Chris Tobolski

The action comes fast at an event like the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament (LIVT)! Friday’s pool play – featuring eight pools of three teams – kicked off at 6:30 pm and within a few hours the gold bracket was all set for Saturday. With just the pool winners advancing from Friday’s play, there was no margin for error. No pools ended in a three-way tie. Here’s how the gold bracket measures up: — Mother McAuley IL v Sacred Heart Academy KY — Notre Dame Academy KY v Mount Notre Dame OH — St. Joseph OH v St. Ursula Academy OH — Assumption KY v duPont Manual KY Catch our Day 1 rundown below plus team spotlights and under the radar players. Top-seeded Mother McAuley’s 2-0 showing looked fine on paper but the undefeated Macs were close to tasting defeat for the first time. It took three sets to dispatch Walton GA, 20-25, 27-25, 25-17, (third sets are played to 25) and ultimately win its pool after sweeping Cardinal Gibbons NC. Assumption – the No. 2 seed – had a much smoother ride, allowing 20 points or more in just one set in sweeps over Ryle KY and Presentation KY. Pool 3 was where the action was! All three matches went the distance and when the smoke cleared it was the No. 3 team in the pool in St. Joseph which came out ahead. St. Joe upset No. 3 seed St. Henry KY in the opener, 25-19, 19-25, 26-24. St. Joe then knocked off Maryville TN in three, 27-29, 25-15, 25-22, to move to 2-0. St. Henry clipped Maryville, 25-20, 18-25, 25-23, to close the pool but neither had a shot at advancing at that point. Mount Notre Dame and Clearwater Central Catholic FL meet in the 1 v 2 match in Pool 4 with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line. Clearwater Central struck first but Mount Notre Dame hit last to advance, 17-25, 25-22, 25-18. Notre Dame Academy held down the No. 5 seed by going 2-0 in Pool 5. The Pandas swept Knoxville Catholic TN – winning Game 2 26-24 after trailing 24-22 – and Padua Franciscan OH to make the gold bracket. In Pool 6, it was St. Ursula Academy – the No. 2 team in the pool – delivering the goods with a 2-0 mark. The Bulldogs topped St. Joseph Academy MO and Male KY in posting a culminative score of 100-58. There was big news out of Pool 7 where duPont Manual upset Mercy Academy KY. Manual – the No. 2 team in the pool – bagged one for the public schools. The private schools are so dominate in Kentucky high school volleyball but Manual broke through in fine fashion with the three-set victory, 23-25, 26-24, 25-21, as senior outside Nya Bunton put the finishing touches on it with a backrow blast. Manual then swept Henry Clay KY to end its pool and move on. Sacred Heart Academy – in a very small upset – uprooted No. 8 seed Paul Laurence Dunbar in straight sets. SHA was the No. 9 seed and No. 2 team in the pool and then went on to sweep Notre Dame Academy OH to remain in the hunt. TEAM SPOTLIGHTS We spotlighted the top seeds in our preview. Let’s take a look at the teams we didn’t highlight which are still in the mix for the LIVT championship on Saturday. SACRED HEART ACADEMY – The Valkyries are among the underdogs in the gold bracket and will look to surprise Saturday. Sophomore outside Anna Powell is the team’s kill leader followed by another sophomore in middle Elise Hart. The young attack continues with another sophomore in outside Bridget Egan, who is just back from injury after missing much of the season. Senior Lainee Mack is instrumental in what she brings to the lineup. She’s both a setter and the team’s dig leader. Junior Kaeley Thoney Walz also sets for SHA. ST. JOSEPH – The Jaguars are led by sophomore S/RS Annabelle Groomes. She’s a 5-star recruit as a setter but she showed her offensive capabilities swinging from the front row Friday. The lefty was hard for opponents to stop. She’s the team’s kill leader and second in assists behind junior setter Olivia Castelluccio. Also featured is junior outside Hannah Alvarez and junior middle Hannah Foor, as well as senior libero Reilly Wadden. ST. URSULA ACADEMY – The Bulldogs have four key senior contributors in middle Ivey Stocks, setter Luca Fickell, libero Sydney Majick and pin hitter Ava Siefke. The team’s kill leader however is junior outside Addy Brus. Junior Molly Dorger hits for a high percentage out of the middle and entered Friday’s play as the block leader. DUPONT MANUAL – Leading the charge for the Lady Crimsons is senior Nya Bunton. The 5-star recruit plays middle in club and is headed to Texas but lines up on the outside for Manual. She’s a major force who can overwhelm defenses. With Bunton on the outside it’s senior Cecilia Roberts and junior Mary Hoerter taking up the middle spots. Senior Berkley Humphries and sophomore Aubrey Montgomery share setting duties, with Montgomery also hitting across the front row. Sophomore Kennedy Dawson does well at libero for the Lady Crimsons. UNDER THE RADAR PLAYERS We’ll have our normal presentation of the tournament Show Stoppers once Saturday’s action wraps up. For now, we highlight under the radar players who caught our eye Friday. Taylor McBride SR MB Male KY – The tallest member on the roster, McBride adds much needed size to the lineup across the front row. She’s a capable scorer when she gets a good look. She’s also a strong server who can help earn points from the line. Mia Telechbush JR L Dunbar KY – Telechbush is part of a scrappy Dunbar lineup that is undersized. She does well making hustle plays and keeping rallies going. Delaney Gash JR RS Dunbar KY – There’s not much height on the roster

The Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament – which we previewed here with teams and players to watch – isn’t the only event happening this weekend that vballrecruiter.com will have boots on the ground at. Members of the team will also be out at the Dave Mohs tournament in Huntington Beach this Friday and Saturday as well. It features the nation’s top-ranked team in Cathedral Catholic of San Diego. The Division 1 field – which features all California teams – consists of seven pools of three teams. Below we highlight the top teams in the field plus players to watch for. CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC – The top seed is coming off its victory at the Kamehameha tournament in Hawaii last week. The Dons best be careful not to overlook anyone this weekend as the field contains a few teams capable of pulling off the upset. The country’s top team is led by 5-star recruit and Stanford commit Julia Blyashov. Also on the outside is senior Milan Bayless. Ayva Moi – a junior – is the right side with senior Ryleigh Patterson and junior Jenna Hanes in the middle. Club teammates Amanda Saeger (JR) and Maya Evens (Soph) set and play libero respectively. On the roster but yet to play this season is senior right side Noemie Glover. HUNTINGTON BEACH – The only setback so far this season for the Oilers is a loss to Mater Dei. One of the host schools for the tournament, Huntington Beach is paced by junior setter Dani Sparks and junior outside Haylee LaFontaine. MATER DEI – After securing an opening-season victory over Ann Kang Invitational champion Mira Costa the Monarchs stumbled with losses to Lakewood and Redondo Union. Since they’ve defeated Huntington Beach and Foothill and look to keep the winning streak going this weekend. Junior outsides Isabel Clark and Babi Gubbins are the top kill leaders followed by senior middle Liz Hertzog. Freshman right side Layli Ostovar has also been a contributor, as well as junior right side Cymarah Gordon. Senior Amelie Lima and sophomore Ayva Ostovar have taken on the setting duties with junior Malyssa Cawa suiting up at libero. PALOS VERDES – The Sea Kings have yet to lose on the mainland. The two setbacks suffered to date came to Redondo Union and Sierra Canyon as part of the Ann Kang tourney last month in Hawaii. With sophomore Kaci DeMaria and junior Kendall Beshear on the outside Palos Verdes is a handful to deal with for any opponent. MARYMOUNT – The Sailors are led by standout outside and senior Torrey Stafford. She’s backed by junior outside Kate Martin and senior middles Dior Charles and Catherine Maffei. Setting is senior Lauren Brooker. LA COSTA CANYON – After a tough start to the season, La Costa Canyon has come on of late. The Mavericks downed Torrey Pines in the final to capture the CA Challenge last weekend and followed that by beating a solid Vista Murrieta squad. Sophomore outside Jaidyn Jager is a lineup anchor. Senior Eva Rohrbach gives the team versatility with her ability to play either in the middle or on the left. Junior middle Sienna Manning is another to keep an eye out for as well as senior right side Kate Lewis.  MORE PLAYERS TO WATCH Reese Olson SR OH Corona del Mar Reiley Murphy JR OH Corona del Mar Tatum Johnson JR MB JSerra Charlotte Nowack FR OH JSerra Ruby Hill SO RS JSerra Aubrey Beaver SR OH Temecula Valley Savannah Sheridan FR L Temecula Valley Sofia Williams JR OH San Clemente Quinn Loper SO OH San Clemente Lily Dwinell SR OH San Clemente Makenna Jackson SR L Edison Molly McCluskey JR RS Edison Eva Travis SR OH Laguna Beach Kyra Zaengle SO OH Laguna Beach Brooklyn Yelland SR L Laguna Beach Halie McGinest JR OH Long Beach Poly Anabel Kotzakov SR OH Newport Harbor Brooke Dombkowski SR OH Menlo School Regan Shields JR OH Santa Margarita Memphis Burnett FR OH Santa Margarita Brooklyn Drumwright SO OH Santa Margarita Madyson Smith SR OH Aliso Niguel Nicole Feliciano SR S/RS Aliso Niguel Danet Whiting SR L Aliso Niguel

If it’s a weekend in September we are probably gearing up for another big-time tournament here at vballrecruiter.com. That’s the case with this coming weekend’s Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament (LIVT) hosted by Assumption. I’ll be heading there for the two-day event, which features the best programs from Kentucky and a handful of out-of-state teams like Mother McAuley IL, Mount Notre Dame OH and St. Joseph’s MO. The field features 24 teams broken down into eight pools of three teams. Pool winners from Friday advanced to Saturday’s eight-team gold bracket. Below, we shine a spotlight on the top seeds as well as more players to watch for in action. TEAM SPOTLIGHTS MOTHER MCAULEY IL – The top seed out of Illinois is surely to get its undefeated record challenged over the two days. Ellie White – a 5-11 junior outside hitter – is the team’s kill leader and is off to a hot start to the season. While the Macs do rely a lot on White, the offense behind her is spread out between others who include sophomore outside Sydney Buchanan and junior middle Ellery Rees. Seniors Tess Hayes and Olivia Klapp share setting duties while senior Gigi Navarrete – who was part of 1st Alliance 17 Gold run to the 17 Open gold medal in Indianapolis – suits up at libero. ASSUMPTION KY – The hosts gear up for a busy couple of weeks. After participating in its own tourney over the weekend, the Rockets travel west to take on Mater Dei CA in Orange County before traveling to Las Vegas for the weekend to compete in the Durango Fall Classic. Assumption is off to an 11-0 start, including victories over St. Henry and Mercy. Both those schools are also in the LIVT. Senior setter Whitney Woodrow runs a balanced attack. Junior outside Charlotte Moriarty, junior outside Chloe Smith, senior pin hitter Alexis Strong, sophomore middle Bailey Blair and senior middle Gabrielle Gerry are all players to watch for on the attack. Defensively, Assumption uses sophomore Kristen Simon at the libero position. ST. HENRY KY – After traveling to Florida last weekend for the Nike TOC Southeast tourney, the Crusaders remain in-state and open the LIVT as the No. 3 seed. If an opponent is going to beat St. Henry it needs to contain junior outside Alivia Skidmore, the team’s kill leader. Junior Anna Guard is another to pay attention to. At setter, the Crusaders use juniors in Audrey Leonhard and Macy Lentz. At libero is junior Elizabeth Tabeling, who is averaging over 4.0 digs per set. MOUNT NOTRE DAME OH – The Cougars – who begin as the No. 4 seed – enter this weekend having just three matches under their belts. Seniors Shaye Wolf, Audrey Armbruster and Katie Wilking are all part of the mix. NOTRE DAME KY – As the No. 5 seed, the Pandas should be in contention on Saturday. Senior Sydney Nolan is the big arm and comes in as the kill leader. While Nolan takes the most swings, the trio of sophomore Riley McCloskey, senior Peyton Mast and sophomore Ava Tilden get roughly the same amount of swings and are also key contributors on offense. The Pandas also featuring rising freshman middle Audrey Dyas. The team is also young at the setting position with sophomore Lauren Ott and freshman Lizzy Larkins. It’s the opposite at libero, where the Pandas utilize senior Kamden Schrand. ST. JOSEPH’S MO – Last week we saw Lafayette from Missouri playing in the Nike TOC Southeast event. This weekend it’s another team from the Show Me state in the Angels, who open as the No. 6 seed. Like Notre Dame KY, the Angels use a pair of underclassmen at setter in sophomore Katie Hickman and freshman Charlie Frederick. Outsides in junior Claire Morrissey and sophomore Zoe Baliva take a lot of the swings while senior Madison Smith dons the libero jersey. MERCY KY – The Jaguars – the No. 7 seed – are senior-heavy except at libero, which features sophomore Madisyn Green. Senior setter Cameron Downs’ main target are fellow senior outsides Katie Poynter and Maddie Hagan as well as senior middles Emma Barnett and Meredith Brown. MORE PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR Sophie Henry JR OH Walton GA Kiana Dinn JR OH Ryle KY Alexis Woolf JR L Ryle KY Amanda Mack JR OH Maryville TN Kiernan Stamey JR MB Maryville TN Liv Gravatt SR S Maryville TN Ashley Taylor JR L Maryville TN Annabelle Groomes SO S/OH St. Joseph Academy OH Brooke Green SR OH Clearwater Central Catholic FL Taylor Bedinghaus JR OH Clearwater Central Catholic FL Josephine Hensley SO S Clearwater Central Catholic FL Isabella Pereira SO OH Clearwater Central Catholic FL Trinity Ward SO L Holy Cross KY Alyssa Adams SO L Knoxville Catholic TN Blair Cherry SR OH Knoxville Catholic TN Kennedy Holley JR OH Knoxville Catholic TN Jessica Meiman JR RS Padua Franciscan OH Ava Siefke SR OH St. Ursula Academy OH Ivey Stocks SR MB St. Ursula Academy OH Addy Brus JR OH St. Ursula Academy OH Anna Powell SO OH Sacred Heart KY Elise Hart SO MB Sacred Heart KY

For a state like Texas, the high school season is well under way as certain schools have played 30 matches or more after an opening month of tournament play. The majority of states are two weeks into their seasons and are just starting to gear up. There is also a few big national tournaments left featuring Louisville Invitational (this coming weekend), the Durango Fall Classic (Sept. 16-17), Asics Challenge (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) and the Nike TOC Southwest (Sept. 1-Oct. 1). Results from those events are sure to influence and shake up our nationals rankings, but for now we introduce our initial Top 50 High School Rankings. TOP 50 NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL RANKINGS 1. Cathedral Catholic CA 2. Mother McAuley IL 3. St. James Academy KS 4. Magnificat OH 5. Westminster Christian FL 6. McCutcheon IN 7. Mira Costa CA 8. Assumption KY 9. Cornerstone Christian TX 10. Sierra Canyon CA *** 11. Horizon AZ 12. Wayzata MN 13. Marian MI 14. Marymount CA 15. Prestonwood Christian TX 16. Ursuline Academy OH 17. Santa Fe FL 18. Oconomowoc WI 19. Highland Park TX 20. Hamilton Southeastern IN *** 21. Washburn Rural KS 22. Skyline MI 23. Lincoln East NE 24. Cypress Ranch TX 25. Lafayette MO 26. Torrey Pines CA 27. Kamehameha HI 28. Byron Nelson TX 29. Aquinas KS 30. Papillion-LaVista South NE *** 31. Redondo Union CA 32. Brebeuf Jesuit IN 33. Barrington IL 34. Corona del Sol AZ 35. Dike New-Hartford IO 36. Mater Dei CA 37. Palos Verdes CA 38. ‘Iolani HI 39. Mercy McAuley OH 40. Yorktown IN *** 41. Chaparral CO 42. Trinity Catholic FL 43. Blue Valley North KS 44. Mercy MI 45. Cleveland TN 46. Mountain View UT 47. Grandview CO 48. Pickens SC 49. Punahou HI 50. La Costa Canyon CA *** Honorable Metions Lincoln-Way East (IL) Vista Murrieta (CA) Harvard-Westlake (CA) Archbishop Mitty (CA) St. Francis/Mountain View (CA) Perry (AZ) Queen Creek (AZ) Calvary Christin (FL) Blue Valley (KS) St. James Academy (KS) Rock Bridge (MO) St. Joseph’s Academy (MO) Huntley (IL) Ankeny (IO) Iowa City Liberty (IO) Tompkins (TX) Keller (TX) The Woodlands (TX) Bridgeland (TX) Barbers Hill (TX) Rockwall (TX) Walton (TX) Knoxville Christian (TN) Dorman (SC) Mercy (KY) Sequoyah (GA) Alpharetta (GA) Pope (GA) Champlin Park (MN) Lakeville North (MN) Brookfield Central (WI) Olentangy Liberty (OH) Ardrey Kell (NC) Millbrook (NC) Cardinal Newman (SC) McGill-Toolen (AL) Brandon (MS) Liberty (MO) Moanalua (HI) Ponte Vedra (FL) Plant (FL) Venice (FL) Marvin Ridge (NC) St. Henry (KY) Tampa Prep (FL) Skutt Catholic (NE) Buford (GA) Olathe Northwest (KS) O’Connor (AZ) Appleton North (WI) Divine Savior Holy Angels (WI)

In a smaller, 15-team field like the CA Challenge one might expect a smooth Day 1 ride but that was not the case Friday in San Diego as teams contended for one of the eight spots for Saturday’s gold bracket. While the four top seeds all advanced by winning their respective pools, it wasn’t so simple for one of them. La Costa Canyon (CA)– the No. 1 team in Pool 2 – was upstaged by Kahuku (HI) in the 1 v 4 match and had to battle back against Santa Fe Christian (CA) in the 1 v 2 contest. LCC’s head-to-head victory over SFC afforded the Mavericks first place in the pool after both finished 2-1 and advanced. Top-seeded Torrey Pines (CA), No. 3 San Marcos (CA) and No. 4 Eastlake (CA) combined to go 8-0 with only Eastlake dropping a set along the way. Torrey Pines was part of a three-team pool and played just two matches, though they were best-of-five. Great Oak (CA) moved on along with Torrey Pines out of Pool 1. In Pool 3, the No. 3 team Buchanan (CA) finished 2-1 to make the gold bracket with San Marcos. And in Pool 4, there was a three-way tie at 1-2 behind Eastlake. Los Gatos (CA), Mission Vista (CA) and Frontier (CA) knotted up but Los Gatos received the tiebreaker for second place to stay in contention. *** UNDER THE RADAR PLAYERS We’ll have our normal Show Stoppers after the tournament concludes highlighting the top players we saw during the two days of action. Below, we bring you players who have flown under the radar but caught our eye on Day 1. Isabella Akanoa SR S/RS Kahuku (HI) Meghan Kagehiro JR L St. Mary’s (CA) Keely Hummel JR OH St. Mary’s (CA) Avery Banaag SR L Eastlake (CA) Lily Stewart JROH Eastlake (CA) MJ Martin JR S Mission Vista (CA) Kristine Zhou SR S Santa Fe Christian (CA) Kate Phillips L Santa Fe Christian (CA) Emma Bambe SR L La Costa Canyon (CA) Sienna Manning JR MB La Costa Canyon (CA) Portia Zeidler FR MB Los Gatos (CA) Stevie Yursik SR OH Frontier (CA) Emma Heckman SR RS Point Loma (CA) Kathryn Cherrington SR OH Ironwood Ridge (AZ) Melanie Merrill SR OH Ironwood Ridge (AZ) Sarah Wilson SR OH Great Oak (CA) Zayda Fuertez JR L Great Oak (CA) Sophia Duguid FR RS Great Oak (CA) Lauren Feller SO RS San Marcos (CA) Charlee Ellena JR OH San Marcos (CA) Cameron Holcomb FR L San Marcos (CA)

(Cornerstone Christian’s Taylor Anderson (5)) Get ready for another exciting, action-packed weekend with the upcoming Nike TOC Southeast tournament Friday and Saturday in Tampa Bay. vballrecruiter.com is going to be at the event providing coverage as teams seek out the championship trophy. There are 96 schools participating across three divisions – National, Premier and Elite. Below, we focus on the 32-team National division. It features last week’s Volleypalooza champion Cornerstone Christian. The Warriors are one of the teams we shine a spotlight on. We also list Players to Watch who are not mentioned in one of the team spotlights. TOP 8 SEEDS (in order) PONTE VEDRA (FL): Facing a strong field, it’ll be a challenge for the Sharks to hold down the top seed because of the depth of competition. Among the players assisting in that effort is senior MB/RS Zeta Washington (Cincinnati), junior middle Chelsea Sutton (Tennessee), senior outside Ava-Grace Redick (College of Charleston beach), senior setter Jessica Shattles (New Hampshire) and sophomore pin hitter Cassidy Miskowiec. SANTA FE (FL): The Raiders receive the No. 2 overall seed and will chase after the tournament title behind a lineup featuring three key seniors. They are setters/outsides Jalyn Stout (Coastal Carolina) and Anisa Dorloiuis, who are the top two kill leaders. The third senior is libero Ro’miya Thomas. Another member opposing teams must be concerned about is junior middle Joselyn Sanjurjo, who enters the tournament third in kills.   CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN (TX): The Volleypalooza champs are loaded enough to challenge any team in the country. Senior MB Nayeli Gonzalez (Iowa State) is one of the key pieces on offense, along with sophomore OH Megan Fitch. The Warriors also have right sides Grace Carroll (junior, Baylor) and Macey Hughes (sophomore), as well as setters Taylor Anderson (senior, Purdue) and Kaia Thiele (sophomore) and senior libero Alyssa Manitzas (Notre Dame). WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN (FL): The No. 4 overall seed returns plenty from last season and is looking to make a mark over the weekend. The top three kill leaders from a year ago are back in senior outside Emily Matias (Coastal Carolina), senior outside Alyah Cadavid and senior outside Gaby Arroyo. Also part of the package is senior L/DS Lamaya Fuller and junior setter Alyssa Cadavid. TRINITY CATHOLIC (FL): The Celtics scheduled strong out of the gate, including a head-to-head match against Santa Fe, a showdown Trinity lost. Now, the attention turns to making a run this weekend. Players of note include current kill leader and senior outside Kiana Laborde, senior setter Amelia Fitzpatrick (Flager), senior setter Marisol Perez, junior Avery Campise and junior L/DS McKenna Yates.   SPAIN PARK (AL): The Jaguars made the out-of-state trek to test their hands against some of the best Florida has to offer. Senior outside Emily Breazeale (West Florida) currently leads the team in kills followed by freshman OH/MB Megan Ingersoll. Senior L/DS Brooklyn Allison (East Tennessee) has done well defending so far this season, while seniors Lilly Johnson and Haley Thompson have teamed up on setting duties. CALVARY CHRISTIAN (FL): A modest 3-0 start includes a victory over Plant as Calvary prepares for the weekend ahead. Junior setter Taylor Parks (Florida) directs the Warriors offense and is among the top players in the field to watch. Senior outside Deanna Dollar – a California transfer from Village Christian committed to the College of Charleston – comes in as the kill leader and has taken the most swings. Defensively, junior L/DS Ava Bonin is tasked with leading the charge in the back row. BISHOP GORMAN (NV): The Gaels have only played a couple of matches but have been balanced with their attacking, led by junior outside Leilia Toailoa. Also included in that is freshman outside and rising prospect Ayanna Watson, senior middle Katelyn Eberwein and junior middle Ashley Duckworth. Bishop Gorman has relied on freshman Trinity Thompson and junior Taylor Treadwell at setter. *** MORE TEAM SPOTLIGHTS SKUTT CATHOLIC (NE): The Skyhawks are a perennial power in Nebraska and make the trip to test themselves across country. The No. 2 team in Pool 7, Skutt Catholic is paced by captains Hailey Kiscoan (SR MB/OH), Anna Weberg (SR L/DS), Morgan Burke (SR OH, Michigan) and Ivy Leuck (SR S/RS). MCGILL-TOOLEN (AL): The Yellowjackets have eight matches under their belts and haven’t lost to a team in-state yet. They are also one of three teams from Alabama in the field. The go-to hitter is senior outside Anna Grace Sparks, who is hitting over .300 this season. She’s backed by sophomore pin hitter Paris Mcquirter, junior outside Chelsea Daffin, senior middle Riley Carter and junior middle Emma Moore. Junior Mamie Fromdahl leads the team in assists, followed by junior Laura Boykin. Junior Annalise Lee comes in as the team’s dig leader. LAFAYETTE (MO): The Lancers could be under-seeded and stir the pot as the No. 3 team in Pool 1. Senior outside Caitlyn Little is more than a handful for opponents to deal with it. She’s joined by junior outside Allison Risley (Northern Kentucky), senior middle Layne Witherspoon and sophomore outside Maya Witherspoon. WALTON (GA): The Raiders head to their second national tournament of the season and start off as the No. 2 team in Pool 5 behind Trinity Catholic. Walton has played much of the season without senior outside Mary Neal which has hindered its success. The current kill leader is junior outside Sophia Henry. Sophomore Abigail Li is in charge of directing the attack as the setter, while senior Elizabeth Cheney anchors the defense at libero. BUFORD (GA): The Wolves enter at 15-1 overall, with their only setback to Alpharetta, a team Buford has beaten as well. Senior outside Ashley Sturzoiu (Mississippi State) is a menace to opponents and is backed by senior middle Sydney Austin. Senior Polly Cummings is the setter with sophomore Alexa Flowers the libero. The Wolves open as the No. 2 team in Pool 6. ST. HENRY (KY): One of the top teams from Kentucky, the Crusaders won’t back down from anyone and come

Making a statement can be overstated when it comes to athletics, but what’s a better way to describe what Cornerstone Christian did in capturing the Volleypalooza championship over the weekend in Texas? The 68-team field was loaded! It featured eight of the current Top 10 teams in the most recent 6A Coaches Association Poll, plus five of the Top 7 from the current 5A poll. Of course, neither poll contains Cornerstone Christian or Prestonwood Christian, who the Warriors swept, 25-21, 25-15, in the title showdown between arguably the two best teams in the state. “It was an incredible field,” Cornerstone coach Mike Carter said. “It was a bunch of grown women playing and I was impressed by so many teams and the level of play. Honestly, I was in awe and enjoyed being a fan and watching these teams playing other matches. My team really rose to the challenge. Cy Ranch had us down 23-20 in the third set and we rallied to finish that match. The match against Prestonwood, that was the best we played all year.” It was a true showdown, as the top two seeds worked their way into position to go home with the tournament trophy. Cornerstone – whose only setback this season came against The Woodlands, a team the Warriors have also defeated – handed Prestonwood its first loss. Prestonwood reached the final after downing Highland Park for the second time this season by sweeping their semifinal encounter. The way the teams were playing, the final was set up to produce a classic. However, Cornerstone’s play suffocated Prestonwood at times and the expected slugfest never materialized. “We got on a good roll,” Carter said. “Our block set up well. I think it caused them to try and avoid our big kids and in doing so it led to some hitting errors or easier balls for us to play. When we are in system, we have three hitters in each rotation who are capable of putting it away. It makes us tough to defend.” None of that would have taken place had Cornerstone not produced an epic rally over Cy Ranch in the quarterfinals in what proved to be the match of the tournament. The Mustangs grabbed the opening set, the first Cornerstone had lost since dropping its contest to The Woodlands two weeks prior. After stepping up in the second set, Cornerstone found itself trailing for much of the third – which was played to 25. In fact, Cy Ranch built up a 19-14 advantage before looking like it was ready to close the Warriors out leading 23-19. Hannah Spencer’s stuff was part of a 5-0 run and cut the deficit to 23-22. Megan Fitch followed with back-to-back kills to make it 24-23. Bianna Muoneke stalled Cornerstone’s run with a monster bash to tie it at 24 all. Fitch kept her hot hand going with another winner before the match ended on a net violation against Cy Ranch. “When we dropped the first one it was let’s see how we respond,” Carter said. “I thought we came out in the second set and played well. The third set we got behind. Having 12 seniors, there’s a lot of leadership there and the young girls play so much volleyball they stayed calm and didn’t get rattled.” Winning Volleypalooza sets the stage for Cornerstone, which is heading to the Nike TOC Southeast tournament in Tampa Bay this coming weekend. The Warriors are also heading west later in the year to compete at the Nike TOC Southwest event in Phoenix. An independent school, Cornerstone can travel out of the state unlike other schools who can’t compete in any tournament anywhere once district play begins. Capturing major tournament titles like Volleypalooza and Nike TOC is one way for a program to put itself in the discussion for being named national champions at the end of the year. “We are excited about (the upcoming tournaments,” Carter said. “Tampa and Phoenix are like our playoffs. We’ll see some of the top teams around the country and outside of Texas.”

Volleypalooza was where the best that Texas had to offer gathered Thursday-Saturday in what has become the state’s premier tournament. Cornerstone Christian entered as the No. 1 seed and held it throughout, topping Prestonwood Christian for bragging rights in the championship match. We were on hand and tried to get to as many sites to see as many teams as possible. With 68 schools competing, it was impossible to see them all. Still, wherever we were we noted the players we were watching and below we present our Show Stoppers from our three days in the Lone Star State. Peyton Fadal, JR S, Barbers Hill – A 5-10, 3-star recruit, Fadal is in firm command of the Eagles’ offense. She did well connecting with both middles and spreading the ball around in general. Alice Volpe, JR L, Bridgeland – A 3-star recruit, Volpe helps set the defensive tone for the Bears. This team relies a lot on defense and hustle and it helps to have a libero of Volpe’s caliber to make plays and keep her team in points. Kennedy Kays, SR OH, Bridgeland – Kays is tasked with carrying the offensive load at times and she doesn’t back down from the challenge. She loads up and goes for it when the opportunity is there while knowing when to let up just a bit and not try to do too much. Rebekah Pfefferkorn, Soph MB, Bridgeland – Pfefferkorn – a 6-1, 4-star recruit – makes her presence felt in the middle. She’s a solid attacker who the Bears can rely on to score points. She’s also does well getting her hands on balls when blocking. Amelia Creacy, JR RS, Bridgeland – A 6-1 lefty, Creacy is a difference maker when she’s checked in across the front row. She has a strong arm and can deliver big kills. She’s someone the defense can’t lose track of or else her opponents will pay for it. Taylor Anderson, SR S, Cornerstone Christian – Anderson – a 6-1, 4-star recruit – brings plenty to the lineup. She’s more than capable of running a 5-1 smoothly and efficiently. She can also be part of 6-2 and set in the back row. Or if needed she can hit across the front row. That’s a valuable piece for the Warriors to take advantage of. Alyssa Manitzas, SR L, Cornerstone Christian – A 4-star recruit, the more we watched Manitzas the more she impressed. She’s a flat-out stud who brings endless energy and passion to the lineup. She was lights out on the final day, making unbelievable digs on hard-hit balls and forcing attackers to up their games. Nayeli Gonzalez, SR MB, Cornerstone Christian – A 6-2, 4-star recruit, Gonzalez is one of the main offensive weapons. She plays outside in club but fills a void and shifted to middle for high school. She’ll still lineup on the left and hit from that spot. Also, if you’re best player is making that sacrifice, that’s tremendous leadership skills in action. Grace Carroll, JR RS, Cornerstone Christian – Carroll is a 6-4, 4-star recruit who adds size across the front row. She has a big arm and can hammer down kills over or through blocks. She can also help slow down opposing outsides with her ability to disrupt shots. Megan Fitch, Soph OH, Cornerstone Christian – We last saw Fitch – a 6-1, 5-star recruit – leading Alamo to the 15 Open gold medal. She’s a huge part of Cornerstone’s make up and takes plenty of big-time, clutch swings from the outside to help power the offense along. Taylor Porter, Soph OH, Cypress Ranch – Porter played with the poise of an upperclassmen and didn’t back down from being set in crucial moments. The 5-11 outside hitter also made plays defensively hustling after balls to keep her team in points. Bianna Muoneke, SR OH, Cypress Ranch – There wasn’t a more impressive outside hitter in the field. The 6-0, 4-star recruit showed her explosiveness over and over, including ripping balls from the back row. Janyah Henderson, SR MB, Cypress Ranch – At 6-0, Henderson has nice hang time as well. It makes her a threat anytime Cy Ranch is in system and her scoring ability definitely helps open up the attack. Tya Lynch, JR MB, Cypress Ranch – Lynch – also listed at 6-0 – can score as well but she does her best work blocking. She has strong hands and proved to be a problem for attackers directly challenging her. Gabby Eads, JR L, Cypress Ranch – Eads was solid in the back row and helped keep the Mustangs in system when challenged in serve receive. Kirby Kliafas, SR S, Cypress Ranch – Kliafas is a bit undersized at 5-9 but does well running a 5-1. She sets a consistently hittable ball and gave her attackers good looks to do something with. Cierra Pesak, SR L, Friendswood – Pesak was very consistency in passing and defending. She picked off hard hit balls more than once in standing in there and brought a sound defensive energy to the floor. Alex Richter, Soph RS, Highland Park – A 6-2, 4-star recruit, Richter takes up a lot of space on the right side. She’s long and attacks over blocks or in between the gap. Defensively, her length makes for a solid block to help contain opposing attackers. Nicole Mauser, SR RS, Highland Park – Mauser is the other half of the right side front row duo. She’s a smart hitter who uses the block well or can find space with off speed. Zoe Winford, SR L, Highland Park – Winford is the clear defensive quarterback for the Scots. She owns the backrow and stands in well against big hitters to make digs. Ceci Gooch, SR MB, Highland Park – A 4-star recruit, the 6-2 Gooch played right side this past club season but is doing her part by moving to the middle for high school. She’s one of the top scoring

A powerhouse conclusion is on the way at Volleypalooza. There’s no doubt about it now that the eight-team gold bracket is set. It looks like this:   On Day 2, 34 teams in Group 1 went at it in hopes of making it this far and remaining alive for the prestigious championship trophy. If you can make it to Rouse High School on Saturday for the last day of the three-day event it promises to be worth the price of admission as the last eight standing go toe-to-toe for top honors. What’s ahead is a showdown of arguably the best the state of Texas has to offer this high school season with the trio of Cornerstone Christian, Prestonwood and Highland Park among the teams left standing. All three are looking to add another tournament title to their collection. Cornerstone took first at the John Turner Classic; Prestonwood was tops at the Battle at the Rock; and Highland Park captured last weekend’s Northwest ISD tourney. Prestonwood – undefeated on the year to date – has defeated Highland Park once already this season and a rematch could happen as soon as Saturday’s semifinals. Neither school has faced off with Cornerstone yet. Cornerstone’s only loss came to The Woodlands at the John Turner Classic, where Cornerstone also avenged that loss to The Woodlands in the final. Through the first two days here at Volleypalooza, the trio has matched each other step for step. All three sit at 6-0 without a set loss among them. Of course, that’s going to change Saturday and I can’t wait to see how it plays out. It’s time to get hyped! With the top three seeds holding it down, let’s take a quick look at how the other teams reached the final eight, followed by our Team Spotlight and Under The Radar Players. Keller made it out of Pool 4 as the No. 3 team, going 3-0 with victories over Clear Springs, Westlake and Amarillo. In Pool 5, another No. 3 team in Rockwall advanced at 3-0 as well. Rockwall moved on by topping Sasche, Brandeis and Dawson. Keeping the streak going is Lovejoy, which you guessed it, is yet another No. 3 team to break pool Saturday at 3-0. Lovejoy secured its spot in the quarterfinals by downing Dripping Springs, Round Rock and Pearland in Pool 6. In Pool 7, Bridgeland finished 3-0 as the No. 2 team by beating Canyon, Lake Creek and Prosper. Pools 8 and 9 were three-team pools. Cypress Ranch went 2-0 in Pool 8 while Lake Travis went 2-0 in Pool 9. They went head-to-head for a spot in the quarters in crossover action. Cypress Ranch swept that one, 25-19, 25-18, to stay in contention. *** TEAM SPOTLIGHT LIBERTY HILL – Hosts of one of the sites, the Panthers did well for themselves in Pool 2 on Friday. Liberty Hill finished 2-1, losing only to Prestonwood and picking up an upset over Southlake Carroll, 26-24, 27-25. The Panthers staged a remarkable comeback in Game 2, storming back to take the frame after trailing 16-4! The Panthers utilize two setters in junior Carson Glenn and sophomore Ava Hight. Keegan Walton suited up at libero to help out with defensive duties while 6-2 senior middle blocker Morgan Poulain provided needed height. Also check out more on junior right side Gigi Mason and junior outside Kealy Dirner in our Under the Radar players featured further down. LOVEJOY – The Leopards are still in the mix and could be a threat to pull off an upset. They are one of the more consistently taller teams in the field with a pair of 6-2 players in sophomore outside Anna Barr and senior middle Hannah Gonzalez. Both setters on the roster have nice height as well in 6-0 sophomore Nicole Cornell and 5-11 junior Bethanie Wu. Senior right side Charlotte Wilson, sophomore middle Shelby Burriss, and sophomore MB/RS Sadie Jane Hand are among those listed at 6-0 or taller. Six more players are listed at 5-10 or 5-11, including sophomore outside Morgan VanVoorhis and junior outside Reagan Fitzsimmons. KELLER – The Indians return key pieces from last year’s 6A runner-up squad and can’t be overlooked. Among those back are junior outside Reagan Sharp and senior middle Leah Ford. Keller also returns senior setter Taylor Polivka plus senior defenders Landry McEachern and Kea Whillock. Keller might not be favored to walk away with the title on Day 3 but the Indians won’t go down without a fight. ROCKWALL – The Yellowjackets had a Friday to remember. All three matches went down to the wire as Rockwell downed both Sachse and Brandeis in the third 25-22, and Dawson 25-23 in the final set. (Third sets are played to 25). Rockwall will seek to play spoiler Saturday behind the big arm and play of 6-3 senior outside Becca Kelley, 6-1 junior pin hitter Harley Krause and junior pin hitter Kayla Bullard. BRIDGELAND – The Bears have dropped just one set through the first two days. It came in a three-set victory over Canyon, 25-23, 22-25, 25-17, to close out pool play Friday. Bridgeland gets a crack at Prestonwood to open the quarterfinals. Plenty of offense flows through senior outside Olivia Waggoner, senior outside Kennedy Kays and senior pin Gracie Comeaux. Senior middle Molly McClure, sophomore middle Rebekah Pfefferkorn and junior right side Amelia Creacy will also get involved. *** UNDER THE RADAR PLAYERS We’ll have our featured Show Stoppers compiled after tournament play concludes highlighting the top players we saw over the three days here. A lot of them we followed closely and wrote a lot about in club, so we are familiar with them. That leads us to wanting to showcase some players you might not have heard or read about and that’s who we mention below. Skylar George, SR OH, Stratford – A 6-1 outside, George carries a nice arm. She’s a featured part of the offense and has to deliver a lot of points to keep Stratford

Personally, it’s been a historic start to the high school season. Two weeks ago I was in Hawaii covering the Ann Kang Invitational for the first time. Now, I’m in Austin covering the massive Volleypalooza for the first time. If you love watching and covering volleyball there’s no other places to be to begin the year. The opening day of Volleypalooza, hosted by Rouse, lived up to expectations and then some. Knowing the level of Texas volleyball, the bar is set high and the best thing is the action only heats up the next two days with a field featuring almost all the top teams in the state from 5 and 6A. Day 1 consisted of 17 pools of four, with the top two teams advancing and remaining in contention. The top half of Day 2 features 7 pools of 4 paired with 2 pools of three. The winners of the four-team pools each earn a spot in the eight-team gold bracket on Day 3, along with the crossover winner between the top teams in the three-team pools. Let’s take a quick look at some of the top headlines from Thursday, followed by team spotlights and under the radar players. — Most of the top seeds advanced but were hardly untouchable. Boswell – seeded No. 15 – was the lone top team in its pool not moving on however with upset losses to Westlake – which won the pool at 3-0 – and to Stratford. — Prosper – seeded No. 4 – and No. 5 The Woodlands both lost their final outings to finish 2-1 but will move on. Prosper was surprised by a scrappy Clear Springs group while Sachse swept past The Woodlands to win Pool 5. — Lake Travis – seeded No. 8 – went down to Cypress Ranch in the 1 v 2 contest, allowing Cypress Ranch to win the pool at 3-0 and place Lake Travis second at 2-1. — In Pool 11, the No. 2 team in Bishop Lynch topped the No. 1 team in Lovejoy to go 3-0. — Keller – seeded No. 13 – also went 2-1 after losing to Round Rock in the 1 v 2 clash. — Barbers Hill – the No. 2 team in Pool 16 – uprooted No. 16 O’Connor to grab first at 3-0. — Lastly, Pool 17 was the only one featuring a three-way tie. Friendswood, the No. 1 team, tied at 2-1 with the No. 2 team Cedar Park and the No. 3 team Southlake Carroll. Southlake Carroll ended in first thanks to the tiebreakers and joined Stratford as the only other No. 3 team to advance on Day 1. Friendswood wound up in second, which meant Cedar Park was third and eliminated. It started with Southlake Carroll downing Friendswood, which closed out the day by beating Cedar Park. In between, Cedar Park defeated Southlake Carroll. *** TEAM SPOTLIGHTS     Let’s shed some light on a few teams of note: CLEAR SPRINGS – We begin with the Chargers after they pulled off the biggest upset of the day in downing Prosper. The roster doesn’t have one player listed above 5-11, so this isn’t a group built on bullying opponents into submission. However, Clear Springs demonstrated sound chemistry and clearly cherish the underdog role. Ashley Richardson showed off her big arm pounding balls on the right. The other right side in lefty Carissa Young extends nicely and can get on top of the ball. Anzley Rinard was solid on the left while Abigail Fuller displayed her scrappiness at libero. CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN – We’ll know plenty about the top seed here by the time the season is done. The Warriors are slated to also participate in both Nike TOC events – one in Tampa and one in Phoenix. The roster is loaded with high-level talent which includes 4-star recruit and outside Nayeli Gonzalez, 4-star recruit and setter Taylor Anderson, plus 5-star prospect in sophomore outside Megan Fitch. Alyssa Manitzas is a 4-star libero while recent Baylor commit Grace Carroll is a 4-star lefty right side. PRESTONWOOD CHRISTIAN – The Lions are the No. 2 seeds and the scary thing is the roster features just one senior – MB/RS Emma Kate Mullican. That means Prestonwood is going to be a national power next year, if it isn’t already. One of the highlights is the arrival of 5-star recruit and sophomore outside Macaria Spears. Spears played club this past season for Metro out of DC but made the move to Texas and transformed the look of the lineup. Also among the players to know is junior outside Jadyn Livings, a 6-2, 5-star recruit. Another premier pin hitter is Mikala Young, a 4-star recruit who is 6-0 and was hitting on the right side for the Lions. At setter, is recent Michigan commit Camille Edwards. Added to the that, the team gets the services of middle Kennedy Washington, a 4-star recruit who becomes eligible to play for the Lions beginning Friday. HIGHLAND PARK – The Scots are seeded No. 3 overall and coming off a victory at last weekend’s Northwest ISD tourney. Three seniors lead the way in outside Sydney Breon, middle Ceci Gooch and libero Zoe Winford. Breon is a 4-star recruit committed to UCLA. Gooch – who played on the right side for Drive Nation during club – is a 4-star recruit heading to Michigan. Winford – a 3-star recruit – is committed to Georgia Tech. There’s underclassmen talent on the roster as well. Alex Richter, a 6-2, 4-star OH/RS, is one of them. She’s joined by 4-star outside and fellow sophomore Bella Ocampo. There is also 6-2 right side Nicole Mauser, a 3-star recruit committed to Cal Baptist. Setters Harper Hall and Gracie Braner get to work with all those options. ROUSE – As the host, we highlight Rouse. The Raiders have some size to work with, especially in the middle with 6-3 junior Jadyn Wilgus and 6-1 junior Naara Tanco. Tabby Allen, a 6-1 senior, stands in