Way-Too-Early 2017 NCAA Women's Volleyball Top 20
Way-Too-Early 2017 NCAA Women's Volleyball Top 20
Who will be the top 20 NCAA Division I women's volleyball teams in 2017? Here are our way-too-early rankings.
We know it was only days ago that Stanford was crowned national champion of the 2016 NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament. The championship, especially with the amount of young talent on display, got us super excited for the 2017 season, and we couldn't wait any longer to start analyzing next year's competition, which leads us to the FloVolleyball Way-Too-Early 2017 NCAA Top 20 Rankings.
Kentucky has been knocking on the door of greatness the past couple of seasons. In the 2017 class, head coach Craig Skinner brings in four Under Armour All-Americans, three of whom won state championships in high school. These four, along with 2016 recruit Leah Edmond, who led the Wildcats in kills as a freshman, should help Kentucky to continue to improve and to challenge Missouri and Florida for the SEC title. The only significant loss from the 2016 team is Annie Thomasson, who played back row and one rotation in the front row.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNjFw7DgGVh/?taken-by=kentuckyvolleyball" hide_caption="0"]
Michigan will be looking to fill two of its top three offensive positions after the graduation of Abby Cole and Kelly Murphy. Luckily, some members of the top 20-ranked 2016 recruiting class should have some answers, particularly 6-foot-1 outside Sydney Wetterstrom, who was one of the top 100 recruits in her high school class but saw limited playing time behind Carly Skjodt and Murphy in 2016. Only one recruit has officially committed for 2017, Canadian national team player Kiara Shannon.
The Tigers lose undersized but dynamic outside hitter Carly Kan, who has been a key player on the Mizzou team since her freshman season, and her loss will certainly be felt. However, head coach Wayne Kreklow adds Leketor Member-Meneh, a 5-9 explosive leaper from St. Louis to the 2017 squad, along with a pair of Puerto Rico youth national teamers: setter Andrea Fuentes and opposite Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana. Kreklow will also have to fill graduating libero Alexa Ethridge's spot, with the most likely candidate being rising redshirt sophomore Riley Sents.
Michigan State returns its duo of All-American juniors, middle blocker Alyssa Garvelink and six-rotation outside Autumn Bailey; however, the Spartans lose outside Chloe Reinig and middle/oppo Allyssah Fitterer. Incoming frosh Jamye Cox will help provide depth behind Abby Monson at the libero position, and 6-3 classmate Meredith Norris adds height and terminating ability to the offensive lineup.
All four graduating seniors played a role on Ohio State's team this year but none as big as Taylor Sandbothe's. The middle blocker was the team's kills leader, so with her departure, outsides Luisa Schirmer and Audra Appold, as well as remaining starting middle Madison Smeathers will have to step up their production. In-state recruit Lauren Witte will compete for a starting spot in the middle, and incoming frosh Hannah Gruensfelder may be the heir to Valeria Leon's vacated libero position.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMo4hLlDfwd/?taken-by=ohiostatewvball" hide_caption="0"]
Heavy losses will plague this Florida State team come fall, as the Seminoles will have to replace top outside hitter Katie Horton, setter/right side Hailey Luke, and both starting middles, Mara Green and Melanie Keil. Those graduations will leave many starting spots available to the solid group of incoming freshmen, which is headlined by middle Taryn Knuth, a top 10 recruit in her class. "I would rank this class among the top three I've ever recruited to any school when taking into consideration the overall talent and depth," FSU head coach Chris Poole said on signing day.
Oregon had one of the top-ranked recruiting classes heading into the 2016 season, with each of its four freshmen getting playing time this fall. The Ducks had some big wins but suffered from inconsistency, something that should become less of an issue as Ronika Stone, Willow Johnson, Brooke Van Sickle, and Jolie Rasmussen continue to improve. The biggest loss for Oregon will be at the libero position with the graduation of Amanda Benson, but Van Sickle, who tallied 163 digs in 2016, is poised to take over.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNBHz-ShqLk/?taken-by=oregonvb" hide_caption="0"]
Although it exited the tournament before the final four, Creighton was as close to a Cinderella story as we got in 2016. The 2017 Bluejays squad will be led by returning setter Lydia Dimke, a transfer from Purdue, outside hitter Jaali Winters, and libero Brittany Witt. Incoming freshmen Steph Gaston, a 6-5 lefty opposite, and Naomi Hickman, a 6-4 middle, will help elevate Creighton's physicality at the net and only serve to improve on 2016's impressive results.
Four underclassmen defensive specialists will battle to fill the role of graduated super libero Cassie Wait on the 2017 Kansas squad. Patricia Montero, Jada Burse, and Zoe Hill each had good college debuts in 2016 and should help 2017 senior leaders Ainise Havili, Madison Rigdon, and Kelsie Payne as they work to match their 2015 performance and return to the final four. The only 2017 signee to be announced so far is setter Annika Carlson, who will likely spend her freshman season on the bench waiting for Havili to graduate and vacate her starting spot.
Losing a libero, setter, and starting opposite all in the same graduating class will certainly not be an easy thing to recover from, but North Carolina will still have heavy-hitting outside duo Taylor Leath and Julia Scoles, middle Taylor Fricano, and Mariah Evan, who played the second half of the 6-2 opposite Abigail Curry. With only one recruit committed for 2017 (Raleigh Clark, a 6-3 middle), North Carolina will have to hope some members of its highly touted 2016 recruiting class blossom as sophomores.
Florida only loses one player from its 2016 roster, but it's a big one. Opposite Alex Holston led the Gators in kills the past two seasons, but UF coach Mary Wise brings in top recruit Paige Hammons to help maintain the Gators' impressive offense. Rhamat Alhassan and Carli Snyder will have one more year to live up to their potential, and they'll be aided by libero Caroline Knop and setter Allie Monserez, who both had fantastic showings in 2016.
John Cook, head coach of the Huskers, will be looking to stop the leak from four bigs holes created by the graduation of first-team All-American libero Justine Wong-Orantes, twin towers Kadie and Amber Rolfzen, and outside hitter Andie Malloy, who used her final year of eligibility at Nebraska after transferring in from Baylor. Kenzie Maloney should step into the libero position fairly seamlessly after contributing in a big way as a DS for two years. As for the offense, yet another stellar Husker recruiting class features highly touted oppo Jazz Sweet, middle Chesney McClellan, and defensive specialist Hayley Densberger.
UCLA will have to rely heavily on its stacked recruiting class to make up for losing both starting middles and its second-highest kills producer Jordan Anderson. The performance of Torrey Van Winden as a freshman should give Bruins fans hope, and setter Ryann Chandler will have one more year in Westwood, California. Four top 50 recruits joined the squad on National Signing Day, and coach Mike Sealy hinted at three more to come. The big question, though, is who will fill libero Taylor Formico's shoes?
The 2016 BYU recruiting class was huge and made an equally large impact on the court. Libero Mary Lake and outside hitter McKenna Miller were two of the team's most reliable contributors, and joining the team next year will be elite recruits Taylen Ballard, an outside hitter, and Sara Hamson, a middle/right side and younger sister of BYU All-American Jennifer Hamson. BYU has made serious moves in the NCAA tournament over the past few seasons, and it doesn't look like that will end any time soon.
Lauren Carlini and Haleigh Nelson have joined together to carry Wisconsin on their backs for the last four years, and the future of the Badger program will rely heavily on the performance of incoming freshman setter Sydney Hilley. All five of the incoming Badgers are ranked in the top 40 in their recruiting class, and either Dana Rettke or Danielle Hart should be ready to step in for the graduated Haleigh Nelson.
Penn State only brings in one big-time recruit for 2017 (middle/right side Cami May), but the Nittany Lions don't graduate a single impact player from their 2016 squad. Although this past season was somewhat disappointing, it still saw the Lions defeat Minnesota, ranked No. 1 at the time, and go to five with national championship favorites Nebraska twice. The PSU's 2018 class is stacked, and Haleigh Washington, Simone Lee, and Ali Frantti in particular will be looking to re-establish the Penn State level of excellence before leaving Happy Valley.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BOAWW5-gdpW/?taken-by=pennstatevball" hide_caption="0"]
Speaking of Penn State, have you seen the latest two-episode FloFilm "The Program: Penn State" featuring Russ Rose and the history of one of the most successful NCAA women's programs? If not, you definitely don't want to miss it. Watch series trailer here.
The losses of three of its four top kill-producers will no doubt be a challenge for Minnesota. However, a trio of top 50-ranked incoming hitters in Stephanie Samedy, Jasmyn Martin, and Sydney Kleinman should help fill the gaps for the 2017 Gophers. First-team All-American setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson returns and freshman outside Alexis Hart should only continue to improve, not to mention 6-foot-5 2015 Under Armour High School All-American Regan Pittman, who can step into the lineup and make a major impact.
The Huskies will return all starters and welcome top middle blocker recruit Lauren Sanders. In 2016, Washington was good enough to win the Pac-12, but the team lost to Stanford twice, and by our estimate, the Cardinal are only going to keep getting better. With Sanders coming in, we wonder if Kara Bajema, who starred in her first season ever playing middle, will move to the outside and be the offensive threat Washington needs.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNpP8yEg-xA/?taken-by=uwvolleyball" hide_caption="0"]
The graduation of Inky Ajanaku will be tough for Stanford from a leadership perspective, but the Cardinal will have more than enough talent to return to the national championship match. Merete Lutz was a second-team All-American middle as a sophomore and can easily step back into that position for 2017. With the possible return of 2015 freshman of the year Hayley Hodson and incoming all-star Meghan McClure, 2016 freshman of the year Kathryn Plummer would be free to move back to the right side, where she will be a force to be reckoned with next year.
It's always tough to lose a setter, and the graduation of Chloe Collins means either redshirt freshman Riley Fisbeck or incoming frosh Ashley Shook will have big shoes to fill. However, Texas brings in the best recruiting class in the country, with two of the nation's top recruits Lexi Sun and Brionne Butler joining Shook and libero Olivia Zelon in Austin, TX. Sun will be ready to contribute right away and take over for the graduated Paulina Prieto Cerame, and the return of All-American middle Chiaka Ogbogu could mean big things for the Longhorns.
All photos by USA Today Sports.
NCAA Stars Sign Pro Contracts Overseas
Impact: Why the Transfer Phenomenon Won't Die
Best Final Four Photos
Haleigh Washington Guest Hosts on Talk Volley to Me Podcast
20. Kentucky
Kentucky has been knocking on the door of greatness the past couple of seasons. In the 2017 class, head coach Craig Skinner brings in four Under Armour All-Americans, three of whom won state championships in high school. These four, along with 2016 recruit Leah Edmond, who led the Wildcats in kills as a freshman, should help Kentucky to continue to improve and to challenge Missouri and Florida for the SEC title. The only significant loss from the 2016 team is Annie Thomasson, who played back row and one rotation in the front row.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNjFw7DgGVh/?taken-by=kentuckyvolleyball" hide_caption="0"]
19. Michigan
Michigan will be looking to fill two of its top three offensive positions after the graduation of Abby Cole and Kelly Murphy. Luckily, some members of the top 20-ranked 2016 recruiting class should have some answers, particularly 6-foot-1 outside Sydney Wetterstrom, who was one of the top 100 recruits in her high school class but saw limited playing time behind Carly Skjodt and Murphy in 2016. Only one recruit has officially committed for 2017, Canadian national team player Kiara Shannon.
18. Missouri
The Tigers lose undersized but dynamic outside hitter Carly Kan, who has been a key player on the Mizzou team since her freshman season, and her loss will certainly be felt. However, head coach Wayne Kreklow adds Leketor Member-Meneh, a 5-9 explosive leaper from St. Louis to the 2017 squad, along with a pair of Puerto Rico youth national teamers: setter Andrea Fuentes and opposite Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana. Kreklow will also have to fill graduating libero Alexa Ethridge's spot, with the most likely candidate being rising redshirt sophomore Riley Sents.17. Michigan State
Michigan State returns its duo of All-American juniors, middle blocker Alyssa Garvelink and six-rotation outside Autumn Bailey; however, the Spartans lose outside Chloe Reinig and middle/oppo Allyssah Fitterer. Incoming frosh Jamye Cox will help provide depth behind Abby Monson at the libero position, and 6-3 classmate Meredith Norris adds height and terminating ability to the offensive lineup.
16. Ohio State
All four graduating seniors played a role on Ohio State's team this year but none as big as Taylor Sandbothe's. The middle blocker was the team's kills leader, so with her departure, outsides Luisa Schirmer and Audra Appold, as well as remaining starting middle Madison Smeathers will have to step up their production. In-state recruit Lauren Witte will compete for a starting spot in the middle, and incoming frosh Hannah Gruensfelder may be the heir to Valeria Leon's vacated libero position.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMo4hLlDfwd/?taken-by=ohiostatewvball" hide_caption="0"]
15. Florida State
Heavy losses will plague this Florida State team come fall, as the Seminoles will have to replace top outside hitter Katie Horton, setter/right side Hailey Luke, and both starting middles, Mara Green and Melanie Keil. Those graduations will leave many starting spots available to the solid group of incoming freshmen, which is headlined by middle Taryn Knuth, a top 10 recruit in her class. "I would rank this class among the top three I've ever recruited to any school when taking into consideration the overall talent and depth," FSU head coach Chris Poole said on signing day.
14. Oregon
Oregon had one of the top-ranked recruiting classes heading into the 2016 season, with each of its four freshmen getting playing time this fall. The Ducks had some big wins but suffered from inconsistency, something that should become less of an issue as Ronika Stone, Willow Johnson, Brooke Van Sickle, and Jolie Rasmussen continue to improve. The biggest loss for Oregon will be at the libero position with the graduation of Amanda Benson, but Van Sickle, who tallied 163 digs in 2016, is poised to take over.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNBHz-ShqLk/?taken-by=oregonvb" hide_caption="0"]
13. Creighton
Although it exited the tournament before the final four, Creighton was as close to a Cinderella story as we got in 2016. The 2017 Bluejays squad will be led by returning setter Lydia Dimke, a transfer from Purdue, outside hitter Jaali Winters, and libero Brittany Witt. Incoming freshmen Steph Gaston, a 6-5 lefty opposite, and Naomi Hickman, a 6-4 middle, will help elevate Creighton's physicality at the net and only serve to improve on 2016's impressive results.12. Kansas
Four underclassmen defensive specialists will battle to fill the role of graduated super libero Cassie Wait on the 2017 Kansas squad. Patricia Montero, Jada Burse, and Zoe Hill each had good college debuts in 2016 and should help 2017 senior leaders Ainise Havili, Madison Rigdon, and Kelsie Payne as they work to match their 2015 performance and return to the final four. The only 2017 signee to be announced so far is setter Annika Carlson, who will likely spend her freshman season on the bench waiting for Havili to graduate and vacate her starting spot.
11. North Carolina
Losing a libero, setter, and starting opposite all in the same graduating class will certainly not be an easy thing to recover from, but North Carolina will still have heavy-hitting outside duo Taylor Leath and Julia Scoles, middle Taylor Fricano, and Mariah Evan, who played the second half of the 6-2 opposite Abigail Curry. With only one recruit committed for 2017 (Raleigh Clark, a 6-3 middle), North Carolina will have to hope some members of its highly touted 2016 recruiting class blossom as sophomores.10. Florida
Florida only loses one player from its 2016 roster, but it's a big one. Opposite Alex Holston led the Gators in kills the past two seasons, but UF coach Mary Wise brings in top recruit Paige Hammons to help maintain the Gators' impressive offense. Rhamat Alhassan and Carli Snyder will have one more year to live up to their potential, and they'll be aided by libero Caroline Knop and setter Allie Monserez, who both had fantastic showings in 2016.
9. Nebraska
John Cook, head coach of the Huskers, will be looking to stop the leak from four bigs holes created by the graduation of first-team All-American libero Justine Wong-Orantes, twin towers Kadie and Amber Rolfzen, and outside hitter Andie Malloy, who used her final year of eligibility at Nebraska after transferring in from Baylor. Kenzie Maloney should step into the libero position fairly seamlessly after contributing in a big way as a DS for two years. As for the offense, yet another stellar Husker recruiting class features highly touted oppo Jazz Sweet, middle Chesney McClellan, and defensive specialist Hayley Densberger. 8. UCLA
UCLA will have to rely heavily on its stacked recruiting class to make up for losing both starting middles and its second-highest kills producer Jordan Anderson. The performance of Torrey Van Winden as a freshman should give Bruins fans hope, and setter Ryann Chandler will have one more year in Westwood, California. Four top 50 recruits joined the squad on National Signing Day, and coach Mike Sealy hinted at three more to come. The big question, though, is who will fill libero Taylor Formico's shoes?
7. BYU
The 2016 BYU recruiting class was huge and made an equally large impact on the court. Libero Mary Lake and outside hitter McKenna Miller were two of the team's most reliable contributors, and joining the team next year will be elite recruits Taylen Ballard, an outside hitter, and Sara Hamson, a middle/right side and younger sister of BYU All-American Jennifer Hamson. BYU has made serious moves in the NCAA tournament over the past few seasons, and it doesn't look like that will end any time soon.6. Wisconsin
Lauren Carlini and Haleigh Nelson have joined together to carry Wisconsin on their backs for the last four years, and the future of the Badger program will rely heavily on the performance of incoming freshman setter Sydney Hilley. All five of the incoming Badgers are ranked in the top 40 in their recruiting class, and either Dana Rettke or Danielle Hart should be ready to step in for the graduated Haleigh Nelson.
5. Penn State
Penn State only brings in one big-time recruit for 2017 (middle/right side Cami May), but the Nittany Lions don't graduate a single impact player from their 2016 squad. Although this past season was somewhat disappointing, it still saw the Lions defeat Minnesota, ranked No. 1 at the time, and go to five with national championship favorites Nebraska twice. The PSU's 2018 class is stacked, and Haleigh Washington, Simone Lee, and Ali Frantti in particular will be looking to re-establish the Penn State level of excellence before leaving Happy Valley.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BOAWW5-gdpW/?taken-by=pennstatevball" hide_caption="0"]
Speaking of Penn State, have you seen the latest two-episode FloFilm "The Program: Penn State" featuring Russ Rose and the history of one of the most successful NCAA women's programs? If not, you definitely don't want to miss it. Watch series trailer here.
4. Minnesota
The losses of three of its four top kill-producers will no doubt be a challenge for Minnesota. However, a trio of top 50-ranked incoming hitters in Stephanie Samedy, Jasmyn Martin, and Sydney Kleinman should help fill the gaps for the 2017 Gophers. First-team All-American setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson returns and freshman outside Alexis Hart should only continue to improve, not to mention 6-foot-5 2015 Under Armour High School All-American Regan Pittman, who can step into the lineup and make a major impact.
3. Washington
The Huskies will return all starters and welcome top middle blocker recruit Lauren Sanders. In 2016, Washington was good enough to win the Pac-12, but the team lost to Stanford twice, and by our estimate, the Cardinal are only going to keep getting better. With Sanders coming in, we wonder if Kara Bajema, who starred in her first season ever playing middle, will move to the outside and be the offensive threat Washington needs.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNpP8yEg-xA/?taken-by=uwvolleyball" hide_caption="0"]
2. Stanford
The graduation of Inky Ajanaku will be tough for Stanford from a leadership perspective, but the Cardinal will have more than enough talent to return to the national championship match. Merete Lutz was a second-team All-American middle as a sophomore and can easily step back into that position for 2017. With the possible return of 2015 freshman of the year Hayley Hodson and incoming all-star Meghan McClure, 2016 freshman of the year Kathryn Plummer would be free to move back to the right side, where she will be a force to be reckoned with next year.
1. Texas
It's always tough to lose a setter, and the graduation of Chloe Collins means either redshirt freshman Riley Fisbeck or incoming frosh Ashley Shook will have big shoes to fill. However, Texas brings in the best recruiting class in the country, with two of the nation's top recruits Lexi Sun and Brionne Butler joining Shook and libero Olivia Zelon in Austin, TX. Sun will be ready to contribute right away and take over for the graduated Paulina Prieto Cerame, and the return of All-American middle Chiaka Ogbogu could mean big things for the Longhorns.
All photos by USA Today Sports.
Popular Right Now
NCAA Stars Sign Pro Contracts Overseas
Impact: Why the Transfer Phenomenon Won't Die
Best Final Four Photos
Haleigh Washington Guest Hosts on Talk Volley to Me Podcast