June 21, 2024

The third wave of AAUs is under way. It features all of the 16s division. We spent the opening day getting to as much action as we could. Below, we present our Day 1 Show Stoppers featuring the players who made us take notice the most. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Ellie Stiernagle S SPVB 16 Elite: A 6-1, 3-star setter, Stiernagle’s height is a real advantage. Not only is she a factor at the net with her ability to go over on two and block, she has does a really nice job mixing her sets up and spreading the ball around. Abbey Knight RS SPVB 16 Elite: A 3-star recruit, the 6-0 Knight adds power to the lineup. She’s a physical hitter who pounds a heavy ball and can overwhelm defenders at times. Jasmine Daniels S Rev 16-1 Fury: Daniels is a sparkplug of a setter. She does a really good job running the offense and getting her hitters involved. She has nice hands and a consistent release. Taylor Wathen OH MAVA Adidas 16 Select: A 6-3 outside, Wathen is a presence on the pin. She has a big arm and when the opportunity there she can load up and hammer shots down. Norah Campbell L/DS MAVA Adidas 16 Select: Campbell was among the defenders who stood out. She’s steady out of serve receive and passing to target. Kylee Sells L/DS MAVA Adidas 16 Select: Sells helped make up a strong defensive back row for MAVA. She too was passing consistently and did well covering the court and keeping balls in play. Callie Largent S Triad United 16 Teal: Largent stood out with her consistent release and ability to locate. She was also able to move the ball around well. Emma Pastusic OH Triad United 16 Teal: Pastusic helped carry the offense. She has a strong arm and hits with power. She’s also able to mix it up with off-speed shots to keep the defense guessing. Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1: A 5-star setter/right side and recent Creighton commit, Christianson is an impact player and game-changer. She’s a smooth setter with a soft touch. Offensively, she can lineup and swing it from anywhere along the front row. Maddie Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1: A 4-star defender, Kraft was playing well in the back row. She was all over the court making plays and extending rallies. She was also solid out of serve receive and controlling the first touch. *** Brynn Burgk S Wildfire 16 Open: A 6-0 setter, Burgk caught our attention with her ability to locate and put up a clean ball consistently. She has nice hands and puts her hitters in good spots. Morgan Heater S Tri-State Elite 16 Blue: A 3-star, 6-1 setter, Heater was another setter who showed tons of potential. She moves well and gets her feet to the ball. She too has nice hands and does well getting all her hitters involved. Alexandra Abernathy MB SC Elite 16 Elite: Abernathy, at 6-3, is a factor in the middle. She puts up a solid block. She can also put it down offensively. She has a strong arm and gives her side an offensive threat defenses need to worry about. Fallon Humphries OH QCA Royals 16 National: A 6-0 outside from the Class of 2025 and North Florida commit, Humphries is a wirey attacker. She has a lively arm and snaps it with authority. Ryan Murphy S JJVA 16 Teal: A Florida State beach commit from the Class of 2025, Murphy was among the setters who stood out. She has very nice hands with a soft, clean release. Mollie VanDeusen RS JJVA 16 Teal: A 6-1, 3-star recruit from the Class of 2027, VanDeusen showed what she can bring to the floor as a six-rotation right side. She’s a smart hitter who sees the floor and can hit with power too. Emma Keeping S/RS Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Keeping did well in her dual role. The lefty is solid on the attack and finds ways to score. She also did well dishing and putting her hitters in good positions. Allie Davison S Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Davison also showed up well setting. She’s quick and has nice hands as well as locating well. Isabelle Kremer OH Iowa Rockets 16R: A 6-2 outside, Kremer adds physicality to the offense. She has a really strong arm and can thunder shots down at times. Sophia Albaugh OH OT 16 Will: A 6-1 outside from the Class of 2027, Albaugh has tons of potential. She’s lanky and can swing it front and back row. She hits with pace and is going to continue to add to her game. *** Rylan Miller L/DS OT 16 Will: Miller – a 4-star Georgia commit – does everything that’s needed. She sees the court and reads and react well. She’s a spot on passer with the ability to cover a lot of court. Avery MacMeccan L Stars 16 Sanders: MacMeccan showcases impressive talent in positioning herself on the court, especially against float serves from Infinity 16 Green. By adeptly creating space between her platform and body, she makes her digging technique more efficient. Her keen game sense allows her to read plays accurately, ensuring she keeps her actions straightforward and effective. Olivia Smith OH Stars 16 Sanders: Smith is an incredibly versatile player, excelling both at the net and in the back row. Her ability to deliver smart shots, execute critical defensive saves, and orchestrate powerful plays highlights her adaptability and talent. These qualities made her capable of contributing effectively in any position against Infinity 16 Green. Ammecy Ray L/DS SPVB 16 Red; Ray, playing as libero, displayed outstanding determination throughout the game leading her team to victory, consistently passing difficult balls with precision. She also effortlessly took over for the setter when required, delivering top-notch sets and highlighting her versatility and dedication on the court against SC Midlands National R. Juliana Padavic S SPVB 16 Red: Padavic, as a setter, possesses

With the conclusion of the 15 Open division at AAU, it’s time to present our 15 Open All Red Hat Team. First, if you missed any of our daily Show Stoppers, you can catch up on Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4 by clicking the links. You can also read about Legacy 15-1 Adidas capturing the gold medal and how the final day of competition played out here.  Now back to the All Red Hat Team. It’s Vballrecruiter’s version of an all-tournament team. We determined our list from the teams which made the 15 Open gold bracket. 15 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Kate Kalczynski Legacy 15-1 Adidas Calli LeFevre Legacy 15-1 Adidas Kennedy Langmo Top Select 15 Elite Kaleigh Langmo Top Select 15 Elite Jenny Glushakov Top Select 15 Elite Shania Rhamy Munciana 15 Blue Caroline Hanchar Munciana 15 Blue Ellie Osowski Northern Lights 15-1 Elleora Utecht Northern Lights 15-1 Livia Sathre Northern Lights 15-1 Mia Ray A5 15-1 Kelly Marlee Ellison RVA 15 Naples Teagan Moyer RVA 15 Naples Makenna Meibers Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Maisie Jones Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Brooke Codey Adidas KiVA 15 Red Lilah Anthony Adidas KiVA 15 Red Brianna Napoles Miami Hype 15 Nekane Kacie Schulte MN Select 15-1 Ellie Enger WPVC 15 Armour Black Isabel Incinelli WPVC 15 Armour Black *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Carsyn Comer Munciana 15 Blue Cynthia Ockerman Legacy 15-1 Adidas Haley Higgins Top Select 15 Elite Kylee Evans A5 15-1 Kelly Audrey Simpson A5 15-1 Kelly Ruthie Robinson Kairos 15 Alpha Jillian Forrest Tri-State Elite 15 Blue *** SETTERS Marlie Smith Legacy 15-1 Adidas London Evans Munciana 15 Blue Kaelyn Bjorklund Northern Lights 15-1 Ryah Cotton Northern Lights 15-1 Marissa Jones A5 15-1 Kelly Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 15 Alpha Penelope Reisman Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Rilee Enns MN Select 15-1 Sydney Friedly MN Select 15-1 *** LIBEROS Addison Stepp Legacy 15-1 Adidas Jenna Brooks Top Select 15 Elite Lyndsey Robinson Munciana 15 Blue Clara Christ Northern Lights 15-1 McKenzie Wilkie A5 15-1 Kelly Mya VanWesten Kairos 15 Alpha London Taylor RVA 15 Naples Dannah Kerberg Adidas KiVA 15 Red

The final wave of AAU features 17 Open. It’s typically 16 Open that closes out the two weeks. The 17 Open division features five teams – OT Aaron, Mich Elite, Northern Lights, OT Felix and GP – which we’ll also see at USAV nationals in July. Below, we take a brief look at the division, nationally-ranked teams, players to know and our predictions. Number of Teams: 71 Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (10): 7. OT 17 Aaron FL 12. Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal 14. Adidas KiVA 17 Red KY 15. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno MI 21. Northern Lights 17-1 MN 22. A5 17-1 Calvin GA 31. Tri-State Elite 17 Blue OH 32. OT 17 Felix FL 36. GP 17 Rox FL 43. NorCal 17-1 Black CA   5-Star Players to Know: Kelly Kinney OH Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal (Minnesota) Charlotte Glass S Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal (Duke) Amina N’diaye OH OT 17 Felix (Miami) Kristen Simon L/DS Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Wisconsin) Addison Makun MB Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Louisville) Lydia Chinchar RS No Name 17 Sarah (2027)   4-Star Players to Know: Olivia Guzman MB Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal Zoey Matias L/DS Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal (Missouri) Mija Bendziute RS Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal (UCLA) Isabela Haggard S/RS Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Indiana) Manaia Ogbechie MB SAVC Jen 17 Premier (Nebraska) Elena Maynulet OH GP 17 Rox (Columbia) KK Green S/RS GP 17 Rox (Holy Cross) Mesaiya Bettis OH Northern Lights 17-1 (Iowa State) Sakura Codling L/DS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue (UCLA) Charlotte Kelly MB NorCal 17-1 Black (Cal Poly SLO) Isabelle Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (Cincinnati) Camryn Jeffery OH A5 17-1 Calvin Francesca Popescu L/DS A5 17-1 Calvin (Cal) Ashlyn Paymal NE Elite 17 Mamba (Creighton) Izzy Mogridge S OT 17 Aaron (Oregon) Natalie Carr OH Pitt 17 Elite (2026)   Outlook: With 71 teams, 17 Open is a large field. However, it features just 10 teams from Vballrecruiter’s Top 50. OT Aaron is the lone team in the Top 10, with Tribe, KiVA and Mich Elite residing in the Top 20. Northern Lights and A5 are both in the Top 25. It would be a surprise to see any of the 10 ranked teams being knocked from contention before Day 3. Based on the season’s results, it’s really looking like OT Aaron, Tribe, KiVA or Mich Elite should walk away with the gold medal. OT Aaron has put together the most consistent season of the group. Tribe certainly has the firepower to get it done. KiVA too, while Mich Elite has the savvy to win it all. With just 10 ranked teams participating, there is bound to be teams outside our Top 50 which make noise. A couple leading candidates could be No Name and Wildfire, two Florida clubs. Ku’Ikahi, from Hawaii, is another. As are Tulsa Power and Academy Tsunami. As is the case at AAUs, only the fourth-place finisher in pool play on Day 1 is eliminated from contention, so it’s a slow start before picking up steam as we head into Days 3 and 4. For teams still in contention, Day 3 breaks down into seven, four-team pools. Therefore, we are bound to get ranked teams going against one another by then, if they make it that far. Day 4 features a 14-team gold bracket, with the first and second-place finishers from Day 3 pool play advancing that far. Prediction: The pick is OT Aaron winning it all. OT beats Mich Elite in the final. Tribe and Northern Lights tie for third.

There were twists and turns that only the final day of competition can bring. Ultimately, it was Legacy 15-1 Adidas navigating the gold bracket and hoisting the championship trophy as 15 Open came to a conclusion on Day 4 at AAU nationals. You can read about how it played out here. Below, we present our Day 4 Show Stoppers featuring the players who stood out the most to us. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Kate Kalcyznski OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Kalcyznski, a 4-star recruit, had moments where she simply took matches over. She has a lively arm, can hit over blocks and put up points in a hurry. Calli LeFevre OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: LeFevre – a 3-star recruit – is a steadying presence with infectious energy. She’s a smart attacker who doesn’t overdo it and knows how to better the ball. Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: A 4-star recruit, Ockerman was a force all day long, but especially in the finals against Top Select, which had no answer for her. Her physicality and ability to run the slide caused havoc all match long. Marlie Smith S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Smith – a 3-star setter – is quick to the ball and does well getting her feet there. She has a nice touch, locates well and showed she can mix up her sets and move the ball around to her various hitters. Addison Stepp L/DS Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Stepp, a 3-star recruit, had a huge day defensively. She was lights out in the back row, making all the plays and picking off hard-driven shots coming her way. Jenna Brooks L/DS Top Select 15-1 Adidas: Another 3-star defender, Brooks showed no fear in the back row. She’s consistent out of serve receive and covers very well. Kaleigh Langmo OH Top Select 15-1 Adidas: Langmo did a great job carrying her share of the offense. She’s a heady attacker who knows when to be aggressive and take big swings versus taking something off her shot and finding holes in the defense. Haley Higgins MB Top Select 15-1 Adidas: Higgins made a big impact across the front row, especially in helping Top Select reach the final. She gave Top Select a scoring threat at the net as well as delivering timely blocks to lift her team to victory. Kaelyn Bjorklund S/RS Northern Lights 15-1: Bjorklund, a 4-star recruit, doesn’t come off the court. While she’s a solid setter who puts up a good ball, she really shined at times attacking. She has a big-time arm and absolutely thundered shots down to the floor. Elleroa Utecht OH Northern Lights 15-1: Utecht, a 3-star recruit, has a lightning fast arm. She can let it fly in the blink of an eye and simply overwhelm defenders with the speed she hits at. *** Clara Christ L/DS Northern Lights 15-1: Christ, a 4-star defender, is extremely tough to get a shot down on. If the ball is in her vicinity she’s going to get it up more times than not and frustrate attackers in the process. Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 15 Blue: A 5-star recruit, Comer is a game-changing middle. She can carry an offense when she checks in. She has a powerful arm and sees the court very well. Lyndsey Robinson L/DS Munciana 15 Blue: Robinson, a 3-star recruit, is a scrappy defender and very quick around the court. She made many hustle plays to keep her team in the point. Shania Rhamy OH Munciana 15 Blue: Rhamy is a fearless, relentless attacker. Though she’s a bit undersized she doesn’t give up an inch when it comes to challenging bigger blockers and throwing a variety of shots at the defense. Marissa Jones S A5 15-1 Kelly: Jones – a 5-star setter – has next-level written all over her. She’s extremely smooth and gifted. She can keep her team in system on off balls and just makes the position look easy. Kylee Evans MB A5 15-1 Kelly: Evans – a 4-star recruit – was having a day in the middle. She was making herself felt on both sides of the ball. She was coming up with monster stuffs as well as quick attacks and ripping shots down. Layla Dunn RS A5 15-1 Kelly: Dunn, a 3-star recruit, and her length was a problem for Top Select in the quarterfinals. She was scoring on both the left and right sides as well as getting her hands on shots and slowing down the attack. Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 15 Alpha: A 5-star setter from the Class of 2028, Samuels is tremendously talented. She’s another one who makes dishing the rock look easy and effortless and can also take off balls and get her hitters nice looks still. Ruthie Robinson MB Kairos 15 Alpha: Robinson, a 3-star middle, has a lot of potential. She’s a legit scoring option as her length helps her hit from high angles. She’s also a solid blocker. Marlee Ellison OH RVA 15 Naples: Ellison is a big part of why RVA was in the quarterfinals. She’s a smart hitter with a solid arm and finds different ways to keep the defense guessing. *** London Taylor L/DS RVA 15 Naples: Taylor was another standout defender. She’s scrappy and flies around the court making plays. Jillian Forrest MB Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Forrest had as good a day as any middle. She was a total force at the net on both sides of the ball. Her athleticism and scoring prowess brought a whole different dynamic to the front row as teams struggled to contain her. Maisie Jones OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Jones, a 3-star recruit, was steady and consistent and provided her share of offense. She has a smooth swing and can get after it at times. Brooke Codey OH Adidas KiVA 15 Red: Codey, part of the Class of 2028, shoulders a large load offensively. She has a strong arm and has all types of shots to throw at defenses. Brianna Napoles OH Miami