Vballrecruiter Player of the Week: Bennett Raterman
April 23, 2024
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The biggest development on the opening day of the third weekend of the Lone Star Classic came in 16 Open. That’s where unranked TAV 16 Blue upended No. 8 overall seed Arizona Storm 16 Thunder – ranked No. 3 in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 – in the 1 v 3 contest. TAV 16 Blue closed out the day 3-0, taking over the No. 8 seed for Day 2 and redirecting Storm’s route in the process. Storm is among the 11 teams in 16 Open already qualified, so Storm is safe so to speak no matter the weekend’s results. The real ramifications is how it impacts the Day 2 pools. In this case, Storm becomes the No. 3 team in Pool 6, along with previously-qualified Hou Skyline 16 Royal and MAVS 816 16-1 and KC Power 16 Black, both still chasing bids. That means for MAVS 816 and/or KC Power to advance they are going to have to beat a highly-ranked team that already has a bid. TAV Blue becomes the No. 2 team in Pool 5, along with Madfrog 16 Green, GP 16 Rox and Kairos 16 Alpha. Both Madfrog and GP already have bids, so TAV Blue needs to beat another team with a bid to put itself in a position to advance. The top four seeds in Boiler Jrs 16 Gold, Skyline 16 Royal, Austin Skyline 16 Royal and TAV 16 Black combined to go 12-0. Madfrog, at No. 5, was the highest-seeded squad to fall. But even finishing 2-1 in its pool Madfrog finished first based on tiebreakers. GP and Pohaku 16-1 also lost as the No. 1 teams in their pools. Both finished second. GP finished behind MAVS 816, while Pohaku fell to Northern Lights 16-1. Meanwhile, the top seeds in 15 Open cruised on Day 1. The only No. 1 team in its pool to lose during pool play was Dynasty 15 Black. However, there was plenty of results to go against seed. AZ EVJ 15 Elite, the No. 4 team in Pool 2, went 2-1 and took second to move on. Memphis Metro 15 Elite was another No. 4 team to advance after coming in second in Pool 3. Flyers 15 Andy went 2-1 and is still in contention after making it out of Pool 4 as the No. 3 team. Looking ahead to Saturday’s action, there are two pools that have two teams each with bids. One is pool 5 with Hou Skyline 15 Royal and Madfrog 15 Green. The other is Pool 6 with Excel 15 National Red and PVA 15 Elite. The least amount of seeding fluctuation took place in 17 Open. For the most part, the day’s results played out according to seed in terms of teams advancing. Among the few exceptions was Arete 17 Navy Telos. As the No. 3 team in Pool 2, Arete beat No. 2 Academy 17 Diamond to take second place at 2-1 behind 3-0 Arizona Storm 17 Thunder. Beyond that, Austin Skyline 17 Royal, Alamo 17 Premier and Madfrog 17 Green all went 3-0 as the No. 2 team in their respective pools. Austin Skyline beat Northern Lights 17-1; Alamo downed Drive Nation 17 Red; Madfrog defeated Excel 17 National Red. Northern Lights, Drive Nation and Excel all still advanced after going 2-1 and taking second. The real drama in 17 Open comes from how the bid chase is positioned for Day 2. Hou Skyline 17 Royal is the only qualified team in Pool 1, with either Madfrog or Drive Nation likely to advance along with Hou Skyline. In Pool 2, Arizona Storm has its bid, as does Excel. Alamo had a strong Day 1 and with a victory over Excel could have a shot at qualifying on Day 3. It’s Pool 3 that holds three teams with bids in 1st Alliance 17 Gold, Austin Skyline 17 Royal and TAV 17 Black Haroun. With Tx Peformance 17 Black also in the pool, it’s likely two teams with bids move on. Pool 4 holds Skyline 17 Royal, which is qualified, as is Northern Lights. Both HJV 17 Elite and Metro 17 Travel are seeking bids. It might be the toughest pool on Day 2 in the division. As for Pool 5, MKE Sting 17 Gold, TAV 17 Black and AVA TX 17 Adidas are qualified. AJV 17 Adidas isn’t. AJV has a lot of work to do to keep its bid hopes alive. Pool 6 is the most intriguing pool to me. MAVS KC 17-1 is qualified, but Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal, Dynasty 17 Black and A5 17-1 Calvin are not. At the beginning of the year I would have though without question Tribe, Dynsty and A5 would all qualify. But it’s possible two of three won’t be around for gold pools on Day 3 and further hurting their chances of earning a bid. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Lowe leFeber MB Big Sky 15-1: A 6-1 middle from the Class of 2028, leFeber has a strong arm. She hits with power and provides a punch to the attack. Lyla Crowder MB 1United 15 Blue: Crowder is a 6-3 middle who brings length to the front row. She’s a scoring threat and someone who can put the ball away when her number is called. Rylie Coates S Alamo 15 Premier: A 6-0 setter/right side, Coates did well locating her sets. She has an easy release and plays with lots of poise. Kennedy Crider RS Alamo 15 Premier: Crider is a 6-0 right side who was playing all the way around. She elevates the offense with her ability to swing out of the back row as ell. Emerson Dorr S/RS Infinity VBA 15 Open: A 6-0 setter/right side and 3-star recruit, Dorr plays a key role with her versatility. She’s a steady presence who dishes well and finds ways to score. Carson Caraway OH Infinity VBA 15 Open: Caraway – a 4-star recruit – is a 6-2 attacker who is an integral piece of the attack. She
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We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured Vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: McKinley Moser. *** Growing up, McKinley Moser played basketball and soccer. However, being from Nebraska and attending Cornhuskers matches since she was young, there was another sport tugging at her heart. “It was a tough decision but ultimately I really liked volleyball and I knew what it was going to be like,” said Moser, a 4-star setter from the Class of 2027. “When I started playing I really liked that it was a team sport and you can’t win by yourself. I really like that you and your teammates put in so much work together and that you can’t do anything without them.” It wasn’t until last season during her 14s year that Moser focused primarily on setting. Early on during club she trained in every position. She hit on both the left and right sides and “for a while that’s all I wanted to do.” “One of the coaches guided me in the setting direction because they said I had good hands,” Moser said. “I was definitely hesitant at first. I think it was mainly because setting is a lot of responsibility and I didn’t know if I was ready for all of that.” It paid immediate dividends. A year ago VCNebraska 14 Elite became the first team from the club to earn an Open bid. “Last year I learned how to be a good leader,” Moser said. “I struggled with making mistakes and moving on. Mistakes are going to come, but learning from them and helping win the next point really helped.” Moser followed that success by playing on varsity her freshman season at Waverly. The Vikings finished the year reaching the Class B state quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Skutt Catholic. However, it was an adjustment for Moser, who went from a full-time player for club to taking on a defensive specialist role during high school. “I learned to work hard and always support your teammates,” she said. “Sometimes you might not be first string or the starting setter, but you can help the team in as many ways as you can.” Heading into her 15s season and coming off an Open appearance last summer, Moser and company set higher goals this go around. Among them was placing in the Top 5 at every qualifier they attend. VCNebraska 15 Elite started off strong by finishing fifth place at the Sunshine Classic, though it wasn’t quite high enough to get a bid. That changed a couple weeks later when the squad took third at the Mideast Qualifier and ensured another trip to Open this summer. The team recently competed at Show Me, where it stayed on track with its goals by producing another third-place performance. “Blake Rawlins started coaching us last year for 14s and he’s really helped the team and the club,” Moser said. “Our last qualifier was Show Me and now we are hoping to get in the gym as much as possible and continue to work hard. Hopefully, we can finish in the Top 10 at Nationals.” When Moser isn’t playing volleyball she’s often watching it. Among the things she enjoys along with baking and hanging out with friends is staying on top of what’s happening at the collegiate level. “I watch as many games as I can,” she said. “I know all the players on every roster. I really enjoying watching volleyball.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Moser about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Moser: Outside of volleyball my role model is my brother, Drew. He constantly shows me what hard work and determination looks like. He is a back-to-back state wrestling champion. Inside of volleyball is Nicklin Hames. She’s constantly overcome adversity like her height. She’s one of my biggest role models and to have her as a club coach and to be able to get to learn from her has been a dream. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Moser: I would travel or go on a trip with my family because it creates so many long-lasting memories. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Moser: I would want to learn to do a backflip. I used to do gymnastics when I was younger. It would be a cool trick to know how to do. Do you have any volleyball superstitions or rituals and if so what? Moser: Yes I do. I always have to straighten my hair and wear a low ponytail. I also wear a certain knee pad on each knee. Aside from basic necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Moser: Something I can’t go a day without is my family. They are my biggest supports and they do so much for me. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Moser: I would say my Shepadoodle, Murphy. He’s so cute and funny and never fails to make me laugh. What’s one of your favorite ways to have fun? Moser: One of my favorite ways to have fun is hanging out with my friends and just peppering or playing volleyball or watching college volleyball on TV with them. Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why? Moser: Outside of volleyball I’m passionate about school and academics. I always strive for success in both school and volleyball. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Moser: I have been to fascinating places like countries in Africa, South America and Europe. If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would
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The biggest development on the opening day of the third weekend of the Lone Star Classic came in 16 Open. That’s where unranked TAV 16 Blue upended No. 8 overall seed Arizona Storm 16 Thunder – ranked No. 3 in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 – in the 1 v 3 contest. TAV 16 Blue closed out the day 3-0, taking over the No. 8 seed for Day 2 and redirecting Storm’s route in the process. Storm is among the 11 teams in 16 Open already qualified, so Storm is safe so to speak no matter the weekend’s results. The real ramifications is how it impacts the Day 2 pools. In this case, Storm becomes the No. 3 team in Pool 6, along with previously-qualified Hou Skyline 16 Royal and MAVS 816 16-1 and KC Power 16 Black, both still chasing bids. That means for MAVS 816 and/or KC Power to advance they are going to have to beat a highly-ranked team that already has a bid. TAV Blue becomes the No. 2 team in Pool 5, along with Madfrog 16 Green, GP 16 Rox and Kairos 16 Alpha. Both Madfrog and GP already have bids, so TAV Blue needs to beat another team with a bid to put itself in a position to advance. The top four seeds in Boiler Jrs 16 Gold, Skyline 16 Royal, Austin Skyline 16 Royal and TAV 16 Black combined to go 12-0. Madfrog, at No. 5, was the highest-seeded squad to fall. But even finishing 2-1 in its pool Madfrog finished first based on tiebreakers. GP and Pohaku 16-1 also lost as the No. 1 teams in their pools. Both finished second. GP finished behind MAVS 816, while Pohaku fell to Northern Lights 16-1. Meanwhile, the top seeds in 15 Open cruised on Day 1. The only No. 1 team in its pool to lose during pool play was Dynasty 15 Black. However, there was plenty of results to go against seed. AZ EVJ 15 Elite, the No. 4 team in Pool 2, went 2-1 and took second to move on. Memphis Metro 15 Elite was another No. 4 team to advance after coming in second in Pool 3. Flyers 15 Andy went 2-1 and is still in contention after making it out of Pool 4 as the No. 3 team. Looking ahead to Saturday’s action, there are two pools that have two teams each with bids. One is pool 5 with Hou Skyline 15 Royal and Madfrog 15 Green. The other is Pool 6 with Excel 15 National Red and PVA 15 Elite. The least amount of seeding fluctuation took place in 17 Open. For the most part, the day’s results played out according to seed in terms of teams advancing. Among the few exceptions was Arete 17 Navy Telos. As the No. 3 team in Pool 2, Arete beat No. 2 Academy 17 Diamond to take second place at 2-1 behind 3-0 Arizona Storm 17 Thunder. Beyond that, Austin Skyline 17 Royal, Alamo 17 Premier and Madfrog 17 Green all went 3-0 as the No. 2 team in their respective pools. Austin Skyline beat Northern Lights 17-1; Alamo downed Drive Nation 17 Red; Madfrog defeated Excel 17 National Red. Northern Lights, Drive Nation and Excel all still advanced after going 2-1 and taking second. The real drama in 17 Open comes from how the bid chase is positioned for Day 2. Hou Skyline 17 Royal is the only qualified team in Pool 1, with either Madfrog or Drive Nation likely to advance along with Hou Skyline. In Pool 2, Arizona Storm has its bid, as does Excel. Alamo had a strong Day 1 and with a victory over Excel could have a shot at qualifying on Day 3. It’s Pool 3 that holds three teams with bids in 1st Alliance 17 Gold, Austin Skyline 17 Royal and TAV 17 Black Haroun. With Tx Peformance 17 Black also in the pool, it’s likely two teams with bids move on. Pool 4 holds Skyline 17 Royal, which is qualified, as is Northern Lights. Both HJV 17 Elite and Metro 17 Travel are seeking bids. It might be the toughest pool on Day 2 in the division. As for Pool 5, MKE Sting 17 Gold, TAV 17 Black and AVA TX 17 Adidas are qualified. AJV 17 Adidas isn’t. AJV has a lot of work to do to keep its bid hopes alive. Pool 6 is the most intriguing pool to me. MAVS KC 17-1 is qualified, but Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal, Dynasty 17 Black and A5 17-1 Calvin are not. At the beginning of the year I would have though without question Tribe, Dynsty and A5 would all qualify. But it’s possible two of three won’t be around for gold pools on Day 3 and further hurting their chances of earning a bid. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Lowe leFeber MB Big Sky 15-1: A 6-1 middle from the Class of 2028, leFeber has a strong arm. She hits with power and provides a punch to the attack. Lyla Crowder MB 1United 15 Blue: Crowder is a 6-3 middle who brings length to the front row. She’s a scoring threat and someone who can put the ball away when her number is called. Rylie Coates S Alamo 15 Premier: A 6-0 setter/right side, Coates did well locating her sets. She has an easy release and plays with lots of poise. Kennedy Crider RS Alamo 15 Premier: Crider is a 6-0 right side who was playing all the way around. She elevates the offense with her ability to swing out of the back row as ell. Emerson Dorr S/RS Infinity VBA 15 Open: A 6-0 setter/right side and 3-star recruit, Dorr plays a key role with her versatility. She’s a steady presence who dishes well and finds ways to score. Carson Caraway OH Infinity VBA 15 Open: Caraway – a 4-star recruit – is a 6-2 attacker who is an integral piece of the attack. She
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We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured Vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: McKinley Moser. *** Growing up, McKinley Moser played basketball and soccer. However, being from Nebraska and attending Cornhuskers matches since she was young, there was another sport tugging at her heart. “It was a tough decision but ultimately I really liked volleyball and I knew what it was going to be like,” said Moser, a 4-star setter from the Class of 2027. “When I started playing I really liked that it was a team sport and you can’t win by yourself. I really like that you and your teammates put in so much work together and that you can’t do anything without them.” It wasn’t until last season during her 14s year that Moser focused primarily on setting. Early on during club she trained in every position. She hit on both the left and right sides and “for a while that’s all I wanted to do.” “One of the coaches guided me in the setting direction because they said I had good hands,” Moser said. “I was definitely hesitant at first. I think it was mainly because setting is a lot of responsibility and I didn’t know if I was ready for all of that.” It paid immediate dividends. A year ago VCNebraska 14 Elite became the first team from the club to earn an Open bid. “Last year I learned how to be a good leader,” Moser said. “I struggled with making mistakes and moving on. Mistakes are going to come, but learning from them and helping win the next point really helped.” Moser followed that success by playing on varsity her freshman season at Waverly. The Vikings finished the year reaching the Class B state quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Skutt Catholic. However, it was an adjustment for Moser, who went from a full-time player for club to taking on a defensive specialist role during high school. “I learned to work hard and always support your teammates,” she said. “Sometimes you might not be first string or the starting setter, but you can help the team in as many ways as you can.” Heading into her 15s season and coming off an Open appearance last summer, Moser and company set higher goals this go around. Among them was placing in the Top 5 at every qualifier they attend. VCNebraska 15 Elite started off strong by finishing fifth place at the Sunshine Classic, though it wasn’t quite high enough to get a bid. That changed a couple weeks later when the squad took third at the Mideast Qualifier and ensured another trip to Open this summer. The team recently competed at Show Me, where it stayed on track with its goals by producing another third-place performance. “Blake Rawlins started coaching us last year for 14s and he’s really helped the team and the club,” Moser said. “Our last qualifier was Show Me and now we are hoping to get in the gym as much as possible and continue to work hard. Hopefully, we can finish in the Top 10 at Nationals.” When Moser isn’t playing volleyball she’s often watching it. Among the things she enjoys along with baking and hanging out with friends is staying on top of what’s happening at the collegiate level. “I watch as many games as I can,” she said. “I know all the players on every roster. I really enjoying watching volleyball.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Moser about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Moser: Outside of volleyball my role model is my brother, Drew. He constantly shows me what hard work and determination looks like. He is a back-to-back state wrestling champion. Inside of volleyball is Nicklin Hames. She’s constantly overcome adversity like her height. She’s one of my biggest role models and to have her as a club coach and to be able to get to learn from her has been a dream. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Moser: I would travel or go on a trip with my family because it creates so many long-lasting memories. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Moser: I would want to learn to do a backflip. I used to do gymnastics when I was younger. It would be a cool trick to know how to do. Do you have any volleyball superstitions or rituals and if so what? Moser: Yes I do. I always have to straighten my hair and wear a low ponytail. I also wear a certain knee pad on each knee. Aside from basic necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Moser: Something I can’t go a day without is my family. They are my biggest supports and they do so much for me. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Moser: I would say my Shepadoodle, Murphy. He’s so cute and funny and never fails to make me laugh. What’s one of your favorite ways to have fun? Moser: One of my favorite ways to have fun is hanging out with my friends and just peppering or playing volleyball or watching college volleyball on TV with them. Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why? Moser: Outside of volleyball I’m passionate about school and academics. I always strive for success in both school and volleyball. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Moser: I have been to fascinating places like countries in Africa, South America and Europe. If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would