MaxPreps Top 25 Volleyball: Byron Nelson Reigns as SoCal Powers Shake Up the Rankings

Rankings day never disappoints, and this week’s MaxPreps Top 25 kept that tradition alive. Byron Nelson still owns the top spot, but down in Southern California? Pure fireworks. Teams are rising, slipping, and clawing for every inch. Nobody’s safe—not this year.

Byron Nelson’s Unstoppable March

Byron Nelson (29-0) from Trophy Club, Texas, hasn’t blinked once. Kylie Kleckner and Ashlyn Seay are running the show, pounding balls through defenses and turning tough matches into statement wins. The Bobcats don’t just win—they make it look inevitable. Honestly, the chase for an undefeated national title doesn’t feel like a question anymore. It feels like it’s waiting for them.

SoCal Mayhem at the Top

But here’s where it gets wild—SoCal’s powerhouses are trading punches.

Mater Dei (No. 2): The Monarchs (24-4) just keep grinding. Brutal schedule? Doesn’t matter. They’re climbing anyway.

Sierra Canyon (No. 3): Four hitters, all past 100 kills. Good luck game-planning for that. You stop one, the others eat you alive.

Marymount (No. 4): Sure, they slipped a couple spots, but with five players smashing past 100 kills, this team isn’t going anywhere.

Mira Costa’s Big Statement

So who really shook things up? Mira Costa. The Mustangs exploded six places to No. 18 after sweeping No. 10 Redondo Union. Audrey Flanagan? She dropped 22 kills that night like it was nothing. Forget the 14-7 record—it’s misleading. Every loss came against ranked teams. Translation: they’re way scarier than the numbers show.

Climbers, Debuts, and Rivalries

And that wasn’t all. Hamilton Southeastern (No. 8) jumped nine spots with back-to-back wins over Roncalli (No. 21) and Benet Academy (No. 19). Out in Hawaii, ‘Iolani (No. 25) finally broke into the rankings and now faces rival Kamehameha Kapalama (No. 47). And in Illinois? The rivalry cut deep again. Mother McAuley (No. 15) beat Marist (No. 16) in three sets, sending Marist tumbling seven spots. Rivalries sting like that.

The Road Ahead

So what happens next? More chaos, plain and simple. As league games stack up and rivalries hit peak intensity, the rankings will keep flipping. Upsets are coming. Big wins are coming. And the fun part? We have no idea where it’s headed. Stick with RepMax Media, RepMax.io, GetRanked.net, and CA-Recruits for every twist and turn in the nation’s volleyball spotlight.