If Louisville Assumption is going to be crowned MaxPreps National Champion for the second time at the end of the 2021 high school volleyball season, winning this weekend's Durango Classic in Las Vegas would be taking a huge step in that direction.
The Durango field is deep – real deep – with four teams in the
MaxPreps Top 25, including No. 3 Mater
Dei, No. 7 Marymount, No. 23 Mercy and No. 24 Vista Murrieta.
Assumption, led by legendary coach Ron Kordes, are 16-0 after winning the Adidas LIVT over the weekend and look poised, early on, to grab their 23rd Kentucky state title. Led by junior hitter and preseason MaxPreps All-American Sydney Helmers, the Rockets sliced through the LIVT field with wins over St. Ursula Academy, Maryville and Mother McAuley.
Four teams joins this week's rankings, including No. 22 St. Ursula Academy, whose only loss is to Assumption at the LIVT. The Bulldogs are joined by Sequoyah, Mercy of Louisville and Ponte Vedra.
St. Pius X Catholic is No. 4 in the MaxPreps Top 25 volleyball rankings. The Golden Lions feature four hitters with more than 100 kills.
The Rockets stayed unbeaten, slicing through a stout field at the Adidas LIVT. Assumption went 5-0 with wins over Maryville, Mother McAuley and St. Ursula Academy while dropping one set.
Sydney Helmers continues to lead the Rockets with 203 kills.
Next week: Durango Classic
2. (2) Flower Mound (Texas), 24-3Highlights: The Jags notched a pair of wins, fueled by the hitting attack of
Gabby Walker,
Bella Ortiz,
Maddie Cox and
Catherine Young.
Next week: Sep. 14 vs. Lewisville, Sept. 17 vs. Plano
3. (3) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 15-1Highlights: Shanelle Puetz dished up 75 assists in two wins, including a 3-1 victory over Vista Murrieta.
Next week: Sept. 16 at Orange Lutheran, Sept. 21 vs. Santa Margarita
4. (4) St. Pius X Catholic (Atlanta), 23-1Highlights: The Golden Lions rolled through last week with eight straight wins, including a Catholic Cup tournament title.
Kate Larocco,
Nina Shaw,
Annemarie Rakoski and
Lura Underwood all have pounded more than 100 kills on the season while Avery Brown is averaging nearly 10 assists per set.
Next week: Sept. 14 at Decatur, Sept. 16 vs. Buford
5. (5) Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas), 22-5Highlights: Rosemary Archer had 15 kills and 14 assists and
Averi Carlson added 21 assists in a sweep of Plano.
Next week: Sept. 14 vs. Wylie East. Sept. 17 at Princeton
6. (6) Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.), 9-0Highlights: Swept St. Pius X and Gretna as
Stella Adeyemi had 15 kills,
Lauren Medeck added 214 and
Ava Legrand served up 38 assists.
Next week: Sept. 15 vs. Lincoln Northeast
7. (8) Marymount (Los Angeles), 7-0Highlights: The Sailors remained perfect with a 3-1 win over La Costa Canyon and a sweep of Marlborough.
Next week: Durango Classic
8. (11) Spain Park (Hoover, Ala.), 18-3Highlights: The Jaguars swept Hewitt-Trussville last week and look to avenge one of their losses with the match at McGill-Toolen.
Next week: Sept. 14 at Thompson, Sept. 16 at McGill-Toolen
9. (12) Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.), 12-2Highlights: The Royals went 4-0 last week with a quality five-set win over an on-the-bubble Yorktown squad.
Avery Hobson had 19 kills and
Lovie Wallace added 17 while
Macy Hinshaw and
Emily Weber combined for 49 assists in the victory.
Next week: Sept. 27 at Wapahani
10. (13) Hudsonville (Mich.), 20-1-1Highlights: The Eagles dropped their first match of the year – 2-0 to Grand Rapids Christian – but grabbed the EK Invite title.
Next week: Sept. 16 at Caledonia
11. (17) North Raleigh Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.), 15-2Highlights: The Knights are riding an eight-game win streak with the two losses to Florida's St. Thomas Aquinas and No. 4 St. Pius X Catholic.
Next week: Sept. 20 vs. Durham Academy
Highlights: The Gaels got 25 kills from
Leilia Toailoa and
Sophia Ewalefo added 20 while
Caroline Edgeworth dished up 61 assists.
Next week: Sept. 21 vs. Pleasant Grove
13. (19) Notre Dame Prep (Pontiac, Mich.), 26-0Highlights: The Fighting Irish took the Battle Creek Lakeview Invite title to remain perfect on the season. They also downed Marian 2-1 as
Sophia Sudzina had 10 kills in the match.
Next week: Sept. 23 at Utica
14. (9) Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 11-4Highlights: Took fifth at the Dave Mohs tournament over the weekend. Sea Hawks lost to Newport Harbor and Cathedral Catholic, but beat Santa Margarita for fifth.
Next week: Sept. 14 vs. Peninsula, Sept. 15 vs. Santa Monica
15. (21) Fayetteville (Ark.), 11-1Highlights: The Bulldogs beat Southside and five Oklahoma squads, including Jenks and Bixby, over the weekend.
Brooke Rockwell is averaging nearly five kills per set and
Kennedy Phelan has 410 assists on the season.
Next week: Sept. 14 vs. Bentonville, Sept. 16 at Springdale
16. (16) Marian (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), 20-1
Highlights: The Mustangs rebounded from a loss to Notre Dame Prep with a 6-0 run at the Program Invitational tournament.
Ava Brizard continues to pace Marian with 179 kills on the season.
Next week: Sept. 14 at Gabriel Richard, Sept. 16 vs. Mercy
17 (20) Brandeis (San Antonio), 28-2Highlights: The Broncos swept Churchill and Reagan as
Jalyn Gibson pound 33 kills and
Carlee Pharris added 59 assists.
Next week: Sept. 14 vs. Roosevelt, Sept. 17 at Lee
18. (23) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 10-0Highlights: The Monarchs got wins over Menlo-Atherton and Menlo School to remain unbeaten. They will test themselves against a tough field this weekend at Durango.
Next week: Sept. 15 at St. Ignatius, Durango Classic
19. (22) Yorktown (Ind.), 12-3Highlights: The Tigers bounced back with a sweep of Mt. Vernon after falling in five sets to No. 9 Hamilton Southeastern.
Charlotte Vinson had 17 kills in the loss to Hamilton, while
Ava Eakins added 14 kills and
Emilee Hill chipped in 10 kills and 41 assists.
Next week: Sept. 14 at New Castle, Sept. 16 vs. Muncie Burris
20. (24) V.R. Eaton (Fort Worth, Texas), 22-1Highlights: The Eagles swept Bishop Lynch. The lone loss is to Denton Guyer.
Next week: Sept. 14 at Keller, Sept. 17 at Timber Creek
21. (NR) St. Ursula Academy (Cincinnati), 12-1Highlights: The Bulldogs fell 2-1 to No. 1 Assumption at the LIVT for their lone loss on the year. They also have wins over Mount Notre Dame, Male, Mercy and Sacred Heart.
Next week: Sept. 14 vs. Seton, Sept. 16 vs. Mount Notre Dame
22. (NR) Sequoyah (Canton, Ga.), 25-1Highlights: The Chiefs are riding a 14-game win streak.
Next week: Sept. 14 vs. Riverwood, Sept. 16 vs. Lassiter
23. (NR) Mercy (Louisville, Ky.), 9-5Highlights: The Jags have quality wins over bubble team Walton and Clearwater Central Catholic and losses to No. 21 St. Ursula Academy and No. 1 Assumption.
Maddie Hagan leads the team with 99 kills and
Ella Teeley has 316 assists.
Next week: Sept. 15 vs. Jefferson
24. (14) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.), 1-3Highlights: Two of the losses are to Mater Dei and Marymount as the Mustangs get going this week playing in the Durango Classic.
Next week: Durango Classic
25. (NR) Ponte Vedra (Fla.), 10-0Highlights: The best of the Sunshine State owns a win over No. 4 St. Pius X Catholic.
Next week: Sept. 14 vs. Ridgeview
On the bubble: Bayside Academy (Daphne, Ala.),
Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati),
Walton (Marietta, Ga.),
Roncalli (Indianapolis),
Penn (Mishawaka, Ind.),
Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.),
Highland Park (Dallas),
North Allegheny (Wexford, Pa.),
Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.),
The Woodlands (exas).
