Each week volleyball coaches from each class across the state submit their rankings and our Tony Chapman compiles them. Here is the sixth in-season Volleyball Coaches Poll for 2023 season, presented by Pinnacle Bank. Records listed are through games played on Saturday, September 30.
Class A
- Papillion-LaVista South (25-0), 1
- Lincoln Southwest (17-3), 2
- Lincoln East (18-7), 3
- Grand Island (20-6), 4
- Omaha Westside (10-7), 5
- Papillion-LaVista (14-10), 6
- Millard West (16-10), 7
- Lincoln Pius X (16-7), 9
- Gretna (21-9), 8
- Bellevue West (18-7), 10
Receiving votes: none.
Comments: Much of the same in Class A, with only 10 teams listed by the coaches this week. And little movement in the rankings with Pius and Gretna switching spots after the Bolts defeated in the Dragons at the Rocket Classic.
Top games: Thursday, Lincoln Pius at Papillion-LaVista (with Omaha Marian), Gretna at Bellevue West, .
Class B
- Omaha Skutt (15-9), 1
- Norris (21-2), 2
- Elkhorn North (19-3), 3
- Bennington (21-4), 4
- Gretna East (21-6), 5
- Waverly (17-7), 6
- Omaha Duchesne (9-3), 7
- Seward (18-4), 8
- Crete (17-8), 9
- Gering (15-4), RV
Receiving votes: Beatrice (13-9), NR; Northwest (14-10), 10.
Comments: The top-9 teams remain the same and unchanged. Skutt went 3-3 on the weekend in Chicago and Elkhorn North had a big win with a sweep of Bennington. Crete went 6-0 at the Twin City Invite in Scottsbluff with Gering going 5-1 to replace Northwest, which was 4-2.
Top games: Tuesday, Elkhorn North at Gretna East; Thursday, Bennington at Waverly; Northwest at Omaha Duchesne; Columbus Lakeview at Crete. Friday, Marist (IL) at Omaha Skutt. Saturday, Skutt Catholic Invite (Skutt, Papillion-LaVista, Papio South); Eastern Midlands Conference Tournament (Norris, Elkhorn North, Bennington, Waverly).
Class C-1
- Minden (23-0), 1
- Gothenburg (21-1), 2
- Kearney Catholic (17-2), 4
- GICC (16-2), 3
- Malcolm (20-2), 5
- DC West (16-3), 6
- Platteview (15-7), 8
- Adams Central (13-5), 7
- Pierce (20-2), 9
- Syracuse (16-5), 10
Receiving Votes: Ogallala (18-5), NR; Wahoo (14-6), RV.
Comments: Minden continues to roll. Kearney Catholic and GICC flip spots after the Stars took a 3-1 game from the Crusaders last week. But GICC bounced back to defeat Adams Central. Malcolm completed a 5-0 week and inched a bit closer to GICC. Platteview jumped AC after the Patriots went 0-2 to Northwest and GICC.
Top games: Tuesday, Ogallala at Gothenburg (with Valentine); Thursday, Minden at Ogallala (with Broken Bow). Thursday-Saturday, Centennial Conference Tournament (Kearney Catholic, GICC); Trailblazer (Malcolm, Platteview).
Class C-2
- Lincoln Lutheran (22-0), 1
- Clarkson/Leigh (22-1), 2
- Oakland-Craig (22-3), 3
- Freeman (19-2), 6
- Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family (18-4), 9
- Yutan (18-2), 4
- Bayard (20-0), 8
- Fremont Bergan (18-8), 5
- Elmwood-Murdock (17-4), 7
- Bishop Neumann (14-8), RV
Receiving votes: Atkinson West Holt (15-4), NR; Cross County (17-6), 10; Hastings St. Cecilia (15-9), NR; Thayer Central (17-2), NR.
Comments: Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family jumps from ninth to fifth after winning the Clarkson/Leigh tournament and giving the host their first loss of the season. As a result, others drop with Bishop Neumann replacing Cross County which lost to St. Cecilia and Superior in the St. Cecilia Invite.
Top games: Tuesday, Syracuse at Freeman; DC West at Oakland-Craig (with West Point-Beemer). Thursday-Saturday, Centennial Conference Tournament (Lincoln Lutheran, Fremont Bergan, Bishop Neumann, St. Cecilia).
Class D-1
- Amherst (17-4), 2
- Southwest (18-2), 1
- O’Neill St. Mary’s (17-0), 3
- Elgin Public/Pope John (16-3), 4
- Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (11-3), 5
- Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (16-3), 6
- Guardian Angels Central Catholic (16-3), 8
- Axtell (18-2), 7
- Nebraska Christian (16-6), 9
- Diller-Odell (14-7), NR
Receiving votes: Burwell (13-6), RV; Deshler (13-3), NR; Johnson-Brock (13-6), RV.
Comments: Amherst is back at the top after Southwest lost to Class D-2, No. 1 Overton last week, though the Broncos have met that same feat. No other real changes but GACC jumping Axtell for a win over Johnson-Brock and three Class C-1 and C-2 teams last week. Diller-Odell re-enters after their win at Johnson-Brock last week.
Top games: Tuesday, Kearney Catholic at Amherst; St. Mary’s at EPPJ (with St. Francis); Thursday, Amherst vs. Axtell (at Pleasanton).
Class D-2
- Overton (21-1), 1
- Cambridge (16-3), 2
- Wynot (14-3), 3
- Meridian (12-3), 4
- Stuart (18-3), 5
- Wallace (19-2), 7
- Shelton (13-4), 6
- Central Valley (10-4), 8
- Leyton (17-5), RV
- Howells-Dodge (12-8), 9
Receiving votes: Falls City Sacred Heart (16-9), NR; Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer (15-6), Sandhills/Thedford (16-4), 10.
Comments: No changes to the top-8 despite some losses they were all to teams in upper classes. Leyton moves back in off a sweep of Sandhills/Thedford with Sacred Heart and HTRS now receiving votes.
Top games: Tuesday, Paxton at Wallace (with DCS); Wood River at Shelton (with Ravenna). Thursday, Diller-Odell at HTRS (with Pawnee City), Deshler at Meridian (with Exeter-Milligan/Friend).
