June 13, 2022

AAU 14 Open: Preview and Predictions

Number of Teams: 43 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (12): No. 8 Boiler Jrs 14 Gold No. 11 GP 14 Rox No. 19 Dynasty 14 Black No. 24 A5 Mizuno 14 Helen No. 30 Legacy 14 Adidas No. 31 Rev 14-1 Fuego No. 34 Top Select 14 Elite No. 38 Kairos 14 Adidas No. 39 WPVC Armour Black No. 40 OT 14 Cristobal No. 49 Adidas KiVA 14 Red No. 50 Munciana 14 Chipmunks Outlook: Six clubs are doubling up by competing in 14 Open at both AAUs and USAV. They are top-seeded Boiler Jrs 14 Gold, GP 14 Rox, Dynasty 14 Black, A5 Mizuno 14 Helen, Rev 14-1 Fuego and WPVC Armour Black. Boiler Jrs is coming off its victory at the JVA SummerFest in Columbus. Legacy 14-1 Adidas, Adidas KiVA 14 Red and Rev also participated in the event. Boiler Jrs and GP are the two highest-ranked teams in the field and the seeding matches up with that, as they open at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. It changes up from there, as No. 38 Kairos 14 Adidas starts as the No. 3 seed overall. The remaining top eight seeds are No. 4 Dynasty, No. 5 Legacy, No. 6 Rev, No. 7 WPVC and No. 8 Top Select 14 Elite. A5, ranked No. 24 nationally, is seeded No. 9 overall. Another team to watch for is No. 11 seeded Madfrog 14 Black. The 2s team has some quality wins this season and is capable of pulling a surprise or two. This age group could be full of surprises as teams deal with the challenge of trying to play four days of consistent volleyball. The only teams eliminated on Day 1 are teams finishing in fourth place in pool. After that, Days 2 and 3 teams must finish in first or second place to move on, with the exception of a couple crossover matches on Day 3 that allows a team finishing third in pool to still advance by winning that match.  Prediction: We are going with the local flavor. The pick to win it all is Game Point, which tops Legacy for the gold. Boiler Jrs and Dynasty take home bronzes.

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PVL 14s Championships: Show Stoppers

Before vballrecruiter.com hits the road for the AAU and USAV national championships we spent one last day watching the Premier Volleyball League out of So Cal. The latest weekend brought the 14s championships to the CLAVA facility in Lake Forest. We were on hand Sunday for the final day of action. Below, we highlight the Show Stoppers who caught our attention the most. Presley Thompson, L, Wave 14 Brennan – Thompson showed her willingness to leave her feet to keep rallies alive. It was the all-out effort you like to see from defenders. Ruby Partain, MB, Wave 14 Brennan – Partain brings some height to the front row. She carries a solid arm and is a smart hitter who can tool blocks repeatedly. Jaycee Mack, MB, Wave 14 Brennan – A seventh-grader playing up, we love the upside Mack has. She’s definitely one to keep tabs on. She is already hitting a hard ball and she can run the slide effectively. Havani Embry, RS/OH, Wave 14 Brennan – Embry showed off her versatility as a pin hitter by playing outside one match then on the right the next. She’s a bit undersized but is a fearless attacker and a strong defender and passer in the back row. Sara Uebelhoer, OH, Wave 14 Brennan – Another outside who is a bit undersized but effective, Uebelhoer is an aggressive attacker who takes some big, hard swings and jumps well. Finley Krystkowiak, OH, Wave 14 Brennan – The length of Krystkowiak is such a weapon. She can go right over the top of blockers with ease and hits hard enough that defenders have a tough time digging her. Ryah Brock, OH, Forza1 North 14 UA – Brock is part of a strong outside duo for Forza North. She’s another seventh-grader playing up and has a very bright future. She’s spring with a nice swing and gets plenty of opportunities to score points. Westley Matavao, OH, Forza1 North 14 UA – Matavao is also a seventh-grader playing up and she brings lots of physicality to the lineup. She’s a strong, hard hitter who puts plenty of pressure on the defense with her scoring abilities. Jayden Hanson, S/RS, Forza1 North 14 UA – With nice hands and energetic play, Hanson does well as a setter. She’s capable of running a 5-1 or allows Forza to mix it up with her ability to hit in the front row. Emerson Newton, MB, Forza1 North 14 UA – Newton is another powerful hitter Forza can throw at defenses. She has a big, strong arm and can pound it down. Nina Hemsley, MB, Forza1 North 14 UA – Hemsley is a quicker middle who can get off the ground well. She also hits with pace when she connects. Madyson McCarthy, OH, Coast 14-1 – Coast is another team with a dynamic outside duo. McCarthy is a free swinger with a smooth arm who keeps coming at the block. Kylee-Jo Wilson, OH, Coast 14-1 – A seventh-grader playing up, Wilson is relentless with her attacking. She does not hold back and challenges blocks and defenders to make plays. Cataline Alvizuri, MB, Coast 14-1 – Alvizuri brings instant offense to the front row. She’s active and is involved in a lot of plays at the net. Ava McBride, S/RS, Actyve 14 Black – McBride is one of the more entertaining players to watch with her ability to set and hit. She’s strong at both, but seems to really excel when attacking from the right side with a fluid swing with great extension. Grace Jamison, OH, Actyve 14 Black – Jamison was proving to be a reliable option on the left. She too was displaying nice extension on her swings and was generating pace as well. Addison Coady, MB, Tstreet 14 Carson – We feel the upside to Coady is tremendous. She has a great arm with a high contact point and can score with it consistently. Kaia Ciszewski, OH, Tstreet 14 Carson – A bit undersized on the left, Ciszewski comes with it time and time again. She can bring some heat when the set allows for it but she’s also a heady attacker who scores with well-timed and placed tips. Skylar Noble, L, Tstreet 14 Carson – Noble had some nice moments defending. She showed her ability to get low and dig balls up off the floor to extend rallies. Emmerson Champagne, MB, Tstreet 14 Carson – Champagne was displaying some strong hands. She was putting up a wall of a block at times and causing problems for hitters coming at her. Charlotte Nowak, OH, Tstreet 14 Carson – A lanky outside, Nowak is another to keep watch on as she develops. She has nice extension on her attacks and can hit with pace too. Asia Udo-Ema, OH, Pipeline 14 Magic – Udo-Ema is a do-it-all, six-rotation who Pipeline leans on heavily to carry the load. She’s quick, jumps well and has a good arm. Mckenna Giles, L, Pipeline 14 Magic – Giles was showing consistent passing out of serve receive. She was also making some nice defensive plays. Sienna Barry, MB, Wave 14 Nancy – The length of Barry was proving to be a problem for attackers. Barry was touching a lot of balls and helping to slow down the attack so defenders could make plays behind her. Mikenlie Vandborg, MB, DartFrog 14-1 Katie – Vandborg brings some much-needed size to the front row. She was getting her hands of balls as well and showed a nice swing the times she was set. Lauren Oberg, L, DartFrog 14 Katie – A scrappy defender, Oberg is all over the place. She was passing dimes and helping to keep DartFrog in system. Layla Moore, MB, Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar L – We like the potential Moore flashed. She’s long and if she keeps developing she could turn into quite the player down the road. Georgia Anne Camandang, L, Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar L – Another scrappy back row

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AAU 14 Open: Preview and Predictions

Number of Teams: 43 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (12): No. 8 Boiler Jrs 14 Gold No. 11 GP 14 Rox No. 19 Dynasty 14 Black No. 24 A5 Mizuno 14 Helen No. 30 Legacy 14 Adidas No. 31 Rev 14-1 Fuego No. 34 Top Select 14 Elite No. 38 Kairos 14 Adidas No. 39 WPVC Armour Black No. 40 OT 14 Cristobal No. 49 Adidas KiVA 14 Red No. 50 Munciana 14 Chipmunks Outlook: Six clubs are doubling up by competing in 14 Open at both AAUs and USAV. They are top-seeded Boiler Jrs 14 Gold, GP 14 Rox, Dynasty 14 Black, A5 Mizuno 14 Helen, Rev 14-1 Fuego and WPVC Armour Black. Boiler Jrs is coming off its victory at the JVA SummerFest in Columbus. Legacy 14-1 Adidas, Adidas KiVA 14 Red and Rev also participated in the event. Boiler Jrs and GP are the two highest-ranked teams in the field and the seeding matches up with that, as they open at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. It changes up from there, as No. 38 Kairos 14 Adidas starts as the No. 3 seed overall. The remaining top eight seeds are No. 4 Dynasty, No. 5 Legacy, No. 6 Rev, No. 7 WPVC and No. 8 Top Select 14 Elite. A5, ranked No. 24 nationally, is seeded No. 9 overall. Another team to watch for is No. 11 seeded Madfrog 14 Black. The 2s team has some quality wins this season and is capable of pulling a surprise or two. This age group could be full of surprises as teams deal with the challenge of trying to play four days of consistent volleyball. The only teams eliminated on Day 1 are teams finishing in fourth place in pool. After that, Days 2 and 3 teams must finish in first or second place to move on, with the exception of a couple crossover matches on Day 3 that allows a team finishing third in pool to still advance by winning that match.  Prediction: We are going with the local flavor. The pick to win it all is Game Point, which tops Legacy for the gold. Boiler Jrs and Dynasty take home bronzes.

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PVL 14s Championships: Show Stoppers

Before vballrecruiter.com hits the road for the AAU and USAV national championships we spent one last day watching the Premier Volleyball League out of So Cal. The latest weekend brought the 14s championships to the CLAVA facility in Lake Forest. We were on hand Sunday for the final day of action. Below, we highlight the Show Stoppers who caught our attention the most. Presley Thompson, L, Wave 14 Brennan – Thompson showed her willingness to leave her feet to keep rallies alive. It was the all-out effort you like to see from defenders. Ruby Partain, MB, Wave 14 Brennan – Partain brings some height to the front row. She carries a solid arm and is a smart hitter who can tool blocks repeatedly. Jaycee Mack, MB, Wave 14 Brennan – A seventh-grader playing up, we love the upside Mack has. She’s definitely one to keep tabs on. She is already hitting a hard ball and she can run the slide effectively. Havani Embry, RS/OH, Wave 14 Brennan – Embry showed off her versatility as a pin hitter by playing outside one match then on the right the next. She’s a bit undersized but is a fearless attacker and a strong defender and passer in the back row. Sara Uebelhoer, OH, Wave 14 Brennan – Another outside who is a bit undersized but effective, Uebelhoer is an aggressive attacker who takes some big, hard swings and jumps well. Finley Krystkowiak, OH, Wave 14 Brennan – The length of Krystkowiak is such a weapon. She can go right over the top of blockers with ease and hits hard enough that defenders have a tough time digging her. Ryah Brock, OH, Forza1 North 14 UA – Brock is part of a strong outside duo for Forza North. She’s another seventh-grader playing up and has a very bright future. She’s spring with a nice swing and gets plenty of opportunities to score points. Westley Matavao, OH, Forza1 North 14 UA – Matavao is also a seventh-grader playing up and she brings lots of physicality to the lineup. She’s a strong, hard hitter who puts plenty of pressure on the defense with her scoring abilities. Jayden Hanson, S/RS, Forza1 North 14 UA – With nice hands and energetic play, Hanson does well as a setter. She’s capable of running a 5-1 or allows Forza to mix it up with her ability to hit in the front row. Emerson Newton, MB, Forza1 North 14 UA – Newton is another powerful hitter Forza can throw at defenses. She has a big, strong arm and can pound it down. Nina Hemsley, MB, Forza1 North 14 UA – Hemsley is a quicker middle who can get off the ground well. She also hits with pace when she connects. Madyson McCarthy, OH, Coast 14-1 – Coast is another team with a dynamic outside duo. McCarthy is a free swinger with a smooth arm who keeps coming at the block. Kylee-Jo Wilson, OH, Coast 14-1 – A seventh-grader playing up, Wilson is relentless with her attacking. She does not hold back and challenges blocks and defenders to make plays. Cataline Alvizuri, MB, Coast 14-1 – Alvizuri brings instant offense to the front row. She’s active and is involved in a lot of plays at the net. Ava McBride, S/RS, Actyve 14 Black – McBride is one of the more entertaining players to watch with her ability to set and hit. She’s strong at both, but seems to really excel when attacking from the right side with a fluid swing with great extension. Grace Jamison, OH, Actyve 14 Black – Jamison was proving to be a reliable option on the left. She too was displaying nice extension on her swings and was generating pace as well. Addison Coady, MB, Tstreet 14 Carson – We feel the upside to Coady is tremendous. She has a great arm with a high contact point and can score with it consistently. Kaia Ciszewski, OH, Tstreet 14 Carson – A bit undersized on the left, Ciszewski comes with it time and time again. She can bring some heat when the set allows for it but she’s also a heady attacker who scores with well-timed and placed tips. Skylar Noble, L, Tstreet 14 Carson – Noble had some nice moments defending. She showed her ability to get low and dig balls up off the floor to extend rallies. Emmerson Champagne, MB, Tstreet 14 Carson – Champagne was displaying some strong hands. She was putting up a wall of a block at times and causing problems for hitters coming at her. Charlotte Nowak, OH, Tstreet 14 Carson – A lanky outside, Nowak is another to keep watch on as she develops. She has nice extension on her attacks and can hit with pace too. Asia Udo-Ema, OH, Pipeline 14 Magic – Udo-Ema is a do-it-all, six-rotation who Pipeline leans on heavily to carry the load. She’s quick, jumps well and has a good arm. Mckenna Giles, L, Pipeline 14 Magic – Giles was showing consistent passing out of serve receive. She was also making some nice defensive plays. Sienna Barry, MB, Wave 14 Nancy – The length of Barry was proving to be a problem for attackers. Barry was touching a lot of balls and helping to slow down the attack so defenders could make plays behind her. Mikenlie Vandborg, MB, DartFrog 14-1 Katie – Vandborg brings some much-needed size to the front row. She was getting her hands of balls as well and showed a nice swing the times she was set. Lauren Oberg, L, DartFrog 14 Katie – A scrappy defender, Oberg is all over the place. She was passing dimes and helping to keep DartFrog in system. Layla Moore, MB, Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar L – We like the potential Moore flashed. She’s long and if she keeps developing she could turn into quite the player down the road. Georgia Anne Camandang, L, Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar L – Another scrappy back row

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