Defending state champion Boca Raton enters the 2017 volleyball season as the nation’s No. 21-ranked team.
Boca Raton and Laura Stevenson (diving for ball) are ranked No. 21 nationally by MaxPreps. (2014 Post file photo)
The Bobcats, who won the Class 9A state title last November, are one of two Florida teams to earn a spot in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Volleyball Rankings.
Orlando-Bishop Moore, ranked No. 8, is the other. The rankings were released Tuesday.
Boca Raton won its final 13 matches last season and finished 24-2.
The Bobcats lost two senior starters from last year’s team, but return a handful of impact players this year, including setter Tatianna Rivas, libero Laura Stevenson, middle Lili Henderson and outside hitter Vittoria Sottani.
“Expectations are very high,” coach Brett Sikora told the Post this week. “And so is the pressure. But I tell them every time it comes up that what they did, winning a state championship, was the hardest thing they’ve done in their career.
“And this year, we’re doing something harder, which is trying to repeat.”
Check out the MaxPreps 2017 preseason national high school volleyball rankings here.
