(9-7-26) With Labor Day weekend in the rearview mirror, let’s see which teams have soared above preseason expectations in the early part of the Ohio high school girls volleyball season.


DIVISION I — DUBLIN COFFMAN ▲14


Dublin Coffman hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2022, but the Rocks are rolling early in 2026. They have knocked off both in-town rivals, while their only loss came in a five-set thriller against undefeated Olentangy. Morehead State commit Maysen Freed has been on fire, leading the team with 52 kills while ranking second with 67 digs.


The Rocks face another test of their resurgence when they travel to No. 13 Pickerington North on Tuesday.


DIVISION II — LAKE ▲13, HARRISON ▲12


There is an array of surprises in Division II in the early going. No. 6 Riverside, No. 7 Big Walnut, No. 11 Lake, and No. 13 Harrison have all climbed the rankings thanks to starting off undefeated through 6 games. On the flip side, Anthony Wayne has fallen hard from its preseason perch atop Division II, starting 4–5.


The Generals have an opportunity to rebound over the coming weeks. They opened Northern Lakes League play with a sweep of Sylvania Southview on Thursday. They will face Whitmer, Bowling Green, and Sylvania Northview over the next week-plus, a stretch that should clarify their status in a competitive conference.


DIVISION III — BELLBROOK ▲20, BADIN ▲25


Who is the biggest surprise in southwest Ohio? It’s a debate between two Division III teams. Bellbrook came into the season looking to return to form as the dominant force in the Southwestern Buckeye League. Led by setter Katelyn Hunt, the Golden Eagles are poised to start a new streak of conference championships in 2026.


The other candidate is Badin, which is tied with preseason Division III favorite McNicholas for second in the Greater Catholic League Co-Ed Division. They both trail undefeated Bishop Fenwick, who remains the statewide favorite in Division IV. You know the Rams have Sept. 15 circled, when McNicholas comes to Hamilton.


DIVISION IV — GALLIA ACADEMY ▲18


Gallia Academy was heartbroken last season after going a perfect 22-0 in the regular season. However, the Blue Devils were knocked off by Circleville in the district final, ending their historic season at 24-1. After being left out of the preseason top 15, Gallia Academy jumped 18 spots to No. 5 following a 7-0 start.


Their closest match came against Bloom-Carroll—and even that was a sweep, 25–21, 25–16, 26–24. It remains Bloom-Carroll’s only loss.
The Blue Devils hit the road this week to face two more undefeated opponents in Wheelersburg on Tuesday and Dawson-Bryant on Thursday.


DIVISION V — SOUTH RANGE ▲29, MARTINS FERRY ▲34, CHIPPEWA ▲20


Here we have a story of the established powerhouses and the up-and-comers.

Nobody should be surprised by the combined success of Meadowbrook, Coldwater and Marion Pleasant. The three established contenders are a combined 15–1 and occupy the top three spots in Division V.

However, Archbold, South Range, Martins Ferry, and Chippewa have been red hot in the early going. At a combined 27-2, these four horsemen have shown the firepower to create more chaos across the state.


DIVISION VI — LINCOLNVIEW ▲12


To the surprise of nobody, the Midwest Athletic Conference occupies five of the top 10 spots in Division VI after Labor Day weekend. Even Fort Recovery took Coldwater, a favorite in Division V, to five sets in their conference opener.

But watch out for Lincolnview, which has surged 12 spots to No. 12 after a 7–0 start without dropping a set. The Lancers will face a steep increase in competition throughout the rest of September with Kalida, Spencerville, and No. 2 Parkway all waiting in the wings.


DIVISION VII — CALVERT: STILL PERFECT


At my last sports writing job, we did not separate teams by division. We did an all-division ranking, which meant that the smaller schools received much less attention every week. However, if I still ranked every school together, undefeated Calvert would be featured every week.


Calvert Catholic has only about 150 students in grades 9 through 12. Yet the defending Division VII state champion has swept every opponent so far—and these are not bottom feeders. That résumé includes wins over No. 2 Fort Loramie, WBL favorite Ottawa-Glandorf and Mohawk, which has dropped only two sets in its other seven matches.


Much like Lutheran East separated itself from the field well before February last basketball season, Calvert is beginning to do the same in Division VII volleyball.