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.
