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April 6, 2023

Salt Lake Showdown: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

April 6, 2023

The Salt Lake City Showdown made its debut last season in March. This year, the 18s were moved up while the rest of the ages were moved back. Thus, the second go-around featuring 16 and 17 Open are taking place in April on Easter weekend. Below, we take a look at those divisions and guess how they might play out. 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 27 Available Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (2): Vision 17 Gold; Club V 17 Ren Matthew vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (5):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: With Club V 17 Ren Matthew winning the Big South Qualifier last weekend, it makes for two qualified teams along with Vision 17 Gold. Both Club V and Vision figure to be in the mix this weekend in terms of contending and creating trickle down possibly. The other team to watch for is SG Elite 17 Rosh. SG tried qualifying at both Red Rock and PNQ and just missed out at both places. This is likely the weekend SG gets it done. Could it be a So Cal sweep when it comes to the bids? City 17 Gold and Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar are the only other ranked teams in the field. But, they are the only ones with a real chance. NorCal 17 Black, Seal Beach 17 Black and A4 Volley 17 Tyler all have great chances to rise up. It’s going to boil down to SG topping Vision in the final. Seal Beach and NorCal get bids along with SG. *** 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 25 Available Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (1): ID Crush 16 Bower vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (4):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: With ID Crush 16 Bower the only team with a bid, trickle down can’t reach past fourth place. That’s going to create high drama. OT 16 Roberto is the top favorite in terms of qualifying, followed by AVA TX 16 Adidas and NorCal 16 Black. Temecula Viper 16 Costa was in the mix for a bid at Red Rock and is another team to keep tabs on. Norco 16 Black is seeded No. 4 overall and could be yet another to get its bid. A4 Volley 16 Cassie could be a dark horse. The pick is OT Roberto beating ID Crush in the final, with AVA and NorCal getting bids.

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Windy City: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

April 6, 2023

Qualifying season has eclipsed the halfway point and has entered its final three weekends of the year. The largest one left in sheer size and numbers – especially since it being staged all on one weekend – is the Windy City Qualifier in Chicago. The older ages are especially loaded fields. We take a look at the 14-17 Open divisions and give our take on how they’ll play out. WINDY CITY QUALIFIER 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 41 Available Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (7): OT 17 Aaron; 1st Alliance 17 Gold; NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami; OT 17 Felix; Boiler Jrs 17 Gold; KC Power 17 Black; Rev 17-1 Raptors vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (15):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: The trend continues with another packed 17 Open field, following in the footsteps of Show Me and Big South last weekend. With KC Power 17-1 (Show Me) and NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Big South) punching their tickets last weekend, it brings the total number of qualified teams to seven. That’s significant because trickle down extends to only eighth place and it’s possible just one Open bid goes out. Of course, that would require all seven qualified teams to place in the top eight. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite was at Show Me last weekend and was eliminated on Day 2. Rockwood Thunder is certainly looking to close the deal in Chicago but will have to play at a high level in this difficult field. There’s a big bunch of teams to watch out for in terms of qualifying, It includes Six Pack 17, MAVS KC 17-1, Excel 17 National Red, Mintonette Sports m.71, AVC Cle 17 Red, Elevation 17 Ulland, MKE Sting 17 Gold and Miami Hype 17 Emilio. The question is the same with all of them though and that’s can they breakthrough against stiff competition? OT 17 Aaron has performed well all season, as has 1st Alliance 17 Gold and NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami. That trio figures to help with trickle down. So does OT 17 Felix, which played well last weekend at Show and should likely finish in the top eight this coming weekend. The pick to win it is 1st Alliance over NKYVC in the final. Rockwood Thunder, HJV and Elevation all bring home bids. *** 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 32 Available Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (4): 1st Alliance 16 Gold; HPSTL 16 Royal; Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal; MKE Sting 16 Gold vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (12):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: This could be the premier division based on the way it is set up. With four teams owning bids, we know all three bids here are going out. That’s a given. What also makes this division exciting is whereas in 17 Open the heavy-hitters already have bids, there are a few top contenders this weekend that don’t have bids in 16 Open. Tops among them are fifth-ranked Hou Skyline 16 Royal, No. 7 HJV 16 Elite and No. 8 OT 16 JP? It’s quite possible we see all three qualify this weekend. However, No. 18 Austin Skyline 16 Royal, No. 19 Legacy 16-1 Adidas and No. 22 AVC Cle 16 Red should be right there too. It’s all going to come down to how the Day 3 pools break, as usual. Top-ranked 1st Alliance 16 Gold, No. 11 MKE Sting 16 Gold and No. 15 Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal are likely to help create trickle down, as could No. 23 HPSTL 16 Royal. We’ve seen lower-ranked teams breakthrough plenty this year at other qualifiers, but this weekend in this division it’s going to be the higher-ranked teams that handle business. 1st Alliance downs Austin Skyline in the final. Joining Austin Skyline in qualifying are Hou Skyline and OT. *** 15 OPEN Number of Teams: 23 Available Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (6): Austin Skyline 15 Royal; Legacy 15-1 Adidas; Mintonette Sports m.51; NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami; Elevation 15 Tony; Boiler Jrs 15 Gold vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (12):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: With NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami, Boiler Jrs 15 Gold and Elevation 15 Tony all getting bids last weekend, it doubled the number of qualified teams to six this weekend. That’s a big change, and with three bids available and trickle down only reaching eighth place, it’s possible one bid could back to the at-large pool. The field is very strong and it’s going to take something to get a bid. The final day features two, three-team gold pools. A crazy scenario would all six qualified teams occupying those spots and thus turning the six-team silver bracket into the bid bracket, where the two teams which reach the silver-bracket final qualify. With six qualified teams, we are looking at the silver bracket coming into play more than likely. We could see something like four qualified teams reach the gold pools, with the other two earning bids. In that case, the final bid could be earned through the silver bracket. Regardless, the possibilities are exciting and should produce high drama no matter what. Mintonette Sports m.51, Legacy 15-1 Adidas and Austin Skyline 15 Royal are among the teams with bids to watch for as well. Michio 15 National was knocking on the door last weekend at MEQ and should be among the teams to get a bid at its local qualifier. HJV 15 Elite is another favorite to qualify. As is AVC Cle 15 Red. The final features Legacy beating Austin Skyline for gold. Michio and AVC earn bids, as the third goes back to the at-large pool. *** 14 OPEN Number of Teams: 16 Available Bids: 2 Previously-Qualified Teams (3): Elevation 14 Molly; HPSTL 14 Royal; OT 14 Laura vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (7):   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: The 14 Open field is the smallest of them all. With 16 teams participating, two bids are in play. With just three qualified teams in Elevation 14 Molly, HPSTL 14

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Elite ID Clinic Kansas City Sees Invites And More

April 6, 2023

The latest vballrecruiter.com Elite ID Clinic took place last Friday evening in Kansas City, hosted by MAVS. The excitement was turned up and the play on the court was fast-paced and energetic. The two-and-a-half-hour session flew by and when it was all over, it was time to announce all the invites to the upcoming Red Hat Games in December in Dallas. There were a high number of invites from the most recent clinic, with a total of 19 receiving them, plus one recognized as a previous invite. Here’s the list: In addition to the invites, there were more players who stood out to us as we continue evaluating players for the Red Hat Games. Here’s a rundown of players who caught our eye the most: Zoey Kincaid S/RS/DS Shockwave 12-1 (2029): Kincaid is definitely a gamer and was showing a little bit of everything. She was setting well and digging balls on defense.   Sophia Bass S/RS OK Charge 12-1 (2029): Bass showed good power for her age and was among the youngers to watch for. Collyns Livermore S/OH Shockwave 12-1 (2029): Livermore was also part of the youngest group and stood out with her play as well. Grace Liggett OH Shockwave 12-1 (2029): Liggett was coming with it on the attack and was taking nice swings. Kennedy Duson RS MAVS 13-1 (2028): Duson is an athletic, high-octane attacker. She jumps well and has a very nice swing. Elise Parker OH/DS HPSTL 13 Royal (2027): Parker displayed all-around game. She shined at the net with her aggressive, fearless attacking. She’s also a solid backrow player with good ball control and touch. Lochlar O’Bleness L/DS Club North 14-1 National (2027): O’Bleness was a scrappy libero with a no nonsense type of attitude. Anniston Clark OH/MB MAVS 14-1 (2027): Clark brought it all evening. She’s a hard-working, fiery middle with a nice arm who also was cheering on her teammates. Anna O’Keefe S/RS Northern Lights 15-1 (2026): O’Keefe was a smooth-dishing setter with nice height. She set a clean, consistent ball and located well. Kendall Worwa MB Northern Lights 15-1 (2026): Worwa’s length and fluid swing are pluses. She also moves well at the net. Yasmin Marti OH/RS/MB Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal (2026): Count Marti among the attackers who were bringing it. She was getting after it and is a free-swinger with lots of upside. Phoenix Fogel MB MAVS KC 15-1 (2026): Fogel was taking care of business at the net. She’s strong and swings hard and was making herself known. Ale Romo OH/DS Arete 16-1 (2025): Romo is a bit undersized but was one of the stronger outsides. She was swinging and scoring well. Ragin Corwin OH MAVS 816 16-1 (2025): Corwin is athletic and jumps well. Though she’s an outside she’s spent a lot of time at libero in club. Kayla Gallagher OH PVA 16 Elite (2025): Gallagher had a solid arm and bringing it at the net. She stood out as one of the top outsides. Ashlee Chavez RS KC Power 16 Black (2025): Chaves is a lefty with lots of power and fire. She was putting down big kills and getting after it on the attack. Epifania Salamasina MB/RS/OH Dynasty 16 Black (2025): Salamasina was previously invited and stood out with her big attacks and powerful arm. Madi Barnes S OK Charge 17 UA (2025): Barnes was among the better setters at the clinic. She has nice hands and was locating well. Mikahla Davis OH/RS Club North 17-1 National (2024): Davis was playing very well. She was a baller with high energy. She goes hard and is very quick. Fiona VanDyke OH PVA 17 Elite (2024): VanDyke was one of the strongest pins at the clinic. She showed a strong arm and ability to put balls away. Katherine Jones L/DS TAV 17 Blue (2024): Jones was passing very well, showing a solid platform and hitting her targets. Bella Rosolanka MB Northern Lights 15-1 (2026): Rosolanka is a bit undersized but did a good job on both sides of the ball. She’s definitely one to keep tabs on. Romi Ann Chlebecek OH Northern Lights 15-1 (2026): Chlebecek has a strong arm and hits with power. She’ll continue to grow and develop and is one to follow as well. Hailie Vaughn OH Pohaku 15-1: Vaughn was another nice pin who stood out with her hitting. Kate Sebree S Premier Nebraska 15 Black: Sebree was dishing well. She had a nice touch and consistent location.

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Salt Lake Showdown: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

April 6, 2023

The Salt Lake City Showdown made its debut last season in March. This year, the 18s were moved up while the rest of the ages were moved back. Thus, the second go-around featuring 16 and 17 Open are taking place in April on Easter weekend. Below, we take a look at those divisions and guess how they might play out. 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 27 Available Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (2): Vision 17 Gold; Club V 17 Ren Matthew vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (5):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: With Club V 17 Ren Matthew winning the Big South Qualifier last weekend, it makes for two qualified teams along with Vision 17 Gold. Both Club V and Vision figure to be in the mix this weekend in terms of contending and creating trickle down possibly. The other team to watch for is SG Elite 17 Rosh. SG tried qualifying at both Red Rock and PNQ and just missed out at both places. This is likely the weekend SG gets it done. Could it be a So Cal sweep when it comes to the bids? City 17 Gold and Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar are the only other ranked teams in the field. But, they are the only ones with a real chance. NorCal 17 Black, Seal Beach 17 Black and A4 Volley 17 Tyler all have great chances to rise up. It’s going to boil down to SG topping Vision in the final. Seal Beach and NorCal get bids along with SG. *** 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 25 Available Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (1): ID Crush 16 Bower vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (4):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: With ID Crush 16 Bower the only team with a bid, trickle down can’t reach past fourth place. That’s going to create high drama. OT 16 Roberto is the top favorite in terms of qualifying, followed by AVA TX 16 Adidas and NorCal 16 Black. Temecula Viper 16 Costa was in the mix for a bid at Red Rock and is another team to keep tabs on. Norco 16 Black is seeded No. 4 overall and could be yet another to get its bid. A4 Volley 16 Cassie could be a dark horse. The pick is OT Roberto beating ID Crush in the final, with AVA and NorCal getting bids.

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Windy City: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

April 6, 2023

Qualifying season has eclipsed the halfway point and has entered its final three weekends of the year. The largest one left in sheer size and numbers – especially since it being staged all on one weekend – is the Windy City Qualifier in Chicago. The older ages are especially loaded fields. We take a look at the 14-17 Open divisions and give our take on how they’ll play out. WINDY CITY QUALIFIER 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 41 Available Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (7): OT 17 Aaron; 1st Alliance 17 Gold; NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami; OT 17 Felix; Boiler Jrs 17 Gold; KC Power 17 Black; Rev 17-1 Raptors vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (15):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: The trend continues with another packed 17 Open field, following in the footsteps of Show Me and Big South last weekend. With KC Power 17-1 (Show Me) and NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Big South) punching their tickets last weekend, it brings the total number of qualified teams to seven. That’s significant because trickle down extends to only eighth place and it’s possible just one Open bid goes out. Of course, that would require all seven qualified teams to place in the top eight. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite was at Show Me last weekend and was eliminated on Day 2. Rockwood Thunder is certainly looking to close the deal in Chicago but will have to play at a high level in this difficult field. There’s a big bunch of teams to watch out for in terms of qualifying, It includes Six Pack 17, MAVS KC 17-1, Excel 17 National Red, Mintonette Sports m.71, AVC Cle 17 Red, Elevation 17 Ulland, MKE Sting 17 Gold and Miami Hype 17 Emilio. The question is the same with all of them though and that’s can they breakthrough against stiff competition? OT 17 Aaron has performed well all season, as has 1st Alliance 17 Gold and NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami. That trio figures to help with trickle down. So does OT 17 Felix, which played well last weekend at Show and should likely finish in the top eight this coming weekend. The pick to win it is 1st Alliance over NKYVC in the final. Rockwood Thunder, HJV and Elevation all bring home bids. *** 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 32 Available Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (4): 1st Alliance 16 Gold; HPSTL 16 Royal; Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal; MKE Sting 16 Gold vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (12):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: This could be the premier division based on the way it is set up. With four teams owning bids, we know all three bids here are going out. That’s a given. What also makes this division exciting is whereas in 17 Open the heavy-hitters already have bids, there are a few top contenders this weekend that don’t have bids in 16 Open. Tops among them are fifth-ranked Hou Skyline 16 Royal, No. 7 HJV 16 Elite and No. 8 OT 16 JP? It’s quite possible we see all three qualify this weekend. However, No. 18 Austin Skyline 16 Royal, No. 19 Legacy 16-1 Adidas and No. 22 AVC Cle 16 Red should be right there too. It’s all going to come down to how the Day 3 pools break, as usual. Top-ranked 1st Alliance 16 Gold, No. 11 MKE Sting 16 Gold and No. 15 Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal are likely to help create trickle down, as could No. 23 HPSTL 16 Royal. We’ve seen lower-ranked teams breakthrough plenty this year at other qualifiers, but this weekend in this division it’s going to be the higher-ranked teams that handle business. 1st Alliance downs Austin Skyline in the final. Joining Austin Skyline in qualifying are Hou Skyline and OT. *** 15 OPEN Number of Teams: 23 Available Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (6): Austin Skyline 15 Royal; Legacy 15-1 Adidas; Mintonette Sports m.51; NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami; Elevation 15 Tony; Boiler Jrs 15 Gold vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (12):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: With NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami, Boiler Jrs 15 Gold and Elevation 15 Tony all getting bids last weekend, it doubled the number of qualified teams to six this weekend. That’s a big change, and with three bids available and trickle down only reaching eighth place, it’s possible one bid could back to the at-large pool. The field is very strong and it’s going to take something to get a bid. The final day features two, three-team gold pools. A crazy scenario would all six qualified teams occupying those spots and thus turning the six-team silver bracket into the bid bracket, where the two teams which reach the silver-bracket final qualify. With six qualified teams, we are looking at the silver bracket coming into play more than likely. We could see something like four qualified teams reach the gold pools, with the other two earning bids. In that case, the final bid could be earned through the silver bracket. Regardless, the possibilities are exciting and should produce high drama no matter what. Mintonette Sports m.51, Legacy 15-1 Adidas and Austin Skyline 15 Royal are among the teams with bids to watch for as well. Michio 15 National was knocking on the door last weekend at MEQ and should be among the teams to get a bid at its local qualifier. HJV 15 Elite is another favorite to qualify. As is AVC Cle 15 Red. The final features Legacy beating Austin Skyline for gold. Michio and AVC earn bids, as the third goes back to the at-large pool. *** 14 OPEN Number of Teams: 16 Available Bids: 2 Previously-Qualified Teams (3): Elevation 14 Molly; HPSTL 14 Royal; OT 14 Laura vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (7):   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: The 14 Open field is the smallest of them all. With 16 teams participating, two bids are in play. With just three qualified teams in Elevation 14 Molly, HPSTL 14

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Elite ID Clinic Kansas City Sees Invites And More

April 6, 2023

The latest vballrecruiter.com Elite ID Clinic took place last Friday evening in Kansas City, hosted by MAVS. The excitement was turned up and the play on the court was fast-paced and energetic. The two-and-a-half-hour session flew by and when it was all over, it was time to announce all the invites to the upcoming Red Hat Games in December in Dallas. There were a high number of invites from the most recent clinic, with a total of 19 receiving them, plus one recognized as a previous invite. Here’s the list: In addition to the invites, there were more players who stood out to us as we continue evaluating players for the Red Hat Games. Here’s a rundown of players who caught our eye the most: Zoey Kincaid S/RS/DS Shockwave 12-1 (2029): Kincaid is definitely a gamer and was showing a little bit of everything. She was setting well and digging balls on defense.   Sophia Bass S/RS OK Charge 12-1 (2029): Bass showed good power for her age and was among the youngers to watch for. Collyns Livermore S/OH Shockwave 12-1 (2029): Livermore was also part of the youngest group and stood out with her play as well. Grace Liggett OH Shockwave 12-1 (2029): Liggett was coming with it on the attack and was taking nice swings. Kennedy Duson RS MAVS 13-1 (2028): Duson is an athletic, high-octane attacker. She jumps well and has a very nice swing. Elise Parker OH/DS HPSTL 13 Royal (2027): Parker displayed all-around game. She shined at the net with her aggressive, fearless attacking. She’s also a solid backrow player with good ball control and touch. Lochlar O’Bleness L/DS Club North 14-1 National (2027): O’Bleness was a scrappy libero with a no nonsense type of attitude. Anniston Clark OH/MB MAVS 14-1 (2027): Clark brought it all evening. She’s a hard-working, fiery middle with a nice arm who also was cheering on her teammates. Anna O’Keefe S/RS Northern Lights 15-1 (2026): O’Keefe was a smooth-dishing setter with nice height. She set a clean, consistent ball and located well. Kendall Worwa MB Northern Lights 15-1 (2026): Worwa’s length and fluid swing are pluses. She also moves well at the net. Yasmin Marti OH/RS/MB Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal (2026): Count Marti among the attackers who were bringing it. She was getting after it and is a free-swinger with lots of upside. Phoenix Fogel MB MAVS KC 15-1 (2026): Fogel was taking care of business at the net. She’s strong and swings hard and was making herself known. Ale Romo OH/DS Arete 16-1 (2025): Romo is a bit undersized but was one of the stronger outsides. She was swinging and scoring well. Ragin Corwin OH MAVS 816 16-1 (2025): Corwin is athletic and jumps well. Though she’s an outside she’s spent a lot of time at libero in club. Kayla Gallagher OH PVA 16 Elite (2025): Gallagher had a solid arm and bringing it at the net. She stood out as one of the top outsides. Ashlee Chavez RS KC Power 16 Black (2025): Chaves is a lefty with lots of power and fire. She was putting down big kills and getting after it on the attack. Epifania Salamasina MB/RS/OH Dynasty 16 Black (2025): Salamasina was previously invited and stood out with her big attacks and powerful arm. Madi Barnes S OK Charge 17 UA (2025): Barnes was among the better setters at the clinic. She has nice hands and was locating well. Mikahla Davis OH/RS Club North 17-1 National (2024): Davis was playing very well. She was a baller with high energy. She goes hard and is very quick. Fiona VanDyke OH PVA 17 Elite (2024): VanDyke was one of the strongest pins at the clinic. She showed a strong arm and ability to put balls away. Katherine Jones L/DS TAV 17 Blue (2024): Jones was passing very well, showing a solid platform and hitting her targets. Bella Rosolanka MB Northern Lights 15-1 (2026): Rosolanka is a bit undersized but did a good job on both sides of the ball. She’s definitely one to keep tabs on. Romi Ann Chlebecek OH Northern Lights 15-1 (2026): Chlebecek has a strong arm and hits with power. She’ll continue to grow and develop and is one to follow as well. Hailie Vaughn OH Pohaku 15-1: Vaughn was another nice pin who stood out with her hitting. Kate Sebree S Premier Nebraska 15 Black: Sebree was dishing well. She had a nice touch and consistent location.

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