SBLive Iowa Power 25 high school volleyball rankings for Week 9

By Bret Hayworth | Photo by Matthew Putney  

The season heads to Week 9 for Iowa high school volleyball teams, with teams entering district and regional competition, trying to land state berths by the end of October. Here are the Top 25 teams in the SBLive Iowa power rankings, a list that places schools from all five classifications into one.  

1. Dike-New Hartford (40-2 record, Last Week No. 1)

The Wolverines remain No. 1 for an eighth week, riding a 17-match winning streak that included four wins in the final week of the regular season. The two season losses were to Class 5A Dowling, and later Class 3A Mount Vernon back on Sept. 24. Aiming for a third straight Class 2A title, the Wolverines open the postseason on Wednesday Oct. 19, playing the winner of Ogden and Woodward Granger.

2. Ankeny (33-4, LW No. 2)

The Class 5A Hawks have won 15 in a row, and won the stacked CIML conference with a 7-0 record. Ankeny begins postseason play on Thursday, Oct. 20, taking on the winner of Des Moines North and Des Moines Lincoln. Setter Jesa Wallace is fourth in the state in assists, with 918.

3. Pleasant Valley (25-6, LW No. 5)

Pleasant Valley won the Class 5A title in 2021, and won the Mississippi Athletic Conference with a 9-0 tally, by virtue of emerging victorious on Oct. 11 in a battle of 8-0 teams, with PV playing Vavier. The Spartans open play Thursday, Oct. 20, by taking on the winner of Davenport West and Davenport Central.

4. Hull Western Christian (37-5, LW No. 4)

The Class 2A Wolfpack are annually in the mix for state titles, and 2022 has gone well again.. After a 5-0 record in the last week, Abby VerBurg moved past Stella Winterfeld for the team lead in kills, with 433. Western Christian plays Wednesday, Oct. 19, against the winner of West Sioux and MMCRU.

5. Iowa City Liberty (28-8, LW No. 7)

Liberty finished out a strong Class 5A season with two late-season wins over Xavier, including one that cinched the Mississippi Valley-Mississippi Conference crown. Liberty plays Thursday, Oct. 20, against the victor of an opening round battle of Cedar Rapids Jefferson and C.R. Washington.

6. Xavier Cedar Rapids (28-4, LW No. 3)

The Class 4A squad won one of three matches in the final week, with one of the losses to Class 5A Iowa City Liberty, which put Xavier as the second place finisher in the Mississippi Valley-Mississippi Conference. Xavier plays on Thursday, Oct. 20, versus the winner of Gilbert and Waverly-Shell Rock.

7. Dowling Catholic (29-9, LW No. 8)

Class 5A Dowling ended the season in second place (5-2) in the CIML behind Ankeny. The Maroons begin the postseason on Thursday, Oct. 20, by taking on the winner of Ottumwa and Des Moines North.

8. Marion (31-5, LW No. 6)

The Class 4A program is one of the many several larger enrollment teams with a loss to Dike-New Hartford. All-State Setter Avery Van Hook has more than 800 assists. The Wolves on Thursday, Oct. 20, play the winner of Carlisle and Des Moines Hoover.

9. Assumption (Davenport) (27-7, LW No. 9)

The Class 3A Knights had one loss in the final week, dropping a match to Class 5A Pleasant Valley, as that team wrapped up the Mississippi Athletic Conference with a 9-0 record, while Assumption was 8-1. Assumption opened postseason play Monday, Oct. 17, against Camanche (3-20).

10. Ankeny Centennial (27-9, LW No. 11)

The Class 5A Jaguars tied Dowling for second place in the CIML, as both were 5-2 in league play. Centennial plays in the postseason on Thursday, Oct. 20, facing either Sioux City West or Council Bluffs Jefferson.

11. Cedar Falls (32-6, LW No. 11)

Cedar Falls was the Class 5A runner up last year, and finished 2022 in third place in the Mississippi Valley-Mississippi Conference, behind Iowa City Liberty and Xavier. The Tigers are riding a 12-match win streak, and on Thursday, Oct. 20, will face either Dubuque Hempstead or Davenport North.

12, North Scott (30-5, LW No. 10)

The Class 4A Lancers finished the regular season at third place in the Mississippi Athletic Conference, behind Pleasant Valley and Assumption. North Scott plays Thursday, Oct. 20, with the winner of Keokuk and Fort Madison.

13. Waukee Northwest (25-10, LW No. 13)

The Class 5A Wolves remain at 13th for the third straight week, and finished the final week 2-1, with the defeat coming to highly ranked Ankeny Centennial. Waukee Northwest has a first postseason match Thursday, Oct. 20, taking on either Ames or Marshalltown.

14. Des Moines Christian (42-5, LW No. 14)

The Class 3A Lions finished the regular season with a 3-0 final week. They open play on Wednesday, Oct. 19, with opponent Saydel (7-18).

15. Wapsie Valley (38-4, LW No. 15)

Wapsie Valley is the top-ranked Class 2A team in this compilation, after winning the North Iowa Cedar-East Conference with a 4-0 record. The Warriors play Wednesday, Oct. 19, against Cascade or Columbus.

16. Mount Vernon (31-5, LW No. 16)

Class 3A Mount Vernon finished the final week of the regular season by going 3-0. The squad won the WaMaC-East Conference, and started the postseason Monday, Oct. 17, by playing Iowa Falls. Chloe Messter continues an impressive sophomore season with 425 kills, placing her 11th overall.

17. West Liberty (28-7, LW No. 18)

Class 3A West Liberty plays a competitive larger classification schedule, and in their own level of enrollments, won the River Valley South Conference. The Comets played PCM in postseason play on Monday, Oct. 17.

18. Sioux Center (27-3, LW No. 21)

The Class 3A Warriors won the Siouxland Conference, by going 9-0. Sioux Center has not lost over the last three weeks, and one of their notable prior losses was to highly ranked Western Christian. The Warriors played Monday, Oct. 17, against Okoboji (5-24).

19. Johnston (25-10, LW No. 22)

Class 5A Johnston has won 11 of the last 12 matches, and plays Thursday, Oct. 20, versus the winner of Iowa City West and Waterloo East.

20. West Burlington (34-6, LW No. 20)

Abby Bence of WB ranks fifth in the entire state with 902 assists. The Class 2A Falcons have racked up a 18-2 record over the last four weeks of the season, and won the SEISC-South Conference title. West Burlington opens the postseason on Wednesday, Oct. 19, with Van Buren County or Cardinal.

21. Springville (34-3, LW No. 19)

Springville is the top Class 1A team in the rankings, and was the 2021 state runner up. The Orioles went 5-1 on the final week, losing to Lisbon. Springville won the Tri-Rivers Conference, and played Monday, Oct. 17, against PCM (10-21).

22. Ankeny Christian (33-3, LW No. 23)

Class1A Ankeny Christian has won 12 matches in a row, and opens postseason competition on Wednesday, Oct. 19, by taking on the victor of Audubon and Nodaway Valley.

23. North Tama (29-4, LW No. 24)

Class 1A North Tama has been 18-1 the last three weeks. The Redhawks won the (7-0) Iowa STAR South Conference, and play Wednesday, Oct. 19, vs. Colo-Nesco or Collins-Maxwell.

24. Western Dubuque (22-10, LW No. 25)

The Class 4A Bobcats won the 2021 title, and has had recent losses to Class 5A top tier teams Xavier and Iowa City Liberty. Western Dubuque plays Thursday, Oct. 20, against the winner of Webster City and Fort Dodge.

25. Lisbon (36-2, LW Unranked)

Class 2A Lisbon enters the rankings after a win over Springville last week. Lisbon has16 victories in a row, and begins postseason play on Wednesday, Oct. 19, by taking on either East Marshall or Colfax-Mingo.

Dropped Out: Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (17)