(9-28-26) Now that we are almost to the end of September, the coaches’ polls have been coming out for the past couple of weeks. Far be it from me to tell volleyball coaches how to evaluate volleyball. But coaches naturally see their own conferences and regions more closely than the entire state.

So this week, let’s look at some teams the coaches may be underappreciated as we head into October.

DIVISION I – Mentor

At 7-4, Mentor may not jump out as a team that deserves sympathy. But looking at those four losses tells us the Cardinals are much better than their record suggests All four losses have come in five sets, including an early-season defeat to Massillon Jackson in which Mentor actually outscored the Polar Bears 111–107.

Mentor is led by sophomore Ashlyn McKinney, who is averaging 3.7 kills per set. The Cardinals host No. 7 Strongsville on Tuesday for sole possession of first place in the Greater Cleveland Conference.

DIVISION II – Kings

In Division II, the coaches and I have the same top five. But I picked a theme for this week’s column and I’m going to keep it!

Kings is undefeated in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, having dropped only one set through nine conference matches. The Knights are riding an 8-match winning streak, one that will be tested when they host Milford on Thursday. A win over the Eagles and Kings will be in full control of the ECC title.

DIVISION III – Padua Franciscan

The Bruins may have the toughest schedule in the state. 11 of their 16 matches have been against teams ranked in the top 10 in their division. 7 of those have been against teams ranked in the top 5. Yet the Bruins are still standing strong with double digit wins.

What is exciting to see is Padua Franciscan has also split a pair of five-set matches with No. 4 NDCL. I can almost guarantee these teams will see each other a third time, with that meeting potentially deciding who gets a shot at the state championship in November.

DIVISION IV – Ottawa-Glandorf

This spot could have easily gone to Bishop Fenwick, whose only loss so far is to Archbishop McNicholas, the top team in Division III. The funny part is that McNicholas’s only loss so far is to Bishop Fenwick. But Ottawa-Glandorf’s omission from the coaches’ top 10 is mind-boggling.

The Titans have two losses so far: Tiffin Calvert, who will run away with the D-VII title, and a five-set loss to St. Henry, a team that just knocked off Parkway this week. Aside from that, O-G is in the midst of a nine-match winning streak and are undefeated in the Western Buckeye League. The Titans hold wins over Coldwater, the top D-V team in the coaches’ poll, and a sweep over No. 6 (D-V) Versailles.

Watch for the Titans to make a deep run in November. Aside from Millbury Lake, it’s hard to see who in the northwest is going to stop them.

DIVISION V – Huron

I can see why Huron has been flying under the radar, but I still don’t think the reasoning is solid. The Tigers are 11-3 and have taken a set against every opponent they’ve faced including No. 2 (D-IV) Lake Catholic and No. 4 (D-III) NDCL.

I do expect the Tigers to appear in this coming week’s poll after they swept No. 7 (D-III) Gilmour Academy over the weekend. That only adds to a strong resume that includes wins over Toledo Notre Dame, Stow-Munroe Falls, and a sweep over 10-4 Bellevue.

I’m especially looking forward to their marquee matchup against 13–1 Perkins on Oct. 8.

DIVISION VI – St. Henry

Mohawk was another candidate for this spot—a team that is 14–1 when not playing Tiffin Calvert. But St. Henry’s strength of schedule is too impressive to ignore.

The Redskins have four losses, but their wins are some of the most impressive in Division VI. Those wins include Ottawa-Glandorf, Newark Catholic, Parkway, and a revenge sweep of Fort Loramie.

Thankfully for St. Henry, they don’t play another ranked team until Oct. 13 when they host Coldwater in league action.

DIVISION VII – Russia

Old Fort was the other candidate for this spot. Their three losses are all defensible, coming against Tiffin Calvert, St. Paul, and Mohawk, the final two going five sets. The only issue is that aside from their road win against Colonel Crawford, their schedule is kinda ho-hum.

But I also don’t want to go on about Russia too much. Last week, I highlighted their upcoming match against Fort Loramie, which takes place this Tuesday. I just don’t think Russia should be ranked behind St. Paul, which has played only three matches outside the Firelands Conference this season.

But if you’re in the area, Tuesday’s Shelby County Athletic League contest is must-watch action.