Lincoln-Way Central takes over top spot from Marist, while Shepard, Lincoln-Way West and St. Rita join rankings.
Top 10
With records through Wednesday and previous rankings in parentheses.
1. Lincoln-Way Central 12-1 (2): Eight-match winning streak goes on the line next Tuesday when Joey Vellenga and the Knights visit Glenbard West.
2. Brother Rice 10-2 (4): Senior middle hitter Ben Adamski develops into a defensive force for the Crusaders.
3. Marist 6-3 (1): Drew Fiedler and the RedHawks are going through a few growing pains at the start of this season but figure to improve quickly.
4. Lockport 13-3 (5): Senior middle hitter Ryan Beaumont, who leads the Porters with 33 blocks, is also hitting .431.
5. Lincoln-Way East 5-5 (3): Will Starr and the Griffins are hoping to put together a winning run next week when the SouthWest Suburban Conference season begins.
6. Shepard 16-3 (NR): Twin brothers Conor and Dylan Harkala are helping out the Astros, who have opened eyes with a scalding start.
7. Lincoln-Way West 7-4 (NR): Mason Thompson and the Warriors heat up with three straight wins after beginning the season with a 4-4 record.
8. St. Rita 10-5 (NR): Michael Piggott and the Mustangs are looking for their first winning season since 2023.
9. Homewood-Flossmoor 8-3 (9): Donald Klemick and the Vikings are ready to dive into the SouthWest Suburban Conference season.
10. Stagg 6-5 (6): Brothers Michael and John Kos have big-time futures with the Chargers.
Player of the Week
Junior middle hitter Connor Evans totals 34 kills with an incredible hitting percentage of .707 and 11 blocks in five matches to help Shepard win the Eisenhower Invitational.
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
