Another day, two more age groups wrapped up. Gold medals were awarded in the 15s and 17s divisions Wednesday at AAU in Orlando. We’ll have more on Legacy 15-1 Adidas topping OT 15 Randy in the 15 Open championship match and Legacy 17-1 Adidas defending its title by beating Rev 17-1 in the 17 Open final in separate articles. Below, we bring you our Day 4 Show Stoppers.
Lauren Yacobucci, S, AVC Cle Rox 17 Red – Yacobucci was showing off her smooth hands. She was consistently on target with her sets and did a solid job directing the offense.
Sophia Anghilante, MB, AVC Cle Rox 17 Red – Anghilante was a presence on both sides of the ball. She delivered a few resounding blocks and was scoring well when her number was called.
Kamaluhia Garcia, RS, Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB – We highlighted this lefty on Day 3 and she was back at it again. Once more she was producing big kills and changed the dynamic of the offense every time she checked in. She also puts up a wall of the block on the right.
Melie Vaioleti, L, Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB – Another member of Ku’Ikahi that we featured from Day 3, Vaioleti is nails out of serve receive. She was also holding the defensive line effectively.
Reese Diersbock, OH, Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB – When this three-rotation outside checks in she brings her powerful arm to the court. She was firing away time and time again.
Sarah Brodner, RS, High Tide 17 Elite – A 6-5 right side from the Class of 2024, we are high on the potential of Brodner. She can control the net on both sides of the ball, as she showed in the quarterfinals with shutdown blocks and critical kills at key moments.
Lindsay Walch, MB, High Tide 17 Elite – Walch was not holding back when she went on the attack. She was swinging fiercely and also was clamping down with her block.
Janyah Henderson, MB, Rev 17-1 – Henderson is a firecracker in the middle with her speed and quickness. She’s a bit undersized buy owns everything she touches and puts constant pressure on the defense.
Elie Patterson, OH, Rev 17-1 – A six-rotation stalwart, Patterson delivered clutch kill after clutch kill. Just one example was her semifinal match-clincher off the block that boosted Rev into the 17 Open final.
Sarah Gooch, OH, Top Select 17 Elite – One of the main offensive weapons for Top Select, Gooch was swinging well with her long arm and high contact point. She also displayed her smarts with her heady shot selections.
Ileyshmi Negron, L, Top Select 17 Elite – Negron seemed to play her best in the bigger moments. If Top Select needed a dig she seemed to always get one.
Harper Murray, OH, Legacy 17 Adidas – Murray’s performance in the 17 Open final was next level magic. She was unstoppable, powering Legacy to the gold medal with her wide array of shots from the front and back row, including the match-clinching kill to set off the celebration.
Laurece Abraham, MB, Legacy 17 Adidas – Abraham is a scoring threat every time she checks in. Legacy doesn’t hesistate to go to her and time after time she delivered, including a few resounding kills.
Abigail Reck, MB, Legacy 17 Adidas – Reck was also giving Legacy a potent punch out of the middle with her attacking. It helped keep the defense honest and not allow blockers to stack up on Legacy’s outsides.
Nina Horning, OH, Legacy 17 Adidas – Throughout gold bracket play Horning showed off her arm and scoring prowess. She consistently delivered timely kills and loud winners.
Sydney Lewis, L, OT 17 John – Lewis was showing what she’s able to do in the back row in the quarters and semis. She’s smooth with her passing and defending and was a defensive force.
Allison Cavanaugh, RS, OT 17 John – With her height, Cavanaugh is a presence on both sides of the ball. She was showcasing her blocking knack on the right side, stuffing more than a few when challenged.
Stella Swenson, S, MN Select 17-1 – Few command the offense like Swenson, who is a sophomore playing up. She was running a 5-1 with poise and confidence and had MN Select on the brink of the semifinals.
Charlotte Vinson, RS, Asics Munciana 15 Lorax – A six-rotation right side who provides offense all the way around, Vinson was showcasing her arm time and time again. She has a high contact point and just keeps coming at the defense.
Lilly Howell, MB, Asics Munciana 15 Lorax – Howell was giving Muncie tons of production out of the middle. So much so Muncie trusted going to her with the season on the line twice in a row in the semifinals against Legacy and she scored both times.
Taylor Cripe, OH, Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – Cripe come can up with big time kills with her strong arm. She also has a great wrist snap that keeps her hard shots in the court.
Mallory Johnson, L, Far Out 15 Black – Johnson had a strong Day 4. She was holding it down in serve receive by regularly putting her passes on target. She was also making key digs to extend rallies.
Navea Gauthier, OH, Far Out 15 Black – Far Out is not the same team without Gauthier on the outside. She’s a menacing presence to any opponent Far Out faces, as she can wail front or back row with the best of them.
Victoria Hill, OH, GP 15 Rox – A bit undersized, it doesn’t matter to Hill. She soars high and swings hard. That combo makes her a scoring machine and someone defenses to need to guard against no matter where she’s at in the rotation.
Elizabeth Bower, L, ID Crush 15 Bower – ID Crush is built on its defensive prowess, led by Bower. An eighth-grader, she owns the back row with confidence and dares teams to serve her.
Tenesyn Frye, S, ID Crush 15 Bower – Frye has nice height and size, which is an advantage front row. She does well getting her various hitters involved and keeping defenses honest by using her middles when she can.
Maggie Meister, L, Kairos 15 Adidas – Kairos did well, reaching the quarterfinals of 15 Open. Meister is a stalwart defensively, chasing down balls and getting after it with digging skills.
Olivia Grenadier, MB, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – Grenadier was coming up with timely kills when Legacy needed them the most. She was able to score on 1s or make due when the timing was off a bit and score on well-placed tips.
Campbell Flynn, S, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – Flynn is the heartbeat of the team with her ability to direct the offense and make up for off passes. She’s also a big-time presence at the net who can slow down outside attackers. One such example was when she delivered the match-clinching kill in the semifinals against Munciana with a block.
Gabriella Divita, OH, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – There are college coaches who marvel at the fact Divita is only an eighth-grader. So do we. She hits harder and smarter than her age with ability to extend and go over blocks already.
Devin Dzienny, L, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – Teams were hesitant to challenge Dzienny by serving at her. When she did get the chance she was on point to the target and helping keep Legacy in system.
Marie Laurio, OH, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – Laurio was giving Legacy contributions all around. She was showing nice shot selection, being aggressive when the opportunity was there or otherwise keeping it in play and living for the next ball. She also was solid in the back row with her defense and passing.
Mckenna Payne, L, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno – Payne is appropriately named, because she was a pain all day long to opposing teams. She had a phenomenal day in every aspect. She was passing dimes, defending with a passion and covering tips and blocks to perfection.
Ella Craggs, S, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno – Craggs was a calming and steadying presence as she guided Mich Elite to the semifinals. She showed a nice touch and consistent location in mixing up her sets and getting her hitters involved.
Izzy Mogridge, S, OT 15 Randy – Mogridge gives OT lineup flexibility as she can run a 5-1 or set back row as part of 6-2. She has nice hands and does well getting to off balls and still making do with them.
Josephine Hensley, S/RS, OT 15 Randy – Hensley is another key component to the roster because she too adds versatility. She can set back row with consistency and she adds a powerful arm to the front. She was swinging and connecting well in the final against Legacy, pounding it down the line.
Isabella Pereira, OH, OT 15 Randy – A six-rotation outside who’s strong in serve receive and defense, Pereira is a bit undersized but a gamer on the attack. She can bring serious heat at times while also tooling blocks with smart swings.
Lily Hayes, L, OT 15 Randy – Hayes was playing at a high level in the quarterfinals with her passing and defending. She was hurt midway through the semifinals and was unavailable for the final but still deserves recognition for her standout play when she was on the floor.
Aaliyah Harlow, L/DS, OT 15 Randy – Harlow had to switch from DS to the libero position when Hayes went out. That’s not an easy switch to make on the fly but she did well in holding it down in serve receive and hustling all over the court to keep balls in play.
