McCutcheon volleyball made history last year when it won the program’s first state championship. Coming off that monumental achievement with a roster full of returning talent, including the second-ranked recruit in the nation, the Mavericks entered the 2022 season in an unusual position as state title favorites.

The Mavs suffered a temporary setback in the opening month of the season, falling to 2020 state champion Yorktown, but McCutcheon has reeled off 10 consecutive wins since that defeat, including four this past week.

Purdue commit Chloe Chicoine, the aforementioned second-ranked recruit who was recently named JWS Player of the Week, leads the Mavericks with 289 kills (6.1 kills per set) and is second on the team with 148 digs. She classmate and Kansas commit Reagan Burns, the Mavs’ star libero who has 166 digs. Another Purdue commit, junior Allie Shondell, quarterbacks the Mavs’ offense, averaging more than 10 assists per set for a total of 448 this season.

The Mavs can rely on their postseason experience as they look to repeat as state champions, and thanks to that 10-match winning streak, they’ve risen to No. 5 in this week’s Just Women’s Sports volleyball team rankings.

Check out the complete rankings below, and click here to see last week’s rankings.

1. Cathedral Catholic (Calif.), 25-0

The Dons passed another test with flying colors, winning the prestigious Durango Fall Classic tournament this weekend without dropping a set. They have yet to lose a set this season.

2. Bloomfield Hills Marian (Mich.), 23-0

The Mustangs aren’t quite at Cathedral Catholic’s level, but they have dropped just three sets all season and last lost a match over a year ago.

3. Cornerstone Christian (Texas), 44-2

The Warriors are full of senior talent, with Iowa State commit Nayeli Gonzalez notching a team-high 422 kills, Purdue commit Taylor Anderson compiling 653 assists and Notre Dame commit Alyssa Manitzas leading the team with 329 digs.

4. Dike-New Hartford (Iowa), 23-1

Since an early season loss, the Wolverines have dropped just two sets.

5. McCutcheon (Ind.), 16-1

McCutcheon is 3-0 in conference play as they prepare for another tournament this weekend.

It was a Tuesday night 🧹 for @LadyMavsVB over @BHSvolleydogs 25-8 25-23 25-20. GO MAVS❤️💛🤘🏻 @mccutcheonmavs @samueltking @IndianaPrepVB @WLFISports @officialbshack @ihsvca @IndyStarSports pic.twitter.com/rKxR7cMcWy

— Rachel Burns (@rachelburns79) September 21, 2022

6. Westminster Christian (Fla.), 12-0

The Warriors continue to dominate the opposition, notching a victory Wednesday in straight sets.

7. Prestonwood Christian (Texas), 27-1

Sophomore Macaria Spears leads a trio of attackers with more than 200 kills, with Camille Edwards (463 assists) and Taylor Cook (295 assists) playing providers and Gillian Pitts leading the defense with 387 digs.

8. Fayetteville (Ark.), 20-1

The Bulldogs tested themselves against top-tier competition at the Durango Fall Classic and finished third. Their sole blemish is a loss to reigning California state champion Marymount.

9. Mira Costa (Calif.), 14-2

The Mustangs continue to roll, having dropped just two sets in the last six matches, all wins.

10. Mother McAuley (Ill.), 17-0

The Mighty Macs begin conference play next week, and their remaining schedule includes a rematch with Kentucky powerhouse Assumption.

11. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), 16-1

The Saints won the Missouri-Kansas Volleyball Invitational and then followed it up with two wins Tuesday over a pair of Kansas powerhouses, previously unbeaten St. James and reigning Class 6A state champion Blue Valley North.

Mokan Challenge Champs!
🆚Liberty | Finals
🏐Saints 23-25, 25-22, 25-11 pic.twitter.com/P1EO4jiTLJ

— GoAquinasSaints (@GoAquinasSaints) September 18, 2022

12. Highland Park (Texas), 29-2

The Scots have opened district play with four consecutive sweeps.

13. Sierra Canyon (Calif.), 23-3

Olivia Babcock, a Pittsburgh commit, led the Trailblazers to fifth place at the Durango Fall Classic, nabbing a spot on the all-tournament team.

14. Tompkins (Texas), 26-3

The Falcons have not lost a set in the month of September.

15. Marymount (Calif.), 18-5

The Sailors appear to be rounding into form. After consecutive losses dropped them to 10-4, Marymount has won eight of its last nine matches. The sole loss was to Cathedral Catholic in the Durango Fall Classic championship, as the Sailors nabbed a second-place finish.

16. Santa Fe (Fla.), 12-1

The Raiders have dropped just three sets all season, two of them in a loss to Cornerstone Christian.

17. Mater Dei (Calif.), 17-4

The Monarchs bounced back from a qualifying loss in the Durango Fall Classic to claim the silver bracket title.

18. St. James Academy (Kan.), 12-1

The Thunder suffered their first defeat of the season, falling to St. Thomas Aquinas.

19. Washburn Rural (Kan.), 8-1

Washburn packed its early-season schedule with tough matchups, beating St. Thomas Aquinas before losing to St. James Academy. The hope is that those regular-season tests will lead to a deep postseason run.

Your Lady Blues varsity had another sweep tonight against Spring Hill going 25-20, 25-22, and 25-12!!🧹🧹
Your JV lost 20-25 and 23-25
Way to go ladies!!

— WRHS Volleyball (@LadyBluesVB) September 21, 2022

20. Assumption (Ky.), 20-4

The Rockets’ four losses have all come against top-25 teams: Mother McAuley, Mater Dei, Marymount and Sierra Canyon.

21. Cypress Ranch (Texas), 31-2

The Mustangs’ two losses are to Tompkins and Cornerstone Christian.

22. Wayzata (Minn.), 10-1

The Trojans’ 61-match winning streak may have ended earlier this month, but the Trojans’ state championship dreams remain intact.

23. North Allegheny (Pa). 15-1

The Tigers notched three sweeps this past week.

24. Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.), 16-1

Since a season-opening loss to McCutcheon, the Royals are on a 16-match winning streak, dropping just four sets during that run.

25. Byron Nelson (Texas), 28-3

The Bobcats’ 18-match winning streak ended with back-to-back losses.

Phillip Suitts is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. He has worked at a variety of outlets, including The Palm Beach Post and Southeast Missourian, and done a little bit of everything from reporting to editing to running social media accounts. He was born in Atlanta but currently lives in wintry Philadelphia. Follow Phillip on Twitter @PhillipSuitts.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.