Volleyball Coaches Poll: 09.04.23

Each week volleyball coaches from each class across the state submit their rankings and our Tony Chapman compiles them. Here is the second in-season poll for 2023 season, presented by Pinnacle Bank. Records listed are through games played on Saturday, September 2.

Class A

1. Papillion-LaVista South (8-0), 1
2. Papillion-LaVista (5-3), 2
3. Lincoln Southwest (4-0), 4
4. Gretna (7-5), 5
5. Lincoln East (5-3), 6
6. Millard West (7-4), 7
7. Lincoln Pius X (3-1), 9
8. Omaha Westside (3-3), 8
9. Millard North (3-6), 3
10. Elkhorn South (4-6), RV

Receiving votes: Millard South (3-5), 10.

Comments: Millard North tumbles after an 0-3 week, but all the losses were to ranked teams. Millard South drops out in favor of Elkhorn South. Pius jumped Westside after opening their season 3-1.

Class B

1. Omaha Skutt (8-4), 1
2. Bennington (9-0), 4
3. Elkhorn North (8-1), 2
4. Norris (6-1), 3
5. Waverly (4-1), 5
6. Gretna East (11-1), 7
7. Seward (5-1), 6
8. Omaha Duchesne (3-2), NR
9. Grand Island Northwest (2-4), 8
10. Scottsbluff (5-2), NR

Receiving votes: Crete (4-2), RV; Gering (2-0), NR.

Comments: Bennington’s sweep of then, No. 3 Norris jumped the Badgers past Elkhorn North. The bottom three remains a mystery until a few more games are played. No. 8 Northwest has a home game with RV Crete on Tuesday which will help clean up the bottom a little bit.

Class C-1

1. Minden (7-0), 1
2. Gothenburg (5-0), 2
3. DC West (6-0), 3
4. Kearney Catholic (4-0), 4
5. GICC (3-0), 5
6. Platteview (6-0), 6
7. Adams Central (4-1), 8
8. Malcolm (4-1), 7
9. Wahoo (5-1), RV
10. St. Paul (6-0), RV

Receiving Votes: Ogallala (4-0), RV; Battle Creek (6-0), NR.

Comments: The top-8 teams remain the same with Malcolm and Adams Central switching spots. The bottom two spots are now for Wahoo and St. Paul as North Bend Central (3-3) and Lakeview (3-2) drop out.

Class C-2 

1. Lincoln Lutheran (5-0), 1
2. Clarkson/Leigh (7-0), 2
3. Oakland-Craig (5-1), 5
4. Fremont Bergan (6-1), 4
5. Yutan (7-1), RV
6. Elmwood-Murdock (5-1), NR
7. Sutton (8-2), 6
8. Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family (3-0), 7
9. Wakefield (4-3), NR
10. Hastings St. Cecilia (2-2), 9

Receiving votes: Hartington Cedar Catholic (4-2), 3; Cross County (2-1), RV; Thayer Central (3-0), 10.

Comments: Lutheran and Clarkson/Leigh remain at the top and unbeaten. Oakland-Craig jumps to No. 3 after a 4-1 outing at the NEN Invitational and a win over Bergan. They lost, however, to Wakefield which enters at No. 9. Yutan and Elmwood-Murdock enter for the first time as well. About 13-15 teams vying for a spot in these rankings.

Class D-1

1. Amherst (5-0), 1
2. Southwest (6-0), 3
3. Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (5-0), 5
4. Diller-Odell (3-1), 2
5. Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (3-0), 4
6. O’Neill St. Mary’s (6-0), 6
7. Nebraska Christian (7-1), 8
8. Axtell (4-0), 9
9. Paxton (4-0), 10
10. Guardian Angels Central Catholic (6-1), NR

Receiving votes: Exeter-Milligan/Friend (3-0), RV; Elgin Public/Pope John (3-1), 7.

Comments: Diller-Odell’s loss to Class C-2, No. 6 Elmwood-Murdock and BDS’ sweep over Class C-2, No. 8 Sutton cause a shake up in the top-5. EPPJ drops out after a loss to Class D-2, No. 7 Stuart with GACC taking their spot.

Class D-2

1. Overton (6-0), 1
2. Howells-Dodge (3-2), 2
3. Cambridge (4-1), 3
4. Meridian (3-0), 4
5. Wynot (3-1), 5
6. Humphrey St. Francis (1-0), 6
7. Stuart (6-0), 9
8. Falls City Sacred Heart (3-3), 7
9. Shelton (6-2), 8
10. Bertrand (3-1), NR

Receiving votes: Central Valley (5-1), RV: High Plains (2-0), RV; Lawrence-Nelson (2-2), RV; Leyton (3-0), NR; Sandhills/Thedford (6-1), NR.

Comments: Overton continues it’s strong start and Howells-Dodge is not penalized for losses to Clarkson/Leigh and Oakland-Craig. Stuart a mover after a 6-0 start, with Bertrand entering after a 3-1 start which includes a win over Sandhills/Thedford, who beat previous No. 10 Wallace.