October 30, 2023

The final national rankings of the season are not far off. There are two more Top 50 updates scheduled after this one with the final rankings set to drop three weeks from now. There was no movement this week among the top 20 teams, as they all continued winning. However, a huge showdown is on tap this coming Saturday as top-ranked Mater Dei CA faces No. 2 Mira Costa CA in the CIF Southern Section finals. The teams are 1-1 against each other this season, with a potential state showdown looming in the coming weeks as well. The biggest news comes out of Kansas, which concluded its high school season this past weekend. There was a couple of major developments there which impacted the rankings. Remember, we place a heavy emphasis on state results and that’s what happened this past weekend to shake up the Top 50. Unranked Mill Valley beat Blue Valley North in the 6A state championship match. Mill Valley finished the year 3-1 against Blue Valley North, which was ranked No. 21 in last week’s Top 50. With the victory, Mill Valley not only broke into the Top 50 but will finish the season ranked ahead of Blue Valley North. There was a similar scenario in 5A, where unranked Seaman topped St. Thomas Aquinas to claim the title in that division. St. Thomas Aquinas and Maize South both beat St. James Academy, which was ranked ahead of all three teams, in pool play. As a result, it’s Seaman that will close the year ahead of the rest of them. It’s that time of year too when the mythical national championship picture starts to really take shape. With Mater Dei sitting at No. 1, the Monarchs have the inside track. But it’s hardly a sure thing given the schedule they are still facing. But should Mater Dei win out, the case will be hard to beat. In that scenario, Mater Dei will have finished the season winning Volleypalooza, the Durango Fall Classic, the CIF-SS title and the California state championship. Mira Costa also has a path to the national championship. The Mustangs – who won the Ann Kang Invitational – could also finish No. 1 by winning out. That could feature two more victories over Mater Dei as well as the California state championship. At this point, it appears the only other schools which could make arguments are Hamilton Southeastern IN and Wayzata MN. Both remain undefeated and are on track to capture their respective state championships. The question is will that be enough for either? Neither travel to any out of state tournaments or play in major tournaments like Durango or the Nike TOCs. But, both teams do feature their share of Division 1 commits. Either way, before long we’ll have our answer. You can view the full Top 50 below. vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL HS RANKINGS 1. Mater Dei CA (1 – previous ranking) 2. Mira Costa CA (2) 3. Hamilton Southeastern IN (3) 4.Prestonwood Christian TX (4) 5. Grand Oaks TX (5) 6. Cathedral Catholic CA (6) 7. Wayzata MN (7) 8. McKinney Boyd TX (8) 9. Papillion-La Vista South NE (9) 10. Assumption KY (10) *** 11. Marist IL (11) 12. Benet Academy IL (12) 13. Mother McAuley IL (13) 14. Divine Savior Holy Angels WI (14) 15. O’Connor AZ (15) 16. St. Francis/Mountain View CA (16) 17. Archbishop Mitty CA (17) 18. Oconomowoc WI (18) 19. Notre Dame Academy KY (19) 20. Lake Catholic OH (20) *** 21. Middle Creek NC (22) 22. Kings OH (25) 23. Mill Valley KS (n/r) 24. Sierra Canyon CA (23) 25. Blue Valley North KS (21) 26. Dike-New Hartford IA (33) 27. Valor Christian CO (34) 28. Lake Travis TX (26) 29. Hudsonville MI (35) 30. Seton OH (38) *** 31. Seaman KS (n/r) 32. St. Thomas Aquinas KS (27) 33. Dripping Springs TX (28) 34. Lafayette MO (31) 35. Maize South KS (50) 36. Xavier Prep AZ (39) 37. St. James Academy KS (25) 38. Cornerstone Christian TX (29) 39. Carrollwood Day FL (30) 40. Branson CA (32) *** 41. Winter Park FL (36) 42. Skyridge UT (40 43. Bellmont IN (41) 44. Lone Peak UT (42) 45. Pace Academy GA (43) 46. Mercy McAuley OH (44) 47. North Branch MI (45) 48. Alpharetta GA (46) 49. Pope GA (47) 50. Bingham UT (48) *** ON THE CUSP Lewis-Palmer COGlenbard West ILHuntington Beach CABishop Alemany CATorrey Pines CAMarymount CAPalos Verdes CARedondo Union CALos Alamitos CAFoothill CANorthville MIViera FLPlant FLBerkeley Prep FLVenice FLCalvary Christian FLJupiter FLKamehameha HIPunahou HIBishop Gorman NVClear Creek-Amana IACorona del Sol AZLiberty AZSunrise Mountain AZMillennium AZBob Jones ALMountain Brook ALSacred Heart KYNorth Myrtle Beach SCDorman SCSt. Ursula Academy OHMount Notre Dame OHCorner Canyon UTPleasant Grove UTJenks OKMount St. Mary OKLa Cueva NMRoncalli INAngola IN