March 30, 2022

While previously qualified Circle City 17 Purple was going for its fifth championship of 2022, the rest of the 17 Open field was looking to gain one of the three available bids at MEQ. Those went to TAV 17 Black – the event winner – Drive Nation 17 Red and Legacy 17-1 Adidas. We recap the top four’s weekend in Indy below. 15 Open Recap 16 Open Recap All MEQ Coverage TAV 17 BLACK (FIRST, 10-0) Day 1: d Supernova 17 All Stars 25-15, 25-11; d Boiler Jrs 17 Gold 25-13, 25-15; d GP 17 Rox 25-14, 25-17 Day 2: MKE Sting 17 Gold 25-23, 25-20; d MAVS 816 17-1 25-22, 25-12; d MN Select 17-1 27-25, 25-16 Day 3: d Mintonette Sports m.71 25-15, 25-13; d MAVS KC 17-1 25-14, 25-16; d Drive Nation 17 Red 25-23, 25-17; d Circle City 17 Purple 25-23, 17-25, 16-14   The only real statement made comes at the end of the season at Junior Nationals. With that said, if TAV 17 Black wanted to steal the spotlight and shine it on itself it did just that after downing Circle City 17 Purple in the 17 Open final at MEQ. With Circle City owning a victory over Triple Crown champion A5 Mizuno 17 Jing, the Hoosier region club has been viewed as the top team in the division much of the season and was riding a 44-match winning streak into the final against TAV. “Getting a bid was nice but the main goal of being here was to win the whole thing,” TAV assistant coach Clayton Bristow said. “I think a couple of the girls have chips on their shoulders because they have not been getting the same recognition as the outside on Circle City. That was a little extra added incentive.” With Circle City previously qualifying at NEQ, TAV wrapped up its bid by winning its gold pool matches over Mintonette Sports m.71 and MAVS KC 17-1 in straight sets. It set up a showdown with fellow North Texas region foe Drive Nation 17 Red. TAV swept that one in impressive fashion. “Against Drive Nation everything came together,” Bristow said. “We were blocking well. We were passing well. We were terminating early and often. That’s the best we played all season and it came at the right time.” With 9 players in vballrecruiter.com’s Class of 2023 player rankings, TAV is loaded led by five-star recruit and outside Kyndal Stowers. Middle Hannah Pfiffner and setter Audrey Clark are four-star recruits. Right sides Stephanie Gutierrez and Kamille Gibson, outside Sydney Breon, middle Kate Hansen and defenders McKenna Gildon, and Zoe Winford are all three-star recruits. “Just getting better at the little things like passing, defense, hitting,” Bristow said about how TAV can keep improving. “The simple things like serving well. We’re focused on getting a little better each game we play.” *** CIRCLE CITY 17 PURPLE (SECOND, 9-1) Day 1: d Six Pack 17 25-9, 25-6; MAVA Adidas 17 Select 25-4, 25-17; d Mich Elite 17 Mizuno 25-10, 25-10 Day 2: NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami 25-17, 25-6; d CHAVC 17 Black 25-12, 25-14; d Mintonette Sports m.71 25-18, 25-23 Day 3: d MN Select 17-1 27-25, 25-22; d Academy 17 Diamond 25-15, 20-25, 15-7; d Legacy 17-1 Adidas 25-19, 25-21; l TAV 17 Black 25-23, 17-25, 16-14   Central Zones, President’s Day Classic, Bluegrass and NEQ. Those are all of Circle City 17 Purple’s major tournament titles to date. The home club was looking to add another at MEQ but had to settle for runner up after seeing its 44-match winning streak halted by TAV 17 Black in the 17 Open final. “We’ll have some takeaways and use it to improve in some areas,” Circle City coach Chris Due said. “We need to get used to the speed of the game a little more. TAV has been getting a lot better this year as well. They had some bumps early but they are starting to play at a high level and very consistently.” Despite not playing at Triple Crown, Circle City still managed to put a target on its back. And even with teams coming for them, Circle City was not folding as it stood tall most of the time at MEQ. It was walloping opponents until getting a close sweep over MN Select 17-1 to open gold pool play. Then, Academy 17 Diamond pushed Circle City to three in the next one. Circle City regained its form in sweeping Legacy 17-1 Adidas in the semis ahead of facing TAV. “I thought overall we played pretty well this weekend,” Due said. “We were tough with our service pressure overall and that really helped. When we are serving tough and passing well we are very tough to beat.” At the center of what Circle City does is vballrecruiter.com five-star recruit and outside Chloe Chicoine. Her phenomenal talent is always on display. She’s teamed up with four three-star recruits in right side Quinci Thomas, middle Ella Chapman, outside Ava Smith and libero Molly Urban. They still have one qualifier left in Windy City, where the group could triple-qualify so to speak as well as begin a new streak. “The girls really enjoy it,” Due said. “They enjoy volleyball in general and enjoy each other. We’ve had a successful season so far. We had won 44 matches in a row before that one in the final. They are working hard all the time and are really improving.” *** DRIVE NATION 17 RED (T-THIRD, 8-1) Day 1: d VC United 17 Elite 25-11, 25-19; d L2 17-1 25-20, 25-10; d CHAVC 17 Black 25-22, 25-13 Day 2: Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite 25-10, 25-18; d Six Pack 17 25-14, 25-10; d AVC Cle Rox 17 Red 25-18, 25-19 Day 3: d Rev 17 Raptors 25-16, 25-18; d Northern Lights 17-1 25-18, 25-18; l TAV 17 Black 25-23, 25-17 After finishing in second at Triple Crown certainly Drive Nation 17 Red came to MEQ as one of the top contenders

Dynasty 16 Black was previously qualified after taking home the title last weekend at Northern Lights and added yet another championship after finishing on top of the 16 Open field. With trickle down in place, there was no need for the third-place match to decide the final bid, thus runner-up 1st Alliance 16 Gold and third-place finishers KC Power 16-1 and OT 16 Jason grabbed the three available bids. We recap all four teams’ weekend below. DYNASTY 16 BLACK (FIRST, 10-0) Day 1: d Sky High 25-13, 25-22; d Evolution Ohio 25-11, 25-9; Team Indiana Elite 16-1 25-15, 25-12 Day 2: d MAVS KC 16-1 25-12, 25-16; d Legacy 16-1 Adidas 25-14, 25-18; d Upward Stars 16 Amy 25-11, 25-19 Day 3: d Boiler Jrs 16 Gold 25-10, 25-21; d Six Pack 16 25-19, 25-11; d KC Power 16-1 25-16, 25-21; d 1st Alliance 16 Gold 25-12, 25-13 Teams are struggling to take a set off of Dynasty 16 Black let alone beating what is now a three-time champion so far in 2022. The Triple Crown champs have kept it rolling. First, by winning and qualifying at Northern Lights. Next, by capturing 16 Open at MEQ this past weekend in Indy. TAV 16 Black is the only opponent to top Dynasty during that stretch. And Dynasty was able to return the favor by toppling TAV in Minneapolis. In that span, Madfrog 16 Green, MN Select 16-1 and Skyline 16 Royal are the only other clubs to earn a set victory against Dynasty, which swept through its competition in Indy by allowing teams to reach 20 or more points in just three sets. That included downing 1st Alliance 16 Gold, 25-12, 25-13, in the 16 Open final. “The goal is to win every qualifier we can,” Dynasty coach Cassie Rockers said. “That’s our goal. We’re focused on getting better and if you’re not making the gold pools on Day 3 you’re not facing the best competition. We want to prepare ourselves the best we can for nationals.” In reality, it’s more likely to be opponents who are trying to best prepare to face Dynasty at nationals eventually. Through Triple Crown, Northern Lights and now MEQ, Dynasty has gone 6-0 against qualified teams and still has Show Me and Windy City on the schedule. “It went really well,” Rockers said of the weekend in Indy. “We have a thing where we like to start off slow on Day 1 and get progressively better every day. By Day 3 we were really gelling with each other. I’m proud of them. After winning Triple Crown and already having our Open bid it could have been easy for them to roll over and not play our game but they didn’t.” If there are holes, they are hard to exploit. Dynasty is as a complete of a team as there is in the division. It includes three vballrecruiter.com five-star athletes in freshman setter Reese Messer, freshman right side Abigail Mullen and sophomore outside Skyler Pierce. Plus, two four-star recruits in libero Ryan McAleer and outside Carlie Cisneros. Middle Jada Ingram is a three-star recruit. There’s also Piper Newton and Saida Jacobs who fill out the middle spots on the roster. The team doesn’t lack for offense but really hits its stride when clicking on defense. The blocking proved phenomenal in the victory over 1st Alliance in the final. “That was one big focus is being solid in the front row with our blocking,” Rockers said. “We are getting better with our eye work and getting way better closing blocks and building a wall. It’s fun. One of the big things is our defense gelling. When we are making awesome digs and blocking in the front row we have a lot of success. When that’s not happening we have to rely solely on our offense and it doesn’t always go the way we want it to.” *** 1ST ALLIANCE 16 GOLD (SECOND, 7-3) Day 1: l TVC 16 Black 28-26, 18-25, 18-16; d MAVA Adidas 16 Select 25-15, 25-11; d Boiler Jrs 16 Gold 25-18, 25-17 Day 2: d Mintonette Sports m.61 25-16, 25-19; l MKE Sting 16 Gold 23-25, 25-22, 15-12; d KC Power 16-1 18-25, 25-19, 15-13 Day 3: d NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami 25-14, 17-25, 15-13; d Circle City 16 Purple 27-25, 25-12; d OT 16 Jason 26-24, 25-18; l Dynasty 16 Black 25-12, 25-13 After losing to MKE Sting 16 Gold in Day 2 pool play 1st Alliance 16 Gold – playing in its first qualifier of the season at MEQ – faced a moment of truth in its next contest against KC Power 16-1. 1st Alliance was facing elimination with a loss in that one. The way KC Power took the opening set it was looking bleak for the Great Lakes club. However, there was another ending to be written. 1st Alliance came back, winning in three, 18-25, 25-19, 15-13, and kept it going from there. The next day began with qualifying-clinching victories over NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – the Triple Crown runner up and a team that beat 1st Alliance at that tournament – and Circle City 16 Purple in gold pool play. That effort propelled 1st Alliance into the semis. A bid in hand, 1st Alliance took care of one of the other qualifiers in OT 16 Jason in one semis match before going down to Dynasty 16 Black in the championship. “Overall, we had a really great tournament,” 1st Alliance coach Trish Samolinski said. “We paced ourselves with the tournament and we were just looking to getter. We had a tough final match against a really good Dynasty team. We beat some fantastic teams to get there and they should be proud of where we finished.” 1st Alliance can do some different things with its lineup but one of its mainstays is running Calli Kenny and Ellie White in a 6-2 with both hitting across the front row. Grace Nelson is the go-to on the left and is involved in

With the 2022 version of MEQ in the books, we take a look back at some of the talented players who caught our attention during the three days of action in Indy. These are players we noticed and who were playing well while we were observing them. We put a heavy, heavy focus on the younger groups in 15-17 Open, though a few might be mentioned from 18 Open. Below are the liberos who impressed us. 15 OPEN Callie Krueger, Libero, Austin Skyline 15 Royal – Krueger is a gamer and a lights-out passer. Teams won’t challenge her in serve receive and she keeps her share of rallies going with her hustle. She’s part of the reason Austin Skyline has its Open bid already. Ava Young, Libero, 1st Alliance 15 Gold – It looks like it’s hard to rattle Young. She’s so calm and collected! She’s part of a strong passing group and her ball skills are on point. Hadley Porter, Libero, Dynasty 15 Black – If you think you can get to Porter, it’s wise to think again. She’s a rock in the back row and makes it look effortless at times. MyliBlue Anderson, Libero, Skyline 15 Royal – A steady passer in serve receive, opponents were reluctant to go at her. She was also making plays and keeping rallies alive. 16 OPEN Alice Volpe, Libero, HJV 16 Elite – It’s wise to keep the ball away from Volpe. She’ll make the play if it’s there with steady consistency. Zoe Cooper, Libero, Union 16 UA – Union produces some of the best ball control and defensive teams in the nation year in and year out. On this squad it’s Cooper carrying the tradition of strong liberos. She’s rarely out of position and just as rarely misses her mark. Elizabeth Tabeling, Libero, NKYVC 16 Tsunami – Tabeling fits the mold of some of the typical liberos NKYVC has cranked out. She covers the court well. She passes dimes. Just steady with what she does. Mya Bolton, Libero, KC Power 16-1 – Bolton is unflappable. She’s talkative on the court and always communicating. Her passing is consistent. And she can pass half the court in serve receive. Ryan McAleer, Libero, Dynasty 16 Black – There’s really not a weakness on Dynasty, with McAleer aptly handling the libero duties. She has range and great ball skills. Samantha Falk, Libero, 1st Alliance 16 Gold – What we saw of Falk she looked her best in the semis against KC Power. She was getting everything up and covering the touch blocks very well. Alleigh Dutton, Libero, Circle City 16 Purple – We like the range Dutton plays with. She can make up ground with her quickness and is consistent with her passing. 17 OPEN Sydney Breissinger, Libero, Elevation 17 Goller – Breissinger – committed to Creighton – owns the back row for Elevation. She passes and defends with ease! Laney Choboy, Libero, Academy 17 Diamond – A total top-notch libero. Choboy – who is committed to Minnesota – brings a next-level athleticism to the position. She absolutely flies around the court and is always willing to sacrifice her body to extend rallies. She’s an absolute joy to watch! Zoe Winford, Libero, TAV 17 Black – Winford switched off at libero throughout the weekend but arguably turned in her best performance in the final against TAV. She was a wall in the back row, picking off some huge swings from Circle City’s powerful outsides. McKenna Gildon, Libero, TAV 17 Black – Gildon took turns between libero and DS throughout the weekend. She definitely had her moments and was playing particularly well on Day 2 when we saw her. Alayna Pearson, Libero, KC Power 17-1 – This Texas AM recruit can get around the court in a hurry. She makes up ground quick and covers well. She was one of the more exciting liberos to watch! 18 OPEN Emma Farrell, libero, A5 Mizuno 18-Marc: Farrell has been one of the top liberos in her class since her younger days in club. She’s committed to Wake Forest where she’s sure to continue to star. Saige Damrow, libero, FC Elite 18 Elite – Long one of the top liberos in the Class of 2023, Damrow is on her way to defending national champion Wisconsin. Nothing gets by this junior on her watch. Samiha Foster, Libero, Metro 18 Travel – This smooth libero always seems to get her platform on the ball. She’s headed to West Virginia.

With the 2022 version of MEQ in the books, we take a look back at some of the talented players who caught our attention during the three days of action in Indy. These are players we noticed and who were playing well while we were observing them. We put a heavy, heavy focus on the younger groups in 15-17 Open, though a few are mentioned from 18 Open. Below is Part 2 of the outside hitters who impressed us. 15 Open Lauren Lopez, Outside, Dynasty 15 Black – It can be tough for blockers to time Lopez. She gets up quickly and can generate pace on her attacks. When Dynasty needs a point it’ll be looking for Lopez. Grace Kreutz, Outside, Adversity 15 Purple – A solid all-around outside. She passes sound. She can score. And she serves bullets at times too. Adversity has a good one in her. Emma Koceja, Outside, MKE Sting 15 Gold – Sting is definitely looking to get this 6-0 outside the ball. She’s springy off the floor and isn’t afraid to let it go. She’d make a few highlight reels! Addison Tindall, Outside, Team Pineapple 15 Black – At 6-2 you can’t miss Tindall on the outside. She moves well. Has a big arm. And hits up high. She has future star written all over her! Logan Bell, Outside, Circle City 15 Purple – At 5-11, Bell can’t necessarily go over the top of blockers but she’s a smart hitter with a lively arm. Isabella Ocampo, Outside, Skyline 15 Royal – Ocampo is a steady six-rotation outside for Skyline. She covers well in the back row and at a 5-10 has a knack for scoring with heady shots. 16 Open Carlie Cisneros, Outside, Dynasty 16 Black – Cisneros does everything above average. At 6-0, she can get on top of the ball. She’s a smart hitter who seemingly scores every time she swings. She passes well. We could go on but we are trying to keep it short! Skyler Pierce, Outside, Dynasty 16 Black – Just about everyone already knows about Pierce. She’s a 6-2 future star who punishes defenses in many ways, especially when the block is late to set up and she crushes it straight down. You’ll be hearing a lot about her for years to come! Taylor Bedinghaus, Outside, OT 16 Jason – A very sound, well-rounded outside is Bedinghaus. She hits out of the back row and is even strong on the attack when she’s up front. Hannah Hankerson, Outside, OT 16 Jason – Hankerson is a bit undersized but that doesn’t her slow her one bit. She’s explosive when she elevates. She’s fearless with a hard, aggressive swing challenging blockers. Alaleh Tolliver, Outside, Academy 16 Yeti – Tolliver is the go-to and the one Academy relies on for a point when it needs one. At 5-11, she has a nice jump and can make plays out of the back row as well. Ava Utterback, Outside, Circle City 16 Purple – When Utterback has it going on she’s as tough to stop as anybody. She’s 6-0 and touches 10-0 and unleashes some big, aggressive swings. It makes her fun to watch! Alec Rothe, Outside, EliteVBTC 16 Black – There’s no telling how far Rothe could go. She has potential written all over her. She seems even longer than her height of 6-2 and carries a smooth arm. We’ll definitely be following along! Payton Petersen, Outside, Six Pack 16 – One thing we noticed about this 6-0 outside beyond her strong attack was Petersen was getting lots of touches on balls at the net blocking. 17 Open Ava Smith, Outside, Circle City 17 Purple – Circle City has tons of firepower on the left with Chloe Chicoine and Smith. At 6-1 and touching 10-1, Smith can tee off and score with authority. She remains uncommitted but we are eagerly awaiting where she eventually lands! Kyndal Stowers, Outside, TAV 17 Black – Stowers is another one of those players we can go on and on about. The 5-11 outside is committed to Baylor. She’s smooth and effortless and can punish balls to the floor. It’s no wonder why she’s one of the top recruits in the class! Emily Simmons, Outside, TAV 17 Black – This 5-10 outside was the unsung hero during TAV’s victory over Circle City in the 17 Open final. She took some key swings on the left and had it working down the line to help carry TAV to victory. Harper Murray, Outside, Legacy 17-1 Adidas – This 6-1 outside deserves paragraphs written about her and her play. In hopes of keeping it brief she’s just a flat-out stud who can take over matches at will. She’ll fit it nicely at Nebraska! Nina Horning, Outside, Legacy 17-1 Adidas – This 6-4 outside is committed to Cincinnati and brings much balance to the Legacy outside. She’s primarily a three-rotation player and with her size she can help carry the offense when she’s in the front. 18 Open Sydney Jackwin, Outside, OT 18 Chad – Another undersized player for OT in the world of 18s yet this LA tech commit is a gamer. We love her scrappiness and competitiveness she brings to the lineup. Laila Ivey, Outside, Metro 18 Travel – You can’t help but notice Ivey on the outside. This Maryland commit is a serious flyer who gets up with the best of them.

With the 2022 version of MEQ in the books, we take a look back at some of the talented players who caught our attention during the three days of action in Indy. These are players we noticed and who were playing well while we were observing them. We put a heavy, heavy focus on the younger groups in 15-17 Open, though a few are mentioned from 18 Open. Below is Part 1 of the outside hitters who impressed us. 15 OPEN Gabriella DiVita, Outside, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – It’s hard to believe DiVita is an eighth-grader! This 6-0 outside already possesses a whippy arm and is aggressive on the attack with it. Watch out for her making her way through the ranks! Abby Vander Wal, Outside, 1st Alliance 15 Gold – This 6-3 outside is on everyone’s radar. The sky is the limit with her seemingly endless frame and ability to put it to good work with a strong attack that blockers have trouble slowing down. Definitely a rising star! Mariah Gaines, Outside, OPVC 15 Wagner – OPVC didn’t break pool but did push OT 15 Randy to three games with Gaines doing her thing. She can explode off the ground with her springy legs, brings a strong attack and can hit out of the back. Glad we didn’t miss her! Zoe Baliva, Outside, HPSTL 15 Royal – Part of a strong outside combo for HPSTL, Baliva looks like an up and comer. Her jump on her attack looks effortless, her swing is solid and she can score consistently. Hannah Leftridge, Outside, HPSTL 15 Royal – A bit undersized at 5-9, Leftridge is a scrappy gamer who is just a solid player in lots of areas. She can hit front and back row and has sound ball control skills. Every team could use a player like her. Kennedi Rogers, Outside, HJV 15 Elite – Rogers, who is 5-10, plays with tons of energy and effort. She can get up and blast off on balls. She’s also a scrapper on defense who can keep rallies alive with her defense. Pay attention to her as she continues her career! Taylor Cripe, Outside, Boilers Jrs 15 Gold – A fiery outside, Cripe is a gamer. She’s an aggressive attacker who isn’t afraid to let loose and go for it. She’s the go-to outside and doesn’t back down. 16 OPEN Cayla Cogan, Outside, Legacy 16-1 Adidas – Listed at 5-9, Cogan is the smallest offensive player listed on Legacy’s roster but don’t let that size fool you. She gets off the ground and up in the air with ease! She fits in nicely in the Legacy attack. Audrey Geer, Outside, Legacy 16-1 Adidas – Another outside with a nice bounce to her step. Geer gets up and at it with her lively arm. Defenses better be on their toes! Grace Nelson, Outside, 1st Alliance 16 Gold – Looking at Nelson with her slender frame and thinking she’s not a threat is a big mistake. This girl has an explosive attack! She gets up and bangs it with her lively arm and aggressive swing. She’s a fun one to watch! Melia Johnson, Outside, MKE Sting 16 Gold – Sting has some size on the roster, including this 6-2 outside. Johnson has a powerful arm and can go boom! Morgan Gaerte, Outside, Team Pineapple 16 Black – We can’t wait to see Gaerte at the next level. At 6-5, she’s a coach’s dream. She carries a smooth swing and is only going to get better and better. Make sure she’s on your radar! Alea Goolsby, Outside, KC Power 16-1 – It’s hard to believe Goolsby is just a freshman! Talk about power, she’s an absolute slugger with a hammer for an arm. It’s going to be fun to see where she’s at four years from now! Rachel Van Gorp, Outside, KC Power 16-1 – A state qualifier in long jump you can see it in Van Gorp’s game. At 5-9 she’s not as tall as other outsides. But she can get off the floor and has a deceptive cannon for an arm. Don’t underestimate her! 17 OPEN Makya Clayton, Outside, PVA 17 Elite – We really appreciate Clayton’s game. She’s listed at 5-6 but has as much heart as anyone! A six-rotation outside, she passes well out of serve receive. She also just explodes on the attack when called for. She’s a smart attacker, who not only can let it rip but can swipe balls of the block and frustrate blockers who think they have the advantage. Olivia Swenson, Outside, MN Select 17-1 – One of three sophomores playing up for MN Select, this 6-3 outside is going to be a score for some future collegiate program! Cassidy Hartman, Outside, Six Pack 17 – It looked like to us that Hartman was a glue piece for Six Pack. She’s a 6-0 hustler with all-around game. Ella Durham, Outside, Mintonette Sports m.71 – Durham is listed as uncommitted but is going to eventually make some program happy to have landed her. At 6-3, she has a powerful arm and is only improving in her first year with Mintonette. Chloe Chicoine, Outside, Circle City 17 Purple – One could go on and on about this Purdue commit. There isn’t anything she can’t do at a high level. She ridiculously explosive and insanely quick. There’s only a handful to watch who are as entertaining as she is! 18 OPEN Cheridyn Leverette, Outside, A5 Mizuno 18-Marc – Originally a member of A5 South, Leverette joined A5’s main club her 16s season and made an immediate impact. She’s a consistent scorer with her 6-2 frame and touching 10-3. She’s headed to the West Coast to play for UCLA. Ella Demetrician, Outside, FC Elite 18 Elite – It’s hard to believe Demetrician is only a sophomore! This Class of 2024 recruit is 6-2 and is almost touching 10-0. She can bring the heat already and is one to watch out for!