The four days of action in the 16 Open division at AAU nationals ended with Mintonette Sports m.61 earning the gold medal after defeating Skyline 16 Royal in the championship match. You can read all about how the final day played out here. We also released our Day 4 Show Stoppers from the last day of competition. Now, it’s time to present our 16 Open All Red Hat Team. It’s Vballrecruiter’s version of an all-tournament team. We determined our list from the teams which made the 16 Open gold bracket. 16 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Layla Hoying Mintonette Sports m.61 Sara Snowbarger Mintonette Sports m.61 Lyla Stewart Mintonette Sports m.61 Taylor Clarke Skyline 16 Royal Simone Heard Skyline 16 Royal Brooke Lacewell Skyline 16 Royal Jenness Orcutt GP 16 Rox Jordin Southall GP 16 Rox Catherine Palmi GP 16 Rox Hayden Reeder MN Select 16-1 Gabby Divita Legacy 16-1 Adidas Sophia Stallworth OT 16 Roberto Izzy Masten Rev 16-1 Fury Merritt Sliwa Rev 16-1 Fury Sofia Guerrero-Wilson A5 16-1 Gabe Madison Miles Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Caroline Ward Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Ava Castro Jupiter Elite 16E Madelynn Henry Kairos 16 Alpha Brooklynee Brass SPVB 16 Elite Abbey Knight SPVB 16 Elite Haley Burgdorf SPVB 16 Elite Gianna Bogan SynergyForce 16 James Simone Huarte SynergyForce 16 James Marykate Scheumann Team Pineapple 16 Black *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Alia Schoonover Mintonette Sports m.61 Keoni Williams Skyline 16 Royal London Adkins GP 16 Rox Elena Hoecke MN Select 16-1 Kayla Nwabueze Legacy 16-1 Adidas Ella Andrews Legacy 16-1 Adidas Karen Dutro Rev 16-1 Fury Alivia Morgan Rev 16- Fury Riley Bethea A5 16-1 Gabe Ava Wilkerson Academy 16 Diamond Reese Resmer Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Lyla Buser Jupiter Elite 16E Cassidy Cage SPVB 16 Elite *** SETTERS Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m.61 Madison Victoriano Skyline 16 Royal Ellery DeBoer MN Select 16-1 Eva Long Legacy 16-1 Adidas Rayna Christianson Northern Lights 16-1 Genevieve Harris S Academy 16 Diamond Lexi Shondell Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Jillian McCarty Jupiter Elite 16E Ellie Stiernagle SPVB 16 Elite Sophia Gisslen Team Pineapple 16 Black *** LIBEROS Emma Cugino Mintonette Sports m.61 Kiley Brooks Skyline 16 Royal Meredith Martin Legacy 16-1 Adidas Madi Kraft Northern Lights 16-1 Avery Stephens OT 16 Roberto Ruby McDermott A5 16-1 Gabe Ellie Hepler Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Macy McAmis Jupiter Elite 16E Cala Haffner Team Pineapple 16 Black
It was an incredible – and familiar – ending in the 16 Open division at AAU nationals as the third wave wrapped up Monday at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. You can read about Mintonette Sports m.61 downing Skyline 16 Royal in the championship match here. Below, we highlight the standout performers from Day 4 with our Show Stoppers. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.61: A recent Texas commit and 5-star recruit, Cugino showed why she’s one of the best in her class to do it. She does not get rattled no matter the situation. She’s sharp and steady and a lights-out passer. Alia Schoonover MB Mintonette Sports m.61: A 3-star recruit, Schoonover brought a true offensive dynamic to the middle. She runs an effective slide attack and can put it away cross court, in the seams or down the line with equally effectiveness as she lit up defenses all day long. Kaela Jenkins MB Mintonette Sports m.61: Jenkins was the unsung hero for Mintonette on the final day of competition. She brought a blocking edge and delivered big-time stuffs at key moments, including on championship point to help Mintonette clinch the 16 Open gold medal. Madison Victoriano S Skyline 16 Royal: A 3-star setter and recent Vanderbilt commit, Victoriano is a smooth disher. She has great hands, locates well and can deliver all the sets to get her hitters involved. Lexi Anderson OH Skyline 16 Royal: Anderson – a 3-star recruit – gave Skyline a boost with the role she played. At times she helped steady out the passing in serve receive. Other times she came through on the attack to help move the offense along. Keoni Williams MB Skyline 16 Royal: A 5-star middle, the 6-4 Williams forces defenses to be aware of her. Teams have to avoid hitting into her on the attack and then must be ready for Williams to come at them when Skyline is in system. Jordin Southall OH GP 16 Rox: Southall – a 3-star recruit – was injured earlier this season and the Sunshine Classic and GP struggled in her absence. With her back, the team reached the semifinals. She’s a quick attacker with a fast arm to match. She also held it down defensively and made many saves. Catherine Palmi OH GP 16 Rox: Palmi – another 3-star recruit – is a glue piece. She’s a heady attacker with a heavy arm. But she doesn’t always need to hit hard to be effective as she frustrated defenses with well-placed off-speed shots. She also has a booming serve and can go on runs as a result. Elena Hoecke MB MN Select 16-1: Hoecke – a 5-star middle and recent Minnesota commit – Hoecke is a force at the net. She puts up a massive block. She also has a huge arm and can pound kills down with authority. Ellery DeBoer S MN Select 16-1: DeBoer – a 3-star setter from the Class of 2027 – does a great job running the offense. She’s quick on her feet, gets to the ball well and knows how to incorporate all her hitters. *** Gabby Divita OH Legacy 16-1 Adidas: A 5-star outside and recent Nebraska commit, Divita was bringing it. She almost singled-handily overwhelmed SynergyForce in the Round of 16. She has a lightning quick arm and can rip shots from sideline to sideline. Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1: Christianson – a 5-star setter/right side and recent Creighton commit – is a special talent. At 6-3, she has the size and length to excel at the next level. She’s a high-level setter with her ability to move the ball around with ease. She’s also a handful offensively, as she can hit anywhere across the front row with plenty of pace. Madi Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1: Kraft, a 4-star defender, makes big-time saves at times on hard-driven shots. She extended lots of rallies and kept her side in the play. Kendall Worwa MB Northern Lights 16-1: Worwa did well in her role in the middle. She as able to score with called upon. She also did well getting touches at the net. Sophia Stallworth OH OT 16 Roberto: A 4-star recruit, Stallworth has a potent arm and was providing plenty of offense for her side. She can get up and hit through, around or over blockers. Merritt Sliwa OH Rev 16-1 Fury: A 3-star outside, Sliwa was part of a feisty Rev group that was playing without a couple regular starters. She can really connect at times and provided a punch to the attack. Izzy Masten OH Rev 16-1 Fury: Masten – a 3-star recruit and recent Pitt commit – is normally in the lineup as a libero. However, she’s been forced to play on the outside in Orlando and showed that though she is undersized at the position still finds ways to score and help her team. Ava Wilkerson MB Academy 16 Diamond: A 4-star, 6-4 middle, Wilkerson is a presence at the net with her size. She’s a strong blocker. She’s also a strong attacker who can go right over the block. Genevieve Harris S Academy 16 Diamond: Harris – a 5-star setter and recent Texas commit – is top notch. She can move the ball around effortlessly. She’s really strong at out-of-system balls and still putting her hitters in a spot to do something. Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 16 Gold: A 4-star recruit, Shondell was among the standout setters. She’s quick with a high IQ. She does really well getting all her hitters involved and running a balanced attack. *** Jillian McCarty S Jupiter Elite 16E: A 6-1 setter/right side, McCarty is a recent Michigan State commit. She’s a consistent, steady disher who locates well. Macy McAmis L/DS Jupiter Elite 16E: A 3-star defender, McAmis is the definition of scrappy. She brings a ton of energy to the lineup too. She flies around the court making all sorts of plays to help
The four days of action in the 16 Open division at AAU nationals ended with Mintonette Sports m.61 earning the gold medal after defeating Skyline 16 Royal in the championship match. You can read all about how the final day played out here. We also released our Day 4 Show Stoppers from the last day of competition. Now, it’s time to present our 16 Open All Red Hat Team. It’s Vballrecruiter’s version of an all-tournament team. We determined our list from the teams which made the 16 Open gold bracket. 16 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Layla Hoying Mintonette Sports m.61 Sara Snowbarger Mintonette Sports m.61 Lyla Stewart Mintonette Sports m.61 Taylor Clarke Skyline 16 Royal Simone Heard Skyline 16 Royal Brooke Lacewell Skyline 16 Royal Jenness Orcutt GP 16 Rox Jordin Southall GP 16 Rox Catherine Palmi GP 16 Rox Hayden Reeder MN Select 16-1 Gabby Divita Legacy 16-1 Adidas Sophia Stallworth OT 16 Roberto Izzy Masten Rev 16-1 Fury Merritt Sliwa Rev 16-1 Fury Sofia Guerrero-Wilson A5 16-1 Gabe Madison Miles Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Caroline Ward Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Ava Castro Jupiter Elite 16E Madelynn Henry Kairos 16 Alpha Brooklynee Brass SPVB 16 Elite Abbey Knight SPVB 16 Elite Haley Burgdorf SPVB 16 Elite Gianna Bogan SynergyForce 16 James Simone Huarte SynergyForce 16 James Marykate Scheumann Team Pineapple 16 Black *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Alia Schoonover Mintonette Sports m.61 Keoni Williams Skyline 16 Royal London Adkins GP 16 Rox Elena Hoecke MN Select 16-1 Kayla Nwabueze Legacy 16-1 Adidas Ella Andrews Legacy 16-1 Adidas Karen Dutro Rev 16-1 Fury Alivia Morgan Rev 16- Fury Riley Bethea A5 16-1 Gabe Ava Wilkerson Academy 16 Diamond Reese Resmer Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Lyla Buser Jupiter Elite 16E Cassidy Cage SPVB 16 Elite *** SETTERS Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m.61 Madison Victoriano Skyline 16 Royal Ellery DeBoer MN Select 16-1 Eva Long Legacy 16-1 Adidas Rayna Christianson Northern Lights 16-1 Genevieve Harris S Academy 16 Diamond Lexi Shondell Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Jillian McCarty Jupiter Elite 16E Ellie Stiernagle SPVB 16 Elite Sophia Gisslen Team Pineapple 16 Black *** LIBEROS Emma Cugino Mintonette Sports m.61 Kiley Brooks Skyline 16 Royal Meredith Martin Legacy 16-1 Adidas Madi Kraft Northern Lights 16-1 Avery Stephens OT 16 Roberto Ruby McDermott A5 16-1 Gabe Ellie Hepler Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Macy McAmis Jupiter Elite 16E Cala Haffner Team Pineapple 16 Black
It was an incredible – and familiar – ending in the 16 Open division at AAU nationals as the third wave wrapped up Monday at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. You can read about Mintonette Sports m.61 downing Skyline 16 Royal in the championship match here. Below, we highlight the standout performers from Day 4 with our Show Stoppers. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.61: A recent Texas commit and 5-star recruit, Cugino showed why she’s one of the best in her class to do it. She does not get rattled no matter the situation. She’s sharp and steady and a lights-out passer. Alia Schoonover MB Mintonette Sports m.61: A 3-star recruit, Schoonover brought a true offensive dynamic to the middle. She runs an effective slide attack and can put it away cross court, in the seams or down the line with equally effectiveness as she lit up defenses all day long. Kaela Jenkins MB Mintonette Sports m.61: Jenkins was the unsung hero for Mintonette on the final day of competition. She brought a blocking edge and delivered big-time stuffs at key moments, including on championship point to help Mintonette clinch the 16 Open gold medal. Madison Victoriano S Skyline 16 Royal: A 3-star setter and recent Vanderbilt commit, Victoriano is a smooth disher. She has great hands, locates well and can deliver all the sets to get her hitters involved. Lexi Anderson OH Skyline 16 Royal: Anderson – a 3-star recruit – gave Skyline a boost with the role she played. At times she helped steady out the passing in serve receive. Other times she came through on the attack to help move the offense along. Keoni Williams MB Skyline 16 Royal: A 5-star middle, the 6-4 Williams forces defenses to be aware of her. Teams have to avoid hitting into her on the attack and then must be ready for Williams to come at them when Skyline is in system. Jordin Southall OH GP 16 Rox: Southall – a 3-star recruit – was injured earlier this season and the Sunshine Classic and GP struggled in her absence. With her back, the team reached the semifinals. She’s a quick attacker with a fast arm to match. She also held it down defensively and made many saves. Catherine Palmi OH GP 16 Rox: Palmi – another 3-star recruit – is a glue piece. She’s a heady attacker with a heavy arm. But she doesn’t always need to hit hard to be effective as she frustrated defenses with well-placed off-speed shots. She also has a booming serve and can go on runs as a result. Elena Hoecke MB MN Select 16-1: Hoecke – a 5-star middle and recent Minnesota commit – Hoecke is a force at the net. She puts up a massive block. She also has a huge arm and can pound kills down with authority. Ellery DeBoer S MN Select 16-1: DeBoer – a 3-star setter from the Class of 2027 – does a great job running the offense. She’s quick on her feet, gets to the ball well and knows how to incorporate all her hitters. *** Gabby Divita OH Legacy 16-1 Adidas: A 5-star outside and recent Nebraska commit, Divita was bringing it. She almost singled-handily overwhelmed SynergyForce in the Round of 16. She has a lightning quick arm and can rip shots from sideline to sideline. Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1: Christianson – a 5-star setter/right side and recent Creighton commit – is a special talent. At 6-3, she has the size and length to excel at the next level. She’s a high-level setter with her ability to move the ball around with ease. She’s also a handful offensively, as she can hit anywhere across the front row with plenty of pace. Madi Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1: Kraft, a 4-star defender, makes big-time saves at times on hard-driven shots. She extended lots of rallies and kept her side in the play. Kendall Worwa MB Northern Lights 16-1: Worwa did well in her role in the middle. She as able to score with called upon. She also did well getting touches at the net. Sophia Stallworth OH OT 16 Roberto: A 4-star recruit, Stallworth has a potent arm and was providing plenty of offense for her side. She can get up and hit through, around or over blockers. Merritt Sliwa OH Rev 16-1 Fury: A 3-star outside, Sliwa was part of a feisty Rev group that was playing without a couple regular starters. She can really connect at times and provided a punch to the attack. Izzy Masten OH Rev 16-1 Fury: Masten – a 3-star recruit and recent Pitt commit – is normally in the lineup as a libero. However, she’s been forced to play on the outside in Orlando and showed that though she is undersized at the position still finds ways to score and help her team. Ava Wilkerson MB Academy 16 Diamond: A 4-star, 6-4 middle, Wilkerson is a presence at the net with her size. She’s a strong blocker. She’s also a strong attacker who can go right over the block. Genevieve Harris S Academy 16 Diamond: Harris – a 5-star setter and recent Texas commit – is top notch. She can move the ball around effortlessly. She’s really strong at out-of-system balls and still putting her hitters in a spot to do something. Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 16 Gold: A 4-star recruit, Shondell was among the standout setters. She’s quick with a high IQ. She does really well getting all her hitters involved and running a balanced attack. *** Jillian McCarty S Jupiter Elite 16E: A 6-1 setter/right side, McCarty is a recent Michigan State commit. She’s a consistent, steady disher who locates well. Macy McAmis L/DS Jupiter Elite 16E: A 3-star defender, McAmis is the definition of scrappy. She brings a ton of energy to the lineup too. She flies around the court making all sorts of plays to help