Currently, teams across Ohio are learning what their path to Wright State University will look like as postseason brackets are released. Before we get there, we still have some conference titles to iron out and some playoff contenders who have been overlooked throughout the season. So, with one more week until the postseason preview, let’s take a look at some of the top teams that have flown under the radar all season.

DIVISION I – #5 OLENTANGY LIBERTY

For a team that has been as good as anybody outside Cincinnati, it’s almost criminal how much the Patriots have been ignored this season. Olentangy Liberty sits atop the Ohio Capital Conference Central at a perfect 8-0. The Patriots have a chance to win it outright when they host No. 10 Olentangy Orange on Thursday.

But, even if the Patriots don’t make a run this year, they have a young foundation for coming seasons. Freshman Quinn Smith leads the team in kills with 191 while sophomore Sophia Aquillo leads with 5.7 assists per set. The Patriots look ready for this postseason — and perhaps the rest of the 2020s.

DIVISION II – #8 OLMSTED FALLS

The Bulldogs were mentioned as a preseason contender. Then they started the season 3-2 and fell out of favor. Since that ho-hum start, the Bulldogs have rattled off 14 straight wins and clinched their first outright Southwestern Conference title since 2022.

Looking at their tournament draw, Olmsted Falls will be a heavy favorite to win their district. From there, they could end up in a loaded regional with Wadsworth, Avon, and Steele. But the good news is that No. 1 Magnificat was drawn into a different regional, despite being just on the other side of Cleveland Hopkins Airport.

DIVISION III – #12 ASHLAND

On August 22, the Arrows opened the season with a four-set loss to Norwalk, a team that had a losing record last season. Since then, Ashland has won 20 straight matches with nobody taking them to five sets.

The Arrows clinched the Ohio Cardinal Conference when they swept Wooster on the road this past Monday. 

Ashland will have a chance to finish perfect in conference play for the first time since 2017 when the Arrows travel to Lexington on Tuesday.

DIVISION IV – #4 TAYLOR

Taylor is a fascinating team to evaluate. The Yellowjackets are 17–2, with both losses coming against their two highest-rated opponents: No. 6 (D-II) Harrison and No. 6 (D-III) Ross. Taylor took a set in each match. Seventeen wins are impressive by any standard, but none have come against a current top-15 team in their respective division.

We may have to wait until the playoffs to see how great the Cincinnati Hills Conference champions really are. Who will be the first team to challenge the Yellowjackets? Johnstown? Benjamin Logan? Eaton? Kenton Ridge? Jonathan Alder? Or dare I say it, Bishop Fenwick?

DIVISION V – #8 MADISON-PLAINS

Here’s how this works. If you lose early, I forget you exist until you win 18 or more in a row and win your conference. Enter Madison-Plains.

The Golden Eagles opened the season with a road loss to Teays Valley, a team that is currently 18-1. Madison-Plains has won 18 in a row themselves while clinching an outright Ohio Heritage South championship. The Golden Eagles haven’t lost a conference match since Oct. 5, 2022.

The Golden Eagles will look to finish the job when they head to Springfield Catholic Central and Greeneview this week. They open their state playoff run against Grove City Christian on Oct. 20.

DIVISION VI – #3 PATRICK HENRY

Every week, I try to find an interesting team or storyline in each division. Inevitably, somebody gets overlooked. And apparently I have spent an entire regular season looking directly past the only undefeated team in Division VI.

While the MAC trio of New Bremen, Parkway and St. Henry has commanded most of the attention, Patrick Henry has quietly piled up 20 wins and clinched back-to-back Northwest Ohio Athletic League titles.

The Patriots need to survive two more matches to stay perfect through the regular season: against Holgate on Monday and at Delta on Tuesday. Then, they can turn their attention to a loaded Northwest District in the state playoffs.

DIVISION VII – #5 LEIPSIC

The Vikings have spent most of the season in a tier almost entirely their own. Calvert is the clear Division VII favorite. Shelby County rivals Russia and Fort Loramie occupy the next tier. Then comes Leipsic, alongside Newark Catholic and Reedsville Eastern.

Though, the Vikings may be closer to that Shelby County tier than one would think at first glance. Their only two losses came to undefeated Patrick Henry and a five-set classic against Western Buckeye League champion Ottawa-Glandorf. Recent sweeps of Arlington and Ottoville make a potential regional-final showdown with Calvert increasingly difficult to ignore.