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Chris Tobolski

MEQ 14 & 15s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

The second weekend of the Mideast Qualifier features the 14 and 15 Open divisions competing in St. Louis this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As one would expect of MEQ, both fields are loaded and earning a bid in either is going to be a difficult task. As for the 14s, MEQ is one of three qualifiers taking place this weekend for that age group. Below, we take a glance at both divisions, with nationally-ranked teams, players to know, as well as offer a prediction on what may transpire. 15 OPEN Number of Teams: 48 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (1): TAV 15 Black Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (15): 1. TAV 15 Black TX 5. A5 15-1 Kelly GA 6. Skyline 15 Royal TX 10. KC Power 15 Black KS 22. VCNebraska 15 Elite NE 23. 1st Alliance 15 Gold IL 25. MN Select 15-1 MN 29. Austin Skyline 15 Royal TX 31. FH 15 Ikaika-Andy TX 42. Mintonette Sports m.51 OH 44. Elevation 15 Tony OH 45. Dynasty 15 Black KS 46. HPSTL 15 Royal MO 47. Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite MO 49. Peak 15 Black TX   5-Star Players to Know: Peyton Kubik OH Dynasty 15 Black Shaye Witherspoon OH Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite Allie Hudgins OH Austin Skyline 15 Royal Naomi Livings OH/RS TAV 15 Black Nyla Livings MB TAV 15 Black Brynn Stephens S/RS TAV 15 Black Marissa Jones S A5 15-1 Kelly   4-Star Players to Know: McKinley Moser S VCNebraska 15 Elite Kailey Leonard L/DS A5 15-1 Kelly Kylee Evans MB A5 15-1 Kelly Kyla Williams MB AVC Cle 15 Red Peyton Heatherly S 1st Alliance 15 Gold Bryn Meyer RS Mintonette Sports m.51 Lexi Martin OH TAV 15 Black Gentry Barker OH TAV 15 Black Sophee Peterson S/RS TAV 15 Black Mariah Akinsola MB TAV 15 Black Ansley Shafer L/DS TAV 15 Black Emerson Butler S Austin Skyline 15 Royal Ryan Spencer OH Skyline 15 Royal Morgan Meiring OH Elevation 15 Tony   Outlook: Among the items we know for sure is TAV is safe. That’s because our top-ranked club secured its bid to nationals already by finishing runner up at the Sunshine Classic. We also know all three bids are going to be handed out, and that trickle down can’t go beyond fourth place. After that, who knows? It’s a full field with 48 teams and features 15 from our Top 50 national rankings. It should make for a wild ride with lots of twists and turns. A5 and Skyline have delivered consistent results to date and figure to factor in. KC Power was a big surprise with its performance at Triple Crown and will look to back it up with another strong showing this weekend. The rest of the ranked teams are evenly-matched and all figure to show improvement over the course of the last month when most competed at Triple Crown. All it takes at a qualifier like this is an upset on Day 1 or 2 to upend the seedings and force contenders into the same pools. That leads to someone you would expect to be in the hunt getting eliminated earlier than expected and that opens up a spot for an unexpected team to take advantage of. The guess is something along those lines happens here. Prediction: If my predictions play out accordingly, it’s going to be a good weekend for TAV. I picked the club to win both 14 and 16 Open at Northern Lights, and I’m going with TAV to leave with a title in 15 Open as well at MEQ. As for the bids, I’m going with KC Power to finish in second place and earn one of them. Tying for third place and earning the other two bids is going to be Skyline and VCNebraska. ***** 14 OPEN Number of Teams: 28 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (1): HPSTL 14 Royal Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (13): 1. Madfrog 14 Green TX 2. HPSTL 14 Royal MO 8. Dynasty 14 Black KS 9. Circle City 14 Purple IN 10. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami KY 12. Elevation 14 Molly OH 14. AVC Cle 14 Red 16. MAVS KC 14-1 KS 23. HJV 14 Elite TX 28. Mintonette Sports m.41 OH 31. KC Power 14 Black KS 44. ARVC 14-1 Adidas NM 50. TPV 14-Zulu TN   5-Star Players to Know: Sarah Albers RS HPSTL 14 Royal Maya Ogbogu OH Madfrog 14 Green   4-Star Players to Know: Gracie White MB Madfrog 14 Green Olivia Kitur OH Madfrog 14 Green Hayden Thomas MB Madfrog 14 Green Aleyna Bramschreiber S/RS Madfrog 14 Green Nora Goodenow MB MAVS KC 14-1 Jaelyn Jordan S MAVS KC 14-1 Carsyn Chitty L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41 Sade Bello OH HJV 14 Elite   Outlook: Like 15 Open, there is only one team which has a bid already in HPSTL. It creates the same scenario, where teams must finish in the top four to have any shot of qualifying, and that is if HPSTL also finishes in the top four. If not, teams have to finish in the top three to qualify. With 13 teams featured in our Top 50, nearly half the field is in our national rankings. That should make for a competitive weekend, one that is going to make earning a bid tough to accomplish. One thing to watch for is a possible Triple Crown finals rematch between Madfrog and HPSTL. While HPSTL is safe having a bid already, Madfrog is seeking to take care of its qualifying spot in its first effort of the season. Dynasty has been a strong team so far, and Circle City captured the title at Central Zone. Both are real contenders in terms of qualifying. In 14 Open though, the play is unpredictable enough that teams can rise up, pull off upsets and earn bids. NKYVC, Elevation, AVC Cle, MAVS and HJV are all examples of teams that could find themselves in that position. Prediction: My call is going with a reverse of Triple Crown, with

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Northern Lights 14 & 16s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

The opening weekend of Northern Lights was back in January, when the 15, 17 and 18 Open divisions took place. Ahead this weekend in Minneapolis is the 14 and 16 Open divisions. The 14s have been behind the other age groups in terms of qualifiers. However, they will start to catch up this coming weekend with Northern Lights one of three 14 Open qualifiers taking place. Below, we look at both divisions, nationally-ranked teams, players to know and offer predictions on how it all will play out. 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 24 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (8): 3. TAV 16 Black TX 6. Hou Skyline 16 Royal TX 19. MN Select 16-1 MN 28. MKE Sting 16 Gold WI 30. HJV 16 Elite TX 37. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold NE 43. Vital 16-1 Gold MN 50. 1United 16 Blue TX   5-Star Players to Know: Nadi’ya Shelby RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Halle Thompson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1 Elena Hoecke MB MN Select 16-1 Layla Austin OH TAV 16 Black Kinsley Young MB TAV 16 Black Danielle Whitmire S/RS TAV 16 Black   4-Star Players to Know: Henlee Moszkowicz L/DS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Jayden Robinson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal Blair Thiebaud S Hou Skyline 16 Royal Lacy Tinnell MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal Anna Flores S/RS TAV 16 Black Julianna Hernandez L/DS TAV 16 Black Caroline Huseman OH TAV 16 Black Kylie Kleckner OH TAV 16 Black Sarah Hickman RS HJV 16 Elite Madeline Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1 Margaret Czajka MB/RS MKE Sting 16 Gold Marlee Sivak OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Eva Swenson S/RS MN Select 16-1   Outlook: It’s a little surprising to see that no qualified teams are in attendance. That’s a big deal as it eliminates any hope of trickle down and forces teams to finish in the top three to secure a bid. With 24 teams in the field, it’s the bare-minimum in order to make three bids available. One thing that stands out to me is the apparent separation in the division between teams like TAV and Hou Skyline and the rest of the field. TAV and Hou Skyline are going to be heavy favorites this weekend, not only when it comes to qualifying but winning it all. After that though, it is anyone’s game, or so it appears. Qualifiers aren’t usually as cut-and-dry as they appear on paper and upsets along the way shake up seedings and force results earlier than expected. Still, it’s a great opportunity for at least one of the other ranked teams, or even someone unexpected, to grab a bid where it might not be able to elsewhere. Prediction: I’m not going with any out-of-the-box picks here. I think Hou Skyline tops TAV in the championship match with both qualifying in the process. The final bid is where all the drama is going to take place. In a bit of a surprise, I’m taking Vital to beat MKE Sting in the third-place match for the final qualifying spot. ***** 14 OPEN Number of Teams: 16 Number of Bids: 2 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (9): 4. TAV 14 Black TX 7. Hou Skyline 14 Royal TX 19. Premier Nebraska 14 Gold NE 21. OT 14 O Alex FL 27. TAV Houston 14 Adidas TX 36. Excel 14 National Red TX 41. Northern Lights 14-1 MN 42. Kairos 14 Alpha SD 46. MKE Sting 14 Gold WI   5-Star Players to Know: Sarah Floyd RS TAV 14 Black   4-Star Players to Know: Caitlin Carrizales L/DS TAV 14 Black   3-Star Players to Know: Tegan Loechler RS MKE Sting 14 Gold Olivia Kelley OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas Cooper Binderup OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas Brynn Lagasse OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas Ava Lazar OH OT 14 Alex Elianiz Rodriguez OH OT 14 Alex Addison Musgrove S/RS Hou Skyline 14 Royal Jada Skinner OH Hou Skyline 14 Royal Hailey Tinnell MB Hou Skyline 14 Royal Peyton Barnes OH Hou Skyline 14 Royal Hana Penberthy S Hou Skyline 14 Royal Norah Hicks MB TAV 14 Black Olivia Permenter OH TAV 14 Black (2027) Katie Wawersich MB TAV 14 Black Evann Beville S TAV 14 Black Abigail Bond MB TAV 14 Black Trinity Johnson OH TAV 14 Black Madison Kutch L/DS TAV 14 Black Sadie Lovato S Excel 14 National Red Stella Sanford S Excel 14 National Red Ella Zieske OH Northern Lights 14-1   Outlook: The 14 Open division this weekend in Minneapolis is an interesting one. For starters, it’s a smaller field with just 16 teams. That means just two bids are going to be handed out and one will go into the at-large pool to be handed out after qualifying season ends. With it, however, is the fact that nine of the 16 clubs are ranked in our Top 50. So it’s a smaller field but one with relative depth to it. Another factor in play is that there are no teams with bids already, so the only way to qualify is simple. Teams have to reach the championship match to grab one. TAV was in contention at Triple Crown and will have a target on its back this weekend. TAV is a top contender. Hou Skyline has been competitive all season and is another contender as well. It’ll take some upsets and surprises for anyone else to breakthrough. At this age group, there’s a likelihood that will happen because of the unpredictability of the division. Prediction: Like 16 Open, I’m going with TAV to hold its seed and win out. The question is which squad faces TAV in the final? I’m going with another surprise, with TAV topping OT Alex in the final as both earn bids.

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Music City 18s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

This is the second to last weekend for the 18s national qualifiers. When it’s all said and done, the Music City event taking place in New Orleans could prove to be the toughest of them all. Check out why in our write-up below featuring which teams already have bids, which teams are ranked in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 and what predictions we are making for the competition taking place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 18 OPEN Number of Teams: 29 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (11): Academy 18 Diamond: Academy 18 Rage; City 18 Gold; Skyline 18 Royal; Madfrog 18 Green; Metro 18 Travel; OT 18 Roberto; KC Power 18 Black; Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite; TAV 18 Black; Triangle 18 Black Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (13): 1. TAV 18 Black TX 2. KC Power 18 Black KS 7. Madfrog 18 Green TX 9. Triangle 18 Black NC 12. Skyline 18 Royal TX 14. Academy 18 Rage IN 18. City 18 Gold CA 21. Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite MO 24. OT 18 Roberto FL 33. Metro 18 Travel DC 34. Miami Hype 18 Emilio FL 45. Academy 18 Diamond NC 48. SG Elite 18 Rosh CA   5-Star Players to Know: Lauren Harden OH Academy 18 Rage (Florida) Favor Anyanwu MB TAV 18 Black (USC) Camille Edwards S TAV 18 Black (Michigan) Jadyn Livings RS MB TAV 18 Black (USC) Taylor Yu S SG Elite 18 Rosh (Stanford) Suli Davis OH TAV 18 Black (2025, BYU) Cari Spears OH TAV 18 Black (2025, Texas) Gillian Pitts L/DS TAV 18 Black (2025, Houston)   4-Star Players to Know: Kennedy Osunsanmi RS City 18 Gold Fallon Stewart OH OT 18 Roberto (Cincinnati) Sarah Brodner OH Jupiter Elite (Virginia) Kiylah Presley MB Paramount 18 Walter Asia Thigpen OH Triangle 18 Black (Kentucky) Alayna Smith MB Triangle 18 Black (Illinois) Ashlyn Philpot MB Triangle 18 Black (Illinois) McKenna Brand L/DS Skyline 18 Royal (UCONN) Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 18 Gold (Ball State) Lolo Lambert OH Madfrog 18 Green (Arkansas) Kennedy Washington MB Madfrog 18 Green (Kentucky) Lillian Croshaw MB Madfrog 18 Green (Illinois State) Janelle Green S KC Power 18 Black (Cincinnati) Erin Debiec S Metro 18 Travel (Colorado State) Mikala Young OH TAV 18 Black (TCU) Anna Boatner MB TAV 18 Black (UCSB)   Outlook: There aren’t as many teams as last week’s 18 Open at MEQ. But, with 13 of the 29 teams ranked in our Top 50, plus 11 of those already holding bids, walking away with one of the tickets to nationals is going to be more challenging than perhaps any other 18s qualifier. Not only are there 11 teams already owning bids, but there are powerhouse clubs like TAV, KC Power, Madfrog and Triangle which figure to place highly. With trickle-down only able to extend to eighth place, it’s possible that no bids go out at all. There are currently no at-larges in 18 Open available, but it’s possible this event allows one or more to become available. Only two ranked teams in the field – Miami Hype and SG Elite – don’t have bids. They would have to crack at least the top eight to position themselves to qualify. Given the depth of field here, that’s going to be a challenge for either. Prediction: I think TAV gets another qualifier victory under its belt, taking down Madfrog in the final in a Texas showdown. KC Power and Academy Rage tie for third. Miami Hype slips into qualifying position and earns the bid, the only one we are predicting to go out.

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Vballrecruiter Player of the Week: Nejari Crooks

March 19, 2024

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: Nejari Crooks. *** With parents who represented and played volleyball internationally for Jamaica, Nejari Crooks seemed destined to one day pick up the sport and begin to leave her own mark. It wasn’t until she was nine did she venture into volleyball, spending her time instead swimming and doing CrossFit. Though her parents were immersed in volleyball, Crooks didn’t view it as she would inevitably wind up playing herself. “I didn’t think about it like that,” she said. “I just started playing one day and that was it really.” Among the aspects of volleyball that she enjoys is making friends and developing close relationships with them. She also likes the team component and having to work together in order to succeed. “You have to know each other really well to accomplish what you want to and that’s something that drew me in,” Crooks said. Crooks – a 6-0, 4-star Class of 2027 recruit who touches over 10-feet – started off as a setter/right side and has remained in the same role for both club and high school. She said she doesn’t have a preference between hitting and setting and that she has fun doing both. “I like setting because you get to control the team and set up your hitters,” she said. “With hitting, I like that you get to put the ball down for your setter.” When it comes to club, Crooks has been playing up multiple age groups since she started. Currently, she’s a freshman on Triad Elite 18 National out of North Carolina. She spent this past fall as a ninth-grader on the Wesleyan Christian Academy varsity squad. The Trojans reached the semifinals of the NCISAA 4A state playoffs before falling to eventual champion Cannon. Crooks had a monster season. She finished second in kills with 235. She averaged 3.1 per set while hitting .385. She also dished out 325 assists, averaging 4.3 per set. She led the team in aces with 99 while finishing third in digs. She twice recorded a season-high 27 kills. Her season-best was also 27 assists. Her best outing featured 27 kills and 23 assists in a five-set loss to Oak Grove in mid-September. Looking ahead, Crooks has her sights set on playing in Division 1 and beyond that the Olympics. Off the court, she still does CrossFit and likes to read because “it calms me a lot.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Crooks about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Crooks: Inside and outside of volleyball it’s my family. Both my parents played volleyball at a really high level internationally for Jamaica. They’ve been involved in the sport their whole lives. They are really encouraging and set good examples of being hard working. It helps me a lot when it comes to volleyball. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Crooks: I would go to Jamaica so I could spend time with my grandma. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Crooks: I would probably learn a new language. Right now, I’m learning Spanish and French and I want to learn another one. I would like to communicate with more people and build more relationships. Do you have any volleyball superstitions or rituals and if so what are they? Crooks: I don’t really have any superstitions. I do like to listen to my favorite playlist right before playing. Aside from basic necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Crooks: Something that I can’t live without is my family because they encourage me throughout the day and bring me so much joy. We are very close-knit and make each other happy. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Crooks: I would say my German Shepard. He is 9-years-old. He makes me really happy. What’s one of your favorite ways to have fun? Crooks: One of my favorite ways to have fun is I like to play volleyball with my friends or go to the gym with them to work out together. Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why? Crooks: Outside of volleyball, I’m passionate about learning so I can grow my intelligence and knowledge and be able to share it with others. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Crooks: Something that surprises people every time is when I tell them I have six dogs and 20 chickens. My dad and I mostly take care of them. If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would it be and why? Crooks: If I could live anywhere I would go back to Jamaica. All my family is Jamaican. My grandma lives there and I don’t get to see her a lot. What’s your favorite food or foods? Crooks: My favorite food is my mom’s cooking. I think her best is her jerk chicken. It’s absolutely perfect. She makes a secret sauce with the perfect amount of spiciness. What’s your favorite number and why? Crooks: My favorite number is number 4 because when my parents played that was their number. I like to continue the tradition. Also, in elementary school with the seating chart I was number 4, so it is my lucky number.

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MEQ: Preview and Predictions

March 14, 2024

The Mideast Qualifier (MEQ) is always one of the toughest of the season. That distinction won’t change this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday as the 16-18 Open divisions are set to go at it inside the Indianapolis Convention Center. What makes MEQ such a challenging event is the typical depth of the fields combined with the sheer number of teams. This qualifier most always features 48-team fields, though 18 Open is just shy of that. Toss in the fact that there is just one qualified team in each 16 and 17 Open means we are going to get a powerhouse weekend full of talented teams slugging it out. 18 OPEN Number of Teams: 40 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (8): 1st Alliance 18 Gold; Mintonette Sports m.81; Academy 18 Rage; A5 18 Marc; MKE Sting 18 Gold; Wave 18 Brennan; Circle City 18 Purple; FC Elite 18 Elite Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (16): 4. 1st Alliance 18 Gold IL 6. Munciana 18 Samurai IN 8. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue OH 10. Team Pineapple 18 Black IN 14. Academy 18 Rage IN 16. Wave 18 Brennan CA 17. A5 18 Marc GA 25. Mintonette Sports m.81 28. NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami KY 35. MKE Sting 18 Gold WI 39. FC Elite 18 Elite WI 40. OT 18 T Tony FL 46. Six Pack 18 IA 47. VC United 18 Elite IL 49. Circle City 18 Purple IN 50. Adidas KiVA 18 Red KY   5-Star Players to Know Morgan Gaerte OH Team Pineapple 18 Black (Notre Dame) Lola Schumacher L/DS Munciana 18 Samurai (Wisconsin) Lauren Harden OH Academy 18 Rage (Florida) Hannah Benjamin OH A5 18 Marc (Kentucky) Addison Tindall OH Munciana 18 Samurai (2025, Purdue)   4-Star Players to Know Ayen Nhial MB Adidas KiVA 18 Red (James Madison) Payton Petersen OH Six Pack (Louisville) Grace Nelson OH 1st Alliance 18 Gold (Kansas) Ellie White OH 1st Alliance 18 Gold (Michigan) Calli Kenny S/RS 1st Alliance 18 Gold (Marquette) Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 18 Gold (Ball State) Jenna Hanes MB Wave 18 Brennan (Michigan) Julia Hunt MB NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (Washington) Elizabeth Tabeling L/DS NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (Ball State) Claire Luoma L/DS MKE Sting 18 Gold (Clemson) Anna Bjork MB MKE Sting 18 Gold (Notre Dame) Lilly Wagner S MKE Sting 18 Gold (Maryland) Ella Demetrician OH FC Elite 18 Elite (Michigan) Charlotte Vinson OH/RS Munciana 18 Samurai (2025, Indiana) Addison Applegate L/DS Munciana 18 Samurai (2025, Texas AM) Maya Evens L/DS Wave 18 Brennan (2025, Notre Dame) Peyton Carlson L/DS FC Elite 18 Elite (2026)   Outlook: With the 18s nearing the end of qualifying season, there are eight clubs with prior bids. While that is a big enough number to possibly ensure no bids go out – as trickle down doesn’t extend past eighth place – it’s actually not as sizable as recent years when we have seen a dozen qualified teams competing. There is plenty to watch for, starting with the inclusion of Munciana in this year’s event. The club hasn’t attended qualifiers in a long time but has its 18s here this weekend. With it there is a good chance we could see the club finish in a bid position. Another Indiana club that could join Munciana is Team Pineapple, which is coming off its strong finish at Triple Crown. Tri-State Elite also performed well at Triple Crown and certainly could be among the bid winners. That trio of teams are the highest-ranked in the field without bids but will be challenged by clubs like NKYVC, Six Pack, OT Tony, KiVA and VC United. Prediction: As for the winner, I’m picking Tri-State over Team Pineapple in a rematch from the semifinals of Central Zone. Wave and 1st Alliance tie for third place, with Munciana earning the final bid by tying for fifth place. ***** 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 48 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (1): MKE Sting 17 Gold Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (15): 1. MKE Sting 17 Gold WI 5. Adidas KiVA 17 Red KY 6. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno MI 9. Legacy 17-1 Adidas MI 13. Dynasty 17 Black KS 16. A5 17-1 Calvin GA 17. Circle City 17 Purple IN 19. Adrenaline 17 Ben IA 23. OT 17 T Aaron FL 24. Coast 17 Rodrigo CA 26. AVC Cle 17 Red OH 30. HPSTL 17 Royal MO 31. Wave 17 Juliana CA 34. CUVC 17 Open NC 49. Academy 17 Tsunami IN   5-Star Players to Know Kristen Simon L/DS Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Wisconsin) Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Campbell Flynn S Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Nebraska) Annabelle Groomes S AVC Cle 17 Red (San Diego) Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black (USC) Abigail Mullen RS Dynasty 17 Black (USC)   4-Star Players to Know Gabriella Pitcel MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Illinois) Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Michigan State) Emma Parks OH AVC Cle 17 Red (Marquette) Isabella Haggard S/RS Adidas KIVA 17 Red (Indiana) Rebecca Ring OH VC United 17 Elite (NC State) Ava Tilden OH NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Xavier) Riley McCloskey RS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Memphis) Quinn Loper OH Wave 17 Juliana (USC) Reese Dunkle MB Circle City 17 Purple (Northwestern) Logan Bell OH Circle City 17 Purple (Oregon) Katie Gielas OH Elevation 17 Cabo (FGCU) Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (Cincinnati) Francesca Popescu L/DS A5 17-1 Calvin (Cal) Abigail Li S A5 17-1 Calvin (SMU) Izzy Mogridge S OT 17 Aaron (Oregon) Sydni Vice OH MJVA 17 Elite (2026) Natalie Carr OH Pitt Elite 17 Elite (2026) Outlook: It’s a bit hard to believe that top-ranked MKE Sting is the only team participating in 17 Open which already has a bid. Given that, trickle-down cannot extend past fourth place and with 15 teams from Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 playing earning a bid is going to be a brutal task. At Triple Crown, KiVA tied for third, Legacy tied for fifth and Mich Elite tied for seventh. Those three are going to

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Updated Player Rankings: Classes of 2024-2027

March 13, 2024

Two weeks ago we released our initial player rankings for the Class of 2028. You can find those here. Below, we have released updates to our player rankings for the Classes of 2024-2027. We’ve listed any movement from 3 to 4-stars or from 4 to 5-stars, as well as listed any new additions to our lists. Class of 2025 3 to 4 Stars Anna Blamires RS Co Jrs 17 Kevin Erika Sayer MB Co Jrs 17 Kevin Isabela Haggard S/RS KiVA 17 Red Sakura Codling L/DS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue 3-Star Additions Natalie Fukumoto L/DS SASVBC 17-1 Delaney Steers OH Academy 17 Tsunami NeKhaela Rogers Madfrog 17 Green Laney Hennessee OH AP 17 Adidas McKenzie Jones RS Madfrog 17 Green Natalie Harris RS GP 17 Rox Bridget Malone OH Co Jrs 17 Kevin Piper Mickenheim L/DS Excel 17 National Red Sydney Clark L/DS Skyline 17 Royal ***** Class of 2026 4 to 5 Stars Nadi’ya Shelby RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Ella Andrews MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas Nadiya Johnson RS Metro 16 Travel 3 to 4 Stars Kylie Buttars OH Club V 16 Ren Matt Julianna Hernandez TAV 16 Black Millie Bauer MB MAVS KC 16-1 Rylan Miller L/DS OT J 16 Will Henlee Moszkowic L/DS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Presley Thompson L/DS Wave 16 Brennan Snow Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports m.61 Eva Long S Legacy 16-1 Adidas 3-Star Additions Gabrielle Emch L/DS A5 16-1 Gabe Audrey Simpson MB A5 15-1 Kelly Callie Gardner L/DS TAV Taylor Fenton MB SA Force 16 Darkside Avery Lewis OH Academy 16 Yeti Macie Smith OH Academy 16 Yeti Christa Wilburn OH/RS Austin Skyline 16 Royal Sara Bowcutt OH Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Allie Davison S/RS Mich Elite 16 Mizuno Isabella Ruether OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Madison Rich OH Club V 16 Ren Matt Chloe Hansen OH ID Crush 17 Bower ***** Class of 2027 4 to 5 Stars Nailah Randle OH SA Jrs 3 to 4 Stars Ireland Real OH Wave 15 Brennan Kate Kalcyznski OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas Kamryn Mullican S/RS Excel 15 National Red Lauren Garcia S/RS Alamo 16 Premier 4-Star Additions Aspen Brown RS Hou Skyline 15 Royal Hailey Mueller OH Triangle 15 Black McKinley Moser S VCNebraska 15 Elite 3-Star Additions Zoe Fuqua RS SA Juniors 15 Adidas Natalie Kitts MB HJV 15 Elite Lucy Holmes RS Skyline 15 Royal Kailey Leonard L/DS A5 15-1 Kelly Tinsley Welker-Brown S Hou Skyline 15 Royal Kyla Mitchell MB Michio 15 National Lucy Moriarty L/DS HPSTL 15 Royal Allie Brietling OH Vegas Aces 15 UA Lyndsey Robinson L/DS Munciana 15 Blue Abbi Cotten S TAV 15 Pfifer Parker Horton MB Skyline 15 Royal Jenna Dittmer OH Circle City 15 Purple Chloe Taylor S/RS Forza1 North 15 One Candice Holloway MB OT 15 Randy Kennedy Whyte OH Absolute 15 Black Sasha Cromer S KC Power 15 Black Bo Bronson OH KC Power 15 Black Emery Gonzales Wave 15 Brennan

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Sunshine Classic: 16 Open All Red Hat Team

March 7, 2024

With the first weekend of the Sunshine Classic all wrapped up and the Open bids awarded in the 16 and 17 divisions, we turn our attention to our All Red Hat Team for 16 Open. It’s our version of an all-tournament team. The selections were picked from the 12 teams which made the gold pools and based on their performances over the course of three days. 16s ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Sara Snowbarger Mintonette Sports m.61 Layla Hoying Mintonette Sports m.61 Jordin Southall GP 16 Rox Catherine Palmi GP 16 Rox Jenness Orcutt GP 16 Rox Madisyn Crnjac Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Taylor Clarke Skyline 16 Royal LeVariya Pinder Skyline 16 Royal Clara Briley A5 16-1 Gabe Sofia Guerrero-Wilson A5 16-1 Gabe Gigi Artiles Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Mia Gold Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Isabella Umpierre WPVC 16 Armour Black Brooklyn Jenkins AZ Sky 16G Sarah Hickman HJV 16 Elite Amaya Love HJV 16 Elite *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Alia Schoonover Mintonette Sports m.61 London Adkins GP 16 Rox Brooke Harwood Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Hayden Conner Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Keoni Williams Skyline 16 Royal Riley Bethea A5 16-1 Gabe Gracison Saylors A5 16-1 Gabe Eva Smith Triangle 16 Black Jolene Oddo Triangle 16 Black Jenna Hunt Vision 16 Gold *** SETTERS Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m.61 Elizabeth Scholvin Mintonette Sports m.61 Lily Rolfes Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Madison Victoriano Skyline 16 Royal Riley McCaughey Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Elle Mottola WPVC 16 Armour Black Vivian Hickman AZ Sky 16G *** LIBEROS/DSs Emma Cugino Mintonette Sports m.61 Aylani Correa GP 16 Rox Kalli Lipo Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Kiley Brooks Skyline 16 Royal Marianne Garcia AZ Sky 16G Gemma Hopkins HJV 16 Elite

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Sunshine Classic: 17 Open All Red Hat Team

March 7, 2024

It was an incredible three days of competition this past weekend at the Sunshine Classic. The first bids went out in 16 Open, while 17 Open picked up its qualifying after the opening round at Northern Lights back in January. You can read about how it played out here. Below, we introduce our 17 Open All Red Hat Team. It’s our version of an all-tournament team. The selections were picked from the 12 teams which made the gold pools and based on their performances over the course of three days. 17s ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Teraya Sigler Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Devyn Wiest Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Raegan Richardson AZ Sky 17G Georgi Stein AZ Sky 17G Addison France AZ Sky 17G Sophia Thornburg Skyline 17 Royal Bella Ocampo Skyline 17 Royal Naya Salfiti Skyline 17 Royal Alex Richter TAV 17 Black Marie Laurio Legacy 17-1 Adidas Hannah Hankerson OT 17 Aaron Maggie Dostic OT 17 Aaron Ava Wysocki Sky High Adidas 17 Elite Kelly Kinney Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal Victoria Hill GP 17 Rox Gabi Martinez HJV 17 Elite Layli Ostovar Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar Brianna Brewer Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Kenna Cogill Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Makena Rumple Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Zoe Gillen-Malveaux Skyline 17 Royal Olivia Wayne TAV 17 Black Shelby Burris TAV 17 Black Olivia Grenadier Legacy 17-1 Adidas Connore Siler-Nixon OT 17 Aaron Sydney Davis GP 17 Rox Jordan Taylor HJV 17 Elite *** SETTERS Sarah Pfiffner TAV 17 Black Campbell Flynn Legacy 17-1 Adidas Izzy Mogridge OT 17 Aaron Emelyn Stettin Sky High Adidas 17 Elite Charlotte Glass Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal KK Green GP 17 Rox *** LIBEROS/DSs Izzy Mahaffey Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Lilliana LaFlesch AZ Sky 17G Maddie Smotherman Skyline 17 Royal Sarah Mendoza TAV 17 Black Devin Dzienny Legacy 17-1 Adidas Lily Hayes OT 17 Aaron Zoey Matias Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal Sydney Black HJV 17 Elite

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Sunshine Classic: Day 3 Show Stoppers

March 6, 2024

The Sunshine Classic wrapped up with plenty of drama and unexpected results. With the gold pools playing out and remaining teams in the hunt competing for Open bids, the final day produced big-time efforts and performances. Below, we highlight those players who stood out to us the most with our Day 3 Show Stoppers. DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Teraya Sigler OH Arizona Storm 17 Thunder: Sigler – a 5-star Nebraska commit – anchored Storm’s run to the 17 Open championship. She’s a do-it-all type, high-IQ outside who is solid out of serve receive and can hurt opponents with a wide array of shot selections. Makena Rumple MB Arizona Storm 17 Thunder: A 3-star Iowa commit, Rumple was very effective in the middle. She scored at a high rate when called upon and delivered timely blocks to aid in Storm’s dominant day. Georgi Stein OH AZ Sky 17 Gold: Stein – a 3-star Northern Arizona commit – was a key piece as Sky worked its way to a second-place finish and one of the three bids. The six-rotation contributor takes her share of swings on the outside and knows how to beat opponents in different ways. Addison France RS AZ Sky 17 Gold: A 3-star recruit, France is a physical right side. She can drop the hammer at times and power down kills with authority. Zoe Gillen-Malveaux MB Skyline 17 Royal: A 5-star Duke commit, Gillen-Malveaux is a dynamic middle who is a handful offensively. She runs an effective slide attack and with the way she can get up and extends, it’s very tough to slow down. Maddy Smotherman L/DS Skyline 17 Royal: Smotherman – a 3-star recruit – was solid in the back row and showed up well on that side of the ball. She did well extending rallies and making hustle plays. Alex Richter OH TAV 17 Black: A 4-star Georgia commit, Richter played at a high level and scored at a high clip. She’s long and can hit at high contact points which helps create sharp angles for defenders to cover. Campbell Flynn S Legacy 17-1 Adidas: Flynn – a 5-star Nebraska commit – helped Legacy position itself to qualify on the final day but came up short of making the semis. There’s plenty of superlatives one can use to describe her. Effortless and smooth are among them, as she shows total command of the offense. Marie Laurio OH Legacy 17-1 Adidas: A 3-star Syracuse commit, Laurio is a wirey outside with a lively arm. She can unleash at times and rip impressive winners. Izzy Mogridge S OT 17 Aaron: A 4-star Oregon commit, Mogridge is a fun setter to watch get after it. She’s quick and does well getting her feet to the ball. She also connects well with all of her hitters. *** Charlotte Glass S Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal: Glass – a 5-star Duke commit – is another setter who is in complete control of the offense. She locates consistently and puts her hitters in favorable matchups. Kelly Kinney OH Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal: A 5-star Minnesota commit, Kinney can get up and crush it. She has a big-time arm and is a featured part of Tribe’s attack. Jordan Taylor MB HJV 17 Elite: Another 5-star Minnesota commit, Taylor is so long in the middle and takes up a ton of space. She can close the gap on the block in a hurry, as well as hit over blockers on the regular. Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports m.61: Hoying – a 4-star recruit – is part of a strong 1-2 punch on the outside for Mintonette. She has a powerful arm but can keep defenses guessing with her ability to deliver a well-timed off-speed shot. Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports m.61: Another 4-star recruit, Snowbarger completes the outside duo that helped Mintonette to the 16 Open title. She’s a lanky hitter who extends and can hit straight down when the opportunity is right. Alia Schoonover MB Mintonette Sports m.61: Schoonover – a 3-star recruit – is a play-maker in the middle. She’s quick and knows how to finish and always seems to come up with a clutch play at a key moment. Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.61: A 5-star recruit, Cugino is a lights-out defender. She has the ability to change the course of a set or match with the way she can make saves or keep her team in a point. Catherine Palmi OH GP 16 Rox: Palmi – a 3-star recruit – helped hold it down as GP took home a surprise bid after finishing runner-up to Mintonette. She has a booming arm and hits a heavy, heavy ball that eats defenders up. Aylani Correra L/DS GP 16 Rox: Correra played a key role in GP’s success. She’s quick, scrappy defender who shows a lot of hustle and desire to keep the ball alive. Brooke Harwood MB Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Harwood – a 5-star recruit – is virtually unstoppable on the slide attack. When in system, it is a high-percentage play that Storm turns to time and time again. *** Madisyn Crnjac OH Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Crnjac – a 3-star recruit – is a six-rotation outside with a knack for scoring. She has a strong arm and isn’t afraid to challenge the block in front of her. Kalli Lipo L/DS Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: A 3-star recruit, Lipo brings a defensive edge to the lineup. She covers really well and shows nice reactions in the back row. Alexis Anderson RS Skyline 16 Royal: Anderson was an unsung hero at times. Skyline its share of options but it was Anderson making timely contributions on both sides of the ball with her attacking and blocking. Taylor Clarke RS Skyline 16 Royal: A 4-star recruit, Clarke is a menace on the right side. Skyline likes to feed her the ball and with the way she explodes and lets it go, she’s a reliable option. Riley Bethea MB A5 16-1 Gabe: Bethea –

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Vballrecruiter Player of the Week: Lowe Long

March 5, 2024

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: Lowe Long. *** In a roundabout way, Lowe Long danced her way into volleyball. Growing up, our latest Player of the Week performed ballet before getting into competitive dancing. Those competitions took Long – a 3-star recruit from the Class of 2028 – on the road, where she sometimes ended up performing in the same venues that happened to be hosting volleyball tournaments. “We would be on breaks and would just be walking around,” Long said. “We would watch volleyball sometimes. My mom asked me one time if it ever interested me. I have four generations of volleyball in my family. My great grandpa, my aunts, my cousins and brother all played. There’s a history in my family. Watching it, it seemed interesting.” After years of dancing, Long decided to move on. She joined Tri-State Elite for her 11s season. At that time, she was one of the tallest on the team so she naturally started off as a middle blocker. She eventually switched to being a pin. She is currently an outside hitter on Tri-State Elite 14 Blue. One element of volleyball that drew her to the sport was the team atmosphere. She loved watching how excited everyone seemed to be and all the celebrating. “It sounds cheesy, but it’s in my blood,” she said. “It seemed like something I should be doing. It interested me a lot.” Moving on from dance to volleyball was an easy decision for Long. During Covid, she was forced to do Zoom calls and practice dancing in her kitchen. “It wasn’t working for me,” she said. “I wasn’t looking forward to the Zoom calls or driving to dance anymore. I said goodbye to it and never thought about it again. Plus, having to do all the makeup and my hair, it was all getting on my nerves, so it was like ‘Okay, we are done.’” To date, Tri-State Elite 14 Blue has had two Mideast Power League weekends, as well as competing at both Central Zone and Triple Crown. The team finished ninth at the former and 51st at the latter. It was the first time Long had competed at the prestigious Triple Crown event. “I heard many things about it,” she said. “It was so cool. There were a lot of college coaches and you are there turning around and seeing them watching. I also saw friends I made at The Red Hat Games and got to watch them play. It was also fun to see teams from other states I haven’t seen before.” The season continues on this coming weekend for Tri-State Elite 14 Blue with Bluegrass in Louisville. As for life outside of volleyball, living in Ohio one extracurricular activity that seems unlikely to get involved in is surfing. However, her parents used to live in California and her dad would surf with his friends in Los Angeles. Long said it seemed like a fun thing to learn so on family vacations it was something her and her twin brother tried. “We caught onto it very quickly,” she said. “It’s something I can do in another state that I can’t do in Ohio. When we travel to California and Florida we go surfing. It’s very fun for my brother and I.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Long about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Long: I look up to my parents because they set a great example. They teach me all I need to know about life and help me through anything I need help with. My grandparents are also big role models. They have a lot of experiences and they help me so much too. They are very supportive of my choices I make in life. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Long: I would probably want to go to Hawaii and go to see all the beaches. I would love to go see the mountains and all the different plants. I would love seeing all the cool places that we don’t have in Ohio. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Long: I would want to get good at cooking because it’s something you can share your love for someone else is by cooking a nice meal. Or learning how to bake pastries and stuff like that. It seems fun. Do you have any volleyball superstitions or rituals and if so what? Long: When I’m up at the net, I either have a Kendra Scott necklace or a necklace with an L and it has to be in the center and even on both sides. My jersey needs to fit right and I tighten my ponytail. I always have these two tiny pieces of hair that have to be in the front of my ear and I touch my earrings. All when I’m up at the net. Aside from basic necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Long: It’s my family because they are my emotional, mental and physical support and back up when you need them. They help me get through the day. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Long: Getting to see my friends at school and talking with everyone and catching up with everyone what they did last night or talking about stuff we want to do in the future. What’s one of your favorite ways to have fun? Long: I love spending time with my friends and going to the park or just hanging out with them at

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MEQ 14 & 15s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

The second weekend of the Mideast Qualifier features the 14 and 15 Open divisions competing in St. Louis this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As one would expect of MEQ, both fields are loaded and earning a bid in either is going to be a difficult task. As for the 14s, MEQ is one of three qualifiers taking place this weekend for that age group. Below, we take a glance at both divisions, with nationally-ranked teams, players to know, as well as offer a prediction on what may transpire. 15 OPEN Number of Teams: 48 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (1): TAV 15 Black Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (15): 1. TAV 15 Black TX 5. A5 15-1 Kelly GA 6. Skyline 15 Royal TX 10. KC Power 15 Black KS 22. VCNebraska 15 Elite NE 23. 1st Alliance 15 Gold IL 25. MN Select 15-1 MN 29. Austin Skyline 15 Royal TX 31. FH 15 Ikaika-Andy TX 42. Mintonette Sports m.51 OH 44. Elevation 15 Tony OH 45. Dynasty 15 Black KS 46. HPSTL 15 Royal MO 47. Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite MO 49. Peak 15 Black TX   5-Star Players to Know: Peyton Kubik OH Dynasty 15 Black Shaye Witherspoon OH Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite Allie Hudgins OH Austin Skyline 15 Royal Naomi Livings OH/RS TAV 15 Black Nyla Livings MB TAV 15 Black Brynn Stephens S/RS TAV 15 Black Marissa Jones S A5 15-1 Kelly   4-Star Players to Know: McKinley Moser S VCNebraska 15 Elite Kailey Leonard L/DS A5 15-1 Kelly Kylee Evans MB A5 15-1 Kelly Kyla Williams MB AVC Cle 15 Red Peyton Heatherly S 1st Alliance 15 Gold Bryn Meyer RS Mintonette Sports m.51 Lexi Martin OH TAV 15 Black Gentry Barker OH TAV 15 Black Sophee Peterson S/RS TAV 15 Black Mariah Akinsola MB TAV 15 Black Ansley Shafer L/DS TAV 15 Black Emerson Butler S Austin Skyline 15 Royal Ryan Spencer OH Skyline 15 Royal Morgan Meiring OH Elevation 15 Tony   Outlook: Among the items we know for sure is TAV is safe. That’s because our top-ranked club secured its bid to nationals already by finishing runner up at the Sunshine Classic. We also know all three bids are going to be handed out, and that trickle down can’t go beyond fourth place. After that, who knows? It’s a full field with 48 teams and features 15 from our Top 50 national rankings. It should make for a wild ride with lots of twists and turns. A5 and Skyline have delivered consistent results to date and figure to factor in. KC Power was a big surprise with its performance at Triple Crown and will look to back it up with another strong showing this weekend. The rest of the ranked teams are evenly-matched and all figure to show improvement over the course of the last month when most competed at Triple Crown. All it takes at a qualifier like this is an upset on Day 1 or 2 to upend the seedings and force contenders into the same pools. That leads to someone you would expect to be in the hunt getting eliminated earlier than expected and that opens up a spot for an unexpected team to take advantage of. The guess is something along those lines happens here. Prediction: If my predictions play out accordingly, it’s going to be a good weekend for TAV. I picked the club to win both 14 and 16 Open at Northern Lights, and I’m going with TAV to leave with a title in 15 Open as well at MEQ. As for the bids, I’m going with KC Power to finish in second place and earn one of them. Tying for third place and earning the other two bids is going to be Skyline and VCNebraska. ***** 14 OPEN Number of Teams: 28 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (1): HPSTL 14 Royal Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (13): 1. Madfrog 14 Green TX 2. HPSTL 14 Royal MO 8. Dynasty 14 Black KS 9. Circle City 14 Purple IN 10. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami KY 12. Elevation 14 Molly OH 14. AVC Cle 14 Red 16. MAVS KC 14-1 KS 23. HJV 14 Elite TX 28. Mintonette Sports m.41 OH 31. KC Power 14 Black KS 44. ARVC 14-1 Adidas NM 50. TPV 14-Zulu TN   5-Star Players to Know: Sarah Albers RS HPSTL 14 Royal Maya Ogbogu OH Madfrog 14 Green   4-Star Players to Know: Gracie White MB Madfrog 14 Green Olivia Kitur OH Madfrog 14 Green Hayden Thomas MB Madfrog 14 Green Aleyna Bramschreiber S/RS Madfrog 14 Green Nora Goodenow MB MAVS KC 14-1 Jaelyn Jordan S MAVS KC 14-1 Carsyn Chitty L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41 Sade Bello OH HJV 14 Elite   Outlook: Like 15 Open, there is only one team which has a bid already in HPSTL. It creates the same scenario, where teams must finish in the top four to have any shot of qualifying, and that is if HPSTL also finishes in the top four. If not, teams have to finish in the top three to qualify. With 13 teams featured in our Top 50, nearly half the field is in our national rankings. That should make for a competitive weekend, one that is going to make earning a bid tough to accomplish. One thing to watch for is a possible Triple Crown finals rematch between Madfrog and HPSTL. While HPSTL is safe having a bid already, Madfrog is seeking to take care of its qualifying spot in its first effort of the season. Dynasty has been a strong team so far, and Circle City captured the title at Central Zone. Both are real contenders in terms of qualifying. In 14 Open though, the play is unpredictable enough that teams can rise up, pull off upsets and earn bids. NKYVC, Elevation, AVC Cle, MAVS and HJV are all examples of teams that could find themselves in that position. Prediction: My call is going with a reverse of Triple Crown, with

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Northern Lights 14 & 16s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

The opening weekend of Northern Lights was back in January, when the 15, 17 and 18 Open divisions took place. Ahead this weekend in Minneapolis is the 14 and 16 Open divisions. The 14s have been behind the other age groups in terms of qualifiers. However, they will start to catch up this coming weekend with Northern Lights one of three 14 Open qualifiers taking place. Below, we look at both divisions, nationally-ranked teams, players to know and offer predictions on how it all will play out. 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 24 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (8): 3. TAV 16 Black TX 6. Hou Skyline 16 Royal TX 19. MN Select 16-1 MN 28. MKE Sting 16 Gold WI 30. HJV 16 Elite TX 37. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold NE 43. Vital 16-1 Gold MN 50. 1United 16 Blue TX   5-Star Players to Know: Nadi’ya Shelby RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Halle Thompson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1 Elena Hoecke MB MN Select 16-1 Layla Austin OH TAV 16 Black Kinsley Young MB TAV 16 Black Danielle Whitmire S/RS TAV 16 Black   4-Star Players to Know: Henlee Moszkowicz L/DS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Jayden Robinson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal Blair Thiebaud S Hou Skyline 16 Royal Lacy Tinnell MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal Anna Flores S/RS TAV 16 Black Julianna Hernandez L/DS TAV 16 Black Caroline Huseman OH TAV 16 Black Kylie Kleckner OH TAV 16 Black Sarah Hickman RS HJV 16 Elite Madeline Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1 Margaret Czajka MB/RS MKE Sting 16 Gold Marlee Sivak OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Eva Swenson S/RS MN Select 16-1   Outlook: It’s a little surprising to see that no qualified teams are in attendance. That’s a big deal as it eliminates any hope of trickle down and forces teams to finish in the top three to secure a bid. With 24 teams in the field, it’s the bare-minimum in order to make three bids available. One thing that stands out to me is the apparent separation in the division between teams like TAV and Hou Skyline and the rest of the field. TAV and Hou Skyline are going to be heavy favorites this weekend, not only when it comes to qualifying but winning it all. After that though, it is anyone’s game, or so it appears. Qualifiers aren’t usually as cut-and-dry as they appear on paper and upsets along the way shake up seedings and force results earlier than expected. Still, it’s a great opportunity for at least one of the other ranked teams, or even someone unexpected, to grab a bid where it might not be able to elsewhere. Prediction: I’m not going with any out-of-the-box picks here. I think Hou Skyline tops TAV in the championship match with both qualifying in the process. The final bid is where all the drama is going to take place. In a bit of a surprise, I’m taking Vital to beat MKE Sting in the third-place match for the final qualifying spot. ***** 14 OPEN Number of Teams: 16 Number of Bids: 2 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (9): 4. TAV 14 Black TX 7. Hou Skyline 14 Royal TX 19. Premier Nebraska 14 Gold NE 21. OT 14 O Alex FL 27. TAV Houston 14 Adidas TX 36. Excel 14 National Red TX 41. Northern Lights 14-1 MN 42. Kairos 14 Alpha SD 46. MKE Sting 14 Gold WI   5-Star Players to Know: Sarah Floyd RS TAV 14 Black   4-Star Players to Know: Caitlin Carrizales L/DS TAV 14 Black   3-Star Players to Know: Tegan Loechler RS MKE Sting 14 Gold Olivia Kelley OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas Cooper Binderup OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas Brynn Lagasse OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas Ava Lazar OH OT 14 Alex Elianiz Rodriguez OH OT 14 Alex Addison Musgrove S/RS Hou Skyline 14 Royal Jada Skinner OH Hou Skyline 14 Royal Hailey Tinnell MB Hou Skyline 14 Royal Peyton Barnes OH Hou Skyline 14 Royal Hana Penberthy S Hou Skyline 14 Royal Norah Hicks MB TAV 14 Black Olivia Permenter OH TAV 14 Black (2027) Katie Wawersich MB TAV 14 Black Evann Beville S TAV 14 Black Abigail Bond MB TAV 14 Black Trinity Johnson OH TAV 14 Black Madison Kutch L/DS TAV 14 Black Sadie Lovato S Excel 14 National Red Stella Sanford S Excel 14 National Red Ella Zieske OH Northern Lights 14-1   Outlook: The 14 Open division this weekend in Minneapolis is an interesting one. For starters, it’s a smaller field with just 16 teams. That means just two bids are going to be handed out and one will go into the at-large pool to be handed out after qualifying season ends. With it, however, is the fact that nine of the 16 clubs are ranked in our Top 50. So it’s a smaller field but one with relative depth to it. Another factor in play is that there are no teams with bids already, so the only way to qualify is simple. Teams have to reach the championship match to grab one. TAV was in contention at Triple Crown and will have a target on its back this weekend. TAV is a top contender. Hou Skyline has been competitive all season and is another contender as well. It’ll take some upsets and surprises for anyone else to breakthrough. At this age group, there’s a likelihood that will happen because of the unpredictability of the division. Prediction: Like 16 Open, I’m going with TAV to hold its seed and win out. The question is which squad faces TAV in the final? I’m going with another surprise, with TAV topping OT Alex in the final as both earn bids.

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Music City 18s: Preview and Predictions

March 21, 2024

This is the second to last weekend for the 18s national qualifiers. When it’s all said and done, the Music City event taking place in New Orleans could prove to be the toughest of them all. Check out why in our write-up below featuring which teams already have bids, which teams are ranked in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 and what predictions we are making for the competition taking place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 18 OPEN Number of Teams: 29 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (11): Academy 18 Diamond: Academy 18 Rage; City 18 Gold; Skyline 18 Royal; Madfrog 18 Green; Metro 18 Travel; OT 18 Roberto; KC Power 18 Black; Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite; TAV 18 Black; Triangle 18 Black Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (13): 1. TAV 18 Black TX 2. KC Power 18 Black KS 7. Madfrog 18 Green TX 9. Triangle 18 Black NC 12. Skyline 18 Royal TX 14. Academy 18 Rage IN 18. City 18 Gold CA 21. Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite MO 24. OT 18 Roberto FL 33. Metro 18 Travel DC 34. Miami Hype 18 Emilio FL 45. Academy 18 Diamond NC 48. SG Elite 18 Rosh CA   5-Star Players to Know: Lauren Harden OH Academy 18 Rage (Florida) Favor Anyanwu MB TAV 18 Black (USC) Camille Edwards S TAV 18 Black (Michigan) Jadyn Livings RS MB TAV 18 Black (USC) Taylor Yu S SG Elite 18 Rosh (Stanford) Suli Davis OH TAV 18 Black (2025, BYU) Cari Spears OH TAV 18 Black (2025, Texas) Gillian Pitts L/DS TAV 18 Black (2025, Houston)   4-Star Players to Know: Kennedy Osunsanmi RS City 18 Gold Fallon Stewart OH OT 18 Roberto (Cincinnati) Sarah Brodner OH Jupiter Elite (Virginia) Kiylah Presley MB Paramount 18 Walter Asia Thigpen OH Triangle 18 Black (Kentucky) Alayna Smith MB Triangle 18 Black (Illinois) Ashlyn Philpot MB Triangle 18 Black (Illinois) McKenna Brand L/DS Skyline 18 Royal (UCONN) Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 18 Gold (Ball State) Lolo Lambert OH Madfrog 18 Green (Arkansas) Kennedy Washington MB Madfrog 18 Green (Kentucky) Lillian Croshaw MB Madfrog 18 Green (Illinois State) Janelle Green S KC Power 18 Black (Cincinnati) Erin Debiec S Metro 18 Travel (Colorado State) Mikala Young OH TAV 18 Black (TCU) Anna Boatner MB TAV 18 Black (UCSB)   Outlook: There aren’t as many teams as last week’s 18 Open at MEQ. But, with 13 of the 29 teams ranked in our Top 50, plus 11 of those already holding bids, walking away with one of the tickets to nationals is going to be more challenging than perhaps any other 18s qualifier. Not only are there 11 teams already owning bids, but there are powerhouse clubs like TAV, KC Power, Madfrog and Triangle which figure to place highly. With trickle-down only able to extend to eighth place, it’s possible that no bids go out at all. There are currently no at-larges in 18 Open available, but it’s possible this event allows one or more to become available. Only two ranked teams in the field – Miami Hype and SG Elite – don’t have bids. They would have to crack at least the top eight to position themselves to qualify. Given the depth of field here, that’s going to be a challenge for either. Prediction: I think TAV gets another qualifier victory under its belt, taking down Madfrog in the final in a Texas showdown. KC Power and Academy Rage tie for third. Miami Hype slips into qualifying position and earns the bid, the only one we are predicting to go out.

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Vballrecruiter Player of the Week: Nejari Crooks

March 19, 2024

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: Nejari Crooks. *** With parents who represented and played volleyball internationally for Jamaica, Nejari Crooks seemed destined to one day pick up the sport and begin to leave her own mark. It wasn’t until she was nine did she venture into volleyball, spending her time instead swimming and doing CrossFit. Though her parents were immersed in volleyball, Crooks didn’t view it as she would inevitably wind up playing herself. “I didn’t think about it like that,” she said. “I just started playing one day and that was it really.” Among the aspects of volleyball that she enjoys is making friends and developing close relationships with them. She also likes the team component and having to work together in order to succeed. “You have to know each other really well to accomplish what you want to and that’s something that drew me in,” Crooks said. Crooks – a 6-0, 4-star Class of 2027 recruit who touches over 10-feet – started off as a setter/right side and has remained in the same role for both club and high school. She said she doesn’t have a preference between hitting and setting and that she has fun doing both. “I like setting because you get to control the team and set up your hitters,” she said. “With hitting, I like that you get to put the ball down for your setter.” When it comes to club, Crooks has been playing up multiple age groups since she started. Currently, she’s a freshman on Triad Elite 18 National out of North Carolina. She spent this past fall as a ninth-grader on the Wesleyan Christian Academy varsity squad. The Trojans reached the semifinals of the NCISAA 4A state playoffs before falling to eventual champion Cannon. Crooks had a monster season. She finished second in kills with 235. She averaged 3.1 per set while hitting .385. She also dished out 325 assists, averaging 4.3 per set. She led the team in aces with 99 while finishing third in digs. She twice recorded a season-high 27 kills. Her season-best was also 27 assists. Her best outing featured 27 kills and 23 assists in a five-set loss to Oak Grove in mid-September. Looking ahead, Crooks has her sights set on playing in Division 1 and beyond that the Olympics. Off the court, she still does CrossFit and likes to read because “it calms me a lot.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Crooks about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Crooks: Inside and outside of volleyball it’s my family. Both my parents played volleyball at a really high level internationally for Jamaica. They’ve been involved in the sport their whole lives. They are really encouraging and set good examples of being hard working. It helps me a lot when it comes to volleyball. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Crooks: I would go to Jamaica so I could spend time with my grandma. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Crooks: I would probably learn a new language. Right now, I’m learning Spanish and French and I want to learn another one. I would like to communicate with more people and build more relationships. Do you have any volleyball superstitions or rituals and if so what are they? Crooks: I don’t really have any superstitions. I do like to listen to my favorite playlist right before playing. Aside from basic necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Crooks: Something that I can’t live without is my family because they encourage me throughout the day and bring me so much joy. We are very close-knit and make each other happy. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Crooks: I would say my German Shepard. He is 9-years-old. He makes me really happy. What’s one of your favorite ways to have fun? Crooks: One of my favorite ways to have fun is I like to play volleyball with my friends or go to the gym with them to work out together. Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why? Crooks: Outside of volleyball, I’m passionate about learning so I can grow my intelligence and knowledge and be able to share it with others. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Crooks: Something that surprises people every time is when I tell them I have six dogs and 20 chickens. My dad and I mostly take care of them. If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would it be and why? Crooks: If I could live anywhere I would go back to Jamaica. All my family is Jamaican. My grandma lives there and I don’t get to see her a lot. What’s your favorite food or foods? Crooks: My favorite food is my mom’s cooking. I think her best is her jerk chicken. It’s absolutely perfect. She makes a secret sauce with the perfect amount of spiciness. What’s your favorite number and why? Crooks: My favorite number is number 4 because when my parents played that was their number. I like to continue the tradition. Also, in elementary school with the seating chart I was number 4, so it is my lucky number.

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MEQ: Preview and Predictions

March 14, 2024

The Mideast Qualifier (MEQ) is always one of the toughest of the season. That distinction won’t change this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday as the 16-18 Open divisions are set to go at it inside the Indianapolis Convention Center. What makes MEQ such a challenging event is the typical depth of the fields combined with the sheer number of teams. This qualifier most always features 48-team fields, though 18 Open is just shy of that. Toss in the fact that there is just one qualified team in each 16 and 17 Open means we are going to get a powerhouse weekend full of talented teams slugging it out. 18 OPEN Number of Teams: 40 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (8): 1st Alliance 18 Gold; Mintonette Sports m.81; Academy 18 Rage; A5 18 Marc; MKE Sting 18 Gold; Wave 18 Brennan; Circle City 18 Purple; FC Elite 18 Elite Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (16): 4. 1st Alliance 18 Gold IL 6. Munciana 18 Samurai IN 8. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue OH 10. Team Pineapple 18 Black IN 14. Academy 18 Rage IN 16. Wave 18 Brennan CA 17. A5 18 Marc GA 25. Mintonette Sports m.81 28. NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami KY 35. MKE Sting 18 Gold WI 39. FC Elite 18 Elite WI 40. OT 18 T Tony FL 46. Six Pack 18 IA 47. VC United 18 Elite IL 49. Circle City 18 Purple IN 50. Adidas KiVA 18 Red KY   5-Star Players to Know Morgan Gaerte OH Team Pineapple 18 Black (Notre Dame) Lola Schumacher L/DS Munciana 18 Samurai (Wisconsin) Lauren Harden OH Academy 18 Rage (Florida) Hannah Benjamin OH A5 18 Marc (Kentucky) Addison Tindall OH Munciana 18 Samurai (2025, Purdue)   4-Star Players to Know Ayen Nhial MB Adidas KiVA 18 Red (James Madison) Payton Petersen OH Six Pack (Louisville) Grace Nelson OH 1st Alliance 18 Gold (Kansas) Ellie White OH 1st Alliance 18 Gold (Michigan) Calli Kenny S/RS 1st Alliance 18 Gold (Marquette) Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 18 Gold (Ball State) Jenna Hanes MB Wave 18 Brennan (Michigan) Julia Hunt MB NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (Washington) Elizabeth Tabeling L/DS NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (Ball State) Claire Luoma L/DS MKE Sting 18 Gold (Clemson) Anna Bjork MB MKE Sting 18 Gold (Notre Dame) Lilly Wagner S MKE Sting 18 Gold (Maryland) Ella Demetrician OH FC Elite 18 Elite (Michigan) Charlotte Vinson OH/RS Munciana 18 Samurai (2025, Indiana) Addison Applegate L/DS Munciana 18 Samurai (2025, Texas AM) Maya Evens L/DS Wave 18 Brennan (2025, Notre Dame) Peyton Carlson L/DS FC Elite 18 Elite (2026)   Outlook: With the 18s nearing the end of qualifying season, there are eight clubs with prior bids. While that is a big enough number to possibly ensure no bids go out – as trickle down doesn’t extend past eighth place – it’s actually not as sizable as recent years when we have seen a dozen qualified teams competing. There is plenty to watch for, starting with the inclusion of Munciana in this year’s event. The club hasn’t attended qualifiers in a long time but has its 18s here this weekend. With it there is a good chance we could see the club finish in a bid position. Another Indiana club that could join Munciana is Team Pineapple, which is coming off its strong finish at Triple Crown. Tri-State Elite also performed well at Triple Crown and certainly could be among the bid winners. That trio of teams are the highest-ranked in the field without bids but will be challenged by clubs like NKYVC, Six Pack, OT Tony, KiVA and VC United. Prediction: As for the winner, I’m picking Tri-State over Team Pineapple in a rematch from the semifinals of Central Zone. Wave and 1st Alliance tie for third place, with Munciana earning the final bid by tying for fifth place. ***** 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 48 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (1): MKE Sting 17 Gold Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (15): 1. MKE Sting 17 Gold WI 5. Adidas KiVA 17 Red KY 6. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno MI 9. Legacy 17-1 Adidas MI 13. Dynasty 17 Black KS 16. A5 17-1 Calvin GA 17. Circle City 17 Purple IN 19. Adrenaline 17 Ben IA 23. OT 17 T Aaron FL 24. Coast 17 Rodrigo CA 26. AVC Cle 17 Red OH 30. HPSTL 17 Royal MO 31. Wave 17 Juliana CA 34. CUVC 17 Open NC 49. Academy 17 Tsunami IN   5-Star Players to Know Kristen Simon L/DS Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Wisconsin) Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Campbell Flynn S Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Nebraska) Annabelle Groomes S AVC Cle 17 Red (San Diego) Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black (USC) Abigail Mullen RS Dynasty 17 Black (USC)   4-Star Players to Know Gabriella Pitcel MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Illinois) Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Michigan State) Emma Parks OH AVC Cle 17 Red (Marquette) Isabella Haggard S/RS Adidas KIVA 17 Red (Indiana) Rebecca Ring OH VC United 17 Elite (NC State) Ava Tilden OH NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Xavier) Riley McCloskey RS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Memphis) Quinn Loper OH Wave 17 Juliana (USC) Reese Dunkle MB Circle City 17 Purple (Northwestern) Logan Bell OH Circle City 17 Purple (Oregon) Katie Gielas OH Elevation 17 Cabo (FGCU) Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (Cincinnati) Francesca Popescu L/DS A5 17-1 Calvin (Cal) Abigail Li S A5 17-1 Calvin (SMU) Izzy Mogridge S OT 17 Aaron (Oregon) Sydni Vice OH MJVA 17 Elite (2026) Natalie Carr OH Pitt Elite 17 Elite (2026) Outlook: It’s a bit hard to believe that top-ranked MKE Sting is the only team participating in 17 Open which already has a bid. Given that, trickle-down cannot extend past fourth place and with 15 teams from Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 playing earning a bid is going to be a brutal task. At Triple Crown, KiVA tied for third, Legacy tied for fifth and Mich Elite tied for seventh. Those three are going to

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Updated Player Rankings: Classes of 2024-2027

March 13, 2024

Two weeks ago we released our initial player rankings for the Class of 2028. You can find those here. Below, we have released updates to our player rankings for the Classes of 2024-2027. We’ve listed any movement from 3 to 4-stars or from 4 to 5-stars, as well as listed any new additions to our lists. Class of 2025 3 to 4 Stars Anna Blamires RS Co Jrs 17 Kevin Erika Sayer MB Co Jrs 17 Kevin Isabela Haggard S/RS KiVA 17 Red Sakura Codling L/DS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue 3-Star Additions Natalie Fukumoto L/DS SASVBC 17-1 Delaney Steers OH Academy 17 Tsunami NeKhaela Rogers Madfrog 17 Green Laney Hennessee OH AP 17 Adidas McKenzie Jones RS Madfrog 17 Green Natalie Harris RS GP 17 Rox Bridget Malone OH Co Jrs 17 Kevin Piper Mickenheim L/DS Excel 17 National Red Sydney Clark L/DS Skyline 17 Royal ***** Class of 2026 4 to 5 Stars Nadi’ya Shelby RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Ella Andrews MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas Nadiya Johnson RS Metro 16 Travel 3 to 4 Stars Kylie Buttars OH Club V 16 Ren Matt Julianna Hernandez TAV 16 Black Millie Bauer MB MAVS KC 16-1 Rylan Miller L/DS OT J 16 Will Henlee Moszkowic L/DS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Presley Thompson L/DS Wave 16 Brennan Snow Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports m.61 Eva Long S Legacy 16-1 Adidas 3-Star Additions Gabrielle Emch L/DS A5 16-1 Gabe Audrey Simpson MB A5 15-1 Kelly Callie Gardner L/DS TAV Taylor Fenton MB SA Force 16 Darkside Avery Lewis OH Academy 16 Yeti Macie Smith OH Academy 16 Yeti Christa Wilburn OH/RS Austin Skyline 16 Royal Sara Bowcutt OH Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Allie Davison S/RS Mich Elite 16 Mizuno Isabella Ruether OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Madison Rich OH Club V 16 Ren Matt Chloe Hansen OH ID Crush 17 Bower ***** Class of 2027 4 to 5 Stars Nailah Randle OH SA Jrs 3 to 4 Stars Ireland Real OH Wave 15 Brennan Kate Kalcyznski OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas Kamryn Mullican S/RS Excel 15 National Red Lauren Garcia S/RS Alamo 16 Premier 4-Star Additions Aspen Brown RS Hou Skyline 15 Royal Hailey Mueller OH Triangle 15 Black McKinley Moser S VCNebraska 15 Elite 3-Star Additions Zoe Fuqua RS SA Juniors 15 Adidas Natalie Kitts MB HJV 15 Elite Lucy Holmes RS Skyline 15 Royal Kailey Leonard L/DS A5 15-1 Kelly Tinsley Welker-Brown S Hou Skyline 15 Royal Kyla Mitchell MB Michio 15 National Lucy Moriarty L/DS HPSTL 15 Royal Allie Brietling OH Vegas Aces 15 UA Lyndsey Robinson L/DS Munciana 15 Blue Abbi Cotten S TAV 15 Pfifer Parker Horton MB Skyline 15 Royal Jenna Dittmer OH Circle City 15 Purple Chloe Taylor S/RS Forza1 North 15 One Candice Holloway MB OT 15 Randy Kennedy Whyte OH Absolute 15 Black Sasha Cromer S KC Power 15 Black Bo Bronson OH KC Power 15 Black Emery Gonzales Wave 15 Brennan

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Sunshine Classic: 16 Open All Red Hat Team

March 7, 2024

With the first weekend of the Sunshine Classic all wrapped up and the Open bids awarded in the 16 and 17 divisions, we turn our attention to our All Red Hat Team for 16 Open. It’s our version of an all-tournament team. The selections were picked from the 12 teams which made the gold pools and based on their performances over the course of three days. 16s ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Sara Snowbarger Mintonette Sports m.61 Layla Hoying Mintonette Sports m.61 Jordin Southall GP 16 Rox Catherine Palmi GP 16 Rox Jenness Orcutt GP 16 Rox Madisyn Crnjac Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Taylor Clarke Skyline 16 Royal LeVariya Pinder Skyline 16 Royal Clara Briley A5 16-1 Gabe Sofia Guerrero-Wilson A5 16-1 Gabe Gigi Artiles Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Mia Gold Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Isabella Umpierre WPVC 16 Armour Black Brooklyn Jenkins AZ Sky 16G Sarah Hickman HJV 16 Elite Amaya Love HJV 16 Elite *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Alia Schoonover Mintonette Sports m.61 London Adkins GP 16 Rox Brooke Harwood Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Hayden Conner Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Keoni Williams Skyline 16 Royal Riley Bethea A5 16-1 Gabe Gracison Saylors A5 16-1 Gabe Eva Smith Triangle 16 Black Jolene Oddo Triangle 16 Black Jenna Hunt Vision 16 Gold *** SETTERS Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m.61 Elizabeth Scholvin Mintonette Sports m.61 Lily Rolfes Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Madison Victoriano Skyline 16 Royal Riley McCaughey Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Elle Mottola WPVC 16 Armour Black Vivian Hickman AZ Sky 16G *** LIBEROS/DSs Emma Cugino Mintonette Sports m.61 Aylani Correa GP 16 Rox Kalli Lipo Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Kiley Brooks Skyline 16 Royal Marianne Garcia AZ Sky 16G Gemma Hopkins HJV 16 Elite

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Sunshine Classic: 17 Open All Red Hat Team

March 7, 2024

It was an incredible three days of competition this past weekend at the Sunshine Classic. The first bids went out in 16 Open, while 17 Open picked up its qualifying after the opening round at Northern Lights back in January. You can read about how it played out here. Below, we introduce our 17 Open All Red Hat Team. It’s our version of an all-tournament team. The selections were picked from the 12 teams which made the gold pools and based on their performances over the course of three days. 17s ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Teraya Sigler Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Devyn Wiest Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Raegan Richardson AZ Sky 17G Georgi Stein AZ Sky 17G Addison France AZ Sky 17G Sophia Thornburg Skyline 17 Royal Bella Ocampo Skyline 17 Royal Naya Salfiti Skyline 17 Royal Alex Richter TAV 17 Black Marie Laurio Legacy 17-1 Adidas Hannah Hankerson OT 17 Aaron Maggie Dostic OT 17 Aaron Ava Wysocki Sky High Adidas 17 Elite Kelly Kinney Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal Victoria Hill GP 17 Rox Gabi Martinez HJV 17 Elite Layli Ostovar Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar Brianna Brewer Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Kenna Cogill Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Makena Rumple Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Zoe Gillen-Malveaux Skyline 17 Royal Olivia Wayne TAV 17 Black Shelby Burris TAV 17 Black Olivia Grenadier Legacy 17-1 Adidas Connore Siler-Nixon OT 17 Aaron Sydney Davis GP 17 Rox Jordan Taylor HJV 17 Elite *** SETTERS Sarah Pfiffner TAV 17 Black Campbell Flynn Legacy 17-1 Adidas Izzy Mogridge OT 17 Aaron Emelyn Stettin Sky High Adidas 17 Elite Charlotte Glass Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal KK Green GP 17 Rox *** LIBEROS/DSs Izzy Mahaffey Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Lilliana LaFlesch AZ Sky 17G Maddie Smotherman Skyline 17 Royal Sarah Mendoza TAV 17 Black Devin Dzienny Legacy 17-1 Adidas Lily Hayes OT 17 Aaron Zoey Matias Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal Sydney Black HJV 17 Elite

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Sunshine Classic: Day 3 Show Stoppers

March 6, 2024

The Sunshine Classic wrapped up with plenty of drama and unexpected results. With the gold pools playing out and remaining teams in the hunt competing for Open bids, the final day produced big-time efforts and performances. Below, we highlight those players who stood out to us the most with our Day 3 Show Stoppers. DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Teraya Sigler OH Arizona Storm 17 Thunder: Sigler – a 5-star Nebraska commit – anchored Storm’s run to the 17 Open championship. She’s a do-it-all type, high-IQ outside who is solid out of serve receive and can hurt opponents with a wide array of shot selections. Makena Rumple MB Arizona Storm 17 Thunder: A 3-star Iowa commit, Rumple was very effective in the middle. She scored at a high rate when called upon and delivered timely blocks to aid in Storm’s dominant day. Georgi Stein OH AZ Sky 17 Gold: Stein – a 3-star Northern Arizona commit – was a key piece as Sky worked its way to a second-place finish and one of the three bids. The six-rotation contributor takes her share of swings on the outside and knows how to beat opponents in different ways. Addison France RS AZ Sky 17 Gold: A 3-star recruit, France is a physical right side. She can drop the hammer at times and power down kills with authority. Zoe Gillen-Malveaux MB Skyline 17 Royal: A 5-star Duke commit, Gillen-Malveaux is a dynamic middle who is a handful offensively. She runs an effective slide attack and with the way she can get up and extends, it’s very tough to slow down. Maddy Smotherman L/DS Skyline 17 Royal: Smotherman – a 3-star recruit – was solid in the back row and showed up well on that side of the ball. She did well extending rallies and making hustle plays. Alex Richter OH TAV 17 Black: A 4-star Georgia commit, Richter played at a high level and scored at a high clip. She’s long and can hit at high contact points which helps create sharp angles for defenders to cover. Campbell Flynn S Legacy 17-1 Adidas: Flynn – a 5-star Nebraska commit – helped Legacy position itself to qualify on the final day but came up short of making the semis. There’s plenty of superlatives one can use to describe her. Effortless and smooth are among them, as she shows total command of the offense. Marie Laurio OH Legacy 17-1 Adidas: A 3-star Syracuse commit, Laurio is a wirey outside with a lively arm. She can unleash at times and rip impressive winners. Izzy Mogridge S OT 17 Aaron: A 4-star Oregon commit, Mogridge is a fun setter to watch get after it. She’s quick and does well getting her feet to the ball. She also connects well with all of her hitters. *** Charlotte Glass S Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal: Glass – a 5-star Duke commit – is another setter who is in complete control of the offense. She locates consistently and puts her hitters in favorable matchups. Kelly Kinney OH Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal: A 5-star Minnesota commit, Kinney can get up and crush it. She has a big-time arm and is a featured part of Tribe’s attack. Jordan Taylor MB HJV 17 Elite: Another 5-star Minnesota commit, Taylor is so long in the middle and takes up a ton of space. She can close the gap on the block in a hurry, as well as hit over blockers on the regular. Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports m.61: Hoying – a 4-star recruit – is part of a strong 1-2 punch on the outside for Mintonette. She has a powerful arm but can keep defenses guessing with her ability to deliver a well-timed off-speed shot. Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports m.61: Another 4-star recruit, Snowbarger completes the outside duo that helped Mintonette to the 16 Open title. She’s a lanky hitter who extends and can hit straight down when the opportunity is right. Alia Schoonover MB Mintonette Sports m.61: Schoonover – a 3-star recruit – is a play-maker in the middle. She’s quick and knows how to finish and always seems to come up with a clutch play at a key moment. Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.61: A 5-star recruit, Cugino is a lights-out defender. She has the ability to change the course of a set or match with the way she can make saves or keep her team in a point. Catherine Palmi OH GP 16 Rox: Palmi – a 3-star recruit – helped hold it down as GP took home a surprise bid after finishing runner-up to Mintonette. She has a booming arm and hits a heavy, heavy ball that eats defenders up. Aylani Correra L/DS GP 16 Rox: Correra played a key role in GP’s success. She’s quick, scrappy defender who shows a lot of hustle and desire to keep the ball alive. Brooke Harwood MB Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Harwood – a 5-star recruit – is virtually unstoppable on the slide attack. When in system, it is a high-percentage play that Storm turns to time and time again. *** Madisyn Crnjac OH Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Crnjac – a 3-star recruit – is a six-rotation outside with a knack for scoring. She has a strong arm and isn’t afraid to challenge the block in front of her. Kalli Lipo L/DS Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: A 3-star recruit, Lipo brings a defensive edge to the lineup. She covers really well and shows nice reactions in the back row. Alexis Anderson RS Skyline 16 Royal: Anderson was an unsung hero at times. Skyline its share of options but it was Anderson making timely contributions on both sides of the ball with her attacking and blocking. Taylor Clarke RS Skyline 16 Royal: A 4-star recruit, Clarke is a menace on the right side. Skyline likes to feed her the ball and with the way she explodes and lets it go, she’s a reliable option. Riley Bethea MB A5 16-1 Gabe: Bethea –

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Vballrecruiter Player of the Week: Lowe Long

March 5, 2024

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: Lowe Long. *** In a roundabout way, Lowe Long danced her way into volleyball. Growing up, our latest Player of the Week performed ballet before getting into competitive dancing. Those competitions took Long – a 3-star recruit from the Class of 2028 – on the road, where she sometimes ended up performing in the same venues that happened to be hosting volleyball tournaments. “We would be on breaks and would just be walking around,” Long said. “We would watch volleyball sometimes. My mom asked me one time if it ever interested me. I have four generations of volleyball in my family. My great grandpa, my aunts, my cousins and brother all played. There’s a history in my family. Watching it, it seemed interesting.” After years of dancing, Long decided to move on. She joined Tri-State Elite for her 11s season. At that time, she was one of the tallest on the team so she naturally started off as a middle blocker. She eventually switched to being a pin. She is currently an outside hitter on Tri-State Elite 14 Blue. One element of volleyball that drew her to the sport was the team atmosphere. She loved watching how excited everyone seemed to be and all the celebrating. “It sounds cheesy, but it’s in my blood,” she said. “It seemed like something I should be doing. It interested me a lot.” Moving on from dance to volleyball was an easy decision for Long. During Covid, she was forced to do Zoom calls and practice dancing in her kitchen. “It wasn’t working for me,” she said. “I wasn’t looking forward to the Zoom calls or driving to dance anymore. I said goodbye to it and never thought about it again. Plus, having to do all the makeup and my hair, it was all getting on my nerves, so it was like ‘Okay, we are done.’” To date, Tri-State Elite 14 Blue has had two Mideast Power League weekends, as well as competing at both Central Zone and Triple Crown. The team finished ninth at the former and 51st at the latter. It was the first time Long had competed at the prestigious Triple Crown event. “I heard many things about it,” she said. “It was so cool. There were a lot of college coaches and you are there turning around and seeing them watching. I also saw friends I made at The Red Hat Games and got to watch them play. It was also fun to see teams from other states I haven’t seen before.” The season continues on this coming weekend for Tri-State Elite 14 Blue with Bluegrass in Louisville. As for life outside of volleyball, living in Ohio one extracurricular activity that seems unlikely to get involved in is surfing. However, her parents used to live in California and her dad would surf with his friends in Los Angeles. Long said it seemed like a fun thing to learn so on family vacations it was something her and her twin brother tried. “We caught onto it very quickly,” she said. “It’s something I can do in another state that I can’t do in Ohio. When we travel to California and Florida we go surfing. It’s very fun for my brother and I.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Long about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Long: I look up to my parents because they set a great example. They teach me all I need to know about life and help me through anything I need help with. My grandparents are also big role models. They have a lot of experiences and they help me so much too. They are very supportive of my choices I make in life. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Long: I would probably want to go to Hawaii and go to see all the beaches. I would love to go see the mountains and all the different plants. I would love seeing all the cool places that we don’t have in Ohio. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Long: I would want to get good at cooking because it’s something you can share your love for someone else is by cooking a nice meal. Or learning how to bake pastries and stuff like that. It seems fun. Do you have any volleyball superstitions or rituals and if so what? Long: When I’m up at the net, I either have a Kendra Scott necklace or a necklace with an L and it has to be in the center and even on both sides. My jersey needs to fit right and I tighten my ponytail. I always have these two tiny pieces of hair that have to be in the front of my ear and I touch my earrings. All when I’m up at the net. Aside from basic necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Long: It’s my family because they are my emotional, mental and physical support and back up when you need them. They help me get through the day. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Long: Getting to see my friends at school and talking with everyone and catching up with everyone what they did last night or talking about stuff we want to do in the future. What’s one of your favorite ways to have fun? Long: I love spending time with my friends and going to the park or just hanging out with them at

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