February 19, 2024

For teams in power pools on Day 1, the results didn’t matter from the perspective that whether a team went 3-0 or 0-3 both stood on equal ground to begin Day 2. In all, 64 teams began Sunday with the same chance of bringing home the trophy. It ended with only eight standing. That type of narrowing of the field comes with intense drama and the Vballrecruiter.com team spent the day covering the 12-18s division. Below, we highlight 27 players who stood out the most to us. On a quick note, we didn’t duplicate any Show Stoppers from Day 1. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS (Part 4) Olivia Kitur OH Madfrog 14 Green: Kitur can produced thundering kills. She has a really strong arm and can power through or around blocks in style. Annabelle Ross MB Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Ross was a real threat on offense. She did well making herself available and coming through when called upon. She extends well and hits with plenty of pace. Kara Schubert MB Sky High Adidas 14 Elite: Schubert was asserting herself in the middle. She’s lanky and can go over smaller blockers when her number is called. Julia Masselink OH Kairos 14 Alpha: It’s impressive that Masselink is part of the Class of 2029. She can really load up and unwind with force. She has a really quick arm and lets it fly. Penelope Reisman S Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Part of the Class of 2028, Reisman has nice size and does well spotting her sets. She is one to follow as she continues growing and developing. Lucy Moriarty L/DS HPSTL 15 Royal: Moriarty is a scrappy defender who can fly around the court. She’s quick and makes her share of hustle play. Ali Strange L/DS Elevation 15 Tony: Strange plays with such finesse. She stays calm under pressure. She is able to utilize her one arm digs really well allowing her to cover more court, making more digs, saving more plays. Reagan Wallraff OH Premier Nebraska 15 Gold: Wallraff plays a bit of a hybrid role. She lines up on the outside and passes out of serve receive, but can also block out of the middle at times. She’s a quick attacker who can get up and smack winners at the 12-foot line. Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold: Part of the Class of 2027, Ward is the type of player top colleges dream about. She gets way up and can press over on the block. She’s also an offensive force with a big-time arm. Milly McGee S SCVC 16 Roxy: McGee was directing the formidable attack that SCVC offers. She has a consistent release and locates well, as was as moving the ball around and getting all her hitters going. *** Elena Hoecke MB MN Select 16-1: Hoecke is a powerful middle who impacts play on both sides of the ball. She puts up a strong block. She’s also a legit scoring threat who MN Select will go to as much as they can. Kristen Simon L/DS Adidas KiVA 17 Red: Simon absolutely owns the back row. From passing in a two-person serve receive to running down balls and never giving up, she makes play time and time again. Nikki Tawil S Sunshine 17-1: Tawil has great hands and has great court awareness. She also covers her hitters very well and runs various play for her team. Mikaela Brennan OH Tstreet 17-1: Brennan can adjust to any set given to her and still creates chances to score when hitting. She also had a great platform on serve receive. Maveti Faumuina OH/MB Mizuno Long Beach 12 Rockstar: Faumuina was very athletic around the net moving sideline to sideline well and also transitioning and hitting tight sets. Raya Paul L/DS Munciana 12 Peppers: Paul is a leader for her squad. She is quite savvy with head-smarts, which will be fun to see continue to develop. Sophia Zhu/Zoe Newton S Madfrog 11 Green: Zhu and Newton share the setting job for this young squad. Both girls do a great job dishing their hitters. Kamryn Carlson L MAVS KC 12-1: Curry is a fluid libero who moves around the court with ease. She anchors the back row well. Kyndall Cochran OH MAVS KC 12-1: Cochran has tremendous potential. She has a great arm that can already generate heat and pressure opponents. Evelynn Steele S MN Select 12-1: Steele possesses nice, consistent hands and location. It makes her sets super hittable. *** Makenna Johnson S A5 12-1: Johnson has a good touch and puts the ball in a consistent window for her hitters. Kendall Hubbard S/RS Elevation 15 Tony: Hubbard is a well-rounded player. She reads the court well and makes use of her hitter’s strengths. Devon Leaf S Actyve 18 Black: Leaf for an undersized setter Leaf makes her presence on the court known. She has quick feet to the ball and utilizers her top hitters well. Annie Fulton RS/OH Madfrog 16 Black: Fulton is undersized for the right side but makes up for it with her high vertical and aggressive arm swing. She has amazing energy on the court and makes the team better. Mia Crowley OH TAV Houston 16 Adidas: Crowley being right-handed can get her shoulders around the ball really well and swing down the line. She brings a lot of energy on the court. Maddie Smotherman L/DS Skyline 17 Royal: Smotherman has a great touch on the ball and moves around the court well. She can read plays and is super encouraging to her teammates. Sydney Mayfield RS Paramount VBC Nick 17: Mayfield is a lightening quick player. She brings a lot of fire to her team. She gets on top of the ball well when she’s attacking.  

Elimination day at Triple Crown narrows the field down from 64 and leaves eight hopefuls still in contention for the tournament title. With teams sensing what is at stake, the competition ramps up as teams refuse to go down without a fight. The Vballrecruiter.com team spent the day covering the 12-18s division and below we highlight 27 players who stood out the most to us. On a quick note, we didn’t duplicate any Show Stoppers from Day 1. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS (Part 3) Addison Musgrove S/RS Hou Skyline 14 Royal: Musgrove brings versatility to the lineup. She can also hit on the right side, though when we saw she was running a 5-1 and controlling the flow. Chloe Seals MB PVA 14 Elite: Seals is a wirey middle with a quick arm. She can let it go in an instant and was delivering for her side. Abby Moffett S/RS Tstreet 14 Tara: Moffett is a fun player to watch get after it. She’s a solid setter who dishes with ease. She’s also a heady attacker with a nice swing and contributes on the regular to the attack. Sasha Cromer S KC Power 15-1 Black: Cromer does well guiding the attack. She has a good touch on the ball and does well getting all her hitters involved. Allie Hudgins OH Austin Skyline 15 Royal: Hudgins has tremendous upside and brings a different dynamic to any lineup with her size. She not only has a strong arm, she can extend high and hit over the top of blocks. Peyton Heatherly S 1st Alliance 15 Gold: Heatherly brings a lot of energy and passion to the position. Not to mention above-average skill. She has a smooth, clean release and is rarely off target. Hanna McGinest OH Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar: McGinest can deliver the did-you-see-that type of kills at times. She’s a high flier with a big arm and it leads to balls going straight down. Isabella Umpierre RS WPVC 16 Armour Black: Umpierre is a featured part of the attack and WPVC looks to get her the ball as often as possible. She has a strong arm and can beat defenses in a variety of ways. Colbie McKenna OH East Coast Power 16 Empire: McKenna has a lively arm and can unleash when the chance opens up. ECP runs plays to get her different looks and keep defenses guessing. Elle Vandeweghe MB Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar: Vandeweghe’s upside is huge. She’s a big presence in the front row. She puts up a giant block. She can also hit over shorter blockers and put balls down. *** Julianna Hernandez L/DS TAV 16 Black: Hernandez was making key digs and extending rallies. She was picking off shots coming her way and doing well putting passes on targets. Anna Blamires RS Co Jrs 17 Kevin: An athletic right side with a quick jump and lightning fast arm, Blamires lights it up at times. She can send balls to the ground in a hurry. Sakura Codling L/DS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: Codling is a tenacious defender who brings lots of intensity and fire to the court. She is a spot-on passer out of serve receive and can make wow saves at times. Kenna Cogill MB Arizona Storm 17 Thunder: Cogill is a difference-making middle. She influences play on both sides of the ball with her length and reach. She can stuff swings down for points as well as get out on the slide and rip it. Jenna Barnes OH A5 12-1: Barnes, a go-to on the left, carries a large offensive load. She has a good arm and a strong knack for scoring to help pace the offense. Aubrey Tennell S/RS Madfrog 12 Green: Tennell is two-way player and valuable with her ability to set and hit. She possesses a good touch and carries a nice arm. Karla Medina L Tstreet 13-PJ: Medina was passing dimes out of serve receive. She was also hustling all over the court chasing balls and extending plays. Liberty Badorek MB Tstreet 13-PJ: Badorek is a dynamic middle blocker who has a whip of an arm combined with incredible athleticism. Milan Tallman MB A5 13-1 Karen: Tallman was owning the middle defensively. It also doesn’t hurt that she has a big arm and can crush balls. Delaney Holder S Miz LB 13 Rockstar: Holder does a great job of getting her feet to the ball and distributes it around with ease. *** Brooklyn Hess S ID Crush 13 Bower: Hess has good vision, sees the court well and connects with her hitters. Nia Livings MB TAV 13 Black: Livings has lots of upside to her. She sees the court well and is a wall defensively. Collins Alonzo L Madfrog 13 Green: Alonzo is a high-energy libero with strong command of the back row. She also was solid out of serve receive and making hustle plays. Sierra Aswad S Coast 13-1: Aswad is a super smooth disher with great hands and spot-on location. She already shows great command and leadership. Neveah Tien S Club V 16 Ren Matt: Tien’s sets have been so consistent that her hitters have been putting the ball down almost every play. Abbey Knight OH SPVB 16 Elite: Knight has a heavy arm swing and comes in firing when attacking. She has great lateral movement along the net. She has a strong serve that forces teams into out of system plays. Addy Stone S TPV 18 Maverick: Stone brought the heat. She has smooth hands that leads her team to victories. She is a leader on the court and rallies her team together after each play.

While certain age groups alternated on the first day of Triple Crown, it’s an everything-goes atmosphere on Day 2 as those same age groups are playing at the same time. That, added to the fact teams are trying to stay in the hunt for the tournament title, creates a whirlwind environment of nonstop action and entertainment. The Vballrecruiter.com team spent the day covering the 12-18s division and below we highlight 27 players who stood out the most to us. On a quick note, we didn’t duplicate any Show Stoppers from Day 1. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS (Part 2) Jamie Carnes MB CJV 14 Mizuno: Carnes’ contributions in the middle go a long way in helping out her team. She offers a reliable scorer who can beat defenses with well-placed shots. Zoe Kearney MB SAS 14 Kevin: Kearney brings height to the front row and makes an impact on both sides. She hits from high up and it makes her tough to slow down. Olivia Permenter OH TAV 14 Black: Permenter’s length is a problem for opponents. She can extend up and hit down over blocks or go right at them and hit off of them. Samantha Shultz L/DS MAVS KC 14-1: Shultz is a steady defender who plays under control and does well covering and keeping her team in the point. Saaliyah Brown MB Forza1 North 15 One: Brown is a prospect and someone to keep an eye on. She has raw talent and flashes the type of potential she has when she soars and lets one go. Tinsley Welker-Brown S Hou Skyline 15 Royal: Welker-Brown is another fun setter to watch run the offense. She has a strong presence on the court and helps instill the tone for the rest of the team to follow. She too dishes with consistent accuracy. Shaye Witherspoon OH Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite: A next-level talent, Witherspoon is built for the collegiate game. She’s a strong outside with a big outside and can overwhelm opponents. Lynney Tarnow MB 1st Alliance 16 Gold: A massive presence in the middle, Tarnow changes the whole dynamic of the match when she checks in. She puts up a wall of a block and can turn around and smack winners with authority. Ayanna Watson OH Vegas Aces 16 UA: A high-flying, hard-swinging outside, Watson’s next-level potential is limitless. She has no issues soaring and swinging over blocks as she crushes winners to the deep corner. Christa WilburnRS Austin Skyline 16 Royal: With a lethal 1-2 punch on the outside combined with Wilburn on the right, the Austin Skyline pin attack rivals any in its age group. She has a whippy arm and can rocket shots. She’s also adept at tooling blocks. *** Naya Salfiti RS Skyline 17 Royal: Salfiti has a big presence on the court and puts up a massive block. She reads the gutter very well. She has a heavy arm when attacking and can work around the block. Sydney Davis MB GP 17 Rox: Davis is a springy middle who can elevate and get after it. Her quickness and speed cause timing problems for blockers. Laney Hennessee OH AP 17 Adidas: Hennessee is an under-the-radar type of player. Though she’s just slightly undersized she can crush it when she gets a hold of it. She is both relentless and fearless. Olivia Karvelis L Coast 13-1: Karvelis helps hold down serve receive with her consistent and sharp passing. She also does well making tough digs and keeping her team in points. Brynli Burgess L Skyline 13 Royal: Burgess was an anchor in the back row. She’s a steadying presence who doesn’t rattle. She was on point in serve receive, rarely missing her target. Lana Bakrac RS Rockwood Thunder 13 Elite: Bakrac is a lefty right side who gets after it when attacking on either pin. Nora Butler MB Rockwood Thunder 13 Elite: Butler makes an impact across the front row. She has a quick arm and adds an offensive dimension to the attack. Anna Lock MB Legacy 13-1 Adidas: Lock has the capability to impact both sides of the ball with her scoring and blocking abilities. Skye Lincoln OH Excel 13 Red: Lincoln takes aggressive swings and showed her ability to tool blocks with ease. Emani Clifton RS Dynasty 13 Black: Clifton, a lefty attacker, was a reliable scoring option on the right side. She packs a punch when she connects. *** Eugenia Lopez S BORINQUEN COQUI 13-1F: Lopez has a good touch and gets the ball to the same spot constantly, whether she is setting conventionally or running and bump setting. Rylan Miller – L/DS OT J 16 Will: Miller is light and speedy on her feet during defense. She has a solid platform on serve receive. She covers the line digs really well. Ai-Vy Ho S Excel 16 National Red: Ho has a high level of court awareness and sets at a high level. She also moves well on the court. Cali Reece L/DS TAV Houston 16 Adidas: Reece has a lot of control over the trajectory of her digs, putting her team in great position to make plays. She is able to create many angles with her platform creating more opportunities. Quinn Hickman RS Houston Skyline 16 Black: Hickman puts up a solid size block. She makes some big times plays stopping the other teams outside hitters. Jocelyn Bachli RS Drive Nation 14 Red: Bachli is a team player and brings positive energy to the court. She puts up a good size block on the right side. Kailey Phillips L/DS Wave 15 Taylor: Phillips has a fast reaction time on defense. She steps in to create great out of system balls for the outside.

After an incredible opening day at Triple Crown where teams fought it out in pool play, the format switched to elimination format on Day 2. With the safety net of losing removed, the sense of urgency was elevated and the competition followed suit. The Vballrecruiter.com team spent the day covering the 12-18s division and below we highlight 27 players who stood out the most to us. On a quick note, we didn’t duplicate any Show Stoppers from Day 1. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS (Part 1) Molly McGovern RS Dynasty 14 Black: McGovern was a factor on the right side with both her blocking and attacking. She has nice length and that allows her to get touches at the net as well as deliver on offense. Kayleigh Rogers OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Rogers was taking aggressive swings and challenging the block as she was providing reliable offense on the outside. Gabrielle Hatlevig OH Iowa Premier 14-1: Hatlevig is a bit undersized, but she’s wirey with a fast swing. She was coming hard on the attack and taking big swings. Kendall Omoruyi MB Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Omoruyi is the equivalent to a cheat code. Her size and length give her side a massive advantage. She puts up a huge block and scores plenty of points on that side of the net. She’s also a legit weapon in the middle who can torment defenses. Allie Breitling OH Vegas Aces 15 UA: Breitling has great power behind her swings. She sees the blocks well which allows her to find sharp angles on the court. She covers well and gets back outside quick to give herself a full approach. Rylee Jewell L/DS NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Jewell can read the court so well and seems to always be in the right spots on defense, she has great control over her serve receive and is very consistent when passing. Nadiya Shelby RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal: Shelby is a physical marvel with the way she explodes and unloads. She skies way up and can hammer balls straight down in entertaining fashion. Kylie Buttars OH Club V 16 Ren Reed: Buttars is a physical outside with a powerful arm. She was also passing solidly out of serve receive as she held it down in her six-rotation role. Ella Andrews MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Andrews is a menace in the middle. She’s a space filler with her long block and ability to get touches and slow down attack. She also hits from a high angle and goes over blocks consistently. Alana Whitfield OH Illini Elite 16 Cardinal: Whitfield was a big part of why Illini Elite upset NKYVC. She came up with timely kills down the stretch to close out the victory. *** Brooklyn Hardy MB ID Crush 17 Bower: Hardy’s stock keeps rising. She moves extremely well and her quickness is a big asset. She explodes off the ground and has a quick swing to match, making life brutal on defenses. Tia Traudt OH VCNebraska 17 Elite: Traudt is a six-rotation contributor. She has a strong arm and knows how to burn defenses on a variety of ways. Charlotte Glass S Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal: Glass is a smooth-dishing setter who knows how to mix up her sets and get her hitters involved. Brookelyn Hatton L/DS MAVS KC 17-1: Hatton brings a defensive edge with her ability to cover a lot of space and pass accurately. Cadence Talaga OH Miz LB 14 Rockstar: Talaga is an all-around contributor for Mizuno, Talaga is also tough to slow on the attack with her scoring prowess. Riley Stringer S Miz LB 14 Rockstar: Stringer did well running the offense and moving the ball around. She was connecting with all her hitters and putting the ball in nice spots. Jade Smith S Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Smith was dishing well in running the offense. She showed a nice touch and consistent release. Kiara Brown MB ARVC 14N1 Adidas: Brown is a huge wall in the middle blocking position and she moves well laterally too. Shelbi Mead S HPSTL 14 Royal: Mead was dishing well and putting up a nice ball for her hitters. She elevates her team with the ability to guide an offense. Arianys Salgado-Colon L/DS BORINQUEN COQUI 14-1F: Salgado-Colon’s consistency and fire was present in her play. Her no fear attitude in defense was fun to watch. *** Lila Liimatta OH Aspire 14 Premier: Lilmatta is a lanky outside with plenty of potential. She can extend and score well now and was carrying the offense at times. Shaun Waller MB TPV 14-Zulu: Waller is long and lanky and has lots of upside as she moves up the rank. She was already showing she’s a legit scoring option for her squad when in system and she does impact the play at the net. Taylor Johnson OH Dallas Skyline 14 Royal: Johnson hits a heavy ball and can power through blocks along with off speed shots to keep defenses guessing. Ava Hermelee RS/OH Sunshine 18 Westside: Hermelee gets off the net quickly and is able to see the court well when attacking. She tracked the ball along the net really well. Maddie Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1: Kraft has great control over her digs and demonstrates great sportsmanship on the court. Keely DePauw DS Fieldhouse 15 Ikaika: DePauw has a great touch on the ball and on serve receive she has a solid platform. You can tell there is a lot of confidence behind each pass. The other team is steering clear of her. Cora Seabold S Sunshine 15 Pacific: Seabold has great communication with her hitters. She has great setting accuracy.