MaxPreps Top 25 national high school volleyball rankings

The Woodlands (Texas) rode the setting of senior Courtney Eckenrode and got double digit kills from three players to beat Churchill (San Antonio) 3-0 to capture the 2013 Texas 5A title.

In beating Churchill — 25-22, 26-24, 25-17 — the Highlanders completed their season without a loss and remained atop MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Volleyball Rankings.

Churchill entered the week ranked No. 11 and slipped to No. 20 with the loss. Churchill, however, reached the title game by beating previous No. 3 Carroll (Southlake, Texas) in the semifinals to earn the title game against The Woodlands.

No one was pulling any harder for Churchill than No. 2 St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), winners of six straight Kansas titles and 56 straight matches.

With Carroll's loss, unbeatens Bellarmine (Tacoma, Wash.), Granite Bay (Calif.), East Troy (Wis.), Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.) and Santiago (Corona, Calif.) moved up in the rankings.

Rounding out the Top 10 are state title winners Lafayette (Wildwood, Mo), Mother McAuley (Chicago) and Dike-New Hartford (Dike, Iowa).

New to the Top 25 this week and perennial Virginia power Loudon County (Leesburg) and New York champion Sutherland (Pittsford).

Loudon won its sixth 4A state title in seven years on Saturday over Jamestown (Williamsburg, Va.). Overlooked in previous polls, the No. 14 Raiders lost just two sets in 2013 in completing the season 31-0.

Sutherland won its final 22 matches without losing a set to finish 40-2.

No. 11 Immaculate Heart (Washington Township, N.J.) which captured the state non-public state title a week ago, won the state Tournament of Champions on Sunday to finish 47-2. Immaculate Heart finished the year with 32 consecutive victories.

Of the Top 25, only Californians Granite Bay and Santiago are still playing as they — and 78 other teams in various divisions — move into the CIF Northern and Southern state tournaments starting on Tuesday, with the winners facing off for the California title on Dec. 7.

Several California teams remain in the state title and Top 25 chase, including previously-ranked 32-3 Torrey Pines (San Diego), 38-4 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) and 32-5 Las Alamitos, a 3-1 winner over over previously-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana) on Saturday night.

Be sure to check out the MaxPreps high school volleyball playoff brackets for each state.

*State Champion


1. (1 last week) The Woodlands (Texas), 45-0, season complete
The Highlanders completed their unbeaten season by sweeping Churchill in the Texas 5A state finals (25-22, 26-24,25-17). Courtney Quinn, Madison McDaniel and Morgan Eason combined for 40 kills and setter Courtney Eckenrode dished out 46 assists and had 11 digs. Kelly Quinn added 24 digs for The Woodlands.

*2. (2) St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), 47-0, season complete
St. James won its sixth straight state title and has won 56 straight matches over the last two seasons.

*3. (4) Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, Wash.), 35-0, season complete
The Lions won their second-straight state 4A title and were forced to only one five-set match during the season.

4. (5) Granite Bay (Calif.) (Calif.), 41-0
Granite Bay swept through the CIF Sac Joaquin Section with four 3-0 victories to run their winning streak to 41. They defeated St. Francis (Sacramento) on Thursday. Granite Bay, which has outscored its foes 102-5, advances to the Northern California D-I tournament on Tuesday opening against Skyline (Oakland) on Tuesday.

*5. (6) East Troy (Wis.), 44-0, season complete
The Trojans won the state D-2 title.

*6. (7) Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.), 28-0, season complete
The Crusaders won their fifth consecutive N.C. High School Athletic Association 3A volleyball title, a state record.

7. (10) Santiago (Corona, Calif.), 37-0
Santiago continued its perfect season in winning the CIF Southern Section 2A title but was forced to a fourth set for the first time this season. Santiago beat Oaks Christian, 19-25, 25-10, 25-19, 25-17. By winning, Santiago advances to the Southern California D-II tournament on Tuesday against Taft (Woodland Hills).

*8. (8) Lafayette (Wildwood, Mo.), 38-1-2, season complete
The Lancers finished with 29 straight wins and won their third straight state title. Lafayette's only loss was to No. 2 St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.) in early September.

*9. (9) Mother McAuley (Chicago), 40-2, season complete
The Macs won the Illinois State 4A title.

*10. (12) Dike-New Hartford (Dike, Iowa), 45-1, season complete
Dike-New Hartford stretched their win streak to 39 and won the state 2A title for the third straight year.

*11. (13) Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.), 46-2, season complete
Immaculate Heart won the non-public state title last week, then beat North Hunterdon (Clinton, N.J.), 2-0 (25-12, 25-23) as Nia Reed had 11 kills and Caitlyn Floyd had 20 assists on Sunday to win the New Jersey Tournament of Champions.

*12. (14) Notre Dame Prep (Pontiac, Mich.), 62-2-1, season complete
Behind Katherine Carlson's 25 kills and Ashley Knutson's 36 assists, the Irish defeated South Christian (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 3-1 (25-15, 25-19, 19-25, 25-23), for their first state title since 2007. Carlson recorded 78 kills and 51 digs in the three-day tournament as the Irish ran their win streak to 20.

*13. (NR) Loudoun County (Leesburg, Va.), 31-0, season complete
Loudon captured the 4A state championship for the second year in a row and sixth time in seven seasons. During that span, the Raiders are 179-7 and have won 59 of their last 60 matches. In defeating 27-2 Jamestown (Williamsburg, Va.) in the state title game on Saturday, Loudon won 3-1 and lost only its second set of the season — the other occurring on Sept. 10 against Blair Woods (Ashburn, Va.).

*14. (16) Avon (Ind.), 37-3, season complete
In winning its final 26 matches, Avon has won back-to-back state titles.

*15. (19) St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.), 38-3, season complete
St. Francis won its third straight 3A title. All three Spartan losses this season were to No. 9 Mother McAuley (Chicago).

*16. (17) Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), 37-6, season complete
The Rockets won their fourth straight state title.

*17. (20) Barnstable (Hyannis, Mass.), 23-0, season complete
The Red Raiders won their fourth Division 1 state title in a row and 10th in 11 years.

*18. (20) Bettendorf (Iowa), 37-2, season complete
Bettendorf won the state large school title for the second straight year.

*19. (21) Kamehameha (Honolulu), 30-2, season complete
Kamehameha won the Hawaii D-1 state title.

20. (11) Churchill (San Antonio), 47-3, season complete
After knocking off previously-ranked No. 3 Carroll (Southlake,Texas) in the semifinals, Churchill lost 3-0 to No. 1 The Woodlands in the Texas 5A championship match, despite 19 kills from sophomore Abby Buckingham.

*21. (22) Eagan (Minn.), 30-2, season complete
Eagan won Minnesota's large schools title.

*22. (24) Winter Park (Fla.), 30-3, season complete
Winter Park recorded its second straight 8A state title. The Wildcats defeated Lake Mary 3-1.

23. (23) Mercy (Louisville, Ky.), 37-2, season complete
State runner-up.

*24. (25) Grandview (Aurora, Colo.), 27-2, season complete
The Wolves captured the 5A state title with a win over Arapahoe (Centennial) to finish the season with 23 straight match wins.

*25. (NR) Sutherland (Pittsford, N.Y.), 40-2, season complete
The Knights won the New York State large school title and won their final 22 matches without losing a set. For the season, they won 107 sets and lost just five.

Dropped Out:
No. 3 Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
No. 15 Great Oak (Temecula, Calif.)