Chris Tobolski

AAU 15 Open: Preview and Predictions

Number of Teams: 59 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (11): 7. OT 15 Randy 8. Legacy 15-1 Adidas 25. Munciana 15 Lorax 26. Adidas KiVA 15 Red 27. Mich Elite 15 Mizuno 34. ID Crush 15 Bower 36. A5 Mizuno 15 Bob 37. Boiler Jrs 15 Gold 40. Northern Lights 15-1 42. GP 15 Rox 46. OT 15 Meg 49. Top Select 15 Elite vballrecruiter.com 5-star recruits (1): Charlotte Glass, S, Tribe 15 Elite vballrecruiter.com 4-star recruits (7): Mesaiya Bettis, OH/RS, Northern Lights 15-1 Campbell Flynn, S, Legacy 15-1 Adidas Lauren Coyne, RS, SPVB 15 Elite Navea Gauthier, OH, Far Out 15 Black Abbigail Pickard, S, Far Out 15 Black Abigail Li, S, A5 Mizuno 15 Bob Izzy Mogridge, S, OT 15 Randy Outlook: The top four seeds are also the four teams ranked the highest in our national rankings. The difference is Munciana 15 Lorax seeded No. 2 ahead of Legacy 15-1 Adidas, which is the No. 3 seed and ranked 17 spots higher in our rankings. OT 15 Randy earns the top seed, while Adidas KiVA 15 Red checks in at No. 4. The rest of the top eight seeds looks like No. 5 Mizuno Northern Lights 15-1, No. 6 GP 15 Rox, No. 7 OT 15 Meg and No. 8 SPVB 15 Elite. OT Meg did well in reaching the semifinals of 15 Open at the JVA West Coast Cup earlier this month but might be seeded a little high. Mich Elite 15 Mizuno, which is ranked No. 27 in our rankings, begins as the No. 11 overall seed. Like the 17s in 17 Open, ID Crush 15 Bower might be under-seeded in 15 Open, opening as the No. 17 overall seed. The field has plenty of teams capable of making noise and delivering upsets. A5 Mizuno 15 Bob, Boiler Jrs 15 Gold, Team Pineapple 15 Black, Far Out 15 Black, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue and Tribe 15 Elite Dean all fit that bill. Still, OT Randy and Legacy have separated themselves from the rest of the pack with their play throughout the season. Munciana certainly has the ability to compete and beat either, as does KiVA. It’s difficult seeing the national champion coming from outside the top four seeds. But maybe someone can break it up and earn at least a bronze medal? Prediction: We like the scrap and grit of OT Randy. We like the fact Legacy knows how to win. That’s why the pick is for the two to meet up in the final. Legacy squeaks by in three. Munciana and Tri-State Elite bring home the bronzes.

Read More »

AAU 17 Open: Preview and Predictions

Number of Teams: 75 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (14): 3. A5 Mizuno 17 Jing 10. Legacy 17-1 Adidas 13. MN Select 17-1 17. OT 17 John 28. ID Crush 17 Bower 30. Top Select 17 Elite 32. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno 35. AVC Cle Rox 17 Red 37. Aspire 17 Premier 38. NE Elite 17 Vici 41. Academy 17 Diamond 44. Rev Raptors 17-1 48. Northern Lights 17-1 50. No Name 17 Doug vballrecruiter.com 5-star recruits (8): Sydney Schnichels, RS, MN Select 17-1 (Minnesota) Laney Choboy, L, Academy 17 Diamond (Minnesota) Nya Bunton, MB, Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Texas) Jordyn Byrd, OH, No Name 17 Doug (Texas) Harper Murray, OH, Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Nebraska) Alex Acevedo, OH, ID Crush 17 Bower (2024) Stella Swenson, S, MN Select 17-1 (2024) Alex Bower, S, ID Crush 17 Bower (2024) vballrecruiter.com 4-star recruits (10): Laurece Abraham, MB, Legacy 17-1 (Yale) Sarah Vellucci, L, Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Long Beach State) Arya Jue, L, A5 Mizuno 17 Jing (Yale) Kierstyn Barton, RS, Aspire 17 Premier (Washington) Erin Kline, S, Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Miss State) Sydney Helmers, OH, Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Texas) Kenna Wollard, OH, Illini Elite 17 Cardinal (Purdue) Neomi Beach, OH, Aspire 17 Premier (San Diego) Kaia Caffee, MB, MN Select 17-1 (2024) Olivia Swenson, OH, MN Select 17-1 (2024) Outlook: The favorites are certainly seeded atop the field. Legacy 17-1 Adidas – ranked No. 10 in our national rankings – opens at No. 1 followed by No. 2 A5 Mizuno 17 Jing. Rounding out the Top 8 seeds are No. 3 MN Select 17-1, No. 4 OT 17 John, No. 5 Top Select 17 Elite, No. 6 Adidas KiVA 17 Red, No. 7 Rev 17-1 and No. 8 Academy 17 Diamond. The team that could be under-seeded some is Idaho Crush 17 Bower at No. 20. This group is good enough to finish in the Top 10. NE Elite 17 Vici, seeded No. 23, and A4 Volley 17 Joaco, seeded at No. 24, are two more teams who could finish much higher than their initial seedings. AVC Cle Rox 17 Red is coming off a third-place showing at JVA SummerFest and if it can keep it up can play a spoiler role. Aspire 17 Premier, starting as the No. 12 seed, is a team to keep an eye on. Aspire played a strong schedule and wasn’t far off from qualifying for 17 Open for USAV. The same goes for Mizuno Northern Lights 17-1 at No. 11. Ultimately though, the likely gold medalist is going to emerge from one of the top six seeds unless someone else can spring an upset. Prediction: Legacy and A5 have proven to be the two most consistent teams in the field throughout the year. However, we are not going with either to win it all. The pick is OT John prevailing in a mild surprise, beating MN Select in the final. Legacy and A5 take bronzes.

Read More »

AAU 14 Open: Preview and Predictions

Number of Teams: 43 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (12): No. 8 Boiler Jrs 14 Gold No. 11 GP 14 Rox No. 19 Dynasty 14 Black No. 24 A5 Mizuno 14 Helen No. 30 Legacy 14 Adidas No. 31 Rev 14-1 Fuego No. 34 Top Select 14 Elite No. 38 Kairos 14 Adidas No. 39 WPVC Armour Black No. 40 OT 14 Cristobal No. 49 Adidas KiVA 14 Red No. 50 Munciana 14 Chipmunks Outlook: Six clubs are doubling up by competing in 14 Open at both AAUs and USAV. They are top-seeded Boiler Jrs 14 Gold, GP 14 Rox, Dynasty 14 Black, A5 Mizuno 14 Helen, Rev 14-1 Fuego and WPVC Armour Black. Boiler Jrs is coming off its victory at the JVA SummerFest in Columbus. Legacy 14-1 Adidas, Adidas KiVA 14 Red and Rev also participated in the event. Boiler Jrs and GP are the two highest-ranked teams in the field and the seeding matches up with that, as they open at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. It changes up from there, as No. 38 Kairos 14 Adidas starts as the No. 3 seed overall. The remaining top eight seeds are No. 4 Dynasty, No. 5 Legacy, No. 6 Rev, No. 7 WPVC and No. 8 Top Select 14 Elite. A5, ranked No. 24 nationally, is seeded No. 9 overall. Another team to watch for is No. 11 seeded Madfrog 14 Black. The 2s team has some quality wins this season and is capable of pulling a surprise or two. This age group could be full of surprises as teams deal with the challenge of trying to play four days of consistent volleyball. The only teams eliminated on Day 1 are teams finishing in fourth place in pool. After that, Days 2 and 3 teams must finish in first or second place to move on, with the exception of a couple crossover matches on Day 3 that allows a team finishing third in pool to still advance by winning that match.  Prediction: We are going with the local flavor. The pick to win it all is Game Point, which tops Legacy for the gold. Boiler Jrs and Dynasty take home bronzes.

Read More »

PVL 14s Championships: Show Stoppers

Before vballrecruiter.com hits the road for the AAU and USAV national championships we spent one last day watching the Premier Volleyball League out of So Cal. The latest weekend brought the 14s championships to the CLAVA facility in Lake Forest. We were on hand Sunday for the final day of action. Below, we highlight the Show Stoppers who caught our attention the most. Presley Thompson, L, Wave 14 Brennan – Thompson showed her willingness to leave her feet to keep rallies alive. It was the all-out effort you like to see from defenders. Ruby Partain, MB, Wave 14 Brennan – Partain brings some height to the front row. She carries a solid arm and is a smart hitter who can tool blocks repeatedly. Jaycee Mack, MB, Wave 14 Brennan – A seventh-grader playing up, we love the upside Mack has. She’s definitely one to keep tabs on. She is already hitting a hard ball and she can run the slide effectively. Havani Embry, RS/OH, Wave 14 Brennan – Embry showed off her versatility as a pin hitter by playing outside one match then on the right the next. She’s a bit undersized but is a fearless attacker and a strong defender and passer in the back row. Sara Uebelhoer, OH, Wave 14 Brennan – Another outside who is a bit undersized but effective, Uebelhoer is an aggressive attacker who takes some big, hard swings and jumps well. Finley Krystkowiak, OH, Wave 14 Brennan – The length of Krystkowiak is such a weapon. She can go right over the top of blockers with ease and hits hard enough that defenders have a tough time digging her. Ryah Brock, OH, Forza1 North 14 UA – Brock is part of a strong outside duo for Forza North. She’s another seventh-grader playing up and has a very bright future. She’s spring with a nice swing and gets plenty of opportunities to score points. Westley Matavao, OH, Forza1 North 14 UA – Matavao is also a seventh-grader playing up and she brings lots of physicality to the lineup. She’s a strong, hard hitter who puts plenty of pressure on the defense with her scoring abilities. Jayden Hanson, S/RS, Forza1 North 14 UA – With nice hands and energetic play, Hanson does well as a setter. She’s capable of running a 5-1 or allows Forza to mix it up with her ability to hit in the front row. Emerson Newton, MB, Forza1 North 14 UA – Newton is another powerful hitter Forza can throw at defenses. She has a big, strong arm and can pound it down. Nina Hemsley, MB, Forza1 North 14 UA – Hemsley is a quicker middle who can get off the ground well. She also hits with pace when she connects. Madyson McCarthy, OH, Coast 14-1 – Coast is another team with a dynamic outside duo. McCarthy is a free swinger with a smooth arm who keeps coming at the block. Kylee-Jo Wilson, OH, Coast 14-1 – A seventh-grader playing up, Wilson is relentless with her attacking. She does not hold back and challenges blocks and defenders to make plays. Cataline Alvizuri, MB, Coast 14-1 – Alvizuri brings instant offense to the front row. She’s active and is involved in a lot of plays at the net. Ava McBride, S/RS, Actyve 14 Black – McBride is one of the more entertaining players to watch with her ability to set and hit. She’s strong at both, but seems to really excel when attacking from the right side with a fluid swing with great extension. Grace Jamison, OH, Actyve 14 Black – Jamison was proving to be a reliable option on the left. She too was displaying nice extension on her swings and was generating pace as well. Addison Coady, MB, Tstreet 14 Carson – We feel the upside to Coady is tremendous. She has a great arm with a high contact point and can score with it consistently. Kaia Ciszewski, OH, Tstreet 14 Carson – A bit undersized on the left, Ciszewski comes with it time and time again. She can bring some heat when the set allows for it but she’s also a heady attacker who scores with well-timed and placed tips. Skylar Noble, L, Tstreet 14 Carson – Noble had some nice moments defending. She showed her ability to get low and dig balls up off the floor to extend rallies. Emmerson Champagne, MB, Tstreet 14 Carson – Champagne was displaying some strong hands. She was putting up a wall of a block at times and causing problems for hitters coming at her. Charlotte Nowak, OH, Tstreet 14 Carson – A lanky outside, Nowak is another to keep watch on as she develops. She has nice extension on her attacks and can hit with pace too. Asia Udo-Ema, OH, Pipeline 14 Magic – Udo-Ema is a do-it-all, six-rotation who Pipeline leans on heavily to carry the load. She’s quick, jumps well and has a good arm. Mckenna Giles, L, Pipeline 14 Magic – Giles was showing consistent passing out of serve receive. She was also making some nice defensive plays. Sienna Barry, MB, Wave 14 Nancy – The length of Barry was proving to be a problem for attackers. Barry was touching a lot of balls and helping to slow down the attack so defenders could make plays behind her. Mikenlie Vandborg, MB, DartFrog 14-1 Katie – Vandborg brings some much-needed size to the front row. She was getting her hands of balls as well and showed a nice swing the times she was set. Lauren Oberg, L, DartFrog 14 Katie – A scrappy defender, Oberg is all over the place. She was passing dimes and helping to keep DartFrog in system. Layla Moore, MB, Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar L – We like the potential Moore flashed. She’s long and if she keeps developing she could turn into quite the player down the road. Georgia Anne Camandang, L, Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar L – Another scrappy back row

Read More »

JVA SummerFest: All-Tournament Team

There was lots happening this past weekend at the JVA SummerFest in Columbus as teams looked to gear up for nationals. vballrecruiter.com was on hand both days. We have already released our Day 1 and Day 2 Show Stoppers. Additionally, we have put out our positional Show Stoppers: Outside Hitters/Right Sides/Middle Blockers/Setters/and Liberos. Up next, we release our All-Tournament selections from 14-17 Open. You can view those below. 17 OPEN OH – Harper Murray, Legacy 17-1 Adidas OH – Sydney Helmers, Adidas KiVA 17 Red OH – Safi Hampton, Metro 17 Travel MB – Nya Bunton, Adidas KiVA 17 Red MB – Brooke Bultema, Elevation 17 Goller MB – Laurece Abraham, Legacy 17-1 Adidas RS – Lauryn Bowie, Mintonette Sports m.71 S/RS – Nayelis Cabello, Top Select 17 Elite S – Ava Sarafa, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno S – Juliette Myrick, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite L – Sarah Vellucci, Legacy 17-1 Adidas L – Laney Klika, AVC Cle Rox 17 Red 16 OPEN OH – Macaria Spears, Metro 16 Travel OH – Morgan Gaerte, Team Pineapple 16 Black OH – Asia Thigpen, Triangle 16 Black MB – Faith Young, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue MB – Kiylah Presley, Paramount VBC 16s MB – Julia Hunt, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami RS – Emma Parker, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite RS – Renee Jones, Metro 16 Travel S – Annabelle Groomes, AVC Cle Rox 16 Red S – Emily Bobbitt, Triangle 16 Black L – Kelsey Niesen, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue L – Elizabeth Tabeling, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami 15 OPEN OH – Navea Gauthier, Far Out 15 Black OH – Gabriella DiVita, Legacy 15-1 Adidas OH – Addison Tindall, Team Pineapple 15 Black MB – Addison Makun, Adidas KiVA 15 Red MB – Bailey Blair, Adidas KiVA 15 Red MB – Jessica Costlow, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno RS/S – BreAnna McMillan, Triangle 15 Black RS – Jada Aksu, Metro 15 Travel S – Campbell Flynn, Legacy 15-1 Adidas S – Larsen Terrill, Mintonette Sports m.51 L – Julia Grace, NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami L – Sakura Codling, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue 14 OPEN OH – Cali Foster, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold OH – Layla Hoying, Mintonette Sports m.41 OH – Cara Richter, Elevation 14 Molly MB – Reese Resmer, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold MB – Kayla Nwabueze, Legacy 14-1 Adidas MB – D’Aira Whitner, AVC Cle Rox 14 Red RS – Caroline Ward, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold RS – Addison Buckner, AVC Cle Rox 14 Red S – Lexi Shondell, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold S – Makenna Kirlin, Elevation 14 Molly L – Meredith Martin, Legacy 14-1 Adidas L – Cala Haffner, Team Pineapple 14 Black

Read More »

JVA SummerFest: Outside Hitter Show Stoppers

vballrecruiter.com spent this past weekend at the JVA SummerFest in Columbus. The two-day event offered up plenty of talented teams and individuals. Below, we list our outside hitter Show Stoppers. 17 Open Safi Hampton, OH, Metro 17 Travel – Hampton is a 6-1, three-star recruit committed to North Carolina. She jumps like she was shot out of a cannon. She gets up high and fast and there’s really nothing the average block can do about it. She goes straight over most. Harper Murray, OH, Legacy 17-1 Adidas – A five-star recruit committed to Nebraska, it’s easy to go on and on about Murray’s play. The way she gets in the air she plays taller than her 6-2 frame. She extends well, gets on top of the ball and can rip it to any part of the court consistently. Sydney Helmers, OH, Adidas KiVA 17 Red – Helmers – a four-star recruit committed to Texas – is such a threat and commands all sorts of attention. She’s long at 6-4 and can generate plenty of pace to keep defenders on their toes. Caitlyn Little, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite – A three-star recruit, Little is a tiny bit undersized at 5-10 yet she possesses a huge arm. She caught a few balls that she just absolutely hammered! Sarah Gooch, Top Select 17 Elite – Gooch was one of the main weapons in the Top Select attack. She’s long and lanky with a good swing and can over and around blocks regularly. Remi Madison, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno – Madison is a fearless attacker who aggressively goes at bigger blockers. She was carrying the offensive load at times. Lauren Hurst, K2 17 Adidas – It was our first time catching Hurst this season. She’s a freshman playing up two age groups and she has a bright future to be sure. She has a nice swing and gets set plenty. Ava Siefke, NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami – A three-star recruit committed to Eastern Michigan, Siefke is 6-1 and one of the key parts of the attack. She has a good arm and is a reliable option on the left. Sydney Nolan, NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami – With Nolan and Siefke, NKYVC is a pin-heavy offense and for good reason. Nolan is 6-3 and a three-star recruit committed to North Carolina. With her height she can go over blocks consistently. Gabriella Durham, Mintonette Sports m.71 – A 6-3, three-star recruit committed to San Diego, Durham was playing a pivotal role in the attack and carrying a big load. She’s long and was able to find the gaps in the defense. Kira Holland, AVC Cle Rox 17 Red – A 6-0, four-star recruit, Holland takes a lot of swings. She’s one of the mainstays in the attack and consistently finds ways to score. 16 Open Macaria Spears, OH, Metro 16 Travel – A five-star recruit, Spears is a 6-4 freshman playing up an age group. She’s a freak athlete with great length. She goes over smaller blocks with ease and absolutely torments the defense with her scoring ability. Asia Thigpen, OH, Triangle 16 Black – Thigpen was showing tremendous potential. She was taking aggressive swings and showcasing a quick arm that was lighting defenses up. Morgan Gaerte, OH, Team Pineapple 16 Black – This five-star recruit is 6-4 and a potent offensive piece. Gaerte is long with a nice extension. She’s a threat out of the back row as well and is tough for defenses to figure out. Lameen Mambu, OH, Paramount VBC 16 – A 5-11, three-star recruit, Mambu is a freshman playing up. She is a fun one to watch. She’s a leaper with a great vertical and fluid swing. She attacks from all over and is a big-time weapon. Emerson Sellman, Metro 16 Travel – Sellman is part of a tall roster. She’s 6-3 and has a nice swing to back it up. She’s a three-star recruit with plenty of upside to her game. Lilly Gillespie, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – A three-star recruit, Gillespie is an undersized pin yet she’s a gamer. Her aggressive attacking shows she doesn’t back down and is fearless against bigger blockers. Maya Witherspoon, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite – Witherspoon is a name to get familiar with. She’s a 5-11, four-star recruit from the Class of 2025. She has those moments that get you excited for her future. She was able to connect on a few balls that she just ripped! Alison Risley, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite – A three-star recruit, Risley is that six-rotation glue piece who holds it down. She’s a heady scorer who can score in a variety of ways. Reese Wuebker, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – A 5-10, three-star recruit, Wuebker does well across the front row. She has an easy jump and seems to hang for an extra second. It makes it difficult to time for blockers. Sophia Adkins, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – A six-rotation outside, Adkins is a three-star recruit. She’s 6-0 and almost touches 10 feet. She has a good arm to boot. Sydney Waller, ECJ 16-1 – At 6-2, Waller has the height to make life tough on blockers. She’s a normal right-side hitter who was hitting on the left. She’s one to keep tabs on as she develops. Layla Visser, MVA 16 Black – A 5-11 freshman playing up, Visser has great extension. It allows her to generate nice pace on her shots. Kiarrah Horne, Triangle 16 Black – Triangle is tough because there’s always an outside front row who can cause headaches for defenders. Horne – a 6-1, three-star recruit – has a solid arm and gets up well. Grace Busold, AVC Cle Rox 16 Red – An undersized left at 5-9, Busold is wirey. She doesn’t back down and was taking some aggressive cuts. Lily Barron, Mintonette Sports m.61 – Barron is lanky at 6-2. She has a fluid swing and can get after it when the set allows for it. Amanda Mack, K2 16 Adidas – A

Read More »

JVA SummerFest: Setter Show Stoppers

It was a wonderful weekend covering the JVA SummerFest in Columbus. It was two days of whirlwind action and vballrecruiter.com was scurrying around and taking notes on the players who made us take notice. Below, we highlight our setter Show Stoppers. 17 Open Juliette Myrick, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite – A four-star recruit committed to Army, Myrick moves the ball around well to get her various hitters involved. She shows consistent accuracy with a consistent release. Erin Kline, Legacy 17-1 Adidas – This 6-2, four-star recruit is committed to Mississippi State. She has shown continually improvement throughout the season. Her height is an asset across the front row and her location with her sets rarely wander off target. Arleigh Hanson, Metro 17 Travel – Hanson is another setter with nice height. At 6-1, it plays to her advantage blocking and plays that are tight along the net. Nayelis Cabello, S/RS, Top Select 17 Elite – A three-star recruit playing up an age group, Cabello is the motor that makes Top Select go. She plays a vital role hitting and setting. She has good hands and can dish to anywhere effectively. She’s also a strong hitter who can generate plenty of pace. Ava Sarafa, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno – Sarafa is one of the more entertaining setters to watch. She’s a four-star recruit committed to Kentucky and her deception keeps defenders guessing and gives her hitters plenty of one-on-one opportunities to score. 16 Open Erin Debiec, S, Metro 16 Travel – With the hitters at her disposal, it has to be fun to be this 6-1 setter. Debiec is a three-star recruit who can be part of a 6-2 setting in the back or running a 5-1. Maria Drapp, S, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – Drapp – a three-star recruit – runs a good offense. She gets everybody involved, has good connections with her middles and is consistent with her locations. Abby Yoder, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – Yoder – a three-star recruit – isn’t a flashy setter and there’s nothing wrong with that. She’s a gamer with pin-point accuracy who shows strong command of running the show. Emily Bobbitt, Triangle 16 Black – Bobbitt is another three-star recruit. She’s a competitor with a strong ability to dish the ball around to her hitters. It includes going behind her very well as well as pushing it far cross court. Annabelle Groomes, AVC Cle Rox 16 Red – This is a name to know. Groomes – a five-star recruit from the Class of 2025 – stands 6-0 and has tremendous upside. She showed her strength repeatedly by setting balls accurately from far away from her targets. 15 Open Campbell Flynn, S, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – A four-star recruit, Flynn is certainly one to keep watch on. She’s 6-1 with good hands and accurate location. She can run tempo sets at times as well and can help slow down attackers with her block. Larsen Terrill, S, Mintonette m.51 – Terrill was a key part of Mintonette’s second-place showing in 15 Open. A three-star recruit, Terrill does well directing the offense. Her sets are effortless and she rarely is off the mark. Abbigail Pickard, S, Far Out 15 Black – A smooth setter with a great touch, Pickard – a four-star recruit – sets a clean ball consistently. She’s able to push sets far across the court and deliver them on the money. Kennedy Tinch, Academy 15 Venom – Tinch is an undersized setter at 5-7. Her hands are nice as she consistently sets a clean ball and regularly hits her spots. Charlotte Glass, Tribe 15 Dean – You’ll be hearing plenty about Glass in the coming years. She’s a five-star recruit with a high ceiling. At 6-0, she has the desired height of an impact setter and her consistent release point and direction of the offense are fun to watch. Isabelle Hoppe, Pgh Elite 15 Elite – An eighth-grader playing up, Hoppe is a bit undersized at 5-9 but was flashing lots of potential. Her hands are good and she sets a very hittable ball. 14 Open Lexi Shondell, S, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – It appears the future is bright for Shondell. She’s a super smooth disher with great hands and spot-on location. She already shows great command and leadership. Addyson Bianchini, S/RS, NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami – Bianchini was running a 5-1 and part of a 6-2 at times. She’s an excellent setter with great touch and accuracy. She can also hit across the front row if needed, giving NKYVC lineup options. Makenna Kirlin, S, Elevation 14 Molly – There’s no doubt Kirlin makes the offense tick. She has strong hands and push her sets from farther away than most. She also goes behind her very well and with accuracy. Haley Wilson, S/RS, AVC Cle Rox 14 Red – A front-row setter, Wilson makes an impact with her height when she checks in. She can get in the way of opposing hitters. Morgan Heater, Tri-State Elite 14 Blue – Heater showed her potential plenty of times and is one to take note of as she continues to develop. She has nice size and sets a good ball. Sydney Bryant, Metro 14 Travel – We didn’t see as much of Bryant as we would like. But we did see her make an incredible set that showed what type of setter she can be. She pushed a ball 30 feet cross court on the money, displaying her strength and footwork to make a play like that. Mackenzie Davis, VA Elite 14s – Davis displayed a nice touch. She was putting the ball in good spots for her hitters and was also playing some nice defense too. Marlie Smith, S/OH, Legacy 14-1 Adidas – Smith, a seventh-grader playing up, is part of a key duo for Legacy, setting in the back and hitting on the left in the front. She has a nice touch as a setter and showed her smarts as a hitter. Eva

Read More »

JVA SummerFest: Middle Blocker Show Stoppers

If you are new to vballrecruiter.com, after every tournament we cover we roll out a list of Show Stoppers. These are players who stood out to us during our time covering an event. In this case it was the JVA SummerFest in Columbus. Below, we present our middle blocker Show Stoppers. 17 Open Nya Bunton, MB, Adidas KiVA 17 Red – A 6-3, five-star recruit committed to Texas, Bunton is fun to watch do her thing. She gets way off the ground and has a strong swing. When she connects she’s nearly impossible to stop. Laurece Abraham, MB, Legacy 17-1 Adidas – Abraham – who is a four-star recruit committed to Yale – is a valuable piece to the puzzle at middle. She’s 6-1, is quick, runs the slide well and almost has her elbows at the net when blocking. Brooke Bultema, MB, Elevation 17 Goller – The last thing you want to see as a defense is Elevation in system and Bultema running the slide. She’s a lengthy 6-3 and this four-star recruit who is committed to Kentucky delivers time and time again on the play. Brielle Kemavor, Metro 17 Travel – You know when this 6-5 middle is in. Kemavor – a four-star recruit committed to BYU – is a presence and takes up a lot of space with her wingspan and ability to interfere with attackers. Gabrielle Gerry, Adidas KiVA 17 Red – Gerry – a three-star recruit committed to South Carolina – is part of a tall KiVA lineup. She’s 6-5 and utilizes that length to her advantage. 16 Open Munachiso Mmuo, MB, EC Power 16-Empire – A bit undersized at 5-10, Mmuo is quick and moves very well. She carries a good arm and proved to be a consistent, reliable scorer when called upon. Julia Hunt, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – We’ve written about this four-star recruit before. She’s a 6-1 middle with great attacking skills. She’s good enough to carry the offense at times and defenses must always be aware of where she’s lining up. Faith Young, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – A 6-1 middle, Young adds a physical presence to the attack. She had some big swings and hard connections. Natalie Robinson, ECJ 16-1 – Robinson is one to keep an eye on. At 6-4, she’s a three-star recruit with plenty of length. She has a good arm as well and can be difficult to slow at times. Kiylah Presley, Paramount VBC 16s – A three-star recruit, the 6-0 Presley is explosive with a quick, high jump that has her touching well over 10-0. She gets off the ground in a hurry and can beat the block before it gets set up. Mallory Bohl, Legacy 16-1 Adidas – A 6-3, three-star recruit, Bohl has plenty of upside. She can put up a sound block and give attackers trouble with it. Elena Arana, K2 16 Adidas – Arana had some moments and flashed her potential to be sure. She can let it fly when she really gets a hold of one. 15 Open Linden Radaszewski, Elevation 15 Crofton – A bit undersized at 5-11, Radaszewski is wirey and jumps well. Combined with a nice swing, it led to some impressive winners when her number was called. Addison Makun, Adidas KiVA 15 Red – A three-star recruit, Makun is definitely one to keep tabs on as she moves up through the ranks. She’s really long, hits at a high contact point and can get her elbows at the net on her block. Bailey Blair, Adidas KiVA 15 Red – Another three-star recruit, Blair is part of a position of strength for KiVA in the middle. She runs an effective slide attack. Jessica Costlow, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno – At 5-11, Costlow is a bit undersized for the middle spot but this three-star recruit doesn’t let that slow her down. She’s also a rare six-rotation middle who Mich Elite uses in serve receive. Kayla Channell, ECJ 15-1 – Channell is also a three-star recruit. She’s a slim 6-1 with a fluid swing and nice arm. She’ll add more and more power as she gains strength and continues to develop. Olivia Grenadier, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – A 6-1, three-star recruit, Grenadier has plenty of potential. She helps open up the Legacy attack and can also turn around and get in the way of opposing attackers. 14 Open Reese Resmer, MB, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – Defenses cannot lose track of Resmer. She’s 5-11 and Boiler Jrs looks to get her the ball as much as possible. She’s quick to the ball with a great arm and knows how to finish plays off. Kayla Nwabueze, MB, Legacy 14-1 Adidas – Nwabueze is a name you’ll be hearing plenty about in the coming years. She’s a tremendous prospect. She’s a strong 6-0 with a good arm. She’ll take swings on the left as well. Isabelle Thomas, Mintonette Sports m.41 – A 5-11 middle, Thomas has good timing with her block. She was touching lots of swings and giving her defenders chances to make plays behind her. D’Aira Whitner, AVC Cle Rox 14 Red – Defenses have to pay attention to Whitner. AVC will feed her when in system. She gets up well and was a reliable scoring option. Kendall Bosse, Tri-State Elite 14 Blue – Bosse can get points for Tri-State out of the middle. She has a fluid, loose swing and connects well when the set is there. Alexa Telly, Metro 14 Travel – Power is part of Telly’s game. She’s physical and she’s strong. It leads to some big swings and winners. 13 Open Cynthia Ockerman, MB, Legacy 13-1 Adidas – Ockerman garners attention when she checks in. She puts up a huge block and is also a constant offensive threat. 12 Open Jazlyn Langenkamp, MB, Elevation 12 Bergheger – Langenkamp brings a presence to the front row. Defenses need to be aware of her explosiveness, which leads to some impressive blocks and kills. Sarah Albers, HPSTL

Read More »

JVA SummerFest: Right Side Show Stoppers

The biggest volleyball action of the weekend was located in Columbus, home of the JVA SummerFest. vballrecruiter.com spent the weekend covering the two-day event. It led us to finding some standout players. Below, we present our right side Show Stoppers who made us take notice. 17 Open Claire Morrissey, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite – A sophomore playing up, Morrissey is a six-rotation right side. She brings her share of offense to the front row and is someone Rockwood Thunder likes to get the ball to. Olivia Fish, Adidas KiVA 17 Red – A three-star recruit committed to Wake Forest, Fish offers nice size to the front row. She’s a capable scorer when called upon and helps balance out the attack. Lauryn Bowie, Mintonette Sports m.71 – Bowie – a three-star recruit committed to Virginia – is a physical presence. She has a powerful arm and delivers some big-time stuff blocks. 16 Open Renee Jones, Metro 16 Travel – At 6-5, Jones can make an impact without ever touching the ball. She puts up a monster block on the right side. So much so that offenses won’t even look to set their outsides when she’s in. Makenzie Wagner, Union 16-1 UA – A little undersized at 5-10, Wagner has a quick jump and fast swing. It helps her generate pace and gives Union a scoring option on the right. Emma Parker, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite – Parker – who is 6-0 – can put down some strong kills with her strength. Rockwood Thunder will feed her when in system as she’s a reliable option. Natalie Ricevuto, EC Power 16 Empire – Ricevuto gets involved in a variety of ways, including running and swinging on combos. She’s a physical hitter who delivers a heavy ball. 15 Open Jada Aksu, RS, Metro 15 Travel – A three-star recruit, Aksu commands attention from defenses when she’s across the front row. The lefty can carry the offensive load at times with her quick swing and ability to generate pace. Gabriella Babinski, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno – Babinski, at 6-1, is someone to keep an eye on. She brings height across the net and she also has a big arm and attacks hard. Addison Williams, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – A three-star recruit, this 6-2 right side is another one to follow as she progresses. She has lots of upside and can help slow down attacks with her block. Lily Riegel, Elevation 15 Crofton – Riegel is in the same mold as Williams. At 6-3, she’s a tall right side and also a three-star recruit. She can over blocks and is someone to keep track of as she moves up in age. BreAnna McMillan, S/RS, Triangle 15 Black – A hybrid player who sets and hits, McMillan can absolutely bring the heat. Defenses have to take notice when she rotates to the front row because she’s the biggest offensive threat in the lineup. 14 Open Caroline Ward, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – Ward is a seventh-grader playing up. She’s 5-11 but plays longer than that. She has tremendous upside with a good swing and ability to hit with some pace already. Addison Buckner, AVC Cle Rox 14 Red – Buckner was supplying offense on the right side. She has a strong arm, jumps well and was being aggressive with her attacking.

Read More »

JVA SummerFest: Libero Show Stoppers

We start off our JVA SummerFest Show Stoppers with the liberos who caught our attention the most. Players make the list based on our own observations during the times we saw them in action. Check them out below. 17 Open Laney Klika, L, AVC Cle Rox 17 Red – AVC Cle had a good run reaching the semis and part of it was due to the performance of Klika. A three-star recruit committed to Wofford, she helped steady out the defense and was making some nice digs against some big-time attackers she faced. Sarah Vellucci, Legacy 17-1 Adidas – A four-star recruit committed to Long Beach State, Vellucci is not targeted in serve receive often. She has good range and the ability to stand in and take on some big attacks to keep plays alive. Kalliann Cook, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno – Cook – a three-star recruit – is a gamer and hustler. At times it seems like she’s everywhere making plays as she’s a strong defender. Jonna Spohn, Mintonette Sports m.71 – Mintonette can struggle out of serve receive at times, but Spohn is typically consistent when she’s served at. A three-star recruit committed to Ole Miss, she moves well and isn’t afraid to lay out to make a dig. 16 Open Mailinh Godschall, Metro 16 Travel – Godschall is speedy and gets places quickly. She was proving reliable in serve receive and taking charge in the back row. Elizabeth Tabeling, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – NKYVC’s ball control is usually steady. Tabeling – a three-star recruit – is a big part of that. She defends and passes well and has the ability to make some big-time digs. Kelsey Niesen, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – Niesen was holding it down defensively, coming up with saves all over to extend rallies. Eily Painter, EC Power 16 Empire – Painter was showing off her coverage skills, picking up balls at the net to keep the play going. She was also on point out of serve receive with first-ball contact. Coley Shiflet, Triangle 16 Black – Shiflet was making the plays in front of her. She was calm and steady and helping anchor the defensive charge. Brenna Ginder, Team Pineapple 16 Black – Ginder is a hard working, scrappy libero. She was making some nice saves on cross-court shots and preventing kills. Jessica Gutridge, Mintonette Sports m.61 – Gutridge was very active. She plays with a good energy. She’s also talkative and was passing well. 15 Open Sakura Codling, L, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue – Codling – who is a three-star recruit – was sharp. She provides a steadying presence in the back row and at times was passing almost 50 percent of the court in serve receive. Julia Grace, NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami – A three-star recruit, Grace is money in the back row. Her passes are sharp, crips and accurate. Cassidy Trahan, Pgh Elite 15 Elite – Trahan was taking care of the back court and defending with grit. 14 Open Meredith Martin, L, Legacy 14-1 Adidas – Martin was controlling the back row like no else. She was passing lights out in serve receive and was passing nearly half the court. Cala Haffner, L/OH/S, Team Pineapple 14 Black – The first time we watched Haffner she was lineup at outside. The next set she was part of a 6-2, setting and hitting on the left. The next match she was wearing the libero jersey. That’s some amazing versatility and she was doing all three things at an above-average level. Day 2 she settled in at libero. Emma Cugino, Mintonette Sports m.41 – Mintonette had a strong run to the semifinals. Mintonette is a scrappy team overall, with Cugino playing that part in the libero jersey. She was showing consistent passing and helping keep the team in system. Arielle Hepler, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – A nice anchor in the backcourt, Hepler doesn’t rattle easy and is all over the court. She made some strong plays and has good, consistent energy. Emily Keiran, Adidas KiVA 14 Red – Quick and accurate, Keiran is a strong libero. She also was displaying a tough serve and scoring points with it. Cara Wolf, Far Out 14 Black – Wolf was active, scurrying all around the court and playing with high energy. Eleanor James, K2 14 Adidas – James flies around the court. She was covering a bunch of space and extending rallies. Emma Frietch, NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami – Frietch has good court sense and seemed to be in the right spots at the right times. She was fairly consistent out of serve receive as well. Ella Grimes, Elevation 14 Molly – Grimes plays with a certain determination and confidence. She was making some nice plays and wasn’t off very many times passing out of serve receive. 13 Open Kaniyah Ball, L, Metro 13 Travel – Ball was one of the standout liberos. She was steady in helping anchoring the defense and keeping rallies alive. Francesca Hansel, L, Tri-State Elite 13 Blue – Hansel was able to get her platform on a ton of balls. She was the clear defensive leader and showed plenty of scrappiness. 12 Open Kenadi Sieg, L, NKYVC 12-1 Tsunami – One way to describe Sieg’s play was smooth. She was very consistent running the back court. Abigail Cisler, L, Mintonettte m.21 – A stalwart in the backcourt, Cisler is the defensive leader. She was getting her hands on a lot of balls and helping keep rallies alive.

Read More »

AAU 15 Open: Preview and Predictions

Number of Teams: 59 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (11): 7. OT 15 Randy 8. Legacy 15-1 Adidas 25. Munciana 15 Lorax 26. Adidas KiVA 15 Red 27. Mich Elite 15 Mizuno 34. ID Crush 15 Bower 36. A5 Mizuno 15 Bob 37. Boiler Jrs 15 Gold 40. Northern Lights 15-1 42. GP 15 Rox 46. OT 15 Meg 49. Top Select 15 Elite vballrecruiter.com 5-star recruits (1): Charlotte Glass, S, Tribe 15 Elite vballrecruiter.com 4-star recruits (7): Mesaiya Bettis, OH/RS, Northern Lights 15-1 Campbell Flynn, S, Legacy 15-1 Adidas Lauren Coyne, RS, SPVB 15 Elite Navea Gauthier, OH, Far Out 15 Black Abbigail Pickard, S, Far Out 15 Black Abigail Li, S, A5 Mizuno 15 Bob Izzy Mogridge, S, OT 15 Randy Outlook: The top four seeds are also the four teams ranked the highest in our national rankings. The difference is Munciana 15 Lorax seeded No. 2 ahead of Legacy 15-1 Adidas, which is the No. 3 seed and ranked 17 spots higher in our rankings. OT 15 Randy earns the top seed, while Adidas KiVA 15 Red checks in at No. 4. The rest of the top eight seeds looks like No. 5 Mizuno Northern Lights 15-1, No. 6 GP 15 Rox, No. 7 OT 15 Meg and No. 8 SPVB 15 Elite. OT Meg did well in reaching the semifinals of 15 Open at the JVA West Coast Cup earlier this month but might be seeded a little high. Mich Elite 15 Mizuno, which is ranked No. 27 in our rankings, begins as the No. 11 overall seed. Like the 17s in 17 Open, ID Crush 15 Bower might be under-seeded in 15 Open, opening as the No. 17 overall seed. The field has plenty of teams capable of making noise and delivering upsets. A5 Mizuno 15 Bob, Boiler Jrs 15 Gold, Team Pineapple 15 Black, Far Out 15 Black, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue and Tribe 15 Elite Dean all fit that bill. Still, OT Randy and Legacy have separated themselves from the rest of the pack with their play throughout the season. Munciana certainly has the ability to compete and beat either, as does KiVA. It’s difficult seeing the national champion coming from outside the top four seeds. But maybe someone can break it up and earn at least a bronze medal? Prediction: We like the scrap and grit of OT Randy. We like the fact Legacy knows how to win. That’s why the pick is for the two to meet up in the final. Legacy squeaks by in three. Munciana and Tri-State Elite bring home the bronzes.

Read More »

AAU 17 Open: Preview and Predictions

Number of Teams: 75 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (14): 3. A5 Mizuno 17 Jing 10. Legacy 17-1 Adidas 13. MN Select 17-1 17. OT 17 John 28. ID Crush 17 Bower 30. Top Select 17 Elite 32. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno 35. AVC Cle Rox 17 Red 37. Aspire 17 Premier 38. NE Elite 17 Vici 41. Academy 17 Diamond 44. Rev Raptors 17-1 48. Northern Lights 17-1 50. No Name 17 Doug vballrecruiter.com 5-star recruits (8): Sydney Schnichels, RS, MN Select 17-1 (Minnesota) Laney Choboy, L, Academy 17 Diamond (Minnesota) Nya Bunton, MB, Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Texas) Jordyn Byrd, OH, No Name 17 Doug (Texas) Harper Murray, OH, Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Nebraska) Alex Acevedo, OH, ID Crush 17 Bower (2024) Stella Swenson, S, MN Select 17-1 (2024) Alex Bower, S, ID Crush 17 Bower (2024) vballrecruiter.com 4-star recruits (10): Laurece Abraham, MB, Legacy 17-1 (Yale) Sarah Vellucci, L, Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Long Beach State) Arya Jue, L, A5 Mizuno 17 Jing (Yale) Kierstyn Barton, RS, Aspire 17 Premier (Washington) Erin Kline, S, Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Miss State) Sydney Helmers, OH, Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Texas) Kenna Wollard, OH, Illini Elite 17 Cardinal (Purdue) Neomi Beach, OH, Aspire 17 Premier (San Diego) Kaia Caffee, MB, MN Select 17-1 (2024) Olivia Swenson, OH, MN Select 17-1 (2024) Outlook: The favorites are certainly seeded atop the field. Legacy 17-1 Adidas – ranked No. 10 in our national rankings – opens at No. 1 followed by No. 2 A5 Mizuno 17 Jing. Rounding out the Top 8 seeds are No. 3 MN Select 17-1, No. 4 OT 17 John, No. 5 Top Select 17 Elite, No. 6 Adidas KiVA 17 Red, No. 7 Rev 17-1 and No. 8 Academy 17 Diamond. The team that could be under-seeded some is Idaho Crush 17 Bower at No. 20. This group is good enough to finish in the Top 10. NE Elite 17 Vici, seeded No. 23, and A4 Volley 17 Joaco, seeded at No. 24, are two more teams who could finish much higher than their initial seedings. AVC Cle Rox 17 Red is coming off a third-place showing at JVA SummerFest and if it can keep it up can play a spoiler role. Aspire 17 Premier, starting as the No. 12 seed, is a team to keep an eye on. Aspire played a strong schedule and wasn’t far off from qualifying for 17 Open for USAV. The same goes for Mizuno Northern Lights 17-1 at No. 11. Ultimately though, the likely gold medalist is going to emerge from one of the top six seeds unless someone else can spring an upset. Prediction: Legacy and A5 have proven to be the two most consistent teams in the field throughout the year. However, we are not going with either to win it all. The pick is OT John prevailing in a mild surprise, beating MN Select in the final. Legacy and A5 take bronzes.

Read More »

AAU 14 Open: Preview and Predictions

Number of Teams: 43 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (12): No. 8 Boiler Jrs 14 Gold No. 11 GP 14 Rox No. 19 Dynasty 14 Black No. 24 A5 Mizuno 14 Helen No. 30 Legacy 14 Adidas No. 31 Rev 14-1 Fuego No. 34 Top Select 14 Elite No. 38 Kairos 14 Adidas No. 39 WPVC Armour Black No. 40 OT 14 Cristobal No. 49 Adidas KiVA 14 Red No. 50 Munciana 14 Chipmunks Outlook: Six clubs are doubling up by competing in 14 Open at both AAUs and USAV. They are top-seeded Boiler Jrs 14 Gold, GP 14 Rox, Dynasty 14 Black, A5 Mizuno 14 Helen, Rev 14-1 Fuego and WPVC Armour Black. Boiler Jrs is coming off its victory at the JVA SummerFest in Columbus. Legacy 14-1 Adidas, Adidas KiVA 14 Red and Rev also participated in the event. Boiler Jrs and GP are the two highest-ranked teams in the field and the seeding matches up with that, as they open at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. It changes up from there, as No. 38 Kairos 14 Adidas starts as the No. 3 seed overall. The remaining top eight seeds are No. 4 Dynasty, No. 5 Legacy, No. 6 Rev, No. 7 WPVC and No. 8 Top Select 14 Elite. A5, ranked No. 24 nationally, is seeded No. 9 overall. Another team to watch for is No. 11 seeded Madfrog 14 Black. The 2s team has some quality wins this season and is capable of pulling a surprise or two. This age group could be full of surprises as teams deal with the challenge of trying to play four days of consistent volleyball. The only teams eliminated on Day 1 are teams finishing in fourth place in pool. After that, Days 2 and 3 teams must finish in first or second place to move on, with the exception of a couple crossover matches on Day 3 that allows a team finishing third in pool to still advance by winning that match.  Prediction: We are going with the local flavor. The pick to win it all is Game Point, which tops Legacy for the gold. Boiler Jrs and Dynasty take home bronzes.

Read More »

PVL 14s Championships: Show Stoppers

Before vballrecruiter.com hits the road for the AAU and USAV national championships we spent one last day watching the Premier Volleyball League out of So Cal. The latest weekend brought the 14s championships to the CLAVA facility in Lake Forest. We were on hand Sunday for the final day of action. Below, we highlight the Show Stoppers who caught our attention the most. Presley Thompson, L, Wave 14 Brennan – Thompson showed her willingness to leave her feet to keep rallies alive. It was the all-out effort you like to see from defenders. Ruby Partain, MB, Wave 14 Brennan – Partain brings some height to the front row. She carries a solid arm and is a smart hitter who can tool blocks repeatedly. Jaycee Mack, MB, Wave 14 Brennan – A seventh-grader playing up, we love the upside Mack has. She’s definitely one to keep tabs on. She is already hitting a hard ball and she can run the slide effectively. Havani Embry, RS/OH, Wave 14 Brennan – Embry showed off her versatility as a pin hitter by playing outside one match then on the right the next. She’s a bit undersized but is a fearless attacker and a strong defender and passer in the back row. Sara Uebelhoer, OH, Wave 14 Brennan – Another outside who is a bit undersized but effective, Uebelhoer is an aggressive attacker who takes some big, hard swings and jumps well. Finley Krystkowiak, OH, Wave 14 Brennan – The length of Krystkowiak is such a weapon. She can go right over the top of blockers with ease and hits hard enough that defenders have a tough time digging her. Ryah Brock, OH, Forza1 North 14 UA – Brock is part of a strong outside duo for Forza North. She’s another seventh-grader playing up and has a very bright future. She’s spring with a nice swing and gets plenty of opportunities to score points. Westley Matavao, OH, Forza1 North 14 UA – Matavao is also a seventh-grader playing up and she brings lots of physicality to the lineup. She’s a strong, hard hitter who puts plenty of pressure on the defense with her scoring abilities. Jayden Hanson, S/RS, Forza1 North 14 UA – With nice hands and energetic play, Hanson does well as a setter. She’s capable of running a 5-1 or allows Forza to mix it up with her ability to hit in the front row. Emerson Newton, MB, Forza1 North 14 UA – Newton is another powerful hitter Forza can throw at defenses. She has a big, strong arm and can pound it down. Nina Hemsley, MB, Forza1 North 14 UA – Hemsley is a quicker middle who can get off the ground well. She also hits with pace when she connects. Madyson McCarthy, OH, Coast 14-1 – Coast is another team with a dynamic outside duo. McCarthy is a free swinger with a smooth arm who keeps coming at the block. Kylee-Jo Wilson, OH, Coast 14-1 – A seventh-grader playing up, Wilson is relentless with her attacking. She does not hold back and challenges blocks and defenders to make plays. Cataline Alvizuri, MB, Coast 14-1 – Alvizuri brings instant offense to the front row. She’s active and is involved in a lot of plays at the net. Ava McBride, S/RS, Actyve 14 Black – McBride is one of the more entertaining players to watch with her ability to set and hit. She’s strong at both, but seems to really excel when attacking from the right side with a fluid swing with great extension. Grace Jamison, OH, Actyve 14 Black – Jamison was proving to be a reliable option on the left. She too was displaying nice extension on her swings and was generating pace as well. Addison Coady, MB, Tstreet 14 Carson – We feel the upside to Coady is tremendous. She has a great arm with a high contact point and can score with it consistently. Kaia Ciszewski, OH, Tstreet 14 Carson – A bit undersized on the left, Ciszewski comes with it time and time again. She can bring some heat when the set allows for it but she’s also a heady attacker who scores with well-timed and placed tips. Skylar Noble, L, Tstreet 14 Carson – Noble had some nice moments defending. She showed her ability to get low and dig balls up off the floor to extend rallies. Emmerson Champagne, MB, Tstreet 14 Carson – Champagne was displaying some strong hands. She was putting up a wall of a block at times and causing problems for hitters coming at her. Charlotte Nowak, OH, Tstreet 14 Carson – A lanky outside, Nowak is another to keep watch on as she develops. She has nice extension on her attacks and can hit with pace too. Asia Udo-Ema, OH, Pipeline 14 Magic – Udo-Ema is a do-it-all, six-rotation who Pipeline leans on heavily to carry the load. She’s quick, jumps well and has a good arm. Mckenna Giles, L, Pipeline 14 Magic – Giles was showing consistent passing out of serve receive. She was also making some nice defensive plays. Sienna Barry, MB, Wave 14 Nancy – The length of Barry was proving to be a problem for attackers. Barry was touching a lot of balls and helping to slow down the attack so defenders could make plays behind her. Mikenlie Vandborg, MB, DartFrog 14-1 Katie – Vandborg brings some much-needed size to the front row. She was getting her hands of balls as well and showed a nice swing the times she was set. Lauren Oberg, L, DartFrog 14 Katie – A scrappy defender, Oberg is all over the place. She was passing dimes and helping to keep DartFrog in system. Layla Moore, MB, Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar L – We like the potential Moore flashed. She’s long and if she keeps developing she could turn into quite the player down the road. Georgia Anne Camandang, L, Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar L – Another scrappy back row

Read More »

JVA SummerFest: All-Tournament Team

There was lots happening this past weekend at the JVA SummerFest in Columbus as teams looked to gear up for nationals. vballrecruiter.com was on hand both days. We have already released our Day 1 and Day 2 Show Stoppers. Additionally, we have put out our positional Show Stoppers: Outside Hitters/Right Sides/Middle Blockers/Setters/and Liberos. Up next, we release our All-Tournament selections from 14-17 Open. You can view those below. 17 OPEN OH – Harper Murray, Legacy 17-1 Adidas OH – Sydney Helmers, Adidas KiVA 17 Red OH – Safi Hampton, Metro 17 Travel MB – Nya Bunton, Adidas KiVA 17 Red MB – Brooke Bultema, Elevation 17 Goller MB – Laurece Abraham, Legacy 17-1 Adidas RS – Lauryn Bowie, Mintonette Sports m.71 S/RS – Nayelis Cabello, Top Select 17 Elite S – Ava Sarafa, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno S – Juliette Myrick, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite L – Sarah Vellucci, Legacy 17-1 Adidas L – Laney Klika, AVC Cle Rox 17 Red 16 OPEN OH – Macaria Spears, Metro 16 Travel OH – Morgan Gaerte, Team Pineapple 16 Black OH – Asia Thigpen, Triangle 16 Black MB – Faith Young, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue MB – Kiylah Presley, Paramount VBC 16s MB – Julia Hunt, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami RS – Emma Parker, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite RS – Renee Jones, Metro 16 Travel S – Annabelle Groomes, AVC Cle Rox 16 Red S – Emily Bobbitt, Triangle 16 Black L – Kelsey Niesen, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue L – Elizabeth Tabeling, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami 15 OPEN OH – Navea Gauthier, Far Out 15 Black OH – Gabriella DiVita, Legacy 15-1 Adidas OH – Addison Tindall, Team Pineapple 15 Black MB – Addison Makun, Adidas KiVA 15 Red MB – Bailey Blair, Adidas KiVA 15 Red MB – Jessica Costlow, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno RS/S – BreAnna McMillan, Triangle 15 Black RS – Jada Aksu, Metro 15 Travel S – Campbell Flynn, Legacy 15-1 Adidas S – Larsen Terrill, Mintonette Sports m.51 L – Julia Grace, NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami L – Sakura Codling, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue 14 OPEN OH – Cali Foster, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold OH – Layla Hoying, Mintonette Sports m.41 OH – Cara Richter, Elevation 14 Molly MB – Reese Resmer, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold MB – Kayla Nwabueze, Legacy 14-1 Adidas MB – D’Aira Whitner, AVC Cle Rox 14 Red RS – Caroline Ward, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold RS – Addison Buckner, AVC Cle Rox 14 Red S – Lexi Shondell, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold S – Makenna Kirlin, Elevation 14 Molly L – Meredith Martin, Legacy 14-1 Adidas L – Cala Haffner, Team Pineapple 14 Black

Read More »

JVA SummerFest: Outside Hitter Show Stoppers

vballrecruiter.com spent this past weekend at the JVA SummerFest in Columbus. The two-day event offered up plenty of talented teams and individuals. Below, we list our outside hitter Show Stoppers. 17 Open Safi Hampton, OH, Metro 17 Travel – Hampton is a 6-1, three-star recruit committed to North Carolina. She jumps like she was shot out of a cannon. She gets up high and fast and there’s really nothing the average block can do about it. She goes straight over most. Harper Murray, OH, Legacy 17-1 Adidas – A five-star recruit committed to Nebraska, it’s easy to go on and on about Murray’s play. The way she gets in the air she plays taller than her 6-2 frame. She extends well, gets on top of the ball and can rip it to any part of the court consistently. Sydney Helmers, OH, Adidas KiVA 17 Red – Helmers – a four-star recruit committed to Texas – is such a threat and commands all sorts of attention. She’s long at 6-4 and can generate plenty of pace to keep defenders on their toes. Caitlyn Little, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite – A three-star recruit, Little is a tiny bit undersized at 5-10 yet she possesses a huge arm. She caught a few balls that she just absolutely hammered! Sarah Gooch, Top Select 17 Elite – Gooch was one of the main weapons in the Top Select attack. She’s long and lanky with a good swing and can over and around blocks regularly. Remi Madison, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno – Madison is a fearless attacker who aggressively goes at bigger blockers. She was carrying the offensive load at times. Lauren Hurst, K2 17 Adidas – It was our first time catching Hurst this season. She’s a freshman playing up two age groups and she has a bright future to be sure. She has a nice swing and gets set plenty. Ava Siefke, NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami – A three-star recruit committed to Eastern Michigan, Siefke is 6-1 and one of the key parts of the attack. She has a good arm and is a reliable option on the left. Sydney Nolan, NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami – With Nolan and Siefke, NKYVC is a pin-heavy offense and for good reason. Nolan is 6-3 and a three-star recruit committed to North Carolina. With her height she can go over blocks consistently. Gabriella Durham, Mintonette Sports m.71 – A 6-3, three-star recruit committed to San Diego, Durham was playing a pivotal role in the attack and carrying a big load. She’s long and was able to find the gaps in the defense. Kira Holland, AVC Cle Rox 17 Red – A 6-0, four-star recruit, Holland takes a lot of swings. She’s one of the mainstays in the attack and consistently finds ways to score. 16 Open Macaria Spears, OH, Metro 16 Travel – A five-star recruit, Spears is a 6-4 freshman playing up an age group. She’s a freak athlete with great length. She goes over smaller blocks with ease and absolutely torments the defense with her scoring ability. Asia Thigpen, OH, Triangle 16 Black – Thigpen was showing tremendous potential. She was taking aggressive swings and showcasing a quick arm that was lighting defenses up. Morgan Gaerte, OH, Team Pineapple 16 Black – This five-star recruit is 6-4 and a potent offensive piece. Gaerte is long with a nice extension. She’s a threat out of the back row as well and is tough for defenses to figure out. Lameen Mambu, OH, Paramount VBC 16 – A 5-11, three-star recruit, Mambu is a freshman playing up. She is a fun one to watch. She’s a leaper with a great vertical and fluid swing. She attacks from all over and is a big-time weapon. Emerson Sellman, Metro 16 Travel – Sellman is part of a tall roster. She’s 6-3 and has a nice swing to back it up. She’s a three-star recruit with plenty of upside to her game. Lilly Gillespie, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – A three-star recruit, Gillespie is an undersized pin yet she’s a gamer. Her aggressive attacking shows she doesn’t back down and is fearless against bigger blockers. Maya Witherspoon, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite – Witherspoon is a name to get familiar with. She’s a 5-11, four-star recruit from the Class of 2025. She has those moments that get you excited for her future. She was able to connect on a few balls that she just ripped! Alison Risley, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite – A three-star recruit, Risley is that six-rotation glue piece who holds it down. She’s a heady scorer who can score in a variety of ways. Reese Wuebker, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – A 5-10, three-star recruit, Wuebker does well across the front row. She has an easy jump and seems to hang for an extra second. It makes it difficult to time for blockers. Sophia Adkins, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – A six-rotation outside, Adkins is a three-star recruit. She’s 6-0 and almost touches 10 feet. She has a good arm to boot. Sydney Waller, ECJ 16-1 – At 6-2, Waller has the height to make life tough on blockers. She’s a normal right-side hitter who was hitting on the left. She’s one to keep tabs on as she develops. Layla Visser, MVA 16 Black – A 5-11 freshman playing up, Visser has great extension. It allows her to generate nice pace on her shots. Kiarrah Horne, Triangle 16 Black – Triangle is tough because there’s always an outside front row who can cause headaches for defenders. Horne – a 6-1, three-star recruit – has a solid arm and gets up well. Grace Busold, AVC Cle Rox 16 Red – An undersized left at 5-9, Busold is wirey. She doesn’t back down and was taking some aggressive cuts. Lily Barron, Mintonette Sports m.61 – Barron is lanky at 6-2. She has a fluid swing and can get after it when the set allows for it. Amanda Mack, K2 16 Adidas – A

Read More »

JVA SummerFest: Setter Show Stoppers

It was a wonderful weekend covering the JVA SummerFest in Columbus. It was two days of whirlwind action and vballrecruiter.com was scurrying around and taking notes on the players who made us take notice. Below, we highlight our setter Show Stoppers. 17 Open Juliette Myrick, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite – A four-star recruit committed to Army, Myrick moves the ball around well to get her various hitters involved. She shows consistent accuracy with a consistent release. Erin Kline, Legacy 17-1 Adidas – This 6-2, four-star recruit is committed to Mississippi State. She has shown continually improvement throughout the season. Her height is an asset across the front row and her location with her sets rarely wander off target. Arleigh Hanson, Metro 17 Travel – Hanson is another setter with nice height. At 6-1, it plays to her advantage blocking and plays that are tight along the net. Nayelis Cabello, S/RS, Top Select 17 Elite – A three-star recruit playing up an age group, Cabello is the motor that makes Top Select go. She plays a vital role hitting and setting. She has good hands and can dish to anywhere effectively. She’s also a strong hitter who can generate plenty of pace. Ava Sarafa, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno – Sarafa is one of the more entertaining setters to watch. She’s a four-star recruit committed to Kentucky and her deception keeps defenders guessing and gives her hitters plenty of one-on-one opportunities to score. 16 Open Erin Debiec, S, Metro 16 Travel – With the hitters at her disposal, it has to be fun to be this 6-1 setter. Debiec is a three-star recruit who can be part of a 6-2 setting in the back or running a 5-1. Maria Drapp, S, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – Drapp – a three-star recruit – runs a good offense. She gets everybody involved, has good connections with her middles and is consistent with her locations. Abby Yoder, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – Yoder – a three-star recruit – isn’t a flashy setter and there’s nothing wrong with that. She’s a gamer with pin-point accuracy who shows strong command of running the show. Emily Bobbitt, Triangle 16 Black – Bobbitt is another three-star recruit. She’s a competitor with a strong ability to dish the ball around to her hitters. It includes going behind her very well as well as pushing it far cross court. Annabelle Groomes, AVC Cle Rox 16 Red – This is a name to know. Groomes – a five-star recruit from the Class of 2025 – stands 6-0 and has tremendous upside. She showed her strength repeatedly by setting balls accurately from far away from her targets. 15 Open Campbell Flynn, S, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – A four-star recruit, Flynn is certainly one to keep watch on. She’s 6-1 with good hands and accurate location. She can run tempo sets at times as well and can help slow down attackers with her block. Larsen Terrill, S, Mintonette m.51 – Terrill was a key part of Mintonette’s second-place showing in 15 Open. A three-star recruit, Terrill does well directing the offense. Her sets are effortless and she rarely is off the mark. Abbigail Pickard, S, Far Out 15 Black – A smooth setter with a great touch, Pickard – a four-star recruit – sets a clean ball consistently. She’s able to push sets far across the court and deliver them on the money. Kennedy Tinch, Academy 15 Venom – Tinch is an undersized setter at 5-7. Her hands are nice as she consistently sets a clean ball and regularly hits her spots. Charlotte Glass, Tribe 15 Dean – You’ll be hearing plenty about Glass in the coming years. She’s a five-star recruit with a high ceiling. At 6-0, she has the desired height of an impact setter and her consistent release point and direction of the offense are fun to watch. Isabelle Hoppe, Pgh Elite 15 Elite – An eighth-grader playing up, Hoppe is a bit undersized at 5-9 but was flashing lots of potential. Her hands are good and she sets a very hittable ball. 14 Open Lexi Shondell, S, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – It appears the future is bright for Shondell. She’s a super smooth disher with great hands and spot-on location. She already shows great command and leadership. Addyson Bianchini, S/RS, NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami – Bianchini was running a 5-1 and part of a 6-2 at times. She’s an excellent setter with great touch and accuracy. She can also hit across the front row if needed, giving NKYVC lineup options. Makenna Kirlin, S, Elevation 14 Molly – There’s no doubt Kirlin makes the offense tick. She has strong hands and push her sets from farther away than most. She also goes behind her very well and with accuracy. Haley Wilson, S/RS, AVC Cle Rox 14 Red – A front-row setter, Wilson makes an impact with her height when she checks in. She can get in the way of opposing hitters. Morgan Heater, Tri-State Elite 14 Blue – Heater showed her potential plenty of times and is one to take note of as she continues to develop. She has nice size and sets a good ball. Sydney Bryant, Metro 14 Travel – We didn’t see as much of Bryant as we would like. But we did see her make an incredible set that showed what type of setter she can be. She pushed a ball 30 feet cross court on the money, displaying her strength and footwork to make a play like that. Mackenzie Davis, VA Elite 14s – Davis displayed a nice touch. She was putting the ball in good spots for her hitters and was also playing some nice defense too. Marlie Smith, S/OH, Legacy 14-1 Adidas – Smith, a seventh-grader playing up, is part of a key duo for Legacy, setting in the back and hitting on the left in the front. She has a nice touch as a setter and showed her smarts as a hitter. Eva

Read More »

JVA SummerFest: Middle Blocker Show Stoppers

If you are new to vballrecruiter.com, after every tournament we cover we roll out a list of Show Stoppers. These are players who stood out to us during our time covering an event. In this case it was the JVA SummerFest in Columbus. Below, we present our middle blocker Show Stoppers. 17 Open Nya Bunton, MB, Adidas KiVA 17 Red – A 6-3, five-star recruit committed to Texas, Bunton is fun to watch do her thing. She gets way off the ground and has a strong swing. When she connects she’s nearly impossible to stop. Laurece Abraham, MB, Legacy 17-1 Adidas – Abraham – who is a four-star recruit committed to Yale – is a valuable piece to the puzzle at middle. She’s 6-1, is quick, runs the slide well and almost has her elbows at the net when blocking. Brooke Bultema, MB, Elevation 17 Goller – The last thing you want to see as a defense is Elevation in system and Bultema running the slide. She’s a lengthy 6-3 and this four-star recruit who is committed to Kentucky delivers time and time again on the play. Brielle Kemavor, Metro 17 Travel – You know when this 6-5 middle is in. Kemavor – a four-star recruit committed to BYU – is a presence and takes up a lot of space with her wingspan and ability to interfere with attackers. Gabrielle Gerry, Adidas KiVA 17 Red – Gerry – a three-star recruit committed to South Carolina – is part of a tall KiVA lineup. She’s 6-5 and utilizes that length to her advantage. 16 Open Munachiso Mmuo, MB, EC Power 16-Empire – A bit undersized at 5-10, Mmuo is quick and moves very well. She carries a good arm and proved to be a consistent, reliable scorer when called upon. Julia Hunt, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – We’ve written about this four-star recruit before. She’s a 6-1 middle with great attacking skills. She’s good enough to carry the offense at times and defenses must always be aware of where she’s lining up. Faith Young, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – A 6-1 middle, Young adds a physical presence to the attack. She had some big swings and hard connections. Natalie Robinson, ECJ 16-1 – Robinson is one to keep an eye on. At 6-4, she’s a three-star recruit with plenty of length. She has a good arm as well and can be difficult to slow at times. Kiylah Presley, Paramount VBC 16s – A three-star recruit, the 6-0 Presley is explosive with a quick, high jump that has her touching well over 10-0. She gets off the ground in a hurry and can beat the block before it gets set up. Mallory Bohl, Legacy 16-1 Adidas – A 6-3, three-star recruit, Bohl has plenty of upside. She can put up a sound block and give attackers trouble with it. Elena Arana, K2 16 Adidas – Arana had some moments and flashed her potential to be sure. She can let it fly when she really gets a hold of one. 15 Open Linden Radaszewski, Elevation 15 Crofton – A bit undersized at 5-11, Radaszewski is wirey and jumps well. Combined with a nice swing, it led to some impressive winners when her number was called. Addison Makun, Adidas KiVA 15 Red – A three-star recruit, Makun is definitely one to keep tabs on as she moves up through the ranks. She’s really long, hits at a high contact point and can get her elbows at the net on her block. Bailey Blair, Adidas KiVA 15 Red – Another three-star recruit, Blair is part of a position of strength for KiVA in the middle. She runs an effective slide attack. Jessica Costlow, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno – At 5-11, Costlow is a bit undersized for the middle spot but this three-star recruit doesn’t let that slow her down. She’s also a rare six-rotation middle who Mich Elite uses in serve receive. Kayla Channell, ECJ 15-1 – Channell is also a three-star recruit. She’s a slim 6-1 with a fluid swing and nice arm. She’ll add more and more power as she gains strength and continues to develop. Olivia Grenadier, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – A 6-1, three-star recruit, Grenadier has plenty of potential. She helps open up the Legacy attack and can also turn around and get in the way of opposing attackers. 14 Open Reese Resmer, MB, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – Defenses cannot lose track of Resmer. She’s 5-11 and Boiler Jrs looks to get her the ball as much as possible. She’s quick to the ball with a great arm and knows how to finish plays off. Kayla Nwabueze, MB, Legacy 14-1 Adidas – Nwabueze is a name you’ll be hearing plenty about in the coming years. She’s a tremendous prospect. She’s a strong 6-0 with a good arm. She’ll take swings on the left as well. Isabelle Thomas, Mintonette Sports m.41 – A 5-11 middle, Thomas has good timing with her block. She was touching lots of swings and giving her defenders chances to make plays behind her. D’Aira Whitner, AVC Cle Rox 14 Red – Defenses have to pay attention to Whitner. AVC will feed her when in system. She gets up well and was a reliable scoring option. Kendall Bosse, Tri-State Elite 14 Blue – Bosse can get points for Tri-State out of the middle. She has a fluid, loose swing and connects well when the set is there. Alexa Telly, Metro 14 Travel – Power is part of Telly’s game. She’s physical and she’s strong. It leads to some big swings and winners. 13 Open Cynthia Ockerman, MB, Legacy 13-1 Adidas – Ockerman garners attention when she checks in. She puts up a huge block and is also a constant offensive threat. 12 Open Jazlyn Langenkamp, MB, Elevation 12 Bergheger – Langenkamp brings a presence to the front row. Defenses need to be aware of her explosiveness, which leads to some impressive blocks and kills. Sarah Albers, HPSTL

Read More »

JVA SummerFest: Right Side Show Stoppers

The biggest volleyball action of the weekend was located in Columbus, home of the JVA SummerFest. vballrecruiter.com spent the weekend covering the two-day event. It led us to finding some standout players. Below, we present our right side Show Stoppers who made us take notice. 17 Open Claire Morrissey, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite – A sophomore playing up, Morrissey is a six-rotation right side. She brings her share of offense to the front row and is someone Rockwood Thunder likes to get the ball to. Olivia Fish, Adidas KiVA 17 Red – A three-star recruit committed to Wake Forest, Fish offers nice size to the front row. She’s a capable scorer when called upon and helps balance out the attack. Lauryn Bowie, Mintonette Sports m.71 – Bowie – a three-star recruit committed to Virginia – is a physical presence. She has a powerful arm and delivers some big-time stuff blocks. 16 Open Renee Jones, Metro 16 Travel – At 6-5, Jones can make an impact without ever touching the ball. She puts up a monster block on the right side. So much so that offenses won’t even look to set their outsides when she’s in. Makenzie Wagner, Union 16-1 UA – A little undersized at 5-10, Wagner has a quick jump and fast swing. It helps her generate pace and gives Union a scoring option on the right. Emma Parker, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite – Parker – who is 6-0 – can put down some strong kills with her strength. Rockwood Thunder will feed her when in system as she’s a reliable option. Natalie Ricevuto, EC Power 16 Empire – Ricevuto gets involved in a variety of ways, including running and swinging on combos. She’s a physical hitter who delivers a heavy ball. 15 Open Jada Aksu, RS, Metro 15 Travel – A three-star recruit, Aksu commands attention from defenses when she’s across the front row. The lefty can carry the offensive load at times with her quick swing and ability to generate pace. Gabriella Babinski, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno – Babinski, at 6-1, is someone to keep an eye on. She brings height across the net and she also has a big arm and attacks hard. Addison Williams, Legacy 15-1 Adidas – A three-star recruit, this 6-2 right side is another one to follow as she progresses. She has lots of upside and can help slow down attacks with her block. Lily Riegel, Elevation 15 Crofton – Riegel is in the same mold as Williams. At 6-3, she’s a tall right side and also a three-star recruit. She can over blocks and is someone to keep track of as she moves up in age. BreAnna McMillan, S/RS, Triangle 15 Black – A hybrid player who sets and hits, McMillan can absolutely bring the heat. Defenses have to take notice when she rotates to the front row because she’s the biggest offensive threat in the lineup. 14 Open Caroline Ward, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – Ward is a seventh-grader playing up. She’s 5-11 but plays longer than that. She has tremendous upside with a good swing and ability to hit with some pace already. Addison Buckner, AVC Cle Rox 14 Red – Buckner was supplying offense on the right side. She has a strong arm, jumps well and was being aggressive with her attacking.

Read More »

JVA SummerFest: Libero Show Stoppers

We start off our JVA SummerFest Show Stoppers with the liberos who caught our attention the most. Players make the list based on our own observations during the times we saw them in action. Check them out below. 17 Open Laney Klika, L, AVC Cle Rox 17 Red – AVC Cle had a good run reaching the semis and part of it was due to the performance of Klika. A three-star recruit committed to Wofford, she helped steady out the defense and was making some nice digs against some big-time attackers she faced. Sarah Vellucci, Legacy 17-1 Adidas – A four-star recruit committed to Long Beach State, Vellucci is not targeted in serve receive often. She has good range and the ability to stand in and take on some big attacks to keep plays alive. Kalliann Cook, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno – Cook – a three-star recruit – is a gamer and hustler. At times it seems like she’s everywhere making plays as she’s a strong defender. Jonna Spohn, Mintonette Sports m.71 – Mintonette can struggle out of serve receive at times, but Spohn is typically consistent when she’s served at. A three-star recruit committed to Ole Miss, she moves well and isn’t afraid to lay out to make a dig. 16 Open Mailinh Godschall, Metro 16 Travel – Godschall is speedy and gets places quickly. She was proving reliable in serve receive and taking charge in the back row. Elizabeth Tabeling, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – NKYVC’s ball control is usually steady. Tabeling – a three-star recruit – is a big part of that. She defends and passes well and has the ability to make some big-time digs. Kelsey Niesen, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – Niesen was holding it down defensively, coming up with saves all over to extend rallies. Eily Painter, EC Power 16 Empire – Painter was showing off her coverage skills, picking up balls at the net to keep the play going. She was also on point out of serve receive with first-ball contact. Coley Shiflet, Triangle 16 Black – Shiflet was making the plays in front of her. She was calm and steady and helping anchor the defensive charge. Brenna Ginder, Team Pineapple 16 Black – Ginder is a hard working, scrappy libero. She was making some nice saves on cross-court shots and preventing kills. Jessica Gutridge, Mintonette Sports m.61 – Gutridge was very active. She plays with a good energy. She’s also talkative and was passing well. 15 Open Sakura Codling, L, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue – Codling – who is a three-star recruit – was sharp. She provides a steadying presence in the back row and at times was passing almost 50 percent of the court in serve receive. Julia Grace, NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami – A three-star recruit, Grace is money in the back row. Her passes are sharp, crips and accurate. Cassidy Trahan, Pgh Elite 15 Elite – Trahan was taking care of the back court and defending with grit. 14 Open Meredith Martin, L, Legacy 14-1 Adidas – Martin was controlling the back row like no else. She was passing lights out in serve receive and was passing nearly half the court. Cala Haffner, L/OH/S, Team Pineapple 14 Black – The first time we watched Haffner she was lineup at outside. The next set she was part of a 6-2, setting and hitting on the left. The next match she was wearing the libero jersey. That’s some amazing versatility and she was doing all three things at an above-average level. Day 2 she settled in at libero. Emma Cugino, Mintonette Sports m.41 – Mintonette had a strong run to the semifinals. Mintonette is a scrappy team overall, with Cugino playing that part in the libero jersey. She was showing consistent passing and helping keep the team in system. Arielle Hepler, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – A nice anchor in the backcourt, Hepler doesn’t rattle easy and is all over the court. She made some strong plays and has good, consistent energy. Emily Keiran, Adidas KiVA 14 Red – Quick and accurate, Keiran is a strong libero. She also was displaying a tough serve and scoring points with it. Cara Wolf, Far Out 14 Black – Wolf was active, scurrying all around the court and playing with high energy. Eleanor James, K2 14 Adidas – James flies around the court. She was covering a bunch of space and extending rallies. Emma Frietch, NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami – Frietch has good court sense and seemed to be in the right spots at the right times. She was fairly consistent out of serve receive as well. Ella Grimes, Elevation 14 Molly – Grimes plays with a certain determination and confidence. She was making some nice plays and wasn’t off very many times passing out of serve receive. 13 Open Kaniyah Ball, L, Metro 13 Travel – Ball was one of the standout liberos. She was steady in helping anchoring the defense and keeping rallies alive. Francesca Hansel, L, Tri-State Elite 13 Blue – Hansel was able to get her platform on a ton of balls. She was the clear defensive leader and showed plenty of scrappiness. 12 Open Kenadi Sieg, L, NKYVC 12-1 Tsunami – One way to describe Sieg’s play was smooth. She was very consistent running the back court. Abigail Cisler, L, Mintonettte m.21 – A stalwart in the backcourt, Cisler is the defensive leader. She was getting her hands on a lot of balls and helping keep rallies alive.

Read More »