Over the past two weeks we’ve checked in on teams from the 15, 16, 17 and 18s divisions as we started diving into the club season. In doing so, we’ve already noted a few players who have switched clubs for the new year. That led us to compiling a list of 4 and 5-star athletes who are representing different teams and who figure to make tremendous impacts doing so.
5 STARS
Alex Acevedo SR OH NPJ 18 Forefront (Oregon): Acevedo leaving Idaho Crush and moving to NPJ instantly boosted her new team. With 48 teams qualifying for 18 Open, NPJ could have found its way into the field regardless. However, their chances greatly increase with Acevedo. She gives NPJ a high-level outside who is going to be the go-to hitter and able to carry a big load offensively.
Ayden Ames JR MB/OH Drive Nation 17 Red (Nebraska): Ames leaving TAV to join Drive Nation is obviously one of the biggest club changes this season. Ames’ height and length allows her to really extend and contact the ball at a high point. She’s a game-changing presence across the front row. She also brings versatility to the roster. She played both right side and middle last year in club and spent this past high school season hitting on the outside.
Ryan Hunter SO RS Triangle 17 Black: This could be a major move! Hunter going from CJV to Triangle is one switch we are definitely keeping tabs on. Triangle was very competitive in 16 Open last year, winning the Big South Qualifier and finishing tied for 13th at Junior Nationals. The main cast of characters is back for Triangle, so adding a player like Hunter naturally brings high hopes and excitement. She also seems like a perfect fit because Triangle is strong on the left with 4-star outsides Kiarrah Horne and Asia Thigpen. What they didn’t have is a consistent, threatening right side attack. Hunter, at 6-1 and a high flyer, brings that instantly. She can hit out of the back row too and it’s going to be really fun seeing setter Emily Bobbitt utilizing Hunter’s talents this year. Not sure Hunter’s arrival elevates Triangle into the best-of-the-best conversation but it might!
Cari Spears SO OH TAV 17 Black: Spears – who was the vballrecruiter.com 2022 High School Sophomore Player of the Year after a dominating season at Prestonwood Christian – comes to TAV after playing for Metro last season. Spears, the top hitting prospect in her class, is playing up a year but that won’t keep her from making a huge impact. She’s 6-3 with a powerful arm and capable of scoring from all over. She’ll be playing with a few of her high school teammates as well, so she figures to fit right in. TAV wasn’t lacking for an offensive punch already having 5-star athletes Jadyn Livings and Favor Anyanwu on the roster. Now with Spears also factored in, opposing defenses are going to face an unrelenting attack. Good luck!
Lameen Mambu SO OH Metro 17 Travel: The what ifs of this one are fun. Like, what if Spears stayed at Metro and would have been teamed with Mambu this season, either on the 16s or on the 17s if both played up? We won’t know the answer to that but we’ll soon find out how much Mambu coming from Paramount to Metro will help her new squad. Mambu is crazy athletic and jumps really well. Metro was in the top half of Open as a 16s team. Metro essentially lost Spears but gained Mambu. It should keep Metro in the mix again.
Kirra Musgrove SO S/RS Houston Skyline 17 Royal: Part of Hou Skyline beefing up its roster this season is adding Musgrove, who comes over from HJV. Musgrove played her age group last year in the 15s, but will jump to 17s with her new club. Musgrove’s next-level talent is easy to see. She’s tall, smooth and has smarts. She set and hit last year with HJV so she also brings versatility to the lineup. Looking at Hou Skyline’s roster, it seems likely they’ll be running a 6-2 this season with Musgrove clearly a part of it. Hou Skyline qualified for Open last year but wasn’t a medal contender. Adding Musgrove plus others might not boost Hou Skyline to that level but this squad should be more competitive.
Samara Coleman SO OH Houston Skyline 17 Royal: Coleman is another new member to Hou Skyline. The high-flying 6-1 outside who jumps 30 inches comes over from TAV Houston. She’s also going to be playing up an age group in the 17s. Adding Coleman certainly brings more pop to the attack. Hou Skyline was thin in that area last season and by adding Coleman Hou Skyline should definitely have more firepower to throw at opponents.
Kelly Kinney SO OH Tribe 16 Elite: Playing with Boomers last year, Kinney flew under the radar. She’s a remarkable talent with her length and scoring ability. Joining Tribe should help both sides. For starters, Kinney joins a roster that already includes 5-star setter Charlotte Glass. Glass to Kinney already seems like one of the best connections in the division and it could be the reason Tribe is able to make the move and qualify for Open this season. Tribe already had the high-flying Tekoa Barnes on the left, so Glass working with both Barnes and Kinney should be exciting!
Keoni Williams FR MB Skyline 15 Royal: Any team Williams winds up on is going to make that team better. She left Frisco Flyers for Skyline this season but because of lots of roster turnover it remains to be seen where this Skyline version stands. Only two players are back from last year’s 14s that tied for 23rd in 14 Open, but that doesn’t mean anything with such a new look. Still, with the 6-4 Williams in the middle Skyline knows it has a force in the front row anytime she checks in.
Brooke Harwood FR OH/RS Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Harwood was part of an unheralded East Side Blaze team last year which had an argument for receiving an at-large bid into 14 Open. With Harwood moving to Arizona Storm this season making Open shouldn’t be a problem for Harwood. She’s a 6-3 pin who adds much-needed height to the roster. She’s also figures to add more offense to the Storm roster and it’s reason to believe Storm can finish higher in the standings this year.
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4 STARS
Gabby Dean SR MB/RS KiVA 18 Red (Illinois): Dean played up on the 18s for Team Indiana last year. Her addition to KiVA’s roster should serve as a big help for the club. There’s a bit of a musical chairs going on as 4-star outside Sydney Helmers is not playing for KiVA. After 5-star Texas recruit and middle Nya Bunton spent the high school season hitting on the outside, it’s possible KiVA uses Bunton on the left. That would create an opening in the middle and that’s where the 6-4 Dean comes in. She can play on the right as well, so she brings versatility to a lineup that already had its share. There are players who can play both pins or the middle/right side like Dean and that gives KiVA its share of options. Regardless, we anticipate Dean playing a key role whatever it is.
Jordyn Dailey SR MB/RS Triangle 18 Black (Kentucky): Triangle didn’t make Open last year as a 17s team and even with Dailey coming aboard from CHAVC we aren’t convinced Triangle will be an Open squad this spring. But that doesn’t matter right now because either way when a player like Dailey makes a move it typically makes her new team better. We are definitely expecting Triangle to take a step up competitively with Dailey and a couple other roster changes. Dailey is listed as a right side on the roster. She played both middle and right side last season, so we’ll see what role she’s used in this year.
Ceci Gooch SR MB/RS Skyline 18 Royal (Michigan): After coming in 31st in 17 Open in Indy, Skyline is looking to move up the standings as an 18s group. The core of the lineup is back and hoping to take a step forward with Gooch joining. At 6-4, she’s the tallest member of the team. She spent last season with Drive Nation hitting on the right side. During high school, she played middle for Highland Park. So Skyline has options with her. She has a solid arm and the potential to be one of Skyline’s most consistent scorers.
London Wijay JR OH Munciana 18 Samurai (Texas AM): Wijay changing clubs from Supernova to Munciana caught us off guard. Supernova is a So Cal squad and Wijay played high school for Bishop Alemany but is now with Munciana. Muncie redesigned its 18s roster, with some holdovers from last year’s 18s roster joined by girls from the 17s and players like Lola Schumacher and Charlotte Vinson moving up from the 16s. Then there is Wijay, new to the club. The junior is a springy outside with a lively arm. She’s 5-10 but jumps well. She’s going to give Muncie a steady option. We still don’t know where Muncie will measure up against other 18s clubs but it’s a noteworthy move to be sure.
Lolo Lambert JR OH Drive Nation 17 Red (Arkansas): We mentioned Drive Nation 17 Red already with 5-star Ayden Ames joining the roster. She’s not the only new addition. Another includes Lambert, who comes over from Skyline. Lambert gets off the ground well and is a solid attacker. She looks to be the team’s go-to arm on the left in what they ultimately hope is a balanced attack.
Grace Carroll JR RS Drive Nation 17 Red (Baylor): Carroll is yet another new member to the Drive Nation 17 Red roster. She played for Alamo last season and is coming off a great high school campaign with Cornerstone Christian. Last year’s 16s group would have been helped out having a right-side threat like Carroll. Yes, this is essentially a new lineup but it’s one that is going to benefit from having the 6-2 Carroll on the right. She can set too if needed, but it’s her blocking and scoring that Drive Nation is counting on to help lift them into medal contention.
Kalyssa Blackshear SO MB Surfside 16 PV Legends: With the big arm of 4-star outside Kace Demaria leading the charge, Surfside tied for 11th in 15 Open in Indy. Combing Demaria with the 6-4 Blackshear, who comes over from Mizuno Long Beach Rockstar, is a move that figures to have Surfside even stronger this year. Blackshear should help in a couple areas. Surfside struggled for a consistent scorer behind Demaria last season. Blackshear definitely brings a scoring threat across the front row. Surfside also lacked height and that’s another area Blackshear improves too. She should provide more of a blocking presence and help slow down opposing attackers.
Alex Richter SO OH Drive Nation 16 Red: Richter left Skyline to join Drive Nation. While the biggest changes with the 16s this season comes from 5-star recruits Suli Davis and Zoe Gillen-Malveaux remaining on the 16s and playing with their own age group this season, adding Richter is a close second. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Richter is 6-2 and can play on either pin. She hit on the left for Skyline during club and on the right during high school. Her presence is going to allow Drive Nation to spread out its attack much more than it was able to last season and that’s going to make life much tougher on defenses.
Layla Austin FR OH Skyline 15 Royal: Austin was part of a stellar Madfrog bunch last season but is making the move to Skyline this go around. We noted Skyline also adding 5-star recruit Keoni Williams and the new-look roster that Skyline will use. That includes Austin, who is a solid, six-rotation outside with strong beach skills. She figures to be a featured part of the attack as Skyline looks to climb the ranks.
