The top five teams remained the same in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Volleyball Rankings, but this week's Top 25 looks vastly different than just one week ago with four new teams making positive impressions.
Mercy held on to the No. 1 spot for the third-straight week as it improved to 22-0, while St. Ursula Academy, St. Francis, Carroll and Assumption remained one through five with no changes.
St. Francis, which defeated previously ranked Mother McAuley (Chicago) in the finals of the Rich East Tournament last weekend, hosts No. 5. Assumption on Thursday. Mother McAuley handed St. Francis its only loss earlier this season.
Rounding out the Top 10 are Archbishop Mitty, St. James, Jupiter, Lewis Palmer and Brentwood. Since losing its season opener to No. 21 Siegel, Brentwood has won 48 straight matches (and the last 20 without losing a set).
No. 12 Jesuit, No. 19 Desert Vista and No. 20 Pitman are unbeaten and have yet to lose a set this season.
See our volleyball pro photo galleriesNew to the Top 25 this week are Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.), Kamehameha (Honolulu), Papillion-LaVista (LaVista, Neb.) and Mercy (Farmington Hills, Mich.).
St. Francis and Assumption will also be among 24 teams from eight states competing in the Mother McAuley Asics Invitational Friday and Saturday.
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Volleyball Rankings
1. (No. 1 last week) - Mercy (Louisville, Ky.), 22-0
2. (2) - St. Ursula Academy (Toledo, Ohio), 17-0
3. (3) - St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.), 19-1
4. (4) - Carroll (Southlake, Texas), 33-1
5. (5) - Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), 20-2
6. (7) - Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 16-1
7. (8) - St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), 15-1
8. (9) - Jupiter (Fla.), 13-0
9. (11) - Lewis-Palmer (Monument, Colo.), 12-0
10. (14) - Brentwood (Tenn.), 48-1
11. (12) - El Camino (Sacramento, Calif.), 22-0
12. (15) - Jesuit (Portland, Ore.), 16-0
13. (16) - Bettendorf (Iowa), 19-0
Lindsey Vander Weide, Pitman
File photo by Marty Bicek
15. (18) - Charlotte Country Day (N.C.), 35-1
16. (19) - Parkland (Allentown, Pa.), 22-0-1
17. (22) - Eden Prairie (Minn.), 16-0
18. (21) - Torrey Pines (San Diego), 11-1
19. (25) - Desert Vista (Phoenix), 16-0
20. (24) - Pitman (Turlock, Calif.), 23-0
21. (21) - Siegel (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), 41-1
22. (13) - Winter Springs (Fla.), 14-1
23. (NR) - Kamehameha (Honolulu), 21-1
24. (NR) - Papillion-LaVista (Papillion, Neb.), 21-0
25. (NR) - Mercy (Farmington Hills, Mich.), 31-1-1
Dropped Out: Punahou (Honolulu), Mother McAuley (Chicago), Notre Dame Prep (Pontiac, Mich.) and Cedar Grove (Greenwood, Ind.).
