Take your pick: We’re ranking the top Wichita-area high school volleyball teams

Five teams from the Wichita area reached their state semifinals last year, and it’s almost guaranteed at least one of these will in 2018, too.

Here are my top 10 high school volleyball teams heading in the season.

1. Rose Hill

The Rockets are coming off back-to-back state championships and return five seniors in 2018. Rose Hill beat six of the other nine teams on this list and could be even better this season.

Kansas commit Gracie Van Driel leads the way, finishing with 385 kills last season.

2. Andale

Andale didn’t get further than most of the other teams on this list, but the Indians also didn’t lose as many players heading into 2018.

Junior Morgan Bruna was one of the top underclassman hitters in the area. She finished the season with 328 kills. She, Jaden Eck and Katelyn Fairchild will help lead the way and try to direct Andale back into the state tournament.

3. Bishop Carroll

The Eagles can never be counted out.

Carroll lost four seniors off last year’s roster but still bring back some top players, like sophomore Ella Larkin, Rebecca Hageman and Britney Ho. The Eagles failed to move on past pool play at last year’s 5A tournament, but they will be a force in the City League.

4. Goddard

It seems forgotten that Goddard finished fourth at last year’s 5A tournament.

The Kansas Volleyball Association did not have the Lions in its top 10 in 5A entering the 2018 season. Goddard has to replace a lot of talent, but with three solid juniors coming back in Kade Hackerott, Abbie Medbery and Sydney Morrow, discounting the Lions is wrong.

5. Trinity Academy

Few teams in the Wichita area lost as much talent as the Knights, but they will still be right there.

Trinity lost an entire starting lineup’s worth of players from its 2017 roster that finished third in 4A-Division II. But the Knights have a dynamic pair coming back that will help lessen that blow and keep them competitive in sophomore hitter Austin Broadie and senior libero Maggie Peterson.

6. Hesston

The story with Hesston will be, ‘How to replace Kailey Jo.’

Kailey Jo Ince was an All-Metro selection who had 551 kills last season and helped the Swathers to a third-place finish in 3A. She and four other seniors are gone, but players like senior middle backs Talby Duerksen and Rylie Schilling will look to prove that was no fluke.

7. Cheney

The Cardinals were one game short of a state championship in 2017.

Cheney finished with as many losses as seniors: six. The Cards top three players in kills and blocks are gone. If Cheney can find a way to replace that talent, the championship mentality is still there and could propel the incoming starters to perform.

8. Newton

Senior leadership will be the key.

The Railroaders bring back six seniors in 2018, including All-AVCTL I selection Maggie Remsberg. She, senior middle back DesiRay Kernal and sophomore hitter Asha Regier will be the players to watch this season as they look to improve on last year’s state appearance.

9. Maize South

Plenty of teams lost a lot, but Maize South seems to be set in 2018.

The Mavericks have four top players in seniors Skylar Goering, Taea Kapels and Corinn Sokoll, and sophomore Laurel Jones. With wins over Derby and Kapun last year, Maize South is a team that is trending up despite 17 losses last season.

10. Garden Plain

Sub-state did the Owls no favors last year.

Meeting Cheney before even reaching state was a tough blow for Garden Plain’s three talented seniors, but in 2018, there seems to be a lot of flexibility in the lineup with three more seniors, including Lauren Danahy, and a strong sophomore class.