Photo by James Fuchs

Churchill, which hasn't lost since the first weekend of the season, won the Austin ISD Tourmament championship over the weekend and keeps its grip on #1 in the Texas Top 20.

The Texas Top 20

By Scott White, Editor

September 7 – OK, let's reload. A lot has happened in the two weeks since our last ranking and as a result there has been considerable reshuffling in the ranks. The good thing about tournament season in Texas is that from Duncanville to Pearland and all stops between, most of the state’s top teams have several chances to face off. And face off they have. It’s been a season of one upset after another. And a season when one team beats the other one weekend, only to lose to the same team the next weekend. Such is the state of Texas volleyball.

For the moment anyway, Cy Creek seems to have established itself as the team to beat in Houston. Of course we’ve said the same about several Houston teams who promptly went out and collapsed.

So as the tournament season comes to a close and the state picture seems to have cleared a little (yeah, right) here is our ranking of the 20 best high school volleyball teams in Texas.

1. Churchill (1)
The Chargers roll on, claiming the Austin ISD championship over the weekend. Over the past two weeks Sam Dabbs, Jenny Banse, Sarah Harris, Karis Fuchs and the rest of the Chargers have used the momentum from their win over Westlake to impressive wins over Bowie, SA Reagan, Round Rock and others.

2. Austin Westlake (2)
Just like last season the Chaps added the Pearland title to their Duncanville title. Now if they could just figure out a way to keep from stubbing their toe in between. A lot of people still think this is the team that will win it all. They may have to wait until San Marcos, however, to take the top spot back from Churchill.

3. SA Clark (4)
We had predicted a couple of weeks ago that this could be the team to watch at Pearland. They almost lived up to billing but in the end Mary Batis and crew didn’t have enough weapons to match Westlake. They did, however, gain a measure of revenge for their loss to Reagan two weeks ago.

4. Cy Creek (NR)
This team has obviously corrected whatever problems they had during their early season two-match hiccup. Over the past two weeks Creek has put together a string of impressive wins whose victims include Arlington Martin, Dulles, Dobie, Cy Falls, SA Reagan and others. Only blemishes to the record were Cy Falls and Westlake. They are beginning to have the look of a state power.

5. Amarillo (3)
Coming off a sound thumping of Martin in the finals of the Allen tournament, the Sandies arrived in Pearland and promptly discovered what several other good Houston teams already knew: if you take Deer Park lightly, you'll be sorry. The Sandies blew eight game points in game one of a three set loss. Nicole Mahan, Kori Cooper and crew rebounded from the "upset," however, to go undefeated the rest of the way, sweeping Dulles in the consolation finals.

6. Lubbock Coronado (7)
The Mustangs continue to roll, going undefeated for the second straight tournament, this time winning at Seminole behind the play of Kelsey Smith, Robyn Smith and Kayleigh Giddens.

7. Arlington Lamar (5)
While local rivals Martin and Arlington High were in Pearland, Lamar won the Arlington tournament over up-and-coming Hebron (a team that beat Martin earlier in the week). Last week's loss to Lake Highlands probably had more to do with the fact that they had to play nine straight games in back-to-back matches with Allen and LH. Still, that cost them a couple of spots in the rankings. At the moment, however, they still seem to be the team to beat in North Texas.

8. Arlington Martin (6)
A shocking loss to Hebron last week hurt. The loss of Caroline Dreyer and Leslie Breslin (ankle injuries) en route to a fourth place finish at Pearland hurts even more. Over the past two weeks Martin picked up solid wins over Allen, Lake Highlands and Stratford but fell to Amarillo in the Allen tourney finals, to Clark in the Pearland semis and to Cy Creek in the third place match.

9. Houston Stratford (10)
The combination of the extreme talent, youth and inexperience make this one of the most difficult teams in the state to judge. Solid wins over Elkins, Kingwood, New Braunfels and Deer Park were offset by several tough losses.

10. Cy Falls (NR)
Don’t look now, but this is a team on the rise. They picked up noteworthy wins over Kingwood, Cy Springs, Cy Fair and FB Austin among others. Also split with Cy Creek. Several key players have missed much of the start of the season but they are starting to trickle back into the lineup. When they get healthy, watch out.

11. Kingwood (11)
A solid two weeks of action with wins over Clear Creek, Lake Highlands, Katy and Dobie. Stumbled against Stratford and Cy Falls.

12. Lake Highlands (8)
Just one more of the state’s many teams capable of beating or losing to almost anyone. Picked up solid wins over Friendswood and Dulles before falling to Westlake and Kingwood. Loss to Martin two weeks ago was expected but loss to Flower Mound Marcus is hard to figure out.

13. Dulles (13)
Another Houston team that could be a major player by the end of the season. Wins over Allen, Clements, Round Rock and Cy Fair were offset by losses to Cy Creek, Lake Highlands and Amarillo in the consolation finals at Pearland.

14. Dobie (NR)
Consistency plagues this team that is athletic enough to beat anyone but also has several questionable losses. Has beaten Allen, Tomball, Elkins, Sterling, Clear Brook; lost to Oak Ridge (?), Clear Creek, Hastings (??), Cy Creek and Kingwood.

15. Allen (16)
Return of starting middle Whitney Stare from injury can’t come soon enough for the Eagles who beat Lake Highlands but lost to Arlingtons Martin and Lamar, Plano East, Dobie and Dulles over the past two weeks.

16. Cedar Park (NR)
A team slowly making its presence felt throughout Central Texas. Picked up wins over New Braunfels and Bowie over the past week but also had reality checks against Westlake and Churchill.

17. Katy (9)
Another team on a roller coaster over the past two weeks with losses to Bellville (???), Westlake, and Kingwood, a split with Clements, and wins over Arlington and Stratford.

18. New Braunfels (14)
The up-and-down Unicorns rebounded from a loss to St. Michael’s by traveling to Pearland where they were enjoying their trip with wins over Magnolia, Clear Lake and Deer Park. Then came a quarterfinal loss to Clark to put a damper on the fun.

19. Deer Park (NR)
Win over Amarillo had this rapidly improving team on a high. Tough losses to New Braunfels and Stratford brought them back down to earth a little.

20. FB Austin (NR)
Another of those 20-5A teams that have taken Houston by storm. Split with Elkins and losses to Westlake and Amarillo were only blemishes to what has been a strong couple of weeks.

Teams To Watch

Austin Bowie – Continues its up and down ways. Lost to Churchill in finals of Austin ISD after beating Judson in semis. Loss to Cedar Park can be explained but not sure about loss to Keller (a dangerous team, but one that Bowie should beat).

Clements - A very tough week for a team that had been on a streak before losses to Cinco Ranch, Clark, Dulles and a split with Katy.

Dripping Springs - Surprising loss to Highland Park offset impressive win over Hebron. May not stay down long.

Elkins – A very puzzling team that one day looks like world-beaters but continues to suffer disappointing losses.

El Paso Americas - Has taken over as the best of the far, far west.

Hays - Win over New Braunfels in the Fraulein Volleyfest earns a spot on the list for a team that has been impressive without Anna Breyfogle (ankle injury). Once she returns, they are capable of breaking into the rankings.

Hebron – Beat Martin a week ago and lost to Lamar in three in the Arlington tournament finals. Jourdan Norman alone makes this a team that is always dangerous.

Lake Travis – Off to one of the best starts in the school’s history. Lost to Waxahachie in Northwest finals and is improving weekly.

Plano West – Looked strong against top-flight competition at the Allen tournament, but losses to Hebron and Frisco keep them out of the rankings.

Round Rock - Any time you have Churchill twice and Clark over the course of a week, you know its going to be tough week. Also lost to Dulles and Clear Brook in Pearland, but managed quality wins over O’Connor and MacArthur.

San Antonio O'Connor – Solid wins over Boerne and Judson but struggled in Pearland. Losses to Allen and Round Rock keep them out of the rankings.

San Antonio Reagan – Looks to be a team that has corrected its problems and is back on track.

Waxahachie – Positioning itself as the 4A team to beat in North Texas. Has built up a solid resume of wins to offset losses to Churchill, Clear Lake and Cedar Park.