MaxPreps Top 25 national high school volleyball rankings

The first six teams held their ground in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 volleyball rankings, but No. 7 through No. 10 all lost.

Top ranked Mercy (Louisville, Ky.) added two more victims to its 2013 list to run its record to 16-0 and The Woodlands (Texas), St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.), Horizon (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Boca Raton (Fla.) all recorded perfect weeks to remain unbeaten and hold their spots in the rankings.

Rounding out the Top 10 this week are unbeatens Dakota (Macomb, Mich.), Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), New Castle (Ind.) and Bettendorf (Iowa).

New to the Top 25 this week are unbeatens Bishop Kenney (Jacksonville, Fla.), Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.) and Yorktown (Ind.), along with previously ranked Carroll (Southlake, Texas) and St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.).

Falling out of the Top 25 were preseason No. 1 Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.), Doherty (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Dike-New Hartford (Dike, Iowa) and Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.).

Lafayette (Wildwood, Mo.), Doherty and Dike-New Hartford saw their lengthy winning streaks come to an end — Doherty at 33 matches and Dike-New Hartford at 70. Lafayette lost to No. 3 St. James to end their win streak at 49 matches, but remained in the Top 25 at No. 14.

For Assumption, this week is the first time since 2008 that the Rockets have not been ranked in the Top 25.

Six teams ranked in the Top 25 and a half dozen other teams ranked at one time this season are entered in the Durango Volleyball Classic to be played Friday and Saturday in Las Vegas.

MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Volleyball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard

1. (Last week 1) Mercy (Louisville, Ky.), 16-0
The Jaguars blanked Battle Ground Academy (Franklin, Tenn.) and 20-3 Ravenwood (Brentwood, Tenn.). They play No. 23 Notre Dame (Park Hills, Ky.) in a rematch of the Louisville Invitational finals won by Mercy (2-1) two weeks ago.

2. (2) The Woodlands (Texas), 26-0
With Courtney Eckenrode averaging just under 10 assists per game, the Highlanders beat Katy (Texas) 3-0 on Tuesday and rival Conroe, 3-0, on Friday. They play A&M Consolidated on Tuesday.

3. (3) St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), 10-0
The Thunder knocked No. 7 Dike-New Hartford (Dike, Iowa) from the Top 25 with a 3-0 sweep, then dominated play in the Mo-Kan tournament featuring many of the top teams from Kansas and Missouri. Included in the six teams beaten by the Thunder in the Mo-Kan was Lafayette (Wildwood, Mo.). The Thunder handed Lafayette its first loss since 2011 and ended its 49-match win streak. St. James, winners of all 21 games this season, hosts Kapaun Mt. Carmel (Wichita, Kan.) on Thursday.

4. (4) New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.), 7-0
New Trier defeated Stevenson (25-23, 25-19) for its 40th win in its last 42 matches. Niles West (Skokie, Ill.) hosts New Trier on Wednesday.

5. (5) Horizon (Scottsdale, Ariz.), 2-0
Last week, the Huskies beat Gilbert 3-0. They host Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.) on Tuesday.

6. (6) Boca Raton (Fla.), 5-0
The Bobcats ran their record to 5-0 with wins over Pine Crest (Fort Launderdale, Fla.) and Olympic Heights (Boca Raton, Fla.). They visit Spanish River (Boca Raton) on Tuesday.

7. (11) Dakota (Macomb, Mich.), 12-0
With last week's win over Marysville (Mich.), Dakota has won 33 matches in a row. Dakota plays in the Clarkston Quad on Tuesday against Marian (Bloomfield, Mich.), Clarkston (Mich.) and Seaholm (Birmingham, Mich.).

8. (17) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 6-0
Mater Dei captured the Dave Mohs Memorial Tournament by beating Redondo Beach (Calif.), 2-1 on Monday. In winning the tournament, Mater Dei beat previously-ranked No. 10 Corona Del Mar, Lakewood, Dana Hills and handed No. 15 Los Alamitos its first loss this season. Next up for the Monarchs is the Durango Invitational in Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday.

9. (13) New Castle (Ind.), 13-0
The Trojans won their own tournament by recording wins over Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), Floyd Central (Floyd Knobs, Ind.) and Southwood (Wabash, Ind.). They host Mt. Vernon (Fortville, Ind.) on Thursday.

10. (16) Bettendorf (Iowa), 11-0
The Bulldogs have yet to lose a game and needed less than an hour to blank Davenport West (Iowa). Then they won the North Scott Invitational title last weekend. They host 9-2 Pleasant Valley on Tuesday.

11. (14) Churchill (San Antonio), 29-1
Behind Abby Buckingham's 18 kills and 18 digs, Churchill ran its win streak to 22 matches with a 3-1 win over Madison (San Antonio) in its lone match last week. The Lancers visit MacArthur (San Antonio) on Tuesday.

12. (NR) Carroll (Southlake, Texas) 29-1
Since losing to No. 2 The Woodlands back in mid-August, Carroll has won 23 straight matches. For the season, the Dragons have won 66 games, while losing just six. They play Halton (Texas) on Friday.

13. (NR) Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.), 7-0
The Warriors are the only team to beat Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco), Salinas and Clovis West (Fresno) this season. They host unbeaten Homestead (Cupertino) on Tuesday.

14. (12) Lafayette (Wildwood, Mo.), 7-1
The Lancers beat Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.), St. Teresa's Academy (Kansas City, Mo.) and Blue Valley North (Overland Park, Kan.), but saw their 49-match win streak end (2-0) to No. 3 St. James Academy. They visit Parkway West (Ballwin, Mo.) on Tuesday.

15. (9) Los Alamitos (Calif.), 7-1
Los Alamitos beat Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.), but lost to No. 8 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 2-1 in the semifinals of the Mohs Tournament at Edison High School.

16. (NR) St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.), 12-1
St. Francis beat Bishop Chatard (Indianapolis) 25-22, 26-24 to win the Crossroads Classic tournament in Effingham on Saturday. St. Francis, which went 5-0 over the two-day, 24-team tournament, was led by tournament Most Valuable Player Molly Haggerty. Teammates Madeline Haggerty and Samantha Dubiel also made the all-tournament team. The Spartans, winners of 12 straight, host Marian Central Catholic (Woodstock, Ill.) on Wednesday.

17. (22) Carmel (Ind.), 12-1
Since losing to Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.), the Greyhounds have blanked nine foes, most recently a pair of Indianapolis rivals in Ben Davis and Brebeuf Jesuit Prep. They host Lawrence North (Indianapolis) on Tuesday.

18. (NR) Yorktown (Ind.), 14-0
Behind Taylor Zwickl's 344 assists, Yorktown is perfect this season and the only team to beat 12-1 Wapani (Selam). Up next: 13-1 Wes-Del (Gaston, Ind.) on Sept. 23.

19. (18) Hillcrest (Simpsonville, S.C.), 20-0
The Rams beat Westside (Anderson, S.C.) to run their shutout streak to 23 games. They host once-beaten Hanna (Anderson, S.C.) on Tuesday.

20. (19) Brentwood (Tenn.), 24-0
The Bruins, who have won 57 of their 61 games this season, beat Independence (Thompson Station, Tenn.) on Tuesday, 3-1.

21. (20) Mother McAuley (Chicago), 12-2
The Macs host Marist (Chicago) on Tuesday.

22. (NR) Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville, Fla.), 10-0
Led by junior ball-handlers Natalie Chebi and Molly Burkhardt, the Crusaders have won 27 of 29 games. They visit Bolles (Jacksonville) on Tuesday.

23. (23) Notre Dame Academy (Park Hills, Ky.), 10-2
The Pandas beat 13-2 Ryle (Union, Ky.) last week and have lost only to No. 1 Mercy and 9-2 Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati).

24. (8) Winter Park (Fla.), 11-1
The Wildcats took third in the Orlando Valley Classic with a win over rival Lake Highland, but suffered their first loss of the season to tournament runner-up Westminster (Fla.). They play University (Orlando, Fla.) on Tuesday.

25. (25) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 8-1
The Monarchs swept the field in their own Showcase, winning all four matches (losing just one game). They play Menlo (Atherton, Calif.) on Tuesday, then compete in the Durango Classic on Friday and Saturday.

Dropped out
No. 7 Dike-New Hartford (Dike, Iowa)
No. 10 Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.)
No. 15 Doherty (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
No. 21 Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.)
No. 24 Assumption (Louisville, Ky.).