The News-Gazette's volleyball Top 10: Area's best teams staying poised

We’re at the point in the volleyball season where the top-tier teams aren’t blinking. The first one that does will certainly shake things up. Here’s preps coordinator Zach Piatt’s latest area Top 10 as the regular season starts to wind down:

1. Mahomet-Seymour

➜ Record: 19-2

➜ Previous ranking: No. 1

The Bulldogs have now won nine matches in a row. Ellie Barker, Lily Bosworth and Addi Eisenmann led them to a sweep over Mattoon and Mt. Zion, keeping them undefeated in Apollo Conference play. M-S controls its own destiny to a conference championship as 20-win mark approaches.

2. Cissna Park

➜ Record: 20-2

➜ Previous ranking: No. 2

The Timberwolves have now won seven straight matches in the Vermilion Valley Conference. Wins against St. Joseph-Ogden, Hoopeston Area and Oakwood have continued their hot streak. This time last year, the winningest season in program history, Cissna Park already had three losses.

3. Westville

➜ Record: 23-2

➜ Previous ranking: No. 4

If it wasn’t for that three-set loss to Cissna Park two weeks ago, the Tigers would be sitting pretty. Still, the Tigers have swept five straight opponents. A steady offensive diet of Lainey Wichtowski, Ella Miller, Maddie Appl and Maddy Doggett has done wonders.

4. St. Thomas More

➜ Record: 23-3

➜ Previous ranking: No. 3

Westville leapfrogged STM because the Sabers took a week off. Simple as that. A high-powered offense and a defense that probably doesn’t get the credit it deserves, coach Brad Dalton‘s latest team has STM fans feeling like it’s 2017. Maybe even 2021. A deep playoff run seems likely.

5. Champaign Central

➜ Record: 20-12

➜ Previous ranking: No. 5

The Maroons lost twice last weekend to the same team (reigning Class 2A state champion Breese Mater Dei). But Central won three matches between those losses and ultimately took runner-up honors at the Belleville East tournament, thanks in large part to Bridget Cassady.

6. Watseka

➜ Record: 20-6

➜ Previous ranking: No. 7

Even with Tuesday’s loss to Westville, the Warriors have had a great run of success with 11 wins in the last 12 matches. Ella Smith and the rest of her teammates have been on fire for the better part of a month, holding the title as one of the hottest teams in the area right now.

7. LeRoy

➜ Record: 15-6

➜ Previous ranking: No. 6

Two weeks ago, the Panthers were closing in on the No. 1 spot. Now, after they followed an eight-match winning streak with a four-match losing streak, they’ve fallen quite a bit. The tough Heart of Illinois Conference schedule hasn’t been kind to coach Sierra Leinweber‘s team recently.

8. ALAH

➜ Record: 17-4

➜ Previous ranking: NR

Remember that comment about Watseka being the hottest team in the area? Well, Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond is right there, too. The Knights have won 12 consecutive matches. Karaline Vanausdoll, Mackenzie Condill, Summer Melton and Alayna Plank are leading the way.

9. Unity

➜ Record: 19-9-1

➜ Previous ranking: No. 9

Don’t look now, but the Rockets are starting to build some momentum going into the final few matches of the regular season. Chloey Duitsman, Lauren Shaw, Lindy Bates and Maegan Rothe have led what’s turned into a more balanced approach overall for Unity.

10. Armstrong-Potomac

➜ Record: 13-10-1

➜ Previous ranking: NR

Talk about coming out of absolute nowhere. The Trojans had multiple three-match losing streaks in September. Now, they’ve won seven of their last eight. During A-P’s sweep of Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin on Oct. 1, Carly Grant and Ashlyn Ackerman shined.