Chris Tobolski

Over the past two weeks we’ve checked in on teams from the 15, 16, 17 and 18s divisions as we started diving into the club season. In doing so, we’ve already noted a few players who have switched clubs for the new year. That led us to compiling a list of 4 and 5-star athletes who are representing different teams and who figure to make tremendous impacts doing so. 5 STARS Alex Acevedo SR OH NPJ 18 Forefront (Oregon): Acevedo leaving Idaho Crush and moving to NPJ instantly boosted her new team. With 48 teams qualifying for 18 Open, NPJ could have found its way into the field regardless. However, their chances greatly increase with Acevedo. She gives NPJ a high-level outside who is going to be the go-to hitter and able to carry a big load offensively.   Ayden Ames JR MB/OH Drive Nation 17 Red (Nebraska): Ames leaving TAV to join Drive Nation is obviously one of the biggest club changes this season. Ames’ height and length allows her to really extend and contact the ball at a high point. She’s a game-changing presence across the front row. She also brings versatility to the roster. She played both right side and middle last year in club and spent this past high school season hitting on the outside. Ryan Hunter SO RS Triangle 17 Black: This could be a major move! Hunter going from CJV to Triangle is one switch we are definitely keeping tabs on. Triangle was very competitive in 16 Open last year, winning the Big South Qualifier and finishing tied for 13th at Junior Nationals. The main cast of characters is back for Triangle, so adding a player like Hunter naturally brings high hopes and excitement. She also seems like a perfect fit because Triangle is strong on the left with 4-star outsides Kiarrah Horne and Asia Thigpen. What they didn’t have is a consistent, threatening right side attack. Hunter, at 6-1 and a high flyer, brings that instantly. She can hit out of the back row too and it’s going to be really fun seeing setter Emily Bobbitt utilizing Hunter’s talents this year. Not sure Hunter’s arrival elevates Triangle into the best-of-the-best conversation but it might! Cari Spears SO OH TAV 17 Black: Spears – who was the vballrecruiter.com 2022 High School Sophomore Player of the Year after a dominating season at Prestonwood Christian – comes to TAV after playing for Metro last season. Spears, the top hitting prospect in her class, is playing up a year but that won’t keep her from making a huge impact. She’s 6-3 with a powerful arm and capable of scoring from all over. She’ll be playing with a few of her high school teammates as well, so she figures to fit right in. TAV wasn’t lacking for an offensive punch already having 5-star athletes Jadyn Livings and Favor Anyanwu on the roster. Now with Spears also factored in, opposing defenses are going to face an unrelenting attack. Good luck! Lameen Mambu SO OH Metro 17 Travel: The what ifs of this one are fun. Like, what if Spears stayed at Metro and would have been teamed with Mambu this season, either on the 16s or on the 17s if both played up? We won’t know the answer to that but we’ll soon find out how much Mambu coming from Paramount to Metro will help her new squad. Mambu is crazy athletic and jumps really well. Metro was in the top half of Open as a 16s team. Metro essentially lost Spears but gained Mambu. It should keep Metro in the mix again. Kirra Musgrove SO S/RS Houston Skyline 17 Royal: Part of Hou Skyline beefing up its roster this season is adding Musgrove, who comes over from HJV. Musgrove played her age group last year in the 15s, but will jump to 17s with her new club. Musgrove’s next-level talent is easy to see. She’s tall, smooth and has smarts. She set and hit last year with HJV so she also brings versatility to the lineup. Looking at Hou Skyline’s roster, it seems likely they’ll be running a 6-2 this season with Musgrove clearly a part of it. Hou Skyline qualified for Open last year but wasn’t a medal contender. Adding Musgrove plus others might not boost Hou Skyline to that level but this squad should be more competitive. Samara Coleman SO OH Houston Skyline 17 Royal: Coleman is another new member to Hou Skyline. The high-flying 6-1 outside who jumps 30 inches comes over from TAV Houston. She’s also going to be playing up an age group in the 17s. Adding Coleman certainly brings more pop to the attack. Hou Skyline was thin in that area last season and by adding Coleman Hou Skyline should definitely have more firepower to throw at opponents. Kelly Kinney SO OH Tribe 16 Elite: Playing with Boomers last year, Kinney flew under the radar. She’s a remarkable talent with her length and scoring ability. Joining Tribe should help both sides. For starters, Kinney joins a roster that already includes 5-star setter Charlotte Glass. Glass to Kinney already seems like one of the best connections in the division and it could be the reason Tribe is able to make the move and qualify for Open this season. Tribe already had the high-flying Tekoa Barnes on the left, so Glass working with both Barnes and Kinney should be exciting! Keoni Williams FR MB Skyline 15 Royal: Any team Williams winds up on is going to make that team better. She left Frisco Flyers for Skyline this season but because of lots of roster turnover it remains to be seen where this Skyline version stands. Only two players are back from last year’s 14s that tied for 23rd in 14 Open, but that doesn’t mean anything with such a new look. Still, with the 6-4 Williams in the middle Skyline knows it has a force in the front row anytime she checks in.

If you have been following along, you know by now the plan is to start releasing our Club National Rankings in the next couple of weeks. We’ve been gearing up for that task by checking in on a few teams while we do our digging in each age division. We’ve made it through the 18s, 17s and 16s. Now, it’s time for the 15s! We preview 10 teams, among them top contenders, teams on the rise and a team looking to crack Open this spring. MINTONETTE SPORTS M.51: It was Mintonette coming on and capturing the 14 Open gold medal in Indy last summer. It wasn’t a shocker but a surprise nevertheless. It’s a competitive age group, so does Mintonette have enough pieces back to repeat? The short answer is yes, though obviously it’s going to be a very difficult task with all the top teams in the hunt. One of Mintonette’s advantages last season came on the pins with 3-star outsides Sara Snowbarger and Layla Hoying and both return. That’s a great start. Also back is 3-star setter Mallory Matheny and 4-star L/DS Emma Cugino. Among the additions is 6-1 outside Mackenzie Palumbo, who’ll add depth on the pins. ELEVATION 15 TONY: It was an all-Ohio Valley Region showdown last summer in the 14 Open semifinals, as Elevation fell to Mintonette and finished with the bronze medal. Similarly, there was not much roster movement for Elevation, which will once more look to make a deep run this coming summer. Key contributors back include 3-star setter Makenna Kirlin, 3-star middle Sydney Geselbracht, 3-star L/DS Ella Grimes and 3-star outsides Cara Richter and Sidney Sprada. The only newcomers are middles Kendall Northern and Grace Herzog. MADFROG 15 GREEN: Madfrog entered JNs as the top seed after a remarkable regular season and ended tying for fifth in 14 Open in Indy. Unlike Mintonette and Elevation, the changes to Madfrog’s roster were more extensive. Six players return from last year – 4-star L/DS Gabi Rodriguez, 3-star right side Dawn Moore, 3-star setter Jaidyn Hartsfield and 3-star OH/DS Balire Bowers, as well as outside Simone Heard and middle Katelyn Lindsay. Joining the team for this season is 3-star outside Kennedy Crayton and 3-star middle Hannah Lee. It remains to be seen if Madfrog can contend for a national championship like last season but there’s plenty of talent on the team to be in the upper half of Open. LEGACY 15-1 ADIDAS: As 14s last year, Legacy didn’t qualify for Open though the club did take bronze in 14 Open at AAUs. However, there’s plenty of reason to believe an Open bid will come the club’s way as 15s this season. With six of the 10 players returning plus the key additions, Legacy could be among the top teams in the country once things begin clicking. The big news comes with 5-star outside Gabi Divita. She played up on the 15s last season as an eighth-grader and will remain on the 15s as a freshman. She was one of the top outsides in the division last season and figures to be even better this year. On top of that, 3-star recruit and 6-3 middle Ella Andrews is part of the returning group. Andrews was hurt on the 14s last year and missed the second half of the season. Legacy will have the arms with Divita and Andrews combining with 5-star recruit Kayla Nwabueze. The 6-0 middle was also on the 14s last year, along with 3-star setter Eva Long and 4-star L/DS Meredith Martin. Among the players added are outside Aubree Deshetsky and 6-1 middle Gina Fedrigo. TAV 15 BLACK: Last season TAV was among the top contending clubs throughout the year and proved as much with a fifth-place showing at JNs. While the roster did feature some turnover, many key parts are back and that should keep TAV among the upper echelon of teams. Included in the returning players is 5-star S/RS Danielle Whitmire and 5-star middle Kinsley Young, as well as 3-star outside Kylie Kleckner and 3-star middle Jayla Jackson. Included in the players coming over to TAV is 3-star outside Sophia Davila, 3-star OH Kennedy Simon and 3-star middle Brooklyn Bailey. SG ELITE 15 ROSH: San Gabriel made a surprise run to the 14 Open semis, leaving Indy with a bronze medal after upsetting Madfrog in the quarterfinals. Any success that comes SG’s way in 2023 will happen with essentially the same roster. Just two spots changed, with just about everyone coming back. That includes 4-star outside Kylie Parker, 3-star outside Aberdeen Callaway, 3-star L/DS Tatawan Vongfak and 3-star setter Ellie Chu. MKE STING 15 GOLD: Sting showed how competitive of a group it was during a season in which it finished tied for 11th in 14 Open at JNs. With minimal roster change, Sting figures to be a challenging matchup for opponents once more. The biggest switch is middle Allie Beers moving up to the 16s. Returning for Sting though is 4-star middle Margaret Czajka, 3-star L/DS Cassie Bruns, 3-star outside Natalie Surges, 3-star outside Marlee Sivak and 3-star setter Brooke Baldwin. HOU SKYLINE 15 ROYAL: Hou Skyline turned in a solid performance in 14 Open last year in Indy, going 7-3 and tying for ninth. However, it’s a reworked lineup, though one that should still be in the top half of Open teams. Among those returning are 3-star outside Halle Thompson and 3-star middle Lacy Tinnell, as well as L/DSs Victoria Shupe and Lauryn Wiley. Key additions are 3-star outside Nadi’ya Shelby and outside Jayden Robinson. Both are 6-1 and should add more to the attack. TOP SELECT 15 ELITE: This is one club we’ll be keeping tabs on to see if Top Select can make the leap into Open this spring. Last in 14s, Top Select finished tied for fifth in 14 Open at AAUs and captured the 14 National gold medal at JNs. That shows they were right on the cusp of breaking through, something they’ll hope

Happy New Year! Welcome to our first article of 2023. We are into January and the official start of the club season. We’ll be releasing our preseason rankings in the next couple of weeks. Until then, we’ve been testing the waters to see where teams might stack up. We’ve checked in on some 18s and 17s squads and now below we take a look at some 16s teams. We’ve highlighted a few top contenders, some teams on the rise or looking to rise and a team looking to crack Open this coming spring. ARIZONA STORM 16 THUNDER: Gold medalists two years ago in 14 Open and silver medalist last season in 15 Open, Storm remains largely intact and that points toward another go around as one of the nation’s top teams led by 5-star outside Teraya Sigler. She’s a big-hitter who can overpower defenses and leads a cast of returners that also features setter Avery Lim (2026), 3-star right side Reagan Richardson, 3-star outside Devyn Wiest and 3-star L/DS Izabella Mahaffey. Back and providing height in the middle is 4-star recruit Kenna Cogill and 3-star recruit Kiana Landers, two other stalwarts from last year’s rotation. One change comes with adding depth on the pins. Storm brought aboard 3-star recruit Alyssa Aguayo and SaMya Dorsey. It should help keep players fresher over the course of a weekend tournament. DRIVE NATION 16 RED: What a story Drive Nation was in 15 Open in Indy this past summer. After a so-so qualifying season, Drive Nation surprised mightily and rose to a bronze-medal showing with a short-handed roster. The roster has been reworked for the 2023 campaign. For one, 5-star outside Suli Davis and 5-star middle Zoe Gillen-Malveaux played up an age group on Drive Nation 16 Red last year and will remain on the 16s this season. That instantly changes the dynamic of the team, as Davis is a terminal hitter with lots of power and Gillen-Malveaux is one of the top prospects at her position in the nation. Among the newcomers to the roster ares 4-star outsides Sophia Thornburg and Alex Richter and 4-star RS/MB Taryn Morris. Richter and Thornburg add much-needed height on the pin and Morris brings physicality along the net. The team also beefed up defensively adding 3-star L/DS Blue Anderson with returning 4-star L/DS Sarah Mendoza. Mendoza joins 4-star S/RS Hannah Beauford and 3-star middle Keirstyn Carlton as the only members back from last year’s JN’s roster. TAV 16 BLACK: We stay in the state of Texas to look at another expected medal contender in TAV. Coming off a bronze in 15 Open in Indy, this group has been retooled and will look different as it gives it a go this spring. Kennedy Washington – a 4-star middle from the Class of 2024 – is among the returning players which also includes 4-star pin Sydnee Peterson, 4-star setter Hannah Pfiffner and 4-star middle Reese Jackson. Libero/DS Sophia Armstrong is the only other member back from last year’s team. Among the key additions is 3-star outside Lauryn Mack and setter Jordan Turner (2026). HOU SKYLINE 16 ROYAL: We move from the North Texas Region to the Lone Star Region to check in on Hou Skyline, which was in medal contention and finished tied for fifth in 15 Open in Indy. The core of the team returns, including 5-star outside Bailey Warren, 5-star middle Bayleigh Minor and 5-star setter Kassidy O’Brien. All are 6-0 or taller and are joined by another returner in 4-star and 6-2 middle Rebekah Pfefferkorn, as well as newcomers and 6-2 middle Carly Paugh and 6-1 outside Haley Herndon. Taylor Porter and Ella Lewis are returning players who add versatility with their ability to play on the pins or in the back row. Defensively, 4-star L/DS Morgan Madison returns, as does L/DS Megan Morello. SURFSIDE 16 PV LEGENDS: We watched the top So Cal teams in action a few weeks ago and wrote about them here. It included Surfside, as well as Coast 16-1 and Wave 16 Kevin. MI ELITE 16 MIZUNO: This bunch was a victory away from making the 15 Open quarterfinals in Indy and took home bronze in 15 Open at AAUs. While the roster will look different many of the key components are back as MI Elite looks to keep progressing upward in 2023. Part of that is 3-star outside Izzy Busignani, who is coming off a terrific high school season with Marian MI and was among our Player of the Year candidates. Joining her in returning is 3-star setter Ella Craggs, 3-star L/DS McKenna Payne, 3-star middle Jessica Costlow and 3-star right side Gabriella Babinski. MI Elite added to the middle by bringing on 6-2 Kennedi Miller, 6-1 Lauren Johnson and 6-0 Shelby Ignash. NORTHERN LIGHTS 16-1: When 15s teams finish off the season really strong, it creates intrigue for the 16s year. That’s the case with Northern Lights, which came on at the end by finishing ninth at AAUs and tied for 13th at JNs. The roster shrunk by one, with Northern Lights carrying nine players. Six were part of last year’s team, including 4-star pin hitter Mesaiya Bettis, 3-star middle Keira Schmidt, 3-star outside Ava Ball and 3-star L/DS McKenna Garr. Among the newcomers is S/OH Katherine Holthaus and 6-1 middle Carly Susser. AZ SKY 16 GOLD: Sky flew under the radar much of the season but shined during 15 Open in Indy, where the club came in tied for ninth. It was an impressive showing as Sky went 7-3. What’s in store for 2023? We are about to find out but the roster is mostly the same. Among those back are pins Laney Wilson, Georgi Stein and Gabriella Kucinski, as well as setter Tlame Dsamou and S/RS Addison France.  LEGACY 16-1 ADIDAS: We are in wait and see mode with this group. As a 15s team, Legacy finished the year winning 15 Open at AAU and tying for ninth at JNs after falling in challenge play. The

As we approach the New Year, we are beginning to get into our club coverage for the new season. Earlier in the week, we released our 18s Team Spotlights highlighting some of the top contenders in the division. Below, we highlight 17s teams, some of which are top contenders and some of which are on the rise from our perspective. MADFROG 17 GREEN: Madfrog was an incredible story last club season, rising up and capturing the 16 Open gold medal in a totally unexpected conclusion to the year. The thing is, after returning just four players from that roster, Madfrog will likely be in a position to surprise once more this summer as the team isn’t going to start among the favorites. Among those back is 4-star outside Lainee Pyles (LSU). She was named 16 Open MVP in Indy. Back with Pyles is setter Cate Hatefield, L/DS Akunna Cos-Okpalla and MB/RS Katherine Mansfield. Part of the new additions is 3-star outside Reagan Sharp. A5 17-1 JING: One of the biggest factors for this group is dealing with expectations because they are definitely high! A5 returns the core of the team which finished runner up in 16 Open this summer. There are few if any holes on roster that features 5-star outside Hannah Benjamin (Kentucky), 4-star middle Mia Hood (Michigan State) and 4-star right side Molly Kate Patten (Georgia). The deep roster also includes 4-star middle Logan Wiley (Georgia Tech), 4-star L/DS Gabriela Cornier (Florida) and outside Gracie Rose. DYNASTY 17 BLACK: Dynasty joins A5 has the standard in which other teams will judge themselves by in 17 Open this season. No team had a more consistent year than Dynasty in 16 Open and with a few minor changes one would expect that to remain the same moving up an age group. There is no better combination in the division than 5-star outsides Skyler Pierce (Nebraska) and Carlie Cisneros (Arizona) teaming up with 5-star setter Reese Messer. Dynasty also has a big, powerful arm on the right side in 5-star recruit Abigail Mullen. In the middle, there’s the combo of 5-star recruit Cy Rae Campbell (Wake Forest), 4-star recruit Jada Ingram (UNLV) and Piper Newton. Defensively, Dynasty is anchored by 4-star L/DS Ryan McAleer (Purdue) and helps round out a well-balanced lineup. TAV 17 BLACK: Another top contender is TAV, which features a game-changing addition to the roster. vballrecruiter.com’s High School Sophomore Player of the Year Cari Spears is playing up a year again – she played on Metro 16 Travel last season – and brings an immediate offensive advantage to an attack that already has 5-star outside Jadyn Livings (USC) and 5-star middle Favor Anyanwu (USC), as well as 4-star pin hitter Mikala Young (TCU). Also on the roster is 3-star middle Ashby Daniel (Alabama), 4-star middle Anna Boatner and 3-star middle Ava Shankle. Setting is 5-star Michigan commit Camille Edwards and Harper Hall. Joining Spears by playing up an age division is 4-star L/DS Gillian Pitts.   DRIVE NATION 17 RED: While the teams above are considered to be the favorites, Drive Nation falls under the category of a team expected to make a jump up the standings. But after finishing 26th in 16 Open this summer, it would be surprising not to see Drive Nation finish higher in 17 Open with the changes that were made. It’s not entirely a new team but there are enough new players that it’s essentially a brand-new team. Among those coming over to the club include 5-star MB/RS/OH Ayden Ames (Nebraska), 4-star right side Grace Carroll (Baylor), 4-star outside Lolo Lambert (Arkansas), 4-star middle Lillian Croshaw, 4-star setter Bethanie Wu (Yale) and middle Shelby Burriss. Two players who played up an age group on Drive Nation 16 Red this past season in Suli Davis and Zoe Gillen-Malveaux are not on the 17s. Both stayed on the 16s this season to play with their own age group and solidify that lineup. One key returner though is 4-star L/DS Caleigh King. CO JRS 17 KEVIN: Co Jrs could be a little up-and-down last year but still wound up finishing tied for 5th in 16 Open. With the lineup largely the same, Co Jrs should be on everyone’s radar with its talent and height on the roster, one highlighted by 5-star S/RS Izzy Starck (Penn State). She’s joined by 4-star pin hitter and 6-6 Avah Armour (Central Florida, 2023), 3-star right side and 6-5 Addie Kanouff and 4-star outside and 6-3 Paityn Chapman (Tennessee). Recent Florida commit and 3-star L/DS Ella Vogel is back as well. TRIANGLE 17 BLACK: Triangle doesn’t likely fit the description of a top contender, but the group that finished tied for 13th in 16 Open this summer could be knocking on the door. One of the biggest switches this club season involves this group and the addition of 5-star right side Ryan Hunter (2025). Hunter is a high-flying, hard-hitting banger who brings a whole new dynamic to the attack. Triangle’s attack was already in good hands with 4-star outsides Asia Thigpen (Kentucky) and Kiki Horne and 3-star setter Emily Bobbitt (Iowa State). Back along with that trio is 4-star middle Ashlyn Philpot (Illinois) and Laynie Smith (Illinois). The middle depth is filled out by newcomer Mallory Jenkins. ROCKWOOD THUNDER 17 ELITE: Rockwood finished tied for 27th in 16 Open in Indy. However, there is reason to believe the Gateway Region club can finish higher this summer in Chicago. As a 16s bunch, RT had a rough start to last season as it was knocked out of Open qualifiers twice on Day 1. RT steadily improved and was playing well toward the end of the season. That key pieces are back plus a key newcomer brings optimism for the new season. Joining this edition of the roster is 4-star pin hitter Claire Morrissey (Missouri). She played up on the 17s last year and was a big part of that team. She adds a lot of punch to the lineup that

As we turn toward the club season, we’ll start releasing our Club National Rankings in January. For now though, we want to dip our toes in the water a bit by checking in on some 18s teams from around the country to get an idea of where things may stand and where they might stack up. 1ST ALLIANCE 18 GOLD: Last season’s 17 Open gold medalists look poised to be among the nation’s best once more. Seven core players return, including 4-star libero Gigi Navarrete (Northwestern), 4-star outside Kennedy Wagner (Clemson), 4-star middle Kamryn Lee-Caracci (Georgetown) and 3-star setter Jordan Heatherly (Memphis). The squad is set to play three qualifiers – Winter Championships (Chicago), Ft. Lauderdale and MEQ (Indianapolis) – as well as Triple Crown (Kansas City) and the JVA World Challenge (Louisville). COAST 18-OZHAN: We wrote about Coast after the team’s opening weekend of SCVA play. You can read about Coast and other top So Cal teams including Wave 18 Juliana here. MN SELECT 18-1: No one denied the potential of last year’s 17s group. The question is whether MN Select could put it all together at the end? Finishing second in 17 Open and earning a silver medal answered that question. Many are back but if MN Select is to reach the podium once more it will have to do so without 5-star right side Sydney Schnichels (Minnesota). However, her future collegiate teammates in 5-star setter Stella Swenson and 4-star outside Olivia Swenson are back as the juniors continue to play up an age group. Also fitting that description is 4-star middle Kaia Caffee (Ohio State). She’s another returning player and junior playing up. Others back include 4-star L/DS Kate Thibault (Oregon) and 4-star middle Kate Simington (Clemson). Among the events on the team’s schedule are the KC MLK, Northern Lights and MEQ qualifiers, as well as Triple Crown. PREMIER NEBRASKA 18 GOLD: Premier produced high-finishing results last year wherever it played in 17 Open and returns essentially intact. The only difference on the roster is setter Reese Booth stayed on the 17s for this season. Other than that, everyone else is back as Premier starts among the favorites. Among the pieces on this year’s roster is 5-star RS/S Grace Heaney (Purdue), 5-star junior L/DS Olivia Mauch (Nebraska), 4-star pin hitter Alanna Bankston and 4-star outside Destiny Ndam-Simpson (Creighton). A5 18-MARC: A5 is likely to be motivated by the way last season concluded. After one of the strongest regular seasons among the 17s teams, A5 didn’t reach the Top 8 at AAUs and then finished 18th at JNs. There are 11 players back who will have A5 looking to finish higher in Columbus this spring. Among them is 5-star outside Jurnee Robinson (LSU), 4-star L/DS Arya Jue (Yale), setters Rebecca Watkins (James Madison) and Taylor Pecht, L/DS Mary Neal (Mississippi State) and right side Sydney Bray, as well as middles Sydney Austin, Iyanna Garvin and MIlana Thornton (Florida AM). A5 added three outsides to the mix in Abby Jones (Portland State), Brooke Crummel and Christiana Greene. LEGACY 18-1 ADIDAS: Last year’s AAU 17 Open national champions will definitely look different this go around with the absence of 5-star outside Harper Murray (Nebraska). Legacy also is playing without last year’s other starting outside in 3-star recruit Nina Horning (Cincinnati). With that, Legacy added two new outsides in Kennedy Louisell (UNC Greensboro) and Reagan Sass (Dension), as well as right side Ella Schomer (Wofford). Another change comes defensively, with Sarah Vellucci no longer on the roster. Alexis Smith (Oakland) and Kailtyn Hoffman (Ohio State) return in defensive roles, joined by newcomer Ella Shields (Stony Brook). Familiar faces also back include 4-star middle Laurece Abraham (Yale), 4-star setter Erin Kline (Mississippi State), 3-star middle Olivia Gardner (Loyola-Chicago) and outside Abby Reck (Northeastern). CIRCLE CITY 18 PURPLE: With 5-star outside Chloe Chicoine (Purdue) leading the charge last year, Circle City was a top contender. However, with no Chicoine this season it remains to be seen where Circle City will fall. Returning on the pins is Quinci Thomas (Xavier) and Ava Smith (FGCU). They are joined by newcomer Avery Hobson. The 3-star Duquesne commit was among our Senior Player of the Year Finalists. Josie Noble is another new addition on the pin, while middle Lillian Merk (Valparaiso) is the only other new player on the roster. Returning players include setter Macy Hinshaw (Santa Clara) and 3-star L/DS Molly Urban (Louisville). DRIVE NATION 18 RED: After a really strong season, finishing tied for 19th in 17 Open at JN’s wasn’t what Drive Nation was expecting a season ago. There were a few changes but a lot of key pieces return. Among them are 4-star setters in Lily Nicholson (TCU) and Callie Kieffer (Alabama), as well as 5-star middles Reese Robins (Louisville) and Leah Ford (USC). Defenders Kea Whillock and Landry McEachern also are back, as are 4-star pin hitters Samantha Hoppes (Boston College) and Halle Schroder (Boston College). One key change is on the outside with 4-star recruit Sydney Breon (UCLA) who joins Drive Nation from TAV. TAV 18 BLACK: TAV was a top contender with 5-star outside Kyndal Stowers (Baylor) in the lineup but struggled to a 25th-place finish at JN’s without her due to injury. Stowers isn’t playing club this year so TAV will have to figure it out without her but at least they have the season and talent to do it. Among those back is 4-star setter Audrey Clark (Creighton) and 3-star defenders Zoe Winford (Georgia Tech) and Mckenna Gildon (Clemson). As for hitters, there are familiar names as well which include 3-star outside Kamille Gibson (Tennessee), 3-star middle Stephanie Gutierrez (Rice) and 4-star middle Hannah Pfiffner (Oklahoma). NPJ 18 FOREFRONT: This group fits the dark horse category. NPJ did qualify for 18 Open a season ago and has a few players from that Junior Nationals roster back. It includes junior and 4-star setter Alexis Haury (Washington) and 3-star junior middle Lauryn Johnson (ASU), as well as senior outside

It’s been two roughly two months since we last checked in on the Class of 2024 to see how the recruiting classes are measuring up. Although there isn’t typically a ton of movement after commitments are announced, occasionally there are changes and big ones at that. For example, Oregon’s 2024 recruiting class took on a drastic change. But not because of an addition but rather because of a grade reclassification. Outside Alex Acevedo was committed to the Ducks as a junior but recently announced she’s reclassifying as part of the Class of 2023. She’ll graduate high school a year earlier than planned and be part of the Oregon roster next fall. No 5-star recruits have committed since we last posted about the Class of 2024 recruiting classes in October. However, five 4-star recruits have announced since then, including Alec Rothe committing to Florida. That’s a significant impact. Below, we take another dive into the Class of 2024 to see how the recruiting classes are stacking up to date. Teams are listed in perceived order of strength. 4-star recruits to commit since last update: Alec Rothe MB/OH Elite VBTC Florida Bianka Lulic MB Coast Miami Zoe Humphrey MB HJV UCLA Alice Volpe L/DS HJV TCU Abby Hoybjerg OH SynergyForce BYU Jada Ingram MB Dynasty UNLV *** 3-star recruits to commit since last update: Sienna Foster OH/DS Boiler Jrs Purdue Alyssa Nelson SR Rockwood Thunder Villanova Mya Bolton L/DS KC Power Michigan State Caleigh King L/DS Drive Nation UNLV Ashley Duckworth MB Vegas Aces Princeton Cleo Hardin OH/RS Vision Yale Savannah Skopal S AJV Rice *** FLORIDA         Lauren Harden OH Rev (5-star) Jaela Auguste MB Hou Skyline (5-star) Alec Rothe MB/OH Elite VBTC (4-star) new Taylor Parks S OTVA (4-star) Ella Vogel L/DS Co Jrs (3-star) Bella Lee L/DS OTVA Note: Landing Rothe is a game-changer for Florida. She’s 6-4 with huge upside. In fact, she could very well be a 5-star recruit by the time she signs with the Gators. That would give Florida three 5-star recruits and would tie the Gators with Nebraska. Florida climbed ahead of Nebraska for now with the addition of Rothe. While Nebraska remains the only school with three 5-star recruits for now, the depth of Florida’s class has the Gators currently leading the pack. Past Updates: Nebraska is the only school with commitments from three 5-star recruits, with Florida, Louisville, USC and Wisconsin the only other ones with commitments from two 5-star recruits. The Gators’ class took another step upward with the addition of 6-3 outside Lauren Harden. She’s long with the type of frame to excel at the next level. Tending to the defensive side, the Gators also are bringing aboard Ella Vogel, who starred for Co Jrs last spring. … The Gators were one of 14 schools to have already received a commitment from at least one 5-star recruit. Theirs came from the 6-1 Jaela Auguste. The Texas stud highlights the class so far and will continue the athleticism for the Gators in the middle. Florida also gets a couple of local players, including 4-star recruit and setter Taylor Parks. Parks was solid for OTVA this past club season and seems destined to fit in well with the Gators. *** NEBRASKA      Skyler Pierce OH Dynasty (5-star) Olivia Mauch L/DS Premier Neb (5-star) Ayden Ames MB Drive Nation (5-star) Past Updates: The Cornhuskers came out of the gate quickly, landing three 5-star recruits but no new updates since then. They remain in the conversation for best class to date and it’s hard not seeing them landing in the top two if nothing else changes. … Skyler Pierce is arguably the top-rated outside from the class. Nebraska also did well getting Ayden Ames from the state of Texas. She’s one of the top-rated middles who could play on the right side or even eventually move to the outside. Rounding it out is 5-star defender Olivia Mauch, an in-state get. *** USC Jadyn Livings OH TAV (5-star) Favor Anyanwu MB TAV (5-star) Brooklyn Tealer OH Gainesville (4-star) Paisley Douglas L VCNebraska Past Updates: The Trojans are making a charge. They started off with a commitment from 4-star outside Brooklyn Tealer, a 6-1 hard-hitting, high-flying hitter from Florida. She wasn’t quite enough to get USC mentioned in our first update but the Trojans have reaped the benefits from their recruiting efforts with recent yeses from 5-star outside Jadyn Livings and 5-star middle Favor Anyanwu. The TAV teammates have boosted USC up to No. 3 in our watch list as they have big arms coming aboard down the road. *** LOUISVILLE     Nayelis Cabello S/RS Top Select (5-star) Ava Utterback OH Circle City (5-star) Payton Petersen OH Six Pack (3-star) Past Updates: The Cardinals have climbed the chart thanks to a pair of commitments they’ve added since our initial update in August. Ava Utterback, a 6-0 high-flying outside with a big arm, is the second 5-star recruit to say yes. The class also was boosted by the addition of Payton Petersen, a 6-0 outside with solid all-around game. … Louisville is part of the conversation thanks to a commit from Nayelis Cabello, a 5-star setter/RS from Florida. She projects as a 5-1 setter at the next level because of her 6-1 frame, but she could hit if her versatility is to be utilized. *** WISCONSIN    Lola Schumacher L/DS Munciana (5-star) Charlie Fuerbringer S/RS Long Beach (5-star) Past Updates: The Badgers continue to build a strong class. Lola Schumacher is one of the top liberos in the class and coming from a club like Munciana seems to be a natural fit at a program like Wisconsin. Having commitments from two 5-star recruits surely places the Badgers in the running for a Top 5 class to date. Moreover, Wisconsin has also received commitments from international players in Tosia Serafinowska (Poland) and Trinity Shadd-Ceres (Canada). … We must say, given Charlie Fuerbringer’s ability on the sand, it was surprising to see her go out of state and commit to a school like Wisconsin. However, given her indoor ability, she was a sure thing to land at a top program like the Badgers offer. She’s

Determining the Senior Player of the Year was a difficult decision given the depth and talent of this year’s 18 finalists. Every one of them contributed majorly for programs which captured state championships. It was a season where multiple award winners could be named. However, as grueling of a process as it was we eventually picked a single winner. Marian entered the season as the two-time defending Michigan Division 1 state champion and with key pieces returning was part of the national championship conversation. The biggest reason for that was senior setter Ava Sarafa was among those back. The 4-star Kentucky recruit had guided Marian to two consecutive state titles, including a one-loss season a year ago. An undefeated campaign this past fall wasn’t unrealistic but that possibility ended with a loss to Northville in mid-October. When the Division 1 state final rolled around, it was Northville standing in the way of Marian’s three-peat. Behind 43 assists from Sarafa, the Mustangs avenged their prior loss, downing Northville in four sets and keeping their state streak alive. There’s no questioning Sarafa was as essential to her team’s success this fall as anyone. She’s a deceptive setter with the ability to dish from pin-to-pin effortlessly. She totaled 1,359 assists on the year, averaging 11.0 per set. With Marian finishing No. 5 in our final Top 50 national rankings, Sarafa beat out an incredible field of finalists to earn vballrecruiter.com’s 2022 High School Senior Player of the Year award.

There is the type of seasons turned in by the likes of Cathedral Catholic CA, Cornerstone Christian TX and Prestonwood Christian TX. Highly-ranked schools from the get go which end the year as highly-ranked schools after successful campaigns. Their accomplishments caught no one off guard as they were on everyone’s radar from the beginning. Then there are seasons like the one experienced by Dripping Springs TX. The Tigers spent nearly the entire fall unnoticed. But they made sure everyone paid attention by ending the year with the Texas 6A state championship. It was one of the most unpredictable storylines from the high school schedule. The run was made even more improbable considering Dripping Springs had just moved up from 5A to 6A for this season. The Tigers had routinely found themselves going deep in the 5A playoffs, including winning it all in 2015 and finishing runner up in 2014. They reached the semifinals in 2018 and 2020 and were a victory away from the semis in both 2019 and 2021. The best-of-the-best have long ruled 6A though so expecting immediate success in the state’s top division didn’t seem realistic from an outside perspective. “To the rest of the state, people might think it was crazy and ask where did you come from,” Dripping Springs coach Michael Kane said. “Moving up from 5A to 6A and what that jump was going to look like was the biggest question early on. But, if you look at our program the last decade we have been going to the same three 6A tournaments every preseason. We don’t pad our schedule. We challenge our kids.” The success of the season is undeniable. So is the impact Henley Anderson had on it. Dripping Springs was a young team overall, with freshman Sydney Lund setting in the back row and sophomores Riley Certain and Ashley Euston occupying the middle. Still, it was the 6-2 freshman outside imposing herself on opponents in commanding fashion. She racked up 540 kills. That was only 12 behind team leader and senior outside Mackenzie Plante, who finished with 552 and is committed to Tennessee. Anderson averaged 3.4 kills per set while hitting .303. She was also third in digs with 369, averaging 2.3 per set, and fourth in blocks with 74. Combined with the 6A state title, Anderson thrusted herself into perfect position to be named vballrecruiter.com’s 2022 High School Freshman Player of the Year. “I knew Henley is a once-in-a-generation type of player,” Kane said. “I’ve had a couple of those in my career. All you have to do is be near her to know she has the tools. She doesn’t move like a freshman. For her height, she’s agile and athletic. Sometimes you are taken back by it. I knew she would be able to handle the net. The one question mark was how she would handle six-rotations and serve receive in high-level 6A volleyball. It’s different going from 14 Open to varsity kids. She far exceeded what I thought she could do. If anything, I owe her an apology for even questioning if she could handle it or not. To go into 6A volleyball with the schedule I put together and run the gamut like we did, I think she far exceeded anybody’s expectations.” As amazing as it is, without Anderson’s best performance of the season the state championship and ensuing accolades wouldn’t be so. It was the opening round of the playoffs and Dripping Springs found itself in an 0-2 hole against Vandegrift. However, with Anderson delivering a season-high 25 kills – and hitting .320 – Dripping Springs rallied and eventually prevailed in five. Anderson had nine kills in a sweep of Johnson in the next round before closing out her season with five consecutive matches in double digits, including 10 kills and hitting .400 in a sweep against Tompkins in the state final. It matched her best streak of the season when she also had five straight matches of double-digit kills from Sept. 13-27. During her performance against Tompkins in the final it was easy to see Anderson’s next-level potential on display. By then, she had undoubtedly found her role and had established herself as one of the go-to hitters. That wasn’t exactly the case at the beginning of the season as she was figuring out how to mix in with her teammates. “Coming in as a freshman it is intimidating,” Anderson said. “The team has been so good the past couple of years. My role was to encourage everyone and help build the team. At the first tournament I was rooming with three seniors and they were the main leaders. That helped me bond with them. Going to team dinners and those type of things and we started clicking. “Coach K was always telling me not to play like a freshman. He would tell me not to be scared of upperclassmen. The first day of tryouts I was so nervous about the older kids and stuff. He kept telling me to lead by example. Once I started playing and getting into the season he said it would get a lot easier with time obviously.” Kane said Anderson is “one of the most competitive kids you’ll ever meet” and also shared a story about her work ethic and attention to detail. During a morning practice while working on blocking he pointed out a specific thing he wanted Anderson to be aware of. “It’s midday and I’m in class and get a text from Henley,” Kane said. “She said she had been thinking about what I said and she sent a screen shot of what she was doing wrong. It led to this back and forth we had and I finally said we need to stop because she’s in class. Who is doing that? As a coach, I can see who is watching the most film and she’s leading the team in watching film.” It was all part of a dream season. One made all the more

(Editor’s note: We have to release our Player of the Years differently than planned because of scheduling issues. Therefore, we are releasing our Junior and Sophomore Player of the Years on Wed. and Thu. respectively as planned. Senior POY will be released next week. Freshman is TBD.) It didn’t take long to see what type of impact Cari Spears could make for her new Prestonwood Christian team. The 6-3 outside moved back to Texas from Virginia for her sophomore year and right from the start was a difference maker. In fact, she didn’t arrive back in Texas until late on a Friday night. Prestonwood had scrimmages scheduled for Saturday and though Coach Ryan Mitchell knew she wouldn’t be playing in them, he invited Spears to come meet the team and watch from the bench. ““That was the first time I met her in person,” Mitchell said. “She’s sitting with her teammates and when the scrimmages start she’s cheering for everyone. She’s asking me questions about what we are doing. She was breaking down the game from Day 1. The first scrimmage she was matching me in intensity. She’s wired differently. She’s just special. She’s going to get a lot of accolades.” In a season-opening victory against Grapevine Spears delivered 15 kills and hit .737. The next day Prestonwood defeated both Highland Park and Prosper in five sets. Spears dropped 20 kills against each while hitting .400 and .486 respectively. This on a roster that didn’t necessarily need the offensive help. As sophomores a season ago, Jadyn Livings and Mikala Young each had over 500 kills. It’s one thing to come in and lead a new team in three of the first four contests like Spears did but a whole other level to do it on a team like this one. She finished the season with a team-high 544 kills, averaging 4.9 per set and hitting .477. It included a season-high 23 kills in the TAPPS 5A state championship match, a sweep over Bishop Lynch in which Spears hit .588. “It was a great team,” Spears said. “They were so welcoming. They made me feel right at home.” Put it all together and it makes for Spears being vballrecruiter.com’s 2022 High School Sophomore Player of the Year. Spears was among 13 finalists. The cases for others were strong and in most seasons one of them would have been enough to earn the award. Yet, this fall Spears rose above all others, starring for a Prestonwood Christian squad which proved itself as one of the top programs in the country. “She’s very deserving,” Mitchell said. “She’s a great kid. I think her physicality jumps off the page. When you first watch her you can see she’s tall, she’s athletic, she’s strong. Even if you don’t know anything about volleyball I think you can see that when she plays. “What you don’t see is the coachability and her willingness to learn. Her goal is to play in the Olympics. A lot of girls say that but rarely do they have the work ethic and attention to detail that Cari has.” Not all would handle transitioning to a new team and being an underclassman the way Spears did. It did help she was in familiar territory, having attended Prestonwood before moving to Virginia and knowing some of her teammates already. Another adjustment was learning a role that was still undefined at first but she did know she had to be prepared to play both pins. “Coming in Coach Mitchell talked about how all the pins need to play both the way we were going to run our system,” Spears said. “I was excited about getting to work on both pins. I need the work so I can be well-rounded and versatile.” While it remained to be seen where Spears would line up on the court, she was aware of the circumstances she was stepping into. After all, she was a new player on a successful team which finished runner up in the state championships last fall. Would she feel comfortable exerting her dominance or feel like she needed to take more of a secondary role? “The beginning of the season I was kind of sitting back and trying to see how the team was,” Spears said. “I was learning each player and how each player responds in different ways. They were all wanting to step into the role coach wanted them to. He really talked to me about being a leader and wanting the role to be filled. It wasn’t me thinking about being a sophomore or who’s a junior. It was me thinking about being a leader.” For Mitchell, he knew what he had with Spears from an Xs and Os standpoint. He calls Spears a “scouting nightmare” and planned on using her accordingly.  “Naturally, she’s an outside who plays six rotations, has great touch on the ball, is an above average defender and a plus passer,” Mitchell said. “She makes sense as a six-rotation outside but the great thing about her is she’s a utility belt. She’s a hybrid who brings so many mismatches on the court. As a coach, you are putting your greatest athlete in your best matchup. She hit left side, right side. She would come through the middle. There were times I would slide her in the middle just to block and create different looks. Cari understands the game. She would slide in and do her job and she loved it.” At the same time Mitchell was working with Spears on expanding her leadership abilities. While her play spoke for itself, he was wanting her to have more of a voice and vocal role too.   “It’s no easy task,” Mitchell said. “She made something that is really hard look easy. It was really neat to see that. Obviously, it helps that all the girls want to win and are high competitors who want to be on the best team possible. But, they recognize what she brings

(Editor’s note: We have to release our Player of the Years differently than planned because of scheduling issues. Therefore, we are releasing our Junior and Sophomore Player of the Years on Wed. and Thu. respectively as planned. Senior POY will be released next week. Freshman is TBD.) It wasn’t long ago in 2016 when Mother McAuley went 40-1 and finished the high school season as national champions. The lone loss that season? It came against St. Joseph’s Academy MO on Day 2 of the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament. The Macs went on to capture the Asics Challenge title – a tournament they host – and the Illinois 4A state championship to complete a memorable season. Imagine the excitement and possibilities that started building this September when the Macs captured the LIVT trophy. Not only was it the first time Mother McAuley achieved that feat, the school also remained undefeated at the time. It elevated Mother McAuley into the national championship picture once more as the chance of a perfect season was still in tack. The hope of a fairytale season didn’t last long however, as the Macs were topped by rival Marist less than two weeks later. Mother McAuley would lose twice more after that. Once to Assumption – which the Macs defeated in the final of the LIVT – and once to Barrington in tournament play. While the losses knocked Mother McAuley from the national championship picture, it was hardly a deterrent from winning the Asics Challenge once more and bringing home another 4A state championship – avenging a loss to Marist along the way. It was one of the best seasons in program history – with Mother McAuley finishing No. 9 in our final Top 50 national rankings – and at the center of it all was junior outside Ellie White. The 4-star recruit committed to Michigan as a setter but has spent her time in high school hitting. Her stats are easy to comprehend. She led her team with 542 kills, averaging 5.9 per set and hitting .348. She was also third in digs with 289, averaging 3.1 per set, and third in blocks with 103, averaging 1.1 per set. What’s harder to understand is the manner in which the 6-0 White does it. For those who were fortunate to witness White play this fall, you know the power and ferocity she attacks with. To say White was a dominating force is an understatement. It’s all reason why White is vballrecruiter.com’s 2022 High School Junior Player of the Year. “She’s a humble person,” Mother McAuley coach Jen DeJarld said. “So many people admire her and really aspire to be like her. I’m always using her as an example. Usually I use former players like Kayla Caffey or Charlie Niego as examples. It’s not often I use current players still in the program as examples. I don’t like to put Ellie on the spot but it’s hard not to give her all the accolades and praise she deserves.” White checks off all the tangibles when it comes to selecting a Player of the Year. She’s a high-caliber player who had a tremendous impact on a state championship-winning team. Even against a talented field of finalists, White stood out in clear fashion. She also possesses the intangibles that puts her in a special category. “She loves to pushed and loves to be challenged,” DeJarld said. “If I don’t hold the best player to the highest level than who am I as a coach? She has to be better than others in the gym and ‘Okay’ is all she ever says and she just goes and does it. “She’s the most humbled player and she could not be happier for other people. She takes everything in stride. She’s one of the few players who doesn’t get impacted by outside stresses and outside anxiety. It might creep in but she doesn’t really stress much. She keeps playing and stays in the moment.” “It comes natural to me,” White said. “In those tight situations where it’s point for point I don’t tighten up. I tend to take a step back and take it all in. I try to stay calm and live in the moment.” Though White played outside during the shortened spring season in 2020, she blossomed on the left during her sophomore campaign. It was challenging taking on a new role, one that not everyone would thrive in like White has. “Playing outside is a totally different position,” White said. “I was a little nervous but it was a new opportunity. It was a new way to get better. Taking on a new position gave me a different look at the game. It’s a whole different side of it. Having the versatility of playing both positions increases my court awareness. It’s super fun.” One example White said is hitting has helped her learn to read the block better when setting. Another is having a better understanding of giving her hitters better balls in the right spots. “Both ways impact each other,” White said. “I think it’s super fun. I love it. Even playing defense and serve receive is so much fun.” It’s just one more thing to marvel at. The focal point of White’s development has been on setting. It hasn’t been centered on the intricacies of playing outside. “Skill wise, she has spent so much time setting and getting extra training sessions that she never passed and trains in that,” DeJarld said. “Still, she’s an elite passer who understands angles. I think she could be a six-rotation outside on any Big Ten team.” Last season the Macs had senior Caroline Macander setting. This fall they used seniors Tess Hayes and Olivia Klapp as backrow setters. Because of that DeJarld said there was never a question of having White set. “Never do I think about her setting,” DeJarld said. “She’s an amazing outside to me. Honestly, her back row attack is probably stronger than her front row. There were