Chris Tobolski

Below, we are happy to present vballrecruiter.com’s 14 Open All-Tournament Team from the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. Covering the division over four days left us with difficult decisions to make when putting together the team. This is not to be confused with the honors awarded by USAV itself at the conclusion of the championship match. These picks are made from our observations and our observations alone. It would be easy to add more to each position or even include honorable mentions, but that’s something we do at the end of the year with our Club All-Americans. As for the All-Tournament Team selections, they are meant to be limited and difficult to make given all the talented players. To narrow the selections, we honored players from the Top 16 finishers, or the teams which advanced as far as the challenge rounds. We want to keep a team element to the award and making the challenge round is a strong indicator of team success. The process does leave amazing players off, even some of the best in the field! But if we were to pick solely based on talent, we could pick the team ahead of time as we know in advance who many of the talented players are competing. Congrats to those named to this year’s vballrecruiter.com 14 Open All-Tournament Team. OUTSIDES Ella Olson Tstreet 14 Carson Janiah Burrage Forza1 14 One Naomi Livings TAV 14 Black Ryan Spencer Skyline 14 Royal Ava Burgess Club V 14 Ren Silver Hanna McGinest Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar MIDDLES Kendall Omoruyi Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Mariah Akinsola TAV 14 Black Megan Hodges Tstreet 14 Carson Cynthia Ockerman Legacy 14-1 Adidas Sitoafa Tausinga Club V 14 Ren Silver Mackenzie Ratcliff Madfrog 14 Green RIGHT SIDES Blake Cussen Absolute 14 Black Simrin Adams Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar Brynn Stephens TAV 14 Black (S/RS) Sophee Peterson TAV 14 Black (S/RS) SETTERS Emmeline Sandgren Absolute 14 Black Ally Fausett Tstreet 14 Carson Sophia Dostic OT 14 Laura Marlie Smith Legacy 14-1 Adidas LIBEROS Cedra Talaga Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar Nafanua Alofipo Club V 14 Ren Silver Pulelehua Laikona Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Dakota Huynh Skyline 14 Royal  

There was no room for teams to let up as Day 4 represented gold bracket time in 15 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. With the top teams in the nation going toe-to-toe for a spot on the medal stand there was no way the action could disappoint. However, there was only room for one on top and that honor went to Skyline 15 Royal, which defeated Mintonette Sports m.51 in the final in a clash between our top two ranked teams in the nation. Below, we highlight our Day 4 Show Stoppers. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Finley Krystkowiak OH Wave 15 Brennan: Wave had a great run to the quarterfinals, in part fueled by Krystkowiak’s play on the outside. The 6-2 attacker helped Wave almost complete an upset of Mintonette in the quarterfinals with the way she was blasting balls from sideline to sideline. Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports m.51: Snowbarger is a key ingredient in Mintonette’s success with her six-rotation contributions. She can swing front and back row and hits at a high contact point with a lively arm. Mallory Matheny S Mintonette Sports m.51: Matheny was a standout running the offense. She does a great job of connecting well with all her hitters and spreading the ball around. Alia Schoonover MB Mintonette Sports m.51: Schoonover brings an offensive identity to the middle. She can get up on the quick or out on the slide and connect well. Lily Rolfes S Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Rolfes was playing on a bum foot but still had enough grit and determination to help guide her team to a bronze medal. She did well running the offense and getting all her hitters involved. Brooke Harwood MB Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Harwood brings a punch to the middle. She’s long and runs the slide effectively. Kalli Lipo L Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Lipo took care of the defensive end. She’s an upbeat, energetic libero who passing well out of serve receive and making a few highlight digs. Madisyn Crnjac OH Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Crnjac has a heavy arm and can go through blocks. She’s a key part of the attack and a reliable option. Blair Thiebaud S Hou Skyline 15 Royal: Thiebaud is fun to watch direct the attack, especially because of all the weapons around her. She’s a smooth disher with great hands and seldom misses her spots. Jayden Robinson OH Hou Skyline 15 Royal: Robinson is one of those weapons Thiebaud gets to utilize. Robinson jumps out of the gym and has a big arm. Her future is very, very bright. Gabi Divita OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Divita is among the standout outsides in the division. She’s lanky and has a whippy arm. She gets up well too and can hit with ease from sideline to sideline. Meredith Martin L Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Martin always brings the defensive intensity and tenacity to the back row. She’s tough to get a ball down on and doesn’t miss her target too often when passing. Layla Austin OH Skyline 15 Royal: Austin has a lively arm and watch out when she connects. The balls shoots off her arm like being launched out of a cannon. Skylar Jackson OH Skyline 15 Royal: Jackson does well on the attack too. She also has the ability to catch one and send it hurtling down to the floor in a hurry.

It was a whirlwind of a day, as the 14 Open division at the USAV Girls Junior Championships crowned anointed a new gold medalist in TAV 14 Black. We wrote about TAV’s dominant performance, including sweeping Arizona Storm 14 Thunder in the final, here. Below, we highlight our Show Stoppers from the final day of action in the division. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Naomi Livings OH TAV 14 Black: Livings and her huge arm was delivering booming kills. She’s a walking highlight reel. Mariah Akinsola MB TAV 14 Black: Akinsola was performing at a high level and giving TAV much needed presence in that spot with Nyla Livings sidelined with an injury. She’s a physical hitter and blocker who uses her strength to her advantage. Gentry Barker OH TAV 14 Black: Barker is a six-rotation contributor who plays a key role in the team’s success. She’s a bit undersized but is a fearless outside who can bring the heat. Tessa Larkin OH Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Larkin was shining in her role as a six-rotation outside. She shoulders a lot of the offense. She’s a strong attacker with a whippy arm. Nylah Bibby OH Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Bibby also did well in her role as a six-rotation outside. She’s a solid passer and knows how to score against bigger blockers. Pulelehua Laikona L Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Laikona was among the standout liberos. She’s in command of the back row and hustles around the court making plays. London Merchant OH Madfrog 14 Green: Merchant is an athletic outside with lots of upside and potential. She has a nice arm and was helping power the attack along. Mackenzie Ratcliff MB Madfrog 14 Green: Ratcliff brings a certain dynamic to the front row when she checks in. Defenses must keep track of her as Madfrog will go to her. She gets up well and has a fluid swing. Vanessa Glenn OH Madfrog 14 Green: Glenn is also a six-rotation outside who does a solid job passing and hitting. She’s a bit undersized but can jump and swing well enough to score consistently. Ryan Spencer OH Skyline 14 Royal: Spencer was once more shouldering a load and taking care of business as a six-rotation outside. She’s a strong attacker who hits with pace from corner to corner. Lexi Martin OH Drive Nation 14 Red: Martin is another outside with plenty of upside. She has good size and length and extends well to hit at a high contact point. Hanna McGinest OH Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar: McGinest was a bright spot all tournament for Long Beach and her talents were on display again too. She’s an athletic outside who jumps and swings with ease. Cedra Talaga L Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar: Talaga is that defender who know is going to leave everything she has on the court. That’s exactly what you want from a libero and she also brings a lot of energy and passion. Emma Kingston MB Tstreet 14 Carson: Kingston made herself known in the middle with her blocking and scoring. She’s a strong blocker who forces hitters to change their shots up. She also provides reliable offense. Ally Fausett S Tstreet 14 Carson: Fausett – part of the Class of 2026 – does well directing the attack and moving the ball around. She’s also has height to be an impact at the net with her blocking.

The volleyball world received the rematch between vballrecruiter.com’s top two teams in the country as No. 1 Skyline 15 Royal swept past No. 2 Mintonette Sports m.51 to capture the USAV 15 Open gold medal Saturday in Chicago. It was less than weeks ago when the two sides squared off in Orlando, with Mintonette winning there and claiming the AAU 15 Open championship. As for the final day of 15 Open competition in Chicago, it was lights-out and easily the best volleyball we witnessed all season. Picking the Day 4 All Red Hat Team was no easy task as we present our 10 players below. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 4 ALL RED HAT TEAM Halle Thompson OH Hou Skyline 15 Royal: If this tournament were a video game, Thompson would be the cheat code! The 6-2 high-flying outside established herself as the class of the division. About the only thing she can’t do on the attack is score with a bicycle kick. Other than that, the only way to stop her is to hope she misses her swing. She’s so long and athletic and hits so high and fast that she overwhelms defenses. Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports m.51: Hoying’s all-around game was on full display as Mintonette finished with the silver medal. She’s such a strong player physically and is a solid passer and defender out of the back row. And though she’s a bit undersized compared to other outsides in the division, she can get up and send balls straight down without a problem. Keoni Williams MB Skyline 15 Royal: The 6-4 Williams takes over the net like few can. She’s so long and takes up a lot of space with her reach. Even when she’s not touching or blocking balls, she’s still impacting hitters’ swings in order to avoid her. Offensively, she’s a force who can hammer balls over the block at tough-to-defend angles. LeVariya Pinder MB Skyline 15 Royal: Pinder plays outside in high school and you can see in the way she attacks out of the middle. At 6-0, she’s not short but not necessarily tall compared to Williams. Still, Pinder is quick and gets up in a hurry. It allows her to be impactful at the net scoring and blocking. Taylor Clarke RS Skyline 15 Royal: Clarke – part of the Class of 2025 – is a game-changing right side with the way she can score and open up the attack. The dynamic of Skyline’s offense complete changes when she checks in, opening the attack and providing another high-flying option who can go over or around blocks with ease. Willow Weninger RS Pohaku 15-1: We love what Weninger brings to the lineup. She’s a fiery right side who also changes the look of the attack when she’s front row. She’s lanky with a lively arm and is a featured part of the attack who defenses must respect and be ready for. Madison Victoriano S Skyline 15 Royal: All Victoriano does is win! Saturday marked her fourth Open medal as Skyline lifted the championship trophy. She’s a quick setter who moves very well and does a nice job getting her feet to the ball and delivering. She has a soft touch and locates well. Eva Long S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: We love watching Long compete because she’s such a gamer. You can see the intensity she plays with but she also does well playing under control. She does well directing the attack and mixing up her sets and getting all her hitters involved. Emma Cugino L Mintonette Sports m.51: Few defend and patrol the back row like Cugino. She’s a total stud and a defensive stalwart. She’s a high-level passer and defender. She also has a great hands and does very well setting off balls to help keep Mintonette in system. Henlee Moszkowicz L Hou Skyline 15 Royal: Moszkowicz was arguably our favorite player from Day 4 and that’s saying something. Hou Skyline is known for its relentless attack but she was bringing a defensive edge and tenacity to the court. She was making tons of plays keeping rallies alive and standing in against big-swinging hitters.

In the end, no one could prevent TAV 14 Black from taking its place on the top step of the podium as the club captured the 14 Open USAV national championship Saturday in Chicago. With the gold bracket playing out on the final day of competition, the intensity level was exactly as you imagined it would be. Off the charts. It produced both amazing team and individual play, which leads us to presenting our Day 4 All Red Hat Team. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 4 ALL RED HAT TEAM Ella Olson OH Tstreet 14 Carson: Olson was easily in the top tier of players in both performance and fun factor. She’s a pure volleyball player who does everything at a high level. She flies around the court in the back row defending and laying out for balls. She’s a sound passer out of serve receive. As she’s a tough cover on the attack with her beach smarts and ability to mix in a wide variety of shots to frustrate defenses with. Ava Burgess OH Club V 14 Ren Silver: Club V deserves immense credit for being the only team outside our Top 10 to reach the gold bracket. Burgess is not only a blossoming talent who has next-level written all over her, she’s also a weapon currently and was a big part of the team’s success. She’s a lanky outside with a great arm and ability to blast balls from sideline to sideline. We love the emotion and passion she plays with (check out the photo above). That’s someone you want on your team when you have to win a match. Kendall Omoruyi MB Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Spectators came for the volleyball and received a free blocking clinic in the process. To say the 6-4 Omoruyi owns the net is to say water is wet. She gets up and presses her arms over like few can and she’s a total game-changer as a result. She’s a point scorer with her blocking, as well as with her big arm. She gets up well over the block and can pound balls down at ridiculous angles. Megan Hodges MB Tstreet 14 Carson: Hodges – part of the Class of 2028 – showed plenty of what is to come in the future. She’s another presence in the middle with her size and she too has the ability to impact both sides of the net with her blocking and attacking. She was making plays at the net in Tstreet’s three-set setback to Arizona Storm in the quarterfinals. She also plays with a lot of energy and passion and it’s fun to see. Simrin Adams RS Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar: Adams isn’t the biggest or hardest-hitting right side but she is effective in her role and she plays with great on-court demeanor and hustle. She’s one of the few right sides who passes out of serve receive too, adding value there. She’s also a smart hitter who can send balls down the line with pace or throw in a cagey off speed shot to catch the defenses on its heels. Brynn Stephens S/RS TAV 14 Black: Stephens brings so much to the floor with her setting and hitting. She’s also a fierce competitor. It doesn’t hurt that she’s also long and is the total package. She’s a sharp setter who can dish to any spot with consistent accuracy, whether in front or behind her. As an attacker, watch out. She can extend way up and rip balls down as well as anyone in the division. Sophee Peterson S/RS TAV 14 Black: The word that comes to mind with Peterson is ease. We wrote about her earlier in the tournament with her setting, hitting and defending. And she does it all while making it look easy. She’s a smooth setter with a soft touch and she too can deliver balls in front or behind her with great accuracy. She plays great defense and when it comes to hitting she doesn’t have the length of Stephens but she’s just effective in scoring points. Zamari Christensen S Club V 14 Ren Silver: Christensen is a high-octane setter who zips around the court. She too played a big role in Club V’s run. She does well getting to the ball and has a clean, consistent release. She does well connecting with her hitters. Ansley Shafer L TAV 14 Black: What we love about Shafer is she doesn’t blink. She’s not afraid to stand in against the biggest of hitters in order to make a play and keep the rally alive. She’s also quick and makes up ground in a hurry when covering. Nafanua Alofipo L Club V 14 Ren Silver: Alofipo was among the best liberos in the division and has no issues taking care of the defensive duties. She too is a quick libero who flies around the court making plays. She’s not one to challenge in serve receive as she’s an on-point passer.

If a season of dominance was to turn into four days of vulnerability, TAV never let on as its time in Chicago was less a tournament and more of a coronation. There was never doubt surrounding TAV’s place in the 14 Open division, which it cemented with a sweep of national No. 2 Arizona Storm 14 Thunder, 25-19, 25-16, in Saturday’s championship match. The North Texas Region club dropped just two matches entering the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. One came to Drive Nation 14 Red in regional play. The other was to Tstreet 14 Carson in the final of the Salt Lake City Showdown qualifier in April. Other than that, TAV has been untouchable and was a heavy favorite to claim the gold medal. Yet, we’ve seen similar scenarios before when the fairytale ending disappears in a blink of an upset and leaves teams heartbroken and in despair. And that’s with a full roster available, a luxury TAV was not afforded as it chased the championship trophy in Chicago. Weeks ago TAV lost one half of its starting middle duo when Nyla Livings broke her hand and would not be able to participate. Even when TAV was most vulnerable this season it did not matter. The opening match provided the perfect opportunity for an upset and though Forza1 14 One was up for the challenge, TAV still found a way in winning in three, 21-25, 25-14, 15-11. TAV dropped just one more set the rest of the way, with it coming in a three-game victory over A5 14 Helen, 23-25, 25-16, 15-10, in the final outing of the first round of pool play. What TAV did during elimination matches was frightening, beginning with its dominant sweep of Rage 14 Garren, 25-10, 25-8, in challenge play. If the gold bracket was supposed to offer stiffer competition, it certainly didn’t play out that way on Day 4. Up first was Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar – ranked No. 4 in our Top 50. It proved to be a warm-up of sorts, as TAV cruised, 25-11, 25-14. Next up was Skyline 14 Royal – which checked in at No. 6 in our Top 50. It was over just as quickly, with TAV sweeping, 25-14, 25-21. The championship match was surely meant to be different. There TAV was to face Arizona Storm in a semifinal rematch from Triple Crown back in February. TAV took that meeting in three, 25-21, 17-25, 15-9, yet Saturday’s clash never materialized in the same manner. Arizona Storm reached the final in part because of its dramatic victory over No. 3 Tstreet 14 Carson in the quarterfinals. With Tstreet falling to at-large recipient Tejas 14 Black in the first round of pool play and taking second place, the two sides met a round earlier than the original seedings would have dictated. Tstreet came out on fire and Storm had no answers. But the break in action between sets offered time for Storm to regroup, which it did before squeaking out the victory in three, 15-25, 25-23, 15-12. With Arizona Storm taking it to Madfrog 14 Green, 25-10, 25-13, in the semis, the clash between the top two teams in the country was all set but there was no stopping TAV. Madfrog was also involved in a thrilling quarterfinal with upstart Club V 14 Ren Silver. Club V was the only quarterfinalist not ranked in the Top 10 of our national rankings. Club V checked in at No. 29 and was within points of medaling. However, Madfrog held firm and prevailed in three, 17-25, 25-18, 15-13, to clinch its spot on the podium with a bronze medal. Skyline earned its bronze by sweeping past No. 10 Drive Nation 14 Red, 25-15, 25-19, in its quarterfinal encounter. It was Drive Nation’s only setback of the tournament.

A trilogy anyone? If there’s any possible way imaginable to get a third national championship showdown between the top two teams in the country we have to go all in toward making it happen! For the second time in less than two weeks top-ranked Skyline 15 Royal and No. 2 Mintonette Sports m.51 stared across the net at each other with a gold medal in the balance. Mintonette outlasted Skyline 11 days ago in Orlando and with the three-set victory captured the AAU 15 Open championship. Arriving in Chicago, Mintonette was seeking a double-double of sorts. As last year’s 14 Open champions, Mintonette was looking to go back-to-back in winning USAV national championships, plus adding to the its national championship toll in 2023 by claiming another gold medal and establishing itself as the undisputed best squad in the nation. That we as fans were lucky and fortunate enough to see the two best teams in the country work their way through four days of competition to earn a championship rematch was remarkable in itself. Other than the location, not much changed in terms of the matchup between the two sides. Mintonette desperately needed to win the serve and pass battle as it did in Orlando. But Skyline played much cleaner volleyball, which allowed Skyline to run its offense more effectively and put more pressure on Mintonette. It led to a tight sweep, 26-24, 25-21, as Skyline evened the national championship series. It’s a shame we won’t get a third clash. And though Mintonette did win the AAU championship, given the depth and strength of field in Chicago, we fully expect Skyline to end the season as the No. 1 team in our Top 50 National Rankings. Joining Skyline and Mintonette on the podium were bronze medalists Hou Skyline 15 Royal and Arizona Storm 15 Thunder. Hou Skyline entered the four-day event ranked No. 4 in our Top 50 and performed accordingly. Hou Skyline gave Skyline a major fight in the semifinals before Skyline narrowly pulled out the sweep, 26-24, 25-23. Hou Skyline positioned itself to play for a spot in the final after holding back Legacy 15-1 Adidas in the quarterfinals, 18-25, 25-18, 15-12. It prevented Legacy from adding another medal to its haul after earning bronze in Orlando. The other semifinal was close too, with Mintonette fending off Arizona Storm, 26-24, 25-22. Storm capped a late-season surge with an impressive run culminating with a bronze medal. Storm was a late Open qualifier, earning its bid at the very competitive Lone Star Classic qualifier in April. That was a sign that Storm was on the rise and the squad kept it going on the biggest stage. Storm held off upstart Pohaku 15-1 in the quarterfinals, 24-26, 25-23, 15-11. Pohaku handed SCVC 15 Roxy – which finished 9-1 and in ninth place overall – its only loss of the tournament with a dramatic three-set victory during challenge play on Day 3. Skyline had no issues in its quarterfinal, topping AVC Cle 15 Red in two, 25-14, 25-12. AVC was the biggest surprise of the gold bracket. The club came in ranked No. 31 in our Top 50 and received the No. 34 overall seed before coming out and playing its way to the top eight. Meanwhile, Mintonette had its hands full against Wave 15 Brennan in its quarterfinal contest. Wave pulled off a big upset in challenge play, taking down TAV 15 Black and reaching the top eight for the second year in a row. It just so happened that Wave also lost to Mintonette in three sets in the 14 Open quarterfinals a year ago. This go around, Mintonette prevailed, 25-12, 22-25, 15-9. When we wrote the 15 Open Preview and Predictions we speculated how amazing would it be for Skyline and Mintonette to meet again for a national championship. While it seemed like a possibility, it was hardly guaranteed or assured. We know the fickle nature of the sport, especially at the younger age groups and how crazy upsets happen all the time. We only have to look as far as last year in 15 Open when the lone at-large recipient in Alamo 15 Premier upset top-ranked Arizona Storm 15 Thunder for the gold medal. That both Skyline and Mintonette navigated the minefield that is the 15 Open division and set up a rematch is nothing short of incredible. Skyline winning a gold medal keeps an impressive run going for a trio of players in Madison Victoriano, Georgia Whann and Keoni Williams. They were part of Flyers 13 APX Bill’s gold medal effort in 13 Open at the 2021 USAV GJNC. The three were also on Flyers 14 APX Anthony last year when the club captured silver in 14 Open after falling to Mintonette. Also on the team a year ago were Skylar Jackson and Taylor Clarke. What’s impressive beyond that is the fact this is Victoriano’s fourth Open medal and she just wrapped up competing in 15 Open!! They all moved over from Flyers to Skyline this season. Skyline had just two holdovers from its 14s team a season ago in Megan Nguyen and Armie Hall. Layla Austin, Kiley Brooks, LeVariya Pinder and Reese Poerner were all newcomers who helped make up the redesigned roster. A roster that ends the season on top of the volleyball world.

Of the eight 15 Open quarterfinalists at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago, seven hail from vballrecruiter.com’s Top 20. The lone exception? It is AVC Cle 15 Red, which continued its march from No. 34 overall seed to the top eight!! AVC sits at No. 31 in our current Top 50, so it’s not like AVC was under-seeded. The club has simply performed when it matters most and that’s what this time of season is all about. AVC split pool matches, losing to TAV 15 Black but beating Club V 15 Ren Reed to advance to the challenge rounds. There, AVC seemed to run into the end of its road when it bumped up against Austin Skyline 15 Royal. Austin Skyline is a Top-10 team, coming into the tourey ranked No. 9 in our Top 50. Yet, AVC pulled off the surprise in winning in three, 15-25, 25-23, 15-13. The quarterfinals are set and look like this:   Though Wave 15 Brennan is ranked No. 15 in the country, it pulled a shocking upset when it swept past No. 7 TAV 15 Black in challenge play. Wave struggled a bit in the first round of pool play, then lost its first match on Day 3 to Austin Skyline. Wave bounced back to beat Aspire 15 Premier and eventually advance to the challenge rounds, where it took advantage of its opportunity and sent TAV packing. Another mini-upset took place with No. 18 Pohaku 15-1 outlasting No. 14 SCVC 15 Roxy in three in their challenge rounds. SCVC hadn’t lost in its first seven contests and it’s always tough when your first defeat keeps you from contending for a medal. However, Pohaku was resilient and now is one victory away from medaling. With Pokahu taking on No. 12 Arizona Storm 15 Thunder – which narrowly swept No. 13 Forza1 North 15 One in challenge play – in the quarterfinals, one of them is guaranteed to reach the podium. Outside that, the top contenders are still in the mix in top-ranked Skyline 15 Royal, No. 2 Mintonette Sports m.51, No. 4 Hou Skyline 14 Royal and No. 8 Legacy 15-1 Adidas. It’s going to take a monumental upset from Wave, Storm, Pohaku or AVC to keep one of those four clubs from hoisting the championship trophy. *** DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Lyla Stewart RS Mintonette Sports m.51: Stewart continues to impress on the right side. She’s made large strides from last season and has helped open the attack with her scoring ability. She has a very fast arm and can generate a ton of pace. Christa Wilburn OH Austin Skyline 15 Royal: Wilburn is a six-rotation contributor with a lively arm. She’s a threat front and back row and can blast balls from corner to corner. Riley Malloy OH Austin Skyline 15 Royal: Malloy is half of the outside duo that makes Austin Skyline so tough to deal with. She’s very, very long and can extend way up and hit at ridiculous angles. She too is also a threat front or back row. Abigail Lesagonicz RS Wave 15 Brennan: Lesagonicz had a helping hand in Wave reaching the quarterfinals. She brings much-needed size to the front row. She puts up a big block and she’s is able to score when called upon. Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Ward – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2027 – is in a class of her own. She’s a next-level talent who presses well over the net on her block and gets way up on the attack and rockets winners. Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Foster is a six-rotation mainstay who does it all at an above-average level, from her passing to her defending to her attacking. Taylor Clarke RS Skyline 15 Royal: Clarke – part of the Class of 2025 – is such a force at the net and game changer when she checks in. She skies and can absolutely crush balls. Skylar Jackson RS Skyline 15 Royal: Jackson was moved to the right side and was performing at a high level. She has a great arm and was hitting hard angled-shots consistently. Natalie Langston OH Academy 15 Diamond: Langston shoulders the offensive load and carries it well. She has a powerful arm capable of blasting straight through blocks. Avery Poulton OH Club V 15 Ren Reed: Poulton has a very bright future. She’s very lanky and is still figuring some things out, but watch out for her was she continues to develop as she flashed serious potential. *** Brooke Christoffersen RS Club V 15 Ren Reed: Christoffersen is another one to keep tabs on. She’s similar to Christoffersen in that she too is lanky and was showing plenty of upside. Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Nwabueze was owning the net on both sides of the ball in helping Legacy reach the quarterfinals. She was getting up on quick sets and hammering balls down. She then would turn around and deliver a solo emphatic stuff block to lift her team in that manner. Bella Lopez RS Madfrog 15 Green: Lopez is a rising star with insane athleticism and endless upside. She is a huge leaper with a lively arm and get up and send down impressive kill after impressive kill. Simone Heard RS Madfrog 15 Green: Heard is another athletic right side who keeps the attack going across the front row. She too gets up and smacks balls down with ease. Brooklyn Jenkins OH AZ Sky 15G: Jenkins is a physical attacker who brings the hammer down on the attack. She can simply overpower blockers at times. Grace Martin OH Pohaku 15-1: Martin had a huge role in Pohaku’s run to the quarterfinals and downing SCVC. She has a whippy arm and can send balls flying from sideline to sideline. She’s relentless too. She keeps coming and stays aggressive. Julia Anisimova L Pohaku 15-1: Anisimova was sensational in Pohaku’s victory over SCVC. She made huge digs

In our preview and predictions of 14 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago we spoke about the big three of TAV 14 Black, Arizona Storm 14 Thunder and Tstreet 14 Carson. The best way to prevent one of those three from winning the gold medal was for them to take each other out first. Well, that’s going to happen in the quarterfinals, as one of the four showdowns features Arizona Storm facing Tstreet. The sides have only met up once so far, with Arizona Storm defeating Tstreet in the finals of the Red Rock Rave back in March. By not winning its pool, Tstreet dropped in seeding and thus created a situation where one of the two won’t medal. That’s crazy! Here’s how the quarterfinals stack up:   In putting together vballrecruiter.com’s 14s National Rankings this season, I felt like there was very little movement among the top teams in the country. With each update, it felt like the Top 10 hardly shifted. At times, I even questioned myself and if I was missing something? That’s not the case, as the quarterfinals demonstrate. Here’s where the quarterfinalists check in for our Top 50:   To think the top six teams in the country all reached the final eight is saying something. Drive Nation at No. 10 knocked off No. 7 Forza1 North 14 One in three sets, winning the third 18-16, or else it would have been the top seven! Furthermore, No. 8 OT 14 Laura was kept from reaching the quarterfinals by No. 4 Long Beach, so no shame there. Elevation 14 Molly, at No. 12, was also a win away from the quarters but fell to upstart Club V who was the only team outside the Top 10 to make the final eight. The top teams have been the top teams for a reason, namely their consistency from tournament to tournament. It led to a somewhat uneventful challenge round, which is usually one of the highlights of nationals. Only two of the eight contests went three sets, which is a low number given the circumstances. We mentioned Drive Nation fending off Forza North. Drive Nation was ahead 12-6 and 14-12 before trailing 16-15. The only other outing to go the distance featured Madfrog getting past Absolute 14 Black. But that one didn’t have nearly the same drama, as Madfrog owned the third set, 15-8. *** DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Cedra Talaga L Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar: Rockstar is fitting because Talaga is a defensive rockstar. She’s high-octane and plays with tons of passion and emotion. She also patrols the back row well picking up shots and keeping rallies going. Ryah Brock OH Forza1 North 14 One: Brock is a hold-it-down outside who has a bright future with her athletic ability. She can get up and unload with her strong arm. She’s the go-to who Forza relies on in the clutch. Chloe Taylor S/RS Forza1 North 14 One: Taylor – part of the Class of 2028 – was a key piece in Forza almost making the quarterfinals. She’s a two-way player who also adds a bit of height to the front row. She’s a capable scorer and does well putting her hitters in good spots. Sanai Severloh MB Forza1 North 14 One: Severloh is one to keep tabs on as she grows and develops. She does nice things on the attack and hits with strength. Mariah Akinsola MB TAV 14 Black: Akinsola was a force at the net! She blasted balls down at, inside or just outside the 10-feet line on the regular. It made her nearly impossible to defend and reason why TAV rolled into the quarterfinals. Gentry Barker OH TAV 14 Black: Barker was another piece of the attack who defenses struggled to contain. She’s a bit undersized but can bring the heat for sure. Berkley France OH AZ Sky 14G: AZ Sky did well getting into challenge play but fell to Tstreet to miss out on the gold bracket. France showed no fear on the outside. She’s a bit undersized as well but doesn’t back down and stays aggressive. Ryan Spencer OH Skyline 14 Royal: Spencer was getting up and ripping balls sideline to sideline. She’s a six-rotation mainstay and featured piece of the attack. Morgan Meiring OH Elevation 14 Molly: Meiring was launching winners all over. She has a strong arm and can pound balls when she really connects. Vanessa Glenn OH Madfrog 14 Green: Glenn is an athletic outside who has no issues getting in the air and unleashing on defenses. She’s a quick jumper on top of that, so she’s tough to time up. Mackenzie Ratcliff MB Madfrog 14 Green: Ratcliff was showcasing her athleticism as well. She too gets up and has no trouble on the attack with her lively arm and ability to hit with pace. Brooklyn Sippio MB GP 14 Rox: GP was on the cusp of the gold bracket as well but fell in challenge play. Sippio is a rising talent with her length and reach at the net. It allows her to impact both sides of the ball with her scoring and blocking.