As temperatures across the country begin to cool, the high school volleyball action is heating up as postseason play is underway or on the horizon across the country. And with the playoffs come pressure to win or go home.
One team used to pressure is Marymount (Los Angeles), the No. 1 team in the MaxPreps Top 25, which completed an unblemished regular season and begins the California playoffs looking for a ninth state title in school history.
One of the hottest teams in the MaxPreps Top 25 is Marian (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), which snagged the Beast of the East title over the weekend against a stacked Michigan field that included No. 9 Notre Dame Prep (Pontiac). Led by
Ava Brizard and
Ava Sarafa, the Mustangs downed Grand Rapids Christian in the final after dispatching six other opponents ... all without dropping a set.
Ava Brizard, Marian
Photo by Kent Koller
The Sailors capped an unblemished regular season with a sweep of Alemany and were awarded top seed in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. They meet the winner of Redondo Union-Harvard-Westlake on Oct. 27.
Next: California Southern Section Division 1 postseason
2. (2) Flower Mound (Texas), 34-3
Highlights: The Jaguars swept through last week with 2-0 wins over Plano and Plano East. Three matches remain in the regular season before the gauntlet that is the UIL postseason.
Next: Oct. 19 vs. Marcus, Oct. 22 vs. Plano West, Oct. 26 vs. Hebron
3. (3) St. Pius X Catholic (Atlanta), 47-1Highlights: The Golden Lions begin AAAAA postseason play Tuesday against 10-32 Woodland. A potential quarterfinal showdown vs. McIntosh looms.
Next: Georgia AAAAA postseason
4. (4) Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.), 32-0Highlights: The Titans draw Omaha Marian in the Tuesday quarterfinals with finals scheduled for Thursday.
Next: Metro Conference Tournament
5. (7) Marian (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), 37-1Highlights: The Mustangs corralled the Beast of the East title over the weekend, running through seven opponents without dropping a set while downing Grand Rapids Christian 25-20, 25-9 in the final.
Next: Michigan Division 1 postseason
6. (9) Yorktown (Ind.), 28-3Highlights: The Tigers grabbed their sectional to advance to the 4A round of 16, opening Saturday with 20-12 Cathedral, where a victory would pit them against the Brownsburg-Roncalli winner.
Next: Indiana 4A postseason
7. (8) Brandeis (San Antonio), 37-2Highlights: Jalyn Gibson continues to power a potent Broncos squad that earned a 3-1 win over Reagan and sweep of Roosevelt. The senior hitting has 471 kills on the season, pacing five hitters with more than 100.
Carlee Pharris is averaging nine assists per set and closing in on the 1,000-assist mark for the season.
Next: Oct. 19 vs. Lee, Oct. 22 vs. MacArthur
8. (10) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 33-4Highlights: The Monarchs capped the regular season with sweeps of Rosary Academy and JSerra Catholic and await the Oct. 27 Sierra Canyon-San Clemente winner in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.
Next: California Southern Section Division 1 postseason
9. (6) Notre Dame Prep (Pontiac, Mich.), 52-1Highlights: The Fighting Irish dropped their first match of the year at the Beast of the East, but played without Miss Michigan Volleyball finalist
Aly Borellis (dislocated thumb).
Next: Michigan Division 2 postseason
10. (11) Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas), 31-6Highlights: The Leopards swept the week against Princeton and Sherman. Six hitters, led by
Rosemary Archer, have tallied more than 100 kills, while three-time MaxPreps All-American
Averi Carlson had more than 650 assists this season and 4,153 in her Lovejoy career.
Next: Oct. 19 vs McKinney, Oct. 22 vs. Denison
11. (12) Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), 25-4Highlights: The Huskies carried the momentum of the runner-up showing at the televised GEICO Girls Volleyball Invitational with sweeps over Desert Ridge and Chandler.
Melia Barlow had 44 assists in the win over Chandler.
Next: Oct. 19 vs. Basha, Oct. 20 vs. Highland, Oct. 21 vs. Gilbert
12. (13) Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), 29-5Highlights: The Rockets closed out the regular season with a sweep of Notre Dame Academy and head to the Bluegrass State's winner-take-all postseason beginning with a 3-1 win over Male in the 26th District championship.
Next: Kentucky postseason vs. TBD
13. (14) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), 28-4
Highlights: The Dons kept winning as
Faith Tyson served up 31 assists in a sweep of Patrick Henry while U18 bronze medal winner
Julia Blyashov had six kills.
Next: Oct. 20 vs. Academy of Our Lady of Peace, 10-22 vs. Scripps Ranch
14. (15) Marin Catholic (Kentfield, Calif.), 22-2Highlights: The Wildcats finished their regular season with a sweep of Archie Williams, a team they'll play in the Marin Catholic Athletic League semifinals on Wednesday.
Leah Wilton-LaBoy had 35 assists against the Peregrine Falcons.
Next: Oct. 20 vs. Archie Williams
15. (17) Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.), 27-0Highlights: The Trojans continued their march toward an unbeaten regular season with wins over Minnetonka and then a sweep of the Fall Classic and a 2-0 victory over St. Michael-Albertville in the finals.
Next: Oct. 19 vs. Bloomington Jefferson
16. (5) Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.), 26-3Highlights: The Royals season ended with a 3-1 loss to Carmel in the 4A Westfield Regional. Two of their top five hitters, including
Lauren Harden and
Avery Hobson, and sophomore setter
Macy Hinshaw return next season
Next: Season over
17. (20) Victor (N.Y.), 39-0
Highlights: The Blue Devils remained perfect, winning the Shenendehowa tournament over the weekend, capping the title with a 2-1 victory over Penfield.
Emma Werkmeister added 49 kills to her 427 season total.
Next: Oct. 19 vs. Penfield, Oct. 21 vs. St. Mary's
18. (16) North Raleigh Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.), 24-2
Highlights: The Knights are the top seed in the NCISAA 4A playoffs and have a bye until the quarterfinals on Oct. 23. Their two losses are to No. 3 St. Pius X Catholic and Florida's St. Thomas Aquinas.
Next: NCISAA 4A postseason
19. (18) Hudsonville (Mich.), 38-2-1Highlights: Eva Joldersma had 27 kills in a pair of wins for the Eagles, who've reeled off nine wins since a tournament loss to Forest Hills Northern on Oct. 2.
Next: Oct. 20 vs. Grandville, Oct. 20 vs. East Kentwood
20. (21) Penn (Mishawaka, Ind.), 34-1Highlights: The Kingsmen bounced back from their lone loss with sweeps over Goshen, Concord and Warsaw in the 4A Sectionals. Up next is 22-12 La Porte in the Regional Semifinals.
Next: Indiana 4A postseason
21. (23) Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Ga.), 42-3Highlights: The Titans open their AAAAA playoff run against 17-15 Decatur on Tuesday. A semifinal showdown vs. St. Pius X Catholic or McIntosh is on the horizon.
Next: Georgia AAAAA postseason
22. (24) Washburn Rural (Topeka, Kan.), 36-0Highlights: The Blues strummed their way to an perfect regular season with four wins at the Emporia tournament, sweeping the hosts in the finals as well as Lawrence Free State, Maize and Lawrence.
Next: Kansas postseason vs. TBD
23. (25) Sequoyah (Canton, Ga.), 46-3Highlights: The Chiefs begin their quest for a AAAAAA title against 21-21 Carrollton. Pope, which beat Sequoyah twice in the regular season, sits in the opposite bracket. The two could meet in the Nov. 6 finals.
Next: Georgia AAAAAA postseason
24. (NR) Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.), 31-3Highlights: The Saints got back on the winning track with a sweep of Gardner-Edgerton after falling to No. 4 Papillion-LaVista South on Oct. 10.
Next: Oct. 19 vs. Olathe North
25. (NR) Ponte Vedra (Fla.), 23-1
Highlights: The Sharks began their postseason push with a sweep of Englewood in the 6A District 4 bracket and draw 9-12 Fleming Island in the semifinals.
Next: Florida 6A postseason
On the bubble: Har-Ber (Springdale, Ark.), 30-1;
Fayetteville (Ark.), 29-3;
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 28-6;
Martin (Arlington, Texas), 31-2;
Montini Catholic (Lombard, Ill.), 25-1;
Leon (Tallahassee, Fla.), 21-4;
V.R. Eaton (Fort Worth, Texas), 29-3,
Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.), 18-0;
Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.), 38-2-1;
Lakewood (Calif.), 24-3.
