We spent the week releasing our final Club National Rankings. Last in line is the 14s divisions, which you can find below. You can find the 18s, 17s, 16s and 15s that were already put out by clicking on the links.
There are lots of factors to take into consideration when formulating a list like this. It leaves plenty of room for debate as these rankings are ultimately subjective. There are power league results, qualifier results, national tournaments like Triple Crown and of course the USAV Girls Junior Nationals and AAU national championships. All these come into play. We put more weight on what happened at Junior Nationals than a qualifier because the whole season is built toward peaking at JN’s. We also had one steadfast rule we didn’t break no matter the circumstances. That rule was if Team A defeated Team B in a gold challenge match or gold bracket match at JN’s, Team A is always going to be ranked ahead of Team B. That’s because everyone comes to JN’s to win a gold medal and if Team A eliminates Team B from contention, it won at the absolute right time.
It can make for some skewed overall rankings as a team might be too high or low overall but what’s the point if the biggest head-to-head matches of the season aren’t the most important ones? The Top 25 teams have comments to hopefully give some insight as to why they are ranked where they are. A select few from 26-50 have comments as well but not all.
1. MINTONETTE M.41 (6 – previous ranking)
Going 10-1 overall, Mintonette captured the 14 Open gold medal at Junior Nationals after fedning off Flyers 14 Anthony in the championship match. Mintonette’s only loss came to Forza1 North 14 UA in the second round of pool play. That contest was one of seven consecutive three-setters for Mintonette, which went on to defeat NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami in the challenge round, Wave 14 Brennan in the quarters and Elevation 14 Molly in the semis, all in three as well, before sweeping Flyers. Mintonette beat Flyers in three sets in the first round of pool play as well and finish off the year going 26-11 against Open-qualified teams. Mintonette finished first at Northern Lights and fifth at both MEQ and Windy City, as well as Triple Crown.
2. FRISCO FLYERS 14 ANTHONY (5)
Two of the three losses at Junior Nationals – where Flyers took home the silver medal in 14 Open – came to Mintonette. HPSTL 14 Royal was the only other team to top Flyers, coming in the first round of pool play. It was a tremendous year for Flyers, which took second at Lone Star, third at Salt Lake and fourth at Triple Crown. Flyers ends the season with a near identical record as Mintonette against the Open field at 26-12.
3. ELEVATION 14 MOLLY (9)
Elevation capped its year with a bronze medal in 14 Open at Junior Nationals, falling to Mintonette in the semis. Elevation outlasted Austin Skyine 14 Royal in challenge play before scoring a big victory over TAV 14 Black in the quarterfinals. The only other loss in Indy came to SG Elite 14 Rosh in the first round of pool play. Elevation finished first at Big South and fourth at MEQ, as well as taking sixth at Triple Crown. Elevation went 24-15 against Open competition.
4. TAV 14 BLACK (3)
It was TAV which ended the hopes of Boiler Jrs 14 Gold of ‘doubling up’ when the North Texas Region club took down the 14 Open AAU champion in the challenge round at Junior Nationals. TAV then was stopped in the quarterfinals by Elevation and finished tied for fifth in Indy. TAV ended first at NEQ, fifth at MEQ and 11th at Lone Star. TAV wraps up with a 21-12 mark versus Open teams.
5. BOILER JRS 14 GOLD (8)
Though Boiler Jrs wasn’t able to advance to the gold bracket at Junior Nationals, the Hoosier Region club turned in one of the best seasons. Boiler Jrs captured gold in 14 Open at AAU and lost just twice in Indy, to TAV in the challenge round and to Flyers in the second round of pool play. Other results on the season include winning Windy City, taking second at NEQ and third at MEQ. Boiler Jrs also won Bluegrass and the JVA SummerFest and finished 15th at Triple Crown. Boiler Jrs compiled a 30-11 record when facing Open teams, the second-most victories of any team.
6. WAVE 14 BRENNAN (4)
A loss to Mintonette in the quarterfinals kept Wave from medaling at Junior Nationals. The only other loss in Indy came to Alamo 14 Premier in the first round of pool pool as Wave finished tied for fifth overall. It was a remarkable season for the So Cal club, which finished first at the Red Rock Rave and fourth at Salt Lake City, as well as second at Triple Crown and winning the JVA West Coast Cup. All that led Wave to a 34-11 mark against Open competition, the most victories of any team against such opponents.
7. SG ELITE 14 ROSH (20)
There are always surprises at Junior Nationals and SG was one of the biggest. The So Cal club upset Madfrog 14 Green in the quarterfinals before falling to Flyers in the semis to secure a bronze medal. SG Elite also took out Forza1 North 14 UA in challenge play and together it elevated SG Elite 13 spots in our final rankings. SG Elite – which finished 14th at Triple Crown – took second at the Red Rock Rave and third at PNQ. Its record against Open teams stands at 16-18, with five of those losses coming against Wave.
8. MADFROG 14 GREEN (1)
It was a tough ending to an incredible season as Madfrog finished tied for fifth at Junior Nationals. Madfrog came to Indy having lost just once – to Elevation – on a national stage and doubled that number with two losses in the first round of pool play to Tstreet 14 Carson and NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami. Madfrog advanced to the top eight after beating HPSTL in challenge play but fell to SG Elite in three sets in the quarterfinals. Madfrog finished first at four tournaments this season – Triple Crown, Salt Lake City, PNQ and Lone Star. Madfrog ends the year with a impressive 29-4 mark against Open opponents.
9. MKE STING 14 GOLD (2)
MKE Sting lost a heartbreaker to Wave in the challenge round at Junior Nationals before coming in 11th overall. Sting came in seventh at Triple Crown, won MEQ and took second at Windy City. MKE Sting went 24-9 against Open teams. Of those nine losses, the only one to a team not ranked ahead of MKE Sting came to Hou Skyline 14 Royal in the last match of JNs. The other losses were to Madfrog (twice), Mintonette (twice), Boiler Jrs (twice), Wave and Flyers.
10. NKYVC 14-1 TSUNAMI (10)
NKYVC came in 13th at Junior Nationals and rounds out the Top 10. The Pioneer Region club could’ve been higher except for a loss to Mintonette – 15-13 in the third – in challenge play in Indy. NKYVC also lost to Tstreet – in the first round of pool play – and MKE Sting – on Day 4 in silver bracket competition. NKYVC played its way to a 22-13 record against Open-qualified teams.
11. FORZA NORTH 14 UA (13)
Forza North was advancing nicely at Junior Nationals, with only a loss to Boiler Jrs in the first round of pool play, before falling to SG Elite in the challenge round and missing the gold bracket and finishing 13th. Forza picked up a victory over eventual champ Mintonette in the second round of pool play. For the season, Forza went 25-13 against Open foes.
12. ALAMO 14 PREMIER (16)
Alamo had a consistent season and after tying for fifth at Junior Nationals climbs five spots in our final rankings to the brink of the Top 10. Alamo made the top eight in Indy after beating Hou Skyline in challenge play and then went down to Flyers in the quarters. Other results this season featured coming in fourth at the Sunshine Classic, third at NEQ and seventh at Lone Star. Alamo went 13-15 when playing Open teams.
13. GAME POINT 14 ROX (11)
The AAU silver medalist in 14 Open came in 18th at Junior Nationals. That might seem to be a lower-than-expected finish but part of the reason was GP landing a difficult three-team pool on Day 3 with Flyers and Boiler Jrs. GP lost both those contests to miss out on challenge play. This season GP also came in 11th at Triple Crown, third at Lone Star, fifth at NEQ and second at Sunshine. With it, GP ended 23-14 against Open foes.
14. HOU SKYLINE 14 ROYAL (22)
Hou Skyline definitely showed improvement throughout the year, which ended with a ninth-place effort at Junior Nationals. Hou Skyline was eliminated from medal contention with a loss to Alamo in the challenge round. Hou Skyline closed Day 4 with strong victories over Pohaku 14-1 and MKE Sting. The other losses in Indy came to both finalists in Mintonette and Flyers. After a 19th-place showing at Triple Crown and coming in 17th at MEQ, Hou Skyline came in seventh at Sunshine and fourth at Lone Star. Hou Skyline put up a 16-17 record when facing Open teams.
15. HPSTL 14 ROYAL (18)
HPSTL – which came in 11th at Junior Nationals – faced a tough slate in Indy. It went 5-5 overall, with four of the five losses to Mintonette, Wave, Madfrog and Boiler Jrs, as well as Hou Skyline. The loss to Madfrog came in the challenge round. HPSTL did pick up a solid victory over Forza North on Day 4. HPSTL finished the year 13-14 against Open foes.
16. TSTREET 14 CARSON (21)
On its way to finishing 20th at Junior Nationals, Tstreet scored a few impressive victories. The So Cal club uprooted both Madrog and NKYVC in opening pool play and then downing Pohaku in the second round of pool play. Tstreet lost out on a tiebreaker in the three-way pool after losing to TAV and didn’t advance to the challenge round. Tstreet put up a 17-21 mark against the Open field.
17. POHAKU 14-1 (7)
Going 3-6 and coming in 13th at Junior Nationals, Pohaku is the only team that was in the Top 10 previously to drop out, falling 10 spots to No. 17. Pohaku lost to Tstreet but upset TAV in the second round of pool play before going down to Flyers in the challenge round in Indy. Pokahu went 17-12 against Open competition.
18. AUSTIN SKYLINE 14 ROYAL (23)
By coming in 13th at Junior Nationals, Austin Skyline helped its cause and rose six spots in the final rankings. Austin Skyline could’ve moved up even more but lost to Elevation – 15-13 in third – in challenge play. Austin Skyline concludes 11-21 against the Open field.
19. SCVC 14 ROXY (14)
There are what ifs with SCVC from Junior Nationals. For example, what if SCVC could’ve beat both Mintonette in Forza North in its three-team pool on Day 3? SCVC lost to Mintonette 15-12 in Game 3 and to Forza 15-13 in the third and missed the challenge round. SCVC lost its first three matches in the first round of pool to Austin Skyline, TAV and MKE Sting but still broke pool by winning its next two over A5 Mizuno 14 Helen and AVC Cle Rox 14 Red. SCVC finished in 19th. For the year, the So Cal club went 18-20 when playing Open competition.
20. A5 MIZUNO 14 HELEN (24)
A5 is a reason why we look at actual results and not just where teams place in the final standings. While A5 came in 25th at Junior Nationals – after earning the bronze medal in 14 Open at AAU – it finished 8-3 overall in Indy. A5 just wasn’t able to break the first round of pool after losing to MKE Sting, TAV and SCVC. TAV and MKE Sting are Top-10 teams. After falling to SCVC in its final opening pool match, A5 didn’t lose again. A5 had a 15-17 record against the Open field.
21. LEGACY 14-1 ADIDAS (30)
Legacy earned a bronze medal in 14 Open at AAU and didn’t participate in Junior Nationals after not receiving one of the available at-large bids. In some ways it makes it tough to rank Legacy, which went 8-18 against Open teams. But Legacy did beat WPVC 14 Armour Black in the quarterfinals at AAU and that helps Legacy climb the rankings to No. 21.
22. WPVC 14 ARMOUR BLACK (39)
Winter Park makes a huge leap in our final national rankings by climbing 17 positions. An at-large recipient, WPVC was 2-8 against the Open field heading into the final month. Between AAU – where WPVC came in tied for fifth – and Junior Nationals – where the Florida club finished 17th – WPVC went 7-6 against Open teams in Orlando and Indy and wound up with a 9-14 record against such opponents.
23. TAV HOUSTON 14 ADIDAS (26)
TAV Houston – which came in 21st at Junior Nationals – slides up three spots and lands inside the Top 25 in our final rankings. TAV Houston made it out of its first round of pool play but was downed by both Elevation and Alamo in the three-team pools and missed the challenge round. TAV Houston finishes up a respectable 13-13 against the Open field.
24. AZ SKY 14 GOLD (12)
All of AZ Sky’s losses at Junior Nationals – where Sky finished 22nd – came to teams ranked ahead of Sky in our final rankings. It includes losses to Austin Skyline and Hou Skyline in its three-team pool and missing out on the challenge round. Sky concludes the year 16-16 against Open competition.
25. SKYLINE 14 ROYAL (29)
Taking 23rd at Junior Nationals, Skyline moves up four spots and rounds out the Top 25. Skyline lost both matches in its three-team pool to SG Elite and NKYVC and missed the challenge round. The North Texas Region club ends with a 7-19 record against Open teams.
***
26. DYNASTY 14 BLACK (19)
27. DRIVE NATION 14 RED (32)
28. PREMIER NEBRASKA 14 GOLD (15)
Premier Nebraska went the distance in six of its nine matches at Junior Nationals, going 4-2 in those contests. Premier Nebraska defeated Pohaku, AZ Rev, High Tide and AP in three while falling to SG Elite and A5 in three. Premier Nebraska wound up in 27th place overall.
29. AZ REV 14 PREMIER (28)
30. ARIZONA STORM 14 THUNDER (17)
31. TOP SELECT 14 ELITE (34)
Legacy was the first non-Open team to crack the rankings. Top Select is the second. The Florida club finished tied for fifth in 14 Open at AAU then came to Indy and captured the gold medal in 14 National.
32. HIGH TIDE 14 ELITE (37)
33. AP 14 ADIDAS (25)
34. ACADEMY 14 DIAMOND (42)
35. AVC CLE ROX 14 RED (33)
36. OP2 14-1 (36)
37. REV 14-1 FUEGO (31)
38. ACADEMY 14 HP DANIELE (N/R)
Academy HP Daniele appears in our final rankings after finishing with the silver medal in 14 National at Junior Nationals. The club defeated Iowa Rockets 14R in the quarterfinals and Northern Lights 14-1 in the semis.
39. NORTHERN LIGHTS 14-1 (N/R)
Northern Lights finished in fifth place in 14 Open at AAU. At Junior Nationals, Northern Lights earned the bronze medal in 14 National, losing only to Academy HP Daniele. In Orlando, Northern Light reached the gold bracket, where it defeated KiVA in the Round of 16 before falling to Boiler Jrs in the quarterfinals.
40. IOWA ROCKETS 14R (45)
41. ADIDAS KIVA 14 RED (49)
KiVA went 8-2 and ended in 11th place in 14 Open at AAU. Its only losses were to Game Point in pool play on Day 3 and then to Northern Lights in the Round of 16 in gold bracket action.
42. EAST SIDE BLAZE 14N (27)
43. COAST 14-1 (N/R)
44. CO JRS 14 SARAH (48)
45. TEAM PINEAPPLE 14 BLACK (44)
46. MAULOA 14 GREEN (N/R)
47. TEXAS PISTOLS 14 BLACK (45)
48. ASICS MUNCIANA 14 CHIPMUNKS (50)
49. TRI-STATE ELITE 14 BLUE (N/R)
50. NORCAL 14 BLACK (N/R)
***
ON THE CUSP
- SF Tremors 14 Wolverines
- Actyve 14 Black
- TVC 14 Black
- W Revolution 14 Premier
- Midwest Penguins 14 Elite
- Norco 14 Black
- Tribe 14 Elite
- Madfrog 14 Black
- Mich Elite 14 Mizuno
- MN Select 14-1
- Kairos 14 Adidas
- Team Indiana 14-1
- Triangle 14 Black
- JJVA 14 Teal
- 305 VBC 14 Christian
- ECJVC 14 National
- LAV 14 National Black
- Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar M
- Circle City 14 Purple
Teams Into The Rankings
Academy 14 HP Daniele
Northern Lights 14-1
Coast14-1
Tri-State Elite 14 Blue
NorCal 14 Black
Teams Out Of The Rankings
HJV 14 Elite (35)
SF Tremors 14 Wolverines (41)
Lions 14-1 (47)
OT 14 Cristobal (40)
Union 14-1 UA (46)
