March 15, 2023

Let’s take a look at the upcoming Mideast Qualifier this Fri-Sun in Indianapolis. It’s a bit different than past years in that the feature ages are just 16s and up. The 15s are no longer part of this weekend and have moved to their own weekend. As it stands, that leaves us seeing how 16-18 Open might play out in Indy as teams continue their qualifying schedule. 18 OPEN Number of Teams: 48 Number of Bids Available: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (14): 1st Alliance 18 Gold; AVC Cle 18 Red; Circle City 18 Purple; CUVC 18 Titan; EC Power 18 Royal; Metro 18 Travel; Mintonette Sports m.81; MKE Sting 18 Gold; MN Select 18-1; OT 18 John; Paramount 18 VBC; Skyline 18 Royal; Triangle 18 Black; VC United 18 Elite vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (21): 8. AVC Cle 18 Red 9. 1st Alliance 18 Gold 10. Mintonette Sports m.81 13. Skyline 18 Royal 14. A5 18 Marc 15. Circle City 18 Purple 16. Metro 18 Travel 19. Legacy 18-1 Adidas 20. Adidas KiVA 18 Red 22. OT 18 John 23. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue 24. Paramount 18 VBC 30. Elevation 18 Spinney 31. MN Select 18-1 33. NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami 36. Topeka Impact 18-1 37. MKE Sting 18 Gold 39. FC Elite 18 Elite 40. Triangle 18 Black 45. Union 18-1 UA 47. VC United 18-1   5-Star Athletes To Know Brooke Bultema MB Elevation 18 Spinney (Kentucky) Eloise Brandewie MB Mintonette Sports m.81 (Ohio State) Nya Bunton OH/MB Adidas KiVA 18 Red (Texas) Ava Sarafa S Mich Elite 18 Mizuno (Kentucky) Jurnee Robinson OH A5 18 Mizuno (LSU) Stella Swenson S MN Select 18-1 (Minnesota, 2024)   4-Star Athletes To Know Gabby Dean MB Adidas KiVA 18 Red (Illinois) Allison Cavanaugh RS OT 18 John (Georgia) Kate Simington MB MN Select 18-1 (Clemson) Olivia Swenson OH MN Select 18-1 (Minnesota, 2024) Zeta Washington MB OT 18 John (Cincinnati) Safi Hampton OH Metro 18 Travel (North Carolina) Milan Rex S Metro 18 Travel (UCSB) Laurece Abraham MB Legacy 18-1 Adidas (Yale) Lauryn Bowie RS Mintonette Sports m.81 (Virginia) Kate Thibault L/DS MN Select 18-1 (Oregon) Ceci Gooch RS Skyline 18 Royal (Georgia) Gigi Navarrete L/DS 1st Alliance 18 Gold (Northwestern) Jordan Dailey MB Triangle 18 Black (Kentucky) Brielle Kemavor MB Metro 18 Travel (BYU) Kennedy Wagner OH 1st Alliance 18 Gold (Clemson) Erin Kline S Legacy 18-1 Adidas (Mississippi State) Harley Kreck S Skyline 18 Royal (Baylor) Becca Kelley OH Skyline 18 Royal (Oregon) Brooklyn DeLeye OH Topeka Impact 18-1 (Kentucky) Kaia Caffee MB MN Select 18-1 (2024)   Outlook/Prediction: These later qualifiers for the 18s are getting a bit ridiculous. With 16 qualifiers on the schedule and most already played, we see a whopping 14 teams in the field which have already qualified. It’s even more than the 11 we saw with bids last weekend at the Red Rock Rave. Trickle down only goes to eighth place so it’s possible we don’t see a single team qualify and three more at-large bids created. Legacy 18-1 Adidas, at No. 19, and No. 20 Adidas KiVA 18 Red are the two highest-ranked teams without bids. KiVA is interesting because it usually doesn’t play in qualifiers but has the past two seasons at MEQ. This KiVA group is good enough to finish in the Top 8 and qualify. Legacy has some big wins and a few questionable losses, so Legacy can go either way. At No. 23, Tri-State Elite 18 Blue is playing its lone qualifier this season but will be challenged to finish in the Top 8. Elevation 18 Spinney – ranked No. 30 nationally – is coming off its victory at Bluegrass and doesn’t have a bid. Elevation could possible sneak into the Top 8. In the end, A5 beats OT John for gold. KiVA finishes Top 8 and qualifies. Two at-large bids go back into the field. *** 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 48 Number of Bids Available: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (3): Dynasty 17 Black; Metro 17 Travel; Triangle 17 Black vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (17): 2. Dynasty 17 Black 5. Triangle 17 Black 7. 1st Alliance 17 Gold 8. Co Jrs 17 Kevin 9. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami 11. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite 17. KC Power 17 Black 19. Metro 17 Travel 21. Academy 17 Tsunami 25. Miami Hype 17 Emilio 27. Skyline 17 Royal 31. AVC Cle 17 Red 37. Elevation 17 Ulland 38. Circle City 17 Purple 40. Adidas KiVA 17 Red 41. Boiler Jrs 17 Gold 50. Team Pineapple 17 Black   5-Star Athletes To Know Morgan Gaerte OH Team Pineapple 17 Black (Notre Dame) Emerson Sellman Metro 17 Travel (Ohio State) Izzy Starck S/RS Co Jrs 17 Kevin (Penn State) Allie Shondell S Boiler Jrs 17 Gol (Purdue) Cy Rae Campbell MB Dynasty 17 Black (Wake Forest) Carlie Cisneros OH Dynasty 17 Black (Arizona) Skyler Pierce OH Dynasty 17 Black (Nebraska) Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black (2025) Abigail Mullen RS Dynasty 17 Black (2025) Ryan Hunter RS Triangle 17 Black (2025) Lameen Mambu Metro 17 Travel (2025)   4-Star Athletes To Know Ellie White S/OH 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Michigan) Grace Nelson OH 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Kansas) Asia Thigpen OH Triangle 17 Black (Kentucky) Kiarrah Horne OH Triangle 17 Black Ashlyn Philpot OH Triangle 17 Black (Illinois) Emily Bobbitt S Triangle 17 Black (Iowa State) Calli Kenny S/RS 1st Alliance 17 Gold Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 17 Gold Mya Ball S Team Pineapple 17 Black (Central Florida) Paityn Chapman OH Co Jrs 17 Kevin (Tennessee) Mallory Bohl MB Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Norte Dame) Janelle Green S KC Power 17-1 (Cincinnati) Erin Debiec S Metro 17 Travel (Colorado State) Elizabeth Tabeling L/DS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Ball State) Julia Hunt MB NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Washington) Alaleh Tolliver OH Academy 17 Tsunami Alexis Maesch RS Circle City 17 Purple Ryan McAleer L/DS Dynasty 17 Black (Purdue) Jada Ingram MB Dynasty 17 Black (UNLV) Jordan Smith RS Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite (2025) Maya Witherspoon OH Rockwood Thunder 17