Class 5 Rankings
In this article:
1. Liberty Blue Jays 25-1 The town of Liberty is a volleyball town with the two best Class 5 teams separated by less than five miles. This week, the battle with Liberty North was a massive draw, with Liberty taking…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue Reading1. Liberty Blue Jays 25-1
The town of Liberty is a volleyball town with the two best Class 5 teams separated by less than five miles. This week, the battle with Liberty North was a massive draw, with Liberty taking the match in 5 21-25, 25-23, 25-13, 24-26, 15-12. Aisha Aiono had a monster match with 14 kills on .481 hitting and four blocks, while Brooklyn Young Brooklyn Young 6'0" | MB Liberty | 2023 State MO rejected eight balls and slammed 12 herself. Super sophomore Abigail Mullen Abigail Mullen 6'3" | RS Liberty | 2025 State #3 Nation MO finished with 17 kills, and sister Ashley Mullen Ashley Mullen 5'10" | S Liberty | 2023 State #9 Nation MO dished 49 assists. Liberty has a big match with Nixa, and the Ozark Tournament is still on the schedule.
2. Liberty North Eagles 20-3
I would have loved to be at this game, but I watched it on TV and loved every minute. Nothing better than watching heavyweights slug it out, and Liberty got the best of the Eagles this time. Emma Christian Emma Christian 5'8" | S Liberty North | 2025 State MO and Lauren Wright Lauren Wright 5'8" | S Liberty North | 2024 State MO ran the offense, while Abby Christian kept powerful hits off the ground all night. Hitters Carlie Cisneros Carlie Cisneros 6'0" | OH Liberty North | 2024 State #7 Nation MO , McKenna Jacquin McKenna Jacquin 5'10" | OH Liberty North | 2025 State MO , Rory Stanley Rory Stanley 6'0" | MB Liberty North | 2023 State MO , and Ella Morgan Ella Morgan 5'10" | MB Liberty North | 2024 State MO had plenty of scoring opportunities. A battle till the end and was a state championship caliber match, but one of the top two in the state won’t even win districts this year.
3. Eureka Wildcats 18-1
A repeat championship at the Oakville Tournament and a 3-0 sweep of district rival Lafayette were fantastic two weeks. Next is the home tournament with games against St. Pius X, Bolivar, Rogersville, and Ozark, which should help test Eureka’s strength. Mia Berg Mia Berg 6'1" | OH Eureka | 2023 State MO leads the team with 167 kills, followed by Abby Holt Abby Holt 5'10" | DS/L Eureka | 2023 State MO with 157. Defensively the Wildcats are solid, with Olivia Hasbrook Olivia Hasbrook 5'9" | DS/L Eureka | 2024 State #56 Nation MO and Dana Grib Dana Grib 5'4" | DS/L Eureka | 2023 State MO digging everything in sight.
4. Rock Bridge Bruins 15-2
Liberty North handed the Bruins one of their losses with a 25-22, 23-25, 18-25, and a loss to Helias this week in 4. Mark your calendars for October 10th, as the Bruins have a date with Eureka and the 13th date with Blair Oaks. Lily Dudley Lily Dudley 5'10" | OH Rock Bridge | 2023 State #192 Nation MO is the kill leader with 160, while Kaylen Rush Kaylen Rush 5'7" | DS/L Rock Bridge | 2023 State MO has been steady at the libero position with 153 digs.
5. Lee’s Summit West Titans 16-8
This team has me perplexed this year. Last year’s Class 5 runner-up has some solid wins over Kickapoo and Nixa, but their loss to Park Hill South has me shaking my head. Liberty North comes to town on the 11th, which might give me a better idea of what this team is made of. Remember, they knocked out Liberty North in the playoffs on their way to a runner-up finish. Ryanne Wattree Ryanne Wattree 5'10" | RS Lees Summit West | 2024 State MO and Kamryn McDonald Kamryn McDonald 6'0" | OH Lee's Summit West | 2025 State MO lead the team with 189 and 188 kills.
6. Kickapoo Chiefs 20-5
Another year the Chiefs have a great team and another year stuck in a brutal district with Nixa and Ozark. Nixa knocked off Kickapoo 2-3 earlier this year, and then matchups with Liberty North and Lafayette on 10/6 will keep Kickapoo prepared for playoffs. Grace Gardner leads the team in kills from the right pin with 195 kills and plays her part in the backcourt with 191 digs. Kya Johnson Kya Johnson DS/L Kickapoo | 2024 State MO rocks the different color jersey with 311 digs.
7. Nixa Eagles 18-5
The Eagles are a team I thought would be down this year, losing two of the best players in program history. Well, I was wrong because they are right back in the mix. They would start the year 0-2 but have gone 18-3 since with big wins over Lafayette 3-0 and Cor Jesu Academy 3-1. Nora Clark leads the offense with 220 kills, and Jacy Bray runs the offense with 646 assists on the year.
8. Lafayette Lancers 14-6
I picked Lafayette to win it all this year, and they still could. They have the firepower and frontline to do so, but they’ve struggled more than I thought. They lost four in a row, and one was to district rival Eureka in a sweep. Big battles are coming up with Liberty North and Kickapoo this weekend. Maya Witherspoon Maya Witherspoon 5'11" | OH Lafayette | 2025 State #44 Nation MO and Caitlin Litle lead the attack, and Alyssa Nelson Alyssa Nelson 5'8" | S Wildwood | 2024 State MO runs the show from the setter spot.
9. Ozark Tigers 17-6-1
Ozark lost a nail bitter to Eureka over the weekend, 27-25, 23-25, 15-8, and would have liked this to go the distance to get a better outlook on Ozark. The Tigers have beaten Nixa and lost to Nixa, and then they have three losses to Kickapoo on the year. These three will have to battle it out come districts, and it seems like a toss-up. Big bad freshman Tara Venable Tara Venable 5'11" | OH Ozark | 2026 State MO leads the team in kills with 210. The end of the month is the Ozark Tournament, and it brings in some big-time teams.
10. Liberty Eagles 21-1
A win over Mater Dei, IL, at Belleville East Tournament moves the Wentzville-based Liberty Eagles into the top 10. If you follow the Saint Louis Metro area volleyball scene, you know that Mater Dei is always one of the best teams on the Illinois side of the river. Liberty would take them 25-22, 25-18, which caught my eye. The only loss of the year is to a good Breese Central, IL team. Savannah Meyer has 148 kills, Reese Douglas Reese Douglas 5'8" | OH Liberty | 2024 State MO 105, and Riley Watson pushes the ball around and racked up 355 assists. The rest of the season looks winnable for the Eagles before the playoffs start.