July 3, 2023

Everyone is on the home stretch here at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. One of the last divisions to compete is the 17s, which began play Monday and runs through Thursday, July 6. The vballrecruiter.com team continues on with our coverage, after spending Day 1 scouring the courts and taking notes on the players who were our favorite and/or impressed us more than the norm. It leads us to the first of four All Red Hat Teams, which features our favorite players from Day 1. 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 Paityn Chapman OH Co Jrs 17 Kevin: Chapman stood out for a variety of reasons. One, she was bringing big-time offense and helping power the attack along. She was taking aggressive swings front and back row. The Tennessee commit has the height to be an impactful hitter and she did well finding the open space. Isabel Clark OH Momentous 17 Dan: Clark – a 4-star San Diego recruit – can crush balls with ease. She’s a free-swinging outside with hops who when she gets up and connects, it’s best to duck for cover. She’s a featured part of the attack and is called upon to score points in clutch moments. Julia Hunt MB NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami: The way Hunt – a 4-star Washington commit – gets after it makes her fun to watch. She’s an outgoing, energetic middle who makes plays on both sides of the ball. She moves very well and gets out on the slide with no trouble. She has a lively arm and can rip balls down without issue. The way she moves also allows her to interfere with shots with touches, blocks or forcing hitters to go to another spot. Mackenzie Parsons MB Coast 17-1: Parsons – a Cornell commit – plays with high-energy and really gets after in the middle. She’s a workhorse with a big arm and she is able to change Coast’s offense when she checks in with her scoring ability. Defenses need to honor her or else pay the price because Coast will set her and she knows what to do with it. Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 17 Gold: Whitlock – 4-star Ball State commit – can get up on the right side and extend on the attack to put balls away corner to corner. She also puts up a big block to help slow attackers. She’s a bit more even-keeled and doesn’t get too high or low as she plays with a steady, consistent demeanor. Makenna Crosson RS NorCal 17-1 Black: Crosson is a name to know. She’s a 2026 graduate who is playing up two divisions and contributing in a major way. Obviously, she has a lot of room for growth and development but that she’s performing as well as she is against 17 Open talent is saying something. She has a strong arm that is only going to keep getting better and better. Charlie Fuerbringer S Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar: Fuerbringer – a 5-star Wisconsin recruit – is worth the price of admission to watch run the show. She’s a bubbly setter with all the tools, traits and intangibles that help make her one of the top setters in the nation. She’s extremely fluid and silky-smooth with her movements and delivery. And she can also hit on the right side with smarts and high IQ. Hannah Pattie S AVC Cle 17 Red: Pattie exemplifies what the All Red Hat Team is about. She’s a bit undersized, but the Campbell recruit can sling it around and is super fun to watch. She has a great release, can run tempo and puts the ball in the window for hitters to do the rest. Faith Frame L Premier Nebraska 17 Gold: Frame – a Cincinnati commit – is definitely one of our favorites defenders to watch get after it. She does not miss many plays and when she does you can see the frustration she has with herself. She’s a lockdown defender and lights-out passer who is capable of making highlight-worthy saves. Alice Volpe L HJV 17 Elite: Volpe – a 4-star TCU recruit – is too smooth. She’s not a super fiery libero or very demonstrative on the court. She’s more on the stoic side and makes plays all over the court. She’s a sharp passer who doesn’t get challenged much in serve receive. She reads and anticipates well too and is also able to make big-time ups.

One of the next-up divisions in the madness that is the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago is 16s. It kicked off Monday with the opening round of pool play, with the championship match set for July 6. With very little margin for error, the athletes came ready to compete and fight. Below, we highlight our Day 1 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 1 ALL RED HAT TEAM Hannah Leftridge OH HPSTL 16 Royal: Leftridge is a perfect fit for the All Red Hat Team. Always among are favorites players are outsides who may be a bit undersized but have heart and determination to make it happen regardless. That’s Leftridge, who is a six-rotation outside who passes well out of serve receive and is a heady attacker who knows how to score with a variety of shots. And she just keeps coming at you. Anna Jelinek OH Nebraska One 16 Synergy: Truthfully, we were pondering putting the entire Nebraska One team on the All Red Hat Team because they all personify exactly what we are looking for. We selected Jelinek because she too is a bit undersized but a tremendous player who passes, defends and scores well.   Bayleigh Minor MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal: We try not to focus on 5-star recruits but it was impossible to ignore Minor’s play and contributions in the middle. She hit an outright indefensible shot that left spectators in awe as she went straight up then straight down with the ball at the 10-foot line. Few players can get up and hit directly over the block and still bounce balls like that! Olivia Wayne MB Madfrog 16 Green: Wayne was strong in the middle during while we were watching. She was getting out on the slide and scoring effectively and providing a real threat. She’s a solid blocker too and brings fire to the position. Taryn Morris RS Drive Nation 16 Red: Morris was a big-time scorer during our time observing. Drive Nation was in system and feeding her the ball. She rewarded her team by blasting balls down and off blocks with authority. Isabela Haggard S/RS Adidas KiVA 16 Red: Haggard brings her passion, competitiveness and will to win to the floor. She’s a bit undersized but she’s a tough cover on the right side when she’s coming at defenders. She’s absolutely fearless and can really connect when she catches one. She’s also a solid setter who has a nice touch and locates consistently. Annabelle Groomes S/RS AVC Cle 16 Red: Groomes – a 5-star San Diego commit – is among the most versatile players we have witnessed all season. Not all of that was on display on Day 1, as she was in her typical role of setting and hitting. But we have seen her play outside and pass out of serve receive at times, so she can do it all. She’s a high-caliber setter with great hands and accuracy. She also is a strong hitter capable of unloading huge kills. Charlotte Glass S Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal: Glass – a 5-star recruit – is a smooth-dishing setter who plays under control and does a great job directing the attack. She too has a great touch and release and she’s rarely off with her location. Rya Borer L Premier Nebraska 16 Gold: Borer is a feisty libero who leaves is it all on the court with her flat-out hustle. She’s solid on first ball contact too and plays tons of energy and emotion. McKenna Garr L Northern Lights 16-1: We love the way Garr takes care of the back row. She’s a steady libero who is a money-passer and defender. She does a fine job of picking up cross court shots and covering tips.