Chris Tobolski

Central Zone: 16 Open All Red Hat Team

In continuing concluding our coverage of the Central Zone Invitational, we turn to the release of our 16 Open All Red Hat Team. You can catch up on the Gold Medal Rundown, Day 1 Show Stoppers and Day 2 Show Stoppers. Below, we present the All Red Hat Team for 16 Open. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring the players who made us take the most notice among the teams which finished in the Top 12. 17 Open All Red Hat Team 15 Open All Red Hat Team 14 Open All Red Hat Team 16 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Grace Portwood NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Sidney Sprada Elevation 16 Goller Layla Hoying Mintonette Sports m.61 Sara Snowbarger Mintonette Sports m.61 Mallory Pike TVC 16 Black Cali Foster Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Caroline Ward Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Marlee Sivak MKE Sting 16 Gold Alicia Beers MKE Sting 16 Gold Brooklynne Brass SPVB 16 Elite Abigail Knight SPVB 16 Elite Lydia Stahley Team Indiana 16 Elite Gabby Divita Legacy 16-1 Adidas MaryKate Scheumann Team Pineapple 16 Black MIDDLE BLOCKERS Audrey Dyas NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Sydney Geselbrecht Elevation 16 Goller Alia Schoonover Mintonette Sports m.61 Reese Resmer Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cassidy Cage SPVB 16 Elite Elli Strecker Team Indiana 16 Elite Ella Andrews Legacy 16-1 Adidas Kayla Nwabueze Legacy 16-1 Adidas SETTERS Makenna Kirlin Elevation 16 Goller Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m.61 Hayden Rodriguez TVC 16 Black Lexi Shondell Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Brooke Baldwin MKE Sting 16 Gold Ellie Stiernagle SPVB 16 Elite Anabelle Schembra Team Indiana 16 Elite Eva Long Legacy 16-1 Adidas Sophia Gisslen Team Pineapple 16 Black LIBEROS/DSs Emma Frietch NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Ellie Hepler Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cassidy Bruns MKE Sting 16 Gold Reagan Turk Team Indiana 16 Elite Meredith Martin Legacy 16-1 Adidas Cala Haffner Team Pineapple 16 Black

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Central Zone: 17 Open All Red Hat Team

Part of our wrap-up coverage of the Central Zone Invitational this past weekend at the Indianapolis Convention Center features the release of our All Red Hat Team, starting with 17 Open. In case you missed it, you can check out the Gold Medal Rundown, Day 1 Show Stoppers and Day 2 Show Stoppers. Below, we present the All Red Hat Team for 17 Open. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring the players who made us take the most notice among the teams which finished in the Top 12. 16 Open All Red Hat Team 15 Open All Red Hat Team 14 Open All Red Hat Team 17 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Bailey Blair Adidas KiVA 17 Red Marie Laurio Legacy 17-1 Adidas Jessica Costlow Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Izzy Busignani Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Gabriella Babinski Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Madison Quest MKE Sting 17 Gold Delaney Steers Academy 17 Tsunami Logan Bell Circle City 17 Purple Luci Heid Tri-State Elite 17 Blue MIDDLE BLOCKERS Addison Makun Adidas KiVA 17 Red Olivia Grenadier Legacy 17-1 Adidas Gabriella Pitcel MKE Sting 17 Gold Reese Dunkle Circle City 17 Purple SETTERS Isabela Haggard Adidas KiVA 17 Red Campbell Flynn Legacy 17-1 Adidas Annabelle Groomes AVC Cle 17 Red Ava Hunter Circle City 17 Purple LIBEROS/DSs Kristen Simon Adidas KiVA 17 Red Avery Freeman Circle City 17 Purple Sakura Codling Tri-State Elite 17 Blue McKenna Payne Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Devin Dzienny Legacy 17-1 Adidas

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Central Zone: Day 2 Show Stoppers

The Central Zone Invitational wrapped up on Sunday at the Indianapolis Convention Center. The tournament was just two days but it contained enough energy and excitement that it felt much longer. You can catch up on how the event played out here. Below, we note the players who stood out the most to us with our Day 2 Show Stoppers. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Stella Hamood L/DS Circle City 14 Purple: Hamood played a key role in Circle City taking home the 14 Open gold medal. Her passing was smooth and sharp and she kept plenty of rallies going with her strong digging. Audrey Utterback OH Circle City 14 Purple: Utterback adds an explosive element to the attack. She’s a legit threat anywhere on the court with her power and ability to unload. Blaine Adams RS Circle City 14 Purple: Adams is a wirey right side who helps balance out the attack. She’s a quick jumper and can beat blockers before they are squared up. Kaylie Liepins S AVC Cle 14 Red: One of Liepins’ strength is she sets a really clean ball. She rarely puts up a bad ball for her hitters. Lola Loncar L/DS AVC Cle 14 Red: Loncar was another standout defender. She was solid out of serve receive and displayed the tools to keep her side in the rally. Grace Regula OH AVC Cle 14 Red: When it comes to providing punch to the offense, Regula checks that box and then some. She has a fast arm swing and hits with lots of pace. Ja’maria Jackson MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Part of Munciana’s success is being able to utilize its middle attack effectively. Jackson is one half of the equation. She gets off the ground in a hurry and it causes timing problems for the blockers. Abbie Powell MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Powell fills outs the middle attack for Munciana. She brings a strong arm to the front row and sends down big kills. Taylor McKenzie OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: KiVA looks to its outside to deliver a large share of the offense and both fill their roles well. McKenzie is a quicker attack and uses her speed to her advantage. Kayleigh Rogers OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Rogers balances out the left side attack. She extends nicely and does well taking aggressive swings and challenging the block. *** Sadie Ellis MB Elevation 14 Molly: Ellis was another effective middle. She’s strong offensively with the variety of ways she can beat defenses, including taking swings from the right side. Lauren Sheldon OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Sheldon has a lively arm and can really connect when the opportunity presents itself. She puts a lot of pressure on the defense to defend her. Payton Woodruff S Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Woodruff does a nice job locating and moving the ball around when in system. Ariana Hueter MB Boss Cle 14-1: Boss had a great run to the semifinals. Hueter showed her scoring prowess and she delivered time and time again when her number was called. Kenadi Sieg L/DS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Sieg is a really active libero. She flies around the court and was making plays all over. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski was a Day 1 Show Stopper as well. She’s a difference maker with her two-way contributions and using her size to her advantage. Alexis Steinhauser RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: A lefty right side, Steinhauser has a solid arm and did well exploiting the gaps in the block in front of her. Lyndsey Robinson L/DS Munciana 15 Blue: Munciana pushed its way through to the semifinals in part because of the defensive edge supplied by Robinson. She’s a quick defender who doesn’t back down. Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 15 Blue: Comer’s power arm supplies a different level of offense. She’s a physical hitter who can overpower blockers and crush winners consistent. Makenna Meibers OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Meibers showed up well in her role. She’s an aggressive attacker who was taking big swings and going for it when she could. *** Maisie Jones OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Jones is another strong outside for Tri-State who contributes as a six-rotation. She’s a smart attacker who can hurt defenses in multiple ways. Addison Knapke L/DS Mintonette Sports m.51: Knapke showcased her defensive prowess, making plays in the back row and passing well in serve receive. Lola Waleskowski OH NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski is an integral part of the attack. She’s a strong hitter who is adept at tooling blocks or hitting around them. Macy Armstrong MB NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Armstrong made an impact in the middle with her knack for scoring and being able to get touches on balls. Ali Strange L/DS Elevation 15 Tony: Strange showed up strong in the back row. She reacts and covers well in addition to extending rallies. Morgan Meiring OH Elevation 15 Tony: Meiring is a six-rotation workhorse. She can swing it from the front or back row and helped hold down the offense. Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Ockerman is a play-maker on both sides of the ball. She’s a physical presence who can lift her team with a big kill or monster block. Marlie Smith S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Smith is a quick setter who does a nice job getting her feet to the ball and mixing up her sets and location. Kate Kalczynski OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Kalczynski is developing at a sharp rate. After an impressive high school campaign, she’s carried it over to club where she’s showing off her whip for an arm. Legacy moves her around too, keeping defenses guessing as to where she might take her next swing from. Calli LeFevre OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: LeFevre is a solid all-around outside who brings a ton of energy and spirit to the lineup. She’s a heady attacker who can hurt defenses with well-placed shots. *** Audrey Dyas MB NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami: Dyas is more than a handful. She brings size

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Central Zone: Gold Medal Rundown

Representing an early-season test, the Central Zone Invitational brought many of the Midwest powerhouse clubs together for two days of competition at the Indiana Convention Center. The host club – Circle City – found success in 14 Open, capturing the gold medal after sweeping AVC Cle 14 Red in the championship match and finishing the weekend 8-0. There is sure to be plenty of fluxation in our 14s National Rankings when we update them next. For the time being, Circle City entered Central Zone sitting at No. 17. There were five teams ranked ahead, including AVC at No. 11. For the most part, all fared relatively well. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami held the highest ranking at No. 6 and finished tied for fifth after going 5-1. NKYVC fell to Munciana 14 Chipmunks in gold pool play, as Muncie went on to tie for third with Boss Cle 14-1. Boss was the only team not ranked to finish in the Top 8. Muncie, meanwhile, entered weekend play at No. 21. Both No. 13 Elevation 14 Molly and No. 15 Legacy 14-1 Adidas tied for fifth as well, with each going 5-1 over the two days. Mintonette Sports m.41, ranked No. 14, also went 5-1 but tied for ninth. Elevation, Mintonette and AVC shared an all-Ohio gold pool Sunday morning and finished in a three-way tie at 1-1. Mintonette lost to AVC for its only tournament setback. Mintonette managed to hand Elevation its only loss while Legacy lost a three-setter to Boss to miss out on the semis. Rounding at the top eight was No. 25 KiVA 14 Red, which went 3-3 overall. All but Circle City and Boss will be back together in a couple weeks at the Triple Crown NIT in Kansas City, along with No. 26 MKE Sting 14 Gold which tied for ninth at Central Zone. The most topsy-turvy division proved to be 16 Open. While the field featured highly-ranked teams in No. 4 Mintonette Sports m.61, No. 5 Legacy 16-1 Adidas and No. 8 Boiler Jrs 16 Gold, none were around for the championship clash. That meeting came down to No. 12 Elevation 16 Goller and No. 16 NKYVC 16-1 Tsnunami, with NKYVC prevailing in three sets. One of the biggest surprises was unranked TVC 16 Black tying for third with Mintonette. On an interesting side note, Mintonette hosted a 16s training day the Sunday before Central Zone at its facility in Columbus. Other clubs to participate beyond Mintonette included NKYVC, Elevation and TVC, the top four finishers this weekend coincidentally. Boiler Jrs wound up tied for fifth, along with No. 30 MKE Sting 16 Gold, No. 43 SPVB 16 Elite and unranked Team Indiana 16 Elite, which upset No. 21 Team Pineapple 16 Black in the Round of 16. TVC’s run was propelled by its upset over Legacy in the Round of 16. It was Adidas KiVA 17 Red coming out on top in 17 Open. KiVA lost to Legacy 17-1 Adidas during power pool play on Day 1 and the two sides found themselves on opposites sides of the net once more in the championship match. KiVA earned payback by pulling out a tight sweep, 25-23, 25-23, to end the weekend 7-1. Legacy, which lost to Mich Elite 17 Mizuno on Day 1, finished 6-2. Mich Elite and MKE Sting 17 Gold tied for third, both going 6-1. Once more, our Top 50 rankings held up decent. KiVA came in ranked No. 15 overall, behind both No. 6 MKE Sting and No. 7 Mich Elite. AVC Cle 17 Red, which is ranked No. 11, tied for fifth after going 3-3. Legacy sits at No. 24 overall, behind No. 18 Circle City 17 Purple, which tied for fifth. Tri-State Elite 17 Blue, ranked No. 45, also tied for fifth, along with unranked Academy 17 Tsunami. Mintonette Sports m.71, at No. 46, was the only ranked team to miss out on the Top 8 after going 3-3 and tying for ninth. As for 15 Open, Legacy 15-1 Adidas swept its way past Elevation 15 Tony in the championship match. It just so happened those were the two highest ranked teams in our Top 50, with Legacy at No. 7 and Elevation at No. 3. Munciana 15 Blue and Tri-State Elite 15 Blue tied for third. Munciana was the third-highest ranked team in the field, coming in at No. 26. Tri-State wasn’t far behind at No. 31. Two teams in between at No. 29 KiVA 15 Red and No. 30 Mintonette Sports m.51 tied for fifth, along No. 39 NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami and unranked MKE Sting 15 Gold.

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Central Zone: Day 1 Show Stoppers and More

The different format for 15, 16 and 17 Open at the Central Zone Invitational made for an incredible Day 1 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. That’s because it allowed for the top teams to get together in the afternoon while fighting for seeding in the 16-team gold bracket set for Day 2. While 14 and 18 Open uses a more traditional format, those divisions also provided their share of excitement as two rounds of pool play left teams competing for a spot in the gold bracket as well. There were no shocking results in that all the top seeds made it through and remain in contention on Day 2. The closest thing came with Rock City 16-1 downing Tri-State Elite 16 Blue and eliminating Tri-State from contention. However, there were big-time slugfests all-around produced by the modified power pool format. One example were two top contenders in 16 Open in Mintonette Sports m.61 and Legacy 16-1 Adidas facing off. Legacy survived that one in three, 23-25, 29-27, 15-10. Another high-level 16 Open encounter saw Team Pineapple 16 Black fending off Boiler Jrs 16 Gold, 25-14, 22-25, 18-16. Team Pineapple then swept NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami, 26-24, 25-20. There was also a 17 Open clash between MKE Sting 17 Gold and Circle City 17 Purple. Sting prevailed in three, 25-19, 20-25, 15-9. In the other power pool, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno downed Legacy 17-1 Adidas, 17-25 25-18, 15-9. In 15 Open, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue went toe-to-toe with Legacy 15-1 Adidas and earned the sweep, 25-17, 27-25. Munciana 15 Blue also had a great Day 1, capping it off by sweeping Elevation 15 Tony, 25-23, 25-23. Most of the drama on Day 1 centered around not the power pools but the play-in pools. Teams not making the power pools had to fight to stay alive by winning a three-team pool to make the 16-team gold bracket. In 17 Open, teams like NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami and Mintonette Sports m.71 took advantage to remain in contention. In 16 Open, we mentioned Rock City coming through. Other clubs earning a spot in the gold bracket included Elevation 16 Goller, Rev 16-1 Fury, Adidas KiVA 16 Red and Team Indiana 16 Elite. Circle City 15 Purple, Mintonette Sports m.51, Michio Chicago 15 National and MKE Sting 15 Gold earned spots by winning their three-team pool in 15 Open. The way 14 Open went was different, as two rounds of pool play led to one more round of pool play Sunday morning before breaking out into a four-team gold bracket. It sets up an exciting morning as clubs like Circle City 14 Purple, NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami, Elevation 14 Molly, Legacy 14-1 Adidas and more are still in the hunt. As for 18 Open, two rounds of pool play Saturday set up the gold bracket for Day 2. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue took over the No. 1 seed from SPVB 18 Elite. Adidas KiVA 18 Red starts Sunday as the No. 2 seed. Others alive include SPVB 18 Elite, Circle City 18 Purple, Union 18 UA Black, Team Pineapple 18 Black, SPVB 18 Kahl, Team Indiana 18 Elite and Circle City 18 Black. *** Below, we highlight the individuals who made us take notice the most with their outstanding play Saturday and feature them in our Day 1 Show Stoppers. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Kelsey Green S Elevation 14 Molly: Green is a smooth disher with a soft touch and clean release. She’s also steady with her location. Avery Brannon RS Elevation 14 Molly: Brannon brings plenty of offense when she’s front row. She uses her height to her advantage, going over blocks. She also moves around, taking swings out of the middle. Abbie Powell MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: There was a different dynamic to the attack with Powell in the front. She has a solid arm and was delivering with consistency when called upon. Brooke Neale L/DS Munciana 14 Chipmunks: There was lots of defense being played all over and Neale was included in it. She was passing dimes out of serve receive and controlling the ball well. Vanessa Mancini OH Circle City 14 Purple: Mancini brings size and power to the attack. She carries a big arm and thundered shots to the ground. Audrey Utterback OH Circle City 14 Purple: A six-rotation outside, Utterback is another key cog in the offense. She has a strong arm and swings front and back row. Lauren Doney OH Pursuit 14 Elite: Doney was another six-rotation standout. She’s the go-to hitter and for good reason. She has a solid swing and can really connect. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski is an up-and-coming player. Her length is an attribute in her two-way role setting and hitting. She does a nice job delivering consistently to her hitters and can also turn around and swing for points. Tegan Loechler RS MKE Sting 14 Gold: Loechler was among the 14s standout who also has lots of size to impact the match with. She extends well and it allows her to hit over blocks on the regular. Ashlyn Pelon L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Pelon brought a defensive edge to the lineup with her steady passing and putting balls on target. *** Lola Loncar L/DS AVC Cle 14 Red: Loncar was also a defender who caught our eye with her on-point deliveries and hustle keeping rallies alive. Grace Regula OH AVC Cle 14 Red: Regula was impressing with her quick arm and ability to rip shots from sideline to sideline. Carsyn Chitty L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41: Chitty brings tons of energy to the court. She’s a vocal defender and was doing well keeping plays alive. Lauren Williams MB Tri-State Elite 14 Blue: Williams is a lanky middle with a knack for scoring. She’s a legit threat when the team is in system and defenses need to be ready. Jillian Turvey MB Elevation 15 Tony: Turvey was a factor in the middle with her ability to impact play on both sides of the ball

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Central Zone Preview and Predictions

Usually played at the end of January, this year’s edition of the Central Zone Invitational takes place during the first weekend of February. While the dates have changed, the level of competition has not. It’s an early-season slugfest for those involved as the tournament features many nationally-ranked clubs throughout the 14-18s age groups. Below, we highlight each Open division in those ages with players to watch, a brief outlook and predictions as to which clubs will walk away with a gold medal. 18 OPEN Number of Teams: 18 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (3): 22. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue OH 29. KiVA 18 Red KY 34. Circle City 18 Purple IN   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Morgan Gaerte OH Team Pineapple 18 Black IN (Notre Dame)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Ayen Nhial MB KiVA 18 Red (James Madison)   Outlook: The 18 Open division is the smallest of our featured age groups with just 18 teams. Part of the reason is teams that chase USAV Open bids are not participating like they did a year ago, and that has left the field reduced for 2024. However, one big addition comes in the form of Sports Performance, which brought its top two 18s programs. Another difference with the 18s is they are playing a more traditional format, beginning with six, three-team pools. The teams face two rounds of pool play on Day 1 in hopes of making the gold bracket on Day 2. Prediction: We are watching for KiVA to win it all, beating Sports Performance in the final. Tri-State Elite and Circle City tie for third place. *** 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 32 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (9): 6. MKE Sting 17 Gold WI 7. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno MI 11. AVC Cle 17 Red OH 15. KiVA 17 Red KY 18. Circle City 17 Purple IN 24. Legacy 17-1 Adidas MI 40. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami KY 45. Tri-State 17 Elite Blue OH 46. Mintonette Sports m.71 OH   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Kristen Simon L/DS KiVA 17 Red (Wisconsin) Addison Makun MB KiVA 17 Red (Louisville) Campbell Flynn S Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Nebraska) Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Annabelle Groomes S/RS AVC Cle 17 Red (San Diego)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Gabriella Pitcel MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Illinois) Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Michigan State) Emma Koceja OH MKE Sting 17 Gold Emma Parks OH AVC Cle 17 Red (Marquette) Kayla Dunlap MB TPV 17 Maverick (Vanderbilt) Rebecca Ring OH VC United 17 Elite (NC State) Ava Tilden OH NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Xavier) Riley McCloskey OH/RS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Memphis) 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) Sienna Fry OH Summit 17 Blue (2026)   Outlook: The 17 Open division has its share of firepower among the 32-team field. First though, let’s talk a little about the format. It’s a lot different than normal as teams begin in one of eight, four-team brackets. The winners of each four-team bracket move into power pools and play for seeding on Day 2, which features a 16-team gold bracket. The rest of the teams go into one of eight, three-team play-in pools. The winners of each play-in pool also advance to the 16-team gold bracket Sunday. Leading the way is MKE Sting, which is coming off a third-place finish at Northern Lights last weekend where the club clinched its 17 Open bid for Nationals. Also in the field last weekend were Mich Elite and NKYVC. Host club Circle City is one to watch for, as is KiVA and AVC. Legacy is capable of doing damage, while Tri-State could certainly play the role of spoiler. Prediction: We’ll see how much teams who played last weekend have in the tank for Central Zone. While we fully expect MKE Sting and Mich Elite to be in the mix, we are taking Circle City over KiVA in the final. AVC and MKE Sting earn the bronzes. *** 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 32 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (13): 4. Mintonette Sports m.61 OH 5. Legacy 16-1 Adidas MI 8. Boiler Jrs 16 Gold IN 12. Elevation 16 Goller OH 16. NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami KY 18. Tri-State Elite 16 Blue OH 19. AVC Cle 16 Red OH 21. Team Pineapple 16 Black IN 30. MKE Sting 16 Gold WI 40. Rev 16-1 Fury IN 41. KiVA 16 Red KY 43. SPVB 16 Elite IL 50. Circle City 16 Purple IN   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas Gabby Divita OH Legacy 16-1 Adidas Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.61 Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold (2027)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Lily Bosworth MB Illini Elite 16 Cardinal Kendall Northern MB/RS Elevation 16 Goller Sydney Geselbracht MB Elevation 16 Goller Sidney Sprada OH Elevation 16 Goller Cala Haffner L/DS Team Pineapple 16 Black Lydia Stahley OH Team Indiana 16 Elite Cassidy Bruns L/DS MKE Sting 16 Gold Margaret Czajka OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Marlee Sivak OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Ella Andrews MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas Meredith Martin L/DS Legacy 16-1 Adidas Mallory Matheny S Mintonette Sports m.61 Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports m.61 Audrey Dyas MB NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Addison Haberthy S Circle City 16 Purple   Outlook: With 13 of the 32 teams appearing in our Top 50 National Rankings, 16 Open is the premier division of the weekend. It’s the same format as 17 Open, with clubs opening up in one of eight, four-team brackets and ultimately playing to make the 16-team gold bracket on Day 2. The depth should lead

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Ohio Valley 18s Preview and Predictions

We are heading into the fourth weekend of 18s qualifying. Up next is the Ohio Valley Qualifier taking place at the Columbus Convention Center. Below, we look for the teams to watch for when it comes to qualifying, 4 and 5-star recruits in the field as well as our predictions for the weekend. OHIO VALLEY 18s Number of Teams: 21 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (2): Mintonette Sports m.81; OT 18 O Roberto vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (8): 3. NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami KY 11. Coast 18-1 CA 20. AVC Cle 18 Red OH 24. Academy 18 Elite Rage IN 26. OT 18 Roberto FL 32. Metro 18 Travel DC 40. Legacy 18-1 Adidas MI 43. Elevation 18 Toth OH   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Lauren Harden OH Academy 18 Elite Rage (Florida)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Fallon Stewart OH OT 18 Roberto (Cincinnati) Juleigh Urbina S OT 18 Roberto (Georgetown) Erin Debiec S Metro 18 Travel (Colorado State) Elizabeth Tabeling L/DS NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (Ball State) Julia Hunt MB NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (Washington) Alexis Haury S NPJ 18 Forefront (Washington)   Outlook: Fresh off of qualifying at the Florida Fest with a third-place showing, Mintonette starts off as the top seed and is one of two teams that could create a possible trickle-down scenario. The other club is OT Roberto, which is already playing in its third qualifier of the season after taking second at Lone Star and fifth last weekend. In terms of earning bids, there are a handful of teams to pay attention to. At the top of the list is both NKYVC and Coast. Coast finished sixth at Lone Star and stands a good chance of coming through this weekend with one of the bids. The same goes for NKYVC, which starts as the No. 5 overall seed behind No. 3 Coast. In between is fourth-seeded Metro, which is also playing in its third qualifier. Metro has been in contention for bids and this could be the weekend when the club breaks through. AVC, Academy and Elevation are more clubs to keep a watch out for as any one of the trio could find itself in position to qualify. NPJ is another contender and rounds out our teams to keep an eye on. Prediction: Let’s get to the picks for this weekend. NKYVC is our choice to win it all, beating OT in the final. The final two bids go to Coast and NPJ.

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vballrecruiter.com’s Player of the Week: Campbell Flynn

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: Campbell Flynn. *** The last six months for Campbell Flynn have been jammed-packed with success and accolades. The 6-3, 5-star setter from the Class of 2025 kicked it off by committing to the University of Nebraska in June, shortly before her Legacy 16-1 Adidas team competed in 16 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships where they finished 21st. Growing up playing basketball, Flynn started to slowly develop a passion for volleyball. Her mom played in college and by eighth grade Flynn was done with basketball. It didn’t take long for her to realize she could have a future in the sport. “I always thought I could go somewhere for college,” she said. “I didn’t know how good at a young age because I didn’t know how I would develop, but I started having a ton of passion and when I saw my first questionnaire in the mail it made me think I could go very far.” Nebraska was one of many top programs recruiting Flynn. It was her dream to play there and it was an opportunity she couldn’t say no to. “I definitely want to win very bad,” she said. “I’m a very competitive person and it’s definitely a winning program. Another perk of Nebraska is it’s in the Big 10 and I have always watched the Big 10 since a little kid.” Next, Flynn made the 12-player cut for the USAV U19 roster and was part of the first gold medal for the age group as the team finished on top in Croatia in early August. She was barely back in the States when she turned around and traveled to Mexico to represent the USA in the U21 championships, finishing sixth. If there was one drawback the busy summer schedule impacted her high school season. All the volleyball in a short time caused her to miss half her junior year at Mercy before coming back for the state playoffs. “Going straight to school the week after I was fighting a sickness and trying to get back to high school after Worlds I was still struggling with sickness a week-and-a-half later,” Flynn said. “I tweaked my knee a little bit too and I ended up taking a month off before the playoffs.” Coming back for state Flynn was unsure what to expect. Mercy wasn’t viewed as one of the favorites but with Flynn back in the lineup the team kept winning. The playoff run culminated with a five-set victory over Forest Hills Northern in the Division 1 championship match as Flynn dished out 41 assists and recorded 15 digs. Though she missed nearly half the season, Flynn finished with 553 assists, 137 digs and 124 kills. It helped her earn the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Michigan. “It was crazy,” Flynn said of winning state. “It still feels like a dream. Everyone on my team, everyone was having fun while we were playing. To get the state championship it was surreal and amazing. I still keep watching videos of us winning.” Flynn and her Legacy 17-1 Adidas teammates started the year off taking second place in 17/18 Open at the Nike Classic in Columbus earlier this month. They continue on with the upcoming Central Zone Invitational this weekend in Indianapolis. “A lot of us have been playing together since 13s,” Flynn said. “It’s just crazy that this is my last club season, but it’s been great so far. We get along really well. It’s going to be a really fun season.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Flynn about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Flynn: I’d say definitely my parents. They raised my brother, sister and myself to be happy and humble. They are really cool people and I aspire to be like them one day, especially as a parent, when I’m older. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Flynn: I would do something very low key, like probably a movie marathon. That would be fun and relaxing just watching a bunch of movies. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Flynn: I did watch the national dance competition a few weeks ago and that was insane. Their moves were so cool, so maybe a dancer. I’ve also always wanted to learn chess but it’s really complicated. I think I could get the hang of it but I haven’t had the time to try playing chess. Aside from basic necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Flynn: I just got these new HOKA shoes and I love them. I got them for Christmas and I’m obsessed with them. I wear them every day just walking around in them. They are super nice. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Flynn: Either walking at school and seeing my friends or just starting my day with a good breakfast. I get super excited about that. What’s one of your favorite ways to have fun? Flynn: I really like just either hanging out with friends and watching movies or baking with them. Something low key because I’m always on the go and don’t have a lot of time because of volleyball or working out, so I like relaxing. Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why? Flynn: I’m very passionate about hanging out with my family, especially knowing I’m going to be leaving for college and won’t be here experiencing stuff with them. I’m making the most of

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All Eyes On Me Elite ID Clinic Legacy Standouts

The latest stop for the Vballrecruiter All Eyes on Me Elite ID Clinic brought the team to Legacy VBC in Michigan. There was palpable energy and excitement in the gym with the girls from the Classes of 2024-2030 represented. Below, we highlight the players who caught our attention. Class of 2025 Ashlyn Andrzejewski L/DS Legacy 17 Elite East: A real talkative and outgoing defender, Andrzejewski showed her quickness in running down loose balls and played with lots of energy. Ava Trevino L/DS Legacy 17 Elite West: Trevino was another spirited defender who was very vocal. She’s a high-octane player who brought lots of hustle. *** Class of 2026 Jayla Zayti MB Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Zayti was connecting well out of the middle. She has a solid arm and is also effective running the slide. Meredith Martin L/DS Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Martin was a standout defender who brought a real presence to the court. She’s a smooth passer who owns the back row. Eva Long S Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Long’s setting ability was on full display. She moves the ball around with ease and has a really clean, consistent release. Madeline Dettling OH Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Dettling was an impactful pin who displayed a strong arm and the ability to score consistently. Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Nwabueze was thundering balls out of the middle. She’s a quick, athletic middle who can get up and pound balls as well as get out on the slide attack and crush there as well. Aubree Deshetsky OH Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Deshetsky was not holding back on the attack. She was taking aggressive, hard swings and really going for it. *** Class of 2027 Lindsey Schwegman S High Performance 15-2: Schwegman has a lot of potential and room for development. She has a soft touch and can go behind her consistently. Josie Seets OH/RS Legacy 15-2: Seets is another player who flashed real potential to grow and improve. She has a solid arm and was taking aggressive swings. Olivia Berishaj OH/RS Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Berishaj was taking nice cuts and connecting on a few balls that hinted at what she’s capable of. She also goes hard and gives a lot. Micah Harris L/DS Team Detroit: Harris moves well and covers a lot of territory. She passed solidly and played under control. Avery Kapeller OH High Performance 15 Nike: Kapeller is a lanky outside who was swinging away and scoring. Megan Baibak OH Legacy 15 Elite South: Baibak is a quick outside who puts up a solid block. She’s also upbeat and besides hitting showed she could set too. *** Class of 2028 Taylor Wilson L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: There was lots of defense being played with Wilson among those who stood out with her passing and ball control. Lauren Sheldon OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Sheldon has a lively arm and was among the standout attackers. She was letting it fly on a regular basis and proved tough to slow down. Payton Woodruff S Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Woodruff has a clean release and puts up a nice ball for her hitters. Ashlyn Pelon L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Pelon showed a lot of skill with her passing and defending and ability to make plays. Kaitlyn Koceski L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Koceski did well handling defensive duties and was going all out. *** Class of 2029 Jillian Daitch OH Legacy 13-1: Daitch had her moments coming up with heady plays and showing she can score in a variety of ways. Stella Smith L/DS Legacy 13-1 Adidas: Smith plays with a ton of energy and goes all out on the court. *** Class of 2030 Juliet Berishaj MB Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Berishaj was working really hard in the middle to get up on blocks and get her hands on shots. Londyn Cottrill OH Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Cottrill has a really solid arm for her age and was a real standout on the attack with the way she was able to score over and over. Valerie Carr OH Pitt Elite 12 Black: Carr was among the younger players who kept giving it her all and showing off her smarts with heads-up plays at the net. Colbie Lantz L/DS Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Lantz brought a ton of scrappiness and hustle on the defensive side and did well getting balls up. Collins Lantz L/DS Legacy 13-1 Adidas: Lantz also did a very nice job of making plays and keeping rallies going with her court coverage. Molly Hickey S Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Hickey has a nice, consistent touch when setting. She also brings a lot of energy to the court.

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Northern Lights Preview and Predictions

The Northern Lights qualifier takes on a slightly new look this season. While the 17s age group was added a couple of seasons ago to go with the 18s, this year features the 15s age group bundled in for the first time. That provides the younger age group an early chance to qualify, which is a big change from years past. Below, we look at the 15, 17 and 18 Open divisions and offer our predictions, as well as nationally-ranked teams competing, 4 and 5-star players in the field and a brief outlook. NORTHERN LIGHTS 18s Number of Teams: 27 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (2): KC Power 18 Black; Premier Nebraska 18 Gold vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (8): 10. KC Power 18 Black 14. Pohaku 18-1 16. Premier Nebraska 18 Gold 19. A5 18 Marc 35. MKE Sting 18 Gold 37. FC Elite 18 Elite 42. VCNebraska 18 Elite 44. Drive Nation 18 Red   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players to Watch: Lauren Medeck OH Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (South Dakota) Faith Frame L/DS Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Cincinnati) Hannah Benjamin OH A5 18 Marc (Kentucky)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players to Watch: Malayah Long S VCNebraska 18 Elite (Marquette) Paisley Douglas L/DS VCNebraska 18 Elite (USC) Mia Tvrdy MB Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Oregon) Janelle Green S KC Power 18 Black (Cincinnati) 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) Carly Gilk RS MN Select 18-1 (2025, Minnesota)   Outlook: Like Florida Fest that is also happening this weekend, Northern Lights is also the first weekend that trickle down could play a role in qualifying with KC Power and Premier Nebraska already owning bids. Both qualified at the KC MLK two weekends ago. They start off as the top two seeds and there’s a strong likelihood they will help create some level of trickle down, which could extend out to fifth place. It makes for a good opportunity for the remaining teams. It’s just a matter of which ones are going to take advantage? MKE Sting and FC Elite were both at Windy City, taking seventh and 11th respectively. MN Select, Pohaku, VCNebraska, A5 and Kairos were all together at the KC MLK event, along with KC Power and Premier. That makes for familiarity among many of the participants. Teams are ultimately fighting to make the four-team gold pool. That’s where KC Power and Premier Nebraska come into play. Should both make the gold pool, the other two teams would qualify. That would leave the final bid to go to the winner of the four-team silver pool. If only one of the two between KC Power and Premier Nebraska make the gold pool, the remaining three teams will earn bids before playing a match on Sunday. Prediction: We like KC Power to come out with its second qualifier victory of the season. As for the teams earning bids, those picks are MN Select, Pohaku and MKE Sting. **** NORTHERN LIGHTS 17s Number of Teams: 36 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (17): 3. 1st Alliance 17 Gold 4. Hou Skyline 17 Royal 6. MKE Sting 17 Gold 7. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno 8. Surfside 17 Legends 9. Nebraska One 17 Synergy 12. ID Crush 17 Bower 14. HJV 17 Elite 17. Dynasty 17 Black 19. Northern Lights 17-1 23. GP 17 Rox 29. Drive Nation 17 Red 31. OT 17 O Felix 37. VCNebraska 17 Elite 40. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami 43. KC Power 17 Black 48. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players to Watch: Addy Horner S/RS 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Abby Vander Wal OH 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Texas) Natalie Wardlow MB Nebraska One 17 Synergy (Wisconsin) Amina N’Diaye OH OT 17 O Felix (Miami) Bailey Warren OH Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Wake Forest) Kassidy O’Brien S Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Kentucky) Bayleigh Minor MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal Kaci Demaria OH Surfside 17 Legends Jordan Taylor MB HJV 17 Elite (Minnesota) Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black (USC) Abigail Mullen RS Dynasty 17 Black (USC)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players to Watch: Gabriella Pitcel MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Illinois) Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Michigan State) Emma Koceja OH MKE Sting 17 Gold Keri Leimbach L/DS Nebraska One 17 Synergy (Nebraska) Elena Maynulet OH GP 17 Rox (Columbia) KK Green S/RS GP 17 Rox (Holy Cross) Tenesyn Frye S ID Crush 17 Bower (Houston) Ava Tilden OH NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Xavier) Riley McCloskey OH/RS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Memphis) Rebekah Pfefferkorn RS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Florida International) Taylor Porter OH Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Vaderbilt) Morgan Madison L/DS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Baylor) Sydney Bryant OH HJV 17 Elite (Vanderbilt) Aaliyah Smith OH HJV 17 Elite (Rice) Mesaiya Bettis OH Northern Lights 17-1 (Iowa State) Hannah Beauford S Drive Nation 17 Red (Cal) Reese Jackson MB Drive Nation 17 Red Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (Cincinnati) Kalyssa Blackshear MB Surfside 17 Legends (Louisville) Malorie Boesiger S Nebraska One 17 Synergy (2027)   Outlook: This could turn out being the toughest qualifier of the season. It’s a large field with 36 teams and not only is there no trickle down in play, almost half the field is ranked in our Top 50 rankings. To say the field is loaded is a gross understatement. That only three teams can earn bids here is going to make for plenty of unsatisfied teams who thought they could get the job done and punch an early bid. 1st Alliance, Nebraska One and Hou Skyline are powerhouse teams. Surfside, HJV and MKE Sting are other big-time players. Mich Elite, GP and Idaho Crush are also major factors. Then there’s Dynasty, which is offering a new look this season and could easily play a role when it’s all said and done.

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Central Zone: 16 Open All Red Hat Team

In continuing concluding our coverage of the Central Zone Invitational, we turn to the release of our 16 Open All Red Hat Team. You can catch up on the Gold Medal Rundown, Day 1 Show Stoppers and Day 2 Show Stoppers. Below, we present the All Red Hat Team for 16 Open. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring the players who made us take the most notice among the teams which finished in the Top 12. 17 Open All Red Hat Team 15 Open All Red Hat Team 14 Open All Red Hat Team 16 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Grace Portwood NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Sidney Sprada Elevation 16 Goller Layla Hoying Mintonette Sports m.61 Sara Snowbarger Mintonette Sports m.61 Mallory Pike TVC 16 Black Cali Foster Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Caroline Ward Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Marlee Sivak MKE Sting 16 Gold Alicia Beers MKE Sting 16 Gold Brooklynne Brass SPVB 16 Elite Abigail Knight SPVB 16 Elite Lydia Stahley Team Indiana 16 Elite Gabby Divita Legacy 16-1 Adidas MaryKate Scheumann Team Pineapple 16 Black MIDDLE BLOCKERS Audrey Dyas NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Sydney Geselbrecht Elevation 16 Goller Alia Schoonover Mintonette Sports m.61 Reese Resmer Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cassidy Cage SPVB 16 Elite Elli Strecker Team Indiana 16 Elite Ella Andrews Legacy 16-1 Adidas Kayla Nwabueze Legacy 16-1 Adidas SETTERS Makenna Kirlin Elevation 16 Goller Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m.61 Hayden Rodriguez TVC 16 Black Lexi Shondell Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Brooke Baldwin MKE Sting 16 Gold Ellie Stiernagle SPVB 16 Elite Anabelle Schembra Team Indiana 16 Elite Eva Long Legacy 16-1 Adidas Sophia Gisslen Team Pineapple 16 Black LIBEROS/DSs Emma Frietch NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Ellie Hepler Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cassidy Bruns MKE Sting 16 Gold Reagan Turk Team Indiana 16 Elite Meredith Martin Legacy 16-1 Adidas Cala Haffner Team Pineapple 16 Black

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Central Zone: 17 Open All Red Hat Team

Part of our wrap-up coverage of the Central Zone Invitational this past weekend at the Indianapolis Convention Center features the release of our All Red Hat Team, starting with 17 Open. In case you missed it, you can check out the Gold Medal Rundown, Day 1 Show Stoppers and Day 2 Show Stoppers. Below, we present the All Red Hat Team for 17 Open. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring the players who made us take the most notice among the teams which finished in the Top 12. 16 Open All Red Hat Team 15 Open All Red Hat Team 14 Open All Red Hat Team 17 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Bailey Blair Adidas KiVA 17 Red Marie Laurio Legacy 17-1 Adidas Jessica Costlow Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Izzy Busignani Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Gabriella Babinski Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Madison Quest MKE Sting 17 Gold Delaney Steers Academy 17 Tsunami Logan Bell Circle City 17 Purple Luci Heid Tri-State Elite 17 Blue MIDDLE BLOCKERS Addison Makun Adidas KiVA 17 Red Olivia Grenadier Legacy 17-1 Adidas Gabriella Pitcel MKE Sting 17 Gold Reese Dunkle Circle City 17 Purple SETTERS Isabela Haggard Adidas KiVA 17 Red Campbell Flynn Legacy 17-1 Adidas Annabelle Groomes AVC Cle 17 Red Ava Hunter Circle City 17 Purple LIBEROS/DSs Kristen Simon Adidas KiVA 17 Red Avery Freeman Circle City 17 Purple Sakura Codling Tri-State Elite 17 Blue McKenna Payne Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Devin Dzienny Legacy 17-1 Adidas

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Central Zone: Day 2 Show Stoppers

The Central Zone Invitational wrapped up on Sunday at the Indianapolis Convention Center. The tournament was just two days but it contained enough energy and excitement that it felt much longer. You can catch up on how the event played out here. Below, we note the players who stood out the most to us with our Day 2 Show Stoppers. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Stella Hamood L/DS Circle City 14 Purple: Hamood played a key role in Circle City taking home the 14 Open gold medal. Her passing was smooth and sharp and she kept plenty of rallies going with her strong digging. Audrey Utterback OH Circle City 14 Purple: Utterback adds an explosive element to the attack. She’s a legit threat anywhere on the court with her power and ability to unload. Blaine Adams RS Circle City 14 Purple: Adams is a wirey right side who helps balance out the attack. She’s a quick jumper and can beat blockers before they are squared up. Kaylie Liepins S AVC Cle 14 Red: One of Liepins’ strength is she sets a really clean ball. She rarely puts up a bad ball for her hitters. Lola Loncar L/DS AVC Cle 14 Red: Loncar was another standout defender. She was solid out of serve receive and displayed the tools to keep her side in the rally. Grace Regula OH AVC Cle 14 Red: When it comes to providing punch to the offense, Regula checks that box and then some. She has a fast arm swing and hits with lots of pace. Ja’maria Jackson MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Part of Munciana’s success is being able to utilize its middle attack effectively. Jackson is one half of the equation. She gets off the ground in a hurry and it causes timing problems for the blockers. Abbie Powell MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Powell fills outs the middle attack for Munciana. She brings a strong arm to the front row and sends down big kills. Taylor McKenzie OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: KiVA looks to its outside to deliver a large share of the offense and both fill their roles well. McKenzie is a quicker attack and uses her speed to her advantage. Kayleigh Rogers OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Rogers balances out the left side attack. She extends nicely and does well taking aggressive swings and challenging the block. *** Sadie Ellis MB Elevation 14 Molly: Ellis was another effective middle. She’s strong offensively with the variety of ways she can beat defenses, including taking swings from the right side. Lauren Sheldon OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Sheldon has a lively arm and can really connect when the opportunity presents itself. She puts a lot of pressure on the defense to defend her. Payton Woodruff S Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Woodruff does a nice job locating and moving the ball around when in system. Ariana Hueter MB Boss Cle 14-1: Boss had a great run to the semifinals. Hueter showed her scoring prowess and she delivered time and time again when her number was called. Kenadi Sieg L/DS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Sieg is a really active libero. She flies around the court and was making plays all over. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski was a Day 1 Show Stopper as well. She’s a difference maker with her two-way contributions and using her size to her advantage. Alexis Steinhauser RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: A lefty right side, Steinhauser has a solid arm and did well exploiting the gaps in the block in front of her. Lyndsey Robinson L/DS Munciana 15 Blue: Munciana pushed its way through to the semifinals in part because of the defensive edge supplied by Robinson. She’s a quick defender who doesn’t back down. Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 15 Blue: Comer’s power arm supplies a different level of offense. She’s a physical hitter who can overpower blockers and crush winners consistent. Makenna Meibers OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Meibers showed up well in her role. She’s an aggressive attacker who was taking big swings and going for it when she could. *** Maisie Jones OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Jones is another strong outside for Tri-State who contributes as a six-rotation. She’s a smart attacker who can hurt defenses in multiple ways. Addison Knapke L/DS Mintonette Sports m.51: Knapke showcased her defensive prowess, making plays in the back row and passing well in serve receive. Lola Waleskowski OH NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski is an integral part of the attack. She’s a strong hitter who is adept at tooling blocks or hitting around them. Macy Armstrong MB NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Armstrong made an impact in the middle with her knack for scoring and being able to get touches on balls. Ali Strange L/DS Elevation 15 Tony: Strange showed up strong in the back row. She reacts and covers well in addition to extending rallies. Morgan Meiring OH Elevation 15 Tony: Meiring is a six-rotation workhorse. She can swing it from the front or back row and helped hold down the offense. Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Ockerman is a play-maker on both sides of the ball. She’s a physical presence who can lift her team with a big kill or monster block. Marlie Smith S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Smith is a quick setter who does a nice job getting her feet to the ball and mixing up her sets and location. Kate Kalczynski OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Kalczynski is developing at a sharp rate. After an impressive high school campaign, she’s carried it over to club where she’s showing off her whip for an arm. Legacy moves her around too, keeping defenses guessing as to where she might take her next swing from. Calli LeFevre OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: LeFevre is a solid all-around outside who brings a ton of energy and spirit to the lineup. She’s a heady attacker who can hurt defenses with well-placed shots. *** Audrey Dyas MB NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami: Dyas is more than a handful. She brings size

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Central Zone: Gold Medal Rundown

Representing an early-season test, the Central Zone Invitational brought many of the Midwest powerhouse clubs together for two days of competition at the Indiana Convention Center. The host club – Circle City – found success in 14 Open, capturing the gold medal after sweeping AVC Cle 14 Red in the championship match and finishing the weekend 8-0. There is sure to be plenty of fluxation in our 14s National Rankings when we update them next. For the time being, Circle City entered Central Zone sitting at No. 17. There were five teams ranked ahead, including AVC at No. 11. For the most part, all fared relatively well. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami held the highest ranking at No. 6 and finished tied for fifth after going 5-1. NKYVC fell to Munciana 14 Chipmunks in gold pool play, as Muncie went on to tie for third with Boss Cle 14-1. Boss was the only team not ranked to finish in the Top 8. Muncie, meanwhile, entered weekend play at No. 21. Both No. 13 Elevation 14 Molly and No. 15 Legacy 14-1 Adidas tied for fifth as well, with each going 5-1 over the two days. Mintonette Sports m.41, ranked No. 14, also went 5-1 but tied for ninth. Elevation, Mintonette and AVC shared an all-Ohio gold pool Sunday morning and finished in a three-way tie at 1-1. Mintonette lost to AVC for its only tournament setback. Mintonette managed to hand Elevation its only loss while Legacy lost a three-setter to Boss to miss out on the semis. Rounding at the top eight was No. 25 KiVA 14 Red, which went 3-3 overall. All but Circle City and Boss will be back together in a couple weeks at the Triple Crown NIT in Kansas City, along with No. 26 MKE Sting 14 Gold which tied for ninth at Central Zone. The most topsy-turvy division proved to be 16 Open. While the field featured highly-ranked teams in No. 4 Mintonette Sports m.61, No. 5 Legacy 16-1 Adidas and No. 8 Boiler Jrs 16 Gold, none were around for the championship clash. That meeting came down to No. 12 Elevation 16 Goller and No. 16 NKYVC 16-1 Tsnunami, with NKYVC prevailing in three sets. One of the biggest surprises was unranked TVC 16 Black tying for third with Mintonette. On an interesting side note, Mintonette hosted a 16s training day the Sunday before Central Zone at its facility in Columbus. Other clubs to participate beyond Mintonette included NKYVC, Elevation and TVC, the top four finishers this weekend coincidentally. Boiler Jrs wound up tied for fifth, along with No. 30 MKE Sting 16 Gold, No. 43 SPVB 16 Elite and unranked Team Indiana 16 Elite, which upset No. 21 Team Pineapple 16 Black in the Round of 16. TVC’s run was propelled by its upset over Legacy in the Round of 16. It was Adidas KiVA 17 Red coming out on top in 17 Open. KiVA lost to Legacy 17-1 Adidas during power pool play on Day 1 and the two sides found themselves on opposites sides of the net once more in the championship match. KiVA earned payback by pulling out a tight sweep, 25-23, 25-23, to end the weekend 7-1. Legacy, which lost to Mich Elite 17 Mizuno on Day 1, finished 6-2. Mich Elite and MKE Sting 17 Gold tied for third, both going 6-1. Once more, our Top 50 rankings held up decent. KiVA came in ranked No. 15 overall, behind both No. 6 MKE Sting and No. 7 Mich Elite. AVC Cle 17 Red, which is ranked No. 11, tied for fifth after going 3-3. Legacy sits at No. 24 overall, behind No. 18 Circle City 17 Purple, which tied for fifth. Tri-State Elite 17 Blue, ranked No. 45, also tied for fifth, along with unranked Academy 17 Tsunami. Mintonette Sports m.71, at No. 46, was the only ranked team to miss out on the Top 8 after going 3-3 and tying for ninth. As for 15 Open, Legacy 15-1 Adidas swept its way past Elevation 15 Tony in the championship match. It just so happened those were the two highest ranked teams in our Top 50, with Legacy at No. 7 and Elevation at No. 3. Munciana 15 Blue and Tri-State Elite 15 Blue tied for third. Munciana was the third-highest ranked team in the field, coming in at No. 26. Tri-State wasn’t far behind at No. 31. Two teams in between at No. 29 KiVA 15 Red and No. 30 Mintonette Sports m.51 tied for fifth, along No. 39 NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami and unranked MKE Sting 15 Gold.

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Central Zone: Day 1 Show Stoppers and More

The different format for 15, 16 and 17 Open at the Central Zone Invitational made for an incredible Day 1 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. That’s because it allowed for the top teams to get together in the afternoon while fighting for seeding in the 16-team gold bracket set for Day 2. While 14 and 18 Open uses a more traditional format, those divisions also provided their share of excitement as two rounds of pool play left teams competing for a spot in the gold bracket as well. There were no shocking results in that all the top seeds made it through and remain in contention on Day 2. The closest thing came with Rock City 16-1 downing Tri-State Elite 16 Blue and eliminating Tri-State from contention. However, there were big-time slugfests all-around produced by the modified power pool format. One example were two top contenders in 16 Open in Mintonette Sports m.61 and Legacy 16-1 Adidas facing off. Legacy survived that one in three, 23-25, 29-27, 15-10. Another high-level 16 Open encounter saw Team Pineapple 16 Black fending off Boiler Jrs 16 Gold, 25-14, 22-25, 18-16. Team Pineapple then swept NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami, 26-24, 25-20. There was also a 17 Open clash between MKE Sting 17 Gold and Circle City 17 Purple. Sting prevailed in three, 25-19, 20-25, 15-9. In the other power pool, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno downed Legacy 17-1 Adidas, 17-25 25-18, 15-9. In 15 Open, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue went toe-to-toe with Legacy 15-1 Adidas and earned the sweep, 25-17, 27-25. Munciana 15 Blue also had a great Day 1, capping it off by sweeping Elevation 15 Tony, 25-23, 25-23. Most of the drama on Day 1 centered around not the power pools but the play-in pools. Teams not making the power pools had to fight to stay alive by winning a three-team pool to make the 16-team gold bracket. In 17 Open, teams like NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami and Mintonette Sports m.71 took advantage to remain in contention. In 16 Open, we mentioned Rock City coming through. Other clubs earning a spot in the gold bracket included Elevation 16 Goller, Rev 16-1 Fury, Adidas KiVA 16 Red and Team Indiana 16 Elite. Circle City 15 Purple, Mintonette Sports m.51, Michio Chicago 15 National and MKE Sting 15 Gold earned spots by winning their three-team pool in 15 Open. The way 14 Open went was different, as two rounds of pool play led to one more round of pool play Sunday morning before breaking out into a four-team gold bracket. It sets up an exciting morning as clubs like Circle City 14 Purple, NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami, Elevation 14 Molly, Legacy 14-1 Adidas and more are still in the hunt. As for 18 Open, two rounds of pool play Saturday set up the gold bracket for Day 2. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue took over the No. 1 seed from SPVB 18 Elite. Adidas KiVA 18 Red starts Sunday as the No. 2 seed. Others alive include SPVB 18 Elite, Circle City 18 Purple, Union 18 UA Black, Team Pineapple 18 Black, SPVB 18 Kahl, Team Indiana 18 Elite and Circle City 18 Black. *** Below, we highlight the individuals who made us take notice the most with their outstanding play Saturday and feature them in our Day 1 Show Stoppers. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Kelsey Green S Elevation 14 Molly: Green is a smooth disher with a soft touch and clean release. She’s also steady with her location. Avery Brannon RS Elevation 14 Molly: Brannon brings plenty of offense when she’s front row. She uses her height to her advantage, going over blocks. She also moves around, taking swings out of the middle. Abbie Powell MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: There was a different dynamic to the attack with Powell in the front. She has a solid arm and was delivering with consistency when called upon. Brooke Neale L/DS Munciana 14 Chipmunks: There was lots of defense being played all over and Neale was included in it. She was passing dimes out of serve receive and controlling the ball well. Vanessa Mancini OH Circle City 14 Purple: Mancini brings size and power to the attack. She carries a big arm and thundered shots to the ground. Audrey Utterback OH Circle City 14 Purple: A six-rotation outside, Utterback is another key cog in the offense. She has a strong arm and swings front and back row. Lauren Doney OH Pursuit 14 Elite: Doney was another six-rotation standout. She’s the go-to hitter and for good reason. She has a solid swing and can really connect. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski is an up-and-coming player. Her length is an attribute in her two-way role setting and hitting. She does a nice job delivering consistently to her hitters and can also turn around and swing for points. Tegan Loechler RS MKE Sting 14 Gold: Loechler was among the 14s standout who also has lots of size to impact the match with. She extends well and it allows her to hit over blocks on the regular. Ashlyn Pelon L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Pelon brought a defensive edge to the lineup with her steady passing and putting balls on target. *** Lola Loncar L/DS AVC Cle 14 Red: Loncar was also a defender who caught our eye with her on-point deliveries and hustle keeping rallies alive. Grace Regula OH AVC Cle 14 Red: Regula was impressing with her quick arm and ability to rip shots from sideline to sideline. Carsyn Chitty L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41: Chitty brings tons of energy to the court. She’s a vocal defender and was doing well keeping plays alive. Lauren Williams MB Tri-State Elite 14 Blue: Williams is a lanky middle with a knack for scoring. She’s a legit threat when the team is in system and defenses need to be ready. Jillian Turvey MB Elevation 15 Tony: Turvey was a factor in the middle with her ability to impact play on both sides of the ball

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Central Zone Preview and Predictions

Usually played at the end of January, this year’s edition of the Central Zone Invitational takes place during the first weekend of February. While the dates have changed, the level of competition has not. It’s an early-season slugfest for those involved as the tournament features many nationally-ranked clubs throughout the 14-18s age groups. Below, we highlight each Open division in those ages with players to watch, a brief outlook and predictions as to which clubs will walk away with a gold medal. 18 OPEN Number of Teams: 18 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (3): 22. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue OH 29. KiVA 18 Red KY 34. Circle City 18 Purple IN   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Morgan Gaerte OH Team Pineapple 18 Black IN (Notre Dame)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Ayen Nhial MB KiVA 18 Red (James Madison)   Outlook: The 18 Open division is the smallest of our featured age groups with just 18 teams. Part of the reason is teams that chase USAV Open bids are not participating like they did a year ago, and that has left the field reduced for 2024. However, one big addition comes in the form of Sports Performance, which brought its top two 18s programs. Another difference with the 18s is they are playing a more traditional format, beginning with six, three-team pools. The teams face two rounds of pool play on Day 1 in hopes of making the gold bracket on Day 2. Prediction: We are watching for KiVA to win it all, beating Sports Performance in the final. Tri-State Elite and Circle City tie for third place. *** 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 32 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (9): 6. MKE Sting 17 Gold WI 7. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno MI 11. AVC Cle 17 Red OH 15. KiVA 17 Red KY 18. Circle City 17 Purple IN 24. Legacy 17-1 Adidas MI 40. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami KY 45. Tri-State 17 Elite Blue OH 46. Mintonette Sports m.71 OH   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Kristen Simon L/DS KiVA 17 Red (Wisconsin) Addison Makun MB KiVA 17 Red (Louisville) Campbell Flynn S Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Nebraska) Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Annabelle Groomes S/RS AVC Cle 17 Red (San Diego)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Gabriella Pitcel MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Illinois) Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Michigan State) Emma Koceja OH MKE Sting 17 Gold Emma Parks OH AVC Cle 17 Red (Marquette) Kayla Dunlap MB TPV 17 Maverick (Vanderbilt) Rebecca Ring OH VC United 17 Elite (NC State) Ava Tilden OH NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Xavier) Riley McCloskey OH/RS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Memphis) 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) Sienna Fry OH Summit 17 Blue (2026)   Outlook: The 17 Open division has its share of firepower among the 32-team field. First though, let’s talk a little about the format. It’s a lot different than normal as teams begin in one of eight, four-team brackets. The winners of each four-team bracket move into power pools and play for seeding on Day 2, which features a 16-team gold bracket. The rest of the teams go into one of eight, three-team play-in pools. The winners of each play-in pool also advance to the 16-team gold bracket Sunday. Leading the way is MKE Sting, which is coming off a third-place finish at Northern Lights last weekend where the club clinched its 17 Open bid for Nationals. Also in the field last weekend were Mich Elite and NKYVC. Host club Circle City is one to watch for, as is KiVA and AVC. Legacy is capable of doing damage, while Tri-State could certainly play the role of spoiler. Prediction: We’ll see how much teams who played last weekend have in the tank for Central Zone. While we fully expect MKE Sting and Mich Elite to be in the mix, we are taking Circle City over KiVA in the final. AVC and MKE Sting earn the bronzes. *** 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 32 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (13): 4. Mintonette Sports m.61 OH 5. Legacy 16-1 Adidas MI 8. Boiler Jrs 16 Gold IN 12. Elevation 16 Goller OH 16. NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami KY 18. Tri-State Elite 16 Blue OH 19. AVC Cle 16 Red OH 21. Team Pineapple 16 Black IN 30. MKE Sting 16 Gold WI 40. Rev 16-1 Fury IN 41. KiVA 16 Red KY 43. SPVB 16 Elite IL 50. Circle City 16 Purple IN   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas Gabby Divita OH Legacy 16-1 Adidas Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.61 Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold (2027)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Lily Bosworth MB Illini Elite 16 Cardinal Kendall Northern MB/RS Elevation 16 Goller Sydney Geselbracht MB Elevation 16 Goller Sidney Sprada OH Elevation 16 Goller Cala Haffner L/DS Team Pineapple 16 Black Lydia Stahley OH Team Indiana 16 Elite Cassidy Bruns L/DS MKE Sting 16 Gold Margaret Czajka OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Marlee Sivak OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Ella Andrews MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas Meredith Martin L/DS Legacy 16-1 Adidas Mallory Matheny S Mintonette Sports m.61 Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports m.61 Audrey Dyas MB NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Addison Haberthy S Circle City 16 Purple   Outlook: With 13 of the 32 teams appearing in our Top 50 National Rankings, 16 Open is the premier division of the weekend. It’s the same format as 17 Open, with clubs opening up in one of eight, four-team brackets and ultimately playing to make the 16-team gold bracket on Day 2. The depth should lead

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Ohio Valley 18s Preview and Predictions

We are heading into the fourth weekend of 18s qualifying. Up next is the Ohio Valley Qualifier taking place at the Columbus Convention Center. Below, we look for the teams to watch for when it comes to qualifying, 4 and 5-star recruits in the field as well as our predictions for the weekend. OHIO VALLEY 18s Number of Teams: 21 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (2): Mintonette Sports m.81; OT 18 O Roberto vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (8): 3. NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami KY 11. Coast 18-1 CA 20. AVC Cle 18 Red OH 24. Academy 18 Elite Rage IN 26. OT 18 Roberto FL 32. Metro 18 Travel DC 40. Legacy 18-1 Adidas MI 43. Elevation 18 Toth OH   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Lauren Harden OH Academy 18 Elite Rage (Florida)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Fallon Stewart OH OT 18 Roberto (Cincinnati) Juleigh Urbina S OT 18 Roberto (Georgetown) Erin Debiec S Metro 18 Travel (Colorado State) Elizabeth Tabeling L/DS NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (Ball State) Julia Hunt MB NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (Washington) Alexis Haury S NPJ 18 Forefront (Washington)   Outlook: Fresh off of qualifying at the Florida Fest with a third-place showing, Mintonette starts off as the top seed and is one of two teams that could create a possible trickle-down scenario. The other club is OT Roberto, which is already playing in its third qualifier of the season after taking second at Lone Star and fifth last weekend. In terms of earning bids, there are a handful of teams to pay attention to. At the top of the list is both NKYVC and Coast. Coast finished sixth at Lone Star and stands a good chance of coming through this weekend with one of the bids. The same goes for NKYVC, which starts as the No. 5 overall seed behind No. 3 Coast. In between is fourth-seeded Metro, which is also playing in its third qualifier. Metro has been in contention for bids and this could be the weekend when the club breaks through. AVC, Academy and Elevation are more clubs to keep a watch out for as any one of the trio could find itself in position to qualify. NPJ is another contender and rounds out our teams to keep an eye on. Prediction: Let’s get to the picks for this weekend. NKYVC is our choice to win it all, beating OT in the final. The final two bids go to Coast and NPJ.

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vballrecruiter.com’s Player of the Week: Campbell Flynn

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: Campbell Flynn. *** The last six months for Campbell Flynn have been jammed-packed with success and accolades. The 6-3, 5-star setter from the Class of 2025 kicked it off by committing to the University of Nebraska in June, shortly before her Legacy 16-1 Adidas team competed in 16 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships where they finished 21st. Growing up playing basketball, Flynn started to slowly develop a passion for volleyball. Her mom played in college and by eighth grade Flynn was done with basketball. It didn’t take long for her to realize she could have a future in the sport. “I always thought I could go somewhere for college,” she said. “I didn’t know how good at a young age because I didn’t know how I would develop, but I started having a ton of passion and when I saw my first questionnaire in the mail it made me think I could go very far.” Nebraska was one of many top programs recruiting Flynn. It was her dream to play there and it was an opportunity she couldn’t say no to. “I definitely want to win very bad,” she said. “I’m a very competitive person and it’s definitely a winning program. Another perk of Nebraska is it’s in the Big 10 and I have always watched the Big 10 since a little kid.” Next, Flynn made the 12-player cut for the USAV U19 roster and was part of the first gold medal for the age group as the team finished on top in Croatia in early August. She was barely back in the States when she turned around and traveled to Mexico to represent the USA in the U21 championships, finishing sixth. If there was one drawback the busy summer schedule impacted her high school season. All the volleyball in a short time caused her to miss half her junior year at Mercy before coming back for the state playoffs. “Going straight to school the week after I was fighting a sickness and trying to get back to high school after Worlds I was still struggling with sickness a week-and-a-half later,” Flynn said. “I tweaked my knee a little bit too and I ended up taking a month off before the playoffs.” Coming back for state Flynn was unsure what to expect. Mercy wasn’t viewed as one of the favorites but with Flynn back in the lineup the team kept winning. The playoff run culminated with a five-set victory over Forest Hills Northern in the Division 1 championship match as Flynn dished out 41 assists and recorded 15 digs. Though she missed nearly half the season, Flynn finished with 553 assists, 137 digs and 124 kills. It helped her earn the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Michigan. “It was crazy,” Flynn said of winning state. “It still feels like a dream. Everyone on my team, everyone was having fun while we were playing. To get the state championship it was surreal and amazing. I still keep watching videos of us winning.” Flynn and her Legacy 17-1 Adidas teammates started the year off taking second place in 17/18 Open at the Nike Classic in Columbus earlier this month. They continue on with the upcoming Central Zone Invitational this weekend in Indianapolis. “A lot of us have been playing together since 13s,” Flynn said. “It’s just crazy that this is my last club season, but it’s been great so far. We get along really well. It’s going to be a really fun season.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Flynn about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Flynn: I’d say definitely my parents. They raised my brother, sister and myself to be happy and humble. They are really cool people and I aspire to be like them one day, especially as a parent, when I’m older. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Flynn: I would do something very low key, like probably a movie marathon. That would be fun and relaxing just watching a bunch of movies. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Flynn: I did watch the national dance competition a few weeks ago and that was insane. Their moves were so cool, so maybe a dancer. I’ve also always wanted to learn chess but it’s really complicated. I think I could get the hang of it but I haven’t had the time to try playing chess. Aside from basic necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Flynn: I just got these new HOKA shoes and I love them. I got them for Christmas and I’m obsessed with them. I wear them every day just walking around in them. They are super nice. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Flynn: Either walking at school and seeing my friends or just starting my day with a good breakfast. I get super excited about that. What’s one of your favorite ways to have fun? Flynn: I really like just either hanging out with friends and watching movies or baking with them. Something low key because I’m always on the go and don’t have a lot of time because of volleyball or working out, so I like relaxing. Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why? Flynn: I’m very passionate about hanging out with my family, especially knowing I’m going to be leaving for college and won’t be here experiencing stuff with them. I’m making the most of

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All Eyes On Me Elite ID Clinic Legacy Standouts

The latest stop for the Vballrecruiter All Eyes on Me Elite ID Clinic brought the team to Legacy VBC in Michigan. There was palpable energy and excitement in the gym with the girls from the Classes of 2024-2030 represented. Below, we highlight the players who caught our attention. Class of 2025 Ashlyn Andrzejewski L/DS Legacy 17 Elite East: A real talkative and outgoing defender, Andrzejewski showed her quickness in running down loose balls and played with lots of energy. Ava Trevino L/DS Legacy 17 Elite West: Trevino was another spirited defender who was very vocal. She’s a high-octane player who brought lots of hustle. *** Class of 2026 Jayla Zayti MB Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Zayti was connecting well out of the middle. She has a solid arm and is also effective running the slide. Meredith Martin L/DS Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Martin was a standout defender who brought a real presence to the court. She’s a smooth passer who owns the back row. Eva Long S Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Long’s setting ability was on full display. She moves the ball around with ease and has a really clean, consistent release. Madeline Dettling OH Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Dettling was an impactful pin who displayed a strong arm and the ability to score consistently. Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Nwabueze was thundering balls out of the middle. She’s a quick, athletic middle who can get up and pound balls as well as get out on the slide attack and crush there as well. Aubree Deshetsky OH Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Deshetsky was not holding back on the attack. She was taking aggressive, hard swings and really going for it. *** Class of 2027 Lindsey Schwegman S High Performance 15-2: Schwegman has a lot of potential and room for development. She has a soft touch and can go behind her consistently. Josie Seets OH/RS Legacy 15-2: Seets is another player who flashed real potential to grow and improve. She has a solid arm and was taking aggressive swings. Olivia Berishaj OH/RS Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Berishaj was taking nice cuts and connecting on a few balls that hinted at what she’s capable of. She also goes hard and gives a lot. Micah Harris L/DS Team Detroit: Harris moves well and covers a lot of territory. She passed solidly and played under control. Avery Kapeller OH High Performance 15 Nike: Kapeller is a lanky outside who was swinging away and scoring. Megan Baibak OH Legacy 15 Elite South: Baibak is a quick outside who puts up a solid block. She’s also upbeat and besides hitting showed she could set too. *** Class of 2028 Taylor Wilson L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: There was lots of defense being played with Wilson among those who stood out with her passing and ball control. Lauren Sheldon OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Sheldon has a lively arm and was among the standout attackers. She was letting it fly on a regular basis and proved tough to slow down. Payton Woodruff S Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Woodruff has a clean release and puts up a nice ball for her hitters. Ashlyn Pelon L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Pelon showed a lot of skill with her passing and defending and ability to make plays. Kaitlyn Koceski L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Koceski did well handling defensive duties and was going all out. *** Class of 2029 Jillian Daitch OH Legacy 13-1: Daitch had her moments coming up with heady plays and showing she can score in a variety of ways. Stella Smith L/DS Legacy 13-1 Adidas: Smith plays with a ton of energy and goes all out on the court. *** Class of 2030 Juliet Berishaj MB Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Berishaj was working really hard in the middle to get up on blocks and get her hands on shots. Londyn Cottrill OH Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Cottrill has a really solid arm for her age and was a real standout on the attack with the way she was able to score over and over. Valerie Carr OH Pitt Elite 12 Black: Carr was among the younger players who kept giving it her all and showing off her smarts with heads-up plays at the net. Colbie Lantz L/DS Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Lantz brought a ton of scrappiness and hustle on the defensive side and did well getting balls up. Collins Lantz L/DS Legacy 13-1 Adidas: Lantz also did a very nice job of making plays and keeping rallies going with her court coverage. Molly Hickey S Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Hickey has a nice, consistent touch when setting. She also brings a lot of energy to the court.

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Northern Lights Preview and Predictions

The Northern Lights qualifier takes on a slightly new look this season. While the 17s age group was added a couple of seasons ago to go with the 18s, this year features the 15s age group bundled in for the first time. That provides the younger age group an early chance to qualify, which is a big change from years past. Below, we look at the 15, 17 and 18 Open divisions and offer our predictions, as well as nationally-ranked teams competing, 4 and 5-star players in the field and a brief outlook. NORTHERN LIGHTS 18s Number of Teams: 27 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (2): KC Power 18 Black; Premier Nebraska 18 Gold vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (8): 10. KC Power 18 Black 14. Pohaku 18-1 16. Premier Nebraska 18 Gold 19. A5 18 Marc 35. MKE Sting 18 Gold 37. FC Elite 18 Elite 42. VCNebraska 18 Elite 44. Drive Nation 18 Red   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players to Watch: Lauren Medeck OH Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (South Dakota) Faith Frame L/DS Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Cincinnati) Hannah Benjamin OH A5 18 Marc (Kentucky)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players to Watch: Malayah Long S VCNebraska 18 Elite (Marquette) Paisley Douglas L/DS VCNebraska 18 Elite (USC) Mia Tvrdy MB Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Oregon) Janelle Green S KC Power 18 Black (Cincinnati) 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) Carly Gilk RS MN Select 18-1 (2025, Minnesota)   Outlook: Like Florida Fest that is also happening this weekend, Northern Lights is also the first weekend that trickle down could play a role in qualifying with KC Power and Premier Nebraska already owning bids. Both qualified at the KC MLK two weekends ago. They start off as the top two seeds and there’s a strong likelihood they will help create some level of trickle down, which could extend out to fifth place. It makes for a good opportunity for the remaining teams. It’s just a matter of which ones are going to take advantage? MKE Sting and FC Elite were both at Windy City, taking seventh and 11th respectively. MN Select, Pohaku, VCNebraska, A5 and Kairos were all together at the KC MLK event, along with KC Power and Premier. That makes for familiarity among many of the participants. Teams are ultimately fighting to make the four-team gold pool. That’s where KC Power and Premier Nebraska come into play. Should both make the gold pool, the other two teams would qualify. That would leave the final bid to go to the winner of the four-team silver pool. If only one of the two between KC Power and Premier Nebraska make the gold pool, the remaining three teams will earn bids before playing a match on Sunday. Prediction: We like KC Power to come out with its second qualifier victory of the season. As for the teams earning bids, those picks are MN Select, Pohaku and MKE Sting. **** NORTHERN LIGHTS 17s Number of Teams: 36 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (17): 3. 1st Alliance 17 Gold 4. Hou Skyline 17 Royal 6. MKE Sting 17 Gold 7. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno 8. Surfside 17 Legends 9. Nebraska One 17 Synergy 12. ID Crush 17 Bower 14. HJV 17 Elite 17. Dynasty 17 Black 19. Northern Lights 17-1 23. GP 17 Rox 29. Drive Nation 17 Red 31. OT 17 O Felix 37. VCNebraska 17 Elite 40. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami 43. KC Power 17 Black 48. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players to Watch: Addy Horner S/RS 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Abby Vander Wal OH 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Texas) Natalie Wardlow MB Nebraska One 17 Synergy (Wisconsin) Amina N’Diaye OH OT 17 O Felix (Miami) Bailey Warren OH Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Wake Forest) Kassidy O’Brien S Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Kentucky) Bayleigh Minor MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal Kaci Demaria OH Surfside 17 Legends Jordan Taylor MB HJV 17 Elite (Minnesota) Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black (USC) Abigail Mullen RS Dynasty 17 Black (USC)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players to Watch: Gabriella Pitcel MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Illinois) Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Michigan State) Emma Koceja OH MKE Sting 17 Gold Keri Leimbach L/DS Nebraska One 17 Synergy (Nebraska) Elena Maynulet OH GP 17 Rox (Columbia) KK Green S/RS GP 17 Rox (Holy Cross) Tenesyn Frye S ID Crush 17 Bower (Houston) Ava Tilden OH NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Xavier) Riley McCloskey OH/RS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Memphis) Rebekah Pfefferkorn RS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Florida International) Taylor Porter OH Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Vaderbilt) Morgan Madison L/DS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Baylor) Sydney Bryant OH HJV 17 Elite (Vanderbilt) Aaliyah Smith OH HJV 17 Elite (Rice) Mesaiya Bettis OH Northern Lights 17-1 (Iowa State) Hannah Beauford S Drive Nation 17 Red (Cal) Reese Jackson MB Drive Nation 17 Red Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (Cincinnati) Kalyssa Blackshear MB Surfside 17 Legends (Louisville) Malorie Boesiger S Nebraska One 17 Synergy (2027)   Outlook: This could turn out being the toughest qualifier of the season. It’s a large field with 36 teams and not only is there no trickle down in play, almost half the field is ranked in our Top 50 rankings. To say the field is loaded is a gross understatement. That only three teams can earn bids here is going to make for plenty of unsatisfied teams who thought they could get the job done and punch an early bid. 1st Alliance, Nebraska One and Hou Skyline are powerhouse teams. Surfside, HJV and MKE Sting are other big-time players. Mich Elite, GP and Idaho Crush are also major factors. Then there’s Dynasty, which is offering a new look this season and could easily play a role when it’s all said and done.

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