The race to the gold medal continued on as the 17 Open division took the courts for the second day of play at the AAU Girls Junior National Championship in Orlando. We spent our time checking on not only the teams duking it out, but the individual talents showcasing their skills and game. That leads us to our daily All Red Hat Team.
The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another.
DAY 2 ALL RED HAT TEAM
Kaila Kalama-Bajet OH Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB: Unfortunately, Ku’Ikahi’s run ended with an 0-3 outing, yet we really loved what we saw from Kalama-Bajet. She’s an undersized outside but is fearless and plays with lots of passion. She jumps well and is a smart hitter who can vary her shots to keep defenses on their toes.
Olivia Heitkamp OH EliteVBTC 17 Black: Heitkamp was lights out the times we caught her. The six-rotation outside is lanky with a lively arm. She was excelling going over the block and drilling balls down the line with authority. Then when the defense was dug in she would drop a well-timed, well-placed roll shot to catch them sleeping.
Izabela Molina MB Miami Hype 17 Emilio: It was a great day for Miami Hype, which went 3-0 and took over the No. 3 overall seed. We couldn’t decide which middle we liked more so why not feature both? Molina is a strong, powerful hitter who can blasts balls out of the middle. She also puts up a strong block to help slow down the attack.
Jacqueline Taylor MB Miami Hype 17 Emilio: Taylor is the lightning to the Molina’s thunder. She’s quick and can really get up. She has a whippy arm too and it leads to big kills at time and she tees off.
Mollie Hobson RS VC United 17 Elite: VC United rose up, going 3-0 as the No. 4 team and taking over the No. 8 seed. Hobson was an absolute delight to watch on the right side. She’s undersized but plays with a ton of heart and determination. She’s a six-rotation right side who is an offensive option both front and back row. She has a lively arm and is a smart attacker. She knows when to swing all-out and when to keep the ball in the court and let the rally keep playing out.
Brynne Topolski RS VC Nebraska 17 Elite: Topolski was not the hard-hitting or most physical right side but she was certainly very effective in her role in helping VCNebraska post a 3-0 showing. She was taking advantage of her chances and putting balls away both cross court and down the line equally well.
Malayah Long S VCNebraska 17 Elite: Long is among the top setters in the division and she shows great leadership and on-court demeanor. She’s a high-energy setter with great hands and command of the offense. She also has deception in her delivery, keeping defenses honest and allowing hitters to get 1-on-1 looks or even at times hitting with no blockers up.
Ashlyn Tafoya S Rocky Elite 17 National: Rocky Elite faced a difficult pool and finished 0-3. Still, Tafoya, part of the Class of 2025, showed her potential and more. She’s a bit undersized but she does a nice job of getting to the ball and has a clean, consistent release.
Luca Bredenberg L/DS Northern Lights 17-1: We really loved what we saw from our next two players. Brendenberg is a defensive stalwart who doesn’t blink or back down. She’s a very sharp passer out of serve receive and covers the court well too.
Madison Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports .71: Cugino wins the toughest player award from Day 2. She got smacked in her right eye that left a mark and the need for an ice bag. Yet, there she was on the court answering the bell and holding it down on the defensive end. She’s a smooth passer who sees the court well.
