Each week volleyball coaches from each class across the state submit their rankings and our Tony Chapman compiles them. Here is the third in-season poll for 2023 season, presented by Pinnacle Bank. Records listed are through games played on Saturday, September 9.
Class A
- Papillion-LaVista South (12-0), 1
- Lincoln Southwest (5-0), 3
- Lincoln East (7-3), 5
- Millard West (12-4), 6
- Omaha Westside (4-4), 8
- Gretna (8-6), 4
- Lincoln Pius X (3-3), 7
- Papillion-LaVista (5-5), 2
- Millard North (7-7), 9
- Bellevue West (11-4), NR
Receiving votes: Elkhorn South (4-7), 10.
Comments: Nine of the 10 teams from last week stay ranked, but plenty of shuffling. Newcomer Bellevue West won all six at the Bellevue East Invitational and their previous win over Elkhorn South gets them in the rankings. Papio had an 0-2 week and drops while Gretna lost their only match of the week to Westside.
Top games: Tuesday, Bellevue West vs. Bennington (with Platteview), Friday/Saturday, Lincoln Public Schools Invite.
Class B
- Omaha Skutt (9-6), 1
- Bennington (13-1), 2
- Elkhorn North (13-2), 3
- Norris (10-1), 4
- Gretna East (15-3), 6
- Waverly (7-4), 5
- Omaha Duchesne (4-2), 8
- Seward (7-3), 7
- Grand Island Northwest (4-4), 9
- Gering (4-0), 10
Receiving votes: Beatrice (8-4), NR; Crete (7-4), RV.
Comments: The front seven seem solidly set, but we have five teams battling for the last three spots and it seems ever-changing. Last week, Northwest took a five-set win over Crete, but then the Cards rebounded with a win over Seward at Norris. Beatrice beat Crete on opening night and won the Neumann Invite over the weekend but has a loss to Class C-2, unranked Superior. It should sort itself out soon.
Top games: Tuesday, Northwest at Hastings (with Minden), Scottsbluff at Gering, Norris at Waverly; Thursday, Northwest at Waverly, Beatrice at Malcolm, Millard South at Elkhorn North; Saturday, Seward (at Seward Invite).
Class C-1
- Minden (9-0), 1
- Gothenburg (9-0), 2
- Kearney Catholic (6-0), 4
- DC West (10-1), 3
- GICC (8-0), 5
- Platteview (9-2), 6
- Adams Central (5-2), 7
- Malcolm (7-2), 8
- Wahoo (6-1), 9
- St. Paul (8-0), 10
Receiving Votes: Ogallala (7-1), RV; Columbus Lakeview (6-3), NR; Battle Creek (10-1), RV.
Comments: Near status quo in Class C-1, with Kearney Catholic and DC West flipping spots after the latter lost to Bishop Neumann at their home invite and KC added a ranked win over Adams Central.
Top games: Thursday, Columbus Lakeview at Battle Creek, Oakland-Craig at Wahoo; Saturday, Seward Invite and Gothenburg Invite.
Class C-2
- Lincoln Lutheran (10-0), 1
- Clarkson/Leigh (9-1), 2
- Oakland-Craig (9-1), 3
- Fremont Bergan (11-1), 4
- Yutan (9-1), 5
- Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family (8-0), 8
- Elmwood-Murdock (8-3), 6
- Thayer Central (6-0), RV
- Bayard (5-0), NR
- Hastings St. Cecilia (4-5), 10
Receiving votes: Hartington Cedar Catholic (8-5), RV; Freeman (9-2), NR.
Comments: The top-five remain the same with HLHF jumping past Elmwood-Murdock when they won the EMF Invite. They get Clarkson/Leigh and Oakland-Craig this week. The bottom remains muddy with St. Cecilia hanging on with all five losses coming to C-1 schools, four of those being ranked.
Top games: Tuesday, HLHF at Oakland-Craig; Thursday, HLHF at Clarkson/Leigh, Fremont Bergan at DC West.
Class D-1
- Amherst (9-0), 1
- Southwest (8-0), 2
- Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (6-1), 3
- O’Neill St. Mary’s (8-0), 6
- Diller-Odell (5-1), 4
- Nebraska Christian (8-1), 7
- Elgin Public/Pope John (9-1), RV
- Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (6-2), 5
- Axtell (8-2), 8
- Paxton (7-0), 9
Receiving votes: Exeter-Milligan/Friend (7-1), RV; Guardian Angels Central Catholic (7-2), 10; Johnson-Brock (9-2), NR.
Comments: The top-three remain the same, but St. Mary’s makes a jump past Diller-Odell. EPPJ returns after a win over then Class D-2, No. 2 Howells-Dodge, but a big triangular awaits with Norfolk Catholic and Cedar Catholic. Big MUDECAS week for Diller-Odell, Johnson-Brock and BDS.
Top games: Tuesday, Amherst at SEM.
Class D-2
- Overton (9-0), 1
- Cambridge (6-2), 3
- Meridian (7-0), 4
- Wynot (5-1), 5
- Stuart (9-1), 7
- Shelton (7-3), 9
- Bertrand (8-2), 10
- Howells-Dodge (6-4), 2
- Leyton (8-0), RV
- Central Valley (5-1), RV
Receiving votes: High Plains (5-2), RV; Sandhills/Thedford (8-2), RV; Wallace (8-2), RV.
Comments: Overton lost its first set of the season on Thursday to No. 2 Cambridge. Meridian’s strong start will get tested at MUDECAS this week. Stuart and Wynot continue to move. When was the last time you had a D-2 girls top-10 (volleyball or basketball) that didn’t feature Humphrey St. Francis and Falls City Sacred Heart?
