Chris

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

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

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

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

That we limit our daily All Red Hat Team to 10 players is a blessing and a curse. We want to keep the selections exclusive, and thus keep the picks to just 10. But, on a day like Day 3 of 15 Open the USAV Girls Junior Nationals Championships, many, many more deserved to be featured because there were more than 10 players who were our favorite. Still, we needed to trim it to 10, which we did below with our Day 3 All Red Hat Team. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 3 ALL RED HAT TEAM Aubree Deshetsky OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: It’s almost impossible to reach the gold bracket of a divison this deep and competitive without everyone contributing. Deshetsky was filling her role to a tee. She’s a bit undersized but isn’t afraid to go at bigger blockers. She was taking aggressive, smart swings and with it providing Legacy yet another scoring punch and keeping it moving along. MaryKate Scheumann OH Team Pineapple 15 Black: Scheumann is a perfect All Red Hat Team selection but she’s another outside who keeps coming at you and won’t back down for anything. She’s a bit undersized but carries a big arm and hits a heavy ball. She takes a lot of swings and helped Team Pineapple reach the challenge rounds before falling to Legacy in three. Jaycee Mack MB Wave 15 Brennan: We featured Mack as a Day 3 Show Stopper. She’s part of the Class of 2027 and with her growth and development from last season through this season has been remarkable. She always had big, powerful arm but she’s added an inch or two as well as more strength and is becoming a force at the net. She hits with tons of power and is a big reason why Wave is in the gold bracket. Hannah Lee MB Madfrog 15 Green: Madfrog battled but came up a victory short of reaching the gold bracket. Lee played her part well. She’s a competitive, no-nonsense middle who takes big, aggressive swings. She has a strong arm and is a key part of the Madfrog attack when in system. Willow Weninger RS Pohaku 15-1: Weninger was a part of the reason why Pohaku reached the gold bracket and remains in contention for a medal. She’s a key ingredient on the right side with her scoring and blocking ability. She has a lively arm and can really connect with it. She also was coming through with timely blocks in challenge play to help her team advance. Sophia Davis RS Elevation 15 Tony: Davis was strong on Day 3 with her efforts from the right side. She’s a six-rotation right side who swings front and back row. She’s a capable attacker, with a big arm who blasts balls from side to side. Elle Mottola S WPVC 15 Armour Black: Winter Park wasn’t able to advance from the second round of pool play but Mottola’s skills were on full display. She has great on-court presence and command of the offense. She connects well with all her hitters and does things others setters aren’t doing, like running the middle outside the 10-foot line. Lily Rolfes S Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: We love what we saw from Rolfes. She’s a fiery competitor who helped lift her team into medal contention by reaching the gold bracket. She does well mixing up her sets and can really fire her team up with a timely block. Gabi Rodriguez L Madfrog 15 Green: Rodriguez was flying around the back row making plays. She’s a high-energy libero who passes well out of serve receive and covers well with her speed. Mya Capistrano L Forza1 North 15 One: Forza North fought on Day 3 but couldn’t quite get into the gold bracket with a tight loss to Arizona Storm. Capistrano was amazing in her role. She stood in against big hitters and did well picking off shots and extending rallies. She’s also quick and moves around the court with ease.

We are getting down to it in 14 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. The third day of competition brought the second round of pool play plus challenge brackets. With spots in the quarterfinals ultimately on the line, the stakes were high and the action intense. Below, we present our Day 3 All Red Hat Team. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 3 ALL RED HAT TEAM Allie Hudgins OH AP 14 Adidas: After a 5-0 run through pool, it was a rough Round 2 of pool play for AP, which went 0-2 and didn’t advance to the challenge rounds. Regardless, we were in awe of what Hudgins can do on the court. She’s a 6-2, next-level prospect who is built in the mold of AP’s 15 stud Henley Anderson. Hudgins can hit angles others can’t because of her high contact point. She also moves well. And typically players like her are easy serving targets, but teams do not attack her in serve receive repeatedly. Landri Trice OH Drive Nation 14 Red: We couldn’t help but add Trice to the All Red Hat team with the way she was competing and willing her team to win. Drive Nation pulled out a tight three-setter against Forza1 North 14 One to make the gold bracket. Trice is a little undersized but is equipped with a cannon for an arm. When she gets a hold of it, watch out! She can bring the thunder for her size and it was impressive to watch her go all-out and produce the kills she was delivering. Rylin Otto MB Tejas 14 Black: We have to give it up to Otto. If you walk the 14 Open courts you’ll notice the size and height of a few middles who look like they are already playing in college. Otto is an undersized middle who plays with a lot of spirit. You have to in order to hold up against bigger blockers, but she gives it her all. She’s quick, springy and swings very well and can provide points for her team. Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Ockerman is a physical presence on both sides of the ball. She’s a hard hitter who can get out on the slide and boom balls down with power. She also puts up a solid block and does well getting touches. Mia Diouf RS GP 14 Rox: Game Point gave it a go but came up short of the gold bracket. Diouf is a fun, athletic middle who delivers her share of highlight kills. Depending on what GP is doing, she can hit across the front row and check out or stay in and help the offense as a back row option. She has a strong arm and can drill winners. Marley Robinson S/RS Forza1 North 14 One: Forza North had a tough, tough setback to Drive Nation and came up a victory short of making the gold bracket. Still, we loved what Robinson brings to the lineup. She’s another undersized player who is absolutely fearless and competes with every ounce she has. She doesn’t leave the court as a setter or hitter. She’s quick, gets to the ball and puts the ball in a nice window. As an attacker, she jumps well and is smart with her shot selection. Kendall Hubbard S/RS Elevation 14 Molly: After a slow start to the opening round of pool play, Elevation picked up its play on Day 3 yet ran into a hot Club V 14 Ren Silver squad and came up one win shy of the gold bracket. Hubbard was a standout with her two-way play. She’s a solid setter who is consistent with her location. She’s also a strong attacker with a strong arm and contributes that way too. Andie Bowron S Top Select 14 Elite: We saw a lot of Bowron in Orlando but didn’t see too much of her until Day 3 here. She’s a bit undersized but she’s a gamer with high IQ. She’s quick and athletic and does well getting her feet to the ball. She also has a nice, soft touch and doesn’t miss her spots too often. Addison Thompson-Stepp L Legacy 14-1 Adidas: The way Thompson-Stepp gets after on the defensive end caught our eye. She’s energetic and is always hustling around trying to make plays and keep her team in the rally. She’s also a sound passer out of serve receive. Pulelehua Laikona L Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Laikona also brings a lot of energy to the libero position. She’s scrappy, passes well and can make highlight saves to keep the ball alive. She’s fast too, and can cover ground quickly.

The thought that the best is yet to come is crazy after considering the action that took place on Day 2 of 15 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. Teams were slugging it out in hopes of finishing in the top four of their respective pools and remaining in the fight for gold. Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – which earned bronze in 15 Open at AAUs – started off 1-2 and began Day 2 in need of victories to ensure it made it out. The way Pool 6 ended up was wild, with a four-way tie at 3-2 between four teams. Boiler Jrs was in that mix, along with Forza1 North 15 One, Alamo 15 Premier and AVC Cle 15 Red. NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami finished 2-3 and Premier Nebraska 15 Gold 1-4 and were not in the tiebreaker process. As it wound up, Forza North earned first place, with AVC taking second, Boiler Jrs third and Alamo fourth. It was an impressive performance from AVC to break pool, as AVC was the only No. 6 team in its pool to finish in the top four and move on. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing to be a No. 5 team in a pool as three of the six in that position made it out, including Aspire 15 Premier. Aspire went 4-1 and took second. Team Pineapple 15 Black went 2-3 and grabbed third in Pool 1, while Club V 15 Ren Reed ended 2-3 and in fourth in Pool 2. Teams which finished 5-0 through pool play were Skyline 15 Royal, Mintonette Sports m.51, SCVC 15 Roxy and Arizona Storm 15 Thunder. Mintonette defeated Skyline in the 15 Open final at AAUs and had a thriller with Hou Skyline 15 Royal to win Pool 2. Arizona Storm had a great run, beating higher seeds in Elevation 15 Tony and Austin Skyline 15 Royal to finish in first. SCVC upset TAV in the 1 v 2 match in Pool 3 to go 5-0 there. In Pool 4, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – a bronze medalist at AAUs – wound up 4-1 after losing to Madfrog 15 Green in its final pool match. However, Legacy already had first place on lock based on tiebreakers so it didn’t matter for Legacy. But it did matter for Madfrog, which went 3-2 and avoided being in a three-way tie and possibly missing out with a loss. As for Madfrog, it is in Pool 2 on Day 3 with Mintonette and Boiler Jrs. That’s a ridiculous three-team pool. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Milly McGee S SCVC 15 Roxy: McGee – a 4-star recruit – guided SCVC to a 5-0 record and big win over TAV. She sets a clean ball with consistent accuracy. She also does well moving it around and keeping defenses on their toes with her decisions. Audrey Flanagan OH SCVC 15 Roxy: Flanagan – a 5-star recruit – is among the top outsides in the division and it’s easy to see why. She has a whip for an arm and can let it fly from corner to corner with plenty of pace. Claire McNeal RS AZ Sky 15G: McNeal was coming through on the right side and giving AZ Sky a reliable option. She was swinging well, tooling blocks high hands or going cross court to the floor for winners. Kalli Lipo L Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Arizona Storm handled its business in going 5-0, with Lipo patrolling the back row. She was covering well and passing on point while bringing a defensive edge. Madisyn Crnjac OH Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Crnjac was carrying her responsibilities well. She’s a free-swinging outside who can deliver in a variety of ways and scores a lot of points. Cassidy Cage MB Michio 15 National: While Michio didn’t make it out, Cage made us take note. She’s a presence for Michio in the middle. She brings a scoring option as well as putting up a solid block. Elle Vandeweghe MB Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar: It’s really amazing that Vandeweghe – a 6-5 middle – started playing volleyball seven months ago. Given that, she’s an unbelievable prospect with tremendous upside. Jaycee Mack MB Wave 15 Brennan: Mack – part of the Class of 2027 – is an athletic middle with a strong arm. She can get out on the slide and crush balls. Alexa Telly MB Metro 15 Travel: Telly was another middle doing her thing who we had to note. She can get up and hit hard as defenses need to be aware of her. Caydence Doolan OH Metro 15 Travel: Doolan takes a lot of swings and is a mainstay in the offense. She’s lanky with a nice arm and contacts at a high point. Nadiya Shelby RS Hou Skyline 15 Royal: Shelby is a sensational athlete and a huge prospect. She flies on the right side and extends way up. Then she can let it rip. Aviya Russo OH Academy 15 HP Daniele: Academy had a tough time in pool play but Russo was shining on the outside. She’s a lanky outside with a lively arm and can rocket balls.

When it comes to the 14 Open seedings at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago, they are holding up fairly well considering the topsy-turviness of the age group in general. Of course, there are exceptions and one of them continues to be at-large recipient Tejas 14 Black. After upsetting No. 2 overall seed Tstreet 14 Carson on Day 1, Tejas went 2-0 on Day 2 and finished 4-1. Tstreet also finished 4-1 but based on the head-to-head result Tejas took first place as the No. 6 team in Pool 2. In terms of seeding, there were 12 teams which made up either the No. 5 or 6 team in their respective pools. Tejas is one of three which managed to advance to the second round of pool play, which features eight, three-team pools with the top-two advancing to challenge play. The other two joining Tejas are Club V 14 Ren Silver and Rage 14 Garren. Club V went 4-1 in Pool 3 to finish in second place behind Arizona Storm 14 Thunder. Obviously, Club V’s lone loss came to Storm with victories over Madfrog 14 Green, MAVS 14-1, Forza1 One 14 North and VCNebraska 14 Elite. Rage advanced as the No. 3 team with a 3-2 mark. Rage actually started off 0-2 and was in serious danger of not moving on. However, Rage came out ahead on in its final three outings, beating Legacy 14-1 Adidas to end Day 1 and then taking care of Excel 14 National Red and Mintonette Sports m.41 on Day 2. Teams heading into Day 3 pool play without a loss still include TAV 14 Black, Storm, Skyline 14 Royal, Drive Nation 14 Red and AP 14 Adidas. With Tstreet losing, it creates an interesting Pool 6 for Day 3 featuring AP, Tstreet and Forza North. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Sophia Puleo OH OT 14 Laura: Puleo was showing off her power. She’s a physical hitter who can drop the hammer down. She’s strong enough to go right through blocks and gives OT a dynamic 1-2 punch. Leilani Lawrence OH OT 14 Laura: Lawrence has a lively arm and can rip balls corner to corner. She gets up and has great range, hitting wrist-away shots for sharp-angled winners. Ella Horvick L/DS OT 14 Laura: We saw lots of Horvick in Orlando recently at AAUs and she brought her defensive tenacity to Chicago. She’s a steady defender and passer who plays under control. Mckennah Iamaleava OH Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar: Iamaleava was solid in her role. She especially stood out with a few big-time defensive plays at middle back in keeping balls that were absolutely crushed in play. Rubi Silva S Absolute 14 Black: Absolute has a pair of strong setters. Silva is a bit undersized, yet she is quick and has a nice release. She sets behind her well too. Blake Cussen RS Absolute 14 Black: Cussen, a lefty, is a six-rotation right side who Absolute likes to get involved as much as possible. She swings from the left, from the right, from the back and is able to rip balls. Jaedyn Riley S Rage 14 Garren: Riley is part of why Rage managed to make it out of the pool as the No. 6 team. She does well connecting with her hitters and has a nice release. McKenna McIntosh OH Rage 14 Garren: McIntosh is a strong, physical attacker who hits a heavy ball. She’s a featured part of the attack and is the go-to hitter Rage relies on to carry the offense. Peyton Heatherly S/RS Lions 14-1: Heatherly is a name to know. She has a bright future with her ability to set and hit. She’s a wirey attacker with a loose arm who can hit with plenty of pace. Tessa Larkin OH Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Larkin is an all-around talent who gets up and delivers. She has a great swing and snap and provides plenty of offense. Marissa Jones S A5 14 Helen: Jones – a 5-star athlete – is a next-level star who is in total control setting. She pulls off sets others in the division simply aren’t capable of making. She’s a tremendous athlete with great hands. Samantha Chavis OH Academy 14 Diamond: Chavis was coming with it on the attack. She can get up, takes aggressive swings and was delivering for her team. Kherynton Chinnis MB Drive Nation 14 Red: Chinnis was impressive in the middle. She’s athletic, gets up well and can crush balls down when the opportunity presents itself.