Chris Tobolski

It’s always fun traversing the country and coming across players we have not seen before. Part of the vballrecruiter.com team spent the past weekend in Cleveland at the JVA Rock’N Rumble doing exactly that. You can catch up on Day 1 happenings here and see who took home the trophies here. Below, we highlight the Show Stoppers from the weekend, the players who caught our attention the most over the two days. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Maddie Zechman S/RS EliteVBTC 16 Black: Elite tied for fifth after falling to AVC Cle 16 White in the quarterfinals. Zechman was sound all weekend playing a dual role setting and hitting. We never saw her leave the floor and she contributed in big ways. Kayden McKinney OH EliteVBTC 16 Black: McKinney had her moments, flashing upside as she delivered impressive kills. She’s a wirey outside with a nice arm and she carried her share of the attack. Eva Dittmar OH EliteVBTC 17 Black: Dittmar is a solid outside with a fluid arm. She’s one of the keys on offense, getting the ball quite a bit and helping keep the offense ticking along. Alec Rothe MB Elite VBTC 17 Black: We mentioned Rothe on Day 1 as well. The 4-star Florida recruit is an amazing talent. At 6-3, her length separates her and combined with her big arm, she’s a for-sure next-level contributor. Jenna Shedden OH Southwest 16 Ashley: Southwest had a weekend, reaching the semifinals before falling to eventual champ Pitt Elite 16 Elite. Shedden was a strong contributor throughout the weekend. She stayed aggressive on the outside and was asked to hold it down offensively. Makenna Quigley RS CVC 16 Black: An undersized right side, Quigley has a lively arm and doesn’t hold back. She was getting after it on the attack and giving CVC a threat on the right side that defenses had to respect. Reagan Ennist OH LVC 17-1 (2025): The 6-2 Ennist is a 4-star recruit who caught our attention walking by a court with her length and big arm. She was blasting balls consistently as she was going over smaller blocks like nothing. Chloe Smith RS AVC Cle 16 White: Smith was part of a surprising AVC team that reached the final on Sunday. Smith is an athletic right side who can get off the ground and send it down. Smaller or late blockers paid the price time and time again as she shined in her offensive role. Thea Beran L/DS AVC Cle 16 White: Beran was a steady, reliable passer. She did well keeping AVC in system and helping AVC have a successful weekend. Mi-Na Diggs OH AVC Cle 16 White: Both outsides were key for AVC. Diggs is undersized but she jumps well and isn’t deterred challenging bigger blocks. She gets after it and doesn’t hold back. Fiona Greulich OH AVC Cle 16 White: A lot of the same can be said of Greulich, who gave AVC an inspirational 1-2 punch on the outside. Greulich is also undersized compared to others in the division but she was a firecracker on the left and helped lift AVC. Cassidy Trahan L/DS Pitt Elite 16 Elite: Pitt Elite pulled off the surprise victory and took home the gold. Trahan was a solid presence in the back row and did well defending her space. Ella Koziara OH Pitt Elite 16 Elite: Pitt will rotate their OH2s, with Koziara taking care of business when she was called upon. She’s a hard hitter and brings some power to the attack. Ella Nicotra OH Pitt Elite 16 Elite: Nictora is the tallest member of the Pitt attack. Her length helped at times when she could go against smaller blockers. Natalie Carr OH Pitt Elite 16 Elite (2026): We wrote about Carr on Day 1. The six-rotation mainstay was back at it on Day 2. While Pitt can rotate lineups, we didn’t see Carr come off the court. She was an all-around contributor and a big part of why Pitt took home gold. Isabelle Hoppe S Pitt Elite 16 Elite: Hoppe is another Day 1 Show Stopper we highlighted. She’s a stoic setter, hardly ever showing any emotion. She’s really steady and consistent with her location and sets a very hittable ball. *** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Amber Watson OH NOVA 16 Navy: Watson was giving NOVA a steady scoring option as she delivered her share of points. She was also showing up well in serve receive, putting the ball on target consistently. Julia Angert L/DS Clev Prime 16.1: Angert was holding it down in the back row and doing well extending rallies. Jordyn Hughes MB Dead Frog 16 Black: At 5-10 and touching 10-0, Hughes has no issues getting off the ground. She’s a quick leaper at that. When Dead Frog was able to connect cleanly with her, watch out. Hughes can get up and send it down in a hurry. Kaylie McIntosh OH OPVC 16 Robinson: We wrote a bit about McIntosh above. She’s a key offensive piece for OPVC. When she’s able to really extend and connect, it’s fun to watch. Mariah Gaines OH OPVC 16 Robinson: With Gaines, opponents don’t get a break. She’s a different hitter than McIntosh but she can be equally effective. She sent a couple to the floor that had the fans clapping in appreciation. Zari Gillispie MB OPVC 16 Robinson: Gillispie is a very active middle. She’s always moving, trying to read to set up the block or get herself positioned to attack. Natalie Carr OH Pitt Elite 16 Elite (2026): Carr is playing up and is a six-rotation anchor for Pitt Elite. She provides offense both front and back row and helps to steady out serve receive. Isabelle Hoppe S Pitt Elite 16 Elite (2026): Hoppe is also playing up an age group. She has a soft, consistent touch and locates well. Isabelle Bardin S/RS Metro 16 Travel: Bardin does a lot for Metro, from her setting to her hitting. She’s able to

With the seedings tossed in the air on a wild Day 1, who knew what the conclusion of 17 Open was going to look like as the JVA Rock’N Rumble wrapped up in Cleveland on Sunday? As for 16 Open, a mild Day 1 quickly gave way to a big upset to open Day 2. A couple of thoughts I walked away from Saturday with was Metro 16 Travel was a true No. 1 seed in 16 Open and should be able to hold it all the way through. Another centered around Pitt Elite 16 Elite. Despite being the No. 15 seed overall, Pitt Elite looked like a dark horse or sleeper team which could rise up and surprise. As the draw happened to break in 16 Open, it was Metro and Pitt Elite matched up against each other in one of the eight challenge matches Sunday morning, with the winner getting a spot in the gold bracket quarterfinals. Something had to give though, either Metro knocking out a potential sleeper or Pitt Elite delivering the upset and looking to keep it rolling. After a true thriller with Pitt Elite escaping, 21-25, 25-17, 23-21, we had part of our answer. Now, could Pitt Elite finish the deal? Pitt kept it going by downing Defensa 16 Purple, 25-19, 24-26, 15-10, and Southwest 16 Ashley, 27-25, 25-18, to reach the final, where another surprise team was waiting in AVC Cle 16 White. AVC opened as the No. 12 overall seed, going 2-1 on Day 1 with a loss to Pakmen 16U Gold. Yet, AVC got hot on Day 2 and was playing very well, taking out Rock City 16-1 in challenge play then upsetting both EliteVBTC 16 Black, 25-23, 21-25, 15-8, and OPVC 16 Robinson, 28-26, 25-19, to set up the unexpected clash for the title. It was Pitt Elite hoisting the trophy after outlasting AVC in three, 25-16, 22-25, 15-11. Last year, Pitt Elite took 33rd in 15 National in Indy and with most everyone back will look to jump up the charts this season. Winning Rock’N Rumble is a great start, especially beating an Open hopeful like Metro on the way to the championship. In 17 Open, it was No. 6 overall seed Rock City 17-1 sweeping its way to the championship, including taking down HRVC Hurricanes 17, 25-13, 25-22, in the final. Rock City scored a solid victory in the semifinals, sweeping original top seed Legacy 17-1 Adidas in the semifinals. Legacy was upset by AVC Cle 17 White on Day 1, part of an afternoon full of them. However, AVC was unable to make it past Sunday morning’s challenge bracket, falling to Maverick 17 Elite, 25-22, 25-21. Meanwhile, Legacy fended off EliteVBTC 17 Black, 22-25, 25-19, 15-12, while Rock City swept NOVA Jrs 17 Navy, 25-20, 25-15, as both advanced. In 18 Open, Pakmen 18 Gold swept EliteVBTC 18 Black, 26-24, 29-27, in the championship match. Pakmen went 6-0 on the weekend. CVC 18 Black and Premier Academy 18 Onitsuka finished tied for third. We’ll have our tournament Show Stoppers from Rock’N Rumble out this week as well, so check back for that.

Two-day tournaments come and go so fast! By the time the first day is over we are already in championship mode by the start of Day 2. That’s the case at the JVA Rock’N Rumble in Cleveland, where part of the vballrecruiter.com team is this weekend to witness the action on the chilly shores of Lake Erie. The big headline from Saturday came from 17 Open, where AVC Cle 17 White upset top-seeded Legacy 17-1 Adidas in three, 20-25, 25-21, 15-7, to win Pool 1 and take over the top spot. Right behind was EliteVBTC 17 Black. As the No. 3 team in Pool 2, Elite upset No. 2 overall seed Maverick 17 Elite, 23-25, 25-23, 18-16, to move up as well. In fact, it was a trend on Day 1 in 17 Open. Rock City 17-1 was the only No. 1 team out of six pools to win its pool. Rock City went 3-0 to hold seed. But in Pool 3, No. 2 VolleyFX 17 Rapture took first and No. 3 Legacy 16-1 Adidas – playing up – grabbed second as both advanced to Sunday morning’s challenge matches for a spot in the gold bracket. The madness continued in Pool 4 as OPVC 17 Day, Summit 17 Blue Elite and HRVC Hurricanes all finished 2-1. However, OPVC – the No. 1 team in the pool – took third based on tiebreakers as HRVC finished first and Summit second. As for Pool 5, it was Preds 17U Strive, the No. 2 team, and NOVA Jrs 17 Navy, the No. 4 team, finishing 1-2 and advancing. The chaos was mainly reserved for 17 Open, as 16 Open was much calmer. L2 16-1 was the only No. 1 team not to advance after finishing in a three-way tie at 2-1 with Defensa 16 Purple and Nexus United 16 Gold. In Pool 3, the No. 1 team in Southwest 16 Ashley went 2-1 and finished second behind 3-0 EliteVBTC 16 Black, the No. 2 team, but still advanced. Before getting to the Day 1 Show Stoppers, let’s shine the light on a few contenders. METRO 16 TRAVEL: After taking fifth in 15 American last summer one goal of this Metro group this year is to qualify into Open. I’m curious if Metro can make it happen and it’s something to follow as qualifying season plays out. Metro definitely looks improved from a year ago. One key piece is Isabelle Bardin. She’s a stalwart on the court, setting in the back and hitting across the front. Metro was using Ryan Hicks to set in the back row when Bardin came across the front. Metro is plenty offensive with Jada Aksu on the right when she’s front row and Bardin setting back row. Aksu gets up quickly and can really rip it. Another area of strength comes on the outside with Madison Smith and Leni Stanton-Parker. Stanton-Parker is new to the roster this year and certainly adds more firepower with her lively arm and ability to blast balls down. Smith is a hard-hitter as well, bringing some physicality to the attack with it. In the middle it was Kristen Moore and Caitlin Johnson holding it down while Evie Huang was steady at libero. Metro, the top seed in 16 Open, had a light day Saturday, going 2-0 in a three-team pool where they played three sets no matter what. Metro went 5-1 in sets, sweeping Dead Frog 16 Black and going 2-1 against HRVC Hurricanes. OPVC 16 ROBINSON: Seeded No. 2 behind Metro, OPVC wrapped up its day going 3-0 overall and 6-1 in sets as OPVC needed three to down Pitt Elite 16 Elite. I’m not sure OPVC can crack Open this spring but I can see this team having a high finish in National or USA. There are definitely pieces to work with. Two of the best are on the left in 6-2 Kaylie McIntosh and 5-10 Mariah Gaines. McIntosh is tall with a solid arm. Gaines has a good arm too and hits with power. They are nice 1-2 punch on the outside. Zari Gillispie adds excitement across the front row as a middle. She’s springy and quick. Another option in the middle is 6-1 Reagan Waller. Tori Cravens was setting and hitting while Lilliana Gentes was setting in the back row. PITT ELITE 16 ELITE: While Metro and OPVC looked appropriately seeded and are favorites to meet for gold on Sunday, how about a sleeper team? Why not Pitt Elite? The group took OPVC to three sets in the 1 v 2 contest to end Pool 2 Saturday, dropping the third 15-10. Helping Pitt Elite challenge OPVC for first in the pool was the duo of Natalie Carr (2026) and Ella Koziara on the outside, as well as Isabelle Hoppe (2026) setting and Cassidy Trahan defending at libero. *** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Amber Watson OH NOVA 16 Navy: Watson was giving NOVA a steady scoring option as she delivered her share of points. She was also showing up well in serve receive, putting the ball on target consistently. Julia Angert L/DS Clev Prime 16.1: Angert was holding it down in the back row and doing well extending rallies. Jordyn Hughes MB Dead Frog 16 Black: At 5-10 and touching 10-0, Hughes has no issues getting off the ground. She’s a quick leaper at that. When Dead Frog was able to connect cleanly with her, watch out. Hughes can get up and send it down in a hurry. Kaylie McIntosh OH OPVC 16 Robinson: We wrote a bit about McIntosh above. She’s a key offensive piece for OPVC. When she’s able to really extend and connect, it’s fun to watch. Mariah Gaines OH OPVC 16 Robinson: With Gaines, opponents don’t get a break. She’s a different hitter than McIntosh but she can be equally effective. She sent a couple to the floor that had the fans clapping in appreciation. Zari Gillispie MB OPVC 16 Robinson: Gillispie is a very active

Moving down the age groups it’s time for the 15s Preseason All-Americans! We began with the 18s, which you can find here. We followed that with the 17s and then 16s. Below, you can see the 22 players selected as 15s Preseason All-Americans. OH – Finley Krystkowiak Wave 15 Brennan OH – Gabi Divita Legacy 15-1 Adidas OH – Henley Anderson AP 15 Adidas OH – Layla Austin Skyline 15 Royal OH – Layla Hoying Mintonette Sports m.51 OH – Cali Foster Boiler Jrs 15 Gold MB – Keoni Williams Skyline 15 Royal MB – Kayla Nwabueze Legacy 15-1 Adidas MB – Bennett Raterman HPSTL 15 Royal MB – Margaret Czajka MKE Sting 15 Gold RS – Caroline Ward Boiler Jrs 15 Gold S/RS – Danielle Whitmire TAV 15 Black S/RS – Rayna Christianson Northern Lights 15-1 S/RS – Sydney Lund Austin Skyline 15 Royal   S/RS – Eva Swenson MN Select 15-1 S – Lexi Shondell Boiler Jrs 15 Gold S – Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m.51 S – Genevieve Harris NC Academy 15 Diamond L – Gabi Rodriguez Madfrog 15 Green L – Emma Cugino Mintonette Sports m.51 L – Ellie Hepler Boiler Jrs 15 Gold L – Meredith Martin Legacy 15-1 Adidas

We ended last week with the start of our 2023 Club Preseason All-Americans. You can find the 18s division here and the 17s division here. Up next are the 16s and the 22 players named Preseason All-Americans. OH – Suli Davis Drive Nation 16 Red OH – Teraya Sigler Arizona Storm 16 Thunder OH – Megan Fitch Alamo 16 Premier OH – Bailey Warren Hou Skyline 16 Royal OH – Kaci Demaria Surfside 16 PV Legends OH – Kelly Kinney Tribe 16 Elite MB – Zoe Gillen-Malveaux Drive Nation 16 Red MB – Bayleigh Minor Hou Skyline 16 Royal MB – Kalyssa Blackshear Surfside 16 PV Legends MB – Jordan Taylor HJV 16 Elite RS – Carly Gilk MN Select 16-1 RS – Mesaiya Bettis Northern Lights 16-1 RS – Addison Gaido Austin Skyline 16 Royal S/RS – Logan Parks MAVS KC 16-1 S/RS – Annabelle Groomes AVC Cle Rox 16 Red S – Campbell Flynn Legacy 16 Adidas S – Kassidy O’Brien Hou Skyline 16 Royal S – Charlotte Glass Tribe 16 Elite L – Addison Applegate Munciana 16 Blaze L – Izzy Mahaffey Arizona Storm 16 Elite L – Francesca Popescu A5 16 Gabe L – Callie Krueger Austin Skyline 16 Royal

With Christmas and New Year’s in the rearview, the first weekend of 2023 meant one thing. Volleyball action! One of the many events taking place was the SCVA Power League Event 1 for the 16 and 18s age groups. That’s where I spent the weekend, splitting time between CLAVA and Momentous. Below, you can find the Show Stoppers from the weekend. Kayden Croy OH Rancho Valley 18 Premier – Rancho Valley had an uphill climb facing the other top teams in the SCVA 18s Power League this weekend but Croy was a bright spot with her play. She showed off a solid arm, hitting with pace and placement. She also was staying aggressive going against bigger blocks. AnnaMaria Ramos OH Vegas Aces 18 UA – Ramos, who is headed to Air Force, is a workhorse on the left for Vegas Aces. She’s a six-rotation player and a key contributor. Even against bigger and better teams, she was able to score with consistency. She has a nice arm with a loose swing. Sarah Wilson OH Temecula 18 Viper – Wilson is fearless on the attack. Temecula doesn’t have the punch of say a Wave or Coast but Wilson doesn’t back down from the challenge. She has a lively arm and isn’t afraid to let it loose and challenge blockers. Ellie Nichols RS Temecula 18 Viper – At 6-1, Nichols is a presence across the front row. She has a physical aspect to her on both sides of the ball. She can take up space on the right side and can make it tough on attackers to find space. She also hits a heavy ball and is someone who can add to the offense when she’s in. Tate Drageset OH Actyve 18 Black – We caught Drageset leading Buckley to the CA Div. 3 state runner up this past fall. Suiting up for Actyve, not much has changed except the uniform. Drageset has a slight frame that defies expectations when she goes on the attack. Don’t be fooled, she can rip it. She’s the main offensive weapon for Actyve and she’s a threat both front and back row. Carly Greskovics L Actyve 18 Black – Greskovics, a Michigan recruit, comes over from Sunshine. She’s used to playing at a high-level in club and she was solid in the back for Actyve when we caught her. Actyve is not a big team by 18s standards and Greskovics adds a ball-control presence to help keep Actyve in system. Nikki Hughes RS Actyve 18 Black – A 6-0 lefty right side, Hughes joined Actyve after playing for SG Elite last season. She’s committed to UC Riverside and she was showing what she can do at the next level during Saturday’s action. Hughes has a nice arm and she can definitely score in system. She seems to have a good court sense and knack for finding the open space. Sydney Bold L Coast 18 Ozhan – Coast finished two days of play undefeated, coming out on top of the 18s. One of the big strengths of this team is its physicality but it’s backed by great defensive play, with Bold – a 3-star Princeton recruit – leading the charge. Bold is business-like at the position. She gets the job done with steady, consistent play. Claire Little OH Coast 18 Ozhan – Little gives Coast its big arm on the left that top 18s teams need. Her play Saturday was representative of what we’ve come to appreciate about her game. The 4-star BYU recruit  is a competitor but will show her lighter side on the court at times, releasing a sly smile or laugh. She’s a threat no matter where she is and just being on the court she opens up the dynamic of the Coast attack. Tanon Rosenthal S/RS Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar – Rosenthal is a new member of Beach’s roster this season, having come from Texas and playing at Mira Costa for high school. She’s a natural fit on this team with her ability to both set and hit. Rosenthal, who is committed to Arizona for beach, is also a player who doesn’t draw a lot of attention to herself, just going about her play without much fanfare but Beach wouldn’t have had the weekend it did without her. Mele Corral-Blagojevich OH Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar – We’ve been writing this about Blagojevich – a 4-star Oklahoma recruit – for years. Her power always stands out, whether she’s going for a kill or ripping a jump serve. She hits the ball hard! She’s also a heady player who sees the court well and understands the game at a high level. Olivia Babcock OH/RS Sunshine 18 LA – Babcock was used a lot in serve receive as the Sunshine staff continues to develop Babcock’s all-around game. One thing remains the same though and that’s the 5-star Pitt recruit’s ability to simply score. She’s long and lengthy and she gets up. She’s able to attack at angles that others aren’t and it puts extra stress on the defense to try and cover it all. Ava-Marie Lange OH Sunshine 18 LA – A 4-star Harvard recruit, we loved the way Lange was playing. There’s no doubt that Babcock and Torrey Stafford carry much of the offense for Sunshine. But Lange – who was part of Sunshine’s 18 Open gold medal roster last spring – is a capable scorer who can help take a load off of those two. She put away a couple of really big swings. She could play a key role filling in on both the left and right. Cayla Payne MB Wave 18 Juliana – Payne was a force at the net. The 4-star Colorado recruit was very active across the front row. Her blocking was disruptive as she covered pin-to-pin. She also made spectators take note offensively. One thing Wave does well is run the slide and Payne can certainly connect on it. Eva Rohrbach MB Wave 18 Juliana –

vballrecruiter.com is in the process of releasing its 2023 Club Preseason All-Americans. We kicked it off by naming the 22 members of the 18s Preseason All-American team. Next in line is the 17s, followed by the 16 and 15s next week. We present vballrecruiter.com’s 2023 17s Preseason All-American team, featuring 22 of the top athletes from the division. OH – Cari Spears TAV 17 Black OH – Skyler Pierce Dynasty 17 Black OH – Carlie Cisneros Dynasty 17 Black OH – Hannah Benjamin A5 17 Jing OH – Jadyn Livings TAV 17 Black OH – Emerson Sellman Metro 17 Travel MB – Favor Anyanwu TAV 17 Black MB – Ayden Ames Drive Nation 17 Red MB – Zoey Burgess Club V 17 Ren MB – Mia Hood A5 17 Jing RS – Abigail Mullen Dynasty 17 Black RS – Molly Kate Patten A5 17 Jing RS – Grace Carroll Drive Nation 17 Red RS – Ryan Hunter Triangle 17 Black S – Reese Messer Dynasty 17 Black S – Charlie Fuerbringer Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar S – Izzy Starck Co Jrs 17 Kevin S – Nayelis Cabello Top Select 17 Elite L – Ryan McAleer Dynasty 17 Black L – Gillan Pitts TAV 17 Black L – Gabriela Cornier A5 17 Jing L – Faith Frame Premier Nebraska 17 Gold

January’s excitement level is a tough one to top. It’s when the new club season begins to really get into gear as teams start traveling the country to compete. Optimism and hope are high. Everyone is looking to better themselves and improve on the season before. We are excited here at vballrecruiter.com because we get to experience it together for the first time. We didn’t officially launch the website until April of last season, so we missed one of the most exciting months of the year! It’s okay, as we are here from the beginning for the 2023 club season. You can check out our club articles so far, as we checked on teams from the 15, 16, 17 and 18s division. We also highlighted 19 top players who have new clubs for upcoming season. And soon, we’ll be releasing our National Rankings as well. Now, we present you with vballrecruiter.com’s 2023 18s Preseason All-American team, featuring 22 of the top athletes from the oldest division. OH – Jurnee Robinson A5 18 Marc OH – Julia Blyashov Wave 18 Juliana OH – Torrey Stafford Sunshine 18 LA OH – Jordyn Harvey Club V 18 OH – Blaire Bayless Madfrog 18 Green OH – Mele Corral-Blagojevich Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar MB – Reese Robins Drive Nation 18 Red MB – Brooke Bultema Elevation 18 Spinney MB – Eloise Brandewie Mintonette Sports m.81 MB – Nya Bunton KiVA 18 Red RS – Grace Heaney Premier Nebraska 18 Gold RS – Olivia Babcock Sunshine 18 LA RS – Noemie Glover Coast 18 Ozhan RS – Sam Hoppes Drive Nation 18 Red S – Lily Nicholson Drive Nation 18 Red S – Audrey Clark TAV 18 Black S – Stella Swenson MN Select 18-1 S – Kennedy Phelan Ozark Jrs 18 National L – Alyssa Manitzas Alamo 18 Premier L – Ramsey Gary Munciana 18 Samurai L – Gigi Navarrete 1st Alliance 18 Gold L – Olivia Mauch Premier Nebraska 18 Gold