Fla.)
Record: 18-1 |
Last week: 13
The Panthers open 7A postseason play Wednesday against 15-3 Strawberry Crest (Dover).
14. Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Record: 25-6 | Last week: 14
Junior
Audrey Flanagan leads the Mustangs into Southern Section bracket play with 408 kills.
15. Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.)
Record: 37-3 |
Last week: 15
The Dons wrap up regular-season play with matches against Point Loma (San Diego) and Christian (El Cajon) and likely will be the top seed in the San Diego Section Open Division playoffs.
16. Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas)
Record: 30-7 |
Last week: 16
Gentry Barker hammered 19 kills,
Bella Lopez added 13 and
Anna Barr chipped in 11 in a 3-1 win over McKinney North (McKinney) on Friday.
17. Mount St. Mary (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Record: 36-1 |
Last week: 17
The Rockets begin the quest for the Class 5A title Thursday with an opening-round match against Shawnee.
18. Yorktown (Ind.)
Record: 30-2 |
Last week: 18
Section 9 champions draw Lawrence North (Indianapolis) in the opening round of the Class 4A bracket. A potential showdown with No. 8 Hamilton Southeastern is a possibility in the final.
19. Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Record: 24-3 |
Last week: 19
Two weeks remain in the regular season for the Gators. Sophomore
Tessa Larkin leads Prep with 345 kills (4.5 per set).
20. Los Alamitos (Calif.)
Record: 31-6 |
Last week: 22
Senior
Katy Foley had 23 kills in a five-set win over Huntington Beach to end the regular season.
21. Keller (Texas)
Record: 25-4 |
Last week: 20
Lost in three sets to No. 1 Byron Nelson on Friday. Two of the losses this season are to the Bobcats.
22. Mercy (Farmington Hills, Mich.)
Record: 21-2 |
Last week: 23
Setter
Campbell Flynn is one of the 10 finalists for the 2024 Michigan Miss Volleyball honor.
23. Harrisburg (S.D.)
Record: 18-0 |
Last week: 24
Gabi Zachariasen had 18 kills and 17 digs while freshman
Josalyn Samuels tossed up 34 assists in a sweep of Aberdeen Central (Abderdeen).
24. Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.)
Record: 25-9 | L
ast week: 21
The Sea Hawks ended the regular season with a 3-0 loss to No. 14 Mira Costa. Seven of the losses are to teams in the MaxPreps Top 25.
25. Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.)
Record: 31-4 |
Last week: 25
Sydney Buchanan had nine kills and
Peyton Heatherly had 19 assists in the final of the Glenbard East Autumnfest, a loss to No. 3 Benet Academy.
On the bubble: Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio), 23-0;
Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.), 25-5;
Winter Park (Fla.), 23-1;
Notre Dame Academy (Park Hills, Ky.), 27-3;
Saint Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.), 27-5;
O'Connor (Phoenix, Ariz.), 26-2;
Pope (Marietta, Ga.), 32-5;
Cypress Ranch (Houston, Texas), 34-6;
Lakeville South (Lakeville, Minn.), 26-2;
Georgetown Day (Washington, D.C.), 17-0
