Nebraska has four players who have committed to its volleyball program in Just Women’s Sports’ inaugural volleyball high school player rankings, including three in the top five.

The Cornhuskers finished last season as runners-up to Wisconsin in the championship of the NCAA Tournament but are sure to have a loaded 2023 class. Texas also has four commitments featured in the rankings, while the Badgers have two.

Participants on the United States U19 team that won gold over the summer at the Pan American Cup were also well represented with eight players. Team USA opened the tournament with a scrimmage loss to Brazil before getting revenge in the final, 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-17).

“We got better over the course of the tournament,” U.S. coach Jamie Morrison said. “We talked about learning from each match and making sure we fixed any problems the next morning, and then we went into the next match. We continued to do that pretty perfectly.”

With the 2022 fall season set to begin, here are JWS’ top 25 high school volleyball players from around the country.

1 | Harper Murray, Skyline (Mich.), Sr.
6-foot-2 Outside Hitter
Committed to Nebraska

Murray was a dominant force on an Eagles team that finished 55-4-2 a year ago as runners-up in Division 1, recording a whopping 652 kills with a .430 hitting percentage. She also had 312 digs defensively to go along with 82 aces, 50 assists and 35 blocks. Murray also competed for Team USA at the U18 World Championship in 2021 and was a member of Team USA’s U19 gold-medal team at the Pan American Cup in July, where she earned Best Spiker honors.

2 | Chloe Chicoine, McCutcheon (Ind.), Sr.
5-10 Outside Hitter / Libero
Committed to Purdue

Prior to being named Indiana’s Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year, Chicoine guided the Mavericks to a 30-6 record and the Class 4A state crown. During the 2021 campaign, she notched 440 kills with a .420 hitting percentage and had 20 aces. Defensively, Chicoine finished with 196 digs. She was also a member of the Pan Am Cup team that won gold over the summer.

3 | Julia Blyashov, Cathedral Catholic (Calif.), Sr.
6-3 Outside Hitter
Committed to Stanford

Blyashov led the Dons to a 36-5 record and the regional finals of California’s Open Division tournament last season. She played just 40 sets for Cathedral Catholic but recorded 139 kills to go along with 82 digs and 15 aces. Blyashov was also a Team USA participant at both the U19 Pan Am Cup and the U18 World Championship.

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4 | Caroline Jurevicius, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (Ohio), Sr.
6-2 Rightside Hitter
Committed to Nebraska

The Lions went 15-8 in 2021, with Jurevicius racking up 279 kills in 58 sets played. She also had 128 digs defensively to go along with 43 aces and 37 blocks. Jurevicius later helped guide the Americans to a bronze medal at the U18 World Championship in Mexico.

5 | Bergen Reilly, O’Gorman (S.D.), Sr.
6-1 Setter
Committed to Nebraska

Behind Reilly’s versatile presence, the Knights were crowned back-to-back Class AA champions, finishing with a 23-4 record. She closed out the year with 393 assists to go along with 191 kills (.341 hitting percentage). She also had 174 digs, 43 aces and 29 blocks and went on to be named South Dakota’s Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year. Over the summer, Reilly was named MVP and Best Setter at the Pan Am Cup. She also competed at the U18 World Championship in 2021.

6 | Brooklyn DeLeye, Washburn Rural (Kan.), Sr.
6-1 Outside Hitter
Committed to Kentucky

DeLeye led the Blues with 586 kills and had 259 digs defensively. She also notched 133 aces and 38 assists, as Washburn Rural finished 41-2 on the year and was a state semifinalist. DeLey is a three-time all-state selection and is coming off a season in which she was named the Class 6A Player of the Year as well as Kansas Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year.

7 | Ella Swindle, Rock Bridge (Mo.), Sr.
6-2 Setter
Committed to Texas

Swindle powered the Bruins to the Class 5 semifinals and was named Missouri Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year. She finished the season with 690 assists and 173 digs to go along with 57 blocks and 36 aces. Offensively, she had 141 kills with a .494 hitting percentage.

8 | Kyndal Stowers, Guyver (Texas), Sr.
6-foot Outside Hitter
Committed to Baylor

With 493 kills, Stowers dominated from the outside for the Wildcats in 2021. She had a .317 hitting percentage and also contributed 497 digs defensively. She added 61 blocks and 27 aces for Guyver, which finished the season with a 21-11 mark.

9 | Jordyn Byrd, Cardinal Mooney (Fla.), Sr.
6-4 Rightside Hitter / Middle Blocker
Committed to Texas

The Cardinals were ousted in the regional quarterfinals in Class 3A, but that didn’t stop Byrd from posting eye-popping numbers in 2021. She was named Florida Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year after amassing 551 kills, 56 blocks and 25 aces. She also chipped in 258 digs on defense.

10 | Claire Little, Vista Murrieta (Calif.), Sr.
6-2 Outside Hitter
Committed to BYU

Behind Little’s play, the Broncos qualified for the CIF State Open Division for the first time in program history. She led Vista Murrieta with 442 kills and was second on the team in digs with 238. Little has been committed to BYU since the eighth grade.

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11 | Skyler Pierce, Olathe Northwest (Kan.), Jr.
6-2 Outside Hitter
Committed to Nebraska

The top-ranked junior in these rankings, Pierce paced the Ravens with 425 kills a year ago. She also had 62 blocks and 38 aces while adding 345 digs defensively. Olathe Northwest finished the season with a 27-13 record.

12 | Ashley Mullen, Liberty (Mo.), Sr.
5-10 Setter
Committed to UCLA

The Blue Jays finished 26-5 last season, while Mullen recorded 1,094 assists. She added 179 digs on defense and had 54 kills offensively. Mullen also finished with 49 aces and 27 blocks.

13 | Laney Choboy, Leesville Road (N.C.), Sr.
5-3 Libero / Defensive Specialist
Committed to Minnesota

Choboy was named Best Receiver when Team USA won a gold medal at the U19 Pan Am Cup in July. She was also a member of the bronze-medal team at the U18 World Championship.

14 | Jordyn Harvey, Bountiful (Utah), Stanford, Sr.
6-2 Outside Hitter
Committed to Stanford

The RedHawks claimed the Class 5A state title, finishing with a 27-3 record. Harvey had 375 kills to go along with 63 aces and 20 blocks. Defensively, she notched 228 digs.

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15 | Charlie Fuerbringer, Mira Costa (Calif.), Jr.
5-11 Setter
Committed to Wisconsin

Fuerbringer was selected to compete for Team USA at the Pan Am Cup but was forced to miss due to health concerns. The Mustangs went 28-9 on the season, with Fuerbringer contributing 140 digs in 30 sets played. She also had 56 kills (.352 hitting percentage), 30 aces and 37 blocks.

16 | Sydney Helmers, Assumption (Ky.), Sr.
6-3 Outside Hitter
Committed to Texas

The Rockets finished 30-6 on the year but were ousted in the region semifinals. She finished the season with 421 kills, 42 blocks and 92 digs.

17 | Eloise Brandewie, Bishop Hartley (Ohio), Sr.
6-3 Middle Blocker
Committed to Ohio State

Brandewie competed in just 49 sets but was third on her team with 171 kills, finishing 2021 with a .437 hitting percentage. She also had 65 blocks, 43 digs and 20 aces for the Hawks, who were 22-6 on the season. Brandewie was also a member of Team USA’s bronze-medal team at the U18 World Championship.

18 | Torrey Stafford, Marymount (Calif.), Sr.
6-1 Outside Hitter
Committed to Pittsburgh

Stafford helped guide the Sailers to a 35-0 record and the CIF State Open Division title. She recorded 320 kills on the year to go along with 55 blocks and 207 digs. Stafford was also a Team USA participant at the U19 Pan Am Cup in July.

19 | Saige Damrow, Howards Grove (Wisc.), Sr.
5-7 Libero / Defensive Specialist
Committed to Wisconsin

Damrow began receiving college offers in seventh grade and committed to the Badgers when she was an eighth grader. Last season, she guided the Tigers to a 43-5 record and the Division 3 state title, recording 496 digs along the way. She also contributed 300 kills and 83 aces on offense.

20 | Avery Jackson, Hockaday (Texas), Jr.
5-10 Outside Hitter
Commited to Stanford (Beach Volleyball)

Jackson and the Daisies went 31-7 a year ago, winning the Southwest Preparatory Conference title for the first time in 13 years. Jackson finished with 583 kills and had a .355 hitting percentage. She also contributed 525 digs defensively to go along with 62 aces and 38 blocks.

21 | Kennedy Wagner, Valparaiso (Ind.), Sr.
6-foot Outside Hitter
Committed to Ole Miss

Wagner hit .379 and had 432 kills for the Vikings, who finished 22-11 last fall. She chipped in 243 digs defensively to go along with 50 aces and 32 blocks.

22 | Carlie Cisneros, Liberty North (Mo.), Jr.
6-foot Outside Hitter
Committed to Arizona

Cisneros was a first-team all-state selection in 2021 for an Eagles team that went 32-4 before falling in the Class 5 quarterfinals. She led Liberty North with 389 kills on the season and added 306 digs on defense. Cisneros also recorded 32 aces and 30 blocks.

23 | Izzy Starck, Rampart (Colo.), Jr.
6-2 Setter
Committed to Penn State

A member of the Pan Am Cup team, Starck finished last season with 392 kills for the Rams, who concluded the year with a 21-6 mark. She hit .368 and had 85 aces and 50 blocks to go along with 410 assists and 257 digs.

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24 | Nya Bunton, DuPont Manual (Ky.), Sr.
6-5 Middle Blocker
Committed to Texas

The Crimsons finished 22-13 in 2021, led by Bunton’s 388 kills. She also contributed 42 blocks, 38 aces and 168 digs defensively and was a gold medalist on the Pan Am Cup team in July.

25 | Alex Acevedo, Skyview (Idaho), Jr.
6-2 Outside Hitter
Committed to Oregon

Acevedo concluded her 2021 campaign with 466 kills and 376 digs for the Hawks, who were crowned Class 5A champions. A first-team all-state pick, Acevedo also had 52 aces on the year.

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.

Chelsea FC star Sam Kerr was found not guilty of racially harassing a London police officer on Tuesday. A Kingston Crown Court jury acquitted the striker of all charges after four hours of deliberation.

The 31-year-old Australia national was tried for allegedly causing "racially aggravated harassment, alarm, or distress" to PC Stephen Lovell. The allegations followed a heated January 2023 dispute between a local taxi driver and Kerr and her fiancée, USWNT star Kristie Mewis.

Kerr, who identifies as Anglo-Indian, did not deny calling the officer "stupid and white." Instead, she argued that the police treated her differently due to her skin color. Kerr called her words a "poorly" expressed comment on the officer's "power and privilege."

After the verdict, Kerr released her own statement on social media. "I can finally put this challenging period behind me," she wrote.

"While I apologise for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening, I have always maintained that I did not intend to insult or harm anyone and I am thankful that the jury unanimously agreed."

"I would like to thank my partner Kristie, my family, friends and all the fans for their love and support, especially those who attended court each day."

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Kerr looks ahead with harassment trial now in the rearview

Kerr spent the last year recovering from a January 2024 ACL tear. However, she recently re-signed with the London club after originally joining the WSL frontrunners in 2019.

The prolific goalscorer is on track to return to the pitch for both club and country in approximately two months. While this leaves her out of selection for the upcoming 2025 SheBelieves Cup, Kerr could rejoin in time for Australia's April friendlies against South Korea.

This morning, The Athletic reported that Kerr left the proceedings surrounded by family. As she exited, she flashed a "friendly smile" and told the court officer she "hoped to never see them again."

A recent string of Top 10 upsets made its mark on Monday's updated AP Top 25 Poll, as undefeated No. 1 UCLA continues holding court above the shifting chaos.

Notre Dame rose to No. 2 for the first time since 2019, buoyed by strong performances against Stanford and then-No. 21 Cal last week.

Climbing to No. 3 was Texas, who claimed the boost by ending South Carolina's multi-year SEC unbeaten streak on Sunday. As a result, the defending champion Gamecocks fell from No. 2 to No. 4.

On the other hand, No. 15 Tennessee is on the upswing, as last Thursday's upset win over UConn lifted the Vols four spots while sending the Huskies skidding from No. 5 to No. 7.

No. 20 Oklahoma State achieved the week's biggest win, however, as Saturday's 85-55 blowout victory over then-No. 12 Kansas Sate gave the Cowgirls a five-spot boost.

Teams jockey for AP Poll positions as March Madness looms

While a jump in the rankings certainly provides bragging rights, it also impacts both conference and NCAA tournament seeding as the regular season winds down.

ESPN's Bracketology currently has UCLA, South Carolina, Notre Dame, and Texas taking the NCAA tournament's four No. 1 seeds. Notably, two of those teams — the Bruins and the Longhorns — are rookies in their respective conferences, showcasing significant dominance fresh out of the realignment gate.

Meanwhile, other major players like LSU, USC, and UConn still have time to pad their resumes en route to their conference showdowns, which will tip off in early March.

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AP College Basketball Top 25: Week 15

1. UCLA (23-0, Big Ten)
2. Notre Dame (21-2, ACC)
3. Texas (24-2, SEC)
4. South Carolina (22-2, SEC)
5. LSU (25-1, SEC)
6. USC (21-2, Big Ten)
7. UConn (22-3, Big East)
8. Kentucky (19-3, SEC)
9. Ohio State (20-3, Big Ten)
10. NC State (19-4, ACC)
11. TCU (22-3, Big 12)
12. North Carolina (21-4, ACC)
13. Duke (19-5, ACC)
14. Kansas State (22-3, Big 12)
15. Tennessee (17-6, SEC)
16. Oklahoma (18-6, SEC)
17. Maryland (19-5, Big Ten)
18. West Virginia (19-4, Big 12)
19. Georgia Tech (20-4, ACC)
20. Oklahoma State (19-4, Big 12)
21. Alabama (20-5, SEC)
22. Michigan State (18-5, Big Ten)
23. Florida State (19-5, ACC)
24. Creighton (20-4, Big East)
25. Baylor (20-5, Big 12)

Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.

The second episode of Sports Are Fun! dropped today, with soccer icon Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ professing their hottest takes all things women's sports — joined this week by WNBA superstar and Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball co-founder Napheesa Collier.

"It felt like everyone is making money off of women's sports except for the women in the sports," Collier said, reflecting on developing the offseason league's profit-sharing business model.

"And so, we offer the highest average team salary in women's sports, and we're giving equity to everyone who's playing."

In addition to chatting with Collier about all things Unrivaled, the crew also gets into even more WNBA offseason moves, Midge Purce's return to Gotham, Hope Solo's TST team, South Carolina and UConn's upcoming NCAA battle, and so much more.

Collier gives 'Sports Are Fun!' the inside scoop on Unrivaled

Guest star Napheesa Collier takes the group on a deep dive into offseason league Unrivaled. She talks through everything from dealing with injuries and living with teammates 24/7 to handling a business and going head-to-head in this week's 1v1 tournament.

"I mean, we're all in in one place, right? Our locker rooms are all in one hallway, we share food spaces, training spaces like cold tubs, saunas — all communal areas except for locker rooms." Collier says, describing the league's Miami campus. "It's really fun to see that behind-the-scenes stuff happening in real time."

"I have my own room, which is unlike what happened in college," she continues with a laugh. "I would compare it more to the Wubble, except, you know, we have free will this time around. But the the close proximity I actually really like — I think it's really fun. I think it's super convenient, just having everyone in one space. Cutting back on travel also is so, so nice."

Of course, the future is bright for the first-year league. For its second season, Unrivaled is planning to take the show on the road, dropping into cities around the country to give fans a front-row seat to the 3×3 action.

"We are planning to do on-the-road games where we go to a city for a night and we basically play in a full arena and then we make it a whole event for the fans," Collier says, detailing Unrivaled's plans for a takeover tour similar to what the PWHL is currently staging around North America. "Definitely not all the games — just a couple. You can hit markets that aren't necessarily cities where you can bring [regular-season] basketball."

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place. Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball launched its inaugural 1v1 tournament on Monday night, with a slate of first-round upsets​ already busting a few brackets.

The evening's biggest twist came courtesy of Unrivaled co-founder and No. 1 seed Breanna Stewart's matchup against No. 8 seed Aaliyah Edwards, with Edwards earning a marquee victory by shutting out her Mist teammate 12-0 in less than two minutes of gameplay.

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Due to a spat of injuries affecting the 1v1 contest, a lone second-round bye emerged in the bracket just beyond the Stewart-Edwards matchup. Consequently, Monday's victory punched Edwards's ticket all the way into the tournament's quarterfinal round.

"Tough night for me but shoutout to my Mistie @AaliyahEdwards_!!! Keep that thing going and go get that bag 💰!!" Stewart posted in support after her loss.

Also claiming a massive upset win on Monday was the Lunar Owls' Shakira Austin, who ousted Rose BC's Chelsea "Point Gawd" Gray with a dominant 12-2 scoreline.

The significant margins of victory across the 1v1 contest are in large part due to the tournament's "make-it, take-it" rule.

In a break from traditional 5×5 play and Unrivaled's 3×3 format, the unique 1v1 rule rewards scoring with both points on the board as well as continued ball possession. Therefore, athletes can string together long scoring stretches as long as they don't relinquish the ball.

Lunar Owls show out as 15 players remain in 1v1 tournament

With a $350,000 total purse on the line, intensity on the Unrivaled court ramped up in the head-to-head competition.

Putting the first round behind them, 15 players remain in the running for the $200,000 first-place prize.

Notably, all five Lunar Owls players who entered the 1v1 competition — Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, and the aforementioned Austin — survived Monday's bouts.

This gives the squad, who also leads the 3×3 league as the only remaining undefeated team, the best shot at claiming the $10,000-per-teammate payout should one of them win the 1v1 title.

How to watch Tuesday's Unrivaled 1v1 tournament

Tuesday's session includes both the second round and quarterfinals of the 1v1 competition.

The action tips off with a blockbuster 7 PM ET battle between Rose BC's Kahleah Copper and the Lunar Owls' Allisha Gray.

Live coverage will air on TruTV.