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March 19, 2024

Vballrecruiter Player of the Week: Nejari Crooks

March 19, 2024

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured Vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Nejari Crooks. *** With parents who represented and played volleyball internationally for Jamaica, Nejari Crooks seemed destined to one day pick up the sport and begin to leave her own mark. It wasn’t until she was nine did she venture into volleyball, spending her time instead swimming and doing CrossFit. Though her parents were immersed in volleyball, Crooks didn’t view it as she would inevitably wind up playing herself. “I didn’t think about it like that,” she said. “I just started playing one day and that was it really.” Among the aspects of volleyball that she enjoys is making friends and developing close relationships with them. She also likes the team component and having to work together in order to succeed. “You have to know each other really well to accomplish what you want to and that’s something that drew me in,” Crooks said. Crooks – a 6-0, 4-star Class of 2027 recruit who touches over 10-feet – started off as a setter/right side and has remained in the same role for both club and high school. She said she doesn’t have a preference between hitting and setting and that she has fun doing both. “I like setting because you get to control the team and set up your hitters,” she said. “With hitting, I like that you get to put the ball down for your setter.” When it comes to club, Crooks has been playing up multiple age groups since she started. Currently, she’s a freshman on Triad Elite 18 National out of North Carolina. She spent this past fall as a ninth-grader on the Wesleyan Christian Academy varsity squad. The Trojans reached the semifinals of the NCISAA 4A state playoffs before falling to eventual champion Cannon. Crooks had a monster season. She finished second in kills with 235. She averaged 3.1 per set while hitting .385. She also dished out 325 assists, averaging 4.3 per set. She led the team in aces with 99 while finishing third in digs. She twice recorded a season-high 27 kills. Her season-best was also 27 assists. Her best outing featured 27 kills and 23 assists in a five-set loss to Oak Grove in mid-September. Looking ahead, Crooks has her sights set on playing in Division 1 and beyond that the Olympics. Off the court, she still does CrossFit and likes to read because “it calms me a lot.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Crooks about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Crooks: Inside and outside of volleyball it’s my family. Both my parents played volleyball at a really high level internationally for Jamaica. They’ve been involved in the sport their whole lives. They are really encouraging and set good examples of being hard working. It helps me a lot when it comes to volleyball. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Crooks: I would go to Jamaica so I could spend time with my grandma. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Crooks: I would probably learn a new language. Right now, I’m learning Spanish and French and I want to learn another one. I would like to communicate with more people and build more relationships. Do you have any volleyball superstitions or rituals and if so what are they? Crooks: I don’t really have any superstitions. I do like to listen to my favorite playlist right before playing. Aside from basic necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Crooks: Something that I can’t live without is my family because they encourage me throughout the day and bring me so much joy. We are very close-knit and make each other happy. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Crooks: I would say my German Shepard. He is 9-years-old. He makes me really happy. What’s one of your favorite ways to have fun? Crooks: One of my favorite ways to have fun is I like to play volleyball with my friends or go to the gym with them to work out together. Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why? Crooks: Outside of volleyball, I’m passionate about learning so I can grow my intelligence and knowledge and be able to share it with others. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Crooks: Something that surprises people every time is when I tell them I have six dogs and 20 chickens. My dad and I mostly take care of them. If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would it be and why? Crooks: If I could live anywhere I would go back to Jamaica. All my family is Jamaican. My grandma lives there and I don’t get to see her a lot. What’s your favorite food or foods? Crooks: My favorite food is my mom’s cooking. I think her best is her jerk chicken. It’s absolutely perfect. She makes a secret sauce with the perfect amount of spiciness. What’s your favorite number and why? Crooks: My favorite number is number 4 because when my parents played that was their number. I like to continue the tradition. Also, in elementary school with the seating chart I was number 4, so it is my lucky number.

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MEQ: Day 3 Show Stoppers

March 19, 2024

The last day of action brought a ton of excitement and a lot of shakeups at MEQ. You can read about the 16-18 Open semifinals and finals matches in the MEQ: Gold Medal Rundown. And with the qualifier season still early on for the younger ages plenty of bids were awarded. So now let’s talk about the athletes who shined on Day 3. DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Macy Hinshaw S Munciana 18 Samurai: Hinshaw, a 4-star Santa Clara signee, is a smooth operator on the court. She is a hustler on the court and shows strong leadership in directing the offense. Spencer Etzler/Addison ApplegateDS Munciana 18 Samurai: Etzer and Applegate, 4-star recruit committed to Texas A&M, were so much fun to watch. Both are defensive specialists who bring explosive defense and steady ball control to their squad. Claire Luoma L MKE Sting 18 Gold: Luoma, a 4-star Clemson signee, is a dynamic player who passes dimes and a scrappy defender who can hit the floor to make a save. Jae Fitting DS MKE Sting 18 Gold: Fitting, a Loyola Chicago signee, is a defense specialist, who makes big plays when needed and holds steady in serve receive. Grace Nelson OH 1st Alliance 18 Gold: Nelson, a 4-star Kansas signee, is a powerful outside who swings with a vengeance. She is also a scrapper defensively. Gretchen Sigman RS Team Pineapple 18 Black: Sigman, 3-star Cincinnati signee, is a lefty who is a firecracker on the court. She gives her squad another go-to option consistently. Logan Bell OH Circle City 17 Purple:  Bell, a 4-star recruit committed to Oregon, glides and flies on the outside. She brings the hammer and a ton of energy to the court. Jumana Martin L CUVC 17 Open: Martin, a 3-star recruit committed to College of Charleston, brings a level of calm, control, and consistency to her side of the court. Miliani Villarreal  L COAST 17-1: Villarreal, a Sacred Heart commit, was electric yesterday. Whether it was ball control, defense, or serving well, she did it all. Jolyna Salas S COAST 17-1: Salas, a Point Loma commit, was dishing her hitters with grace and precision. Hannah Hankerson OH OT 17 T Aaron: Hankerson, a 3-star recruit, is an explosive undersized hitter. She has a quick jump and fast arm and is difficult to time up. Lily Hayes  L OT 17 T Aaron: Hayes, a 3-star recruit committed to Florida, has a laidback demeanor and is super smooth. She rarely misses a play. Abbey Hayes OH Six Pack 17: Hayes, 3-star recruit committed to Creighton, gives plenty to the lineup hitting and defending. She was making plays in the back row and showing off her smarts attacking. Ella Rogers S Six Pack 17: Rogers, a 3-star recruit, has a nice touch and an ability to move the ball around and get her various hitters involved on a consistent basis. Hannah Gardner S CSDP 17 National: Gardner, Missouri State commit, is smooth and has accurate delivery and dishes the ball around with the best of them. Victoria Gray OH OP2 17-1 Elite: Gray, a Rockhurst commit, is a heady scorer who does well taking what the defense gives. She can also connect and unleash when needed. Sydney Bates S Dead Frog 17 Black: Bates, College of Charleston recruit, has nice hands and consistently puts her hitters in good spots to score. Sophia Overholt OH Stars 17 Helle: Overholt is an explosive hitter who hits the line with a vengeance if given the opportunity. Reese Shugart OH Stars 17 Helle: Shugart, a 2026 athlete, has a nice  quick swing and brings heat at times. Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 161E Gold: Ward, a 2027 5-star recruit, makes an impact whenever on the court. She provides a wall on defense and when she connects she hits with a very heavy hand. Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 161E Gold: Shondell, a 4-star recruit, is a smooth setter with great poise. She runs the offense well and keeps defenses on their toes. Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports – m.61: Snowbarger, a 4-star recruit, is a smart hitter who can menace defenses with her shot variation. She was serving with authority all day. Mallory Matheny S Mintonette Sports – m.61: Matheny, a 4-star recruit, has nice hands and sets a clean ball. She’s accurate and does well moving the ball around and keeping defenses on their toes. Gabi Rodriguez MADFROG 16’S N GREEN: Rodriquez, a 4-star recruit, is fast and covers ground in a hurry. She can be seen flying all over the court in pursuit of the ball. Ruby McDermott L A5 16-1 Gabe: McDermott, a 3-star recruit, is an intense competitor who plays all out and is steady and consistent with her passing.

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Vballrecruiter Player of the Week: Nejari Crooks

March 19, 2024

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured Vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Nejari Crooks. *** With parents who represented and played volleyball internationally for Jamaica, Nejari Crooks seemed destined to one day pick up the sport and begin to leave her own mark. It wasn’t until she was nine did she venture into volleyball, spending her time instead swimming and doing CrossFit. Though her parents were immersed in volleyball, Crooks didn’t view it as she would inevitably wind up playing herself. “I didn’t think about it like that,” she said. “I just started playing one day and that was it really.” Among the aspects of volleyball that she enjoys is making friends and developing close relationships with them. She also likes the team component and having to work together in order to succeed. “You have to know each other really well to accomplish what you want to and that’s something that drew me in,” Crooks said. Crooks – a 6-0, 4-star Class of 2027 recruit who touches over 10-feet – started off as a setter/right side and has remained in the same role for both club and high school. She said she doesn’t have a preference between hitting and setting and that she has fun doing both. “I like setting because you get to control the team and set up your hitters,” she said. “With hitting, I like that you get to put the ball down for your setter.” When it comes to club, Crooks has been playing up multiple age groups since she started. Currently, she’s a freshman on Triad Elite 18 National out of North Carolina. She spent this past fall as a ninth-grader on the Wesleyan Christian Academy varsity squad. The Trojans reached the semifinals of the NCISAA 4A state playoffs before falling to eventual champion Cannon. Crooks had a monster season. She finished second in kills with 235. She averaged 3.1 per set while hitting .385. She also dished out 325 assists, averaging 4.3 per set. She led the team in aces with 99 while finishing third in digs. She twice recorded a season-high 27 kills. Her season-best was also 27 assists. Her best outing featured 27 kills and 23 assists in a five-set loss to Oak Grove in mid-September. Looking ahead, Crooks has her sights set on playing in Division 1 and beyond that the Olympics. Off the court, she still does CrossFit and likes to read because “it calms me a lot.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Crooks about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Crooks: Inside and outside of volleyball it’s my family. Both my parents played volleyball at a really high level internationally for Jamaica. They’ve been involved in the sport their whole lives. They are really encouraging and set good examples of being hard working. It helps me a lot when it comes to volleyball. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Crooks: I would go to Jamaica so I could spend time with my grandma. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Crooks: I would probably learn a new language. Right now, I’m learning Spanish and French and I want to learn another one. I would like to communicate with more people and build more relationships. Do you have any volleyball superstitions or rituals and if so what are they? Crooks: I don’t really have any superstitions. I do like to listen to my favorite playlist right before playing. Aside from basic necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Crooks: Something that I can’t live without is my family because they encourage me throughout the day and bring me so much joy. We are very close-knit and make each other happy. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Crooks: I would say my German Shepard. He is 9-years-old. He makes me really happy. What’s one of your favorite ways to have fun? Crooks: One of my favorite ways to have fun is I like to play volleyball with my friends or go to the gym with them to work out together. Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why? Crooks: Outside of volleyball, I’m passionate about learning so I can grow my intelligence and knowledge and be able to share it with others. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Crooks: Something that surprises people every time is when I tell them I have six dogs and 20 chickens. My dad and I mostly take care of them. If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would it be and why? Crooks: If I could live anywhere I would go back to Jamaica. All my family is Jamaican. My grandma lives there and I don’t get to see her a lot. What’s your favorite food or foods? Crooks: My favorite food is my mom’s cooking. I think her best is her jerk chicken. It’s absolutely perfect. She makes a secret sauce with the perfect amount of spiciness. What’s your favorite number and why? Crooks: My favorite number is number 4 because when my parents played that was their number. I like to continue the tradition. Also, in elementary school with the seating chart I was number 4, so it is my lucky number.

Read More »

MEQ: Day 3 Show Stoppers

March 19, 2024

The last day of action brought a ton of excitement and a lot of shakeups at MEQ. You can read about the 16-18 Open semifinals and finals matches in the MEQ: Gold Medal Rundown. And with the qualifier season still early on for the younger ages plenty of bids were awarded. So now let’s talk about the athletes who shined on Day 3. DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Macy Hinshaw S Munciana 18 Samurai: Hinshaw, a 4-star Santa Clara signee, is a smooth operator on the court. She is a hustler on the court and shows strong leadership in directing the offense. Spencer Etzler/Addison ApplegateDS Munciana 18 Samurai: Etzer and Applegate, 4-star recruit committed to Texas A&M, were so much fun to watch. Both are defensive specialists who bring explosive defense and steady ball control to their squad. Claire Luoma L MKE Sting 18 Gold: Luoma, a 4-star Clemson signee, is a dynamic player who passes dimes and a scrappy defender who can hit the floor to make a save. Jae Fitting DS MKE Sting 18 Gold: Fitting, a Loyola Chicago signee, is a defense specialist, who makes big plays when needed and holds steady in serve receive. Grace Nelson OH 1st Alliance 18 Gold: Nelson, a 4-star Kansas signee, is a powerful outside who swings with a vengeance. She is also a scrapper defensively. Gretchen Sigman RS Team Pineapple 18 Black: Sigman, 3-star Cincinnati signee, is a lefty who is a firecracker on the court. She gives her squad another go-to option consistently. Logan Bell OH Circle City 17 Purple:  Bell, a 4-star recruit committed to Oregon, glides and flies on the outside. She brings the hammer and a ton of energy to the court. Jumana Martin L CUVC 17 Open: Martin, a 3-star recruit committed to College of Charleston, brings a level of calm, control, and consistency to her side of the court. Miliani Villarreal  L COAST 17-1: Villarreal, a Sacred Heart commit, was electric yesterday. Whether it was ball control, defense, or serving well, she did it all. Jolyna Salas S COAST 17-1: Salas, a Point Loma commit, was dishing her hitters with grace and precision. Hannah Hankerson OH OT 17 T Aaron: Hankerson, a 3-star recruit, is an explosive undersized hitter. She has a quick jump and fast arm and is difficult to time up. Lily Hayes  L OT 17 T Aaron: Hayes, a 3-star recruit committed to Florida, has a laidback demeanor and is super smooth. She rarely misses a play. Abbey Hayes OH Six Pack 17: Hayes, 3-star recruit committed to Creighton, gives plenty to the lineup hitting and defending. She was making plays in the back row and showing off her smarts attacking. Ella Rogers S Six Pack 17: Rogers, a 3-star recruit, has a nice touch and an ability to move the ball around and get her various hitters involved on a consistent basis. Hannah Gardner S CSDP 17 National: Gardner, Missouri State commit, is smooth and has accurate delivery and dishes the ball around with the best of them. Victoria Gray OH OP2 17-1 Elite: Gray, a Rockhurst commit, is a heady scorer who does well taking what the defense gives. She can also connect and unleash when needed. Sydney Bates S Dead Frog 17 Black: Bates, College of Charleston recruit, has nice hands and consistently puts her hitters in good spots to score. Sophia Overholt OH Stars 17 Helle: Overholt is an explosive hitter who hits the line with a vengeance if given the opportunity. Reese Shugart OH Stars 17 Helle: Shugart, a 2026 athlete, has a nice  quick swing and brings heat at times. Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 161E Gold: Ward, a 2027 5-star recruit, makes an impact whenever on the court. She provides a wall on defense and when she connects she hits with a very heavy hand. Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 161E Gold: Shondell, a 4-star recruit, is a smooth setter with great poise. She runs the offense well and keeps defenses on their toes. Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports – m.61: Snowbarger, a 4-star recruit, is a smart hitter who can menace defenses with her shot variation. She was serving with authority all day. Mallory Matheny S Mintonette Sports – m.61: Matheny, a 4-star recruit, has nice hands and sets a clean ball. She’s accurate and does well moving the ball around and keeping defenses on their toes. Gabi Rodriguez MADFROG 16’S N GREEN: Rodriquez, a 4-star recruit, is fast and covers ground in a hurry. She can be seen flying all over the court in pursuit of the ball. Ruby McDermott L A5 16-1 Gabe: McDermott, a 3-star recruit, is an intense competitor who plays all out and is steady and consistent with her passing.

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