by Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE

On Martin Luther King Day, over 150 eager young athletes attended the tryouts for the USA Volleyball High Performance Program. Tryouts were for the Men's Junior (men born in 1991 or 1992); Boys' Youth (boys born in 1993 or 1994); and Boys' Select (boys born in 1995 or later) National Teams at the American Sports Center in Anaheim.

	Photo Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE
	US National Team Coach Alan Knipe spoke to athletes

This was the third tryout of the 17 nationwide tryouts that will be held in January and February. Final team selection will be announced March 18-28. 

A select twelve of the MJNT- 2010 U-21 will compete in the Continental Championship in Quebec, Canada July 31- August 8, and twelve of the BYNT- 2010 U-19 will compete in the Continental Championship in Mexico April 3-11. 

It was a long weekend after a the SCVA Junior Boys Invitational three day tournament at the American Sports Center, but some up and coming talent shined.

US Men's National Team Coach Alan Knipe was there to greet the athletes. Head USC coach Bill Ferguson and Olympians Jeff Stork and Gary and Eric Sato also evaluated players. 

The tryout consisted of a warm up; run, stretch, pepper, hit, followed by 4 on 4 and 6 on 6 wash drills. 

Long Beach State Assistant Coach and Junior National Team coach John Hawks was optimistic about the turnout.

"The future of USA Volleyball sure looks bright!  I was very impressed with the turnout and the level of play considering the boys just finished playing a 3-day tournament,” Hawks said.  "The kids are getting more and more physical each year.  We are going to find a group of guys that will represent our country well…this is the fun part for our staff…putting all the pieces together to form the best team.”

Here are notes on some standout players.

Josh Taylor (2011) 6-8 OH Ku'ikahi Volleyball Club/Punahou (Honolulu, HI)

He is lean and mean, has huge feet (still growing) AND is only a junior.

He hits the ball high and hard and plays good D in the back row. It will be a fight to see who gets this kid….one of the top underclassmen in the nation.

Andrew Sato (2011) 5-8 S/L Agoura High School/SMBC 17Black. Sato (son of Gary) stood out in the libero position. 

Matt West (2011) 6-5 S from Space Needle Volleyball Foundation and Shorewood (Wash.) West was one of the most talented setters at the tryout.

Cody Caldwell (2011) 6-5 OH Newport Harbor/Balboa Bay. Caldwell looks solid and to be following in his brother Kyle's footsteps but with his right and in the OH position.

Other notable players were…

Jack Reed (2011) MB Balboa Bay VBC

Jonathan Tuttle (2011) RS Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills, calif.) Northern California VC

Rusty Sary (2011) 6-4 OH Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.) Balboa Bay VBC

Jace Olsen (2010) 6-7 MB Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) SCVC

Eric Mochalski (2010) 6-5 OH Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) SCVC

Joby Ramos (2010) 6-0 L Roosevelt (Honolulu, Hawaii) Ku'ikahi VBC

Ryan Leung (2010) 6-4 OH Hawaii Baptist (Honolulu, Hawaii) Ku'ikahi VBC 

Spencer Rowe (2010) 6-7 MB Mission Viejo (Calif.) OCVC 

Logann Molina (2010) L Assets (Honolulu, Hawaii) Ku'ikahi VBC

Kyle Russell (2011) OH Del Oro (Loomis, Calif.)  Northern Cailfornia VC

For more information on USA Volleyball and High Performance Programs go to…

USA Volleyball High Performance Indoor

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ESPN RISE Volleyball would like to proudly announce it's 2010 All-America Team 

ESPN RISE Volleyball All-America First Team

Name  Height  Position School College Commitment

Taylor Unroe 5-7 L Muncie Burris (Muncie, IN) Florida  

Jennifer Bonilla 5-9 L Marymount (Los Angeles, CA) Illinois  

Carly Wopat 6-2 MB Dos Pueblos (Goleta, CA) Stanford  

Tori Dixon 6-3 MB Burnsville (Burnsville, MN) Minnesota  

Kathleen Slay 6-6 MB Wakefield (Raleigh, NC) Penn State  

Maddie Martin 6-2 OH Plant (Tampa, FL) Penn State  

Sara Shaw 6-2 OH Westlake (Austin, TX) USC  

Rachel Williams 5-11 OH Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, CA) Stanford  

Ashley Wittman 6-1 OH Shakopee (Shakopee, MN) Minnesota  

Hannah Allison 5-11 S Siloam Springs (Siloam Springs, AR) Texas  

Morgan Broekhuis 6-5 S/Opp Colorado Springs Christian (Colorado Springs, CO) Nebraska 

Mikinzie Moydell 6-0 S/Opp Chaparral (Parker, CO) Penn State 

ESPN RISE Volleyball All-America Second Team

Name  Height  Position School College Commitment

Natalie Hagglund 5-8 L La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad ,CA) USC  

Erica Denney 6-5 MB Grandview (Aurora, CO) Penn State  

Adrienne Gehan 6-3 MB Episcopal School of Dallas (Dallas, TX) Cal  

Alexis Olgard 6-6 MB Mead (Spokane, WA) USC  

Elise Walch 6-5 OH Martin County (Stuart, FL) Wisconsin  

Kelly Reeves 6-1 OH Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, CA) UCLA  

Falyn Fonoimoana 6-4 OH Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, CA) USC  

Sam Wopat 6-1 OH Dos Pueblos (Goleta, CA) Stanford  

Sara Palmer 5-11 OH/L Hawaii Baptist (Honolulu, HI) Texas  

Dani Reinert 5-10 S Ursuline Academy (Cincinnati, OH) Buffalo  

Carly Thomas 5-11 S Althoff Catholic (Belleville, IL) Missouri State

Kylann Scheidt 6-1 S/Opp Farragut (Knoxville, TN) Tenessee 

Come back soon for the announcement of the ESPN RISE Volleyball Senior of the Year!

Have you joined ESPN RISE Volleyball's Facebook page?

Posted by Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE

It's the 25th year that Gatorade has selected the nation's best high school athletes as Gatorade State Volleyball Players of the Year.  Gatorade, in conjunction with ESPN RISE, has announced winners in 50 states and District of Columbia. This award not only recognizes athletic achievement but also academic accomplishment and commendable character off the field. 

To check out the full list of athletes awarded Gatorade State Players of the Year, go here.

By Kirstin Olsen/EPSN RISE   

Boys High School Volleyball season is right around the corner!

	Leonard Oxford for ESPN RISE
	Can senior outside hitter and Stanford commit Eric Mochalski lead Costa to a repeat?

The most talented elite invitational tournament, the Best of the West Invitational, has announced its field of 32 teams for 2010.

The Best of the West, hosted by Poway High School in Poway, Calif., will take place March 12-13, 2010. This is the third year of the tournament.  Past winners includes, Corona del Mar in 2007, Santa Barbara in 2008, and Mira Costa in 2009 .

2009 All Tournament returnees include... Torey Darin of Edison, Steve Irvin of Loyola, Connor Curry of Newport Harbor.

Check back soon for more information on the tournament or go to…

Best of the West website

 

San Diego Section

Carlsbad (Calif.)     

Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.)    

La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.)    

Poway (Calif.)     

Torrey Pines (San Diego, Calif.)

 

North Coast Section

 

Deer Valley (Antioch, Calif.) 

Central Section

Clovis (Calif.)

Sac-Joaquin Section

Granite Bay (Calif.)

Southern Section

Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.)   

Crespi (Encino, Calif.)  

Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.)    

Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.)     

Harvard/Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.)  

LB Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.)  

Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.)   

Loyola (Los Angeles, Calif.)  

Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)     

Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.)   

Norco (Calif.) 

Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)   

Palos Verdes (Palos Verdes, Calif.)

Redondo Beach Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.)   

Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) 

Servite (Anaheim, Calif.)  

St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 

Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)  

Valencia (Calif.)

Woodbridge (Irvine, Calif.)

Hawaii

Iolani (Honolulu, Hawaii)  Hawaii      

Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii) Hawaii

Central Coast Section 

Bellarmine (San Jose, Calif.)  

St. Francis (Mountain View, Calif.)

 

Is your tournament on our calendar?

Keep us up to date on what's going on in your world...

We want to hear from you!

ESPN RISE FAB 50 FINAL 2009
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS
 
It's another mythical national championship for the girls at Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) as the 2009 volleyball team has been crowned today as the ESPN RISE FAB 50 national champions.
 

	Leonard Oxford/ESPN RISE
	Mitty claims No. 1 spot for a second consecutive year

ESPN RISE FAB 50
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS
 
This will be perhaps the most tricky FAB 50 of the season since the rankings are going out on the same day in which the California Interscholastic Federation regional championships are being held later in the evening.
 
 Top-ranked Archbishop Mitty is in one of those matchups and was set to face St. Francis (Sacramento, Calif.). If the Monarchs move on, they would go for the CIF Division II state title as well as the mythical national title on Saturday at the UC Irvine Bren Events Center.
 
 The Monarchs continued last week to not only remain undefeated but they are hardly being challenged as they won their seventh straight match in straight sets with a 3-0 win against Petaluma (Calif.) last Saturday in the regional semifinals.
 
 Kristina Graven, like she has done for most of the season, led the team in kills with 13 while Rachel Williams added nine kills in their 25-16, 25-14, 25-6 win. Joan Caloiaro came up with 25 assists while Ryan Shafer was one of four Monarchs to have double digit digs in the game as she recorded a team-best 16.
 
 If Mitty were to get upset this week, the mythical national crown would then open up for No. 2 Muncie Burris (Muncie, Ind.) or even No. 3 Ursuline Academy (Cincinnati, Ohio). Ursuline, of course, would have to jump Muncie Burris for that to happen, but that move would at the mininum have to be considered.
 
 The only California teams to suffer playoff losses last week that really hurt them in the FAB 50 were previous No. 20 Elsinore (Wildomar, Calif.) and previous No. 28 La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.). Elsinore's regional semifinal loss to Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.) dropped that team down to No. 46 in this week's rankings. La Costa Canyon, meanwhile, which was No. 2 in last year's final FAB 50, dropped all the way out after falling to Huntington Beach.
 
 Like La Costa Canyon, Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos, Calif.) also lost an opening-round match in the CIF Division I South regional playoffs. But the Griffins lost to FAB 50 No. 7 Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.) and also beat No. 38 Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) in a head-to-head matchup so they only slid down a few spots.
 
 Head-to-head matchups also are continuing to be researched among teams that have already finished their seasons. This is why Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.) was dropped from No. 10 to No. 18. The Crusaders happen to have a head-to-head loss to Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) and therefore have to drop behind that team for the final rankings.
 
 Next week's rankings will be final, but we'll know on Saturday night which team is going to be No. 1.
 
 Compilers: Andrew Drennen, Kirstin Olsen, Mark Tennis
 Contributing: Paul Muyskens
 
 (After results of Saturday, Nov. 28)
 (Previous ranking in parentheses)
 
 1. (1) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 38-0
 
 2. (2) Muncie Burris (Muncie, Ind.) 40-0 **
 
 3. (3) Ursuline Academy (Cincinnati, Ohio) 29-0**
 
 4. (4) Amarillo (Amarillo, Texas) 48-3 **
 
 5. (5) Joliet Catholic (Joliet, Ill.) 41-1 **
 
 6. (6) Plant (Tampa, Fla.) 29-1 **
 
 7. (7) Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.) 32-2
 
 8. (8) Shakopee (Shakopee, Minn.) 32-0 **
 
 9. (9) Canyon Randall (Amarillo, Texas) 42-1 **

10. (11) Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.) 30-6

(Read full post)

ESPN RISE FAB 50

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS

Much of the scrambling for final spots in this year's ESPN RISE Girls Volleyball FAB 50 national rankings is just about done, except for one rather important state.

With the Texas and Florida state playoffs concluding last week and with favored teams like Amarillo and Tampa Plant impressing in state finals, most of the drama about the FAB 50 is beginning to focus in on No. 1 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.).

The Monarchs faced a Palo Alto (Calif.) team in the CIF Central Coast Section Division II championship last Saturday that was red-hot with a 33-match win streak and has visions of pulling off an upset.

Head coach Dave Winn told Palo Alto Online: "They make those Disney movies for a reason. The underdog does win once in a while.”

Despite Winn's optimism, Mitty was on its game from the start. The Monarchs won the match and were only challenged in the third game. Mitty's 25-14, 25-12, 25-23 win earned the program its seventh straight CCS title and a top-seed in the CIF Northern California regional playoffs. Leaders in the match included Kristina Graven with 16 kills, Rachel Williams with 11 kills and Joan Caloiro with 24 assists.

Mitty's final match of the season is expected to be the CIF Division II state championship, which will be played on Saturday, Dec. 5 at the UC Irvine Bren Events Center.

If Mitty were to suffer an upset, No. 2 Muncie Burris  (Muncie, Ind.) or No. 3 Ursuline Academy (Cincinnati, Ohio) would seem to have the strongest resumes for a move up to the top. Both of those teams have finished their seasons.

Amarillo also has seemingly cemented its position with at least a No. 4 final FAB 50 rankings. The Lady Sandies didn't have it easy against Westlake (Austin, Texas), but they captured their fourth straight UIL Class 5A state championship in a five set thriller. 

Senior libero Eden Williams was named tournament MVP after registering a match-high 25 digs. Micah Nolan led the victors with 17 kills while Danielle Barker set everyone up with 32 assists. The final three sets couldn't have ended any closer as the scores for the five sets were 19-25, 25-20, 28-26, 23-25, and 16-14. A fifth straight title next year might be a big task as Amarillo loses 11 seniors but head coach Jan Barker, who has led the school to eight state titles, sure knows how to win them.

Tampa Plant, meanwhile, will go down as the No. 1 team in Florida and will be no lower than No. 6 in the final FAB 50. The Panthers won their fourth straight state championship, and their first in Class 6A, as they defeated the three-time defending Class 6A champion Winter Park, in four sets. 

With their fourth straight title, Plant also has now won nine state championships in school history with seven of those nine coming this decade. Penn State commit Maddie Martin led the way with 22 kills while Alex Johnson also had a big game with 20 kills. Libero Ali McCurdy had a team-best 23 digs in her final high school game before heading to Duke and Becca Howard had 48 assists.

This week's biggest mover in the FAB 50 is Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.). The Sailors jumped from No. 22 to No. 11 after winning the CIF Southern Section Division IAA championship. Other teams winning CIFSS titles were Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.) in Division IA, Redlands East Valley (Redlands, Calif.) in Div. 2AA and Elsinore (Wildomar, Calif.) in Div. 2A.(Read full post)

	ESPN RISE
	Taylor Sander of Norco signed with BYU

by Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE 

November 11-18 was the early signing period for Prospective Student-Athletes Enrolling in the 2010-2011 Academic Year. Usually boys volleyball commits wait until spring period April 14- August 1.

BYU, Hawaii, Stanford and UCLA have signed a few in the early period. Penn State has a verbal commit from Mira Costa bomber Jace Olsen but has not released a press release on early signees. Unlike football, volleyball players usually stick with their verbal commitments, but never say never.

BYU looks to add depth to their outside position with Taylor Sander (Norco). Hawaii reloads at the middle position with two 6-foot-8-ers. Stanford and UCLA have notably the strongest classes for 2010 with a bevy of talent from CA, IL, NY, HI and PA. The Bruins'  commit 7-foot Robert Page (Victor) tops the height charts for early signees.

Below is the list for early signees from November 11-19. 

College   First   Last   High school   city    state   position   

BYU   Joshue   Rivera   Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola   San Juan   Puerto Rico   OH   

BYU   Taylor    Sander   Norco   Norco   CA   OH   

Hawaii   Shane    Popelka   Great Bridge High School   Chesapeake   VA   MB   

Hawaii   Shane   Welch   Douglas   Parkland   FL   MB   

Penn State   Jace   Olsen   Mira Costa   Manhattan Beach   CA   MB   

Stanford   Brian    Cook   Soquel HS   Santa Cruz   CA   OH   

Stanford   Denny   Falls   Providence Catholic HS   New Lennox   IL   MB   

Stanford   Steve   Irvin   Loyola   Los Angles   CA   OH   

Stanford   Eric   Mochalski   Mira Costa   Manhattan Beach   CA   OH   

Stanford   Scot   Sakaida   Iolani   Honolulu   HI   L   

Stanford   Daniel   Tublin   Fox Chapel   Pittsburgh   PA   OH   

UCLA   Michael    Beals   Mira Costa   Manhattan Beach   CA   S   

UCLA   Jackson   Belcher   Palos Verdes    Palos Verdes   CA   Opp/S   

UCLA   Robert    Page   Victor   Victor   NY   OH   

UCLA   Kendall   Partie   La Costa Canyon   Encinitas   CA   S   

UCLA   Spencer    Rowe   Mission Viejo   Mission Viejo   CA   OH/MB  

The next NLI signing period is April 14- August 1.
 
Have you committed?
Did we miss anyone?

Let us know…
kolsen@studentsports.com

Have you joined or ESPN RISE Volleyball Facebook Page?

by Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE 

	Courtesy Shelby Cloyd
	Taylor Unroe of Muncie Burris is headed to Florida.

Excitement filled the air as the first signing period date arose…November 11-18 was the early signing period for Prospective Student-Athletes Enrolling in the 2010-2011 Academic Year.

Hawaii reloads with California talent. Cal-Berkeley reloads with Texas talent. Penn State replaces some size with more size. Texas replenishes with an array of offensive weapons. UCLA only inks one, Kelly Reeves (Cathedral Catholic), but has a notable group of walk ons from the Golden State, Meg Norton (Harvard-Westlake), Allie LaPierre (Bonita), Jenna Scilacci (Marymount) and Angelica Chaghouri (Marymount).
 
Stanford and USC haven't released a press release on early signees but they do have some verbal commits.

Stanford has the golden child Lydia Bai (Beckman), daughter of Jenny Lang-Ping. USC will sign super setter from Texas, Sara Shaw (Westlake), and reload the outside with Falyn Fonoimoana (Mira Costa) and Kirby Burnham (Newport Harbor). All and all 2010's class is definitely strong and big and should come in with a bang.

Below is a list of early signees for top 20-ish NCAA teams.

College   First   Last         High school   city    state   position

Cal-Berkeley   Lauren    Loerch   Georgetown   Georgetown   TX   OH  
Cal-Berkeley   Adrienne   Gehan   Episcopal School    Dallas   TX   Opp
 
Florida   Taylor    Unroe   Muncie Burris   Muncie    IN   OH/L  
Florida   Chanel    Brown   Valley Christian   Tempe   AZ   S
 
Hawaii   Kaela    Goodman   Mission Viejo   Mission Viejo   CA   OH  
Hawaii   Mita   Uiato    Long Beach Poly   Long Beach   CA   S  
Hawaii   Emily    Hartong   Los Alamitos   Los Alamitos   CA   MB  
Hawaii   Michelle    Waber    Elsinore   Lake Elsinore   CA   OH  

Illinois   Jennifer   Bonilla   Marymount   Los Angeles   CA   L   
Illinois   Anna   Dorn   Munster   Munster   IN   MB   
Illinois   Jazmine   Orozco   Lakewood   Lakewood   CA   OH  

Indiana   Melanie   Hicks   Assumption   Louisville   KY   DS  

Iowa State   Kristen    Hahn   Cedar Rapids   Cedar Rapids   IA   DS
Iowa State   Tenisha    Matlock   North Platte   North Platte   NE   MB  
Iowa State   Hannah   Willms   Waterloo   Waterloo   IA   OH  

Kentucky   Elizabeth   Koberstein   Madison West    Madison    WI   S

Michigan   Jennifer   Cross   Birchmount Park Collegiate   Scarborough ON/CA MB  
Michigan  Molly   Toon   Middleton   Middleton   WI   OH
Michigan   Lexi   Erwin   Woodlands College Park   Spring   TX   OH  

Minnesota   Ashley    Wittman   Shakopee   Shakopee   MN   OH  
Minnesota   Tori   Dixon   Burnsville   Burnsville   MN   MB  
 
Nebraska   Morgan Broekhuis   Colorado Spring Christian   Colorado Springs   CO   MB/OH
Nebraska   Kristen   Kelsay   Wheaton St. Francis   Wheaton   IL   OH
 
Notre Dame   Andrea   McHugh   El Dorado   Placentia   CA    OH  
Notre Dame   Lauren   Stuhr   Huntington Beach   Huntington Beach   CA   S
 
Oregon    Camryn    Irwin   Prarie   Bush Prarie   WA   S  
Oregon    Lauren   Plum   Poway   Poway   CA   S  
Oregon    Jaklyn   Wheeler   Red Bluff   Red Bluff   CA   OH  
Oregon    Ariana   Williams   Poly   Riverside   CA   MB
 
Penn State   Maddie   Martin   Plant   Tampa   FL   OH  
Penn State   Katie   Slay   Wakefield   Raleigh   NC   MB  
Penn State   Deja   McClendon   Dupont Manual   Louisville   KY   OH  
Penn State   Mikinzie   Moydell   Chaparral   Parker   CO   S  
Penn State   Ariel   Scott   Union Catholic   Newark   NJ   OH/MB 
 
Pepperdine   Kellie    Woolever   Long Beach Wilson   Long Beach    CA   S
Pepperdine   Emily    Cook   Murrieta Valley   Murrieta   CA   OH

Stanford   Sam   Wopat   Dos Pueblos   Goleta   CA   OH  
Stanford   Carly   Wopat   Dos Pueblos   Goleta   CA   MB/OH  
Stanford   Rachel   Wiliams   Archbishop Mitty   San Jose   CA    OH  
Stanford   Lydia   Bai   Beckman   Irvine   CA    OH 

Tennessee   Kelsey    Robinson   Wheaton St. Francis   Wheaton   IL   OH  
Tennessee   Carly   Sahagian   Bartlett   Bartlett   IL   OH  
Tennessee   Kylann   Scheidt   Farragut   Knoxville   TN   S 
 
Texas   Hannah   Allison   Siloam Springs   Siloam Springs   AR   S/Opp  
Texas   Ashley    Bannister   Travis   Richmond   TX   OH  
Texas   Haley    Cameron   La Jolla   La Jolla   CA   MB  
Texas   Sarah   Palmer   Hawaii Baptist Academy   Honolulu   HI   OH 
 
UC Irvine   Shannon   Fleming   Archbishop Mitty   San Jose   CA    MB
 
UC Santa Barbara   Katey    Thompson   Newport Harbor   Newport Beach   CA   MB 

UCLA   Kelly   Reeves   Cathedral Catholic   San Diego   CA   OH  

USC   Sara   Shaw   Westlake   Austin   TX   S  
USC   Kirby   Burnham   Newport Harbor   Newport Beach   CA   OH  
USC    Falyn    Fonoimoana   Mira Costa   Manhattan Beach   CA   OH

Washington   Kaleigh   Nelson   Sprague   Salem   OR   OH/MB  
Washington   Gabbi   Parker   Sheldon   Eugene   OR   OH  
 
The next NLI signing period is April 14- August 1.
 
Have you committed?
Did we miss anyone?

Let us know…
kolsen@studentsports.com

Have you joined or ESPN RISE Volleyball Facebook Page?

ESPN RISE FAB 50

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS

Getting into the final top 10 of the ESPN RISE FAB 50 rankings in girls volleyball is beginning to resemble a line looking for the hottest tables at the trendiest restaurants.

Good seats are filling up fast and there's only a handful left to be had. Unlike the powerful maitre d', don't bother slipping us a $20 to make it easier for your team to gobble up one of those positions. We can't be bought.

One week after Muncie Burris won the Class 2A state title in Indiana to secure no worse than a No. 2 position for the final rankings, three more Midwest schools completed strong seasons with state championships and in effect have also wrapped up at least no worse than a No. 8 final national ranking. 

For the second year in a row, Ursuline Academy (Cincinnati, Ohio) had the chance to end the season undefeated and this time the Lions capitalized as they defeated Dublin Coffman (Dublin, Ohio) in four sets for the Ohio Division I state championship. 

Jade Henderson led the Lions with 16 kills while Christina Beer added 10 kills in the 25-16, 25-19, 18-25, 25-17 victory. Dani Reinert also had 48 assists while Kori Moster led the way with 15 digs as the Lions handed the Shamrocks their only loss of the season. 

For the season, Ursuline Academy lost a total of just four sets out of 84 played and because of totals like that the team has jumped to No. 3 in this week's rankings. For losing to a team like that, Dublin Coffman only fell from No. 9 to No. 12.

In Illinois, Joliet Catholic captured its second straight Class 3A state championship in straight sets over Mater Dei of Breese. Recent ESPN RISE National Girls Athlete of the Week Annemarie Hickey had a match-best 13 kills as the Angels won the first set 25-20 and then rallied from a four-point deficit in the second set for the clinching 25-23 set victory. 

With their 41st win, the Angels set a school record for wins in a season while losing just four sets out of a total of 87 sets all season long. Like Ursuline Academy, they also have secured a top five final national ranking but we will still move Ursuline one spot higher since that team is unbeaten and Joliet Catholic is not.

The final three of these teams to cement a final top 10 national ranking is Shakopee (Minn.), which has moved up to No. 8 this week after winning its third straight Class 3A state final.

Seeing the Sabers lose even a set this year was a rare sight but it was just one hiccup against Wayzata as they won in four sets in their state final. 

Elizabeth Benusa, Mollie Geske, Claire Sames and Ashley Wittman were all named to the All-Tournament Team. In 88 total sets played this year, the Sabers never dropped more than one set to an opponent while losing a total of just four sets all season.

Next week, at least one and perhaps two more final top 10 slots will be sealed by winners of the Texas state tournament, which will be held from Thursday through Saturday at Strahan Coliseum on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos.

The California Interscholastic Federation state finals will be staged on Saturday, Dec. 5 at UC Irvine's Bren Events Center. Current FAB 50 No. 1 Archbishop Mitty hopes that the final top 10 position it secures on that night will be the best one of them all. The Monarchs will be going for their sectional title this weekend.

 (Read full post)

NEW ESPN RISE FAB 50
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS
 
Compilers: Andrew Drennen, Kirstin Olsen, Mark Tennis
Contributing: Paul Muyskens
 
With the Indiana state playoffs now in the books, the race to be the ESPN RISE Girls Volleyball FAB 50 national champion can be whittled down to just two teams.
 
Muncie Burris, as expected, wrapped up its 13th consecutive Class 2A state crown and in the process also put an exclamation point on an unblemished 40-0 record. The Owls recorded a straight set win over Southwood (Wabash, Ind.) by scores of 25-9, 25-8, 25-16 that continued their straight set dominance since they also won in straight sets in the semifinals over Brownstown Central.

University of Florida recruit Taylor Unroe and teammate Chelsea Toth each led the team with 10 kills while four different players recorded double digit dig totals.

The situation at the top of the FAB 50 is simple. If current No. 1 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) completes an unbeaten season next month and wins a divisional title at the California Interscholastic Federation state finals, then it would be No. 1 in the nation for the second straight season. If the Monarchs get upset, however, then it would go to Muncie Burris.

Other teams from around the country needed for Muncie Burris to somehow get knocked off in its state playoffs to have a shot at the final No. 1 ranking. That didn't come close to happening.

In the two other largest-class state finals held last weekend in Indiana, Brebeuf Jesuit (Indianapolis) knocked off top seed Yorktown in Class 3A while Muncie Central topped Elkhart Memorial (Elkhart) to win the Class 4A banner.

After losing in the semifinals the past two seasons, Brebeuf Jesuit not only made it to the finals but avenged its only loss of the season with a 25-21, 14-25, 25-15, 25-21 win over Yorktown. Sloan White led the Braves with 16 kills while Lauren Rafdal and Jeme Obeime each had 12 kills and Jadyn Yarling stared defensively with 19 digs. The result gave Brebeuf Jesuit a jump from No. 45 to No. 19 in this week's FAB 50 and dropped Yorktown from No. 10 down to No. 30.

Muncie Central captured the fifth state championship in school history by defeating Elkhart Memorial in straight sets. Jamie Drummer had 14 kills and Alyssa Sorrell had 10 kills to lead the way offensively after starter Marquita Marshall had to leave the title game early due to injury. The Bearcats moved up to No. 17 in this week's FAB 50 with the Chargers dropping just a few spots from No. 23 down to No. 34.
 
This week's major state finals also will be in the Midwest.
 
On Saturday at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, it could be a matchup of unbeatens in the Ohio Division I championship between FAB 50 No. 6 Ursuline Academy and FAB 50 No. 9 Dublin Coffman. Both of those teams need to win in semifinal matches on Thursday, however, to set up their showdown.
 
The Illinois state finals also are on Saturday at Redbird Arena in Normal. In Class 3A, FAB 50 No. 5 Joliet Catholic is favored and is going for its second straight state title. In Class 4A, FAB 50 No. 25 Lyons is the favorite but has not won a state crown since 1989.(Read full post)

Compilers: Andrew Drennen, Kirstin Olsen, Mark Tennis
Contributing: Paul Muyskens
 
As the top-ranked Archbishop Mitty Monarchs of San Jose (Calif.) were winning their third major invitational of the season, state playoffs were concluding elsewhere around the nation and there were some major developments involving ESPN RISE Girls Volleyball FAB 50-nationally ranked teams.
 
* In Kentucky, Mercy (Louisville, Ky.) was the surprise winner and moved up to No. 17 in this week's rankings. Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), which has been as high as No. 4 in the FAB 50, did not make the finals and had to drop from No. 20 to No. 36 in this week's rankings.
 
Despite losing seven seniors from last year's team, the Jaguars (32-6) won a come from behind title match over Sacred Heart (Louisville) to capture their sixth state championship, but this time in back-to-back fashion. The win also marked the second straight year the two teams met in the finals in a battle of brothers as coach Todd Garvey picked up his second championship win over brother Eric Garvey, who coaches at Sacred Heart. Libero Caitlin Welch recorded 15 digs in the championship match for Mercy and was named tournament MVP. Amanda Crask added 28 assists and Madison Welsh had 12 kills.
 
* In Hawaii, season-long leader Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii) couldn't get it done in its state final as the Buffanblu dropped a five-set match to Kamehameha. That result lifted the winners from unranked up to No. 46 in this week's FAB 50. Punahou had to fall in right behind.
 
Kamehameha captured the Division I state championship for the fifth straight year. The Warriors twice lost to the Buffanblu during the regular season but they made sure they won when it mattered the most as they rallied from a 2-1 set deficit and also trailed in the fourth set by a 14-8 score before rallying. Sophomore setter Kelci Renshaw recorded 52 assists while Chelsey Keoho led the defense with 38 digs. Taylor Akana was named the tournament's most outstanding player after recording 19 kills and 21 digs in the season finale.
 
* In Kansas, St. James (Lenexa) hoisted the Class 4A state title trophy and likely wrapped up no worse than a top 30 final ranking for the season. In the Class 5A final, previous No. 43 St. Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park) fell to No. 44 Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission). This caused St. Thomas Aquinas to drop out of this week's rankings with Bishop Miege going up to No. 41.
 
The Stags continue to show their dominance in Kansas as they won their second straight state final. Facing their rivals in the finals for the second year in a row, Bishop Miege also was looking to avenge an October loss to the Saints and wasted no time in winning the first set 25-11 before a back and forth second set. St. James also repeated in winning its Class 4A state title. After losing the first game, coach Nancy Dorsey's squad won twice to pull past Hayden of Topeka.
 
This week's most significant state finals will take place in Indiana. Muncie Burris, which is on a current 87-match winning streak, is heavily favored to win the Class 2A crown since the Owls won't have to play any of the other FAB 50-ranked teams from the state. All of those other teams are in different divisions.
 
Once Muncie Burris is done and likely will be done with a perfect record, the waiting game will begin. Obviously, with its strength of schedule, Archbishop Mitty will finish No. 1 in the nation if it wins in the CIF state championships. But if the Monarchs slip up, Muncie Burris appears to be the next strongest choice.
 
We would like to offer our thoughts and prayers to the girls and coaches at Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.). The Bruins had to play at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions last weekend in Santa Barbara one night after a classmate, track and field athlete Melody Ross, was killed in a drive-by shooting just outside the Wilson football stadium following a football game between the Bruins and Long Beach Poly.(Read full post)

UPDATED ESPN RISE FAB 50 

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS

Compilers: Andrew Drennen, Kirstin Olsen, Mark Tennis

Other than previous No. 7 Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) suffering a second loss of the season to city rival Sacred Heart, there was little movement in this week's ESPN RISE Girls Volleyball FAB 50 national rankings.

That could change next week as arguably the biggest tournament in California outside of the CIF state playoffs is going to take place in scenic Santa Barbara. The Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions will include three of the top six teams in the FAB 50, including No. 1 and unbeaten Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.).

The Monarchs could meet local favorite and No. 6-ranked Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.) in that event, but also in the field is No. 5 Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.) plus No. 25 La Costa Canyon, (Carlsbad, Calif.), No. 26 Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.) and No. 33 Santa Barbara (Calif.).

If Mitty were to lose, standing poised and ready to move up is Muncie Burris. The Owls are just four wins away from winning their 13^th straight Class 2A state title. The state finals in Indiana will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Muncie Burris would not meet any of the other Indiana teams in this week's FAB 50 in those playoffs as they are in other divisions.  No. 11 Yorktown is favored in Class 3A while it likely will boil down to No. 21 Muncie Central vs. No. 24 Elkhart Memorial for the Class 4A crown.

(After results of Saturday, Oct. 24; Previous ranking in parentheses)(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

The Week 3 girls' volleyball ESPN RISE FAB 50 ranking is here, previous rank in parenthesis. Click the FAB 50 link for more information.

ESPN RISE FAB 50
National girls' volleyball rankings
Week 3 Rankings- Records reflect games played through September 28.

Rank School City, State Record  
1 (1) Archbishop Mitty San Jose, Calif. 16-0
2 (2) Joliet Catholic Chicago, Ill. 13-0
3 (3) Reagan San Antonio, Texas 34-1
4 (5) Muncie Burris  Muncie, Ind. 26-0
5 (NR) Newport Harbor Newport Beach, Calif 11-4
6 (6) Amarillo Amarillo, Texas 33-3
7 (8) St. Francis Wheaton 17-0
8 (7) Assumption Louisville, Ky. 21-3
9 (20) Mira Costa  Manhattan Beach, Calif. 6-4
10 (12) J.J. Pearce Richardson, Texas 25-4
11 (14) Ursuline Academy  Cincinnati, Ohio 13-0
12 (NR) Yorktown Yorktown, Ind. 23-0
13 (18) Marymount  Los Angeles, Calif. 10-3
14 (13) Wilson Long Beach, Calif. 7-2
15 (22) Benet Lisle, Ill. 15-2
16 (21) Berkley Prep  Tampa, Fla. 13-2
17 (33) O'Connor  Helotes, Texas 27-3
18 (19) St. Ursula Academy Toledo, Ohio 12-1
19 (10) Los Alamitos Los Alamitos, Calif. 15-4
20 (9) Sacred Heart Academy Louisville, Ky. 13-6
21 (28) Lakewood  Lakewood, Calif. 7-4
22 (25) Cardinal Gibbons  Raleigh, N.C. 13-1
23 (15) Dos Pueblos  Goleta, Calif. 8-1
24 (24) Canyon Randall Amarillo, Texas 26-1
25 (36) Hinsdale Central Hinsdale, Ill. 15-2
26 (23) St. James  Lenexa, Kan. 15-1
27 (35) Shakopee  Shakopee, Minn. 17-0
28 (NR) Redlands East Valley  Redlands, Calif. 7-2
29 (29) Plant  Tampa, Fla. 11-0
30 (30) Bishop Miege  Shawnee Mission, Kans. 14-3
31 (31) Dublin Coffman Dublin, Ohio 14-0
32 (NR) El Dorado  Placentia, Calif. 9-6
33 (32) Elkhart Memorial  Elkhart, Ind. 14-1
34 (26) Evenston Evanston, Ill.  15-2
35 (16) The Woodlands Woodlands, Texas 29-5
36 (37) Rose Greenville, N.C. 13-0
37 (17) Santa Barbara  Santa Barbara, Calif. 7-2
38 (27) Chaska Minn. 12-1
39 (NR) Lyons (LaGrange, Ill.) LaGrange, Ill.  19-1
40 (NR) Redondo Union Redondo Beach, Calif. 11-3
41 (39) Sandburg Orland Park, Ill. 16-2
42 (NR) St. Thomas Aquinas  Overland Park, Kans. 19-3
43 (40) Allen Allen, Texas 27-3
44 (11) Floyd Central  Floyds Knobs, Ind.  19-2
45 (43) Punahou Honolulu, Hawai'i  13-0
46 (4) La Costa Canyon  Carlsbad, Calif. 8-2
47 (41) Marist Chicago, Ill. 13-3
48 (NR) Washburn Rural  Topeka, Kan. 15-2
49 (45) Lakota West West Chester, Ohio 11-0
50 (47) Westlake Austin, Texas
 

By Christine Jinbo

ESPN RISE Volleyball analyzed the pools last week; now see which teams made it out of pool play.  The Gold Bracket was determined by a "knock out" round, which pitted teams that placed first in their pools against teams that placed second.  The Gold Bracket had an even distribution of second and first place teams advance, four and four.  Come back to see the knock out round broken down match by match.

	Leonard Xu/ESPN RISE
	After early season losses, Newport Harbor came on strong and made the Durango Gold Bracket Finals.

Pool 1:  
1. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 2. Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.), 3. Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), 4. Tri-City Christian (Vista, Calif.)

First: Archbishop Mitty 
Second: Harvard Westlake 

Mitty was the clear favorite in this pool and it showed as the Monarchs dispatched Clovis West and Tri-City Christian in straight sets.  Harvard Westlake proved to be a bigger challenge as the Monarchs dropped the first set 27-29, but bounced back for a 25-21, 25-15 victory.

Although Clovis West was seeded second in the pool, it had its hands full with third seed, Harvard Westlake.  Harvard Westlake rolled through Tri-City Christian then dropped the first set of their last match to Clovis West.  The Wolverines came back from the one set deficit and defeated the Golden Eagles, 18-25, 25-23, 25-22.

Pool 2:    
1. Los Alamitos (Calif.), 2. Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.), 3. Redlands East Valley (Redlands, Calif.), 4. Silverado (Henderson, Nev.)

First: Redlands East Valley   
Second: Los Alamitos  

Third seeded in Pool 2, Redlands East Valley shocked the first seed, Los Alamitos in the pool opener.  Whether Los Alamitos was playing on tired legs or it felt game tested enough to tinker with the line up from its consecutive weekend tournament victories, is uncertain.  The Griffins clinched the first set, then dropped the match in overtime (25-20, 18-25, 27-25).  The loss resulted in a challenge round match against No. 1 Archbishop Mitty, which knocked the Griffins out of the Gold Bracket.

By Christine Jinbo

See how the pools stack up at the Durango Classic girls' volleyball tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.  Last year La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.) reached down deep after a series extra set victories in the quarters and semis to win the tournament.  This year, every pool brings a high level of competition. Teams will not have to wait until playoffs to face a challenge.  Keep reading to see how each pool stacks up.

	Leonard Xu/ESPN RISE
	Los Alamitos' Jane Croson is one of the hardest hitters in the state.

Pool 1- at Durango
1. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 2. Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.) , 3. Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), 4. Tri-City Christian (Vista, Calif.)
Archbishop Mitty  is the clear favorite in this pool with Kristina Graven and Rachael Williams firing on the outsides and from the backrow.  Harvard Westlake  could challenge and senior outside hitter Meg Norton shines, but it does not have the depth of Mitty.  Clovis West played Mitty already and lost in straight sets.
 
Pool 2. - at Green Valley
1. Los Alamitos (Calif.), 2. Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.), 3. Redlands East Valley (Redlands, Calif.), 4. Silverado (Henderson, Nev.)
Los Alamitos comes off two back-to-back tournament victories.  This could mean one of two things: the Griffins are playing on tired legs in their third consecutive tournament or they are game tested and ready to win a third tournament.  The tandem of Jane Croson and Halli Amaro are big weapons for the Griffins.
 
Buchanan  is unbeaten, yet untested.  This pool will be an eye-opener for the Bears. Redlands East Valley graduated some big studs last year, but senior setter Johnna Fouch has a big target in 6-foot-2 versitile Krista Vansant.
 
Pool 3. - at Foothill
1. La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.), 2. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), 3. Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.), 4. Saint Pius X (Albuquerque, N.M.)
La Costa Canyon  has go to hitters Natalie Hagglund and Natalie Loos and an all star in Kendall Polan delivering the ball.  The Mavericks have already taken care of Santa Margarita this season, but look for the Eagles to come back strong with Kylie Hargreaves banging away on the outside.
&nbs...

(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

The Durango Volleyball Classic (Las Vegas, Nev.) began as an eight-team tournament, with neighboring high school Green Valley, the winner of the first event.  The tournament, which celebrates its fifteenth year, has since grown into a 48-team national tournament with a waiting list pages long.

	Leonard Xu/ESPN RISE
	Can Falyn Fonoimoana will Mira Costa to victory at Durango?

Check out ESPN RISE Volleyball's coverage of the
2008 Durango Classic.

The pool assignments are a major factor in overall tournament finish.  Check back as we break down the pools. Which team has a walk and which team has a difficult road? Check back to find out!

2009 Pool Play Assignments       

Pool 1. (Ct 1. at Durango)
1. Archbishop Mitty
2. Clovis West
3. Harvard-Westlake
4. Tri-City Christian

Pool 2. (Ct 1. at Green Valley)
1. Los Alamitos
2. Buchanan
3. Redlands East Valley
4. Silverado
 
Pool 3. (Ct 1. at Foothill)
1. La Costa Canyon
2. Santa Margarita
3. Long Beach Poly
4. Saint Pius X(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

This week, Los Alamitos (Calif.) made a climb in the ranking with back to back tournament titles at the Gahr Invitational (Cerritos, Calif.) and the Dave Mohs Memorial (Huntington Beach, Calif.).

	Leonard Xu/ESPN RISE
	Halli Amaro celebrates with Los Alamitos at the Dave Mohs Memorial Tournament.

ESPN RISE FAB 50 No. 1 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) hosted 16 teams with six ranked in the FAB 50.

The Dave Mohs Memorial hosted by Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.) High School accepted 64 teams split into two divisions into its tournament.

Check out the week 2 girls' volleyball ESPN RISE FAB 50 ranking for 2009 below, previous rank in parenthesis.  Click the link for more.

ESPN RISE FAB 50
National girls' volleyball rankings
Week 2 Rankings- Records reflect games played through September 20.

Rank School, City, State, Record
1 (1) Archbishop Mitty San Jose, Calif. 9-0
2 (2) Joliet Catholic Chicago, Ill. 12-0
3 (3) Reagan San Antonio, Texas 31-1
4 (4) La Costa Canyon  Carlsbad, Calif. 2-0
5 (5) Muncie Burris  Muncie, Ind. 20-0
6 (6) Amarillo Amarillo, Texas 31-3
7 (9) Assumption Louisville, Ky. 15-2
8 (12) St. Francis Wheaton, Ill. 15-0
9 (7) Sacred Heart Academy Louisville, Ky. 11-3
10 (18) Los Alamitos Los Alamitos, Calif. 11-0
11 (10) Floyd Central  Floyds Knobs, Ind.  17-1
12 (8 ) J.J. Pearce Richardson, Texas 23-4
13 (11) Wilson Long Beach, Calif. 1-0
14 (14) Ursuline Academy  Cincinnati, Ohio 10-0
15 (20) Dos Pueblos  Goleta, Calif. 6-1
16 (NR) The Woodlands Woodlands, Texas 27-4
17 (39) Santa Barbara  Santa Barbara, Calif. 6-1
18 (13) Marymount  Los Angeles, Calif. 4-2
19 (33) St. Ursula Academy Toledo, Ohio 9-1
20 (15) Mira Costa  Manhattan Beach, Calif. 1-1
21 (21) Berkley Prep  Tampa, Fla. 7-2
22 (NR) Benet Lisle, Ill. 14-1
23 (26) St. James  Lenexa, Kan. 6-0
24 (30) Canyon Randall Amarillo, Texas 24-1
25 (23) Cardinal Gibbons  Raleigh, N.C. 7-1
26 (NR) Evenston Evanston, Ill.  13-2
27 (28) Chaska Chaska, Minn. 7-0
28 (22) Lakewood  Lakewood, Calif. 4-2
29 (29) Plant  Tampa, Fla. 10-0
30 (47) Bishop Miege  Shawnee Mission, Kans. 11-2
31 (19) Dublin Coffman Dublin, Ohio 8-0
32 (32) Elkhart Memorial  Elkhart, Ind. 10-0
33 (16) O'Connor  Helotes, Texas 25-3
34 (17) Marian  Omaha, Neb. 15-1
35 (35) Shakopee  Shakopee, Minn. 10-0
36 (46) Hinsdale Central Hinsdale, Ill. 14-2
37 (37) Rose Greenville, N.C. 7-0
38 (31) St. Joseph's Academy  St. Louis, Mo.  12-3
39 (24) Sandburg Orland Park, Ill. 10-1)
40 (34 Allen Allen, Texas 23-3
41 (36) Marist Chicago, Ill. 7-2
42 (41) Lee's Summit West  Lee's Summit, Mo. 11-0
43 (42) Punahou Honolulu, Hawai'i  9-0
44 (43) Blue Springs  Blue Springs, Mo. 11-2
45 (45) Lakota West West Chester, Ohio 10-0
46 (49) Kamehameha Honolulu, Hawai'i  9-1
47 (38) Westlake Austin, Texas 22-6
48 (48) Mount Notre Dame Academy Cincinnati, Ohio 8-1
49 (50) Corona del Mar Newport Beach, Calif 6-2
50 (40) Harvard Westlake North Hollywood, Calif. 1-3
 

By Christine Jinbo

This week, ESPN RISE FAB 50 top ten teams, previoiusly ranked No. 3 Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and No. 2 Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) sustained upset losses.  The Mustangs fell to previously ranked No. 40 Marymount (Los Angeles, Calif.) High School on their own turf.  The Sailors traveled to Mustang territory and toppled the giants, 25-21, 25-27, 19-25, 25-23 15-11.  USC commit, Sam Hirschman had a team high 20 kills, 15 digs and four blocks. 

Assumption traveled to the Burris Invitational (Muncie, Ind.) and took a beating from tournament host, No. 18 Burris in the finals.  Florida commit Taylor Unroe led the team and propelled the Owls into the top ten with their straight set win over Assumption.  The Rockets redeemed themselves in straight sets over rival No. 7 Mercy (Louisville, Ky.) (25-14, 25-18, 25-16), which knocked the Jags out of the top ten.  The Rockets went into the Louisville Invitational Tournament with one loss and emerged with one more to Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.) in a best of three match (25-21, 23-25, 25-18).

The season is heating up with early tournaments set for the coming weeks.  Competitive tournaments take place in Northern and Southern California.  No. 1 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) hosts its Invitational with 16 teams on four courts.  No. 21 Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) and No. 23 Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.) will travel to the event, which includes top California talent.  Besides host Mitty, No. 13 Marymount, No. 20 Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.) and No. 39 Santa Barbara will be in attendance.  In Southern California, the 32nd annual Dave Mohs, hosted by Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.) High School will feature top Southern California teams. The tournament field has 64 teams competing in two divisions with Orange County well represented. Championship matches are on Sept. 21.

ESPN RISE FAB 50 No. 31 St. Joseph (St. Louis, Mo.) will host its Invitational also this weekend.  Louisville  schools, No. 25 Mercy and No. 7 Sacred Heart will travel to St. Louis for the event.  The much anticipated Durango Classic is set for Sept. 25-26 and will feature, five ESPN RISE top ten teams and 12 ESPN RISE ranked teams.   The tournament represents eight states and has expanded its field to 48 teams this year.  This is one nobody wants to miss.

Check out the pre-season girls' volleyball ESPN RISE FAB 50 ranking for 2009 below, previous rank in parenthesis.  Click the link for more.

ESPN RISE FAB 50
National girls' volleyball rankings
Week 1 Rankings- Records reflect games played through September 13.

Rank  School, City, ST, Rec.   
1 (1) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 6-0
2 (5) Joliet Catholic (Chicago, Ill.) 8-0
3 (8) Reagan (San Antonio, Texas) 29-1
4 (9) La Costa Canyon  (Carlsbad, Calif.) 1-0
5 (18) Muncie Burris  (Muncie, Ind.) 15-0
6 (4) Amarillo (Amarillo, Texas) 28-3
7 (12) Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville, Ky.) 7-2
8 (6) J.J. Pearce (Richardson, Texas) 21-4
9 (2) Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) 12-2
10 (22) Floyd Central  (Floyds Knobs, Ind.  11-0
11 (11) Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.) 0-0
12 (20) St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.) 8-0
13 (40) Marymount  (Los Angeles, Calif.) 1-0
14 (14) Ursuline Academy  (Cincinnati, Ohio) 6-0
15 (3) Mira Costa  (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) 0-1
16 (23) O'Connor  (Helotes, Texas)  23-3
17 (16) Marian  (Omaha, Neb.) 9-0
18 (15) Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos, Calif.) 4-0
19 (19) Dublin Coffman (Dublin, Ohio) 4-0
20 (21) Dos Pueblos  (Goleta, Calif.) 2-0
21 (25) Berkley Prep  (Tampa, Fla.) 5-0
22 (17) Lakewood  (Lakewood, Calif.) 3-0
23 (37) Cardinal Gibbons  (Raleigh, N.C.) 4-0
24 (NR) Sandburg (Orland Park, Ill.) 5-0
25 (7) Mercy  (Louisville, Kent.) 10-2
26 (32) St. James  (Lenexa, Kan.) 3-0
27 (24) Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.) 3-0
28 (28) Chaska (Chaska, Minn.) 3-0
29 (35) Plant  (Tampa, Fla.) 8-0
30 (NR) Canyon Randall (Amarillo, Texas) 21-1
31 (34) St. Joseph's Academy  (St. Louis, Mo.)  8-1
32 (38) Elkhart Memorial  (Elkhart, Ind.) 8-0
33 (NR) St. Ursula Academy (Toledo, Ohio) 6-0
34 (NR) Allen (Allen, Texas) 22-3
35 (39) Shakopee  (Shakopee, Minn.) 8-0
36 (NR) Marist (Chicago, Ill.) 3-0
37 (44) Rose (Greenville, N.C.) 6-0
38 (13) Westlake (Austin, Texas) 19-5
39 (NR) Santa Barbara  (Santa Barbara, Calif.) 2-0
40 (42) Harvard Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 0-1
41 (NR) Lee's Summit West  (Lee's Summit, Mo.) 9-0
42 (43) Punahou (Honolulu, Hawai'i) 7-0
43 (49) Blue Springs  (Blue Springs, Mo.) 8-2
44 (26) Center Grove  (Greenwood, Ind.) 9-1
45 (33) Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio) 6-0
46 (NR) Hinsdale Central (Hinsdale, Ill.) 6-0
47 (45) Bishop Miege  (Shawnee Mission, Kans.) 7-1
48 (48) Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati, Ohio) 6-1
49 (50) Kamehameha (Honolulu, Hawai'i) 6-1
50 (46) Santa Margarita  (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) 0-1

Posted by Christine Jinbo

We bring our readers polls from around the nation. Regional polls help shape the national polls in different ways, so before the ESPN RISE FAB 50 volleyball rankings are released later this week, here are some regional polls to consider.  Click the links to view the entire polls.

California:
CIF-SS 2009 COACHES' PRESEASON GIRLS VOLLEYBALL POLL
(As of SEPTEMBER 8, 2009)
      
RK.     DIVISION 1-AA
1.         Santa Margarita
2.         Mira Costa
3.         Wilson/LB
4.         Los Alamitos
5.         Long Beach Poly
6.         Lakewood
 
DIVISION 1-A
1. Santa Barbara
2. Dos Pueblos
3. Marymount
4. Laguna Beach
5. El Dorado
6. Arroyo Grande
 
DIVISION 2-AA
1. Redlands East Valley
2. Corona del Mar
3. Beckman
4. Bishop Montgomery
5. St Lucy's
6. Walnut
&nbs...

(Read full post)

News and scores from around the nation

Loretto (Sacramento, Calif.) High School closes, Natalie Hagglund (Carlsbad, Calif.) is interviewed by the North County Times, and Nevada Union (Grass Valley, Calif.) and Kamehmeha (Honolulu, Hawaii) send players to San Jose State.    See the links below to find out what is happening around the nation.

Loretto High School closing sent athletes to area schools and
Bee's Volleyball Top 15

The Sacramento Bee

While there were no winners when Loretto High School closed following the 2008-09 academic year, another of Sacramento's private Catholic schools certainly benefited from the dispersal of the school's student- athletes.

Christian Brothers, a Division IV state finalist in volleyball in 2008, picked up seven players from Loretto's program and, in the process, addressed a big need at middle blocker.

Kayla Neto, The Bee's Player of the Year in 2008 now starting at Cal State Fullerton, was the Falcons' lone senior last year, and her graduation left a 6-foot-3 hole.

Enter 6-4 senior Megan Anders, who has started on the varsity since her freshman year at Loretto.

Read more at The Sacramento Bee.

THE BEE'S TOP 15
(Records through Monday)
School Rec. (Pvs.)
1. Oak Ridge 5-0 (2)
2. St. Francis 9-1 (3)
3. Chr. Brothers 4-1 (1)
4. Nevada Union 7-1 (4)
5. Del Oro 7-2 (5)

(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

ESPN RISE FAB 50
2009 First Girls' Volleyball Ranking -
Records and previous ranking from final 2008 FAB 50 Rankings

Last year, ESPN RISE crowned, Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) High School the ESPN RISE National Champion.  The Monarchs picked up where they left off, atop the rankings as the pre-season No. 1, with nine seniors and six of seven starters who returned from the 2008 squad.  Head Coach Bret Almazan-Cezar prepares his veteran squad to achieve national excellence again this year.

	Leonard Xu/ESPN RISE
	Bret Almazan-Cezar coached Archbishop Mitty to a CIF State Div. II Championship.

Last year, Almazan-Cezar told ESPN RISE Volleyball, "This team really enjoys hanging out with each other."  To promote team unity this year, the team hiked 14 miles and camped in the Big Basin (Redwoods State Park, Calif.).

The Monarchs will host their own national tournament with Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) and Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.) traveling from out of state to test the competition.

Check out the pre-season girls' volleyball ESPN RISE FAB 50 rankings for 2009 below or click the link for more.

ESPN RISE Volleyball FAB 50
Pre-season Rankings

Rank School, City, ST 2008 Record
1 (1) Archbishop Mitty San Jose, Calif.  42-1
2 (22) Assumption Louisville, Ky.  30-7
3 (18) Mira Costa  Manhattan Beach, Calif. 28-6
4 (4) Amarillo Amarillo, Texas 48-3
5 (17) Joliet Catholic Chicago, Ill.  39-3
6 (NR) J.J. Pearce Richardson, Texas  36-6
7 (3) Mercy  Louisville, Kent.  40-1
8 (23) Reagan San Antonio, Texas  45-3
9 (2) La Costa Canyon  Carlsbad, Calif.  37-1
10 (6) St. Charles East  St. Charles, Ill. 39-4
11 (20) Wilson Long Beach, Calif.  28-4
12 (19) Sacred Heart Academy Louisville, Ky.  29-10
13 (8) Westlake Austin, Texas  40-8
14 (24) Ursuline Academy  Cincinnati, Ohio  28-1

	Leonard Xu/ESPN RISE
	Carly Wopat along with twin sister Samantha will lead the Chargers this season.

15 (41) Los Alamitos Los Alamitos, Calif.  25-6
16 (36) Marian  Omaha, Neb.  34-8
17 (NR) Lakewood  Lakewood, Calif.  19-8
18 (50) Muncie Burris  Muncie, Ind.  36-4
19 (NR) Dublin Coffman Dublin, Ohio  25-2
20 (NR) St. Francis Wheaton  27-9
21 (29) Dos Pueblos  Goleta, Calif.  28-7
22 (NR) Floyd Central  Floyds Knobs, Ind.   35-4
23 (32) O'Connor  Helotes, Texas  38-5
24 (13) Mother McAuley Chicago, Ill.  39-3
25 (45) Berkley Prep  Tampa, Fla.  28-3
26 (NR) Center Grove  Greenwood, Ind.  25-10
27 (NR) Nevada Union Grass Valley, Calif.  24-9
28 (NR) Chaska Minn.  25-5
29 (35) Notre Dame  Covington, Ky.  29-5
30 (NR) Redondo Union Redondo Beach, Calif.  13-13
31 (12) Papillion La Vista  Papillion, Neb.  41-1
32 (5) St. James  Lenexa, Kan.  45-1
33 (NR) Lakota West West Chester, Ohio  14-12
34 (NR) St. Joseph's Academy  St. Louis, Mo.   28-9
35 (27) Plant  Tampa, Fla.  28-3
36 (NR) Grandview Aurora, Colo.  27-4
37 (49) Cardinal Gibbons  Raleigh, N.C.  29-0
38 (38) Elkhart Memorial  Elkhart, Ind.  36-2
39 (43) Shakopee  Shakopee, Minn.  32-2
40 (47) Marymount  Los Angeles, Calif.  25-6
41 (46) Washburn Rural  Topeka, Kan.  35-2
42 (NR) Harvard Westlake North Hollywood, Calif.  22-6
43 (NR) Punahou Honolulu, Hawai'i   22-4
44 (NR) Rose Greenville, N.C.  27-1
45 (NR) Bishop Miege  Shawnee Mission, Kans.  36-5
46 (7) Santa Margarita  Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.  29-8
47 (14) Clear Creek  Houston, Texas  44-5
48 (NR) Mount Notre Dame Academy   Cincinnati, Ohio  23-5
49 (NR) Blue Springs  Blue Springs, Mo.  33-3
50 (NR) Kamehameha Honolulu, Hawai'i  20-4
 

Teams to watch list (in alphabetical order):

Beckman, Irvine, CA
Bingham, South Jordan, UT
Brighton, Salt Lake City, UT
Buchanan, Clovis, CA
Carson City, Carson City, NV
Chugiak, Chugiak, AK
Clovis, Clovis, CA
Clovis West, Clovis, CA
Cottonwood, Salt Lake City, UT
El Dorado, Placentia, CA
Gilbert, Gilbert, AZ
Newport Harbor, Newport Beach, CA
Ponderosa, Shingle Springs, CA
Redlands East Valley, Redlands, CA
Saint Mary's, Stockton, CA
Saint Pius X, Albuquerque, NM
Torrey Pines, San Diego, CA
Xavier College Preparatory, Phoenix, AZ
Marist, Chicago, Ill.
Olmsted Falls, Olmsted Falls, Ohio
Benet, Lisle, Ill.
Roncalli, Indianapolis, Ind.
St. Thomas Aquinas, Overland Park, Kans.
Eastview, Apple Valley, Minn.
Incarnate Word Academy, Houston, Texas
Lee's Summit West, Lee's Summit, Mo.
Mother of Mercy, Cincinnati, Ohio
Friendswood, Friendswood, Texas
Lake Highlands, Dallas, Texas
Timber Creek, Orlando, Fla.
Sandburg, Orland Park, Ill.
Glenbrook South, Glenview, Ill.
Naperville Central, Naperville, Ill.
Naperville North, Naperville, Ill.
New Castle Chrysler, New Castle, Ind.
Muncie Central, Muncie, Ind.
Cathedral, Indianapolis, Ind.
Delta, Muncie, Ind.
West Henderson, Hendersonville, N.C.
Grand Island, Grand Island, Neb.
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Orange Lutheran, Orange, Calif.
Thousand Oaks, Thousand Oaks
Cherry Creek, Greenwood Village, Colo.
St Michael-Albertville, Albertville, Minn.

Tips for stat takers from the NCAA.org

If you only have one person to do your team's stats, have them sit next to the person doing the opposing team's stats – frequent checks are then possible to make sure that an attack is awarded a dig, an ace is awarded a reception error, etc.  Sitting on your team bench may be more familiar, but the purpose in being there to stat the match is to do the job correctly. The box score must balance at the end of the match, and it's a lot harder to go back afterward and try to make corrections. 

	Leonard Xu/ESPN RISE
	Lesli Akeo of Kamehameha (Honolulu, Hawai'i) controls the ball.

Become a member of ESPN RISE Volleyball, FREE and post a comment below.

August Tournament Wrap up, Ann Kang hosted by Iolani and the Duncanville Tournament of Champions

The preseason tournaments in August allowed coaches to test out their lineups, their rookies and their team chemistry.  Whether the tournament took place near or far the preseason bonding and competition will have lasting effects on the season.
 
At the Ann Kang Invitational Tournament, hosted by Iolani (Honolulu, Hawai'i) Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) High School claimed the Gold Bracket championship.  The match pitted California versus Hawaii as Redondo went head to head with Punahou (Honolulu, Hawai'i) High School.  Host Iolani  defeated Kahuku (Hawai'i) in straight sets for third place in the Gold Bracket.

(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

USA Volleyball announced its 12 player roster that will represent the United States at the FIVB Boys' Youth (U-19) World Championship on Aug. 28-Sept. 6 in Jesolo and Bassano del Grappa, Italy.

	Christine Jinbo/ESPN RISE
	Micah Christenson, setter for Outrigger VBC will play along fellow Hawaiians Taylor Crabb and Joshua Taylor.

The team members selected are Micah Christenson (Honolulu, Hawai'i), Tanner Clayton (San Diego, Calif.), Taylor Crabb (Honolulu, Hawai'i), Dylan Davis (Corona del Mar, Calif.), Jeremy Dejno (New Berlin, Wis.), Nick Gibson (Shorewood, Wis.), Evan Mottram (Leona Valley, Calif.), Connor Olbright (Orange, Calif.), Spencer Rowe (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.), Taylor Sander (Norco, Calif.), Joshua Taylor (Honolulu, Hawai'i) and Maurice Torres (Riverside, Calif.).

The U.S. Boys' Youth National Team won the 2008 NORCECA Championship in Miami and qualified for the 2009 World Championship.

Sean Byron (Ohio State University) and Dan Friend (Lewis University) will serve as assistants to Read. The head of the U.S. delegation to the Boys' Youth World Championship will be Ken Preston, the former men's head coach at UC Santa Barbara.

For more information visit USA Volleyball or the FIVB Website for event information.



 

By Christine Jinbo

Meet USA Volleyball's Junior National Beach Team member Chase Ross (Carlsbad, Calif.).  Ross, along with partner Steven VanderWerp (Grand Haven, Mich.) will represent the U.S. in the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Junior World Championships on Sept. 16-20 in Blackpool, England.  Ross' sister Summer is currently representing the US in Alanya, Turkey with partner Jane Croson at the FIVB Youth World Championships.

Ross talks to ESPN RISE Volleyball about training with the Junior National Beach Team, USA Beach Coaches Anjinho Bacil and Jon Aharoni and gives some advice for younger players coming through the ranks.

By Christine Jinbo

Meet USA Volleyball's Junior National Beach Team member Kyle Stevenson (Palos Verdes, Calif.).  Stevenson, along with partner Parker Kalmbach (Coto de Caza, Calif.) are in Alanya, Turkey representing the U.S. in the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Youth World Championships.

Stevenson talks to ESPN RISE Volleyball about training with the Junior National Beach Team, USA Beach Coaches Anjinho Bacil and Jon Aharoni and learning everyday.

By Christine Jinbo

Meet USA Volleyball's Junior National Beach Team member Parker Kalmbach (Coto de Caza, Calif.).  Kalmbach, along with partner Kyle Stevenson (Palos Verdes, Calif.) are in Alanya, Turkey representing the U.S. in the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Youth World Championships.

Kalmbach talks to ESPN RISE Volleyball about training with the Junior National Beach Team, USA Beach Coaches Anjinho Bacil and Jon Aharoni and his excitement for the game.

By Christine Jinbo

Meet USA Volleyball's Junior Beach National Team Head Coach Eduardo "Anjinho" Bacil and assistant coach Jon Aharoni, coordinator of beach coaching and development for USA Volleyball. Learn about the Junior National Beach Program and how to improve your beach game.

The USA Volleyball beach department has announced its selections for the Under-19 (youth) and Under-21 teams that will represent the United States in international competitions this summer.

	Christine Jinbo/ESPN RISE
	Dalas Dodd swings for Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) High School.

For more, visit USA Volleyball .