Chris Tobolski

AAU 14 Open: Day 4 All Red Hat Team

(Gold Medal Rundown) (Day 4 Show Stoppers) With the start of 14 Open earlier this week at the AAU Girls National Championships in Orlando, we’ve been releasing our daily All Red Hat Team. It’s something we’ll continue putting out for the remainder of national championship season from our time here and in Chicago coming up. 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 our daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. 14 OPEN DAY 4 ALL RED HAT TEAM Sophia Puleo OH OT 14 Laura: It was a shorter day than anticipated for OT, which fell in the quarterfinals. OT was heavily reliant on its outsides, with Puleo sharing that load. You want to talk about dropping the hammer? Watch Puleo do her thing and unload. Standing close to the court, you can feel it. She’s definitely one of the hardest hitters in the division and loves showing off that power. Leilani Lawrence OH OT 14 Laura: Part of the Class of 2026, Lawrence is an explosive hitter who rises and rips in impressive fashion. She can blast balls from sideline to sideline as she has a variety of shots to keep defenses off-balanced. She had to also carry a big load and take a lot of swings to help OT stay in it. Riley Bethea MB A5 14 Helen: Bethea’s impact at the net can’t be ignored. She’s long and can be a disrupter with her blocking, touching balls or forcing hitters to change up to avoid her. She’s also a capable scorer who does a nice job of seeing the open space and sending the ball that way. Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: We’ve featured Comer over the past four days and what a talent she is! She’s a six-rotation middle who shoulders a large chunk of the attack. Munciana gets her the ball as much as possible. She’s a strong hitter, with the ability to beat defenses all over the court. Addison Otto RS Northern Lights 14-1: We hadn’t seen Otto since Triple Crown and no doubt she’ll be moving up in our next rankings update. She’s a 6-0 lefty with great extension. It makes her dangerous and she’s a featured part of the offense, as she would be on just about any team in the country. Her potential is through the roof! Jenny Glushakov RS Top Select 14 Elite: Glushakov is another right side who can take over matches. She’s also on the taller side, and she plays six rotations. She swings from all over and is effective doing so. She also puts up a solid block to help in that regard as well. She’s definitely an up-and-comer and someone to keep track of as she progresses. Marissa Jones S A5 14 Helen: Anyone watching Jones can see her endless potential. The 5-star recruit is 6-2 and touching well over 10 feet. Her elbows are above the net blocking. She moves well and does a great job getting to the ball. When in system, she also does well connecting with all her hitters and getting them involved.   Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 14 Alpha: Samuels – who is part of the Class of 2028 – isn’t the athletic marvel that Jones is but she’s a phenomenal prospect in her own right. It’s fair to say no setter in 14 Open here had the touch of Samuels. She’s silky smooth, sees the game light years ahead and can dime any set. It’s scary to think what level she could reach down the road! Clara Christ L Northern Lights 14-1: From the perspective of the vballrecruiter.com team, Christ was the top libero in 14 Open. She’s a stud who owns the back row. She’s a step ahead defensively, reading where hitters are going. She’s a sharp passer out of serve receive and just another example of why the future of the sport is in good hands. Jenna Brooks L Top Select 14 Elite: It was a rough day overall for Top Select, which ended with the bronze medal. Brooks is a scrapper who does well out of serve receive and defending. She’s capable of making huge digs and saves and is a big reason Top Select had the run it did in medaling.

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AAU 14 Open: Gold Medal Rundown

(Day 4 Show Stoppers) (Day 4 All Red Hat Team) When A5 14 Helen couldn’t get Elleora Utecht’s serve back over the net, the dogpile celebration was officially on for Northern Lights 14-1. There was more than once when the eventual 14 Open AAU national champion looked beat during gold-bracket action on the final day of the division. The original No. 11 seed took its first loss of the tournament on Day 2, falling in three sets to Top Select 14 Elite. A rematch with Top Select came on Day 4, in the semifinals. That was partly set up by Northern Lights falling to Munciana 14 Chipmunks in Day 3 pool play. The other half was Top Select upsetting A5 on Day 3. More on that later. When Top Select dispatched Legacy 14-1 Adidas in the quarterfinals followed by Northern Lights sweeping Adidas KiVA 14 Red, the two sides were set for another clash. It was a one-sided affair in Top Select’s favor. Until it wasn’t. After dominating the first set, Top Select was doing much of the same in building up a 20-12 advantage in Game 2. That’s when it got really interesting. A quick side note, this is also the point when the club scheduled for the next match on the same court started stalking Northern Lights’ sideline like a vulchers do injured prey. A couple Northern Lights girls looked over, wondering what was going on. Whether that fired up Northern Lights or not, the rally was on! Overcoming an eight-point deficit that late is remarkable in its own right, but Northern Lights fought off three match points trailing 24-21 before going on a 5-0 run and forcing a third set. Top Select seemed unfazed by letting such a big lead slip away, going ahead 10-6 and 11-7 in the final set. Northern Lights was once again in a precarious situation, but as we would see later in the day, this team doesn’t rattle and does an excellent job of keeping its composure and staying the course. That was certainly the case as Top Select went up 14-12, earning its fourth and fifth match points. But like the first three, they came and went and in a blink of an eye Northern Lights was celebrating the three-set comeback victory, 16-25, 26-24, 16-14. As for Northern Lights’ opponent in the final, A5 was in the position it was having lost to Top Select on Day 3 and thus drawing top-seeded OT 14 Laura in the quarterfinals to start its day. A5 came out smoking, building up a large lead before OT cut it to 22-20. A5 closed it out and was up comfortably in Game 2, 22-17, and looking to finish it. That’s also when it got real interesting real fast. A 7-0 run turned the momentum and had OT up 24-22. OT held set points as well at 25-24 and 26-25 before A5 held on for the sweep, 25-21, 28-26. A5 took care of Munciana in the semis, 25-16, 25-19, to set up the gold medal showdown. There wasn’t any mystery surrounding the final. When two teams with the combined size and athleticism as these two hook up it’s really just a matter of which team is going to stay in system more. Northern Lights – with outsides Ellie Osowski and Utecht and right sides Addison Otto and Kaelyn Bjorklund – runs its attack pin-to-pin, with few sets going to the middles. A5 – with outsides Mia Ray and McKenzie Burrell, right side Megan McLarty and middles Riley Bethea and Layla Dunn working with 5-star setter Marissa Jones – is difficult to slow in system because they can get points from everywhere. It was A5 controlling its side in Game 1, with Northern Lights returning the favor in Game 2. When A5 raced to a 9-6 advantage midway through Game 3 it looked like the Southern Region club was well on its way to lifting the championship trophy. But Top Select knows a lead is never safe with the way Northern Lights stays in the fight. And that’s exactly what happened as Northern Lights fought back and went in front. At 14-13, Lights had the first crack at it and didn’t let the opportunity pass for nothing. Utecht’s serve wasn’t returned and that was the match. Obviously, Northern Lights deserves an unbelievable amount of credit and props for doing what it did. How many teams in the semifinals – knowing they have a bronze medal secured – toss in the towel down 20-12? There is also all the bragging rights that come with winning AAU. And it’s going to open a debate around the USAV GJNC. Northern Lights was among the teams we had in consideration for an Open at-large. We broke it down here and hindsight is always helpful. Based on the at-large selections, it was hard to argue Northern Lights should have been among the seven picked given all the factors. Northern Lights had a 4-3 mark against the Open field, which is a great record. But Northern Lights played in two qualifiers, coming in sixth at Show Me (out of 10 teams) and 17th at Northern Lights. Still, given what we saw from Northern Lights the last four days – and especially on Saturday – I would love to see Northern Lights in the 14 Open field in Chicago. Northern Lights went 3-1 against Open qualifiers in Orlando, beating GP 14 Rox, Top Select and A5. Half of the gold bracket featured teams participating in 14 Open in Chicago in A5, Top Select, OT and Legacy. KiVA, Munciana and Kairos 14 Alpha – the other quarterfinalist – won’t be playing in Chicago. Northern Lights is set to compete in 15 National in Chicago and should be a real factor there. No doubt A5 will use what happened here in Orlando as plenty of motivation for Chicago. At No. 8, OT was the highest-ranked team from vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 competing here, followed by KiVA at

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Elite ID Clinic Wesley Chapel: Meet The Latest Red Hat Invites (FREE)

It’s been an action-packed time here in Orlando for the vballrecruiter.com team. Alongside of covering the 50th edition of the AAU Girls Junior National Championships, we also hosted two Elite ID Clinic at the Wiregrass Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel. The clinics culminated with 11 players being invited to The Red Hat Games in December in Dallas. The invitations went out to the following:   In addition to the 11 invites handed out, there were more players who caught our attention as well. We highlight all below. INVITES AND STANDOUTS Damia Ellis S SC Midlands 17 National Elite (2024): Ellis received an invite for her outstanding play both setting and hitting. The lefty has a strong arm and hits with lots of power. Liv Lambert OH Team Kiwi 15 Graphite (2025): Lambert is a bit undersized but she jumps well and swings with authority. Olivia Burns RS Coastal 15 Elite (2026): Burns is a lefty with a strong arm. She was bringing the wood at times with her hard hitting. Alivia Martin L/DS OT 15 Madison (2026): Martin stood out among a strong ball control group. She has a sound platform and quiet movement when passing. She also brought a lot of energy. Ainhoa Molleja OH MVA 15 Julio (2026): Molleja was the top hitter in her session. She’s a springy outside with a really quick swing. She was swinging away with authority and scoring a bunch. Sarah McDonnell S OPU 15 Adidas (2026): McDonnell did well getting to the ball. She had  a nice consistent release. She also stood out with her defensive play and could be a future defender too. Alaina Walker S/RS CJV 15 Brook (2026): Walker was arguably the top overall player from both sessions. She has tremendous potential and is definitely a name to know. She can dish the ball with ease and moves very well. Gabriella White MB All-In Coral 15 Taylor (2026): White is lanky and another who flashed her potential with her play at the net. She also has a nice arm and was letting balls fly. Veda Sharma OH Miami Hype 14 Nekene (2027): Sherma was another standout attacker who played with high energy and lots of effort. She showed off a good arm and has lots of potential as she moves up the ranks. Avery Thorp MB Dead Frog 14 Black (2027): Thorp was among the younger players who was owning the net. She has a solid arm and was doing well off of one foot. Ali Strange L/DS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami (2027): Strange is a flat-out baller and a legit next-level prospect. She was making hustle plays, showing scrappiness and bringing lots of energy. Soleie Rizzi OH St. Pete 16 Teal (2025): Rizzi is a six-rotation pin. She has a presence on the court, showed a variety of shots and a nice arm. Valerie Yambao S GP 15 Premier (2026): Yambao is a gamer and was working hard. She was moving the ball around well and has potential to continue to grow and blossom. Kamryn McDonald OH/DS MAVS 816 16-1 (2025): McDonald does a good job getting her feet to the ball. It allows her to hit high. She also had a lot of energy. Rosa Smith S WPVC 17 Armour Black (2025): Smith was among the top setters in her session. She has nice hands, is consistent and jump sets well. Lanie Malobabich MB Sky Elite 15U (2026): Malobabich is young and has lots of potential. She has a sound base and just needs time and more reps. Gigi Bernier L/DS Academy LI (2025): Bernier stood out in a strong libero group. She had sound passing and held it down digging.   Grace DeVall L/DS Pitt Elite 17 Elite (2024): DeVall had solid platform and outstanding court demeanor.

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AAU 14 Open: Day 3 Update

As part of the vballrecruiter.com team’s time in Orlando we hosted two Elite ID Clinics at the Wiregrass Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel, the second of which was held on Friday. That meant we weren’t able to be at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando for Day 3 of 14 Open at AAUs. As a result, we won’t have any Day 3 All Red Hat Team or Show Stoppers posts. Still, we wanted to provide a quick update as to what took place and how Saturday’s eight-team gold bracket stacks up. We’ll be back at it for the conclusion of 14 Open, which features these remaining matchups: That’s a tough quarterfinal showdown between OT and A5, which started off as the top-two seeds respectively. However, Top Select upset A5 on Friday, pulling out a tight contest in three, 25-14, 20-25, 17-15, to close out pool play. That propelled Top Select to a 3-0 showing and facing off with Legacy instead of OT. A day after losing its first match of the tournament, OT responded by going 3-0, including fending off Legacy in three, 25-27, 25-18, 15-11, to win the pool. Both KiVA and Munciana went 3-0 as well. KiVA did it as the No. 1 team in Pool 3, while Muncie was the No. 2 team in Pool 4. Muncie finished its day by sweeping Mauloa 14 Green, which went 1-2 and didn’t advance as the No. 1 team. Instead, it was Northern Lights going 2-1 by beating Mauloa to move on. While KiVA had no issues, it was the No. 3 team in Kairos taking out GP 14 Rox, the No. 2 team. GP finished 1-2 and was eliminated.

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AAU 15 Open: Preview And Predictions (FREE)

We can hardly contain our excitement for the upcoming 15 Open age group at the AAU Girls National Championships in Orlando. The 15U ages are set to compete from June 18-21 and what an Open field it is! There are the typical clubs we see attending AAUs but there is one major change this season and it’s gigantic! Skyline 15 Royal is scheduled to be here and that’s a rarity. It just so happens that Skyline is the No. 1 ranked team in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 National Rankings. Skyline tops a loaded field that features 15 teams from our Top 50, including No. 2 Mintonette Sports m.51 and No. 3 Boiler Jrs 15 Gold, which is the defending 14 Open champion and looking to make it back-to-back. Legacy 15-1 Adidas, at No. 8, and AP 15 Adidas, at No. 11, are also among the highly-ranked teams set to compete for gold. Below, we take a look at 15 Open and make our call for the gold medalist. AAU 15 OPEN Number of Teams: 61 vballrecruiter.com National Rankings (15):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Prediction: Based on the way things have gone so far this season, Skyline is a heavy favorite to capture the gold medal. The club finished first at both Triple Crown and the Red Rock Rave qualifier; took second at Show Me; and fifth at Lone Star. The field isn’t as deep as the one we’ll see in Chicago and that’s a reason why Skyline is such a favorite. Yet, Mintonette, Boiler Jrs and Legacy are no slouches and won’t go away easily. Tribe and GP are teams to watch too, as both are capable of producing upsets and surprising. Beyond that, the other ranked teams are used to going against high-level opponents. Tri-State plays a competitive schedule. WPVC, Jupiter Elite, Top Select, A5, High Tide and Northern Lights are all Open-level competitors throughout the season. Let’s get to the picks. Teams are playing to get into a 12-team gold bracket on the final day. Our pick for the final four are Legacy, Skyline, Tribe and Mintonette. The choice is Legacy surprising Skyline in the final for the gold.

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AAU 14 Open: Day 2 All Red Hat Team

(Day 2 Show Stoppers) In case you missed our first-ever All Red Hat Team from the opening day of 14 Open at AAUs in Orlando, you can find it here. We’ll be releasing a daily All Red Hat for the remainder of our time in Florida as well as for the USAV Girls Junior National Championships coming up in Chicago at the end of the month. Our 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. Without further delay, our Day 2 All Red Hat Team for 14 Open is below. 14 OPEN DAY 2 ALL RED HAT TEAM Bradee Boyd OH Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal: Overall it was a rough day for Tribe, which despite upsetting top-seeded OT 14 Laura in its first outing was eliminated from contention. Boyd grabbed our attention with her six-rotation contributions. The 5-9 outside is a consistent, steady attacker who showed nice range with her swings. She’s an aggressive attacker who isn’t afraid of challenging the defense. Caroline Hanchar OH Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Hanchar is a bit undersized but she’s full of competitiveness. She’s another fearless six-rotation outside who does a lot of valuable things on the court. She’s a strong passer, solid defender and a smart attacker who knows how to score against bigger blocks. Kennedi Boomsma MB Kairos 14 Alpha: Sometimes you stumble across a fitting last name and Boomsma was doing just that out of the middle. Going boom! She’s a physical middle who puts up a strong block and powers down balls. Kairos is tough to defend in system and Boomsma being available in the middle is part of the reason for it. Blockers struggled slowing her down all day. Alexa Espin MB Miami Hype 14 Nekane: Did Espin come alive on Day 2 or what? She caught fire in helping Miami Hype to a huge upset of Tribe that allowed Miami Hype to advance and remain in the hunt. She was sending kills down with nearly every swing as Tribe had no answers for her in the middle. Jaylynn Carter RS CJV 14 Kim: If you want to talk about a rising prospect, Carter is a perfect candidate. She’s a high-flying right side with tremendous upside! She’s already putting up a big block as she gets well up over the net. Her arm speed and strength are only going to keep improving and they are both above average for her age. This is a name you’ll be hearing for years! Mia Diouf RS GP 14 Rox: Diouf is another right side with a bright future. She has a great on-court demeanor. The lefty can bring it on the attack. There’s no doubt GP looks to get her the ball as much as possible when she’s across the front row. She jumps and swings well and if she continues to add inches then watch out! Marissa Jones S A5 14 Helen: Jones is our only official 5-star recruit playing in 14 Open. That pretty much sums it all up as far as her talent. But we’ll add more for fun. She’s listed at 6-0 but seems 6-2. She’s touching 10-2 and is silky smooth with her movement. She effortlessly gets up and gets her arms over the net blocking. She also locates consistently setting. There’s no doubt she’s the real deal! Leah Biyadglign S Kokoro 14-1: Biyadglign is a bit undersized to other setters we’ve highlighted the first two days but that doesn’t prevent her from running a nice offense. She moves well and gets to the ball. She also has nice hands and a calming demeanor. Clara Christ L/DS Northern Lights 14-1: Northern Lights has developed its fair share of liberos and all signs point to Christ being next in line. She’s a straight-up baller! She can hold it down as part of a two-player serve receive. Teams keep the ball away from her at all cost, as she didn’t touch many balls in serve receive. She covers and defends at a high-level and does well seeing plays developing. Rory Oleksik L/DS A5 Chattanooga 14-1 Jenni: A5 Chattanooga saw its run end with a 0-3 day. However, Oleksik showed what she’s capable of in the back row. She’s a sound passer out of serve receive who was putting passes right on target. She’s another strong defender too, making digs and keeping rallies alive.

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AAU 14 Open: Day 2 Show Stoppers And More

(Day 2 All Red Hat Team) In terms of seeding, there was very little upheaval on Day 2 of 14 Open at AAUs in Orlando. Much of the day’s excitement was contained to Pool 1, where the topsy-turvy action meant no one was safe. It was a Florida slugfest in the pool as top-seeded and nationally-ranked No. 8 OT 14 Laura, unranked Miami Hype 14 Nekene and national No. 23 Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal were together along with Panda 14-1 Simo. Skipping ahead, OT, Miami Hype and Tribe finished in a three-way tie at 2-1. It was Tribe getting the short end of the tiebreaker, coming in third and being eliminated from gold-medal contention. It was really a heart-breaking day for Tribe, which opened up on such a positive note. Tribe took down OT in three, 25-21, 18-25, 15-11, to open the action. Taking down the top seed is a big deal, but it might have been too big of a deal. In covering volleyball over the years, riding the high and lows of victories and defeats is commonplace, especially the younger the age groups. When I saw Tribe celebrating its big victory over OT with a dogpile, I was a little concerned how Tribe would respond in its next match. A dogpile after an 8am victory with two matches to go is not something you see every day covering volleyball. It made me think Tribe was riding way too high. It made Tribe susceptible in its next outing against Miami Hype when the ensuing low hits. While Miami Hype was seeded higher, Tribe is ranked in our Top 25 while Miami Hype is unranked. So here, Tribe was favored but it didn’t play out like that. In fact, Miami Hype swept in convincing fashion, 25-22, 25-18. That result alone didn’t eliminate Tribe, but it put Tribe’s chances of advancing out of its hands. Miami Hype needed to beat OT outright for Tribe to advance. If OT came through, either in two or three, then Tribe had no chance of advancing based on the set percentages. OT swept Miami Hype handily, 25-15, 25-13, to create the three-way tie and knock Tribe out. As far as advancing to Friday’s Group 1 pools, there was only one result to go against seed. It came in Pool 6, where the No. 2 team GP 14 Rox swept Vaqueras 14-1 in the 1 v 2 match to finish 3-0. A5 14 Helen, Adidas KiVA 14 Red, Mauloa 14 Green and Munciana 14 Chipmunks all went 3-0, 6-0 as Nos. 1 teams. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS McKenzie Burrell OH A5 14 Helen: Burrell is one of many attackers who can get up and deliver for A5. She gets off the ground well and can bury balls down with her strong arm. Layla Dunn MB A5 14 Helen: Dunn was making an impact at the net with her attacking. She’s a quick middle with a nice arm. A5 likes to take advantage and utilize her in transition. Riley Bethea MB A5 14 Helen: Bethea is another middle opponents need to be concerned about. She’s long and takes up space with her reach and block. She’s also a capable scorer when she gets the opportunity. Elleora Utecht OH Northern Lights 14-1: Utecht was bringing it. She was a key part of the offense giving Northern Lights a reliable, consistent scorer on the outside. She gets up well and swings hard. Danielle Lewis L/DS CJV 14 Kim: Lewis is a quick libero who flies around the court. She can run down balls and keep plays alive with her hustle. Brighton Richards L/DS Temecula Viper 14 Leanna: Richards was an anchor in the back row. She did well in serve receive and is very vocal on the court with her communication. Airyss Celestine MB Temecula Viper 14 Leanna: Celestine is a bit undersized but she’s a quick jumper who can get up and score before the block sets up. London Evans S/RS Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Evans plays a vital role for Muncie as a setter and hitter. It can be tough to gauge what she’s better at, as she does well with both. She has a nice touch and locates well. She also has a strong arm and can provide her share of offense across the front. Kamryn Roberts L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41: Roberts was among the standout liberos. She has a good court awareness and her passing and defending were on point. Bryn Meyer OH Mintonette Sports m.41: A 6-1 lanky outside, Meyer is a 4-star recruit with lots of upside. With her length, she has nice extension and can contact at a high point which allows for angles others can’t hit. *** Shelby Fuller L/DS Triangle 14 Black: It was a solid day for defenders, with Fuller making an impression as well. She’s a steady passer with a strong platform and was putting the ball on target. Leilani Lawrence OH OT 14 Laura: Lawrence, a 2026 outside, showed off her athleticism. She has the ability to get up and unload, something she was doing plenty of in helping OT fight off elimination and advance. Mesa Jameson MB Kokoro 14-1: We wrote about Jameson on Day 1 as well and she was back at it again. Her upside is amazing. She’s long, moves well and has a nice arm. Brooklyn Sippio MB GP 14 Rox: Sippio is among the middle prospects to be sure. She’s a 4-star recruit who is very long and makes an impact on both sides of the ball with her blocking and hitting. Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 14 Alpha: Samuels was featured on our All Red Hat Team on Day 1 and was very close to being on it again. She’s a phenomenal talent. She’s another Class of 2028 recruit playing up. She’s silky smooth, knows how to move the ball around and does an excellent job of getting her hitters 1-on-1 looks. Kennedy Shockley L/DS Munciana Indy 14 Otters: Shockley is

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AAU 14 Open: Day 1 All Red Hat Team

We are happy to present our first-ever daily All Red Hat Team! With the vballrecruiter.com team on hand for the start of 14 Open at the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando, we spent the day like we usually do – scouring the gym and taking in as much action as possible. That brings us to our All Red Hat Team for Day 1 of 14 Open. We’ll be releasing a daily All Red Hat Team for the remainder of our time in Orlando as well as for the USAV Girls Junior National Championships coming up in Chicago at the end of the month. Naturally, you’re wondering what is the All Red Hat Team and how does it differ from our daily Show Stoppers? For starters, we are aiming to put together a daily team consisting of outsides, middles, right sides, setters and liberos 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. In a way, these are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. Without further delay, our Day 1 All Red Hat Team for 14 Open is below. ALL RED HAT TEAM Jordyn Jones OH Mich Elite 14 Mizuno: Jones was definitely a personal favorite. What a gamer she is! Though Jones is undersized compared to other outsides we caught, she brings nothing but fire on the court. She was taking aggressive swings and challenging the defense then catching them with well-timed tips to keep them off guard. Carson Caraway OH IVBA 14 Open: Caraway is another with great energy and emotion. We featured her early this season at one of our Elite ID Clinics. At 6-2, she has nice size for any age and a solid arm to back it up with. Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Comer continues to improve from earlier this season. The 6-0 middle is playing six rotations and taking serves in receive! She’s more than likely a future outside because of it. Comer has a calmer and more stoic demeanor on the court but she’s no less effective in tormenting defenses. They had little answers for her at the net. Kamryn Cocherl MB Mintonette Sports m.41: It looked as if Cocherl came to Orlando for two things – to chew bubble gum and put away sets. And she was all out of bubble gum on Day 1. All I saw her do was power balls down for kills. She’s a bit undersized but Mintonette was feeding her and she was delivering with loud winners. Kaelyn Bjorklund S/RS Northern Lights 14-1: Bjorklund plays a vital role and does it well for Northern Lights hitting and setting. At 6-0, she is a physical presence at the net and does well dishing and feeding her various hitters. She’s another steady player who doesn’t seem to get too high or too down. Emerson Dorr S/RS IVBA 14 Open: Dorr, also a 6-footer, was another who was just coming with it and playing with lots of intensity and determination. She also stood out as a two-way player who flashed plenty of potential. She’s a wirey attacker who can generate pace. She also showed well as setter putting up a nice hittable ball. Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 14 Alpha: Samuels is a future stud! She’s part of the Class of 2028, is playing up an age group and is already touching 9-10. She’s mature for her age and is a step ahead of setters a year older. She’s smooth and does well connecting with her hitters. Sophia Dostic S OT 14 Laura: Dostic is another up-and-coming setter who stood out with her strong play. She has great demeanor on the court as she doesn’t seem to get rattled and remains steady. She was running the offense well, getting her hitters involved and setting a clean ball consistently. Ella Horvick L/DS OT 14 Laura: Horvick was a wall in the back row. She had command, was reading and covering well. She also had on-point passing and provided a defensive edge. Addison Thompson-Stepp L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Thompson-Stepp is an upbeat libero who was holding it down defensively. She was putting the ball on target and passing well out of serve receive.

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AAU 14 Open: Day 1 Show Stoppers And More

The buildup is over. We’ve been hurtling toward the season-ending national championships since the start of the new club year. And here we are, at the start of AAUs in Orlando! The vballrecruiter.com team is fired up for all the action coming our way. We’ll be all over the competition in both Orlando and Chicago as teams look to complete their season in dream fashion – with a gold medal. Kicking off all the fun and excitement is 14 Open, which got underway Wednesday at the Orange County Convention Center. If you aren’t familiar with the AAU format, it’s a bit of a slow build toward the gold bracket. Only fourth-place teams are eliminated from contention on the opening day. That meant only nine teams were bumped from Group 1 for Day 2. So of the 39 teams to start competition, 30 still remain. It changes the next two days, because on Days 2 and 3 only the top-two teams in each pool advance. It’ll ultimately set up the eight-team gold bracket set for Saturday. As for the first day of action, it was not quite the coronation for top seeds as it was last year. Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal – seeded No. 3 overall – was upended by Mauloa 14 Green in the 1 v 2 match. Tribe finished 2-1 while Mauloa fought off the time change from Hawaii to go 3-0. Tri-State Elite 14 Blue – seeded No. 6 overall – went down as well. Vaqueras 14-1 beat Tri-State in the 1 v 2 match to finish in first ahead of Tri-State. GP 14 Rox was a third No. 1 team in its pool to fall. The No. 10 overall seed was swept by Northern Lights 14-1 and finished 2-1 behind 3-0 Northern Lights. Pool 1 was a three-team pool, where all three teams advanced. Out of the remaining nine pools, seven of the No. 4 teams were knocked out after going 0-3. The two exceptions were Elevate Athletics 14 Nike and Panda 14-1 Simo. Both went 1-2 and remain in the hunt. The highest-seeded team to be eliminated was Club V 14 Ren Stef. Club V was the No. 2 team in Pool 5 and was the No. 16 overall seed. *** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Jenny Glushakov RS Top Select 14 Elite: A lanky right side, Glushakov has tremendous upside. She stayed in for six rotations and was taking swings out of the back row. She showed nice extension and was hitting at a high contact point. Andie Bowron S Top Select 14 Elite: A bit undersized, Bowron is quick and gets around well on the court. She’s a smooth disher who is on target on the regular. Haley Higgins MB Top Select 14 Elite: Higgins was providing consistent scoring as Top Select was utilizing her effectiveness. She has a nice arm and was putting balls away with pace. Calli LeFevre OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas: A 5-10 outside, LeFevre helps anchor the offense. She has a really good arm and takes big swings to pressure defenses. Kampbell Niepagaen OH SPVB 14 Elite: Niepagaen was another outside who was carrying a big load offensively. Sports Performance was looking for her a lot and she was up for the task. Madeline Bryant S SPVB 14 Elite: Bryant displayed a nice touch and consistent location. She also sets a clean ball regularly. Isabel Incinelli MB WPVC 14 Armour Black: At 6-2, Incinelli stands out. She also has tremendous potential. She was impacting both sides of the net. She also uses her length to her advantage, going over the block. And she also gets sets on the pin as Winter Park moves her around. Ellie Enger OH WPVC 14 Armour Black: Enger was among the better outsides we saw on Day 1. She has a lively arm and was bringing it time and time again. Liliana Tripi S Mich Elite 14 Mizuno: Tripi was among the taller setters in the division. She has a consistent release and nice touch. She also did a good job trying to get her hitters involved. Sophia Farah MB Rev 14-1 Bulldogs: Farah flashed her potential. She’s a strong middle who takes up space and can be tough for defenses to slow. Sophia Azevedo S Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal: Count Azevedo among the players to keep tabs on. She’s a 6-0 setter/right side who was mostly setting on Day 1. With her height, she can be impactful at the net. She puts up a nice block and has unbelievable upside. *** Caitlin Crino S Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal: Crino was also taking on the setting duties. She’s a bit undersized but she moves well and has a clean release. Sage Mattson OH Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal: Mattson is a 6-0 pin who was playing on the outside. She has a big arm and can bash balls down in style. Addison Otto RS Northern Lights 14-1: Otto is another prospect who caught our eye. The lefty is 6-0 and a featured part of the attack when she’s front row. They run her in different spots to get her the ball and keep the defense on its toes. Ryah Cotton S Northern Lights 14-1: Cotton is a setter on the taller side, especially for the age group. She came in to set in the back row and did well locating and keeping her hitters involved. Zaley Madkin OH IVBA 14 Open: Madkin is a bit undersized but has no problem making up for it with her jump. She gets up well and can bring it at times. She unleashed a couple of head-turning kills that showed what her potential could be. Aubrie Wirkkala OH Kokoro 14-1: Wirkkala is a bit undersized at the position but she jumps very well. It helps her unload on the ball and rocket a few big winners. Mesa Jameson MB Kokoro 14-1: Jameson is a taller middle with tons of potential. She’s lanky, moves well and does a good job of

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vballrecruiter.com’s Player of the Week: Natalie Carr (FREE)

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: Natalie Carr. *** Making the switch from competitive cheerleading to volleyball took time from a skills perspective. For Natalie Carr, it didn’t matter at first if she couldn’t underhand serve the ball over the net. The sport was new and she was having fun doing it. “I started going to Pitt camps when I was young and one of the first camps I started doing, the way the players were interacting with each other was really cool,” Carr said. She’s no longer the 10-year-old trying out a new sport. The Class of 2026 outside hitter is now 5-11 and playing up an age group for Pitt Elite 16 Elite. Carr was recently named to the JVA All-National Team for U16 and she’s also an accomplished beach player who has been competing on the sand since she was 11. While individually Carr continues to grow and develop at a rapid pace, Pitt Elite has also taken steps forward this season. The team has done so by capturing gold medals at both the JVA Rock’N Rumble and Capitol Hill Classic and recently going 6-0 at the The Nike Open in early May, all in 16 Open. Up next is the end of the season, when Pitt Elite competes in 16 Open at the AAU national championships on June 26-29 in Orlando. It was back in mid-January at Rock’N Rumble in Cleveland where a top highlight of Carr’s took place. There’s no doubt herself and teammates would love to bookend their season by creating another lasting memory like it at AAUs. “Our first tournament of the year was Rock’N Rumble and we were going in and didn’t know how we stood next to other teams,” Carr said. “Metro (16 Travel) was the top team and we had to play them in the first game (Sunday morning). We played them and it went three sets and the final score was 23-21. It was crazy winning that last point. It was incredible. It was so much fun. That was our first big win of the season and it was really special for everyone on the team.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Carr about volleyball and more. Who is your role model or icon you look up to? Carr: I would say Kerri Walsh Jennings. She’s obviously a very good beach volleyball player. I follow her on social media. Just who she is, she’s such a good person. I look up to her in both volleyball and life in general. I met her at p1440 nationals two years ago. It was a really cool experience. What is your favorite food(s)? Carr: Definitely acai bowls. It’s my favorite thing in the whole entire world. What is your favorite tournament of the season? Carr: Probably the Capitol Hill Classic. It was a relatively big tournament. There were a bunch of teams there and they were all high-level. Getting to compete against them and winning that tournament was really big. It was a fun tournament. What is your favorite team bonding event? Carr: For me, in club we always find a restaurant to do a team dinner at. It’s so much fun. We dress up in cute outfits. We talk about volleyball and everything else. It’s fun because we get to dress up and get ready together then come back to the hotel and hang out. It’s so much fun. What is your favorite quote? Carr: My favorite quote is ‘Be the best version of you.’ The reason I like this quote so much is from a volleyball perspective you can’t compare yourself to other people. That’s really important. That’s something that is easy to do but it doesn’t help anyone. For real life, it’s about always being a nice person and being as good as you can be. What is your go to song to warm up to? Carr: Whenever I warm up, I have a 12-hour Taylor Swift playlist I always play. I put it on shuffle and whatever comes on is what hypes me up and gets me ready to play. If you could have any super power what would it be and why? Carr: Probably the ability to teleport. I lose track of time and normally I’m a pretty late person. I’m never where I’m supposed to be on time. What do you like to do outside of volleyball? Carr: I really enjoy baking. I like journaling and hiking. I enjoy being outside. My chocolate chip cookies are so good. Everyone I’ve ever given one to loves them. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Carr: I’m a pretty quiet person but on the volleyball court I’m really loud and energetic. When I meet new people I’m shy and timid until I get to know them. If you could have dinner with anyone past or present, who would it be and why? Carr: Taylor Swift. She’s such an interesting person. Her music is so good. I would like to know her thought process behind her songs and what she decides. What is your favorite number and why? Carr: Number 10. I honestly have no idea why. It has no relation to anything. If anything, it’s an even number and I really like even numbers.

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AAU 14 Open: Day 4 All Red Hat Team

(Gold Medal Rundown) (Day 4 Show Stoppers) With the start of 14 Open earlier this week at the AAU Girls National Championships in Orlando, we’ve been releasing our daily All Red Hat Team. It’s something we’ll continue putting out for the remainder of national championship season from our time here and in Chicago coming up. 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 our daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. 14 OPEN DAY 4 ALL RED HAT TEAM Sophia Puleo OH OT 14 Laura: It was a shorter day than anticipated for OT, which fell in the quarterfinals. OT was heavily reliant on its outsides, with Puleo sharing that load. You want to talk about dropping the hammer? Watch Puleo do her thing and unload. Standing close to the court, you can feel it. She’s definitely one of the hardest hitters in the division and loves showing off that power. Leilani Lawrence OH OT 14 Laura: Part of the Class of 2026, Lawrence is an explosive hitter who rises and rips in impressive fashion. She can blast balls from sideline to sideline as she has a variety of shots to keep defenses off-balanced. She had to also carry a big load and take a lot of swings to help OT stay in it. Riley Bethea MB A5 14 Helen: Bethea’s impact at the net can’t be ignored. She’s long and can be a disrupter with her blocking, touching balls or forcing hitters to change up to avoid her. She’s also a capable scorer who does a nice job of seeing the open space and sending the ball that way. Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: We’ve featured Comer over the past four days and what a talent she is! She’s a six-rotation middle who shoulders a large chunk of the attack. Munciana gets her the ball as much as possible. She’s a strong hitter, with the ability to beat defenses all over the court. Addison Otto RS Northern Lights 14-1: We hadn’t seen Otto since Triple Crown and no doubt she’ll be moving up in our next rankings update. She’s a 6-0 lefty with great extension. It makes her dangerous and she’s a featured part of the offense, as she would be on just about any team in the country. Her potential is through the roof! Jenny Glushakov RS Top Select 14 Elite: Glushakov is another right side who can take over matches. She’s also on the taller side, and she plays six rotations. She swings from all over and is effective doing so. She also puts up a solid block to help in that regard as well. She’s definitely an up-and-comer and someone to keep track of as she progresses. Marissa Jones S A5 14 Helen: Anyone watching Jones can see her endless potential. The 5-star recruit is 6-2 and touching well over 10 feet. Her elbows are above the net blocking. She moves well and does a great job getting to the ball. When in system, she also does well connecting with all her hitters and getting them involved.   Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 14 Alpha: Samuels – who is part of the Class of 2028 – isn’t the athletic marvel that Jones is but she’s a phenomenal prospect in her own right. It’s fair to say no setter in 14 Open here had the touch of Samuels. She’s silky smooth, sees the game light years ahead and can dime any set. It’s scary to think what level she could reach down the road! Clara Christ L Northern Lights 14-1: From the perspective of the vballrecruiter.com team, Christ was the top libero in 14 Open. She’s a stud who owns the back row. She’s a step ahead defensively, reading where hitters are going. She’s a sharp passer out of serve receive and just another example of why the future of the sport is in good hands. Jenna Brooks L Top Select 14 Elite: It was a rough day overall for Top Select, which ended with the bronze medal. Brooks is a scrapper who does well out of serve receive and defending. She’s capable of making huge digs and saves and is a big reason Top Select had the run it did in medaling.

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AAU 14 Open: Gold Medal Rundown

(Day 4 Show Stoppers) (Day 4 All Red Hat Team) When A5 14 Helen couldn’t get Elleora Utecht’s serve back over the net, the dogpile celebration was officially on for Northern Lights 14-1. There was more than once when the eventual 14 Open AAU national champion looked beat during gold-bracket action on the final day of the division. The original No. 11 seed took its first loss of the tournament on Day 2, falling in three sets to Top Select 14 Elite. A rematch with Top Select came on Day 4, in the semifinals. That was partly set up by Northern Lights falling to Munciana 14 Chipmunks in Day 3 pool play. The other half was Top Select upsetting A5 on Day 3. More on that later. When Top Select dispatched Legacy 14-1 Adidas in the quarterfinals followed by Northern Lights sweeping Adidas KiVA 14 Red, the two sides were set for another clash. It was a one-sided affair in Top Select’s favor. Until it wasn’t. After dominating the first set, Top Select was doing much of the same in building up a 20-12 advantage in Game 2. That’s when it got really interesting. A quick side note, this is also the point when the club scheduled for the next match on the same court started stalking Northern Lights’ sideline like a vulchers do injured prey. A couple Northern Lights girls looked over, wondering what was going on. Whether that fired up Northern Lights or not, the rally was on! Overcoming an eight-point deficit that late is remarkable in its own right, but Northern Lights fought off three match points trailing 24-21 before going on a 5-0 run and forcing a third set. Top Select seemed unfazed by letting such a big lead slip away, going ahead 10-6 and 11-7 in the final set. Northern Lights was once again in a precarious situation, but as we would see later in the day, this team doesn’t rattle and does an excellent job of keeping its composure and staying the course. That was certainly the case as Top Select went up 14-12, earning its fourth and fifth match points. But like the first three, they came and went and in a blink of an eye Northern Lights was celebrating the three-set comeback victory, 16-25, 26-24, 16-14. As for Northern Lights’ opponent in the final, A5 was in the position it was having lost to Top Select on Day 3 and thus drawing top-seeded OT 14 Laura in the quarterfinals to start its day. A5 came out smoking, building up a large lead before OT cut it to 22-20. A5 closed it out and was up comfortably in Game 2, 22-17, and looking to finish it. That’s also when it got real interesting real fast. A 7-0 run turned the momentum and had OT up 24-22. OT held set points as well at 25-24 and 26-25 before A5 held on for the sweep, 25-21, 28-26. A5 took care of Munciana in the semis, 25-16, 25-19, to set up the gold medal showdown. There wasn’t any mystery surrounding the final. When two teams with the combined size and athleticism as these two hook up it’s really just a matter of which team is going to stay in system more. Northern Lights – with outsides Ellie Osowski and Utecht and right sides Addison Otto and Kaelyn Bjorklund – runs its attack pin-to-pin, with few sets going to the middles. A5 – with outsides Mia Ray and McKenzie Burrell, right side Megan McLarty and middles Riley Bethea and Layla Dunn working with 5-star setter Marissa Jones – is difficult to slow in system because they can get points from everywhere. It was A5 controlling its side in Game 1, with Northern Lights returning the favor in Game 2. When A5 raced to a 9-6 advantage midway through Game 3 it looked like the Southern Region club was well on its way to lifting the championship trophy. But Top Select knows a lead is never safe with the way Northern Lights stays in the fight. And that’s exactly what happened as Northern Lights fought back and went in front. At 14-13, Lights had the first crack at it and didn’t let the opportunity pass for nothing. Utecht’s serve wasn’t returned and that was the match. Obviously, Northern Lights deserves an unbelievable amount of credit and props for doing what it did. How many teams in the semifinals – knowing they have a bronze medal secured – toss in the towel down 20-12? There is also all the bragging rights that come with winning AAU. And it’s going to open a debate around the USAV GJNC. Northern Lights was among the teams we had in consideration for an Open at-large. We broke it down here and hindsight is always helpful. Based on the at-large selections, it was hard to argue Northern Lights should have been among the seven picked given all the factors. Northern Lights had a 4-3 mark against the Open field, which is a great record. But Northern Lights played in two qualifiers, coming in sixth at Show Me (out of 10 teams) and 17th at Northern Lights. Still, given what we saw from Northern Lights the last four days – and especially on Saturday – I would love to see Northern Lights in the 14 Open field in Chicago. Northern Lights went 3-1 against Open qualifiers in Orlando, beating GP 14 Rox, Top Select and A5. Half of the gold bracket featured teams participating in 14 Open in Chicago in A5, Top Select, OT and Legacy. KiVA, Munciana and Kairos 14 Alpha – the other quarterfinalist – won’t be playing in Chicago. Northern Lights is set to compete in 15 National in Chicago and should be a real factor there. No doubt A5 will use what happened here in Orlando as plenty of motivation for Chicago. At No. 8, OT was the highest-ranked team from vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 competing here, followed by KiVA at

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Elite ID Clinic Wesley Chapel: Meet The Latest Red Hat Invites (FREE)

It’s been an action-packed time here in Orlando for the vballrecruiter.com team. Alongside of covering the 50th edition of the AAU Girls Junior National Championships, we also hosted two Elite ID Clinic at the Wiregrass Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel. The clinics culminated with 11 players being invited to The Red Hat Games in December in Dallas. The invitations went out to the following:   In addition to the 11 invites handed out, there were more players who caught our attention as well. We highlight all below. INVITES AND STANDOUTS Damia Ellis S SC Midlands 17 National Elite (2024): Ellis received an invite for her outstanding play both setting and hitting. The lefty has a strong arm and hits with lots of power. Liv Lambert OH Team Kiwi 15 Graphite (2025): Lambert is a bit undersized but she jumps well and swings with authority. Olivia Burns RS Coastal 15 Elite (2026): Burns is a lefty with a strong arm. She was bringing the wood at times with her hard hitting. Alivia Martin L/DS OT 15 Madison (2026): Martin stood out among a strong ball control group. She has a sound platform and quiet movement when passing. She also brought a lot of energy. Ainhoa Molleja OH MVA 15 Julio (2026): Molleja was the top hitter in her session. She’s a springy outside with a really quick swing. She was swinging away with authority and scoring a bunch. Sarah McDonnell S OPU 15 Adidas (2026): McDonnell did well getting to the ball. She had  a nice consistent release. She also stood out with her defensive play and could be a future defender too. Alaina Walker S/RS CJV 15 Brook (2026): Walker was arguably the top overall player from both sessions. She has tremendous potential and is definitely a name to know. She can dish the ball with ease and moves very well. Gabriella White MB All-In Coral 15 Taylor (2026): White is lanky and another who flashed her potential with her play at the net. She also has a nice arm and was letting balls fly. Veda Sharma OH Miami Hype 14 Nekene (2027): Sherma was another standout attacker who played with high energy and lots of effort. She showed off a good arm and has lots of potential as she moves up the ranks. Avery Thorp MB Dead Frog 14 Black (2027): Thorp was among the younger players who was owning the net. She has a solid arm and was doing well off of one foot. Ali Strange L/DS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami (2027): Strange is a flat-out baller and a legit next-level prospect. She was making hustle plays, showing scrappiness and bringing lots of energy. Soleie Rizzi OH St. Pete 16 Teal (2025): Rizzi is a six-rotation pin. She has a presence on the court, showed a variety of shots and a nice arm. Valerie Yambao S GP 15 Premier (2026): Yambao is a gamer and was working hard. She was moving the ball around well and has potential to continue to grow and blossom. Kamryn McDonald OH/DS MAVS 816 16-1 (2025): McDonald does a good job getting her feet to the ball. It allows her to hit high. She also had a lot of energy. Rosa Smith S WPVC 17 Armour Black (2025): Smith was among the top setters in her session. She has nice hands, is consistent and jump sets well. Lanie Malobabich MB Sky Elite 15U (2026): Malobabich is young and has lots of potential. She has a sound base and just needs time and more reps. Gigi Bernier L/DS Academy LI (2025): Bernier stood out in a strong libero group. She had sound passing and held it down digging.   Grace DeVall L/DS Pitt Elite 17 Elite (2024): DeVall had solid platform and outstanding court demeanor.

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AAU 14 Open: Day 3 Update

As part of the vballrecruiter.com team’s time in Orlando we hosted two Elite ID Clinics at the Wiregrass Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel, the second of which was held on Friday. That meant we weren’t able to be at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando for Day 3 of 14 Open at AAUs. As a result, we won’t have any Day 3 All Red Hat Team or Show Stoppers posts. Still, we wanted to provide a quick update as to what took place and how Saturday’s eight-team gold bracket stacks up. We’ll be back at it for the conclusion of 14 Open, which features these remaining matchups: That’s a tough quarterfinal showdown between OT and A5, which started off as the top-two seeds respectively. However, Top Select upset A5 on Friday, pulling out a tight contest in three, 25-14, 20-25, 17-15, to close out pool play. That propelled Top Select to a 3-0 showing and facing off with Legacy instead of OT. A day after losing its first match of the tournament, OT responded by going 3-0, including fending off Legacy in three, 25-27, 25-18, 15-11, to win the pool. Both KiVA and Munciana went 3-0 as well. KiVA did it as the No. 1 team in Pool 3, while Muncie was the No. 2 team in Pool 4. Muncie finished its day by sweeping Mauloa 14 Green, which went 1-2 and didn’t advance as the No. 1 team. Instead, it was Northern Lights going 2-1 by beating Mauloa to move on. While KiVA had no issues, it was the No. 3 team in Kairos taking out GP 14 Rox, the No. 2 team. GP finished 1-2 and was eliminated.

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AAU 15 Open: Preview And Predictions (FREE)

We can hardly contain our excitement for the upcoming 15 Open age group at the AAU Girls National Championships in Orlando. The 15U ages are set to compete from June 18-21 and what an Open field it is! There are the typical clubs we see attending AAUs but there is one major change this season and it’s gigantic! Skyline 15 Royal is scheduled to be here and that’s a rarity. It just so happens that Skyline is the No. 1 ranked team in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 National Rankings. Skyline tops a loaded field that features 15 teams from our Top 50, including No. 2 Mintonette Sports m.51 and No. 3 Boiler Jrs 15 Gold, which is the defending 14 Open champion and looking to make it back-to-back. Legacy 15-1 Adidas, at No. 8, and AP 15 Adidas, at No. 11, are also among the highly-ranked teams set to compete for gold. Below, we take a look at 15 Open and make our call for the gold medalist. AAU 15 OPEN Number of Teams: 61 vballrecruiter.com National Rankings (15):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Prediction: Based on the way things have gone so far this season, Skyline is a heavy favorite to capture the gold medal. The club finished first at both Triple Crown and the Red Rock Rave qualifier; took second at Show Me; and fifth at Lone Star. The field isn’t as deep as the one we’ll see in Chicago and that’s a reason why Skyline is such a favorite. Yet, Mintonette, Boiler Jrs and Legacy are no slouches and won’t go away easily. Tribe and GP are teams to watch too, as both are capable of producing upsets and surprising. Beyond that, the other ranked teams are used to going against high-level opponents. Tri-State plays a competitive schedule. WPVC, Jupiter Elite, Top Select, A5, High Tide and Northern Lights are all Open-level competitors throughout the season. Let’s get to the picks. Teams are playing to get into a 12-team gold bracket on the final day. Our pick for the final four are Legacy, Skyline, Tribe and Mintonette. The choice is Legacy surprising Skyline in the final for the gold.

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AAU 14 Open: Day 2 All Red Hat Team

(Day 2 Show Stoppers) In case you missed our first-ever All Red Hat Team from the opening day of 14 Open at AAUs in Orlando, you can find it here. We’ll be releasing a daily All Red Hat for the remainder of our time in Florida as well as for the USAV Girls Junior National Championships coming up in Chicago at the end of the month. Our 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. Without further delay, our Day 2 All Red Hat Team for 14 Open is below. 14 OPEN DAY 2 ALL RED HAT TEAM Bradee Boyd OH Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal: Overall it was a rough day for Tribe, which despite upsetting top-seeded OT 14 Laura in its first outing was eliminated from contention. Boyd grabbed our attention with her six-rotation contributions. The 5-9 outside is a consistent, steady attacker who showed nice range with her swings. She’s an aggressive attacker who isn’t afraid of challenging the defense. Caroline Hanchar OH Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Hanchar is a bit undersized but she’s full of competitiveness. She’s another fearless six-rotation outside who does a lot of valuable things on the court. She’s a strong passer, solid defender and a smart attacker who knows how to score against bigger blocks. Kennedi Boomsma MB Kairos 14 Alpha: Sometimes you stumble across a fitting last name and Boomsma was doing just that out of the middle. Going boom! She’s a physical middle who puts up a strong block and powers down balls. Kairos is tough to defend in system and Boomsma being available in the middle is part of the reason for it. Blockers struggled slowing her down all day. Alexa Espin MB Miami Hype 14 Nekane: Did Espin come alive on Day 2 or what? She caught fire in helping Miami Hype to a huge upset of Tribe that allowed Miami Hype to advance and remain in the hunt. She was sending kills down with nearly every swing as Tribe had no answers for her in the middle. Jaylynn Carter RS CJV 14 Kim: If you want to talk about a rising prospect, Carter is a perfect candidate. She’s a high-flying right side with tremendous upside! She’s already putting up a big block as she gets well up over the net. Her arm speed and strength are only going to keep improving and they are both above average for her age. This is a name you’ll be hearing for years! Mia Diouf RS GP 14 Rox: Diouf is another right side with a bright future. She has a great on-court demeanor. The lefty can bring it on the attack. There’s no doubt GP looks to get her the ball as much as possible when she’s across the front row. She jumps and swings well and if she continues to add inches then watch out! Marissa Jones S A5 14 Helen: Jones is our only official 5-star recruit playing in 14 Open. That pretty much sums it all up as far as her talent. But we’ll add more for fun. She’s listed at 6-0 but seems 6-2. She’s touching 10-2 and is silky smooth with her movement. She effortlessly gets up and gets her arms over the net blocking. She also locates consistently setting. There’s no doubt she’s the real deal! Leah Biyadglign S Kokoro 14-1: Biyadglign is a bit undersized to other setters we’ve highlighted the first two days but that doesn’t prevent her from running a nice offense. She moves well and gets to the ball. She also has nice hands and a calming demeanor. Clara Christ L/DS Northern Lights 14-1: Northern Lights has developed its fair share of liberos and all signs point to Christ being next in line. She’s a straight-up baller! She can hold it down as part of a two-player serve receive. Teams keep the ball away from her at all cost, as she didn’t touch many balls in serve receive. She covers and defends at a high-level and does well seeing plays developing. Rory Oleksik L/DS A5 Chattanooga 14-1 Jenni: A5 Chattanooga saw its run end with a 0-3 day. However, Oleksik showed what she’s capable of in the back row. She’s a sound passer out of serve receive who was putting passes right on target. She’s another strong defender too, making digs and keeping rallies alive.

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AAU 14 Open: Day 2 Show Stoppers And More

(Day 2 All Red Hat Team) In terms of seeding, there was very little upheaval on Day 2 of 14 Open at AAUs in Orlando. Much of the day’s excitement was contained to Pool 1, where the topsy-turvy action meant no one was safe. It was a Florida slugfest in the pool as top-seeded and nationally-ranked No. 8 OT 14 Laura, unranked Miami Hype 14 Nekene and national No. 23 Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal were together along with Panda 14-1 Simo. Skipping ahead, OT, Miami Hype and Tribe finished in a three-way tie at 2-1. It was Tribe getting the short end of the tiebreaker, coming in third and being eliminated from gold-medal contention. It was really a heart-breaking day for Tribe, which opened up on such a positive note. Tribe took down OT in three, 25-21, 18-25, 15-11, to open the action. Taking down the top seed is a big deal, but it might have been too big of a deal. In covering volleyball over the years, riding the high and lows of victories and defeats is commonplace, especially the younger the age groups. When I saw Tribe celebrating its big victory over OT with a dogpile, I was a little concerned how Tribe would respond in its next match. A dogpile after an 8am victory with two matches to go is not something you see every day covering volleyball. It made me think Tribe was riding way too high. It made Tribe susceptible in its next outing against Miami Hype when the ensuing low hits. While Miami Hype was seeded higher, Tribe is ranked in our Top 25 while Miami Hype is unranked. So here, Tribe was favored but it didn’t play out like that. In fact, Miami Hype swept in convincing fashion, 25-22, 25-18. That result alone didn’t eliminate Tribe, but it put Tribe’s chances of advancing out of its hands. Miami Hype needed to beat OT outright for Tribe to advance. If OT came through, either in two or three, then Tribe had no chance of advancing based on the set percentages. OT swept Miami Hype handily, 25-15, 25-13, to create the three-way tie and knock Tribe out. As far as advancing to Friday’s Group 1 pools, there was only one result to go against seed. It came in Pool 6, where the No. 2 team GP 14 Rox swept Vaqueras 14-1 in the 1 v 2 match to finish 3-0. A5 14 Helen, Adidas KiVA 14 Red, Mauloa 14 Green and Munciana 14 Chipmunks all went 3-0, 6-0 as Nos. 1 teams. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS McKenzie Burrell OH A5 14 Helen: Burrell is one of many attackers who can get up and deliver for A5. She gets off the ground well and can bury balls down with her strong arm. Layla Dunn MB A5 14 Helen: Dunn was making an impact at the net with her attacking. She’s a quick middle with a nice arm. A5 likes to take advantage and utilize her in transition. Riley Bethea MB A5 14 Helen: Bethea is another middle opponents need to be concerned about. She’s long and takes up space with her reach and block. She’s also a capable scorer when she gets the opportunity. Elleora Utecht OH Northern Lights 14-1: Utecht was bringing it. She was a key part of the offense giving Northern Lights a reliable, consistent scorer on the outside. She gets up well and swings hard. Danielle Lewis L/DS CJV 14 Kim: Lewis is a quick libero who flies around the court. She can run down balls and keep plays alive with her hustle. Brighton Richards L/DS Temecula Viper 14 Leanna: Richards was an anchor in the back row. She did well in serve receive and is very vocal on the court with her communication. Airyss Celestine MB Temecula Viper 14 Leanna: Celestine is a bit undersized but she’s a quick jumper who can get up and score before the block sets up. London Evans S/RS Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Evans plays a vital role for Muncie as a setter and hitter. It can be tough to gauge what she’s better at, as she does well with both. She has a nice touch and locates well. She also has a strong arm and can provide her share of offense across the front. Kamryn Roberts L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41: Roberts was among the standout liberos. She has a good court awareness and her passing and defending were on point. Bryn Meyer OH Mintonette Sports m.41: A 6-1 lanky outside, Meyer is a 4-star recruit with lots of upside. With her length, she has nice extension and can contact at a high point which allows for angles others can’t hit. *** Shelby Fuller L/DS Triangle 14 Black: It was a solid day for defenders, with Fuller making an impression as well. She’s a steady passer with a strong platform and was putting the ball on target. Leilani Lawrence OH OT 14 Laura: Lawrence, a 2026 outside, showed off her athleticism. She has the ability to get up and unload, something she was doing plenty of in helping OT fight off elimination and advance. Mesa Jameson MB Kokoro 14-1: We wrote about Jameson on Day 1 as well and she was back at it again. Her upside is amazing. She’s long, moves well and has a nice arm. Brooklyn Sippio MB GP 14 Rox: Sippio is among the middle prospects to be sure. She’s a 4-star recruit who is very long and makes an impact on both sides of the ball with her blocking and hitting. Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 14 Alpha: Samuels was featured on our All Red Hat Team on Day 1 and was very close to being on it again. She’s a phenomenal talent. She’s another Class of 2028 recruit playing up. She’s silky smooth, knows how to move the ball around and does an excellent job of getting her hitters 1-on-1 looks. Kennedy Shockley L/DS Munciana Indy 14 Otters: Shockley is

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AAU 14 Open: Day 1 All Red Hat Team

We are happy to present our first-ever daily All Red Hat Team! With the vballrecruiter.com team on hand for the start of 14 Open at the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando, we spent the day like we usually do – scouring the gym and taking in as much action as possible. That brings us to our All Red Hat Team for Day 1 of 14 Open. We’ll be releasing a daily All Red Hat Team for the remainder of our time in Orlando as well as for the USAV Girls Junior National Championships coming up in Chicago at the end of the month. Naturally, you’re wondering what is the All Red Hat Team and how does it differ from our daily Show Stoppers? For starters, we are aiming to put together a daily team consisting of outsides, middles, right sides, setters and liberos 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. In a way, these are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. Without further delay, our Day 1 All Red Hat Team for 14 Open is below. ALL RED HAT TEAM Jordyn Jones OH Mich Elite 14 Mizuno: Jones was definitely a personal favorite. What a gamer she is! Though Jones is undersized compared to other outsides we caught, she brings nothing but fire on the court. She was taking aggressive swings and challenging the defense then catching them with well-timed tips to keep them off guard. Carson Caraway OH IVBA 14 Open: Caraway is another with great energy and emotion. We featured her early this season at one of our Elite ID Clinics. At 6-2, she has nice size for any age and a solid arm to back it up with. Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Comer continues to improve from earlier this season. The 6-0 middle is playing six rotations and taking serves in receive! She’s more than likely a future outside because of it. Comer has a calmer and more stoic demeanor on the court but she’s no less effective in tormenting defenses. They had little answers for her at the net. Kamryn Cocherl MB Mintonette Sports m.41: It looked as if Cocherl came to Orlando for two things – to chew bubble gum and put away sets. And she was all out of bubble gum on Day 1. All I saw her do was power balls down for kills. She’s a bit undersized but Mintonette was feeding her and she was delivering with loud winners. Kaelyn Bjorklund S/RS Northern Lights 14-1: Bjorklund plays a vital role and does it well for Northern Lights hitting and setting. At 6-0, she is a physical presence at the net and does well dishing and feeding her various hitters. She’s another steady player who doesn’t seem to get too high or too down. Emerson Dorr S/RS IVBA 14 Open: Dorr, also a 6-footer, was another who was just coming with it and playing with lots of intensity and determination. She also stood out as a two-way player who flashed plenty of potential. She’s a wirey attacker who can generate pace. She also showed well as setter putting up a nice hittable ball. Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 14 Alpha: Samuels is a future stud! She’s part of the Class of 2028, is playing up an age group and is already touching 9-10. She’s mature for her age and is a step ahead of setters a year older. She’s smooth and does well connecting with her hitters. Sophia Dostic S OT 14 Laura: Dostic is another up-and-coming setter who stood out with her strong play. She has great demeanor on the court as she doesn’t seem to get rattled and remains steady. She was running the offense well, getting her hitters involved and setting a clean ball consistently. Ella Horvick L/DS OT 14 Laura: Horvick was a wall in the back row. She had command, was reading and covering well. She also had on-point passing and provided a defensive edge. Addison Thompson-Stepp L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Thompson-Stepp is an upbeat libero who was holding it down defensively. She was putting the ball on target and passing well out of serve receive.

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AAU 14 Open: Day 1 Show Stoppers And More

The buildup is over. We’ve been hurtling toward the season-ending national championships since the start of the new club year. And here we are, at the start of AAUs in Orlando! The vballrecruiter.com team is fired up for all the action coming our way. We’ll be all over the competition in both Orlando and Chicago as teams look to complete their season in dream fashion – with a gold medal. Kicking off all the fun and excitement is 14 Open, which got underway Wednesday at the Orange County Convention Center. If you aren’t familiar with the AAU format, it’s a bit of a slow build toward the gold bracket. Only fourth-place teams are eliminated from contention on the opening day. That meant only nine teams were bumped from Group 1 for Day 2. So of the 39 teams to start competition, 30 still remain. It changes the next two days, because on Days 2 and 3 only the top-two teams in each pool advance. It’ll ultimately set up the eight-team gold bracket set for Saturday. As for the first day of action, it was not quite the coronation for top seeds as it was last year. Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal – seeded No. 3 overall – was upended by Mauloa 14 Green in the 1 v 2 match. Tribe finished 2-1 while Mauloa fought off the time change from Hawaii to go 3-0. Tri-State Elite 14 Blue – seeded No. 6 overall – went down as well. Vaqueras 14-1 beat Tri-State in the 1 v 2 match to finish in first ahead of Tri-State. GP 14 Rox was a third No. 1 team in its pool to fall. The No. 10 overall seed was swept by Northern Lights 14-1 and finished 2-1 behind 3-0 Northern Lights. Pool 1 was a three-team pool, where all three teams advanced. Out of the remaining nine pools, seven of the No. 4 teams were knocked out after going 0-3. The two exceptions were Elevate Athletics 14 Nike and Panda 14-1 Simo. Both went 1-2 and remain in the hunt. The highest-seeded team to be eliminated was Club V 14 Ren Stef. Club V was the No. 2 team in Pool 5 and was the No. 16 overall seed. *** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Jenny Glushakov RS Top Select 14 Elite: A lanky right side, Glushakov has tremendous upside. She stayed in for six rotations and was taking swings out of the back row. She showed nice extension and was hitting at a high contact point. Andie Bowron S Top Select 14 Elite: A bit undersized, Bowron is quick and gets around well on the court. She’s a smooth disher who is on target on the regular. Haley Higgins MB Top Select 14 Elite: Higgins was providing consistent scoring as Top Select was utilizing her effectiveness. She has a nice arm and was putting balls away with pace. Calli LeFevre OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas: A 5-10 outside, LeFevre helps anchor the offense. She has a really good arm and takes big swings to pressure defenses. Kampbell Niepagaen OH SPVB 14 Elite: Niepagaen was another outside who was carrying a big load offensively. Sports Performance was looking for her a lot and she was up for the task. Madeline Bryant S SPVB 14 Elite: Bryant displayed a nice touch and consistent location. She also sets a clean ball regularly. Isabel Incinelli MB WPVC 14 Armour Black: At 6-2, Incinelli stands out. She also has tremendous potential. She was impacting both sides of the net. She also uses her length to her advantage, going over the block. And she also gets sets on the pin as Winter Park moves her around. Ellie Enger OH WPVC 14 Armour Black: Enger was among the better outsides we saw on Day 1. She has a lively arm and was bringing it time and time again. Liliana Tripi S Mich Elite 14 Mizuno: Tripi was among the taller setters in the division. She has a consistent release and nice touch. She also did a good job trying to get her hitters involved. Sophia Farah MB Rev 14-1 Bulldogs: Farah flashed her potential. She’s a strong middle who takes up space and can be tough for defenses to slow. Sophia Azevedo S Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal: Count Azevedo among the players to keep tabs on. She’s a 6-0 setter/right side who was mostly setting on Day 1. With her height, she can be impactful at the net. She puts up a nice block and has unbelievable upside. *** Caitlin Crino S Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal: Crino was also taking on the setting duties. She’s a bit undersized but she moves well and has a clean release. Sage Mattson OH Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal: Mattson is a 6-0 pin who was playing on the outside. She has a big arm and can bash balls down in style. Addison Otto RS Northern Lights 14-1: Otto is another prospect who caught our eye. The lefty is 6-0 and a featured part of the attack when she’s front row. They run her in different spots to get her the ball and keep the defense on its toes. Ryah Cotton S Northern Lights 14-1: Cotton is a setter on the taller side, especially for the age group. She came in to set in the back row and did well locating and keeping her hitters involved. Zaley Madkin OH IVBA 14 Open: Madkin is a bit undersized but has no problem making up for it with her jump. She gets up well and can bring it at times. She unleashed a couple of head-turning kills that showed what her potential could be. Aubrie Wirkkala OH Kokoro 14-1: Wirkkala is a bit undersized at the position but she jumps very well. It helps her unload on the ball and rocket a few big winners. Mesa Jameson MB Kokoro 14-1: Jameson is a taller middle with tons of potential. She’s lanky, moves well and does a good job of

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vballrecruiter.com’s Player of the Week: Natalie Carr (FREE)

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: Natalie Carr. *** Making the switch from competitive cheerleading to volleyball took time from a skills perspective. For Natalie Carr, it didn’t matter at first if she couldn’t underhand serve the ball over the net. The sport was new and she was having fun doing it. “I started going to Pitt camps when I was young and one of the first camps I started doing, the way the players were interacting with each other was really cool,” Carr said. She’s no longer the 10-year-old trying out a new sport. The Class of 2026 outside hitter is now 5-11 and playing up an age group for Pitt Elite 16 Elite. Carr was recently named to the JVA All-National Team for U16 and she’s also an accomplished beach player who has been competing on the sand since she was 11. While individually Carr continues to grow and develop at a rapid pace, Pitt Elite has also taken steps forward this season. The team has done so by capturing gold medals at both the JVA Rock’N Rumble and Capitol Hill Classic and recently going 6-0 at the The Nike Open in early May, all in 16 Open. Up next is the end of the season, when Pitt Elite competes in 16 Open at the AAU national championships on June 26-29 in Orlando. It was back in mid-January at Rock’N Rumble in Cleveland where a top highlight of Carr’s took place. There’s no doubt herself and teammates would love to bookend their season by creating another lasting memory like it at AAUs. “Our first tournament of the year was Rock’N Rumble and we were going in and didn’t know how we stood next to other teams,” Carr said. “Metro (16 Travel) was the top team and we had to play them in the first game (Sunday morning). We played them and it went three sets and the final score was 23-21. It was crazy winning that last point. It was incredible. It was so much fun. That was our first big win of the season and it was really special for everyone on the team.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Carr about volleyball and more. Who is your role model or icon you look up to? Carr: I would say Kerri Walsh Jennings. She’s obviously a very good beach volleyball player. I follow her on social media. Just who she is, she’s such a good person. I look up to her in both volleyball and life in general. I met her at p1440 nationals two years ago. It was a really cool experience. What is your favorite food(s)? Carr: Definitely acai bowls. It’s my favorite thing in the whole entire world. What is your favorite tournament of the season? Carr: Probably the Capitol Hill Classic. It was a relatively big tournament. There were a bunch of teams there and they were all high-level. Getting to compete against them and winning that tournament was really big. It was a fun tournament. What is your favorite team bonding event? Carr: For me, in club we always find a restaurant to do a team dinner at. It’s so much fun. We dress up in cute outfits. We talk about volleyball and everything else. It’s fun because we get to dress up and get ready together then come back to the hotel and hang out. It’s so much fun. What is your favorite quote? Carr: My favorite quote is ‘Be the best version of you.’ The reason I like this quote so much is from a volleyball perspective you can’t compare yourself to other people. That’s really important. That’s something that is easy to do but it doesn’t help anyone. For real life, it’s about always being a nice person and being as good as you can be. What is your go to song to warm up to? Carr: Whenever I warm up, I have a 12-hour Taylor Swift playlist I always play. I put it on shuffle and whatever comes on is what hypes me up and gets me ready to play. If you could have any super power what would it be and why? Carr: Probably the ability to teleport. I lose track of time and normally I’m a pretty late person. I’m never where I’m supposed to be on time. What do you like to do outside of volleyball? Carr: I really enjoy baking. I like journaling and hiking. I enjoy being outside. My chocolate chip cookies are so good. Everyone I’ve ever given one to loves them. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Carr: I’m a pretty quiet person but on the volleyball court I’m really loud and energetic. When I meet new people I’m shy and timid until I get to know them. If you could have dinner with anyone past or present, who would it be and why? Carr: Taylor Swift. She’s such an interesting person. Her music is so good. I would like to know her thought process behind her songs and what she decides. What is your favorite number and why? Carr: Number 10. I honestly have no idea why. It has no relation to anything. If anything, it’s an even number and I really like even numbers.

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