The Minnesota High School Volleyball Coaches Association released their final rankings of the season as the playoffs begin this week.

The ultimate rankings will be known when the State Tournament concludes on November 11 at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul.

In Class A four teams in Section one are in the top ten.  #4 Hayfield, #5 Faribault Bethlehem Academy, #7 Caledonia and #10 Mabel-Canton.

Mayer Lutheran is still atop the poll and has been all season after winning the state title last year and their only losses have been to the #1 rated 2A Maple Lake and #1 Class 3A Eagan.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown had another terrific regular season with 21 wins and is rated #8 in the final poll.

Bethlehem Academy is the only team in the top ten in Class A without 20 wins.  A testament to their extremely tough schedule

In Class 2A Maple Lake was atop the entire year and they enter the playoffs with an unblemished 29-0 record.

Marshall is #2 and H-V-L Co-Champion Stewartville #3.

Kasson-Mantorville is #10 in the final poll and Kenyon-Wanamingo received votes but did not make the top ten.

Please explain to me how the Knights could tie Stewartville for the HVL title with basically the same schedule (in the conference anyway) and not make the top 10 while the Tigers are ranked #3.

Stewartville is very deserving of their ranking.  I have no issue with that.  My perplexity lies in Kenyon-Wanamingo not making the top ten.

As I noted the Komets are #10 in the final poll and the Knights defeated them in Kasson in an amazing come-from-behind five set affair.

In my opinion head to head should always reign supreme.

Stewartville did defeat Kenyon-Wanamingo in a five set thriller earlier this season.

The Tigers only loss in the H-V-L came at the hands of a Hayfield team that Kenyon-Wanamingo defeated.

In Class 3A defending State Champion Eagan has been number one nearly the entire season.  The Wildcats dropped out of the top spot briefly when Lakeville South handed them their only loss of the season.

They quickly got back on top when they defeated Lakeville North to knock them out of the top spot.

Lakeville North and Lakeville South are #2 and #3 respectively.

Those three teams, Eagan, Lakeville North and Lakeville South were the Co-Champions of the South Suburban Conference which boasts five teams in the top ten in Class 3A.

That's half the conference state ranked.

You need any more proof that the South Suburban is the best conference in the state top to bottom.

Northfield did not even crack the top ten in the final poll and they were 33-0 in sets while winning the Big Nine.  The Raiders had just two losses and only one to a Minnesota school.

Both losses came in tournaments where you don't play best of five sets.  They fell to Marshall and River Falls, Wisconsin.

I guess the Raiders will just have to make some noise in the Section One Tournament where Lakeville North and Lakeville South also reside before they can get some respect for what has been a incredible run this season.

Here are the final rankings in each class.

Class 1A

1. Mayer Lutheran

2. Tracy-Milroy-Balaton

3. Minneota

4. Hayfield

5. Bethlehem Academy

6. Wadena-Deer Creek

7. Caledonia

8. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown

9. Rush City

10. Mabel-Canton

Also receiving votes: Canby

Class 2A

1. Maple Lake

2. Marshall

3. Stewartville

4. North Branch

5. Rocori

6. Hill-Murray

7. Southwest Christian

8. Norwood-Young America

9. Morris/Chokio-Alberta

10. Kasson-Mantorville

Also receiving votes:  St. Cloud Cathedral, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Holy Angels Academy

Class 3A

1. Eagan

2. Lakeville North

3. Lakeville South

4. Champlin Park

5. Hopkins

6. Prior Lake

7. Stillwater

8. Eden Prairie

9. East Ridge

10. Shakopee

Others receiving votes, Northfield

Northfield Huddle Photo by Gordy Kosfeld
Northfield Huddle Photo by Gordy Kosfeld
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