March 23, 2022

We spent three days covering 15-17 Open at the Salt Lake City Showdown. Yes, there was 18 Open too but we focused on the younger age groups because of the 18s qualifier in So Cal this past weekend. Below, we highlight some of the top outsides we saw throughout the course of the weekend. The athletes featured are from what we witnessed with our own eyes and who we thought was performing well at the time we saw them playing. 15 OPEN Teraya Sigler, Outside, AZ Storm 15 Thunder – There’s no doubt that Sigler is someone Storm looks for to carry a good portion of the offensive load. She has nice size and physicality and is an option whether she’s front or back row. She also a key contributor defensively and passes well out of serve receive. Cecilia Vance, Outside, ARVC 15N1 Adidas – Vance is another outside teams must key on wherever she’s at on the court. She gets up in the air nicely for sure and takes aggressive swings at the ball when the set allows it. Neriah Perez, Outside, Club V 15 Ren Adam – Club V came close to upsetting top-seeded Absolute 15 Black in the first match of the weekend with Perez playing a key role. She’s an athletic outside who moves and jumps very well. Megan Fitch, Outside, Alamo 15 Premier – Opponents don’t want to allow Fitch to get going. With her height at the net and fluid swing, she can be a real weapon for Alamo. She also has the capability to get up and hit over the block. Halle Jameson, Outside, Excel 15 National Red – Jameson is another outside we witnessed who is a lengthy outside. She possesses a nice jump and swing which makes her a solid attacker and offensive option. Elena Fisher, Outside, Absolute 15 Black – A bit undersized on the outside, Fisher makes up for it with her springy legs. She gets off the ground quickly. She’ll take aggressive cuts at the ball and she’s the one Absolute looks for when the play breaks down. 16 OPEN Samantha Blackett, Outside, Club V 16 Ren Wayne – Club V has fun pieces to watch and Blackett is one of them. She’s an energetic outside with good height. She’s not afraid to get after it and really goes for it with some aggressive swings. Isabella Blackwell, Outside, Aspire 16 Premier – Blackwell has some grit and determination about her. She’s a bit undersized at outside but she gets off the ground well and takes hard swings. Lauren Harden, Outside, Rev 16-1 Fury – At 6-3, Harden represents problems for defenses. She’s a clear go-to outside with the ability to sway matches to her team’s favor with her wide-range of attacking skills. She’s someone you can just throw a ball up to and let her go to work. Piper Rama, Outside, AZ Storm 16 Thunder – Rama plays like she loves to compete. Somewhat undersized, she plays hard and does some of everything for Storm from not being afraid of going at blocks to hitting the floor in the back court to keep a rally going. Jaidyn Jager, Outside, Coast 16-1 – A freshman playing up, Jager carries a lot of the offensive load and is the one Coast turns to when things break down. Coast will use her a lot on the outside but run the X with her as well. Plus, she’s a solid passer and helps hold down serve receive. Paityn Chapman, Outside, Co Jrs 16-1 Sherri – There a some really good options for Co Jrs and Chapman is one of the team on the left. At 6-3, she’s not even the tallest option for the setters but she helps spread out the attack and put balls down or away. 17 OPEN Evan Hendrix and Kendal Murphy, Outsides, AZ Rev 17 Premier – Revolution isn’t short on offensive options, with Hendrix, a sophomore, and Murphy certainly in the mix as two of them. She’s a bit undersized compared to the others in the lineup but she jumps very well, can score outright or tool blocks and will take swings out of the back row. Murphy, at 6-3 and committed to Baylor, will also hit out of the back row and can score with the best of them tooling blocks or going over smaller blockers. Blaire Bayless, Outside, Madfrog 17 Green – This 6-2 outside committed to Pitt was one of the most impressive outsides in the gym. She’s lanky and can get off the ground, which makes her a very difficult attacker to stop as she can blow up blocks, go around them or over them with her big swings. Ariana Brown, Outside, Asics Willowbrook 17 Gold – Brown brings a lot to the lineup for Willowbrook. She possesses a hammer on offense but she’s also somebody teams shouldn’t serve because she can pass dimes time and time again. Levani Key-Powell and Jordyn Harvey, Outsides, Club V 17 Ren Reed – This outside tandem is fun to watch and bring excitement to spectators with the way they play. Key-Powell is a sophomore playing up and is an explosive hard hitter who plays taller than her 5-9 height. Meanwhile, Harvey can absolutely fly with her springy legs and is a target wherever she’s at on the court.

We spent three days covering 15-17 Open at the Salt Lake City Showdown. Yes, there was 18 Open too but we focused on the younger age groups because of the 18s qualifier in So Cal this past weekend. Below, we highlight some of the top outsides we saw throughout the course of the weekend. The athletes featured are from what we witnessed with our own eyes and who we thought was performing well at the time we saw them playing. 15 OPEN Alexandra Richter, Outside, Skyline 15 Royal – A tall, lanky outside, Richter is the go-to option for Skyline. That’s because she’s an effective scorer. Set her high and let her go up and get it, as she’s capable of hitting over blocks. Bellamie Beus, Outside, ID Crush 15 Bower – Beus can bring some power and pop to the Crush attack. When the sets there and she’s able to go after, she’s capable of really connecting. Alyssa Aguayo, Outside, Aspire 15 Premier – A six-rotation option for Aspire, Aguayo gets her share of swings in helping carrying the offensive load. She definitely had some moments taking some nice solid swings. Lily Davis, Outside, Austin Skyline 15 Royal – Davis is a key part of the attack as the go-to on the left. She’s a consistent scorer who can take aggressive swings and will get the ball in the back row as well. Simone Roslon and Kiana Greer, Outsides, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar – These two outsides for Beach play a similar style. Neither are the biggest, hardest hitters at their position but they are critical to what Beach does. That’s because both are strong passers out of serve receive and smart, heady hitters who don’t try to overdo it. 16 OPEN Denasia Maxey, Outside, Excel 16 National Red – Wherever Maxey is on the court defenses need to be aware. She’s a high-flyer who can put a ball down from anywhere. Maya Witherspoon, Outside, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite – It was a tough Day 1 for Rockwood, which lost a pair of tight three-set results and didn’t break pool. However, Witherspoon flashed her talent and arm swing and has ton of potential. Brooklyn Tealer, Outside, Gainesville Jrs 16 Black – If you like attackers who get up in the air and let it loose, you’ll love Tealer. She flies, has a big arm and gets set all over making her a definite weapon for Gainesville. Abby McClain, Outside, SIVBC 16 Black – McClain is an instrumental part of the offense for Sudden Impact. She’s tall and a physical hitter who’s more than capable of putting down balls and carrying the load offensively. Brianna Watson, Outside, Madfrog 16 Green – Long and lanky, Watson soars on the attack. She’s still learning and developing obviously but one thing is for sure. You can’t set her high enough and that can make her difficult to defend. Lainee Pyles, Outside, Madfrog 16 Green – Listed as a middle on the roster, Pyles was pushed to the outside because of an injury on the roster. It might be difficult putting her back in the middle as she could stay at outside or even switch to right side. She’s long and posed a legitimate threat on the outside with her ability to score. 17 OPEN Nayeli Gonzalez, Outside, Alamo 17 Premier – The Iowa State commit played a large and important role in helping Alamo qualify over the weekend. Gonzalez seems to play bigger than her listed height of 6-0. She’s a physical attacker who hits with power and defenses don’t have much luck slowing her down. Alexandra Acevedo, Outside, ID Crush 17 Bower – Acevedo plays a big role as a six-rotation outside in Crush’s plan. She’s lengthy and really good offensive player who can score in multiple ways. Torrey Stafford and Drew Wright, Outsides, Sunshine 17 LA – When Stafford is on, watch out. The Pitt commit can soar and hit over blocks with ease, making her a major offensive force for Sunshine. Meanwhile, Sunshine was dealing with some injuries and Wright really stepped up and played solid role, especially with her strong passing skills out of serve receive. Sydney Dunning and Daniela Cranford, Outsides, Co Jrs 17 Kevin – Both outsides proved to be reliable options for Co Jrs throughout the weekend. Dunning, who is committed to Cal State Bakersfield, will get her share of sets and can scoring consistently. Cranford knows how to score off the block well and seems to excel at swinging down the line.

We spent three days covering 15-17 Open at the Salt Lake City Showdown. Yes, there was 18 Open too but we focused on the younger age groups because of the 18s qualifier coming So Cal this past weekend. Below, we highlight some of the top right sides we saw throughout the course of the weekend. The athletes featured are from what we witnessed with our own eyes and who we thought was performing well at the time we saw them playing. 15 OPEN Addison Gaido, Right Side, Austin Skyline 15 Royal – A good option for Austin Skyline on the right side because Gaido brings height to the front row and can really go at smaller blocks with some strong rips at the ball. Evelyn Potter, Right Side, Flyers 15 APX-John – Flyers isn’t a particularly big team but Potter helps make up for it with her attacking. She’s able to play with physicality and is capable of hitting hard balls when it lines up for her. Raegan Richardson, Right Side, AZ Storm 15 Thunder – Richardson helps balance out the Storm attack when she checks in the front row because Storm will look to get her the ball when in system. She had moments where she had some big swings and loud winners. 16 OPEN Avah Armour, Right Side, Co Jrs 16 Sherri – A junior already committed to Central Florida, at 6-5 Armour is a handful for defenses to figure out and slow down. Co Jrs will line her up at outside or right side and at times can be part of serve receive. Wherever she’s at though Co Jrs is going to get her the ball and let her over and around blocks with her long frame. Jessica Jones, Right Side/Middle, Flyers 16 APX Dylan – There’s a lot to like about Jones and her long presence on the court. She’s a versatile player for Flyers, playing at middle or right side depending on what Flyers wants to do. It really doesn’t matter because she’s effective at any spot with her fluid swing and ability to hit from the left, middle or right and always keeping pressure on the defense. Howdy Hawkins, Right Side, Livewire 16 Adidas – Hawkins can raise some eyebrows when she swings. She carries a lively arm and can crack some balls with she gets a hold of them, including when she’s getting set in the back row. Madison Bland, Right Side, SIVBC 16 Black – Sudden Impact can move Bland around, setting her on the right and on the X in hopes of getting her involved in the offense. The lefty is definitely an option when she’s front row who can provide consistent scoring. Gia McGrew, Right Side, Gainesville Jrs 16 Black – One thing McGrew brings to the lineup is her physicality. Gainesville will get her the ball on the right side and she can take some powerful swings. She’s also able to return the favor with her blocking. 17 OPEN Sarah Wadsworth, Right Side, Arizona Storm 17 Thunder – This 5-11 right side can get up and is an explosive attacker for Storm. Eryn Jones, Right Side, AZ REV 17 Premier – With the firepower at outside, teams can’t forget about Jones on the right. When in system, she helps balance out the attack in a big way. She can get up and hit with power and some of her kills really fire up the team. She also is used in serve receive at times, adding another element to her game. Gabriella Placide, Right Side, Co Jrs 17 Kevin – The more Placide is involved in the offense, the better Co Jrs is playing. At 6-2, she has a big jump to boot and those two things cause lots of problems for the defense when she’s on the attack. Olivia Babcock, Right Side, Sunshine 17 LA – Another Pitt commit who stood out, Babcock has the ability to take over matches at times. She can absolutely blast balls when she’s on and if the block isn’t tall enough there’s not much the defense can do to slow her down. Kierstyn Barton, Right Side, Aspire 17 Premier – Opponents don’t want to let Barton get going. She’s a big swinger and a physical attacker who can unload on her shots, pumping up her teammates when she sends down a ball with authority.

We spent three days covering 15-17 Open at the Salt Lake City Showdown. Yes, there was 18 Open too but we focused on the younger age groups because of the 18s qualifier coming in So Cal this past weekend. Below, we highlight some of the top middles we saw throughout the course of the weekend in Utah. The athletes featured are from what we witnessed with our own eyes and who we thought was performing well at the time we saw them playing. 15 OPEN Isabella Ehrlich, Middle, Absolute 15 Black – It’s easy to see the potential Ehrlich holds. While the connection was shaky at times, Absolute certainly looks for Ehlrich when she’s in and she can put down when she connects. She also plays with a fiery energy, especially when she delivers a stuff at the net. Amelia Robinson, Middle, Austin Skyline 15 Royal – Teams need to be aware of Robinsons when she’s up front as Austin Skyline will get her involved. They do like running the 3 set with her and for good reason as she’s effective scoring off of it. Aniya Hall, Middle, Alamo 15 Premier – Hall can factor into the Alamo offense when the pass is there. She gets off the ground well and moves well which makes her a good option running the slide. Kaelynn Sims, Middle, Skyline 15 Royal – Sims is another middle with good jumping ability. She also can line up and hit from the left which add a wrinkle in the attack. Makena Rumple, Middle, Arizona Storm 15 Storm – Rumple adds some physicality in the middle for Storm. She’s also a capable blocker who can help slow down the opposing attack. Olivia Wayne, Middle, Madfrog 15 Green – Madfrog can put up a big front row and Wayne is part of that equation. When in system Madfrog will look to get her going. She can also line up and attack from the left side. 16 OPEN Lillian Croshaw, Middle, Madfrog 16 Green – Talk about a physical presence in the middle. That’s exactly what Croshaw adds to the lineup. Madfrog will get her involved offensively when in system and she can score on good sets, but her blocking can be a game-changer at times. Ashley Duckworth, Middle, Vegas Aces 16 UA – Duckworth is a tireless worker and is a rare middle who plays all the way around. Vegas runs all kinds of sets to get her going and involved and she carries a strong swing and really can carry the offense at times. Zoey Burgess, Middle, Club V 16 Ren Wayne – Plenty of top college coaches were watching Burgess do her thing. She’s a legit weapon on offense who can pound balls down and she moves really well in her 6-2 frame. Thea Carter, Middle, Alamo 16 Premier – Another lanky middle in the division. Carter swings well and can really connect and score when the set is there. Carly Butler, Middle, UPVBC 16 Open – Ultimate was in the mix on Day 2 but lost out on tiebreakers to finish third. The more Butler can be involved in the offense the better. She jumps and swings well. Chelsea Sutton, Middle, OT 16 Will – At 6-3, Sutton definitely can hit down on the ball when she gets a whack at it. She changes the game when she’s in with both her attacking and blocking and she also serves fairly well. Addisyn Pohl and Bria Carlisle, Middles, AZ Rev 16 Premier – AZ Rev has a good middle combo with Pohl (6-4) and Carlisle (6-2). Carlisle will get out on the slide and can be an effective option for Rev there. Pohl is a physical presence who can put up a big block in the middle. Mackenzie Parsons, Middle, Coast 16-1 – When Coast’s ball control breaks down it loses the ability to get Parsons involved and the offense can bog down. She’s an efficient scorer when things are clicking and she’s getting set and can carry the offense when she’s up front. 17 OPEN Farah Farooq, Middle, Asics Willowbrook 17 Gold – One thing we noticed about Farooq in the middle was her explosiveness. She can get up and hit straight down with booming success. Hannah Whittingstall, Middle, Alamo 17 Premier – A 6-1 threat in the middle, Whittingstall delivers for Alamo on both ends. She runs a capable slide to help out on the offensive side. She’s also came through with some big blocks at times to contribute defensively. Mia Lee and Taylor Harvey, Middles, Club V 17 Ren Reed – The middle duo for Club V bring some serious athleticism to the position in their own ways. Harvey, who is part of the 2025 class, is 6-2 and can touch 10-5. She’s lanky, gets up quick and can definitely put it down. Lee is listed at 6-0 but can touch 10-7 so she really soars and as a result can deliver some impressive kills at times. GG Greenlee, Middle, AZ Rev 17 Premier – A Northern Arizona recruit and standing 6-3, Greenlee gives Rev a good offensive option in the middle when in passing well. She’s an effective scorer who takes hard cuts and is a threat on the slide. Brooklyn Briscoe, Middle, Coast 17-1 – At 6-4, Briscoe adds a physical presence to Coast’s lineup. She’ll attack out of the middle or hit from the right side when she’s lined up there and is capable of putting down some powerful swings.

We spent three days covering 15-17 Open at the Salt Lake City Showdown. Yes, there was 18 Open too but we focused on the younger age groups because of the 18s qualifier in So Cal this past weekend. Below, we highlight some of the top setters we saw throughout the course of the weekend. The athletes featured are from what we witnessed with our own eyes and who we thought was performing well at the time we saw them playing. 15 OPEN Avery Lim, Setter, AZ Storm 15 Thunder – Lim, who is playing up an age group, has some nice options to dish to. Yet, one of the things that stood out is her effort on defense. She did a nice job of getting some balls up and covering a tip. Julia Waller, Setter, Absolute 15 Black – It’s hard to argue against the fact Waller helps the Absolute offense tick. She’s adept at moving the ball around, has nice hands and delivery and just overall looks smooth playing the position. Jordyn Moore, Setter/Right Side, Excel 15 National Red – Moore is a versatile player who Excels relies on. She hits across the front row and does a good job setting across the back as she has a soft touch to her delivery. Tenesyn Frye, Setter, Idaho Crush 15 Bower – Frye is part of an ID Crush team that isn’t lacking for size. She helps make up a big right side block when she’s up front. She also does a good job of varying her sets and putting the ball in a hittable window. Kaia Thiele, Setter, Alamo 15 Premier – Depending on what Alamo wants to do, Thiele can run a 5-1 or be part of a 6-2 where she actually sets across the front row. She’s consistent with her location and effective connecting with the middles. Naya Salfiti, Setter/Right Side, Madfrog 15 Green – As a two-way player, Salfiti is valuable because of her versatility. She hits across the front and sets in the back. In the front, she’s an option to be sure and can help carry the offense at times. She’s also tall and a lefty, so the future looks bright. 16 OPEN Charlie Fuerbringer, Setter/Right Side, Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar – When it comes to volleyball IQ, Fuerbringer is top notch. She sees the game well and is smooth in whatever she’s doing. When she hits on the right side, she’s a smart attacker and helps carry the offense. Beach used her in a 5-1 on Day 3 and she excels as a setter with her sharp sets and ability to move the ball around. Gabriella Reeves, Setter, Alamo 16 Premier – We classify Reeves as a gamer. She works hard at her position and puts in a strong defensive effort. Taryn Dewese, Setter, TVC 16 Black – At 6-0, Dewese is a tall setter and adds some needed height to the lineup for Toledo. She does a good job running the offense and can run tempo sets at times to catch the defense off guard. Kate Schneeberg, Setter, UPVBC 16 Open – Ultimate doesn’t have a lot of size so Schneeberg’s height at the setting position really helps out when she’s across the front row. With her running the offense the team was on the cusp of reaching the gold pools. Alyssa Forelli, Setter, AZ Rev 16 Premier – Forelli is pretty consistent with her location and has good hands. Izzy Starck, Setter/Right Side, Co Jrs 16 Sherri – Starck is as an impressive player as there was in the 16s over the weekend, as there’s nothing she can’t do on the court. Co Jrs will use her to pass, set and hit and she’s well above average in all of them. Her location on her sets is rarely off and the way she jumps and attacks with physicality makes her a go-to option in the front row. Kierstin Remensperger, Setter, Coast 16-1 – The better Coast passes the better Remensperger can direct the offense. When in system, she’s good at moving the ball around and connects well with the middles to help balance out the offense. 17 OPEN Annika Sokol, Setter/Right Side, Co Jrs 17 Kevin – There’s no questioning Sokol and how integral she is to Co Jrs’ success. She’s a solid setter who was mixing it up to her hitters. She’s also someone Co Jrs relies on to score when she’s in the front row, as Co Jrs will set her on the right or run her on the X as she’s a smart hitter. Alexandra Bower, Setter, ID Crush 17 Bower – Although Crush wasn’t able to qualify from Day 3 gold pools, the Idaho club is a pesky opponent to figure out and beat. Part of that is the setting of Bower, who consistently puts her hitters in good situations to score. She also has a knack when to dump it over herself and catch the defense off guard. Lexi Yoza, Setter, AZ Rev 17 Premier – A couple of the things Yoza does well when in system is setting against the flow and getting her right side a clean look as well as being able to run tempo sets and not allow the block to fully set up. Zoe Rachow, Setter, Coast 17-1 – Rachow is physically strong setter and can get everyone involved in the attack. She’s good at setting behind her and setting up the right-side attack.