Chris Tobolski

One way of wrapping up the latest club season is with the final set of national rankings. We released the final 18s rankings Monday and continue Tuesday with the final ones from the 17s division. There are lots of factors to take into consideration when formulating a list like this. It leaves plenty of room for debate as these rankings are ultimately subjective. There are power league results, qualifier results, national tournaments like Triple Crown and of course the USAV Girls Junior Nationals 18s and AAU national championships. All these come into play. We put more weight on what happened at Junior Nationals than a qualifier because the whole season is built toward peaking at JN’s. We also had one steadfast rule we didn’t break no matter the circumstances. That rule was if Team A defeated Team B in a gold challenge match or gold bracket match at JN’s, Team A is always going to be ranked ahead of Team B. That’s because everyone comes to JN’s to win a gold medal and if Team A eliminates Team B from contention, it won at the absolute right time. It can make for some skewed overall rankings as a team might be too high or low overall but what’s the point if the biggest head-to-head matches of the season aren’t the most important ones? The Top 25 teams have comments to hopefully give some insight as to why they are ranked where they are. A select few from 26-50 have comments as well but not all. 1. 1st ALLIANCE 17 GOLD (1 – previous national ranking) Given the depth and competitiveness of the 17s division it was a truly remarkable season for the Illinois club. 1st Alliance opened in impressive fashion by going undefeated at the early Northern Lights qualifier to secure its Open bid. The club then finished third at Triple Crown, where it lost twice to Drive Nation 17 Red. 1st Alliance went on to take fifth at the Sunshine Classic, falling only to A5 Mizuno 17 Jing before going undefeated in winning the Windy City qualifier. In Indy, 1st Alliance displayed the high-level consistency needed to capture a gold medal against such a difficult field. OT 17 John and AZ Rev 17 Premier joined Drive Nation and A5 as the only teams in the same age group to defeat 1st Alliance, which finished with a 26-5 mark against Open-qualified opponents. 2. MN SELECT 17-1 (13) When it came to MN Select – which finished the year 18-12 against Open teams – the potential of this group was obvious. It was only a matter of if the team could produce at a consistent level when it mattered most. That’s exactly what MN Select did in Indy by taking home the silver medal. It included an impressive victory in the semifinals over a hot Club V 17 Ren Reed squad that helped propel MN Select up the rankings. The team didn’t fare as well as it would’ve liked at AAU, where MN Select participated in a tune-up for Junior Nationals. In Orlando, MN Select finished tied for fifth after falling to OT John in the quarterfinals. In Indy however, MN Select lost just twice – to Tstreet 17 Naseri and to 1st Alliance in the final. The loss to Tstreet was not consequential however, as MN Select already had its pool wrapped up before facing Tstreet. MN Select moved up 11 positions in our final rankings, after being No. 13 heading in our May release. 3. CLUB V 17 REN REED (8) Club V had a monster season that ended with a bronze medal in Indy. After Triple Crown – where Club V finished 19th – is when the Utah club caught fire. It finished first at the Salt Lake City qualifier. Club V then finished fifth at Red Rock, third at Lone Star and grabbed another qualifier victory at Far Western. Club V picked up arguably its biggest victory of the season when it topped Circle City 17 Purple in three sets in the 17 Open quarterfinals in Indy to clinch a medal. For the season, Club V went 27-11 against Open opponents. The 27 victories ties Drive Nation for the most Open wins. 4. CIRCLE CITY 17 PURPLE (2) It was not the ending Circle City was hoping for but it shouldn’t take away from an amazing season. Circle City proved itself as one of the best and it showed with a 24-3 record against the Open field, including Indy. Open teams to beat Circle City included TAV 17 Black, 1st Alliance and Club V. Circle City’s only other losses came to Rev Raptors 17-1, which Circle City went 2-2 against. The only setback in Indy came against Club V in the quarterfinals. 5. COAST 17-1 (4) Coast capped a strong season with a bronze medal at Junior Nationals. Against Open opponents, Coast went 22-9. Its run in Indy was stopped by 1st Alliance in the quarterfinals. Some of the highlights for Coast this year beyond the bronze was going 3-0 against Drive Nation and 4-1 against rival Wave 17 Juliana. 6. LEGACY 17-1 ADIDAS (10) Legacy had perhaps the most heartbreaking performance at Junior Nationals of any 17 Open team. The Michigan club finished the four-day event 9-1 but its only loss to 1st Alliance kept Legacy from breaking the second round of pool play and participating in the challenge matches. Combined with Legacy earning the gold medal in 17 Open at AAU lands Legacy at No. 6 despite the lower finish in Indy. Legacy posted a 24-10 against Open opponents. 7. WAVE 17 JULIANA (6) Wave’s hopes of medaling in Indy ended with a loss to Coast in the challenge rounds. Still, it was a great year for the San Diego club, one that included winning the Big South qualifier as well as the JVA West Coast Cup. On the year, Wave was 22-10 against Open qualified teams. 8. PREMIER NEBRASKA 17 GOLD (11) Another

vballrecruiter.com presents its final 18s Top 50 National Rankings. There are lots of factors to take into consideration when formulating a list like this. It leaves plenty of room for debate as these rankings are ultimately subjective. There are power league results, qualifier results, national tournaments like Triple Crown and of course the USAV Girls Junior Nationals 18s and AAU national championships. All these come into play. We put more weight on what happened in Phoenix than a qualifier in January because the whole season is built toward peaking at JN’s. We also had one steadfast rule we didn’t break no matter the circumstances. That rule was if Team A defeated Team B in a gold challenge match or gold bracket match at JN’s, Team A is always going to be ranked ahead of Team B. That’s because everyone comes to JN’s to win a gold medal and if Team A eliminates Team B from contention, it won at the absolute right time. It can make for some skewed overall rankings but what’s the point if the biggest head-to-head matches of the season aren’t the most important ones? The Top 25 teams have comments to hopefully give some insight as to why they are ranked where they are. A select few from 26-50 have comments as well but not all. There was only one minor change to the rankings after taking into consideration results from AAU. That was switching around Munciana 18 Samurai and SPVB 18 Elite after Munciana defeated SPVB in the 18 Open final at AAU in Orlando. With Munciana winning AAU, there was consideration whether or not Munciana should replace Sunshine in the No. 1 spot in our national rankings because Munciana does own a head-to-head victory over Sunshine their lone meeting. While there is an argument to put Munciana in the top spot, we held off based on overall strength of schedule. Sunshine played one of the top-three toughest schedules in the country and loss just four times all season while going undefeated at two national qualifiers and the 18 Open national championships. Given that, we kept Sunshine at the top. 1. SUNSHINE 18 LA Comment: The USAV 18 Open gold medalist was the easy choice to be No. 1. Munciana owns a head-to-head victory over Sunshine in the finals of Triple Crown, but as we stated strength of schedule was a factor keeping Sunshine No. 1. A5 Mizuno 18 Marc is the only other team to own a victory against Sunshine on the national stage. Coast 18-1 and Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar each picked up a victory against Sunshine in local Premier Volleyball League action. Sunshine collected 38 victories against the Open field, including its time in Phoenix. That’s the most of any team. 2. MADFROG 18 GREEN Comment: Madfrog showed moments of vulnerability in losing pool matches to Adversity 18 Adidas and FC Elite 18 Elite at JN’s. Yet, it responded by upsetting A5 in its challenge match on its way to finishing with the silver medal. That propelled Madfrog to No. 2 in the rankings. Yes, A5 did defeat Madfrog in Nashville, but there’s no doubt that A5 would gladly trade that victory for the one in Phoenix that didn’t happen. Madfrog also owns impressive victories outside of JN’s which includes beating Hou Skyline 18 Royal, Skyline 18 Royal, Coast and SASVBC 18-1. 3. A5 MIZUNO 18 MARC Comment: A5 had a tremendous overall season. It just lost one match at the wrong time when it fell to Madfrog in the challenge round at JN’s. That was only A5’s third loss in a national tournament. OT 18 Chad and AZ Rev 18 Premier join Madfrog as the only clubs to own a victory over A5. A5 finished the year 3-1 against OT and 1-1 against Madfrog. A5 earned 31 victories against the Open field, second only to Sunshine. 4. MUNCIANA 18 SAMURAI Comment: Compared to others in the rankings, Muncie has played a much lighter schedule but has proved itself to be among the top in the country regardless. Not only does the club own a victory over Sunshine in the final of Triple Crown, it owns 10 more victories against teams which qualified for 18 Open at JN’s. Its only losses are to SPVB, Hou Skyline and Coast 17-1. Given the lighter schedule Muncie comes in at No. 4. 5. SPVB 18 ELITE Comment: It’s difficult ranking SPVB simply because it doesn’t have the same strength of schedule as others. Still, what it does have in terms of results has to be taken into consideration. SPVB owns a victory over Munciana and Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite, which finished tied for third at JN’s. SPVB only losses were to Team Indiana 18 Elite, which finished in the top half at JN’s, and Munciana in the 18 Open final at AAU. 6. ROCKWOOD THUNDER 18 ELITE Comment: From here on out it starts getting interesting as the results get more and more mixed and mashed. There’s no denying Rockwood Thunder turned in a strong performance at JN’s by tying for the bronze medal. It’s only losses there were to Madfrog in the semis and to Vital in pool play. It upset Coast in challenge play. On the season, RT has just one loss to a non-qualified 18 Open squad and that was against CUVC 18 Premier. It also owns a victory over Skyline, which tied for fifth at JN’s. 7. SKYLINE 18 ROYAL Comment: Skyline’s run to a fifth-place tie at JN’s included just one loss, to Sunshine in the quarterfinals. Like Rockwood Thunder, Skyline lost just once to a non-qualified 18 Open team in SA Junior 18 Adidas. It did earn some strong victories leading up to JN’s by topping Coast, Hou Skyline and Madfrog. It also owns head-to-head victories over bronze medalist FC Elite and Adversity, which tied for fifth. 8. FC ELITE 18 ELITE Comment: Some could argue by virtue of finishing with a bronze medal at JN’s that

We conclude our Club All-Americans release with the 14s division. Earlier this week, we started with the 18s, then continued through the age groups with 17s, 16s and 15s. Let’s discuss what goes into compiling our All-American awards. While everything is subjective, the factors we weighed in determining the list – which features 24 First Team All-Americans plus Honorable Mentions – include individual talent, impact on the team and overall team success throughout the club season. Future potential or eventual collegiate impact have no bearing on the award. We only factored in what happened during the most recent club season. With so many talented players scattered across the nation, finalizing an award list like this has its challenges. Everyone who deserves recognition cannot be included and our awards are certainly not an end-all, be-all list. Unfortunately, even with 24 First Team All Americans plus Honorable Mentions, deserving players will be left off. Ultimately, we recognize who we felt were most deserving based on the factors discussed above. vballrecruiter.com 14s Club All-Americans FIRST TEAM OUTSIDE HITTER Cali Foster, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold Layla Hoying, Mintonette m.41 Catherine Palmi, GP 14 Rox Layla Austin, Madfrog 14 Green Kylie Parker, SG Elite 14 Rosh  Finley Krystkowiak, Wave 14 Brennan MIDDLE BLOCKER Reese Resmer, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold Kayla Nwabueze, Legacy 14-1 Adidas  Keoni Williams, Flyers 14 Anthony Emmerson Champagne, Tstreet 14 Carson  Audrey Dyas, NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami Bennett Raterman, HPSTL 14 Royal Kinsley Young, TAV 14 Black RIGHT SIDE Caroline Ward, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold Danielle Whitmire, S/RS, TAV 14 Black  Rayna Christianson, S/RS, Northern Lights 14-1 SETTER Lexi Shondell, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold Mallory Matheny, Mintonette m.41 Makenna Kirlin, Elevation 14 Molly Kalyssa Taggart, A5 Mizuno 14 Helen LIBERO Ellie Hepler, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold Emma Cugino, Mintonette m.41 Meredith Martin, Legacy 14-1 Adidas Gabi Rodriquez, Madfrog 14 Green *** HONORABLE MENTION OH – Kylie Kleckner, TAV 14 Black OH – Chalei Reid, Mauloa 14s Green OH – Westley Matavao, Forza 1 North 14UA OH – Riley Malloy, Austin Skyline 14 Royal OH – Sara Snowbarger, Mintonette m.41 OH – Samantha Destler, SCVC 14Roxy OH – Aberdeen Callaway, SG Elite 14 Rosh  OH – Sydni Lafasciasno, Dynasty 14 Adidas MB – Sofia Guerrero-Wilson, A5 Mizuno 14 Helen MB – Sydney Geselbracht, Elevation 14 Molly MB – Margaret Czajka, MKE Sting 14 Gold MB – Hannah Lee, Flyers 14 APX-Anthony MB – Jayla Jackson, TAV 14 Black RS – Jaci Hall, Alamo 14 Premier S/RS – Addyson Bianchini, NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami S/RS – Sydney Lund, Austin Skyline 14 Royal S/RS – Jaidyn Hartsfield, Madfrog 14 Green S – Taylor Clarke, Flyers 14 APX-Anthony S – Genevieve Harris, NC Academy 14 Diamond S – Elena Ruble, HPSTL 14 Royal L – Mya Capistrano, Forza 1 North 14UA L – Presley Thompson, Wave 14 Brennan L – Juliana Hernandez, Flyers 14 APX-Anthony L – Kalli Lipo, Arizona Storm 14 Thunder

We continue with our end of the club year content. We are working on updating our and releasing our Final National Rankings, which will begin to drop next week. Until then, we move ahead with our Club All-Americans. You can click on the age groups below to see who we have already named. Up next in the release order is the 15s division. First, let’s discuss what goes into compiling our All-American awards. While everything is subjective, the factors we weighed in determining the list – which features 24 First Team All-Americans plus Honorable Mentions – include individual talent, impact on the team and overall team success throughout the club season. Future potential or eventual collegiate impact have no bearing on the award. We only factored in what happened during the most recent club season. With so many talented players scattered across the nation, finalizing an award list like this has its challenges. Everyone who deserves recognition cannot be included and our awards are certainly not an end-all, be-all list. Unfortunately, even with 24 First Team All Americans plus Honorable Mentions, deserving players will be left off. Ultimately, we recognize who we felt were most deserving based on the factors discussed above. (18s/17s/16s) vballrecruiter.com 15s Club All-Americans First Team OUTSIDE HITTER Navea Gauthier, Far Out 15 Black  Megan Fitch, Alamo 15 Premier Teraya Sigler, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder  Abby Vander Wal, 1st Alliance 15 Gold  Bailey Warren, Hou Skyline 15 Royal Sydnee Peterson, TAV 15 Black Kaci Demaria, Surfside PV 15 Legends Addison Tindall, Team Pineapple 15 Black MIDDLE BLOCKER Jordan Taylor, HJV 15 Elite  Natalie Wardlow, Nebraska One 15 Synergy  Kalyssa Blackshear, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar  Kenna Cogill, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder Rebekah Pfefferkorn, Hou Skyline 15 Royal RIGHT SIDE Lauren Coyne, SPVB 15 Elite  Addison Gaido, Austin Skyline 15 Royal Kirra Musgrove, S/RS, HJV 15 Elite  Logan Parks, S/RS, MAVS KC 15-1 SETTER Campbell Flynn, Legacy 15-1 Adidas Kassidy O’Brien, Hou Skyline 15 Royal Ella Florez, Dynasty 15 Black Sarah Pfiffner, TAV 15 Black Abbigail Pickard, Far Out 15 Black  LIBERO Addison Applegate, Asics Munciana 15 Lorax Izabella Mahaffey, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder *** HONORABLE MENTION OH – Audrey Jackson, TAV 15 Black OH – Riley McCloskey, NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami OH – Lily Dee Davis, Austin Skyline 15 Royal OH – Ava Poinsett, Coast 15-1 OH – Lauryn Mack, Drive Nation 15-Red OH – Gabriela Divita, Legacy 15-1 Adidas OH – Kennedi Rogers, HJV 15 Elite OH – Mya Allen, Alamo 15 Premier OH – Logan Bell, Circle City 15 Purple MB – Taryn Morris, TAV 15 Black MB – Jessica Costlow, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno MB – Reese Dunkle, Circle City 15 Purple MB – Brooklyn Hardy, ID Crush 15 Bower MB – Keirstyn Carlton, Drive Nation 15-Red MB – Isabella Ehrlich, Absolute 15 Black RS – Charlotte Vinson, Asics Munciana 15 Lorax RS – Cadence McDonald, Drive Nation 15 Red S – Charlotte Glass, Tribe 15 Elite Dean S – Izzy Mogridge, OT 15 T Randy L – Keri Leimbach, Nebraska One 15 Synergy L – Hadley Porter, Dynasty 15 Black L – Callie Krueger, Austin Skyline 15 Royal L – Sarah Mendoza, Drive Nation 15 Red L – Elizabeth Bower, ID Crush 15 Bower

Before we at vballrecruiter.com can conclude the 2021-2022 club season we have a few remaining items to get to. One is our final National Rankings, which we’ll start releasing next week. In the meantime, we’ll continue to reveal our 2022 Club All-Americans. We’ve named them from both the 18s and 17s division already. Up next is the 16s division, which you can find below. First, let’s discuss what goes into compiling our All-American awards. While everything is subjective, the factors we weighed in determining the list – which features 24 First Team All-Americans plus Honorable Mentions – include individual talent, impact on the team and overall team success throughout the club season. Future potential or eventual collegiate impact have no bearing on the award. We only factored in what happened during the most recent club season. With so many talented players scattered across the nation, finalizing an award list like this has its challenges. Everyone who deserves recognition cannot be included and our awards are certainly not an end-all, be-all list. Unfortunately, even with 24 First Team All-Americans plus Honorable Mentions, deserving players will be left off. Ultimately, we recognize who we felt were most deserving based on the factors discussed above. OUTSIDE HITTER Skyler Pierce, Dynasty 16 Black Carlie Cisneros, Dynasty 16 Black  Jadyn Livings, TAV 16 Black Ava Utterback, Circle City 16 Purple Hannah Benjamin, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe Macaria Spears, Metro 16 Travel Samantha Bowron, Top Select 16 Elite Blue MIDDLE BLOCKER Favor Anyawu, TAV 16 Black  Logan Wiley, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe Julia Hunt, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Zoey Burgess, Club V 16 Ren Wayne  Zoe Gillen-Malveaux, Drive Nation 16 Red Mia Tvrdy, Premier Nebraska 16 Gold  Ayden Ames, TAV 16 Black  RIGHT SIDE Abigail Mullen, Dynasty 16 Black  Molly Kate Patten, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe SETTER Charlie Fuerbringer, Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar Izzy Starck, Co Jrs 16 Sherri  Reese Messer, Dynasty 16 Black Amanda Saeger, Wave 16 Brennan LIBERO Lola Schumacher, Munciana 16 Moana  Faith Frame, Premier Nebraska 16 Gold  Gabriela Cornier, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe Gillan Pitts, TAV 16 Black HONORABLE MENTION OH – Jaidyn Jager, Coast 16-1 OH – Lauryn Lambert, Skyline16 Royal OH – Suli Davis, Drive Nation 16 Red OH – Grace Nelson, 1st Alliance 16 Gold OH – Avery Jackson, Madfrog 16 Green OH – Babi Gubbins, Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar OH – Brooklyn Tealer, Gainesville Jrs 16 Black OH – Avah Armour, Co Jrs 16 Sherri OH – Emerson Sellman, Metro 16 Travel OH – Reese Wuebker, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue OH – Taylor Williams, Vision 16 Gold MB – Lillian Croshaw, Madfrog 16 Green MB – Mackenzie Parsons, Coast 16-1 MB – Jenna Hanes, WAVE 16-Brennan MB – Ashlyn Philpot, Triangle 16 Black RS – Bailey Higgins, OT 16 T Jason RS – Grace Carroll, Alamo 16 Premier RS – Alexis Maesch, Circle City 16 Purple S/RS – Lilly Wagner, MKE Sting 16 Gold S – Taylor Parks, OT 16 T Jason S – Taylor Yu, SG Elite 16 Roshambo S – Maya Baker, Vision 16 Gold L – Ryan McAleer, Dynasty 16 Black  L – Elizabeth Tabeling, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami

It’s that time of year where club volleyball season might be officially over in terms of competition, but it’s not quite finished for us. Over the next two weeks we’ll be wrapping up our coverage of the 2021-2022 season in releasing our Club All-Americans and final National Rankings. We’ve already put out our 18s Club All-Americans. Next in line is the 17s divisions, which you can find below. First, let’s discuss what goes into compiling our All-American awards. While everything is subjective, the factors we weighed in determining the list – which features 24 First Team All-Americans plus Honorable Mentions – include individual talent, impact on the team and overall team success throughout the club season. Future potential or eventual collegiate impact have no bearing on the award. We only factored in what happened during the most recent club season. With so many talented players scattered across the nation, finalizing an award list like this has its challenges. Everyone who deserves recognition cannot be included and our awards are certainly not an end-all, be-all list. Unfortunately, even with 24 First Team All Americans plus Honorable Mentions, deserving players will be left off. Ultimately, we recognize who we felt were most deserving based on the factors discussed above. vballrecruiter.com 17s Club All-Americans OUTSIDE HITTER Jurnee Robinson, A5 Mizuno 17 Jing Torrey Stafford, Sunshine 17 LA Harper Murray, Legacy 17-1 Adidas Chloe Chicoine, Circle City 17 Purple Jordyn Harvey, Club V 17 Ren Reed Julia Blyashov, Wave 17 Juliana MIDDLE BLOCKER Calissa Minatee, Dynasty 17 Black Reese Robins, Drive Nation 17 Red Eloise Brandewie, Mintonette m.71 Brooke Bultema, Elevation 17 Goller Jordyn Dailey, CHAVC 17 Black Nya Bunton, Asics KiVA 17 Red RIGHT SIDE Sydney Schnichels, MN Select 17-1 Olivia Babcock, Sunshine 17 LA Noemie Glover, Coast 17-1 Nayelis Cabello, Top Select 17 Elite (S/RS) SETTER Ella Swindle, KC Power 17-1 Ava Sarafa, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Stella Swenson, MN Select 17-1 Ashley Mullen, Dynasty 17 Black LIBERO Laney Choboy, Academy 17 Diamond Olivia Mauch, Premier Nebraska 17 Gold Gigi Navarrete, 1st Alliance 17 Gold Alyssa Manitzas, Alamo 17 Premier *** HONORABLE MENTION OH – Claire Little, Coast 17-1 OH – Kyndal Stowers, TAV 17 Black OH – Blaire Bayless, Madfrog 17 Green OH – Destiny Ndam-Simpson, Premier Nebraska 17 Gold  OH – Kendal Murphy, AZ Rev 17 Premier OH – Grace Egan, 1st Alliance 17 Gold MB – Kaia Caffee, MN Select 17-1  MB – Kamryn Lee-Caracci, 1st Alliance 17 Gold MB – Leah Ford, Drive Nation 17 Red  MB – Laurece Abraham, Legacy 17-1 Adidas  MB – Taylor Harvey, Club V 17 Ren Reed  MB – Mia Lee, Club V 17 Ren Reed  MB – Eva Rohrbach, Wave 17 Juliana MB – Hannah Pfiffner, TAV 17 Black RS – Grace Heaney, Premier Nebraska 17 Gold  RS – Lauryn Bowie, Mintonette m.71  RS – Allison Cavanaugh, OT 17 J John S – Audrey Clark, TAV 17 Black S – Erin Kline, Legacy 17-1 Adidas S – Kalia Kohler, Club V 17 Ren Reed  L – Kate Thibault, MN Select 17-1 L – Koko Kirsch, Wave 17 Juliana L – Heidi Devers, Dynasty 17 Black L – Melie Vaioleti, Ku’ikahi Wahine 17 RSB

The 2021-2022 club season officially wrapped up last week with the conclusion of the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships in Indianapolis. We’ll have our final national rankings for the 14-18s age groups out next week. In the meantime, we want to reveal our 2022 Club All-Americans, starting first with the 18s division. First off, let’s discuss what goes into compiling our All-American awards. While everything is subjective, the factors we weighed in determining the list – which features 24 First Team All-Americans plus Honorable Mentions – include individual talent, impact on the team and overall team success throughout the club season. Future potential or eventual collegiate impact have no bearing on the award. We only factored in what happened during the most recent club season. With so many talented players scattered across the nation, finalizing an award list like this has its challenges. Everyone who deserves recognition cannot be included and our awards are certainly not an end-all, be-all list. Unfortunately, even with 24 First Team All Americans plus Honorable Mentions, deserving players will be left off. Ultimately, we recognize who we felt were most deserving based on the factors discussed above. (17s Club All-Americans) vballrecruiter.com 2022 18s FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS OUTSIDE HITTERS Elia Rubin, Sunshine 18 LA Eva Hudson, Munciana 18 Samurai Cheridyn Leverette, A5 Mizuno 18 Marc Devin Kahahawai, Spike and Serve 18 Emily Hellmuth, Skyline 18 Royal Jordan Middleton, Arizona Storm 18 Thunder MIDDLE BLOCKERS Marianna Singletary, A5 Mizuno 18 Marc Serena Nyambio, Legacy 18-1 Adidas Amaya Thomas, OT 18 Felix Carter Mogridge, OT 18 Chad Vanessa Polk, Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite RIGHT SIDES Kerry Keefe, Sunshine 18 LA Logan Lednicky, Hou Skyline 18 Royal Alexa Markley, A5 Mizuno 18 Marc Harmony Sample, Madfrog 18 Green (S/RS) SETTERS Katie Hurta, Adversity 18 Adidas (S/RS) Kelly Belardi, Sunshine 18 LA Bergen Reilly, Kairos 18 Adidas Rosemary Archer, Skyline 18 Royal LIBEROS Ramsey Gary, Munciana 18 Samurai Saige Damrow, FC Elite 18 Elite Emma Farrell, A5 Mizuno 18 Marc Emma Halter, Team Indiana 181 Gala Trubint, Coast 18-1 *** HONORABLE MENTION OH – Adonia Faumuina, Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar OH – Kathryn Randorf, AVC Cle Rox 18 Red OH – Caroline Jurevicius, AVC Cle Rox 18 Red OH – Maya Duckworth, Madfrog 18 Green   OH – Ava Martin, PVA 18 Elite OH – Courtney Jones, Circle City 18 Purple OH – Laila Ivey, Metro 18 Travel MB – Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Madfrog 18 Green MB – Grace Wuischpard, Absolute Black 18-1 MB – Kennedy Hill, Sunshine 18 LA MB – Hannah Sherman, Metro 18 Travel RS – Kennedy Martin, FC Elite 18 Elite RS – Avry Tatum, Wave 18 Kevin RS – Madison Scheer, Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite S – Maddie Waak, Hou Skyline 18 Royal   S – Natalia Hagopian, Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar S – Cameron Berger, Vital 18-1 Gold S – Katie Dalton, FRVBC 18-1 Black S – Havannah Hoeft, Rage 18 Westside L – Tatum Thomas, Arizona Storm 18 Thunder   L – Emily Canaan, Skyline 18 Royal   L – Naylani Feliciano, Skyline 18 Royal   L –Zoria Heard, Madfrog 18 Green L – Skylar McCune, Premier Nebraska 18 Gold

Throughout the season, the strength and depth of the 17 Open division was something to marvel at. Everywhere we traveled coaches spoke about all the teams which could possibly be in the running for a gold medal at season’s end. Simply put, there was no way the four days in Indianapolis for the USAV GJNC could disappoint. All season long 1st Alliance 17 Gold proved itself as a serious threat, winning both the Northern Lights and Windy City national qualifiers, taking fifth at the Sunshine Classic and third at Triple Crown. There was no arguing 1st Alliance was worthy of the No. 1 seed it received in 17 Open. The only question mark was could 1st Alliance hold it throughout the four-day gauntlet it was about to enter? “I think the competition is so even in this division,” 1st Alliance coach Danielle Mikos said. “I have so much respect for so many of these teams. I didn’t really know if we could do it. It comes down to matchups and who was more mentally confident. I think our team is very confident and they woke up ready to win today. We beat some very good teams. I don’t think the score reflects how good those teams were who we beat.” There were a few moments of doubt, as 1st Alliance did drop two matches along the way. However, when it mattered most and 1st Alliance could not afford to lose is when the club shined brightest, ending with a convincing sweep over MN Select 17-1, 25-20, 25-20, in the championship match. “This is the culmination of what this team has been about all season,” Mikos said. “We don’t have one all-star and that’s what makes it so special about them. They take turns getting everyone their moment to shine. They relish and support each other. This match was no different.” Downing MN Select in straight sets capped an impressive final day. 1st Alliance was all business, first sweeping Premier Nebraksa 17 Gold, 25-21, 25-14, in the quarterfinals, then stopping Coast 17-1, 25-23, 25-15, in the semifinals. 1st Alliance was so unstoppable on Day 4 it seemed like lightyears ago the gold medalist was fighting just to stay in contention. It was a rocky start to Day 3 for 1st Alliance, which was surprised by AZ Rev 17 Premier, 17-25, 25-19, 15-13, in its first outing in its three-team pool. The loss left 1st Alliance in a must-win position against a Legacy 17-1 Adidas squad that was 6-0 after winning its pool and defeating AZ Rev already on Day 3. It turned out to be a statement match for 1st Alliance, which swept handily 25-16, 25-14, to not only advance, but surprisingly knock Legacy out of contention on top of it. “Our mantra we’ve had all season is one play, one point, one set and one match,” Mikos said. “We lost a couple matches in pool play over the first three days. All that mattered is doing enough to stay alive up to the elimination matches.” The only other time 1st Alliance lost was on Day 1. It also came in a three-set nail biter as OT 17 John prevailed, 25-23, 22-25, 15-13. It just so happened the only times 1st Alliance lost was went it went to three. Other than that, 1st Alliance earned all sweeps in finishing 9-2 overall. 1st Alliance’s run was a classic lesson in volleyball 101. There were bigger teams. There were stronger teams. There were teams which brought the wow factor. Yet, the passing and serving of 1st Alliance was the backbone of its success and no one was better at it than the eventual champs. “Our ball control, defensively and our serve and pass might have been arguably the best in the gym,” Mikos said. “That helped. If we got into trouble we could cover it back up. We had the confidence if the other team made a big play, we get to pass again and we get to reset again. “I want to say how much I love this team. How unselfish they are. If you see them in the gym at practice you would think they were ranked No. 200 in the nation. They have so much confidence when they play but they are the most humble individuals when you watch them train.” *** With its size, physicality and setting, the pieces were there for MN Select. Really, the only question mark was passing. When MN Select took second at the Show Me Qualifier in April, the club flashed its potential and showed what’s possible when it can take care of the ball. MN Select tuned up for Indy by first participating in 17 Open at AAU, where it took fifth after losing to OT 17 John in the quarterfinals. No doubt the field and competition in Indy was going to take a huge step upward and it was difficult gauging where MN Select would ultimately wind up. The first sign MN Select was poised to make a run came on Day 1. MN Select edged Drive Nation 17 Red, 21-25, 25-21, 15-13. MN Select went on to win its pool, despite losing to Tstreet 17 Naseri in its last outing. By that point though, MN Select already had first place locked up so the result was irrelevant. MN Select didn’t lose again until running into 1st Alliance in the championship clash. MN Select took care of KC Power 17-1 and Dynasty 17 Black in its three-team pool on Day 3 before sweeping Mintonette m.71 in challenge play. AZ Rev was a bit of surprise quarterfinalist for MN Select to start Day 4 but there was no looking back in that one as MN Select swept handily. Up next was Club V 17 Ren Reed in the semis. Club V was playing as well as any team and seemed to have the advantage, but MN Select held firm, staying in system and playing strong defense to overcome Club V in straight

Just like that the 16s and 17s divisions at the USAV GJNC are over. What a ride! Incredibly, Madfrog 16 Green rose up unexpectedly to take home the 16 Open gold medal. Just as remarkably, 1st Alliance 17 Gold held its No. 1 overall seed to earn the 17 Open gold medal. We’ll have more on all of that in the next couple of days in separate articles. For now, we present our Day 4 Show Stoppers. Avery Jackson, OH, Madfrog 16 Green – Jackson was phenomenal in helping Madfrog to the 16 Open gold medal. She’s an all-around stud, with strong passing and back row skills to go with incredible smarts with her attacking abilities. Lainee Pyles, OH, Madfrog 16 Green – Pyles brings stability to the outside position. She has a big arm and assures Madfrog always has someone front row who can score and keep opponents from reeling off long streaks. Avery Baughman, L, Madfrog 16 Green – Baughman was holding down the back row with her steady play. Her passing out of serve receive was consistent and she was making scrappy hustle plays throughout the day. Gabriela Cornier, L, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe – The more we watch Cornier, the more there is to like. She makes tremendous plays keeping rallies alive and bringing a defensive tenacity to the floor. Hannah Benjamin, OH, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe – A wirey outside, Benjamin gets up and unleashes with the best of them. She’s the team’s go-to hitter and who A5 leans on when it needs a key point. Ryan McAleer, L, Dynasty 16 Black – Dynasty tied for the bronze medal in 16 Open, with McAleer doing her part on the defensive side. She’s an accurate, reliable passer out of serve receive and she flies around the court covering tips and touches well. Grace Nelson, OH, 1st Alliance 16 Gold – Nelson powers the offense along. The dynamic changes every time she comes across the front row with her strong arm and knack for getting points. Ella Vogel, L, Co Jrs 16 Sherri – Vogel was strong in the back court. She has good range and does well tracking down balls to keep plays alive. Izzy Starck, S/RS, Co Jrs 16 Sherri – Starck is the heartbeat of the lineup. She’s a fierce competitor with the ability to impact the match in so many ways, from her setting to hitting and blocking. Mia Tvrdy, MB, Premier Nebraska 16 Gold – A strong presence in the middle, Tvrdy moves side to side well and gets up on the block to cause problems for attackers. She’s also a scoring threat and someone defenses have to track. Faith Frame, L, Premier Nebraska 16 Gold – Frame does such an incredible job in everything she does. She’s a high-level passer and defender who reads very well and is typically in position to make the plays she needs to. Mayte Camacho, L, Top Select 16 Elite – Camacho is a quick libero who gets around the court in a hurry. She’s able to chase down loose balls and does well covering. Samantha Bowron, OH, Top Select 16 Elite – Bowron is a strong outside who jumps and swings well. She’s a six-rotation mainstay and gives Top Select a reliable option who defenses have to plan around. Grace Egan, OH, 1st Alliance 17 Gold – 1st Alliance powered its way to the gold medal, with Egan part of a strong outside duo holding it down. She can get up and crush balls at times. She can also take pace of her shots and go off-speed to the gaps to give defenses fits. Kennedy Wagner, OH, 1st Alliance 17 Gold – Wagner is the other half of the outside duo and is as steady and reliable as they come. She’s a smart attacker who knows how to score consistently against bigger blockers. Gigi Navarrete, L, 1st Alliance 17 Gold – Navarrete is an energetic and upbeat libero who is fun to watch take care of the back row duties. She is steady with her serve receive and does a good job digging. Sydney Schnichels, RS, MN Select 17-1 – Schnichels is such a weapon on the right. She’s long with a big arm. She can go right over blocks or she can tool them. Either way, she has the ability to frustrate defenses. Stella Swenson, S, MN Select 17-1 – Playing up an age group, Swenson is a high IQ setter who is in full command and control of the offense. She has a great touch and connects well with all her hitters. Kate Thibault, L, MN Select 17-1 – Thibault was a back row force. She made a ton of plays to keep her team in points and was rarely off her mark putting the ball on target. Jordyn Harvey, OH, Club V 17 Ren Reed – Club V leans heavily on Harvey. She’s a six-rotation outside who defenses have to give a lot of attention to because she’s an equal scoring threat whether front or back row. Taylor Harvey, MB, Club V 17 Ren Reed – Harvey has so much upside its scary. She’s playing up two age groups and is one of the best middles in the division. She’s virtually unstoppable the way she gets up and can see the court to exploit defenses. Zoe Rachow, S, Coast 17-1 – Rachow can move the ball around with the best of them. She has strong hands and is consistent with her location. Sydney Bold, L, Coast 17-1 – Bold is a steadying presence in the back row. She’s unflappable and is part of strong ball control unit for Coast. Chloe Chicoine, OH, Circle City 17 Purple – Chicoine is a marvel to watch play. She does everything at a high level, from a big jump and arm to her speed and hustle on the defensive side.

The way the USAV GJNC has been playing out, no one knew what Day 3 of the 16 and 17s divisions would bring. Sunday started off with three-team pools and ended with challenge rounds to determine the top eight. The action did not disappoint, as drama ensued throughout the day. We’ll get to that stuff if you keep scrolling down. First, as usual, we begin with our Day 3 Show Stoppers. Hannah Hankerson, OH, OT 16 Jason – A bit undersized, but Hankerson was playing big on the outside. She can get up in the air well and was taking aggressive swings and unloading on a few balls in a loud way. Taylor Williams, OH, Vision 16 Gold – A key component on offense, Williams has a nice arm and has a good knack for tooling the block. She can power along the offense in stretches. Cleo Hardin, RS, Vision 16 Gold – Hardin also can help carry the offense in spurts with her scoring touch. She’s long with a good arm and can go over or through blocks consistently. Jadyn Livings, OH, TAV 16 Black – There were moments when Livings was flashing unbelievable potential that could make her a next-level star. She has a big arm and can really connect at time. Gabriela Cornier, L, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe – Cornier brings a defensive presence and attitude to the lineup. She’s steady out of serve receive and has no issues hitting the floor to keep balls in play. Janelle Green, S, KC Power 16-1 – An upbeat, energetic disher, Green is fun to watch do her thing. She has a smooth touch and hits her spots regularly. Fallon Stewart, OH, OT 16 Roberto – Stewart – with her length – can spell trouble for smaller blockers. She can go right over them but she was also making plays in the back row defensively to extend rallies. Juleigh Urbina, S, OT 16 Roberto – Urbina has nice hands and a consistent release. She’s accurate and puts her hitters in good spots. Samantha Bowron, Top Select 16 Elite – When Bowron has it going, she’s difficult to slow down or cool off. She jumps well and isn’t afraid of challenging the block. Carlie Cisneros, OH, Dynasty 16 Black – Cisneros has a great scoring touch. She has a fluid swing and can rip kills down or go off-speed and find open spots on the court to exploit. Skylar Pierce, OH, Dynasty 16 Black – Pierce glides on the attacks. She’s smooth, sees the court well and is relentless in keeping the pressure on the defense. Reese Messer, S, Dynasty 16 Black – Messer – a freshman playing up – has great touch and feel when it comes to dishing the rock. She sets a clean ball and is adept at going behind her and keeping defenses guessing. Tanith Roush, RS, Premier Nebraska 16 Gold – A lefty, Roush was helping open up the attack with her scoring ability on the right side. She also delivered key blocks to slow down opposing attackers. Lauryn Lambert, OH, Skyline 16 Royal – With her jump and arm, Lambert produced wow moments on offense. She pounded down a few balls that would attention grabbers. Izzy Starck, S/RS, Co Jrs 16 Sherri – Starck brings so much to the court, from her skills to her competitive fire. She’s strong at everything she does, setting on point and delivering reliable and consistent offense across the front. Ashley Repetti, OH, Seal Beach 16 Black – Seal Beach relies a lot on its outside duo, which includes Repetti. She’s a smart attacker who does well tooling blocks and finding empty space to take advantage. Haylee LaFontaine, OH, Seal Beach 16 Black – LaFontaine is another heady scorer who does well taking what the defense gives. She can also connect and unleash at times as well for impressive winners. Julia Hunt, MB, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – Hunt is a force on both sides of the ball. She changes the dynamic of the offense across the front with her ability to lineup and hit at different spots, as well as running the slide. She moves well too, helping her form a strong block. Ryla Jones, MB, Metro 16 Travel – Jones is a difficult cover no matter who is on the other side of the net. She’s an athletic attacker who gets up and swings very well. Amanda Saeger, S, Wave 16 Brennan – Wave is not going to overpower anybody and relies on Saeger to get hitters favorable matchups they can take advantage of. She connects well with her middles and does well spreading the ball around. Brooklyn Briscoe, MB, Coast 17-1 – Briscoe was virtually unstoppable as Coast reached the top eight. She puts up a big block, but is most dangerous getting out on the slide and tormenting defenses with her big arm. Koko Kirsch, L, Wave 17 Juliana – Kirsch was holding down the back row, passing well out of serve receive when challenged. She’s scrappy too, making hustle plays chasing down balls and keeping rallies alive. Chloe Chicoine, OH, Circle City 17 Purple – We could write about Chicoine every single match. There’s not an area she doesn’t make a significant impact. She’s as competitive as they come and has so many shots she can throw at defenses. Elizabeth Goodenow, RS, MAVS KC 17-1 – MAVS is still in the hunt, in part to the play of Goodenow. The lefty has a quick arm and can generate plenty of pace. She’s a threat both front and back row and draws a lot of attention from defenses. Drew Wright, L, Sunshine 17 LA – Wright brings stability to the position for Sunshine. She’s a steady passer with strong ball control skills. Sarah Gooch, OH, Top Select 17 Elite – Gooch was trying to lift Top Select into the final eight as the at-large team flirted with the quarterfinals. She has a nice swing and brings