This is a couple months late, and for what it's worth, the Neuqua Valley boys volleyball team finished 24th in the Rivals.com final national rankings thanks to a second consecutive third-place finish at the state finals.
National high school rankings should always be taken with a block of salt. But it's all in good fun I guess, so here is how it all broke down for Illinois final four teams.
State champion Wheaton Warrenville South was highest at No. 6, followed by state runner-up Buffalo Grove, which beat Neuqua in the semifinals, at No. 9. Providence, the team that the Wildcats beat for third place, was ranked 17th.
This is what Rivals.com had to say about the Wildcats.
Coach Michael Popp's squad fell to Buffalo Grove in the semi's, 25-23, 20-25, 25-22, but did not get discouraged and finished strong in the third place match with a win over Providence Catholic, 27-25, 25-23. The Wildcats graduate six seniors, but have nine juniors with good playoff experience ready to go next year.
That is a nice breakdown of the state finals. That is exactly what happened, except for the coach being named Erich Mendoza and not Michael Popp, who was in the homestretch of his stint as principal at Neuqua during the finals, not coaching the Wildcats up.
But, you know, details such as these are meaningless in the face of national rankings.
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