Last year taught Washburn Rural volleyball not to take anything for granted. The Blues entered the state tournament with a 38-0 record only to see their championship hopes dashed with a loss in the semifinals.

The good news: Washburn Rural returned plenty of talent from that team, which finished 40-2, including Kansas Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year Brooklyn DeLeye.

The team is not a one-woman show, either. DeLeye, the No. 6 recruit in the country, is complemented by other experienced players: seniors Taylor Russell and Katie Borough plus juniors Zoe Canfield and Jada Ingram, among others.

With that array of talent and know-how, Washburn Rural has won 15 of its first 16 matches this season. But the players understand that a strong finish is more important than a fast start. For inspiration, they only have to look up in the rafters or turn to coach Kevin Bordewick, who guided the Blues to seven state titles from 2004-2012.

Washburn Rural appears to be rounding into form, winning seven matches in the last seven days, including the second defeat this season of No. 21 St. Thomas Aquinas. Thanks to that perfect week, the Blues have risen 10 spots to No. 9 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.

After a VERY LONG day, your Lady Blues went 6-0 at their invitational beating Manhattan, Gardner Edgarton, Kapaun, Blue Valley, and Free State! They went the whole day without losing a set!! Way to go blues!!🤩🤩

— WRHS Volleyball (@LadyBluesVB) September 24, 2022

1. Cathedral Catholic (Calif.), 27-0

A senior-heavy roster is leading the Dons to a perfect start to the season, with 58 sets played and 58 sets won.

2. Bloomfield Hills Marian (Mich.), 27-0

On Wednesday, the Mustangs beat Mercy for the third time this season. The Marlins have lost just two other matches.

3. Cornerstone Christian (Texas), 46-2

The Warriors haven’t dropped a set since falling to No. 6 Westminster Christian on Sept. 3.

4. McCutcheon (Ind.), 22-1

Similarly, the Mavericks have lost just one set since an early-season defeat.

5. Prestonwood Christian (Texas), 30-1

The Lions’ success this year bodes well for the future. They have just one senior on the roster.

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

The Warriors have a week off before resuming play with a matchup Friday, the precursor to a weekend tournament.

7. Fayetteville (Ark.), 22-1

Senior Brooke Rockwell, a Stanford Beach Volleyball commit, has surpassed 1,000 career kills, including 308 this season alone.

Welcome to the 1000K club @brookerock20 pic.twitter.com/ZjTw9Eqrxd

— Fayetteville Volleyball (@FHSVolleydogs) September 27, 2022

8. Mira Costa (Calif.), 17-2

Senior Drew Wright notched 27 kills in a five-set win over Redondo Union on Tuesday, extending her team-high total to 174.

9. Washburn Rural (Kan.), 15-1

The Blues first knocked off St. Thomas Aquinas before reeling off six more wins this past weekend.

10. Sierra Canyon (Calif.), 25-3

As the Trailblazers prepare for the stretch run of the season, Olivia Babcock, a Pitt commit, has more than 340 kills.

11. Highland Park (Texas), 31-2

The Scots have reeled off nine consecutive victories, all sweeps.

12. Tompkins (Texas), 28-3

Rice commit Cindy Tchouangwa has reached the 350-kill mark with a month of the regular season remaining.

13. Marymount (Calif.), 20-5

The Sailors appear to be getting hot at the right time, having won 10 of their last 11 matches. Their sole loss in that period came against Cathedral Catholic in the Durango Fall Classic championship.

14. Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.), 21-1

Senior Avery Hobson has 241 kills and a .359 hitting percentage, as the Royals continue to rack up wins following a season-opening loss to McCutcheon.

The Brebeuf Invitational Champions. pic.twitter.com/7BExnrACCL

— HSERoyalsVB (@hseroyalsvball) September 24, 2022

15. Mother McAuley (Ill.), 17-1

The Mighty Macs’ bid for an undefeated season ended, but they have a chance Thursday to defeat Kentucky powerhouse Assumption for the second time this season.

16. St. James Academy (Kan.), 17-1

The Thunder avoided another loss with a three-set win over Blue Valley Southwest on Wednesday and then closed out the invitational with a sweep of Blue Valley.

17. Oconomowoc (Wis.), 31-1

Behind Cordelia Kearns’ 314 kills and Lilly Wagner’s 759 assists, the Raccoons are eyeing a second straight state title.

18. Santa Fe (Fla.), 13-1

The Raiders’ match Tuesday against Forest was canceled due to Hurricane Ian.

19. Cypress Ranch (Texas), 33-2

Texas A&M commit Bianna Muoneke racked up 19 kills in a sweep Friday, bringing her season total to 560.

See you in January @TAMU 🤍🤍🤍 pic.twitter.com/kzOex5Fp50

— Bianna Muoneke (@biannamuoneke) September 28, 2022

20. Assumption (Ky.), 21-4

With star outsider hitter and Texas commit Sydney Helmers not playing this season, junior Charlotte Moriarty leads the Rockets with 236 kills, and senior Whitney Woodrow has racked up 860 assists.

21. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), 18-2

The Saints’ two losses have come at the hands of Washburn Rural, and they bounced back with two wins Tuesday.

22. ‘Iolani (Hawaii), 17-5

The Raiders have tested themselves against top-tier competition, beating Sierra Canyon and other teams from the mainland. More than half their losses have come against Top 25 competition.

23. Mater Dei (Calif.), 19-5

Following an upset loss to Santa Margarita, the Monarchs have reeled off back-to-back league victories. Now, they turn their attention to the prestigious Tournament of Champions this weekend.

24. Benet Academy (Ill.), 19-1

The Redwings’ 12-match winning streak will be put to the test Thursday against Skutt Catholic out of Nebraska.

25. Dike-New Hartford (Iowa), 26-2

The Wolverines suffered a second loss this weekend but bounced back with three consecutive wins.

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.

NWSL veteran Sofia Huerta is expanding her investment portfolio, with the Seattle Reign defender joining the ownership group of incoming USL Super League side Athletic Club Boise this week.

"I wasn't sure something like this would ever happen in Boise — so when the opportunity came, it was an easy decision," the Idaho product said in Tuesday's USL press release. "This community is how I got where I am today."

"Soccer has given me so much, and this club is building something that will give those opportunities to others," the 32-year-old continued. "The foundation Athletic Club Boise is laying — with the men's team in 2026 and the women's Gainbridge Super League team in 2027 — makes me proud to invest in the future of soccer here at home."

"Sofia represents exactly what we want this club to be — talented, ambitious, and deeply connected to the Northwest," added the incoming club's fellow co-owner Kasey Keller.

Huerta is now the first NWSL player to directly invest in the growing USL Super League, which serves as a top-flight US pro league alongside the NWSL.

That said, some of Huerta's Reign teammates have already crossed league lines, with Lauren Barnes, Jess Fishlock, and Olivia Van der Jagt buying into the semi-pro USL W League's Seattle-based team, Salmon Bay FC, last year.

Notre Dame basketball star Hannah Hidalgo took the mic this week, telling reporters at Tuesday's ACC Media Day that she's eager to erase the memory of last season's March Madness crash-out.

"Knowing how much talent we had last year and underachieving like we did was something that was heartbreaking," the junior guard said, explaining that the one-time No. 1 Fighting Irish lost focus ahead of their Sweet 16 tournament exit.

Hidalgo, whose 23.8 points per game made her the fifth most prolific scorer in the NCAA last season, also vowed to step up as a leader this year in light of Notre Dame losing standouts Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld to the WNBA and fellow star guard Olivia Miles in a transfer to TCU.

"I know how to get the best out of my teammates, I know the steps that I need to take and the things that I need to do," said Hidalgo, dismissing questions about her rumored rift with Miles. "One of the most important things is building that relationship and that connection with my teammates off the court. It's bigger than basketball."

"I know the weight of [the spotlight] is heavy," Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said of Hidalgo's role. "But I feel like she has done a great job of surrounding herself with the right network."

OL Lyonnes scored some UEFA Champions League revenge on Tuesday, upending reigning UWCL champs Arsenal 2-1 in the powerhouse pair's 2025/26 league phase opener in London.

In a rematch of last season's Champions League semifinal, Haiti international Melchie Dumornay sealed the OL Lyonnes result with a first-half brace for the French titans, quickly countering Arsenal forward Alessia Russo's seventh-minute strike.

"Errors happen from time to time, but if they happen too often, of course, there's something there," noted Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers, referencing the defensive mistakes that led to both OL Lyonnes goals. "Sometimes it's intangible or hard to put your finger on because it's a mixture of things."

"We won't get too high [or] too low in this situation," the Gunners manager continued, adding "the team went through hard times last year as well, and then we ended the season on a high with an amazing achievement in the Champions League."

OL Lyonnes weren't the only opening-day league phase victors, as Juventus took down Benfica 2-1 while 2024/25 runners-up Barcelona demolished Bundesliga side Bayern Munich 7-1 behind a pair of braces from attackers Ewa Pajor and Clàudia Pina.

Unlike previous iterations, the 2025/26 Champions League format does not include first-round rematches, with each team facing six different opponents before advancing to the knockouts.

How to watch 2025/26 Champions League games

UWCL league phase opening matches conclude with five games on Wednesday, with WSL winners Chelsea FC kicking off the action against Dutch side FC Twente at 12:45 PM ET.

All 2025/26 Champions League matches will air live on Paramount+.

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier was back on stage this week, opening up about her viral exit interview blasting WNBA leadership to former US Vice President Kamala Harris at the "A Day of Unreasonable Conversation" summit in LA on Monday.

"For so long, we tried to have these conversations and move the needle," she said. "And I saw nothing was changing."

"I think I just got to the point where I was fed up [with WNBA leadership]," Collier told Harris. "Whether I was going to get annihilated for this, or people were gonna support me, I felt like what I was doing was right."

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Collier also doubled down on her position, publicly cancelling a meeting with Cathy Engelbert after the WNBA commissioner denied Collier's account of a past conversation regarding Caitlin Clark and rookie compensation.

"For [Engelbert] to start her speech saying she has the utmost respect for me and for the players, and then to turn around and call me a liar three minutes later... I think it just speaks to that lack of accountability and so I really have nothing further to say [to her]," Collier told Axios on Monday, confirming the meeting's cancellation.

While both Engelbert and NBA commissioner Adam Silver have committed to repairing relationships between players and league leadership, Collier's recent outspokenness shows just how much ground there is to cover.