Some of the best volleyball in Indiana doesn’t require a 4A enrollment number.
Class 1A and 2A are filled with established programs, state championship pedigrees and players capable of competing with anybody in the state. That’s why Indiana Preps is giving the small-school game its own statewide ranking.
The Indiana Preps Small School Top 15 combines Class 1A and Class 2A into one board. Teams are evaluated on results, strength of schedule, quality wins, head-to-head competition and how they perform when stepping outside their classification.
One important distinction: these rankings follow each school’s 2026 IHSAA tournament classification. That means defending Class 2A champion Barr-Reeve is not eligible after moving into Class 3A through the Tournament Success Factor. Defending Class 1A champion Trinity Lutheran and runner-up Faith Christian are now competing in Class 2A.
With the classifications settled and another full week of results in the books, here is the rebuilt Indiana Preps Small School Top 15.
1. Southwood — 2A
There isn’t much debate at the top right now.
Southwood has been good enough to earn recognition beyond the small-school conversation, already appearing inside the Indiana Preps overall statewide Top 15.
The Knights moved to 6-0 with a dominant sweep of Peru, winning 25-11, 25-5 and 25-11.
Shania Rhamy finished with 15 kills in the victory, while Adilyn Deaton controlled the offense with 33 assists and added five blocks.
Southwood isn’t No. 1 because of classification.
The Knights are No. 1 because they’ve looked like one of Indiana’s better volleyball teams, period.
2. Trinity Lutheran — 2A
The classification changed.
The expectations didn’t.
After winning consecutive Class 1A state championships, Trinity Lutheran moves into Class 2A this fall and immediately becomes one of the teams to beat.
The Cougars have also shown they aren’t interested in protecting their record.
Their schedule has already included Center Grove and Franklin Community before Saturday’s loaded Brownstown Central Invitational.
Trinity went 2-1 at Brownstown, beating Seymour and Jasper before falling to 3A Barr-Reeve in the championship.
That’s important context.
The Cougars may have losses on the record, but they’re consistently testing themselves against larger and quality programs. When October arrives, that experience matters.
3. Faith Christian — 2A
Faith Christian follows Trinity Lutheran into Class 2A.
And that’s fitting.
The Eagles finished 31-5 last season and reached the Class 1A state championship before falling to Trinity Lutheran.
Now both programs move up together.
Faith Christian entered this season with considerably more than just last year’s résumé working in its favor. This is a program that has demonstrated it can win deep into October, and that postseason experience gives the Eagles one of the highest ceilings in the 2A field.
The question now becomes whether Faith can translate that success into another classification.
We think it can.
4. Benton Central — 2A
Don’t forget about the team that nearly won this classification a year ago.
Benton Central reached the 2025 Class 2A state championship and pushed Barr-Reeve all the way to five sets before falling 15-10 in the deciding set.
Barr-Reeve is now in 3A.
Benton Central isn’t.
That immediately makes the Bison one of the programs worth watching closely in the 2A championship picture.
Last season’s run wasn’t accidental. Benton Central has established itself as one of the state’s premier small-school volleyball programs, and until the results tell us otherwise, the Bison belong near the top of this board.
5. Southern Wells — 1A
Here’s one of the early-season risers.
Southern Wells carried a 6-1 record into the weekend behind some enormous production from Ohio State commit Abbie Powell.
Powell has been one of Indiana’s statistical leaders, averaging around five kills per set while hitting better than .500 during the early portion of the season.
Against Mississinewa, she delivered 19 kills, 11 digs, five aces and a block in a three-set victory.
Southern Wells then reached the championship match of Saturday’s Cowan Invitational before falling to Winchester.
The Raiders aren’t just winning.
They have one of the most impactful players in the classification.
6. Adams Central — 2A
If we’re rewarding what actually happened on the court this week, Adams Central has to make a significant move.
The Flying Jets went 4-0 at the Wapahani Invitational and won the tournament championship.
That’s the kind of Saturday that changes a ranking.
Early-season rankings contain plenty of projection. Tournament weekends begin replacing that projection with evidence.
Adams Central gave us some.
They’re firmly on the radar now.
7. Oak Hill — 2A
Another team that strengthened its résumé at Wapahani.
Oak Hill handed the host Raiders one of their two losses Saturday, adding an important result to its early-season profile.
The Golden Eagles also feature Morgan Cates, who produced one of the best individual performances we found during the week with 21 kills, four digs and three aces against Wabash.
There is enough here to start taking Oak Hill seriously in the 2A conversation.
8. Wapahani — 2A
Wapahani drops, but we’re not abandoning the Raiders.
Saturday simply gave us more information.
Wapahani finished 2-2 at its own invitational, beating Northeastern and Muncie Central while falling to Oak Hill and tournament champion Adams Central.
That’s a résumé that has to be reflected in a weekly ranking.
It also doesn’t erase what we know about the program.
Wapahani has consistently scheduled with October in mind and will have plenty of opportunities to climb back up this board.
The next one comes quickly.
Yorktown awaits.
9. Marquette Catholic — 1A
Northern Indiana needs representation in this conversation, and Marquette Catholic has earned it.
The Blazers put together one of the strongest starts among 1A programs, including victories over Kouts, Andrean, South Bend Riley, Wheeler and Rensselaer Central during the opening portion of the schedule.
The Andrean victory is particularly useful.
When evaluating a 1A program, we want to see what happens when it steps outside the classification.
Marquette has shown it can do that.
10. Winchester Community — 2A
Winchester earns its way into the Top 10 with a championship.
The Golden Falcons beat Southern Wells 2-0 in the Cowan Invitational championship match Saturday.
That’s exactly the type of head-to-head result we want these rankings to reward.
Southern Wells has been one of the better early-season stories in 1A. Winchester got an opportunity to measure itself directly against the Raiders and won.
That carries weight.
11. Greenwood Christian Academy — 1A
Greenwood Christian remains one of the 1A programs worth tracking closely.
The Cougars have built a history of postseason success and have enough early-season production to remain in the Small School Top 15.
For GCA, the opportunity over the next few weeks is straightforward.
Start collecting the quality wins that separate a good record from a Top-10 résumé.
12. Tecumseh — 1A
Tecumseh is back where it belongs: Class 1A.
The Braves spent the previous classification cycle playing up in 2A through the Tournament Success Factor, but the 2026 IHSAA assignments return them to 1A.
That’s significant.
This is a program with recent experience playing against a higher classification and making postseason runs. Now Tecumseh brings that experience back into the 1A field.
Trinity Lutheran’s move to 2A also means there is room for a new hierarchy to develop in Class 1A.
Tecumseh has an opportunity to be part of it.
13. Lafayette Central Catholic — 1A
Another classification correction worth making clear.
Lafayette Central Catholic is a Class 1A program in 2026, not 2A.
The Knights have the type of program history that warrants attention, but these rankings aren’t going to be built on reputation alone.
LCC stays on the board because of its potential and early body of work.
Now we need to see the signature results that move the Knights higher.
14. Covington — 1A
Covington gives us another 1A team with an opportunity to climb.
The Trojans have shown early offensive production and have enough talent to warrant inclusion in the initial board.
The difference between No. 14 and moving toward the Top 10 will come down to résumé.
That’s the theme for several teams in this portion of the rankings.
Win games against quality opponents and there is plenty of room to move.
15. Culver Community — 1A
Culver grabs the final position.
The Cavaliers have put together one of the stronger early records among the 1A programs we’re tracking, which gets them onto the board.
Now comes the harder part.
As schedules strengthen, we’re going to learn which early records are indicative of legitimate postseason contenders and which were products of August schedules.
For now, Culver has done enough to get its opportunity.
Indiana Preps Small School Top 15
| Rank | Team | Class |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwood | 2A |
| 2 | Trinity Lutheran | 2A |
| 3 | Faith Christian | 2A |
| 4 | Benton Central | 2A |
| 5 | Southern Wells | 1A |
| 6 | Adams Central | 2A |
| 7 | Oak Hill | 2A |
| 8 | Wapahani | 2A |
| 9 | Marquette Catholic | 1A |
| 10 | Winchester Community | 2A |
| 11 | Greenwood Christian Academy | 1A |
| 12 | Tecumseh | 1A |
| 13 | Lafayette Central Catholic | 1A |
| 14 | Covington | 1A |
| 15 | Culver Community | 1A |
The Small-School Landscape Has Changed
The most interesting part of this year’s small-school race might be who isn’t there.
Barr-Reeve won the Class 2A state championship last November, beating Benton Central in five sets. The Vikings’ success pushed them into Class 3A for the 2026 tournament, where they’ll now share a postseason field with programs such as Jasper, Providence and Brownstown Central.
Meanwhile, the two teams from last year’s Class 1A state championship — Trinity Lutheran and Faith Christian — have both moved into Class 2A.
That creates two very different championship races.
Class 2A suddenly has Trinity Lutheran and Faith Christian joining established contenders such as Southwood, Benton Central and Wapahani.
Class 1A has an opening.
Southern Wells is producing at a high level. Marquette Catholic has started strong. Tecumseh returns to the classification. Greenwood Christian, Lafayette Central Catholic, Covington and Culver all have opportunities to establish themselves.
And we’re still in August.
That’s why these rankings will move.
The Indiana Preps Small School Top 15 will return throughout the season as results replace projections and Indiana’s best Class 1A and 2A programs begin separating themselves from the field.
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