Chris Tobolski

The final national high school rankings of the season have been released and Mater Dei was named the vballrecruiter.com national champion. Now, it’s time to move onto individual awards, beginning with our Senior Player of the Year Candidates. When it comes to selecting Player of the Year Candidates, it’s a subjective list. There are determining factors used in order to provide parameters to choosing the players below. We looked at the talent level of the player, their impact on the team and overall team success. The first is very subjective, because not everyone will agree on a player’s talent level. Judging a player’s impact on a team usually falls under being among the top kill leaders or if a setter running a 5-1, or even major contributions as both a setter and hitter. Overall team success is judged based on how a team fared in their respective state playoffs. Depending on the competitiveness of the state and division, teams needed to reach at least the Round of 16 or quarterfinals to be considered. We’ll next narrow down the list of candidates to the Player of the Year Finalists, where we’ll highlight each finalist and the reason why they are up for the Senior Player of the Year award before eventually naming our Player of the Year. Lastly, we are releasing a separate list for our Libero of the Year Candidates, so you won’t find any defenders below. Senior Player of the Year Candidates (alphabetical order) Abby Yoder S Kings OHAdrianna Arquette MB Kamehameha HIAlex Bower S Skyview IDAlyssa Nelson S Lafayette MOAniya Joseph OH Harlan TXAnnabelle Groomes S/RS St. Joseph Academy OHAshley McMaster OH Lake Washington WAAva Falduto OH IC Catholic ILAvery Craig OH Tomball Memorial TXAvery Hamlin OH Lake Travis TX *** Avery Scoggins S Middle Creek NCAyden Ames OH Prosper TXBelle Patrick OH Green Hope NCBethanie Wu S Lovejoy TXBlakeley Robbins S Bayside Academy ALBrielle Wilson S Mead WABrooke Tietz MB Grand Rapids West Catholic MICalli Kenny S/RS Willowbrook ILCallie Squiers S Kearney Catholic NECamdyn Stucky S Maize South KS *** Camryn Chatellier OH St. Mary’s Dominican LACaroline Lanicek OH Calvery OHCatherine Young OH Flower Mound TXCayla Cogan OH Clarkston MICayley Hanson S/RS Deer Park TXCharley Staats OH Valley Christian CACharlie Fuerbringer S Mira Costa CACharlotte Moriarty OH Assumption KYChloe Hokenson S Langley VAClara Gyomory RS North Branch MI *** Connor Rahn OH Middleburg FLCorrie Anderson OH Palmer Ridge CODelaney Bub OH Eagle IDDelaney Russell OH Valor Christian CODominique Phills OH Dawson TXElana Erickson OH Forest Hills MIElina Mortensen OH Corner Canyon UTElise Marchal OH Kings OHElla Demetrician OH Appleton North WIElla Grace Holloway OH Lewisburg MI *** Ella Kloepper OH Howell MOElle Weaver OH Oak Ridge CAEllie White OH Mother McAuley ILEmerson Sellman OH Academy Holy Cross MDEmma Williams OH Jesuit ORErin Curtis OH St. Francis/Mountain View CAErin Debiec S Bishop O’Connell VAFallon Stewart OH Winter Park FLFavor Anyanwu OH Sachse TXGrace Agolli S/RS Pace Academy GA *** Grace Carroll RS Cornerstone Christian TXGracie Gordon OH Collegiate VAHaley Clark RS La Canada CAHannah Byers OH Olympia WAHannah Parant S Mountain Brook ALHannah Pattie S Lake Catholic OHIsabel Clark OH Mater Dei CAIsabelle Marco S/RS Sacred Heart Prep CAIzzy Starck S/RS Viera FLJackie Taylor MB Gulliver Prep FL *** Jaden Hendrickson OH Redwood CAJadyn Livings RS Prestonwood Christian TXJaela Auguste MB Grand Oaks TXJenna Hanes MB Cathedral Catholic CAJenna Meitzler OH Barrington ILJillian Huckabey OH Olathe Northwest KSJordan Smart S Reagan NCKacey Kazmierski S Lake Travis TXKaitlyn Burke OH Mill Valley KSKaitlyn Moran S Mount Paran Christian GA *** Kamaluhia Garcia RS Moanalua HIKamryn Kaminski S Howards Grove WIKatherine Holtman MB Argyle TXKatie Kopshever OH Castle INKatrina Pelds OH Waukee Northwest IAKaylee Musick OH Bishop Hartley OHKelsey Cooper OH St. Croix Falls WIKendall Beshear OH Palos Verdes CAKendall Hopewell MB Forest Hills MIKinslee McGowan S Cleveland TN *** Kourtney Grossman OH Billings West MTLauren Dreves OH Columbia River WALauren Evans OH Carmel INLauren Harden OH Hamilton Southeastern INLauren Medeck OH Papillion-La Vista South NELeilia Toailoa OH Bishop Gorman NVLevani Key-Powell OH Bingham UTLilly Lansing RS Jesuit ORLilly Wagner S Oconomowoc WILily Barron OH Olentangy Orange OH *** Logan Wiley MB Alpharetta GALucy Mott S St. Ursula Academy OHMackenzie Dean OH Dowling Catholic IAMakenzie Wagner OH Providence INMalayah Long S Lincoln Southwest NEMaren Johnson OH Jenks OKMaria Drapp S Mercy McAuley OHMariah Potter S Xavier WIMegan Smith OH Conway ARMia Tvrdy MB Papillion-La Vista NE *** Morgan Gaerte OH Angola INMyia McCoy OH Greenwood ARMyka Christiansen S Skyridge UTNikol Antova OH North Cobb GAOlivia Heitkamp OH New Bremen OHOlivia Swenson OH Wayzata MNPaige Bennett OH Foothill CAPayton Petersen OH Dike-New Hartford IAPeyton Fadal S Barbers Hill TXQuincy Moran OH North Creek WA *** Rachel Van Gorp OH Heritage Christian Academy KSReagan Sharp OH Keller TXRegan Harp OH Fayetteville ARRegan Kadal S Legend CORella Binney S Punahou HIRyla Jones MB Flint Hill VASami Blackett OH Orem UTSarah Brodner OH Jupiter FLSavannah Skopal S Rouse TXSkyler Pierce OH Olathe Northwest KS *** Sophia Adkins OH Mercy McAuley OHSophia Henry OH Walton GASophia Wendlick OH Divine Savior Holy Angels WIStella Swenson S Wayzata MNSydney Barrett OH Kings OHSydney Van Cott OH St. Thomas Aquinas FLTatum Johnson MB JSerra CATaylor Parks S Calvary Christian FLTaylor Williams OH St. Francis/Mountain View CAZoey Burgess MB Lone Peak UT

We have the holidays and then a full club season before the next high school season arrives. However, why wait that long to start talking about it? Even though it’s way too early to determine any sort of rankings of schools, it’s still possible to get an idea of how the 2024 high school campaign might stack up. Below, we look ahead and dive into where the Top 10 programs from this season might stand next year. MATER DEI CA: The Monarchs are certainly going to take a hit, as they lose their top-two kill leaders in Isabel Clark (San Diego) and Cymarah Gordon (Michigan), as well as setter/right side Julia Kakkis (Brown), libero Malyssa Cawa (Stanford) and defensive specialist Tessa Hurley. Mater Dei does have pieces to rebuild around in sophomore outside Layli Ostovar, freshman middle Emma Kingston, sophomore middle Addison Coady and junior setter Ayva Ostovar. It’s going to be next to impossible for Mater Dei to repeat as national champion and put together another season like this one. But it’s very possible the Monarchs remain as Top 20 program. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN IN: The Royals will enter 2024 as the two-time Indiana 4A state champs and riding a 67-match winning streak. It’s a mixed bag as to who stays and who goes. The big loss is outside Lauren Harden (Florida). Also graduating is setter Macy Hinshaw (Santa Clara) and libero Sophie Ledbetter (Ball State). However, among the returning players is junior outside Lindsey Mangelson (Mississippi State), who finished second on the team in kills behind Harden. It also stands that sophomore outside Madison Miles will take on a bigger role offensively next year, as will sophomore outside Merritt Sliwa. Junior setter Ava Hunter (Loyola-Chicago) is also coming back. Another undefeated season might be unlikely, but a three-peat in 4A is not. PRESTONWOOD CHRISTIAN TX: All eyes were on the Lions to begin 2023, as they returned every starter from a year ago. That won’t be the case going into 2024, but Prestonwood Christian brings back enough talent and will play a schedule worthy of a national champion. Seniors Jadyn Livings (USC), Mikala Young (TCU), Camille Edwards and Kennedy Washington will leave a void. Yet, the Lions are set up to absorb most of it. Kill leader and junior outside Cari Spears (Texas) is back. She’s joined by junior right side Taylor Clarke, junior setter Taylor Cook and junior libero Gillian Pitts. The younger Livings in Nyla and Naomi figure to take on much larger roles next season as sophomores too. Together, it’s likely to keep Prestonwood Christian near the top of the national rankings. GRAND OAKS TX: Could the Grizzlies open the season as the No. 1 team in the country next August? With the talent that is returning it’s possible. The Texas 6A state champs do lose a few key pieces in middle Jaela Auguste (Florida) and right side Caelyn Emmerling (Texas State), as well as one half of the setting duo in Audrey Terry. But the good news is the top-two kill leaders are back in sophomore outside Halle Thompson and junior outside Samara Coleman (Pitt). They combined for nearly 1,000 kills this fall. Sophomore libero Cali Reece returns, as does sophomore setter Samantha Sampson. It leaves the Grizzlies enough that they could have another season in store like this one, when they went 50-1. CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC CA: The Dons surprised in a major way this fall. After capturing the national championship in 2022 and losing a ton of talent, they were right back in the national championship picture in 2023. Cathedral Catholic is going to see more roster turnover next fall as it loses three of its top four kill leaders in Jenna Hanes (Michigan), Tiona Owens and Ayva Moi (Hawaii beach). Also graduating is senior setter Amanda Saeger (DePaul). The Dons are going to have to retool around sophomore outside Madyson McCarthy, freshman setter Kale’a Lee, junior libero Maya Evens (Maryland) and junior outside Mae Kordas (Yale). Freshman outside Jojo Wilson also figures to take on a bigger role next fall. It’s hard to see Cathedral Catholic remaining a Top-10 program in 2024, but we said the same thing about 2023, so we’ll see. WAYZATA MN: There is going to be big changes in the Trojans’ lineup next season. Key pieces in setter Stella Swenson (Minnesota), outside Olivia Swenson (Minnesota), right side Avery Jesewitz and libero Bianca Nistor. One of the biggest returners is junior middle Katie Kelzenberg (George Mason). Wayzata has big challenges to remain in the upper half of the national rankings. MIRA COSTA CA: The Mustangs are going to take a big loss with setter Charlie Fuerbringer (Wisconsin) graduating. They lose other parts in middles Bryn Shankle (TCU) and Rachel Moglia, as well as right sides Nora Williams (UCR) and Chloe Hynes (NYU). It’s going to create a new look, but the returning players could keep Mira Costa in the Top 10 in 2024. The top-two kill leaders are sophomore outsides Audrey Flanagan and Simone Roslon. Also back is junior libero Taylor Deckert (USC). That provides a great building block. Sophomore setters Milly McGee and Reese Stringer are also going to be part of the mix that should keep Mira Costa churning along. ASSUMPTION KY: This is a program that always finds a way to be competitive and typically finishes in at least the Top 20 in national rankings. Next season should be no different despite key seniors in outsides Charlotte Moriarty (Xavier) and Chloe Smith (Wofford). That’s an area that’s going to need to get sorted out. However, there are other pieces in place like junior middle Bailey Blair (Ohio), junior libero Kristen Simon (Wisconsin), junior outside Emma Barnett, junior setter Emilee Fuller and sophomore defensive specialist Emily Keiran. MOTHER MCAULEY IL: The Macs were among the schools who returned a bunch in 2023. That won’t be the case in 2024. Outside Ellie White (Michigan), middle Ellery Rees (Alabama) and libero Samantha Falk (Loyola-Chicago) are going to be missed.

It’s official! Mater Dei of California is the vballrecruiter.com 2023 High School National Champion. You can read about Mater Dei’s season and why the Monarchs finished this fall as the best high school team in the country. With most of the states wrapped up, there was very little movement in our final Top 50 of the year. With Mater Dei winning the CA Open Division state final and Grand Oaks taking home the Texas 6A state title, there was no change in the Top 10. The biggest change came with Cinco Ranch, which lost to Grand Oaks in the 6A state final, moving up from No. 29 to No. 13 after a strong campaign. Cinco Ranch was No. 29 last week because it had a prior loss to Harlan. But after beating Harlan in the 6A semis, Cinco Ranch shot up in our final rankings. There was only one new school cracking the rankings. With Mercy winning the Michigan Division 1 state final, it knocked Northville from the Top 50. As a result, Lake Travis TX ends the year in the Top 50. You can view the full final rankings below. vballrecruiter.com’S FINAL TOP 50 NATIONAL HS RANKINGS 1. Mater Dei CA 43-2 (1 – previous ranking) 2. Hamilton Southeastern IN 33-0 (2) 3. Prestonwood Christian TX 36-4 (3) 4. Grand Oaks TX 50-1 (4) 5. Cathedral Catholic CA 34-5 (5) 6. Wayzata MN 34-0 (6) 7. Mira Costa CA 39-4 (7) 8. Assumption KY 37-5 (8) 9. Mother McAuley IL 37-5 (9) 10. Benet Academy IL 39-3 (10) *** 11. Divine Savior Holy Angels WI 47-1 (11) 12. O’Connor AZ 34-1 (12) 13. Cinco Ranch TX 38-5 (29) 14. Lincoln Southwest NE 33-4 (13) 15. Middle Creek NC 26-1 (14) 16. Lake Catholic OH 29-0 (16) 17. Archbishop Mitty CA 33-5 (15) 18. Kings OH 28-1 (18) 19. St. Francis/Mountain View CA 35-6 (17) 20. Papillion-La Vista NE 26-16 (19) *** 21. Papillion-La Vista South NE 35-2 (20) 22. Mill Valley KS 37-5 (21) 23. Marist IL 33-5 (22) 24. Notre Dame Academy KY 35-7 (23) 25. Sierra Canyon CA 34-9 (24) 26. Blue Valley North KS 38-4 (25) 27. Harlan TX 44-6 (26) 28. Dike-New Hartford IA 50-0 (27) 29. Valor Christian CO 29-0 (28) 30. Oconomowoc WI 41-4 (30) *** 31. Seaman KS 38-6 (31) 32. St. Thomas Aquinas KS 31-9 (32) 33. Lafayette MO 36-2 (33) 34. Dripping Springs TX 48-7 (34) 35. Maize South KS 38-5 (35) 36. St. James Academy KS 33-6 (36) 37. Cornerstone Christian TX 34-7 (37) 38. Carrollwood Day FL 31-2 (38) 39. North Branch MI 56-4 (46) 40. Foothill CA 37-2 (40) *** 41. Branson CA 28-5 (41) 42. Lone Peak UT 28-5 (42) 43. Plant FL 25-3 (43) 44. Berkeley Prep FL 20-6 (44) 45. Pace Academy GA 37-3 (45) 46. Alpharetta GA 38-3 (47) 47. Skyridge UT 28-2 (48) 48. Glenbard West IL 35-4 (49) 49. Pope GA 39-4 (50) 50. Lake Travis TX 44-6 (n/r) *** ON THE CUSP Huntington Beach CA Mercy MI Forest Hills Northern MI Perry AZ Xavier Prep AZ St. Josepha Academy OH Olentangy Orange OH Winter Park FL St. Thomas Aquinas FL Kamehameha HI Punahou HI Bishop Gorman NV McGill-Toolen AL Mountain Brook AL Cox Mill NC *** Past vballrecruiter.com National Champions: 2022: Cathedral Catholic CA

Anything short of a head-to-head result or results between the undisputed two top programs in the country means determining the high school national champion is completely subjective. A season ago Cathedral Catholic made it an easy choice given the Dons went undefeated and only dropped one set all year as they captured the Durango Fall Classic title and the California Open Division state championship. The only other team under consideration last fall was Cornerstone Christian of Texas. While the Warriors did hand eventual TAPPS 6A champ Prestonwood Christian its only loss as well as defeat Texas 6A state champ Dripping Springs, plus beat CA Open Division semifinalist Mira Costa, they suffered their only loss to Westminster Christian FL in the final of the Nike TOC Southeast tournament. That lone loss ended any heated debate between Cathedral Catholic and Cornerstone Christian in terms of the national championship. It would have been nearly impossible to pick between the pair had both ended the year undefeated. There are three important factors in determining a national champion. One is overall record. Another is strength of schedule. And lastly a team must capture its state championship, because if a team isn’t the best in its state how can it be the best in the nation? That leads us to our 2023 High School National Champion – Mater Dei of California. Mater Dei finished the year 43-2. While they did not go undefeated like Hamilton Southeastern of Indiana or Wayzata of Minnesota, the Monarchs strength of schedule was vastly superior. The Monarchs earned two major tournament titles in Volleypalooza and the Durango Fall Classic. And after defeating nationally-ranked Archbishop Mitty in four sets this past Saturday evening, they earned their second California Open Division state championship to match the one they claimed in 2018. “It’s amazing,” Mater Dei coach Dan O’Dell said. “Winning tournaments is tough. I’ve had a lot of good teams and we didn’t win Durango. Playing those best-of-three tournaments is just a crap shoot. I don’t know if I would have believed anyone who said we would win two major tournaments, CIF and state and accomplish all of that. It’s really impressive. It’s a testament to the girls. Whenever they needed to be really good, they showed up.” The core of the roster was largely the same from a season ago. Senior outside and 4-star San Diego commit Isabel Clark, senior right side and 4-star Michigan commit Cymarah Gordon, sophomore outside and 5-star recruit Layli Ostovar, senior libero and 3-star Stanford commit Malyssa Cawa, junior setter Ayva Ostovar and senior defensive specialist and 3-star recruit Tessa Hurley all played key roles in 2022. The biggest turnover came in the middle, where Mater Dei leaned on sophomore and 3-star recruit Addison Coady and freshman and 3-star recruit Emma Kingston to start the year. Mater Dei was boosted by the eligibility of senior setter/right side and 3-star Brown commit Julia Kakkis, who had to sit out all last year after transferring due to a CIF ruling. The depth of the lineup was crucial in the team’s success.   “That was our strength,” O’Dell said. “We never really relied on just one kid every match. We had Izzy, Cymarah and Layli to carry us. If someone was off, there was someone else to shoulder the load. We had such balance and multiple players being part of our success. We have an amazing libero in Malyssa and a great setter in Julia to orchestrate it all. “Emma, our freshman middle, was massive at the end of the season. She really improved her blocking from the beginning of the season and by the end she was single-handily taking out middles and shutting down outsides. She had nine blocks in the CIF final. She had seven or eight against Cathedral Catholic in the semis and she had eight against Mitty. She was averaging about two blocks per set in that stretch. “Tessa Hurley, our DS, she made some outstanding plays. She would be a starting libero on so many teams but she happens to play with Malyssa.” A season ago, Cathedral Catholic overcame the loss of senior outside and Stanford commit Julia Blyashov and won four state matches without her. While Mater Dei didn’t lose its top player like the Dons, the Monarchs did deal with a couple of key injuries. The first was losing Coady to an ankle injury during Volleypalooza. She remained out past the Durango Fall Classic. Another was losing Ayva Ostovar the week leading into Dave Mohs and having to switch to Kakkis running a 5-1, which she did for the remainder of the season. “When we switched to a 5-1 it was tough,” O’Dell said. “We were trying something new and we were exposed by Cathedral Catholic. They were doubling up our outsides and we weren’t running the middles. We just weren’t great. After that, we started implementing Layli going to six rotations. She was hurt at the beginning of the year so we had been subbing her out back row. We wanted her in the back row so with her and Izzy we always had a back row attack to get more offense in the 5-1. Julia started getting more comfortable at the net and getting used to the 5-1. It also helped having middle depth because with Megan Rice and Sofia Walker we were able to mix and match. But the main change was Layli going six rotations so we had more offense.” Mater Dei didn’t lose the rest of the way after falling to Cathedral Catholic in the Dave Mohs final. That brings us to Mater Dei’s record. A pair of losses is usually enough to eliminate a team from the national championship picture. As we mentioned earlier, Cornerstone Christian was eliminated with just one loss in 2022, as was Prestonwood Christian, who only lost to Cornerstone Christian. As for Mater Dei, the Monarchs ended the year with a winning record against both opponents they lost to in Mira Costa

Once the high school schedule officially wraps up, we’ll start releasing our Player of the Year candidates for the 2024-2027 classes. It’s likely you’ll see many of the names below listed as our Freshman of the Year candidates for the 2023 season. What all 13 ninth-graders below have in common is that their respective seasons are completed and all made tremendous impacts towards their team success. Lauren Garcia S/RS Reagan TX: Garcia – a 3-star recruit – had a big freshman season in helping the Rattlers reach the regional quarterfinals. She finished off the year second in kills with 428, averaging 3.2 per set. She also led the team in assists with 798, averaging 6.0 per set. She was third in digs with 375 and first in aces with 54. She recorded a season-high 17 kills in a September victory over Johnson. She twice reached a season-best 33 assists. The first came in a victory against Churchill in September. The next was in an October bi-district triumph over New Braunfels. Mallory Wandel OH Rockford MI: The Rams’ run came to an end in the Division 1 regional final. Still, it was a tremendous rookie campaign for Wandel. She was second in kills with 373. She averaged 2.8 per set. One of her best matches came in August when she had 13 kills and hit .647. She had a season-high 17 kills in a September victory over Caledonia. Louise Neuhart OH Virginia Academy VA: Neuhart played a key role in the Patriots making it to the Virginia Division 2 state semifinals. The freshman outside led the offense with 366 kills. She averaged 2.9 per set and hit .290. Neuhart twice registered a season-high 17 kills. One was in a victory against St. Anne’s-Belfield as she hit .412. The other time came against Chelsea Academy, when she hit .406. McKenna McIntosh OH St. Mary’s CA: McIntosh – a 3-star recruit – made an immediate impact for the Rams, who captured the CIF Sac-Joaquin Division 1 championship and qualifed for the CA Open Division state playoffs, where they fell to Foothill in the Round of 16. McIntosh led the attack with 362 kills. She averaged 4.5 kills per set and hit .350. She was also second in both digs (179) and blocks (22) and third in aces (48). McIntosh had a couple of her biggest outings late in the season. It included dropping 17 kills and hitting .308 as St. Mary’s beat Rocklin in the sectional final. In the sectional semis, she had a season-best 20 kills and hit .462. Marissa Jones S Woodward Academy GA: Jones – a 5-star recruit – guided Woodward Academy to the Georgia 6A state quarterfinals before falling to eventual champ Alpharetta. She dished out 702 assists, averaging 7.5 per set. She also finished first in blocks with 71 and third in digs with 239. She twice recorded a season-best 35 assists, as well as a season-high seven blocks in an August loss to McIntosh. Lauren Forelli OH Liberty AZ: With Forelli leading the charge on offense, the Lions advanced to the Arizona 6A state quarterfinals this fall. The 4-star recruit sent down a team-leading 250 kills. In her best match of the season, she put away a high of 21 kills and hit .439 in a five-set victory against Pinnacle in October. Kendall Omoruyi MB Sunnyslope AZ: The Vikings also made it to the Arizona 6A state quarterfinals. A 5-star recruit, Omoruyi was an important factor in the middle. She ended third in kills with 171, averaging 2.3 per set. She made a bigger impact defensively, sending down 83 blocks and averaging 1.1 per set. She amassed a season-high 14 kills in a five-set victory against Mountain Ridge in September. She also twice had a season-high nine blocks. It came against Lake Highlands Prep FL and Bishop’s CA during the Nike TOC Southwest tournament. Calli LeFevre OH Marian MI: LeFevre’s role in helping the Mustangs reach the Michigan Division 1 state quarterfinals cannot be overlooked. The 3-star outside wrapped up the year second in kills with 338. She averaged 2.7 per set and was third in digs with 300, averaging 2.4. She tallied a season-high 15 kills in a five-set loss to Lake Orion in September. Amelie Pankonin OH River Falls WI: The Wildcats advanced to the Wisconsin Division 1 state quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion and nationally-ranked Divine Savior Holy Angels. Pankonin played a vital part on offense, finishing the year second in kills with 322. That was one short of tying for the team lead. She averaged 3.4 per set. Four times she totaled 20 kills or more, including a season-high 22 and hitting .388 in a four-set victory over Eau Claire Memorial in the second round of state. Ellyson Randolph OH Reagan NC: The Raiders suffered their only loss of the fall in the North Carolina 4A state semifinals when Cox Mill prevailed in four sets. It was quite the season for the 6-2 Randolph, who led the team in kills. She put down 311 and averaged 3.2 per set while hitting .314. She notched a season-high 15 kills in a four-set victory against East Surry in October. Caroline Ward OH Tri-West Hendricks IN: Ward – a 5-star talent – played a crucial role in the Bruins finishing on top of the Indiana 3A state playoffs. She finished second in kills with 312, averaging 2.8 per set. She was also third in blocks with 45. She had 19 kills and hit .640 in a victory against Westner Boone in mid-October. She set her season high of 24 kills while hitting .439 in a five-set triumph over Center Grove in early October. Addyson Avery MB Briarcrest Christian TN: The Saints came out on top of the Tennessee Division 2AA state playoffs. Avery contributed in a big way out of the middle. She finished fourth in kills with 166, averaging 1.6 per set and hitting .352, and led the way blocking with 139. That

The final week of the high school season is upon us. That’s the bad news. The good news is it has been a fun-filled and entertaining ride, one that is not over just yet. Major states like California and Texas wrap up this week. Not only is the national championship still up in the air, state tournaments also help shape and define who will be our Player of the Year for each class. Just like it’s impossible to be the national champion without winning a state tournament, it’s virtually impossible as well to be named a Freshman, Sophomore, Junior or Senior Player of the Year without hoisting the state trophy. As for the national championship puzzle, the pieces continue to fall into place. Top-ranked Mater Dei is still alive in the California Open Division state playoffs and is set to face Cathedral Catholic on Tuesday in the semifinals. The winner of that advances to face the winner of Archbishop Mitty–St. Francis/Mountain View in Saturday’s final. Mater Dei and Cathedral Catholic have split a pair of matches thus far, with Mater Dei beating Cathedral in the semifinals of Volleypalooza and Cathedral returning the favor by downing Mater Dei in the finals of the Dave Mohs tournament two weeks later. Cathedral Catholic knocked off Mira Costa over the weekend in the quarterfinals. That was a giant result because it ended any chance of Mira Costa finishing as the national champion. Mira Costa had a path to the title but would have needed to beat Cathedral Catholic, then Mater Dei then the Nor Cal representative in the final in order to make that claim. Cathedral Catholic went undefeated last year and claimed the national championship after winning the Open Division state championship. Despite losing a lot of talent, the Dons are interestingly in another position where they could possibly make an argument for once again being national champions. Should they win out, the Dons would have gone 2-1 against Mater Dei and 1-1 against Prestonwood Christian, which won the TAPPS 6A state championship. Cathedral Catholic did lose to Mira Costa at the Durango Fall Classic but avenged that loss in the state playoffs. The biggest obstacle is the loss to Grand Oaks in the third-place match at Volleypalooza. Grand Oaks is still alive in the semifinals of the Texas 6A state playoffs. Grand Oaks’ only loss remains to Prestonwood Christian in the semis of Volleypalooza. We’ll sort through all the results as the state finals conclude this coming weekend and will name a national champion next Monday. Until then, this week’s updated Top 50 can be viewed in its entirety below. vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL HS RANKINGS 1. Mater Dei CA (1 – previous ranking) 2. Hamilton Southeastern IN (3) 3. Prestonwood Christian TX (4) 4. Grand Oaks TX (5) 5. Cathedral Catholic CA (6) 6. Wayzata MN (7) 7. Mira Costa CA (2) 8. Assumption KY (8) 9. Mother McAuley IL (10) 10. Benet Academy IL (9) *** 11. Divine Savior Holy Angels WI (11) 12. O’Connor AZ (12) 13. Lincoln Southwest NE (13) 14. Middle Creek NC (14) 15. Archbishop Mitty CA (15) 16. Lake Catholic OH (16) 17. St. Francis/Mountain View CA (16) 18. Kings OH (18) 19. Papillion-La Vista NE (19) 20. Papillion-La Vista South NE (20) *** 21. Mill Valley KS (21) 22. Marist IL (22) 23. Notre Dame Academy KY (24) 24. Sierra Canyon CA (23) 25. Blue Valley North KS (25) 26. Harlan TX (n/r) 27. Dike-New Hartford IA (26) 28. Valor Christian CO (27) 29. Cinco Ranch TX (n/r) 30. Oconomowoc WI (29) *** 31. Seaman KS (31) 32. St. Thomas Aquinas KS (32) 33. Lafayette MO (34) 34. Dripping Springs TX (33) 35. Maize South KS (35) 36. St. James Academy KS (37) 37. Cornerstone Christian TX (38) 38. Carrollwood Day FL (40) 39. Northville MI (n/r) 40. Foothill CA (39) *** 41. Branson CA (41) 42. Lone Peak UT (43) 43. Plant FL (n/r) 44. Berkeley Prep FL (44) 45. Pace Academy GA (45) 46. North Branch MI (46) 47. Alpharetta GA (47) 48. Skyridge UT (48) 49. Glenbard West IL (49) 50. Pope GA (50) *** ON THE CUSP Lake Travis TXPerry AZXavier Prep AZSt. Ursula Academy OHSeton OHMercy McAuley OHHuntington Beach CAMarymount CALos Alamitos CAWinter Park FLSt. Thomas Aquinas FLKamehameha HIPunahou HIBishop Gorman NVHorizon AZMcGill-Toolen ALMountain Brook ALLas Cruces NMJenks OKWillowbrook IL

We are under two weeks away from the 2023 high school season coming to a close. It’s that time of year when dreams are coming true and schools are raising state championship plaques and trophies. Below, we spotlight seven schools from our Top 50 National HS Rankings which finished on top of their respective divisions. ASSUMPTION: The Rockets added their state-record 23rd state championship by topping Notre Dame Academy in the Kentucky state final Saturday. Assumption handed NDA’s its first loss of the season by beating them in the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament in early September and ended the season 3-1 against the Pandas. Assumption hadn’t won the state title since 2019. It was the longest drought since Assumption took home its first state title back in 1992. Senor Charlotte Moriarty led the way with 18 kills and tied junior libero Kristen Simon with a team-high 16 digs. Moriarty ended the season with 386 kills, followed by junior middle Bailey Blair with 323. Senior outside Chloe Smith (287 kills) and Emma Barnett (275) rounded out a balanced attack directed by junior setter Emilee Fuller (1,212 assists). Meanwhile, Simon wrapped up the year with 473 digs as Assumption finished the year 36-5 overall. DIVINE SAVIOR HOLY ANGELS: Led by 5-star Wisconsin commit and junior outside Madison Quest’s season-high 24 kills, Divine Savior defeated Oconomowoc in the Wisconsin Division 1 state final. It was the fourth time this season DSHA downed Oconomowoc in defending its state title. Senior outside and Creighton commit Sophia Wendlick added 22 kills. Four-star junior libero and Michigan State commit Olivia Durst put up 23 digs. Wendlick (556 kills) and Quest (515) combined for over 1,000 kills on the season. Junior setter and Belmont commit Jordan Czajkowski dished out 1,100 assists while Durst finished with 466 digs. DSHA went 47-1 this fall, with its only loss coming to Mother McAuley in the Asics Challenge tournament. LINCOLN SOUTHWEST: The Silver Hawks (33-4) ended the season on top of the Nebraska Class A state championship. Lincoln Southwest swept Papillion-La Vista in Saturday’s state final as 4-star and junior setter Malayah Long’s 31 assists. Senior outside Emerson Lionberger led the offense with 11 kills. Long directed a balanced attack on the year. Senior outside Julia Trost finished with a team-leading 274 kills. Senior middle Madison Rink had 265, while junior outside Shelby Harding (227 kills) and Lionberger (216) were also frequent contributors. MILL VALLEY: The Jaguars (37-5) were another school which ended the season on top of its respective division. Mill Valley swept Blue Valley North in the Kansas Class 6A state final two weeks ago. Senior outside Kaitlyn Burke put away 13 kills and sophomore setter Ella Florez delivered 24 assists. Mill Valley lost its first meeting of the year against Blue Valley North, but wound up 3-1 against after taking the state showdown. Florez racked up 943 assists this fall. Burke powered the offense with a team-high 349 kills. Freshman outside Riley Riggs played a key role, ending her rookie campaign with 299 kills. Junior middles Saida Jacobs (222 kills) and Ashlyn Blazer (203) were also an important part of the attack while sophomore libero Corinne Schwindt anchored the defense with 297 digs. DIKE-NEW HARTFORD: The Wolverines were stopped in last year’s Iowa Class 2A state final but weren’t going to be denied in 2023. Dike-New Hartford swept Hinton in last Thursday’s state championship match to cap a perfect 50-0 season. Senior outside and 4-star Louisville commit Payton Petersen registered 20 kills and hit. 368. Petersen ended her senior year with 616 kills and hitting .463. Senior outside Jadyn Petersen was next in line with 426 kills, followed by senior middle Maryn Bixby with 351. LAFAYETTE: Junior outside and 4-star Vanderbilt commit Maya Witherspoon recorded 21 kills to lift the Lancers to their second consecutive Missouri Class 5A state championship in a sweep of Howell last weekend. Senior setter Alyssa Nelson dished out 34 assists as well as Lafayette completed the year 36-2. Nelson amassed 1,036 assists to close out her career, while Witherspoon shined offensively with a team-leading 435 kills. Senior outside Allison Risley (303 kills) and freshman right side Shaye Witherspoon (252) were also favorite targets of Nelson. LONE PEAK: Freshman outside and 4-star recruit Ava Burgess waited until Utah’s 6A state final to deliver her best performance of the season. She totaled a season-best 17 kills as the Knights (28-5) took down Skyridge in four sets. The two sides split a pair of matches before meeting for a third time in the state final. Senior right side Cami Christiansen added 14 kills while 5-star senior middle and Kansas commit Zoey Burgess had 11. Junior Sam Pope and sophomore Nevaeh Tien combined for 42 assists. The Knights were yet another squad who ran a very balanced offense. Zoey Burgess (279 kills), Christiansen (236), McKynzee Beddes (220) and Ava Burgess (207) all finished with similar output.