June 23, 2023

Umm, did y’all catch the 12 and 13s Open divisions at the AAU National Championships Friday? We’re talking high intensity, jaw-dropping athleticism and serious scrappiness all over the courts. It was awesome to see a few of the teams from USAV Girls Junior National Championship 11-13s which competed in Minneapolis doing their thing and squaring off against new competitors.  A couple of my favorite games I watched included Game 1 of the A5 12-LA vs Capitanas 12-1 match. A5 ended winning, 25-22, and ultimately sweeping. But let me just say Capitanas had no fear taking on the recently crowned USAV 12 national champions. Everything they touched in the beginning was perfect. Now kudos to A5 for settling down and coming back swinging. The other one was Game 2 of the 13 T Tabitha vs Tribe 13 Elite Cardinal match. It was an absolute nail-biter! Both teams were battling it out, with the score going back-and-forth. Ultimately, OT came out on top, winning , 27-25, and taking the match in two. Side note, have you watched the Puerto Rican volleyball teams play? These scrappy players leave it all out on the court. Keep your eye on these Puerto Rican squads – they’re a force to be reckoned with.  DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Olivia Hayden S/Opp A5 12-LA: Hayden is a key piece in the lineup with the versatility she brings. She’s a solid setter with nice hands who can block well in the front row. Mikayla Matuszko OH Tribe 12 Elite Cardinal: Matuszko takes a ton of swings. She’s one of the mainstays in the attack and consistently finds ways to score. Gabrielle Robinson MB Top Select 12 Elite: Robinson is a heavy-hitting middle blocker who makes great athletic moves both offensively and defensively.  Roxanne Rigo S Mintonette Sports – m.21: Rigo is a 5-1 setter who has great extension and has a sizable block at the net.  Kiersten Lutz S TI Elite 12-Thundercats: Lutz has a great touch and quarterbacks her team well.  Angelina Quiles MB TOVC 12u- Ruben: Quiles brings the heat in the middle blocking position. She packs a punch when she connects.  Anabella Valentin Miranda S BORINQUEN COQUI 12-1F: Valentin Miranda has hands of gold.  Alanis Lopez Saavedra OH Capitanas 12-1: Lopez is a smaller outside who literally flies and will swing with no fear.  Kaylee Winkler OH OT 12 O Gibby: Winkler is an outside who is relentless when she attacks.  Lucie Amonett MB OT 12 T Kesha: Amonett is a defensive gem at the net. She has the ability to shut down oppositions in every match.  Alexandria White OH GP 12 Rox: White jumps and swings well on the outside.  Isabelle Alexander  L Adidas KIVA 12 Red: Alexander sets the rhythm in serve receive well. She also has no fear defensively.  Decelise Champion Opp VAQUERAS 13-1: Champion is a six-rotation opposite who brings the heat everywhere on the court. She is also a defensive gem at the net.  Paula Jimenez OH VAQUERAS 13-1: Jimenez is an undersized scrapper on the outside who literally skies when she attacks.  Kelsey Bareswilt L Tri-State Elite 13 Blue: Bareswilt is a scrapper on the court, with a fearless attitude on defense.  Carsyn Chitty L Mintonette Sports m.31: Chitty is a strong defender and an on-point passer which sets the tone for the rest of the team.  Lia Ray OH Tribe 13 Elite Cardinal: Ray is a ball magnet. She also is incredibly smart on offense.  Kaelyn Easton S/Opp Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Easton is part of a S/RS tandem. She is a strong setter with a nice release and she can also score well across the front.  Payton Woodruff S/Opp Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Woodruff, the other S/RS on the squad, connects well with her hitters and swings well offensively. Isabel Penrose OH OT 13 T Tabitha: Penrose is the gutsy six-rotation outside who literally swings with no fear everywhere on the court.  Leilani Lamar OH OT 13 T Tabitha: Lamar was the other half of a strong 1-2 attack on her squad. When she connects she can go literally over the block on the regular. Leah Stickney OH A5 13-Karen: Stickney is a six-rotation outside who is a consistent scorer and passes nails in serve receive.  Ava Lazar MB OT 13 O Felix: Lazar was coming up big defensively at the net.

The race to the gold medal continued on as the 17 Open division took the courts for the second day of play at the AAU Girls Junior National Championship in Orlando. We spent our time checking on not only the teams duking it out, but the individual talents showcasing their skills and game. That leads us to our daily All Red Hat Team. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 2 ALL RED HAT TEAM Kaila Kalama-Bajet OH Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB: Unfortunately, Ku’Ikahi’s run ended with an 0-3 outing, yet we really loved what we saw from Kalama-Bajet. She’s an undersized outside but is fearless and plays with lots of passion. She jumps well and is a smart hitter who can vary her shots to keep defenses on their toes. Olivia Heitkamp OH EliteVBTC 17 Black: Heitkamp was lights out the times we caught her. The six-rotation outside is lanky with a lively arm. She was excelling going over the block and drilling balls down the line with authority. Then when the defense was dug in she would drop a well-timed, well-placed roll shot to catch them sleeping. Izabela Molina MB Miami Hype 17 Emilio: It was a great day for Miami Hype, which went 3-0 and took over the No. 3 overall seed. We couldn’t decide which middle we liked more so why not feature both? Molina is a strong, powerful hitter who can blasts balls out of the middle. She also puts up a strong block to help slow down the attack. Jacqueline Taylor MB Miami Hype 17 Emilio: Taylor is the lightning to the Molina’s thunder. She’s quick and can really get up. She has a whippy arm too and it leads to big kills at time and she tees off. Mollie Hobson RS VC United 17 Elite: VC United rose up, going 3-0 as the No. 4 team and taking over the No. 8 seed. Hobson was an absolute delight to watch on the right side. She’s undersized but plays with a ton of heart and determination. She’s a six-rotation right side who is an offensive option both front and back row. She has a lively arm and is a smart attacker. She knows when to swing all-out and when to keep the ball in the court and let the rally keep playing out. Brynne Topolski RS VC Nebraska 17 Elite: Topolski was not the hard-hitting or most physical right side but she was certainly very effective in her role in helping VCNebraska post a 3-0 showing. She was taking advantage of her chances and putting balls away both cross court and down the line equally well. Malayah Long S VCNebraska 17 Elite: Long is among the top setters in the division and she shows great leadership and on-court demeanor. She’s a high-energy setter with great hands and command of the offense. She also has deception in her delivery, keeping defenses honest and allowing hitters to get 1-on-1 looks or even at times hitting with no blockers up. Ashlyn Tafoya S Rocky Elite 17 National: Rocky Elite faced a difficult pool and finished 0-3. Still, Tafoya, part of the Class of 2025, showed her potential and more. She’s a bit undersized but she does a nice job of getting to the ball and has a clean, consistent release. Luca Bredenberg L/DS Northern Lights 17-1: We really loved what we saw from our next two players. Brendenberg is a defensive stalwart who doesn’t blink or back down. She’s a very sharp passer out of serve receive and covers the court well too. Madison Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports .71: Cugino wins the toughest player award from Day 2. She got smacked in her right eye that left a mark and the need for an ice bag. Yet, there she was on the court answering the bell and holding it down on the defensive end. She’s a smooth passer who sees the court well.

The musical chairs that is the seeding for 17 Open kept up on the second day of competition at the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando. The opening day of play saw top-seeded A5 17 Jing taken down and replaced by Summit 17 Blue Elite. Summit’s time at the top was as short-lived as A5’s, as Summit finished Friday’s action 1-2 and in third place. The new No. 1 seed? That honor now belongs to Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal. Tribe put up a 3-0 showing as the No. 3 team in Pool A, starting play by beating Summit and then earning a hard-fought victory over Boiler Jrs 17 Gold in three, 25-20, 13-25, 16-14, to help its way to a first-place finish. Boiler Jrs wound up 2-1 and moved on as well. OT 17 Aaron lost its hold on the No. 3 overall seed as it was upset by Miami Hype 17 Emilio. It’s Miami Hype, after going 3-0, taking over that spot when plays continues on Day 3. NE Elite 17 Top Gun also lost as the No. 1 team in Pool F, but still managed to hold onto its seed because it finished first after ending in a two-way tie with Team Indiana 17.1. The biggest movement, however, happened with VC United 17 Elite. VC United was the No. 4 team in Pool I but came out ahead of the rest at 3-0. Illini Elite 17 Cardinal finished in second at 2-1 as the No. 3 team, as the pool was reversed. There was lots happening in Pool H, which featured three teams expected to go further in the tournament in Far Out 17 Black, Adidas KiVA 17 Red and A5. A5 got back on track, going 3-0 as the No. 3 team and remaining in the hunt. It left a showdown between Far Out and KiVA in the 1 v 2 meeting. Both were 1-1 and only the winner was able to advance. Far Out came through to stay alive as KiVA was eliminated. A couple of other notes includes OT 17 Felix taking down Mintonette Sports m.71 and taking first in Pool J as the No. 2 team. Mintonette is moving on as well still too. Legacy 17-1 Adidas ended 3-0 as the No. 3 team in Pool K. In the same pool, Northern Lights 17-1 went 2-1 as the No. 2 team to take second. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Taylor Parks S OT 17 Aaron: Parks – a 4-star Florida recruit – is a smooth operator. She plays under total control and doesn’t get rattled at all. She can fling the ball around the court with ease and precise accuracy. Taylor Bedinghaus L/DS OT 17 Aaron: Bedinghaus takes care of her role as a six-rotation outside. She’s a smart, heady attacker who knows how to frustrate and score against bigger blockers. Olivia Hart OH OT 17 Aaron: Hart can bring the heat on the pin. She has a lively arm and can let loose at times to smack balls off the floor. Isabelle Swiercz RS Far Out 17 Black: Far Out remains in contention in part with the contributions of Swiercz on the right side. She’s lanky and has a fluid swing and can generate pace to help spread out the attack. Navea Gauthier OH Far Out 17 Black: Gauthier – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2025 – spent the season playing up on the 18s and is now ending the year on the 17s. She has a big-time arm and can blast balls from all over the court, including front and back row and running combo plays. Carly Piercefield L/DS Far Out 17 Black: Piercefield is a feisty defender who isn’t afraid to hit the floor to keep the ball alive. She laid out a few times to make impressive ups. Kamyla Vega S Top Select 17 Elite: Vega sets in the back row and does a nice job setting pin-to-pin. She has nice hands and was locating well. Nayelis Cabello S/RS Top Select 17 Elite: Cabello – a 5-star Louisville commit – hits at sets and a high level. She’s a smooth setter who connects well with her hitters. She also jumps well and has a strong arm to help bolstered the attack. Reis Baune OH Northern Lights 17-1: Baune can really let it fly when she connects. She has a fluid arm and is capable of blasting balls from corner to corner. Reese Ptacek MB Northern Lights 17-1: Ptacek makes her presence known on both sides. She takes up space and is a physical hitter and blocker. *** Samantha Christen L/DS Summit 17 Blue Elite: Christen was putting in work in the back row. She was hustling from sideline to sideline and laying out in hopes of keeping Summit in the rally. Ava Kanj MB Maverick 17 Elite: Kanj is a lanky middle who changes the dynamic of the attack when she’s in. She’s an effective scorer who does well putting balls in open spaces. Alaleh Tolliver OH Academy 17 Tsunami: Tolliver is a high-flying, hard-hitting outside who shoulders a large load of the offense. She can rip it front and back row and unloads highlight kills. Leah Richmond S Academy 17 Tsunami: Richmond is a bit undersized as a setter but she moves very well and does well getting to the ball and setting overhand. She also jump sets well and has consistent location. Julianna Horta S Academy 17 Diamond: Horta is another setter who caught our attention directing the attack. She can move the ball around well to her hitters and is also on point with her delivery most of the time. Tyne Ross OH Academy 17 Diamond: Ross is a bit undersized but makes up for her with her big jump. She gets up well and swings hard as she helps power the offense along. Alec Rothe MB EliteVBTC 17 Black: Rothe – a 5-star Florida recruit – is a force at the net.

It didn’t take long for the first major upset to hit 17 Open, which kicked off with the third wave of the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando. Top-seeded A5 17 Jing, was playing short-handed and was dealt an early blow by Summit 17 Blue Elite, which prevailed and three and went on to finish 3-0 and take over the No. 1 seed for Day 2. Coming off 15 Open where none of the top seeds lost until the quarterfinals, that was a huge shift in play. A5 was hardly alone, however, as many respective No. 1 teams in their pools lost on opening day. Miami Hype 17 Emilio, Far Out 17 Black, Boiler Jrs 17 Gold, Circle City 17 Purple, K2 17 Adidas and Northern Lights 17-1 all dropped contests. However, Far Out, Circle City and Northern Lights still managed to win their pools while the others finished in second place. Academy 17 Diamond went 1-2 as the No. 1 team in Pool M but still advanced as the third-place finisher. With only one team per pool being eliminated, it’s a great day for No. 4 teams to try and take advantage. A4 Volley 17 Tyler did exactly that, going 2-1 and taking second place. MAVA Adidas 17 Select also went 2-1, but took third as part of a three-way tie with Northern Lights and TI Elite 17.1. Kairos 17 Alpha joined Summit as a No. 3 team to win its pool. Kaiors topped K2 in its opening match on its way to going 3-0. MN Select 17-1 and TVA 17 Megan both went 3-0 as No. 2 teams in their respective pools. The action does start to pick up on Day 2, when only two of the four teams from each pool move on. With A5 losing, Pool H is especially perilous territory as it contains A5, Adidas KiVA 17 Red and Far Out. That means one of those clubs is out on Friday. *** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Chloe Smith OH Adidas KiVA 17 Red: Smith is a wirey outside with a fluid swing who lets it fly. She extends well and can hit a high contact point. Emma Closurdo RS Adidas KiVA 17 Red: Closurdo is a bit undersized but she has a heavy arm and can absolutely pound balls. Rella Binney L/DS Ku’Ikahi 17 RSB: Binney was holding down the back row with both her passing and defending. She covers and moves well and did well making a couple highlight saves. Mckayla Theleus OH WIZARD 17: Theleus, an undersized hitter, got up and blasted off on balls every time  we walked by her court. Anae Asuncion S Maunalani 17-808Hui: Asuncion, a 5-1 setter, is smooth with nice hands and puts the ball in a hittable window for her hitters. Addie Waller S Elevation 17 Peak: Waller, a Northern Colorado commit, is a competitor with a strong ability to dish the ball around to her hitters. Rachel Ogunleye MB Illini Elite 17 Cardinal: Ogunleye, a 3-star recruit committed to Vanderbilt, is a leaper with a great vertical and fluid swing in the middle. Mia Radeff OH Encore 17 DTB: Radeff, a Notre Dame commit, is a six-rotation outside who packs a punch and can really bring it. Stevie Henderson RS OVA 17 Black: Henderson had moments where she was ripping the ball and providing key production from the right side. Mia Schaefer L/DS Maverick 17 Elite: Schaefer held her own, playing under control and passing well out of serve receive. Kelsey Niesen L/DS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: Niesen was another standout defender. She’s a scrappy libero who hustles around the court making plays. Madison Loiselle RS OT 17 Aaron: Loiselle was among the hardest hitters we saw on Day 1. She can just flat-out hammer the ball down. OT will line up at different spots across the net to try and utilize her. Abbigail Pickard S Far Out 17 Black: Pickard, part of the Class of 2025 who spent this season playing on the 18s, is part of the 17s for AAUs and did a great job running a 5-1. She has a smooth hands and her location is consistent. Kendall Hopewell MB Far Out 17 Black: Hopewell was making an impact in the middle. She can get out and run the slide very well, booming down balls and being a real offensive threat. Marlee Ervin OH Nebraska Jrs 17 Black – Ervin is someone to keep an eye out for. She was a middle moved to the outside. She was swinging away and showed her smarts by mixing up her shots.

The third wave of AAUs started Thursday, meaning it was time for the 17 Open to get underway. We’ve already seen Northern Lights 14-1 and Mintonette Sports m.51 take home Open gold medals from their time in Orlando? Who’s up next in 17 Open? We are going to have to wait for that answer until Sunday, when the gold bracket takes place. As for now, let’s introduce our Day 1 All Red Hat Team from the 17s action we witnessed on the opening day. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 1 ALL RED HAT TEAM Jersey Loyer OH Summit 17 Elite: Loyer is such an incredibly fun outside to watch do her thing. An opposing coach had a great comment in that she’s built in the mold of the Louisville outsides. She might be bit undersized compared to others, but what a six-rotation gamer who absolutely brings it on the attack. She’s a springy attacker with a great arm and helped Summit go 3-0 and take over the No. 1 seed. Dionna Mitchell OH Top Select 17 Elite: Top Select went 3-0 as well, with Mitchell putting on a show at times with her athletic ability. She was soaring and roaring, pounding down kills with authority. As soon as the defense dug in, she would hit them with a deceptive tip and catch them flat-footed and left in frustration. Faith Young MB Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: Tri-State Elite rolled through its three opponents. No one had answers for Young in the middle. She carries a big arm and bashes balls left and right with lots of strength and power. Ava Durgan MB RVC 17 Kari: Durgan was another standout middle who made us take notice. It was an overall rough day for RVC, which went 0-3. However, Durgan was rocketing balls down in the middle and providing a real offensive weapon. Kamaluhia Garcia RS Ku’Ikahi 17 RSB: Garcia played up on 17s last year as Ku’Ikahi earned a bronze medal. She was back at it on Day 1 in a hybrid role. She was lined up as an outside and she was passing out of serve receive at times. Yet, she would switch and play on the right side both front and back row, where was a legit threat. Ku’Ikahi loves to move her around and get her swinging from everywhere on the court. And why not? She’s lanky, extends really well and has a wide range of shots. Jessica Neiman RS Maverick 17 Elite: Neiman was a feisty attacker and playing with tons of energy. The lefty has a nice arm and was bringing it. She’s a featured part of the attack and was taking a lot of swings. Carolyn Maser S Nebraska Jrs 17 Black: Maser is a smooth disher. The 6-0 setter also plays sound defense and has a good presence at net. She runs a nice offense and doesn’t get rattled, showing a calming presence while directing the attack.   Kaylee Musick S Mintonette Sports m.71: Musick was another setting orchestrating the attack with ease. She’s also a taller setter with a soft touch and release. She was moving the ball around and locating well. Elsie McCutchan L/DS EU 17 Black: McCutchan is a workhorse in the back row. She’s vocal and is a steady and consistent passer. She was covering well and picking off a few hard-hit swings. Julia Murdy L/DS Renaissance 17 Black: Murdy was getting after it defensively, passing and defending well and bringing tons of energy and fire. She was hustling all over the court keeping her team in the rally.