Novi volleyball coach Jennifer Cottrill leads volleyball tryouts at Novi High School on Wednesday, Aug. 10. 2016.
Here are the teams in the USA TODAY Sports/American Volleyball Coaches Association Preseason Super 25 for girls volleyball.
1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Players to watch: Shannon Scully, OH, 2017 – Utah; Siena Secrist, OH, 2018 – USC; Kelsey Campeau, L, 2018 – UCLA; Brielle Mullally, S, 2019.
Need to know: Defending CIF-Southern Section champions should be a force to be reckoned with this season as they bring back Scully and Secrist at the outside positions and Mullally directing the offense.
2. Assumption (Louisville, Ky.)
Players to watch: Jacqueline Askin, OH, 2017 – Bowling Green; Payton Frederick, L, 2018 – Western Kentucky; Lexie Hamilton, L, 2017 – Louisville; Brooke Moore – Austin Peay, OH, 2017; Alexis Triplett, L, 2018 – Lipscomb; Kayla Kaiser, MB, 2018 – Georgia Tech.
Need to know: Since 1992, Assumption has won 19 state championships, including the 2015 title. The Rockets look to make a run in 2016 led by seniors in Hamilton, Moore, Askin, Crockett and Palmer. Kaiser and Frederick are the top juniors.
3. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
Players to watch: Julianna Reisinger, L, 2017 – Purdue; Meghan McClure, OH, 2017 – Stanford; Haley Carmo, MB, 2018; Devon Chang, S, 2018 – Cal Berkeley.
Need to know: Katy Daly’s Santa Margarita squad won the difficult Trinity League last season and began the season with a big win against Southlake Carroll from Texas before heading to Hawaii for the Ann Kang Invitational, where it lost in the final to Mira Costa.
4. Hebron (Lewisville, Texas)
Players to watch: Kylee McLaughlin, S, 2017 – Oregon St; Annie Benbow, L, 2018; Lauren Merrill, MB, 2018; Emma Clothier, MB, 2019.
Need to know: Despite losing eight players from last season, Hebron opened by winning the prestigious Texas Volleyball Invitational, the largest HS tournament in the country with 80 teams.
5. Eagan (Minn.)
Players to watch: Gabrielle Orr, OH/S, 2017 – Iowa; Alyssa Doucette, OH, 2017 – Missouri State; McKenna Melville, DS, 2018 – UCF; Ally Murphy, OH, 2018 – North Dakota State; McKenzie Lee, S, 2018
Need to know: Defending AAA state champions did not lose any players to graduation and have as many as five Division I prospects.
6. Cathedral (Indianapolis)
Players to watch: Payton White, L, 2017 – Auburn; Nia Parker-Robinson, OH, 2017 – Wake Forest; Maria Schorr, S, 2017 – Dayton; Shaney Lipscomb, MB, 2017 – Hawaii; Emily Kleck, 2018; Mattison Norris, MB, 2018; Jean Cripps, MB/RS, 2019
Need to know: Coach Jean Kesterson squad finished last year with their seventh state title, a 36-0 record and No. 1 ranking nationally. Although they graduated six D-I players, the Fighting Irish look to just reload with four key seniors in the 6-1 Robinson, Schorr (Dayton), White (Auburn) and Brooks.
7. Geneva (Ill.)
Players to watch: Ally Barrett, OH, 2017 – UConn; Grace Loberg, OH, 2017 – Wisconsin; Alexandria Mullen, MB, 2017 – Boston College
Need to know: A big time offense led by Barrett, Loberg and Mullen, the Vikings are primed to have another impressive year.
8. Buford (Ga.)
Players to watch: Gabrielle Curry, OH, 2017 – Kentucky; Vivian Guy, L, 2017; Tatum Shipes, OH, 2018 – Auburn; Sophia Costello, L, 2018.
Need to know: With the combined efforts of pin hitters Gabrielle Cooney (Kentucky) and Tatum Shipes (Auburn), Buford will look to repeat as Georgia state champions.
9. Jesuit (Portland, Ore.)
Players to watch: Kathryn Decker, OH/RS, 2017 – Santa Clara; Emily Demots, OH, 2017 – Portland; Grace Massey, L, 2017; Claire Zanon, OH, 2017.
Need to know: After back-to-back undefeated seasons, Jesuit is looking to continue its dominance in Oregon.
10. Shawnee Heights (Tecumesh, Kan.)
Players to watch: Megan Cooney, OH/MB, 2017 – Illinois; Jazz Sweet, RS, 2017 – Nebraska.
Need to know: After losing to eventual state champions St. James Academy in last year’s state tournament, Laura Curry should expect her squad to hopefully build on last year’s success thanks to Cooney and Sweet.
11. Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Key players: Amanda Montag, OH, 2017 – Navy; Britt Bommer, S, 207 – Northwestern
Need to know: Mira Costa will look to build on a very successful 2015 that saw the Mustangs fall to Mater Dei in the state tournament.
12. Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
Key players: Annalise Kit, S, 2017 – Clemson; Rachel Meyne, OH, 2017 – Colgate; Haley Hallgren, OH, 2017 – USC; Asjia O’neal, MB, 2018 – Texas.
Need to know: Losses to start the season were to strong California teams – Edison and Saint Margarita. The team still features a stacked lineup with multiple DI commits.
13. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.)
Key players: Preslie Anderson, MB, 2017 – Cal Berkeley; Sydney Lostumo, S, 2017 – Fresno State; Heaven Harris, MB/RS, 2017 – Northern Arizona; Darian Clark, OH, 2018 – Cal Berkeley; Emily Cockell, L, 2018.
Need to know: Hamilton returns this season with a stacked line up that includes multiple DI commits.
14. Fayetteville (Ark.)
Key players: Haley Warner, RS, 2018 – Florida; Ella May Powell, S, 2018 – Washington; Faith Waitsman, MB, 2017; Abbie Kathol, OH, 2017.
Need to know: Youth National team members Warner and Powell lead the team.
15. Sacred Heart (Louisville)
Key players: Paige Hammons, OH, 2017 – Florida; Nadia Dieudonne, S, 2017 – Xavier; Abigail Westenhofer, S, 2017 – Saint Louis; Kaelin Gentile, MB, 2017; Lauryn Bennett, RS, 2017; Megan Crush, L, 2017.
Need to know: Brett Versen takes over the reins at Sacred Heart. They return many of their starters from last year’s team that lost to Assumption in the regional finals. Leading the way will be senior outside hitter Hammons along with four other senior contributors.
16. Brentwood (Tenn.)
Key players: Kamryn Carter,OH, 2017; Garrett Joiner, OH, 2018; Logan Eggleston, OH, 2019.
Need to know: Brentwood is looking for its fourth straight state title.
17. Novi (Mich.)
Key players: Erin O’Leary, S, 2018 – Michigan; Ally Commings, OH/RS, 2017 – Valparaiso.
Need to know: Any team with O’Leary (USA Youth National Team) setting is going to be competitive, and this one has DI players at the pins to take the swings.
18. Catholic Memorial (Waukesha, Wis.)
Key players: Lexi Alden, OH, 2017 – Maryland; Ivey Whalen, MB, 2017 – Northwestern; Kathryn Christian, MB, 2018; Maddy Rondeau, S/RS.
Need to know: Catholic Memorial brings back their entire starting lineup that won last year’s state title in Wisconsin.
19. Xavier College Prep (Phoenix)
Key players: Makena Patterson, MB, 2017 – Texas A&M; Lanie Wagner, OH, 2018; Shannon Shields, S, 2019.
Need to know: Last year’s Arizona state runner-ups, the Gators bring back a strong group but lose Gatorade National Player of the Year Khalia Lanier.
20. Yorktown (Ind.)
Key player: Kenzie Knuckles, OH, 2019.
Need to know: Knuckles and seniors Olivia Reed, Kendall Murr and Rhyen Neal lead for Stephanie Bloom’s Tigers.
21. Mount Notre Dame (Cincinati)
Key players: Natalie Steibel, OH, 2018 – Deleware; Tori Beckelheimer, 2018, OH; Sarah Reisenberger, MB, 2017; Grace Hauck, MB, 2018.
Need to know: The Cougars have won the Ohio state championship the past three years. Joe Burke’s squad will once again contend for a state title.
22. Prior Lake (Minn.)
Key players: Maddy Bremer, MB, 2018 – Northern Colorado; CC McGraw, OH, 2018 – Minnesota.
Need to know: State AAA runners-up, the team returns the majority of its roster led by a pair of juniors in Bremer and McGraw.
23. Torrey Pines (Calif.)
Key players: Kiara McNulty, S, 2018 – Northwestern; Brynn Chandler, S, 2017 – Cal Berkeley; Chiara Spain, MB, 2017; Emily Fitzer, RS, 2019.
Need to know: Torrey Pines will once again field a dangerous team for coach Brennan Dean coming off a CIF San Diego Section title.
24. St Joseph Academy (Frontenac, Mo.)
Key players: Gabby Blossom, S/RS, 2018 – Penn State; Marissa Tomek, OH, 2017; Lauren Reding, MB 2017; Hannah Gruensfelder, L, 2017 – Ohio State.
Need to know: The Angles of St. Joseph’s brings back their entire lineup as they look to once again contend of the state title.
25. Scutt Catholic (Omaha, Neb.)
Key players: Brooke Heyne, OH, 2017 – Kansas State; Allison Schomers, S/RS, 2017 – UMKC; McKenna Kirkpatrick, MB, 2017; Lily Heyne, MB, 2019.
Need to know: After a 40-2 season and a state championship, Skutt Catholic is looking to continue its NE Class B dominance behind a strong trio of seniors.
Under consideration: Walton (Marietta, Ga.), Tumwater (Wash.), Oak Ridge (Conroe, Texas)m Plano West (Plano, Texas), St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Pleasant Grove (Utah(, Immaculate Heart Township (Washington Township, N.J.), Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, Va.), La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.)