Chris

One coach whose team was participating in the three-day Volleypalooza extravaganza noted that the field this year was the deepest he had ever seen it. It was hard to argue given what we witnessed Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the greater Austin area. There was so much talent on display it was dizzying at times trying to track all of it. With the tournament concluded and Mater Dei having captured its second Volleypalooza trophy in program history, we wrap up our coverage by presenting our All Red Hat Team. This is different from the All-Tournament Team announced by the tournament organizers and represents the top players we witnessed from the three days of action. The cut off, however, was that in order to make the All Red Hat Team schools needed to make the silver or gold brackets to be considered. OUTSIDESLayli Ostovar Mater DeiIsabel Clark Mater DeiCari Spears Prestonwood ChristianMikala Young Prestonwood ChristianHenley Anderson Dripping SpringsRiley Certain Dripping SpringsHalle Thompson Grand OaksSamara Coleman Grand OaksAvery Hamlin Lake TravisGabi Martinez Cinco RanchElla Lewis The WoodlandsHarley Krause RockwallAnnie Witt Liberty HillAniya Joseph SA HarlanFavor Anyanwu SachseTaylor Porter Cypress Ranch *** MIDDLESJenna Hanes Cathedral CatholicKennedy Jones DawsonJaela Auguste Grand OaksBeka Pfefferkorn BridgelandKennedy Washington Prestonwood ChristianTya Lynch Cypress RanchAshley Euston Dripping Springs *** RIGHT SIDESCaelyn Emmerling Grand OaksTiana Owens Cathedral CatholicGigi Mason Liberty HillJadyn Livings Prestonwood ChristianTaylor Clarke Prestonwood ChristianCymarah Gordon Mater DeiAmelia Creacy Bridgeland *** SETTER/RIGHT SIDESSuli Davis Colleyville HeritageAddison Moss DawsonPayton Stroud The WoodlandsDa’Mya Mann SA HarlanJulia Kakkis Mater DeiTaryn Gilreath Cypress RanchZora Bello Cypress RanchSydney Lund Dripping Springs *** SETTERSKacey Kazmierski Lake TravisKassidy O’Brien Cinco RanchGabi Ashcraft RockwallKalea Lee Cathedral CatholicAmanda Saeger Cathedral CatholicCamille Edwards Prestonwood ChristianTaylor Cook Prestonwood ChristianAyva Ostovar Mater Dei *** LIBEROSAlice Volpe BridgelandMaya Evens Cathedral CatholicMalyssa Cawa Mater DeiSarah Mendoza Colleyville HeritageGillian Pitts Prestonwood Christian

Mater Dei CA was not flawless on the last day of Volleypalooza, but the Monarchs played their best match of the tournament in defeating Prestonwood Christian TX in the championship match Saturday afternoon at Rouse. It capped three days of pure excitement and left us wishing there was more to come. However, that’s not the case. But we do have our top standouts from Day 3 featured below in our daily Show Stoppers. DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Alice Volpe SR L Bridgeland TX: Volpe – a 4-star TCU commit – is an under control libero who doesn’t get rattled or fazed. Teams were reluctant to challenge her in serve receive and her first touches on shots around her were often well played. Amelia Creacy SR RS Bridgeland TX: A 3-star Angelo State commit, Creacy brings an offensive presence to the front row. Bridgeland likes to get her the ball as often as they can and she has a solid arm to score with. Beka Pfefferkorn JR MB Bridgeland TX: Pfefferkorn – a 4-star recruit – brings some much-needed height to the lineup when she checks in. She moves well and can make plays on both sides of the ball. Maya Evens JR L Cathedral Catholic CA: Evens is a 4-star recruit who recently committed to Maryland. She does it all above average, from passing out of serve receive, to covering and defending, she’s a big part of Cathedral’s defensive identity. Jenna Hanes SR MB Cathedral Catholic CA: A 4-star Michigan commit, Hanes provides instant offense. She completely changes the attack when she comes in. Cathedral feeds her the ball as often as possible and even when opponents know what’s coming they still struggle to slow her down. Tiana Owens SR RS Cathedral Catholic CA: Owens played well in her role on the right side. She provided consistent scoring when called upon and came through with timely kills as well. Taylor Porter JR OH Cypress Ranch TX: Porter – a 4-star Vanderbilt commit – has a quick arm and is the go-to hitter for Cypress Ranch. She shoulders a large load as a result and keeps coming with it. Zora Bello SO S/RS Cypress Ranch TX: A 3-star recruit, Bello did well in her role setting and hitting. She does a nice job locating her sets and when it comes to swinging she has a solid arm that helped produce points. Taryn Gilreath SR S/RS Cypress Ranch TX: Gilreatch – a 3-star East Carolina commit – was running a 5-1 on Day 1 and showed her versatility on Day 3 by running a 6-2 and hitting across the front. She represented herself well in both roles. Henley Anderson SO OH Dripping Springs TX: A 5-star recruit, Anderson is long at 6-3 and a force to be reckoned with because of it. She has a big arm and can hit at high angles the way she extends. It causes major problems for defenders to try and stop her. *** Sydney Lund SO S/RS Dripping Springs TX: Lund – a 4-star recruit – does a lot for her team in her two-way role setting and swinging. She has the length to make an impact at the net attacking and in turn can move the ball around when setting. Riley Certain JR OH Dripping Springs TX: Certain – a 3-star recruit – would be the star on many high school teams around the country. She’s a reliable attacker with a lively arm who can tool blocks or send balls around them consistently. Caelyn Emmerling SR RS Grand Oaks TX: Emmerling – a 3-star Texas State commit – could have put together her own offensive highlight reel with her attacking. She has a fluid swing and hits with lots of pace, which led to impressive kills over, through and around opposing blockers. Halle Thompson SO OH Grand Oaks TX: A 5-star recruit, Thompson is an advanced hitter for her age. Offensively, she’s the total package. She jumps and hits high. She has a very quick arm swing and can score front and back row, as well as take something off and place her shots when needed. Jaela Auguste SR MB Grand Oaks TX: Auguste, a 5-star Florida commit, is the real deal. She’s a game-changer across the front row both blocking and hitting. She’s another one who skies on the attack and send balls down at tough angles. Samara Coleman JR OH Grand Oaks TX: A 4-star Pitt commit, Coleman has a big arm and can unload at times. She’s a physical attacker who takes hard swings and pressures defenses with her relentlessness. Isabel Clark SR OH Mater Dei CA: Clark – a 4-star San Diego commit – had a monster day. She was playing very well and not only delivering highlight kills but doing so in the clutch when they were needed most. Ayva Ostovar JR S Mater Dei CA: A UCSB commit, Ostovar is a smart setter with a clean delivery and nice tempo. She also has a knack for going over on two and catching the defense slipping. Cymarah Gordon SR RS Mater Dei CA: Gordon – a 4-star Michigan commit – puts up a wall of a block. She also has a strong arm and was scoring well from both pins. Julia Kakkis SR S/RS Mater Dei CA: Kakkis – a 3-star recruit – plays a vital role for the Monarchs with her ability to contribute as both a setter and hitter. She too has a powerful arm and can pound balls. *** Malyssa Cawa SR L Mater Dei CA: Cawa – a 3-star Stanford commit – brings a lot of energy to the lineup and is a vocal libero who takes control of the back row. She was defending all over and making lots of hustle plays to keep her team in the point. Layli Ostovar SO OH Mater Dei CA: A 5-star recruit, Ostovar was on fire in the final against Prestonwood. She came through time and time

The anticipated showdown between the top two teams in the nation from vballrecruiter.com’s Initial Top 50 National High School Rankings came to fruition as No. 1 Prestonwood Christian TX faced off against No. 2 Mater Dei CA in the championship match of the Volleypalooza tournament Saturday afternoon at Rouse. There was plenty of drama preceding the two sides meeting up, but when the action was over for good it was Mater Dei celebrating a sweep, 25-21, 25-18, and capturing its second Volleypalooza championship. The Monarchs – which finished first at the event in 2021 – moved to 12-0 on the season. However, it’s no guarantee that Mater Dei will take over the top spot in our next updated Top 50. That’s because there is no rest for the Monarchs, who face national No. 4 Mira Costa CA in another highly-anticipated contest Tuesday when they visit the Mustangs in Manhattan Beach. Mira Costa, playing without 5-star Wisconsin recruit Charlie Fuerbringer, took home the Ann Kang Invitational tournament title earlier this month in Honolulu. It would be an exciting match under normal circumstances, but that the Volleypalooza champs are squaring off against the Ann Kang champs with the possible No. 1 spot in the nation on the line makes it a true heavyweight affair. Prestonwood opened the season as the top team in the nation, but already stumbled with an early loss to Boyd TX. While it’s usually near impossible to lay claim to the mythical high school national championship with a loss on your schedule, Prestonwood is playing arguably the toughest schedule in the country by participating in Volleypalooza, the Nike TOC Southeast and Durango Fall Classic tournaments. That gave Prestonwood a path to redemption after losing to Boyd. However, given Prestonwood’s defeat to Mater Dei at Volleypalooza, it created what appears to be a longshot scenario for now. Both Mater Dei and Mira Costa are also attending Durango, meaning not only could Prestonwood and Mater Dei meet once more, but the winner of Mater Dei and Mira Costa on Tuesday could become the front runner for the national championship. There are a lot of what ifs, but if Mater Dei could run the table like Cathedral Catholic CA did a year ago and win both Volleypalooza and Durango, plus hold a victory over Mira Costa, the Monarchs would have one of the best arguments around. Like Prestonwood, Mira Costa suffered an early loss – in it’s first match of the season at Ann Kang with a defeat against Punahou HI. Mira Costa did respond by winning the tournament, and with a victory over Mater Dei, winning Durango and not losing again this season could present a viable case to end No. 1. Of course, we are getting way ahead of ourselves! It’s just that a day like Saturday at Rouse plays a major factor in ultimately determining the final pecking order when the season is over. As for the final day of Volleypalooza, where to even start? The quarterfinals started off slowly, or rather quickly, depending how you want to view it. Given the talent in the gym there was an expectation that the morning matches would be closer than they ended up being. Prestonwood had no issues with Cypress Ranch TX (25-17, 25-14) while Cathedral Catholic – making the trip from California like Mater Dei – swept past surprise Bridgeland TX (25-16, 25-15). The two remaining quarterfinals that followed didn’t produce much drama either, with Grand Oaks TX handling Dripping Springs TX (25-16, 25-19) and Mater Dei beating another surprise in Sachse TX (25-14, 23-25, 25-11) in the closest match of the quarters. The Grand Oaks-Dripping Springs encounter featured the top two recruits from the Class of 2026 in sophomore outsides Halle Thompson (Grand Oaks) and Henley Anderson (Dripping Springs). Drippings Springs finished fifth overall. The semifinals, meanwhile, featured the tournament’s top four seeds and set up a Texas-California conclusion with top seed Prestonwood facing No. 4 Grand Oaks and No. 2 Cathedral Catholic taking on No. 3 Mater Dei. The Texas clash went Prestonwood’s way in three, 25-14, 17-25, 25-21. That was significant from the standpoint that it was Grand Oaks’ first loss on the season. In the other semi, Mater Dei handed Cathedral Catholic its first setback on the season in a close sweep, 28-26, 25-23. Grand Oaks outlasted Cathedral Catholic in three, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, in the third-place contest to move to 27-1 as Cathedral fell to 7-2. Mater Dei and Cathedral Catholic could meet later in the season as well. Both are set to attend the Dave Mohs tournament in Orange County two weeks before heading to Las Vegas for Durango. With the final set, the drama didn’t quite follow. Mater Dei played its best match of the three-day event, defending with an intensity not seen the prior days. Matched with Prestonwood’s errors, the insane ending everyone wanted to witness just didn’t materialize.

The top five seeds – Prestonwood Christian TX, Cathedral Catholic CA, Mater Dei CA, Grand Oaks TX and Dripping Springs TX – respectively made it through to the eight-team championship bracket as the three-day Volleypalooza extravaganza is set to conclude Saturday at Rouse. It’s the other three participants who have turned heads so far and will look to continue to take down higher-seeded squads in hopes of stunning the field. The biggest surprise in the final eight is Bridgeland TX, which opened Thursday seeded No. 41 overall. However, the Bears were able to upset No. 7 Prosper TX on Day 1 and kept at it on Day 2. Despite a setback against Round Rock TX, Bridgeland managed to make it out on top of its pool after clipping Rockwall TX in three, 23-25, 25-23, 25-22, in the 1 v 2 outing. Bridgeland and Rockwall tied at 2-1, but the head-to-head victory carried Bridgeland – which also beat Southlake Carroll TX – in the tiebreaker scenario. Not far behind Bridgeland is Sachse TX. The Mustangs entered Day 1 seeded No. 26 and finished in a three-way tie at 2-1 with Stratford TX and Clark TX. Sachse took second based on the tiebreakers, placing the Bears as the No. 4 team in Pool 6 on Friday. That was not an issue, as Sachse rose up and went 3-0, including beating No. 6 overall seed Lake Travis TX handily in two, 25-19, 25-21. Sachse swept Walnut Grove TX earlier before clinching first place by outlasting Pearland TX in three, 16-25, 25-23, 25-20, to close out its afternoon. Rounding out the eight-team championship bracket is Cypress Ranch TX. The Mustangs didn’t have as far to climb as Bridgeland or Sachse, as they started off seeded No. 18 overall. After a 3-0 Day 1, Cy Ranch stayed alive by beating both Allen TX and Stratford in a three-team pool. That set up a crossover showdown for a spot in the final eight against No. 8 overall seed Colleyville Heritage TX. Cy Ranch prevailed in three, 25-22, 15-25, 25-21. Before that, Colleyville held off Prosper, 26-24, 22-25, 25-23, to open play Friday. It was Prosper’s loss on Thursday that set up the early showdown and essentially ended Prosper’s chances at the final eight with the defeat to Colleyville. Here’s how the quarterfinals stack up for Saturday: • Prestonwood v Cypress Ranch• Dripping Springs v Grand Oaks• Mater Dei v Sachse• Cathedral Catholic v Bridgeland *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Sarah Hickman SO RS Stratford TX: A 6-4, 4-star recruit, Hickman brings plenty of length to the lineup. She contacts the ball at a high point and is tough to cover because of it as she can go over blocks at tough angles. Gwen Koss SO OH Stratford TX: A 3-star recruit, Koss carries her share of the offensive responsibilities, getting a lot of swings on the outside. She’s a steady attacker who doesn’t try to overdo it and does well finding open spaces. Alyssa Boyte SR MB/RS Allen TX: Boyte once again showed her skills. The Metro State commit played both middle and right side, as well as defending in the back row. She’s a near automatic on offense out of the middle, and helped complete a comeback victory over Stratford with four kills in the final five points in Game 3. Kennedy Crayton SO OH Allen TX: Crayton is an undersized pin with an explosive jump. She gets up in a hurry and can unleash with a fury. Sophia Wilson SR S Allen TX: Wilson – a Stephen F. Austin commit – is an undersized setter who does a great job running the offense. She not only locates consistently, she does well moving the ball around and mixing her sets up. Avery Penrod JR L Allen TX: Penrod came alive as the match went on against Stratford. She was doing a great job picking off cross-court shots coming her way and extending rallies. Sarah Mendoza JR L Colleyville Heritage TX: Mendoza – a 4-star recruit – fought through a collision with a teammate and kept on ticking. She was solid out of serve receive and did well making plays in the back row. Suli Davis JR S/RS Colleyville Heritage TX: Davis – a 5-star recruit – starred once more in her dual role. She helped carry Colleyville to a key victory over Prosper. While she does a nice job setting, she really shines attacking with her massive arm and the way she can slam balls from sideline to sideline. Maddie Bird SR OH Colleyville Heritage TX: Bird is a six-rotation glue piece. She’s not a flashy player but she doesn’t get fazed and was contributing in many ways, from solid serve receive to smart attacking and defensive prowess. Hannah Beauford JR S/RS Prosper TX: A 4-star recruit, Beauford is a smooth disher who carries a strong arm when attacking across the front row. She’s a key piece in what Prosper does and had her hand in a lot of plays. Ayden Ames SR OH Prosper TX: A 5-star Nebraska commit, Ames can be a wrecking ball at times. She can hit all over the court and with her size and length can hit hard angles like few can. Jayla Jackson SO OH/RS Prosper TX: Jackson provided an offensive lift with her ability to score on either pin. She’s a bit undersized but knows how to use the block and tools well. Karol Lopez SR L Vista Ridge TX: Vista Ridge is a smaller team overall and has to rely heavily on defense and digging. Lopez fits that bill to a tee, passing well and getting balls up all over the court. Taylor Porter JR OH Cy Ranch TX: Porter – a 4-star Vanderbilt commit – is a six-rotation mainstay. She has a fluid arm and can rip balls from corner to corner. Zora Bello SO RS Cy Ranch TX: A 3-star recruit, Bello does well on the right side adding offensive firepower to the

In a 68-team field, it’s expected that the respective top seeds in their pools are going to get through the opening day. That was the case on Day 1 of Volleypalooza, save for one. Canyon TX, the No. 10 overall seed, caught a bad break and was eliminated Thursday as the tournament kicked off in the greater Austin area. After starting 2-0, Canyon was upended by Rockwall TX in the 1 v 2 contest. It created a three-way tie at 2-1 between Canyon, Rockwall and Vista Ridge TX. It was Vista Ridge upsetting Rockwall in the 2 v 3 match that helped create the drama. What made it even tougher on Canyon is that all three teams tied on set percentage, so each team’s points ratio was used to determine the final placing. Given that, Rockwall came out ahead, followed by Vista Ridge in second and then Canyon in third. Canyon wasn’t the only top seed in its pool to lose, but the other ones who fell still managed to advance to Friday’s top pools. Prosper TX, the No. 7 overall seed, and Stratford TX, the No. 9 overall seed, both went down during Day 1 action. Prosper fell in three to Bridgland TX, the No. 3 team in the pool which finished 3-0. After losing to Clark TX in its opening match, Stratford found itself in a similar position as Canyon did ending in a three-way tie. Stratford was knotted at 2-1 with both Clark and Sachse TX, but still held onto first place with the best set percentage. Sachse took second, which meant despite its big upset Clark still finished in third place. The biggest surprise of the day belonged to Walnut Grove TX, which as the No. 58 overall wrapped up first place by going 3-0. Walnut Grove upset No. 11 overall seed Southlake Carroll TX, as well as Seven Lakes TX and Leander TX. Southlake Carroll finished 2-1 to take second place. Clear Springs TX, the No. 13 overall seed, No. 14 Cinco Ranch TX, No. 15 Highland Park TX and No. 17 SA Harlan TX all finished 2-1 as the top sees in their pool. All finished in second place. In each instance, the No. 2 team in each pool took first place in Keller TX, Liberty Hill TX, Austin TX and Cypress Ranch TX. A few of the highest seeds which finished 3-0 lost one set each in No. 2 Cathedral Catholic CA, No. 4 Grand Oaks TX and No. 6 Lake Travis TX. Top-seeded Prestonwood Christian TX, No. 3 Mater Dei CA, No. 5 Dripping Springs TX and No. 12 Rouse TX all went undefeated in sets on Day 1. *** TEAM SPOTLIGHT Mater Dei and Rouse squared off Wednesday night ahead of the tournament action. Mater Dei came back to beat Rouse in four, 18-25, 25-23, 29-27, 25-15. Let’s take a closer look at the two sides in our Team Spotlight. MATER DEI CA: The Monarchs attended Volleypalooza in 2021 and headed back to California as the tournament champions. That year, Mater Dei also played a match on Wednesday, losing a nail-biter five-setter to Bryon Nelson TX. Mater Dei came out ahead this go around playing against Volleypalooza host Rouse. The Monarchs boast a strong lineup that includes 4-star senior outside Isabel Clark (San Diego) and 4-star senior right side Cymarah Gordon (Michigan). Another standout is 5-star sophomore outside Layli Ostovar. The team runs a 6-2 attack, with junior setter Ayva Ostovar and 3-star senior Julia Kakkis, who also hits across the front. The middle is patrolled by a pair of underclassmen in 3-star sophomore Addison Coady and 6-4, 3-star freshman Emma Kingston. Taking care of the libero position is recent 3-star Stanford commit Malyssa Cawa. ROUSE TX: Led by 4-star senior setter Savannah Skopal (Rice), Rouse gave Mater Dei a real scare. Skopal was fantastic in directing the attack and leading the charge. Mater Dei had a tough time slowing senior right side Naara Tanco, who was torching her opponent from both the front and back row. Also shining was 3-star Arizona State commit Jadyn Wilgus in the middle. Junior outside Jade Key had her moments as well, sending down spectacular kills. Freshman outside Avery Ralston also played a key role in delivering timely kills. Defensively, 3-star junior libero Mary Schirpik was holding it down and making lots of nice plays. *** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS DyBorrah Johnson JR MB Casteel AZ: Though Casteel went 1-2 on the day, Johnson was a force in the middle. She changed the dynamic of the lineup when she checked in, bringing her athleticism and big-time scoring ability to the court and boosting the attack. Kennedy Thompson JR S Casteel AZ: At 6-0, Thompson was a front row setter who did well dishing. She showed consistent location when delivering. Fara Bronson FR S Casteel AZ: Bronson – a 3-star recruit – set across the back row and showed the type of skills that helped Arizona Storm 14 Thunder to the 14 Open silver medal in Chicago. She moves well and does a nice job setting against the flow. Katelyn Bowman JR MB Allen TX: Bowman was in beast mode, especially when running the slide attack. She can really rip it and was scoring plenty for her squad. Alyssa Boyte SR MB Allen TX: Boyte had arguably the best stretch of any player I saw on the opening day. She was scoring effectively across the front row and then had nearly a 10-point service run in which she was playing middle back and making several digs to keep the run going. Jacy Carrejo JR S Leander TX: Carrejo – a 3-star recruit – commands the offense and is the court leader for Leander. She’s long and does a great job locating as well as playing defense and keeping plays alive. Macy Cepeda SO RS Leander TX: Cepeda, a lefty, was contributing to the offense when called upon. She showed a nice arm and ability to

It’s been just over two months since the recruiting period for the Class of 2025 officially opened and what a whirlwind It’s been since then. There has seemingly been a big-time announcement every day as players give verbals to their future collegiate program and home. We check in on the five programs leading the way to date. It should come as no surprise that four of the five are the regular powerhouses which typically bring in the top recruits. However, the fifth one may surprise most with Texas AM joining the likes of Wisconsin, Nebraska, Texas and Minnesota. Check out our analysis below. NEBRASKA• Campbell Flynn S Legacy (5-star)• Teraya Sigler OH AZ Storm (5-star)• Ryan Hunter RS Triangle (5-star)• Keri Leimbach L Nebraska One (4-star) Breakdown: Yes, we know it comes as a total shock to see Nebraska in this position. While the Huskers trail Wisconsin in total number of 5-star recruits, the caliber of talent Nebraska has landed is hard to surpass. Sigler, without question, is the top all-around outside in the class and anchors a strong recruiting class. She guided Arizona Storm 16 Thunder to the 16 Open gold medal at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships this summer and plays high school for Horizon. She’s a physical outside who hits with as much power and force as anyone. She’s also a strong passer out of serve receive and a solid defender. She figures to fit right in when she gets to Lincoln. Flynn, who plays for Legacy in club and Mercy in high school, is one of the top two setters in the class. At 6-3, she’s taller than a lot of outside hitters. Her placement and ability to run an offense is next-level. Her aggressiveness in being a threat to score on two while in the front row is a big bonus, as well as her being able to put up a huge block too. Hunter, a 6-2 lefty right side, hasn’t been playing volleyball as long as others but has quickly ascended the charts. She broke out on everyone’s radar playing up an age for CJV 16 during the 2021-2022 club season. She continued playing up an age group this past season for Triangle 17 Black, which tied for fifth in 17 Open in Chicago. She plays high school for Mallard Creek. She’s one of the more athletic and explosive hitters in the class, regardless of position. The scary part is how much better she can continue to get as she gains valuable experience and coaching and helps fill out a tall incoming class. We wrap up with Leimbach, who played for Nebraska One 16 Synergy and helped her team to a bronze medal in 16 Open at the USAV GJNC. She’s a fiery libero who brings tons of energy and passion to the lineup. Leimbach – who plays high school at Lincoln Lutheran – is a strong passer and defender and is part of the reason why Nebraska could be considered the front runner in terms of recruiting classes. *** WISCONSIN• Kristen Simon L KIVA (5-star)• Madison Quest OH Milwaukee Sting (5-star)• Natalie Wardlow MB Nebraska One (5-star)• Addison Horner S/OPP 1st Alliance (5-star) Breakdown: With four, 5-star recruits already on board, it’s easy to see why the Badgers are among the front runners so far. We recently featured Quest as one of our Players of the Week. The 6-3 outside suited up this past club season for MKE Sting 16 Gold and is currently playing high school for Divine Savior Holy Angels. She’s a lanky outside with a whippy arm who can score equally well front and back row. She’s part of a tall class for the Badgers that also includes 6-5 Wardlow and 6-3 Horner. Wardlow has been on the radar of top programs for years with her size and ability to impact both sides of the net. She’s a strong hitter and blocker and fits the mold of some recent Wisconsin middles with similar builds. She helped lift Nebraska One to a bronze medal in 16 Open this summer at the USAV GJNC. She plays high school for Lincoln Southwest. As for Horner, she burst onto the scene this season after joining 1st Alliance 16 Gold, which took home the silver medal in 16 Open. She clearly has the length and versatility to be a high-level Division 1 talent. She showed off her ability to both set and hit at an above-average level this past club season. It remains to be seen if she’ll stay in that role once in college, but she will bring roster flexibility to be certain. Simon was part of the KiVA 16 Red squad that captured the 16 Open gold medal at the AAU National Championships. She started making lots of waves last high school season starring at libero for nationally-ranked Assumption. She opened the club season splitting time at libero but soon took over the role for good and continued to prove that she is one of the best at her position in the country. She helps fill out a balanced incoming class so far for the Badgers, who are the only school thus far with four, 5-star commits. *** MINNESOTA• Kelly Kinney OH Tribe (5-star)• Jordan Taylor MB HJV (5-star)• Carly Gilk RS MN Select (4-star)• McKenna Garr L Northern Lights (3-star) Breakdown: New Gophers coach Keegan Cook is off to a terrific beginning in terms of recruiting. That’s not surprising given his success at Washington and the type of program Minnesota has been. The biggest commit so far is Taylor. At 6-5, Taylor is arguably the top middle in the class. Her length and the way she moves should translate well to the collegiate level. She can get up and go over blockers with ease. She played this past club season for Houston Jrs and is part of the Langham Creek high school team. She’s one of two 5-star recruits, with Kinney being the other. Kinney, who plays high school at