September 28, 2022

Tournament season is winding down but isn’t over yet. Lucky for us, because one of the premier events has yet to be played. That’ll change this coming Friday and Saturday as 32 teams from nine states participate in the National Division of the Nike TOC Southwest tournament in the greater Phoenix area. The two-day extravaganza also features a 24-team Premier Division and a 12-school Elite Division. All matches take place at Bell Bank Park in Mesa. The National field features a couple of top-ranked schools in No. 4 Mira Costa CA and No. 5 Cornerstone Christian TX. While they are the favorites the field is certainly strong enough that neither is guaranteed of anything. Plenty teams are good enough to upstage the top two seeds and walk away with the championship. Below we run through the top contenders and players to watch as we get ready for an exciting and entertaining weekend. vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams No. 4 Mira Costa CA No. 5 Cornerstone Christian TX No. 17 Marymount CA No. 29 Corona del Sol AZ No. 44 Mater Dei CA No. 47 Millennium AZ No. 50 Hamilton AZ *** Teams By State Alaska (1) – South Anchorage Arizona (12) – Queen Creek; Arcadia; Xavier Prep; Sunnyslope; Desert Vista; Corona del Sol; Sunrise Mountain; Hamilton; Notre Dame Prep; Millennium; Salpointe Catholic; Horizon California (9) – Mira Costa; Ontario Christian; Mater Dei; Los Alamitos; Marymount; Bishop’s; Santa Fe Christian; Notre Dame Belmont; Vista Murrieta Idaho (1) – Eagle Kentucky (2) – Dunbar; Sacred Heart Academy Nevada (3) – Shadow Ridge; Faith Lutheran; Bishop Gorman Texas (1) – Cornerstone Christian Utah (1) – Timpview Washington (2) – Emerald Ridge; Mead *** TEAM SPOTLIGHTS A look at the top eight seeds (in order): Cornerstone Christian TX – A case can be made for the Warriors playing the toughest schedule in the nation. The Volleypalooza champions also finished runner up at the Nike TOC Southeast tournament, losing in the final to Westminster Christian FL. Up next is the trip to Arizona to test their talent against a slate of West Coast schools. The offense is built around senior Nayeli Gonzalez and sophomore Megan Fitch. Junior Grace Carroll and sophomore Macey Hughes are right side options while senior Rylee Busse is another choice on the left. The Warriors can run a 5-1 with senior Taylor Anderson or utilize a 6-2 with Anderson and sophomore Kaia Thiele. The backrow is taken care of by senior libero Alyssa Manitzas. Mira Costa CA – The Ann Kang Invitational champs haven’t played a tournament since winning in Hawai’i. The Mustangs picked up a key league victory over Redondo Union on Tuesday, winning in five sets. The team is led by junior S/RS Charlie Fuerbringer. Another key component is senior outside Drew Wright. Senior S/RS Tanon Rosenthal and junior Chloe Hynes also will get in on the attack. At libero it’s sophomore Taylor Deckert. Mater Dei CA – Mater Dei finished ninth at the Durango Fall Classic and should factor into the mix here. Junior outsides Isabel Clark and Babi Gubbins see the majority of the sets. Other contributors on offense include junior right side Cymarah Gordon, senior middle Liz Hertzog and freshman right side Layli Ostovar. Defensively, it’s junior Malyssa Cawa suiting up at libero. Marymount CA – The Sailors have played in two tournaments so far, finishing runner up at both Dave Mohs and the Durango Fall Classic. Is another finals appearance on tap here? Leading the charge is senior stud and outside hitter Torrey Stafford. Other options for senior setter Lauren Brooker includes junior outside Kate Martin and freshman right side Samantha Destler. Senior Alexa Trapani holds down the back row playing libero. Corona del Sol AZ – The Aztecs are having a strong year, having only lost once so far. The only team to defeat Corona del Sol is Sunnyslope, a team the Aztecs have also defeated. Senior right side Kierstyn Barton is the big arm defenses need to be most concerned about. She’s backed by senior middle Ella Lomigora and sophomore outside Alyssa Aguayo. Junior Julia Owens directs the offense. Hamilton AZ – The Huskies have a strong mix of upper and underclassmen contributing. Senior outside Neomi Beach is the kill leader. Behind her is freshman outside Mikayla Haner, freshman pin hitter Nia Curry and sophomore middle Ava Anderson. At the setting position is senior Melia Barlow and at libero is senior Lauren Mullings. Millennium AZ – The Tigers started the week having lost just once, to Sunnyslope in tournament action. The main offensive threat is senior outside Eryn Jones. Junior outside Anne Brauckmiller is another player defenses need to key on. The Tigers run a 6-2 with senior Ava Krienitz and junior Allison Wilson splitting the setting duties. Horizon AZ – The Huskies can be a dangerous foe for anybody. Senior outside Kendal Murphy is a big-time player and the team’s kill leader. Also watch for senior outside Sarah Wadsworth and senior middle GG Greenlee to be targets of sophomore setter Avery Ashcraft. *** MORE PLAYERS TO WATCH Kaia Pixler SO S Sunnyslope AZ Mikayla Shepston JR OH Sunnyslope AZ Georgi Stein SO OH Sunnyslope AZ Taliah Lee SR OH Timpview UT Silina Damuni SR S Timpview UT Tiana Mariner SO L Timpview UT Madison Crnjac FR OH Queen Creek AZ Blaykli Bobik JR OH Queen Creek AZ Izzy Mahaffey SO L Queen Creek AZ Alexis Luszeck SR MB Shadow Ridge NV Aivry Makaiwi SR L Shadow Ridge NV Bianca Richardson JR OH Faith Lutheran NV Tatum Longnecker SR S Arcadia AZ Zoe Leonard JR OH Arcadia AZ Elon Milroy JR RS Los Alamitos CA Ashley Repetti SO OH Los Alamitos CA Taylor Hofland SR MB Los Alamitos CA Finley Workman JR OH Xavier Prep AZ Elle McCreery SO MB Xavier Prep AZ Vivian Hickman FR OH Xavier Prep AZ Blythe Manson SR OH Emerald Ridge WA Grace Wesenberg JR OH Emerald Ridge WA Sydney Bold SR L Bishop’s CA Ayanna Watson FR OH

The Asics Challenge hosted by Mother McAuley of Chicago takes place Friday and Saturday at the host school plus two more sites. It features 24 teams spread across eight pools of three. The pool winners from Day 1 meet in an eight-team gold bracket on Day 2. vballrecruiter.com will be on hand providing coverage of the event. Below, we give a rundown of teams and players to watch for. vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams No. 15 Mother McAuley IL No. 20 Assumption KY No. 21 Huntley IL *** TEAM SPOTLIGHTS Taking a look at the top eight seeds in the field (in order): Mother McAuley IL – The Macs, who captured the LIVT championship at the beginning of the month, suffered their first loss in a setback against Marist last week. Junior outside Ellie White is the heartbeat of the team, leading the way with 240 kills and hitting .403. She’s backed by sophomore outside Sydney Buchanan and junior middle Ellery Rees. McAuley runs a 6-2 with senior setters Tess Hayes and Olivia Klapp and is anchored on defense by senior libero Gigi Navarrete. Assumption KY – The Rockets are preparing for their final tournament of the regular season. Before that though, Assumption is set to face Mother McAuley on Thursday in a lone-standing match. Assumption finished runner-up to the Macs at the LIVT and came in sixth at the Durango Fall Classic. The team relies a lot on junior outside Charlotte Moriarty, the team’s kill leader. Senior setter Whitney Woodrow is at her best when she can also get senior middle Gabrielle Gerry and sophomore middle Bailey Blair heavily involved as well. Defensively, the Rockets have a good one at libero in sophomore Kristen Simon. Notre Dame Academy KY – The Pandas were bounced from contention at the LIVT with a loss to Mount Notre Dame OH in the quarterfinals. Now, they’ll take their shot at the Asics Challenge. Senior Sydney Nolan is the big weapon on the outside that defenses must prepare for. Behind her is a pair of sophomore swingers in Riley McCloskey and Ava Tilden. The Pandas also run a 6-2 with senior Lauren Ott and freshman Lizzy Larkins. The team is also strong at libero with senior Kamden Schrand. Skutt Catholic NE – The Skyhawks are about to log more travel miles. They have already attended the Nike TOC Southeast event in Tampa and now head to Chicago to see if they can come out on top there. Before playing Friday and Saturday though, Skutt takes on No. 30 Benet Academy in a stand-alone contest. Senior outside Morgan Burke is the go-to arm while senior Anna Weberg helps steady the backrow defense. Divine Savior Holy Angels WI – This is DSHA’s first time playing competition outside of the state of Wisconsin. DSHA has fared well against some of the best in its state, splitting matches with both Oconomowoc and Appleton North. Among players to keep an eye on is 4-star recruit and sophomore outside Madison Quest. Junior outside Sophia Wendlick is another, as Quest and Wendlick lead the team in kills respectively. Marist IL – After beating Mother McAuley last week, the Redhawks could be on an upswing and ready to make noise this weekend. Senior middle Ufuoma Omene and sophomore outside Bella Bullington are two to keep watch for. Huntley IL – If the Red Raiders can get past Prairie Ridge on Thursday they’ll enter the weekend undefeated. That perfect mark is certainly going to be tested though in such a strong field. Senior outside Ally Panzloff and junior outside Morgan Jones are key offensive pieces for senior setter Maggie Duyos. Metairie Park LA – Unfortunately, we don’t have any pertinent information on the Cajuns but will gain from seeing then in action this coming weekend. *** MORE PLAYERS TO WATCH Sylvie Zgonc SR OH Hamilton WI Alex Kreutzmann SR S Hamilton WI Eva Finnessy SO OH Hamilton WI Gabbie Anderson SO S Crystal Lake Central IL Mykaela Wallen SO OH Crystal Lake Central IL Grace Grocholski SR OH Kettle Moraine WI Briana Binagi JR OH Kettle Moraine WI Jordan Heatherly SR S/RS Montini Catholic IL Sienna Skarda SO MB/RS Montini Catholic IL Izzie Evenson SO OH Montini Catholic IL Emily Lavin SR OH Brookfield Central WI Emma Koceja SO OH Brookfield Central WI Elle Kelleher SR OH Wahlert Catholic IO Ellie Blotnik SO OH Joliet Catholic IL Olivia Chovanec SO OH Joliet Catholic IL Jessica Horn JR S Joliet Catholic IL Emily Clausen SR OH Catholic Memorial WI Emma Barton SR MB Downers Grove North IL Lauren Salata JR OH Nazareth Academy IL Kitty Sandt SR S/RS Nazareth Academy IL

Last week we checked in on our 5-star recruits from the Class of 2023 and how they were faring so far during their respective high school campaigns. This week, we move onto the Class of 2024 to see how those 5-star recruits have been doing to date. Find out below. Zoey Burgess JR OH/MB Lone Peak UT – Burgess entered the week leading the Knights in kills with 174 and is second in hitting percentage at .341. She’s averaging 3.4 kills per set while also leading the roster in blocks with 39. Morgan Gaerte JR OH Angola IN – The 6-4 outside is having a big season so far. First, the Hornets began the week 22-0 and are among the top contenders in Class 3A. Gaerte – who is committed to Notre Dame – is averaging 5.1 kills per set and leads the way with a total of 278. She’s hitting .414. She’s also second in digs with 104. Lola Schumacher JR L Brebeuf Jesuit IN – The recent Wisconsin commit has helped the Braves rise to No. 25 in our national Top 50 rankings. In 46 sets of action she’s recorded 223 digs, averaging 4.8 per frame. Faith Frame JR L Gretna NE – The Dragons started the week undefeated in district play. The defensive stalwart in Frame – who is committed to Cincinnati – has registered 274 digs, averaging 14.4 per match. Ava Utterback JR OH Plainfield IN – The Louisville commit has missed time this season and has played in roughly half of the Quakers’ sets. She has 90 kills, averaging 2.9 per set. Izzy Starck JR S/RS Rampart CO – Starck – a Penn State commit – is turning in an impressive season to date. She leads the Rams in assists with 167. She’s also first in digs with 80 and second in kills at 105, averaging 3.3 per set, while hitting .419. Olivia Mauch JR L Bennington NE – A top-ranked libero committed to Nebraska, Mauch is putting up head-scratching numbers for the Badgers. She’s totaled 394 digs to date, averaging an incredible 23.2 per match and 9.0 per set. She’s also the team’s leader in aces with 28. Skyler Pierce JR OH Olathe Northwest KS – Another Nebraska commit, Pierce and her Ravens teammates are off to a 9-0 mark in district play while sporting an overall record of 12-4. Not surprisingly, Pierce has been a force and leads the team with 136 kills. She’s averaging 5.7 per set and is hitting .350. She’s also second in aces (12) and digs (78). Lauren Harden JR OH Hamilton Southeastern IN – The Royals checked in at No. 12 in our updated Top 50 national rankings this week and Harden has been part of that success. She’s second on the roster in kills with 179, averaging 3.2 per set. She’s also third in blocks with 41. Allie Shondell JR S McCutcheon IN – The Mavericks are up to No. 3 in our latest national rankings, with Shondell guiding the attack. The Purdue commit is averaging 10.4 dimes per set and has dished out a total of 543 assists. Charlie Fuerbringer JR S/RS Mira Costa CA – Fuerbringer – a Wisconsin commit – brings versatility to the Mustangs lineup giving her team the ability to run a 6-2 or a 5-1 with her. She’s been primarily a setter but in limited time as an attacker has but down 45 kills on 87 swings, hitting .448. Ayden Ames JR OH Prosper TX – Committed to Nebraska as a middle blocker, Ames plays on the left for the Eagles. She’s the kill leader, racking up 266 kills entering the week. She’s averaging 3.8 per set and is hitting .347. In addition, Ames is the current block leader with 47. Jaela Auguste JR MB Grand Oaks TX – August – a Florida commit – has been difficult to slow down this year on the attack. She’s hitting a whopping .534 out of the middle and is third overall in kills with 197. She’s also been a menace with her blocking, putting up 101 stuffs entering the week. That’s good for an average of 1.3 per set. She has 40 more blocks than next closet teammate. Alex Acevedo JR OH Skyview ID – Acevedo – who is committed to Oregon – hasn’t been able to swing full-time this season but she’s been very effective when she’s been able to hit across the front row. She’s still recorded 139 kills, an average of 4.2 per set, and is hitting .377. Avery Jackson JR OH The Hockaday School TX – Another 5-star recruit who hasn’t been able to hit full-time, the Stanford beach commit has still found ways to contribute in a major way while on the court. Jackson leads the team in digs with 321, averaging 4.8 per set. She entered the week with 104 kills. Babi Gubbins JR OH Mater Dei CA – The Monarchs have been up-and-down this season and Gubbins has played in all but six sets this season. She’s second on the team in kills with 143. She’s averaging 2.5 per set. She’s also the team’s ace leader with 18. Hannah Benjamin JR OH Fideles Christian GA – Benjamin – a Kentucky commit – is having a huge year to date. She’s amassed 258 kills, averaging 6.3 per set. On top of that, she’s hitting a remarkable .485. She’s also served a team-leading 42 aces and is second overall in digs, only five off of first. Alex Bower JR S Skyview ID – The BYU commit has her hands all over the Hawks’ attack. The junior setter has racked up 297 assists in 34 sets, averaging 8.7 per. She’s also been tough from the service line with a team-high 22 aces. Carlie Cisneros JR OH Liberty North MO – Cisneros – an Arizona commit – is leading the Eagles in kills with 208. She’s averaging 4.7 per set and is hitting .321. She’s also second in digs