When the bids are on the line during the final day of competition, we all know what that does to the intensity and competition. It all rises exponentially with teams knowing they are so close to qualifying. That’s the way it played out on Day 3 of the Salt Lake City Showdown. Below, we highlight the players who stood out the most to us with our Day 3 Show Stoppers. DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Bellamie Beus OH ID Crush 16 Bower: Beus and company took home another gold medal by capturing 16 Open. A 4-star recruit from the Class of 2026, she’s a handful at the net with a powerful arm and the way she can move the ball around. Tenesyn Frye S ID Crush 16 Bower: Frye – a 4-star recruit – is a long setter with clean hands and a smooth delivery. She’s accurate too with the ability to spread the ball around and getting everyone involved. Maija Howse OH ID Crush 16 Bower: Howse – a 3-star recruit – was the most consistent attacker on Day 3 as she carried the offense at times. She’s another front row player with height and was scoring with a variety of shots, from tools, to rolls to sending balls straight down. Elizabeth Bower L/DS ID Crush 16 Bower: Bower – a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2026 – is a passionate defender who covers a wide range of court. She reads and reacts well and isn’t someone to challenge in serve receive. Brooklyn Hardy MB ID Crush 16 Bower: Hardy – also a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2026 – is a wirey middle who moves and jumps well. Defenses need to be ready when ID Crush is in system because she’ll get the ball and is a tough cover. Layli Ostovar OH Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar: A 5-star recruit from the Class of 2026, Ostovar is a six-rotation mainstay in the lineup. She has a cannon for an arm and is the go-to hitter who carried the offense in stretches as Beach finished with the silver medal. Lalelei Hall RS Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar: Hall did a great job on the right side contributing on both sides. She came through with valuable offense and also timely blocks to help boost Beach. Ayva Ostovar S Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar: Ostovar was another key factor in Beach’s run to the championship match. She did well guiding the attack and putting her hitters in good spots to score. Kayla Ostovar L/DS Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar: Beach’s defense took a step forward on the final day, with Ostovar part of the overall effort. She did well both covering and defending. Rachel Purser RS Vegas Aces 16 UA: Purser was providing just what Vegas Aces needed on the right side. She was scoring well enough to help open up the attack and she was finding gaps in the block and going for it. She also did well blocking and giving her team points that way too. *** Ayanna Watson OH Vegas Aces 16 UA: Watson – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2026 – showed why she has such incredible upside. She’s a lanky, high-flying outside who can go over the block and blast balls from corner to corner as well as score at ridiculous angles. Trinity Thompson L/DS Vegas Aces 16 UA: Thompson – part of the Class of 2026 as well – did well in the back row facing off against strong offenses. She held her own with plenty of hustle plays. Amina N’diaye OH OT 16 Roberto: N’diaye – a 5-star recruit – helped OT earn its bid. She’s another long attacker who can hit from a high contact point and make defenses pay with her arm. Kierstin Bevelle OH OT 16 Roberto: Bevelle – a 3-star recruit – is a high-octane outside who brings it on the attack. She was a key cog in OT’s success with her front and back row play. Lucy Chertock OH NorCal 16-1 Black: A 3-star recruit, Chertock was another six-rotation outside who was taking care of business. She was taking big swings at the net in tight situations as NorCal was fighting for its bid. Olivia Guzman RS MVA 16 Pedro: We caught Guzman on MVA’s way to winning 16 Liberty as they competed next to the 17 Open courts. She’s an under-the-radar prospect with nice height and a lively arm. She jumps well and was putting away impressive kills. Taylor Yu S SG Elite 17 Rosh: Yu – a 5-star recruit – led SG to its bid and the silver medal. She’s a smooth-dishing setter who has all the intangibles. She keeps the offense going and does a great job keeping defenses guessing. Lauren Lynch L/DS SG Elite 17 Rosh: A 4-star recruit from the Class of 2025, Lynch owns the back row. She’s a feisty defender who rarely gets served and makes up ground in a hurry when covering. Gabriella Destler OH SG Elite 17 Rosh: Destler – a 3-star recruit – did well in her role as a six-rotation outside. She brought her length to the net and added a different element to the attack as she provided reliable offense. Taylor Williams OH Vision 17 Gold: Williams – a 4-star Duke commit – was an integral piece as Vision added another qualifier victory to its collection. She’s a solid attacker who extends and swings well as she tools and hits around blocks. *** Maya Baker S Vision 17 Gold: A 4-star recruit from the Class of 2025, Baker runs the offense with precision. She’s rarely off target and knows how to keep defenses on their toes with her ability to move the ball around. Erin Curtis OH/RS Vision 17 Gold: Curtis showed her value by playing on both pins this weekend. She spent time on the right on Day 3 while still passing in serve receive and held it down in both roles.
