In terms of seeding, there was very little upheaval on Day 2 of 14 Open at AAUs in Orlando. Much of the day’s excitement was contained to Pool 1, where the topsy-turvy action meant no one was safe. It was a Florida slugfest in the pool as top-seeded and nationally-ranked No. 8 OT 14 Laura, unranked Miami Hype 14 Nekene and national No. 23 Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal were together along with Panda 14-1 Simo.
Skipping ahead, OT, Miami Hype and Tribe finished in a three-way tie at 2-1. It was Tribe getting the short end of the tiebreaker, coming in third and being eliminated from gold-medal contention. It was really a heart-breaking day for Tribe, which opened up on such a positive note. Tribe took down OT in three, 25-21, 18-25, 15-11, to open the action. Taking down the top seed is a big deal, but it might have been too big of a deal.
In covering volleyball over the years, riding the high and lows of victories and defeats is commonplace, especially the younger the age groups. When I saw Tribe celebrating its big victory over OT with a dogpile, I was a little concerned how Tribe would respond in its next match.
A dogpile after an 8am victory with two matches to go is not something you see every day covering volleyball. It made me think Tribe was riding way too high. It made Tribe susceptible in its next outing against Miami Hype when the ensuing low hits. While Miami Hype was seeded higher, Tribe is ranked in our Top 25 while Miami Hype is unranked. So here, Tribe was favored but it didn’t play out like that.
In fact, Miami Hype swept in convincing fashion, 25-22, 25-18. That result alone didn’t eliminate Tribe, but it put Tribe’s chances of advancing out of its hands. Miami Hype needed to beat OT outright for Tribe to advance. If OT came through, either in two or three, then Tribe had no chance of advancing based on the set percentages. OT swept Miami Hype handily, 25-15, 25-13, to create the three-way tie and knock Tribe out.
As far as advancing to Friday’s Group 1 pools, there was only one result to go against seed. It came in Pool 6, where the No. 2 team GP 14 Rox swept Vaqueras 14-1 in the 1 v 2 match to finish 3-0. A5 14 Helen, Adidas KiVA 14 Red, Mauloa 14 Green and Munciana 14 Chipmunks all went 3-0, 6-0 as Nos. 1 teams.
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DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS
McKenzie Burrell OH A5 14 Helen: Burrell is one of many attackers who can get up and deliver for A5. She gets off the ground well and can bury balls down with her strong arm.
Layla Dunn MB A5 14 Helen: Dunn was making an impact at the net with her attacking. She’s a quick middle with a nice arm. A5 likes to take advantage and utilize her in transition.
Riley Bethea MB A5 14 Helen: Bethea is another middle opponents need to be concerned about. She’s long and takes up space with her reach and block. She’s also a capable scorer when she gets the opportunity.
Elleora Utecht OH Northern Lights 14-1: Utecht was bringing it. She was a key part of the offense giving Northern Lights a reliable, consistent scorer on the outside. She gets up well and swings hard.
Danielle Lewis L/DS CJV 14 Kim: Lewis is a quick libero who flies around the court. She can run down balls and keep plays alive with her hustle.
Brighton Richards L/DS Temecula Viper 14 Leanna: Richards was an anchor in the back row. She did well in serve receive and is very vocal on the court with her communication.
Airyss Celestine MB Temecula Viper 14 Leanna: Celestine is a bit undersized but she’s a quick jumper who can get up and score before the block sets up.
London Evans S/RS Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Evans plays a vital role for Muncie as a setter and hitter. It can be tough to gauge what she’s better at, as she does well with both. She has a nice touch and locates well. She also has a strong arm and can provide her share of offense across the front.
Kamryn Roberts L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41: Roberts was among the standout liberos. She has a good court awareness and her passing and defending were on point.
Bryn Meyer OH Mintonette Sports m.41: A 6-1 lanky outside, Meyer is a 4-star recruit with lots of upside. With her length, she has nice extension and can contact at a high point which allows for angles others can’t hit.
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Shelby Fuller L/DS Triangle 14 Black: It was a solid day for defenders, with Fuller making an impression as well. She’s a steady passer with a strong platform and was putting the ball on target.
Leilani Lawrence OH OT 14 Laura: Lawrence, a 2026 outside, showed off her athleticism. She has the ability to get up and unload, something she was doing plenty of in helping OT fight off elimination and advance.
Mesa Jameson MB Kokoro 14-1: We wrote about Jameson on Day 1 as well and she was back at it again. Her upside is amazing. She’s long, moves well and has a nice arm.
Brooklyn Sippio MB GP 14 Rox: Sippio is among the middle prospects to be sure. She’s a 4-star recruit who is very long and makes an impact on both sides of the ball with her blocking and hitting.
Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 14 Alpha: Samuels was featured on our All Red Hat Team on Day 1 and was very close to being on it again. She’s a phenomenal talent. She’s another Class of 2028 recruit playing up. She’s silky smooth, knows how to move the ball around and does an excellent job of getting her hitters 1-on-1 looks.
Kennedy Shockley L/DS Munciana Indy 14 Otters: Shockley is part of the defensive identity for the Otters. She’s a solid passer who reads and covers well.
Sophia Simonetti S Munciana Indy 14 Otters: Simonetti did well running a 5-1. She locates nicely and puts up a hittable ball. She’s also above average on defense.
Londyn Sommerville MB CI Elite 14 Elite: Sommerville is raw put it’s easy to see her potential if she continues growing and developing. She’s one of the physically stronger middles in the division and at times you could see what’s possible as she made plays at the net.
Jenny Glushakov RS Top Select 14 Elite: Glushakov is another player who we mentioned as a Day 1 Show Stopper. Her play on Day 2 made her impossible to ignore. She’s another rising prospect. She’s tall and plays six rotations. She attacks from the back and puts up a solid block up front.
Jenna Brooks L/DS Top Select 14 Elite: Brooks was defending well and putting her passes on point on the regular. She also covered well.
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Brooke Codey OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Codey – part of the Class of 2028 – is a high IQ outside who does a ton for KiVA. She’s solid in serve receive and defends. She’s a bit undersized but she’s a smart attacker who knows how to put the ball in the open space.
Emily Poteraj MB Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Poteraj is essentially instant offense for KiVA when she checks in. She has a loose arm and can really connect to punish defenses.
Dannah Kerberg L/DS Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Kerberg was yet another libero who showed up strong on Day 2. She’s a steady passer who plays under control and doesn’t get rattled.
