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March 21, 2024

SCVA Red Rock 14s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

The 14s division has been the slowest of the age groups to get going. There has been just one qualifier so far – the Sunshine Classic – to award bids. That changes this coming weekend with three qualifiers on the schedule. It includes the SCVA Red Rock Rave for the younger age groups, including 14 Open. We take a look at the field below, with nationally-ranked teams, players to know, as well as offer predictions on how it might unfold. 14 OPEN Number of Teams: 26 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (9): 6. Coast 14-1 CA 18. Arizona Storm 14 Thunder AZ 20. Tstreet 14 Tara CA 29. SG Elite 14 Rosh CA 33. Wave 14 Tammy CA 34. Absolute 14 Black CA 38. Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar CA 47. Sunshine 14 Westside CA 48. SASVBC 14 Kevin HI   4-Star Players to Know: Milan Hendrickson OH Absolute 14 Black Piper Coady OH Tstreet 14 Tara Bella Turcios L/DS Tstreet 14 Tara   3-Star Players to Know: Lila Liimatta OH Aspire 14 Premier Zoe Keaney MB SASVBC 14 Kevin Samantha Saba L/DS Coast 14-1 Alice Burgett S Coast 14-1 Emilie LaSala OH Coast 14-1 Kennedy Wilkinson L/DS Wave 14 Tammy Brooke Badorek S/RS Tstreet 14 Tara Abby Moffett S/RS Tstreet 14 Tara Amari Frazier MB Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Annabelle Ross MB Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Jade Smith S Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Nikolina Djordjevich OH Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Riley Stringer S Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar Carolina Delaney OH Absolute 14 Black Abigail Lennon OH Sunshine 14 Westside Caira Tasi MB SF Elite 14 Saga   Outlook: Most of the teams in 14 Open have only played one national tournament to date and that was Triple Crown. It’s hard to believe, but that was over a month ago. No doubt teams learned from their time in Kansas City and all have improved since then. That makes this coming weekend’s event in Las Vegas wide open in my opinion. Coast did the best of anyone in the field at Triple Crown, but that offers no assurance of performing well in Vegas. A factor that heavily shapes the three-day event is the absence of trickle down. There are no teams which have qualified previously, so taking home a bid means finishing in the top three. A scenario like that always creates plenty of drama and intense conclusions. Not all that surprising is the field is West Coast heavy, with all the ranked teams competing from California, Arizona and Hawaii. Prediction: It’s tough to call results in the 14s, because the play can be so back-and-forth. I’m picking Tstreet to beat Arizona Storm in the final, as both qualify. SG Elite outlasts Coast in the third-place contest to grab the last bid.

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MEQ 14 & 15s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

The second weekend of the Mideast Qualifier features the 14 and 15 Open divisions competing in St. Louis this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As one would expect of MEQ, both fields are loaded and earning a bid in either is going to be a difficult task. As for the 14s, MEQ is one of three qualifiers taking place this weekend for that age group. Below, we take a glance at both divisions, with nationally-ranked teams, players to know, as well as offer a prediction on what may transpire. 15 OPEN Number of Teams: 48 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (1): TAV 15 Black Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (15): 1. TAV 15 Black TX 5. A5 15-1 Kelly GA 6. Skyline 15 Royal TX 10. KC Power 15 Black KS 22. VCNebraska 15 Elite NE 23. 1st Alliance 15 Gold IL 25. MN Select 15-1 MN 29. Austin Skyline 15 Royal TX 31. FH 15 Ikaika-Andy TX 42. Mintonette Sports m.51 OH 44. Elevation 15 Tony OH 45. Dynasty 15 Black KS 46. HPSTL 15 Royal MO 47. Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite MO 49. Peak 15 Black TX   5-Star Players to Know: Peyton Kubik OH Dynasty 15 Black Shaye Witherspoon OH Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite Allie Hudgins OH Austin Skyline 15 Royal Naomi Livings OH/RS TAV 15 Black Nyla Livings MB TAV 15 Black Brynn Stephens S/RS TAV 15 Black Marissa Jones S A5 15-1 Kelly   4-Star Players to Know: McKinley Moser S VCNebraska 15 Elite Kailey Leonard L/DS A5 15-1 Kelly Kylee Evans MB A5 15-1 Kelly Kyla Williams MB AVC Cle 15 Red Peyton Heatherly S 1st Alliance 15 Gold Bryn Meyer RS Mintonette Sports m.51 Lexi Martin OH TAV 15 Black Gentry Barker OH TAV 15 Black Sophee Peterson S/RS TAV 15 Black Mariah Akinsola MB TAV 15 Black Ansley Shafer L/DS TAV 15 Black Emerson Butler S Austin Skyline 15 Royal Ryan Spencer OH Skyline 15 Royal Morgan Meiring OH Elevation 15 Tony   Outlook: Among the items we know for sure is TAV is safe. That’s because our top-ranked club secured its bid to nationals already by finishing runner up at the Sunshine Classic. We also know all three bids are going to be handed out, and that trickle down can’t go beyond fourth place. After that, who knows? It’s a full field with 48 teams and features 15 from our Top 50 national rankings. It should make for a wild ride with lots of twists and turns. A5 and Skyline have delivered consistent results to date and figure to factor in. KC Power was a big surprise with its performance at Triple Crown and will look to back it up with another strong showing this weekend. The rest of the ranked teams are evenly-matched and all figure to show improvement over the course of the last month when most competed at Triple Crown. All it takes at a qualifier like this is an upset on Day 1 or 2 to upend the seedings and force contenders into the same pools. That leads to someone you would expect to be in the hunt getting eliminated earlier than expected and that opens up a spot for an unexpected team to take advantage of. The guess is something along those lines happens here. Prediction: If my predictions play out accordingly, it’s going to be a good weekend for TAV. I picked the club to win both 14 and 16 Open at Northern Lights, and I’m going with TAV to leave with a title in 15 Open as well at MEQ. As for the bids, I’m going with KC Power to finish in second place and earn one of them. Tying for third place and earning the other two bids is going to be Skyline and VCNebraska. ***** 14 OPEN Number of Teams: 28 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (1): HPSTL 14 Royal Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (13): 1. Madfrog 14 Green TX 2. HPSTL 14 Royal MO 8. Dynasty 14 Black KS 9. Circle City 14 Purple IN 10. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami KY 12. Elevation 14 Molly OH 14. AVC Cle 14 Red 16. MAVS KC 14-1 KS 23. HJV 14 Elite TX 28. Mintonette Sports m.41 OH 31. KC Power 14 Black KS 44. ARVC 14-1 Adidas NM 50. TPV 14-Zulu TN   5-Star Players to Know: Sarah Albers RS HPSTL 14 Royal Maya Ogbogu OH Madfrog 14 Green   4-Star Players to Know: Gracie White MB Madfrog 14 Green Olivia Kitur OH Madfrog 14 Green Hayden Thomas MB Madfrog 14 Green Aleyna Bramschreiber S/RS Madfrog 14 Green Nora Goodenow MB MAVS KC 14-1 Jaelyn Jordan S MAVS KC 14-1 Carsyn Chitty L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41 Sade Bello OH HJV 14 Elite   Outlook: Like 15 Open, there is only one team which has a bid already in HPSTL. It creates the same scenario, where teams must finish in the top four to have any shot of qualifying, and that is if HPSTL also finishes in the top four. If not, teams have to finish in the top three to qualify. With 13 teams featured in our Top 50, nearly half the field is in our national rankings. That should make for a competitive weekend, one that is going to make earning a bid tough to accomplish. One thing to watch for is a possible Triple Crown finals rematch between Madfrog and HPSTL. While HPSTL is safe having a bid already, Madfrog is seeking to take care of its qualifying spot in its first effort of the season. Dynasty has been a strong team so far, and Circle City captured the title at Central Zone. Both are real contenders in terms of qualifying. In 14 Open though, the play is unpredictable enough that teams can rise up, pull off upsets and earn bids. NKYVC, Elevation, AVC Cle, MAVS and HJV are all examples of teams that could find themselves in that position. Prediction: My call is going with a reverse of Triple Crown, with

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Northern Lights 14 & 16s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

The opening weekend of Northern Lights was back in January, when the 15, 17 and 18 Open divisions took place. Ahead this weekend in Minneapolis is the 14 and 16 Open divisions. The 14s have been behind the other age groups in terms of qualifiers. However, they will start to catch up this coming weekend with Northern Lights one of three 14 Open qualifiers taking place. Below, we look at both divisions, nationally-ranked teams, players to know and offer predictions on how it all will play out. 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 24 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (8): 3. TAV 16 Black TX 6. Hou Skyline 16 Royal TX 19. MN Select 16-1 MN 28. MKE Sting 16 Gold WI 30. HJV 16 Elite TX 37. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold NE 43. Vital 16-1 Gold MN 50. 1United 16 Blue TX   5-Star Players to Know: Nadi’ya Shelby RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Halle Thompson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1 Elena Hoecke MB MN Select 16-1 Layla Austin OH TAV 16 Black Kinsley Young MB TAV 16 Black Danielle Whitmire S/RS TAV 16 Black   4-Star Players to Know: Henlee Moszkowicz L/DS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Jayden Robinson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal Blair Thiebaud S Hou Skyline 16 Royal Lacy Tinnell MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal Anna Flores S/RS TAV 16 Black Julianna Hernandez L/DS TAV 16 Black Caroline Huseman OH TAV 16 Black Kylie Kleckner OH TAV 16 Black Sarah Hickman RS HJV 16 Elite Madeline Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1 Margaret Czajka MB/RS MKE Sting 16 Gold Marlee Sivak OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Eva Swenson S/RS MN Select 16-1   Outlook: It’s a little surprising to see that no qualified teams are in attendance. That’s a big deal as it eliminates any hope of trickle down and forces teams to finish in the top three to secure a bid. With 24 teams in the field, it’s the bare-minimum in order to make three bids available. One thing that stands out to me is the apparent separation in the division between teams like TAV and Hou Skyline and the rest of the field. TAV and Hou Skyline are going to be heavy favorites this weekend, not only when it comes to qualifying but winning it all. After that though, it is anyone’s game, or so it appears. Qualifiers aren’t usually as cut-and-dry as they appear on paper and upsets along the way shake up seedings and force results earlier than expected. Still, it’s a great opportunity for at least one of the other ranked teams, or even someone unexpected, to grab a bid where it might not be able to elsewhere. Prediction: I’m not going with any out-of-the-box picks here. I think Hou Skyline tops TAV in the championship match with both qualifying in the process. The final bid is where all the drama is going to take place. In a bit of a surprise, I’m taking Vital to beat MKE Sting in the third-place match for the final qualifying spot. ***** 14 OPEN Number of Teams: 16 Number of Bids: 2 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (9): 4. TAV 14 Black TX 7. Hou Skyline 14 Royal TX 19. Premier Nebraska 14 Gold NE 21. OT 14 O Alex FL 27. TAV Houston 14 Adidas TX 36. Excel 14 National Red TX 41. Northern Lights 14-1 MN 42. Kairos 14 Alpha SD 46. MKE Sting 14 Gold WI   5-Star Players to Know: Sarah Floyd RS TAV 14 Black   4-Star Players to Know: Caitlin Carrizales L/DS TAV 14 Black   3-Star Players to Know: Tegan Loechler RS MKE Sting 14 Gold Olivia Kelley OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas Cooper Binderup OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas Brynn Lagasse OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas Ava Lazar OH OT 14 Alex Elianiz Rodriguez OH OT 14 Alex Addison Musgrove S/RS Hou Skyline 14 Royal Jada Skinner OH Hou Skyline 14 Royal Hailey Tinnell MB Hou Skyline 14 Royal Peyton Barnes OH Hou Skyline 14 Royal Hana Penberthy S Hou Skyline 14 Royal Norah Hicks MB TAV 14 Black Olivia Permenter OH TAV 14 Black (2027) Katie Wawersich MB TAV 14 Black Evann Beville S TAV 14 Black Abigail Bond MB TAV 14 Black Trinity Johnson OH TAV 14 Black Madison Kutch L/DS TAV 14 Black Sadie Lovato S Excel 14 National Red Stella Sanford S Excel 14 National Red Ella Zieske OH Northern Lights 14-1   Outlook: The 14 Open division this weekend in Minneapolis is an interesting one. For starters, it’s a smaller field with just 16 teams. That means just two bids are going to be handed out and one will go into the at-large pool to be handed out after qualifying season ends. With it, however, is the fact that nine of the 16 clubs are ranked in our Top 50. So it’s a smaller field but one with relative depth to it. Another factor in play is that there are no teams with bids already, so the only way to qualify is simple. Teams have to reach the championship match to grab one. TAV was in contention at Triple Crown and will have a target on its back this weekend. TAV is a top contender. Hou Skyline has been competitive all season and is another contender as well. It’ll take some upsets and surprises for anyone else to breakthrough. At this age group, there’s a likelihood that will happen because of the unpredictability of the division. Prediction: Like 16 Open, I’m going with TAV to hold its seed and win out. The question is which squad faces TAV in the final? I’m going with another surprise, with TAV topping OT Alex in the final as both earn bids.

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Music City 18s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

This is the second to last weekend for the 18s national qualifiers. When it’s all said and done, the Music City event taking place in New Orleans could prove to be the toughest of them all. Check out why in our write-up below featuring which teams already have bids, which teams are ranked in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 and what predictions we are making for the competition taking place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 18 OPEN Number of Teams: 29 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (11): Academy 18 Diamond: Academy 18 Rage; City 18 Gold; Skyline 18 Royal; Madfrog 18 Green; Metro 18 Travel; OT 18 Roberto; KC Power 18 Black; Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite; TAV 18 Black; Triangle 18 Black Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (13): 1. TAV 18 Black TX 2. KC Power 18 Black KS 7. Madfrog 18 Green TX 9. Triangle 18 Black NC 12. Skyline 18 Royal TX 14. Academy 18 Rage IN 18. City 18 Gold CA 21. Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite MO 24. OT 18 Roberto FL 33. Metro 18 Travel DC 34. Miami Hype 18 Emilio FL 45. Academy 18 Diamond NC 48. SG Elite 18 Rosh CA   5-Star Players to Know: Lauren Harden OH Academy 18 Rage (Florida) Favor Anyanwu MB TAV 18 Black (USC) Camille Edwards S TAV 18 Black (Michigan) Jadyn Livings RS MB TAV 18 Black (USC) Taylor Yu S SG Elite 18 Rosh (Stanford) Suli Davis OH TAV 18 Black (2025, BYU) Cari Spears OH TAV 18 Black (2025, Texas) Gillian Pitts L/DS TAV 18 Black (2025, Houston)   4-Star Players to Know: Kennedy Osunsanmi RS City 18 Gold Fallon Stewart OH OT 18 Roberto (Cincinnati) Sarah Brodner OH Jupiter Elite (Virginia) Kiylah Presley MB Paramount 18 Walter Asia Thigpen OH Triangle 18 Black (Kentucky) Alayna Smith MB Triangle 18 Black (Illinois) Ashlyn Philpot MB Triangle 18 Black (Illinois) McKenna Brand L/DS Skyline 18 Royal (UCONN) Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 18 Gold (Ball State) Lolo Lambert OH Madfrog 18 Green (Arkansas) Kennedy Washington MB Madfrog 18 Green (Kentucky) Lillian Croshaw MB Madfrog 18 Green (Illinois State) Janelle Green S KC Power 18 Black (Cincinnati) Erin Debiec S Metro 18 Travel (Colorado State) Mikala Young OH TAV 18 Black (TCU) Anna Boatner MB TAV 18 Black (UCSB)   Outlook: There aren’t as many teams as last week’s 18 Open at MEQ. But, with 13 of the 29 teams ranked in our Top 50, plus 11 of those already holding bids, walking away with one of the tickets to nationals is going to be more challenging than perhaps any other 18s qualifier. Not only are there 11 teams already owning bids, but there are powerhouse clubs like TAV, KC Power, Madfrog and Triangle which figure to place highly. With trickle-down only able to extend to eighth place, it’s possible that no bids go out at all. There are currently no at-larges in 18 Open available, but it’s possible this event allows one or more to become available. Only two ranked teams in the field – Miami Hype and SG Elite – don’t have bids. They would have to crack at least the top eight to position themselves to qualify. Given the depth of field here, that’s going to be a challenge for either. Prediction: I think TAV gets another qualifier victory under its belt, taking down Madfrog in the final in a Texas showdown. KC Power and Academy Rage tie for third. Miami Hype slips into qualifying position and earns the bid, the only one we are predicting to go out.

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SCVA Red Rock 14s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

The 14s division has been the slowest of the age groups to get going. There has been just one qualifier so far – the Sunshine Classic – to award bids. That changes this coming weekend with three qualifiers on the schedule. It includes the SCVA Red Rock Rave for the younger age groups, including 14 Open. We take a look at the field below, with nationally-ranked teams, players to know, as well as offer predictions on how it might unfold. 14 OPEN Number of Teams: 26 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (9): 6. Coast 14-1 CA 18. Arizona Storm 14 Thunder AZ 20. Tstreet 14 Tara CA 29. SG Elite 14 Rosh CA 33. Wave 14 Tammy CA 34. Absolute 14 Black CA 38. Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar CA 47. Sunshine 14 Westside CA 48. SASVBC 14 Kevin HI   4-Star Players to Know: Milan Hendrickson OH Absolute 14 Black Piper Coady OH Tstreet 14 Tara Bella Turcios L/DS Tstreet 14 Tara   3-Star Players to Know: Lila Liimatta OH Aspire 14 Premier Zoe Keaney MB SASVBC 14 Kevin Samantha Saba L/DS Coast 14-1 Alice Burgett S Coast 14-1 Emilie LaSala OH Coast 14-1 Kennedy Wilkinson L/DS Wave 14 Tammy Brooke Badorek S/RS Tstreet 14 Tara Abby Moffett S/RS Tstreet 14 Tara Amari Frazier MB Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Annabelle Ross MB Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Jade Smith S Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Nikolina Djordjevich OH Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Riley Stringer S Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar Carolina Delaney OH Absolute 14 Black Abigail Lennon OH Sunshine 14 Westside Caira Tasi MB SF Elite 14 Saga   Outlook: Most of the teams in 14 Open have only played one national tournament to date and that was Triple Crown. It’s hard to believe, but that was over a month ago. No doubt teams learned from their time in Kansas City and all have improved since then. That makes this coming weekend’s event in Las Vegas wide open in my opinion. Coast did the best of anyone in the field at Triple Crown, but that offers no assurance of performing well in Vegas. A factor that heavily shapes the three-day event is the absence of trickle down. There are no teams which have qualified previously, so taking home a bid means finishing in the top three. A scenario like that always creates plenty of drama and intense conclusions. Not all that surprising is the field is West Coast heavy, with all the ranked teams competing from California, Arizona and Hawaii. Prediction: It’s tough to call results in the 14s, because the play can be so back-and-forth. I’m picking Tstreet to beat Arizona Storm in the final, as both qualify. SG Elite outlasts Coast in the third-place contest to grab the last bid.

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MEQ 14 & 15s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

The second weekend of the Mideast Qualifier features the 14 and 15 Open divisions competing in St. Louis this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As one would expect of MEQ, both fields are loaded and earning a bid in either is going to be a difficult task. As for the 14s, MEQ is one of three qualifiers taking place this weekend for that age group. Below, we take a glance at both divisions, with nationally-ranked teams, players to know, as well as offer a prediction on what may transpire. 15 OPEN Number of Teams: 48 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (1): TAV 15 Black Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (15): 1. TAV 15 Black TX 5. A5 15-1 Kelly GA 6. Skyline 15 Royal TX 10. KC Power 15 Black KS 22. VCNebraska 15 Elite NE 23. 1st Alliance 15 Gold IL 25. MN Select 15-1 MN 29. Austin Skyline 15 Royal TX 31. FH 15 Ikaika-Andy TX 42. Mintonette Sports m.51 OH 44. Elevation 15 Tony OH 45. Dynasty 15 Black KS 46. HPSTL 15 Royal MO 47. Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite MO 49. Peak 15 Black TX   5-Star Players to Know: Peyton Kubik OH Dynasty 15 Black Shaye Witherspoon OH Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite Allie Hudgins OH Austin Skyline 15 Royal Naomi Livings OH/RS TAV 15 Black Nyla Livings MB TAV 15 Black Brynn Stephens S/RS TAV 15 Black Marissa Jones S A5 15-1 Kelly   4-Star Players to Know: McKinley Moser S VCNebraska 15 Elite Kailey Leonard L/DS A5 15-1 Kelly Kylee Evans MB A5 15-1 Kelly Kyla Williams MB AVC Cle 15 Red Peyton Heatherly S 1st Alliance 15 Gold Bryn Meyer RS Mintonette Sports m.51 Lexi Martin OH TAV 15 Black Gentry Barker OH TAV 15 Black Sophee Peterson S/RS TAV 15 Black Mariah Akinsola MB TAV 15 Black Ansley Shafer L/DS TAV 15 Black Emerson Butler S Austin Skyline 15 Royal Ryan Spencer OH Skyline 15 Royal Morgan Meiring OH Elevation 15 Tony   Outlook: Among the items we know for sure is TAV is safe. That’s because our top-ranked club secured its bid to nationals already by finishing runner up at the Sunshine Classic. We also know all three bids are going to be handed out, and that trickle down can’t go beyond fourth place. After that, who knows? It’s a full field with 48 teams and features 15 from our Top 50 national rankings. It should make for a wild ride with lots of twists and turns. A5 and Skyline have delivered consistent results to date and figure to factor in. KC Power was a big surprise with its performance at Triple Crown and will look to back it up with another strong showing this weekend. The rest of the ranked teams are evenly-matched and all figure to show improvement over the course of the last month when most competed at Triple Crown. All it takes at a qualifier like this is an upset on Day 1 or 2 to upend the seedings and force contenders into the same pools. That leads to someone you would expect to be in the hunt getting eliminated earlier than expected and that opens up a spot for an unexpected team to take advantage of. The guess is something along those lines happens here. Prediction: If my predictions play out accordingly, it’s going to be a good weekend for TAV. I picked the club to win both 14 and 16 Open at Northern Lights, and I’m going with TAV to leave with a title in 15 Open as well at MEQ. As for the bids, I’m going with KC Power to finish in second place and earn one of them. Tying for third place and earning the other two bids is going to be Skyline and VCNebraska. ***** 14 OPEN Number of Teams: 28 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (1): HPSTL 14 Royal Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (13): 1. Madfrog 14 Green TX 2. HPSTL 14 Royal MO 8. Dynasty 14 Black KS 9. Circle City 14 Purple IN 10. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami KY 12. Elevation 14 Molly OH 14. AVC Cle 14 Red 16. MAVS KC 14-1 KS 23. HJV 14 Elite TX 28. Mintonette Sports m.41 OH 31. KC Power 14 Black KS 44. ARVC 14-1 Adidas NM 50. TPV 14-Zulu TN   5-Star Players to Know: Sarah Albers RS HPSTL 14 Royal Maya Ogbogu OH Madfrog 14 Green   4-Star Players to Know: Gracie White MB Madfrog 14 Green Olivia Kitur OH Madfrog 14 Green Hayden Thomas MB Madfrog 14 Green Aleyna Bramschreiber S/RS Madfrog 14 Green Nora Goodenow MB MAVS KC 14-1 Jaelyn Jordan S MAVS KC 14-1 Carsyn Chitty L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41 Sade Bello OH HJV 14 Elite   Outlook: Like 15 Open, there is only one team which has a bid already in HPSTL. It creates the same scenario, where teams must finish in the top four to have any shot of qualifying, and that is if HPSTL also finishes in the top four. If not, teams have to finish in the top three to qualify. With 13 teams featured in our Top 50, nearly half the field is in our national rankings. That should make for a competitive weekend, one that is going to make earning a bid tough to accomplish. One thing to watch for is a possible Triple Crown finals rematch between Madfrog and HPSTL. While HPSTL is safe having a bid already, Madfrog is seeking to take care of its qualifying spot in its first effort of the season. Dynasty has been a strong team so far, and Circle City captured the title at Central Zone. Both are real contenders in terms of qualifying. In 14 Open though, the play is unpredictable enough that teams can rise up, pull off upsets and earn bids. NKYVC, Elevation, AVC Cle, MAVS and HJV are all examples of teams that could find themselves in that position. Prediction: My call is going with a reverse of Triple Crown, with

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Northern Lights 14 & 16s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

The opening weekend of Northern Lights was back in January, when the 15, 17 and 18 Open divisions took place. Ahead this weekend in Minneapolis is the 14 and 16 Open divisions. The 14s have been behind the other age groups in terms of qualifiers. However, they will start to catch up this coming weekend with Northern Lights one of three 14 Open qualifiers taking place. Below, we look at both divisions, nationally-ranked teams, players to know and offer predictions on how it all will play out. 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 24 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (8): 3. TAV 16 Black TX 6. Hou Skyline 16 Royal TX 19. MN Select 16-1 MN 28. MKE Sting 16 Gold WI 30. HJV 16 Elite TX 37. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold NE 43. Vital 16-1 Gold MN 50. 1United 16 Blue TX   5-Star Players to Know: Nadi’ya Shelby RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Halle Thompson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1 Elena Hoecke MB MN Select 16-1 Layla Austin OH TAV 16 Black Kinsley Young MB TAV 16 Black Danielle Whitmire S/RS TAV 16 Black   4-Star Players to Know: Henlee Moszkowicz L/DS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Jayden Robinson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal Blair Thiebaud S Hou Skyline 16 Royal Lacy Tinnell MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal Anna Flores S/RS TAV 16 Black Julianna Hernandez L/DS TAV 16 Black Caroline Huseman OH TAV 16 Black Kylie Kleckner OH TAV 16 Black Sarah Hickman RS HJV 16 Elite Madeline Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1 Margaret Czajka MB/RS MKE Sting 16 Gold Marlee Sivak OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Eva Swenson S/RS MN Select 16-1   Outlook: It’s a little surprising to see that no qualified teams are in attendance. That’s a big deal as it eliminates any hope of trickle down and forces teams to finish in the top three to secure a bid. With 24 teams in the field, it’s the bare-minimum in order to make three bids available. One thing that stands out to me is the apparent separation in the division between teams like TAV and Hou Skyline and the rest of the field. TAV and Hou Skyline are going to be heavy favorites this weekend, not only when it comes to qualifying but winning it all. After that though, it is anyone’s game, or so it appears. Qualifiers aren’t usually as cut-and-dry as they appear on paper and upsets along the way shake up seedings and force results earlier than expected. Still, it’s a great opportunity for at least one of the other ranked teams, or even someone unexpected, to grab a bid where it might not be able to elsewhere. Prediction: I’m not going with any out-of-the-box picks here. I think Hou Skyline tops TAV in the championship match with both qualifying in the process. The final bid is where all the drama is going to take place. In a bit of a surprise, I’m taking Vital to beat MKE Sting in the third-place match for the final qualifying spot. ***** 14 OPEN Number of Teams: 16 Number of Bids: 2 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (9): 4. TAV 14 Black TX 7. Hou Skyline 14 Royal TX 19. Premier Nebraska 14 Gold NE 21. OT 14 O Alex FL 27. TAV Houston 14 Adidas TX 36. Excel 14 National Red TX 41. Northern Lights 14-1 MN 42. Kairos 14 Alpha SD 46. MKE Sting 14 Gold WI   5-Star Players to Know: Sarah Floyd RS TAV 14 Black   4-Star Players to Know: Caitlin Carrizales L/DS TAV 14 Black   3-Star Players to Know: Tegan Loechler RS MKE Sting 14 Gold Olivia Kelley OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas Cooper Binderup OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas Brynn Lagasse OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas Ava Lazar OH OT 14 Alex Elianiz Rodriguez OH OT 14 Alex Addison Musgrove S/RS Hou Skyline 14 Royal Jada Skinner OH Hou Skyline 14 Royal Hailey Tinnell MB Hou Skyline 14 Royal Peyton Barnes OH Hou Skyline 14 Royal Hana Penberthy S Hou Skyline 14 Royal Norah Hicks MB TAV 14 Black Olivia Permenter OH TAV 14 Black (2027) Katie Wawersich MB TAV 14 Black Evann Beville S TAV 14 Black Abigail Bond MB TAV 14 Black Trinity Johnson OH TAV 14 Black Madison Kutch L/DS TAV 14 Black Sadie Lovato S Excel 14 National Red Stella Sanford S Excel 14 National Red Ella Zieske OH Northern Lights 14-1   Outlook: The 14 Open division this weekend in Minneapolis is an interesting one. For starters, it’s a smaller field with just 16 teams. That means just two bids are going to be handed out and one will go into the at-large pool to be handed out after qualifying season ends. With it, however, is the fact that nine of the 16 clubs are ranked in our Top 50. So it’s a smaller field but one with relative depth to it. Another factor in play is that there are no teams with bids already, so the only way to qualify is simple. Teams have to reach the championship match to grab one. TAV was in contention at Triple Crown and will have a target on its back this weekend. TAV is a top contender. Hou Skyline has been competitive all season and is another contender as well. It’ll take some upsets and surprises for anyone else to breakthrough. At this age group, there’s a likelihood that will happen because of the unpredictability of the division. Prediction: Like 16 Open, I’m going with TAV to hold its seed and win out. The question is which squad faces TAV in the final? I’m going with another surprise, with TAV topping OT Alex in the final as both earn bids.

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Music City 18s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

This is the second to last weekend for the 18s national qualifiers. When it’s all said and done, the Music City event taking place in New Orleans could prove to be the toughest of them all. Check out why in our write-up below featuring which teams already have bids, which teams are ranked in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 and what predictions we are making for the competition taking place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 18 OPEN Number of Teams: 29 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (11): Academy 18 Diamond: Academy 18 Rage; City 18 Gold; Skyline 18 Royal; Madfrog 18 Green; Metro 18 Travel; OT 18 Roberto; KC Power 18 Black; Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite; TAV 18 Black; Triangle 18 Black Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (13): 1. TAV 18 Black TX 2. KC Power 18 Black KS 7. Madfrog 18 Green TX 9. Triangle 18 Black NC 12. Skyline 18 Royal TX 14. Academy 18 Rage IN 18. City 18 Gold CA 21. Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite MO 24. OT 18 Roberto FL 33. Metro 18 Travel DC 34. Miami Hype 18 Emilio FL 45. Academy 18 Diamond NC 48. SG Elite 18 Rosh CA   5-Star Players to Know: Lauren Harden OH Academy 18 Rage (Florida) Favor Anyanwu MB TAV 18 Black (USC) Camille Edwards S TAV 18 Black (Michigan) Jadyn Livings RS MB TAV 18 Black (USC) Taylor Yu S SG Elite 18 Rosh (Stanford) Suli Davis OH TAV 18 Black (2025, BYU) Cari Spears OH TAV 18 Black (2025, Texas) Gillian Pitts L/DS TAV 18 Black (2025, Houston)   4-Star Players to Know: Kennedy Osunsanmi RS City 18 Gold Fallon Stewart OH OT 18 Roberto (Cincinnati) Sarah Brodner OH Jupiter Elite (Virginia) Kiylah Presley MB Paramount 18 Walter Asia Thigpen OH Triangle 18 Black (Kentucky) Alayna Smith MB Triangle 18 Black (Illinois) Ashlyn Philpot MB Triangle 18 Black (Illinois) McKenna Brand L/DS Skyline 18 Royal (UCONN) Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 18 Gold (Ball State) Lolo Lambert OH Madfrog 18 Green (Arkansas) Kennedy Washington MB Madfrog 18 Green (Kentucky) Lillian Croshaw MB Madfrog 18 Green (Illinois State) Janelle Green S KC Power 18 Black (Cincinnati) Erin Debiec S Metro 18 Travel (Colorado State) Mikala Young OH TAV 18 Black (TCU) Anna Boatner MB TAV 18 Black (UCSB)   Outlook: There aren’t as many teams as last week’s 18 Open at MEQ. But, with 13 of the 29 teams ranked in our Top 50, plus 11 of those already holding bids, walking away with one of the tickets to nationals is going to be more challenging than perhaps any other 18s qualifier. Not only are there 11 teams already owning bids, but there are powerhouse clubs like TAV, KC Power, Madfrog and Triangle which figure to place highly. With trickle-down only able to extend to eighth place, it’s possible that no bids go out at all. There are currently no at-larges in 18 Open available, but it’s possible this event allows one or more to become available. Only two ranked teams in the field – Miami Hype and SG Elite – don’t have bids. They would have to crack at least the top eight to position themselves to qualify. Given the depth of field here, that’s going to be a challenge for either. Prediction: I think TAV gets another qualifier victory under its belt, taking down Madfrog in the final in a Texas showdown. KC Power and Academy Rage tie for third. Miami Hype slips into qualifying position and earns the bid, the only one we are predicting to go out.

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