Video: Preseason Top 25 national volleyball rankings Dozens of All-Americans dot the teams in the preseason rankings.
The preseason is all about promise — and past performance. The 37 members of the 2019 MaxPreps preseason high school volleyball All-American team check both boxes.
The list is dotted with past All-Americans, future collegiate stars and representatives on the U.S. national team.
A pair of sisters highlight the bunch as the Shaffmasters of New Castle (Ind.) — Melanie and Mabrey — join the Borums of Sterling (Ind.) — Bree and Brooklyn — make the list a family affair.
Former National Players of the Year, senior Rylee Rader of reigning National Champion Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), last year's Sophomore of the Year Kami Miner of Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and rising sophomore Averi Carlson of Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas) are all back.
And there are some who have led their teams to hot starts in 2019. But as most coaches will tell you, it's not where you start, but where you finish.
2019 MaxPreps preseason high school volleyball All-American team
Jr. | 5-9 | Uncommitted |
Led the Wolves with 496 kills, while adding 202 aces as a sophomore for the 1A runner-up.
Sr. | 6-3 | Ohio State |
The 2018 National Junior Player of the Year who helped the Rockets to a 43-0 season and MaxPreps National Championship. She averaged nearly four kills per set, hitting at 60 percent.
Sr. | 6-3 | Stanford |
Off to a hot start in 2019, she's on pace to eclipse her 2018 stats of 544 kills and157 blocks for the 40-10 Division 6A I finalist Dragons. In 33 sets of her senior season, Smith has already posted 103 kills as Carroll is off to a 10-3 start.
Jr. | 6-5 | Uncommitted |
She logged 426 kills as a sophomore for the 21-win Torreys, while adding 105 blocks, 60 aces and 460 serve receives.
Sr. | 6-5 | North Carolina |
Led the AAAAA champion Falcons to a 46-7-1 mark with 618 kills (4.6 kills per set) with 65 aces and 51 blocks.
Jr. | 6-1 | Uncommitted |
One of the young guns on the 6A Texas champions, she hammered 524 kills with 599 digs, 54 aces and 51 blocks for the Jaguars. Flower Mound, the preseason No. 1 team, is off to a 10-2 start with Cox hitting a team-high 63 kills.
Jr. | 6-2 | Florida |
Led the 40-2 Wildcats to the state Class 3 title, averaging 4.5 kills per set (393 total) while adding 359 digs and 31 aces as a sophomore.
Sr. | 5-10 | LSU |
Paired 574 digs with 515 kills (nearly 5 per set), both team highs, as the Bobcats — off to a 7-0 start in 2019 — advanced to the 6A quarterfinals during a 42-2 season.
Jr. | 6-1 | North Carolina |
The future Tar Heels paired with older sister to guide the Trojans to a second straight 3A title. She brought the heat with 642 kills (hitting at nearly 40 percent) while adding 131 aces, 41 blocks and 268 digs.
Sr. | 6-3 | Washington |
Led the Dons to a 28-8 mark with nearly 500 kills and 157 digs in the tough San Diego section. With tons of returning help, Endsley looks to take Cathedral Catholic past the CIF Open Division SoCal quarterfinals.
Sr. | 6-2 | Northwestern for basketball |
Helped the Blue Eagles to the Garden State double, winning the Non-Public title in addition to the Tournament of Champions crown. Planning on a collegiate basketball future, Morris had 375 kills — hitting at nearly 50 percent — with 109 blocks and 59 aces in her junior campaign.
Sr. | 6-1 | Clemson |
Led the 4A champions to a 39-3 mark as the future Tiger led the Redhawks with 372 kills with 187 digs, 106 blocks and 100 assists.
Sr. | 6-0 | Louisville |
The Rockets' other returning big threat helped the 2018 MaxPreps National Champions to a 43-0 mark with 320 kills and 217 digs.
Sr. | 6-1 | LSU |
With 217 kills on the young 18-1 season, the Highlanders hitter is on pace to best her junior total of 765. She added nearly 500 digs with 59 blocks and 62 aces as The Woodlands went 46-5 and reached the 6A semifinals.
Jr. | 6-0 | Uncommitted |
The sophomore led the 47-3 Bruins to a 3A state title with a team-high 675 kills and nearly 400 digs. She added 60 aces and 42 blocks.
Sr. | 5-11 | Uncommitted |
Posted 712 kills as a junior with 118 aces and nearly 450 digs as the Tigers went 38-13-3.
Jr. | 6-1 | Uncommitted |
The second set of sisters on the Preseason All-American team, Brooklyn helped the Golden Warriors to a No. 8 finish in the MaxPreps Top 25. She pounded 472 kills with 243 digs as her team won the 3A title.
Jr. | 6-0 | South Florida |
The second half of the Borum tandem, Bree had 581 assists last season with 287 kills and 226 digs. Paired with fellow Preseason All-American Lexi Rodriguez, Sterling entered 2019 at No. 12 in the rankings.
Sr. | 5-8 | University of Memphis |
The Saints' setter averaged more than 12 assists per set for the 40-2 Division II AA state champions. Robertson added 289 digs and 57 aces as Briarcrest Christian finished No. 18 last year.
Sr. | 6-0 | Kentucky |
The preseason No. 6 Panthers are 15-2 on the young season and the Class of 2020 setter is a big reason. A year after filling the stat sheet with 832 assists, 477 digs and 382 kills, Rutherford is at it again. She's posted 236 assists, 102 digs and 97 kills already this season.
Sr. | 5-11 | Maryland |
The Falcons' setter paced the No. 13 team in the nation with 862 assist (nearly 10 per set) while adding 139 digs, 121 kills and 59 aces. Dowler looks to lead Green Hope, off to a 4-0 start, to its fourth straight 4A title.
Sr. | 5-8 | Western Michigan |
The rising senior posted 945 assists, 266 digs and 49 aces for the 27-2 Saints, who finished No. 9 in last year's final Top 25 rankings. Case leads an Ursuline Academy squad looking for the Ohio Division I three-peat in 2019.
Jr. | 6-0 | Uncommitted |
Did a bit of everything for the 35-4 Sea Hawks last season, notching 554 assists, 291 digs and 330 kills as Redondo Union fell to Mater Dei in the CIF Open Division SoCal regional semifinals. The daughter of NBA veteran Harold Miner will play on the U.S. Girls Youth National Team that will compete in Egypt at the U18 World Championships in September.
Jr. | 5-8 | Louisville |
She averaged 10 assists per set (908 total) while adding 276 digs and 123 kills for the Jaguars, who fell to National Champion Assumption in the Kentucky finals. She'll team with Eleanor Beavin as juniors for Mercy.
Jr. | 5-9 | Georgia |
After tallying 1,546 assists for the Highlanders last season, the future Bulldog is blistering the stat sheet in the young 2019 season. She has 451 assists (10 per set) as The Woodlands have jumped out to an 18-1 mark before September hits. On her way to All-American status last year, Brower added 357 digs and 114 kills for the 6a regional semifinalists.
So. | 6-0 | Uncommitted |
The Leopards star burst on the scene last year posting more than 1,500 assists at a rate of 10.9 per set as her squad fell in the 5A finals. Carlson added 226 digs, 112 kills and 40 aces and had Lovejoy off to a 19-3 start in her sophomore campaign.
Sr. | 5-7 | Texas |
A first-time All-Southern Section pick, she posted 473 digs, 163 service aces and 201
assists. The Texas commit
was all-tournament at Durango, Lakewood and the Redondo Power Classic.
Sr. | 5-5 | Nebraska |
The third member of the Golden Warriors squad on the Preseason All-American team, Rodriguez averaged nearly 8 assists per set last season dishing the ball to the Borum sisters as Sterling finished No. 8. Rodriguez joins fellow All-Americans Mruzik, Oglivie and Miner on the U.S. Girls Youth National Team that will compete in Egypt at the U18 World Championships in September.
Sr. | 6-3 | Minnesota |
The two-time 3A champion was the 2017 National Sophomore Player of the Year and upped the ante in 2018 with 1,028 assists (more than nine per set) to go with 210 digs, 243 kills and 43 aces.
Sr. | 6-1 | Michigan State |
Averaged nearly 5 assists per set — 603 total — while adding 265 digs and 384 kills as a junior for the 35-10-5 Bulldogs.
Sr. | 6-1 | Michigan |
A two-time MaxPreps All-American who committed to the Wolverines freshman year, she averaged 4.7 kills, 1.8 digs and served for 65 aces as Mercy went 53-3.
Sr. | 6-3 | Northwestern |
The future Wildcats did a bit of everything for her 28-22-2 squad last season, posting 886 assists, 219 digs and 433 kills.
Sr. | 5-9 | Long Beach State |
The reigning CIF Open Division champion Monarchs' setter must deal with graduation losses after a stellar year where she posted 269 kills, 266 digs and 600 assists.
So. | 6-0 | Uncommitted |
Produced eye-popping stats as a freshman for the Sailors with a team-high 319 kills, 796 serve receptions and 286 digs.
Sr. | 6-1 | Nebraska-Omaha |
Pounded 362 kills for the Class A champion Mustangs with a kill percentage over 40. Also notched 363 digs for her 38-2 squad.
Sr. | 5-10 | Stanford |
Led the Hawaii Division I champs with 499 kills and 332 digs. Off to a hot start for the 6-3 Raiders with a team-high 78 kills in 15 sets.
Elia Rubin, Marymount
File photo by Darin Sicurello
