Chris

It’s confession time. Being a media site which is supposed to remain unbiased, neutral and fair at vballrecruiter.com, we were secretly rooting for any team other than Munciana 18 Samurai to bring home the 18 Open gold medal at AAUs in Orlando. It’s nothing personal. It’s just that the newly-crowned 18 Open gold medalist – a title Muncie earned after sweeping rival Sports Performance 18 Elite in the championship match Saturday at the ESPN Zone – made life very difficult on us. Why? In winning the national championship, Munciana opened up a debate and we are the ones who must settle it. See, way back in February Muncie won this tournament. You might have heard of it. It’s called Triple Crown and most all the top teams in the country were there. Muncie won the 18s championship, defeating Sunshine 18 LA in the final. It was Sunshine, of course, which took home the USAV 18s GJNC gold medal in April. When we released our 18s National Rankings in May it was Sunshine taking the No. 1 spot. But we did leave the door open for Muncie to reclaim it should Muncie take home gold here in Orlando. Now that that has happened, let the debate begin! There’s no arguing which of the two clubs played the harder schedule. Sunshine not only took home gold in Phoenix, it won national qualifiers in Chicago and So Cal. The only other team outside of Muncie to defeat Sunshine on a national stage was A5 Mizuno 18 Marc, also at Triple Crown. As for Muncie, it played a very limited schedule. The Indiana club hit up Triple Crown, Bluegrass in Louisville and AAUs. Muncie lost at Bluegrass to SPVB. Muncie also lost to Hou Skyline 18 Royal at Triple Crown. The biggest argument for Muncie is of course owning the head-to-head victory over Sunshine. You have two national championships, two winners, with one winner having beaten the other winner. That’s how the two stack up. We aren’t ready to make any proclamations yet. You’ll have to wait until July when we release our final national rankings. We’ll definitely be weighing both sides of the argument until then. As for the final day of the season for Muncie, it played out exactly like what we have become accustomed to seeing with the 18s from this club. Muncie rarely is going to beat itself. To get over on Muncie, opponents need to bring it and simply outplay Muncie because they won’t be handed anything. No team we saw in the 18s this season plays with as much fire and heart as Muncie does. That’s not necessarily to say Muncie is the best team, simply it’s refreshing to see the pure joy and excitement this group exudes on the court. In defeating SPVB in yesterday’s challenge match for seedings, Muncie took over the top spot and eventually met up with Coast 17-1 again in the semis. Muncie downed Kokoro 18-1 in straight sets in the quarters, while Coast held off Kairos 18 Adidas, 19-25, 25-13, 18-16, in its quarterfinal. Coast snuck past Muncie on Day 2, taking Game 3 in strong fashion, 15-9. No doubt that didn’t sit well with Muncie. After all, this is an 18 Open national championship and losing to a 17s team is going to sting. Coast came out hot in the rematch, taking the first set 25-16 before Muncie fought back and won the next two, 25-21, 15-13, to reach the final. The rematch with SPVB was not on the level of Friday’s contest, which Muncie won, 25-21, 28-30, 15-13. Saturday’s final was a more one-sided affair with Muncie prevailing, 25-23, 25-19. Muncie’s style is on its own level. The team trains and focuses on fast transition from offense to defense. That means playing great defense first, because without a dig there is no offense to transition to. It’s that speed and quickness from defense to offense that opponents have a hard time keeping up with and reacting to. At times, teams think they have a kill only to see the ball picked up and before opponents know it it’s coming right back at them. This is not a big team. Outside Eva Hudson is one of the two tallest players, along with middle Lovie Wallace. Along with Avery Ross, the outsides keep coming at opponents with aggression and putting lots of pressure on defenses. Setter Ella Bostic does well mixing in her middles with Wallace and Breanna Gross to keep teams honest. Then there is libero Ramsey Gary, who is one of the best in the Class of 2023 and a stalwart defensively. In an ideal world, we would get the rematch we all want to see between Sunshine and Munciana instead of having to decide which team deserves our final No. 1 ranking the most.

Any time teams are playing to make a gold bracket is a big deal. When it’s at a national championship, it’s an even bigger one. That’s what Day 3 for the 14s and 18s at AAUs in Orlando had in store for us. You can read about the day’s developments below if you keep scrolling. First, we want to showcase our Day 3 Show Stoppers. These are the players who stood out to us the most while going from court to court. Ruby McDermott, L, A5 Mizuno 14-1 Helen – McDermott showed her ability to get low and pick balls up off the floor. She was passing on target out of serve receive and was holding down the back row with confidence. Jordin Southall, OH, GP 14 Rox – A high-flying outside, Southall is someone to keep tabs on as she moves up in age groups. She can unleash on balls at times and is a definite scoring threat when she checks in front row. Jenness Orcutt, RS, GP 14 Rox – Orcutt brings her much-needed height to the front row. She has a good extension on her attacks and gave GP a reliable option on the right side. She was also touching balls and helping slow down attacks. Emma Adkins, OH, Tri-State Elite 14 Blue – A six-rotation outside, Adkins is a key cog in the Tri-State lineup. She doesn’t back down, swinging well and keeps it coming at blockers. Arielle Hepler, L, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – Boiler is one of the better passing and ball control teams in the field. Hepler contributes to that with her play at libero. She plays with lots of energy and is sound out of serve receive and does well chasing down balls. Lexi Shondell, S, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – Shondell is someone we could talk about every time we see her play. She’s that talented. She already shows great command of the offense as she gets all her hitters involved. She’s also a plus defender. Madeline Dettling, OH, Mich Elite 14 Mizuno – A lanky outside, Dettling is one of the better offensive options for Mich Elite. She was showing nice extension on most of her swings. Ella Askin, OH, Adidas KiVA 14 Red – Asking brings a bit of physicality to the lineup. She’s a strong hitter who can unleash big kills at times. Riley Taylor, MB, Triangle 14 Black – Taylor displayed her upside and it makes her someone to keep watch on in the years to come. She’s tall and that’s always an advantage at this age group. She also has the capability to send down loud kills when she gets a hold of one. Lexi Kedvesh, L, Rev 14-1 – Kedvesh does a solid job patrolling the back row. She can pass overhead and she can move side to side in serve receive and still deliver on target. Isabelle Masten, OH, Rev 14-1 – A bit undersized, Masten passes well and is a fearless attacker who can hit from the back row as well. Jaycee Jones, MB, Rev 14-1 – Also a bit undersized, Jones is an athletic middle who moves well. She has a quick leap and nice arm that makes her a scoring threat on in-system passes. Meredith Martin, L, Legacy 14-1 Adidas – Martin is one of the best liberos in the field. She’s smooth and consistent and rarely makes mistakes or misses on plays. She also can pass half the court in a two-person serve receive along with Jadyn Kennedy. Zoe Ross, L, Wildfire 14 Albert – Wildfire is one of the better digging and scrambling teams in the tournament. Ross is part of the reason why with her ability to make hustle plays and passing well when served at. Josie Noble, MB, Far Out 14 Black – Noble brings a level of physicality to the front row. She was scoring from sideline to sideline, going cross body and wrist away with equal effectiveness. Charlotte Segard, OH, MVA 14 National Black – Segard helps keep the offense ticking across the front row. She’s also a strong contributor in the back row where she was making nice digs and covers to keep rallies alive. Madison Hewitson, RS, Ocala Power 14 Adidas – A lanky lefty right side, Hewitson was making an impact on both sides of the ball. She was get her hands on attacks then turning around and scoring with nice shots to the deep cross court corner. Violet Poole, L, MVP 14 Gold – Poole was performing well and working hard to hold down the defensive side. She was laying out to keep balls alive, stepping taking them overhead and passing steady out of serve receive. Jenna Baller, L, Elevation 14 Peak – Baller was another defensive presence. She was sound in serve receive and putting passes on digs right on target consistently. Kennedy Boatman, S, Tx Tornados 14 Adidas – Boatman was consistently setting clean balls. She showed a soft touch and was hitting her spots regularly. Gabriella Brodner, OH, Jupiter Elite 14 – Brodner flashed her upside. She’s lanky with nice extension and is part of a solid outside duo for Jupiter. Olivia Peterson, OH, Jupiter Elite 14 – Peterson is the other half of a standout outside duo for Jupiter. She was showcasing strong passing skills and though she’s a bit undersized she was aggressive with her swings. Shaniya Harris, MB, HJV 14 Premier – A middle who is a bit undersized, Harris helps make up for with her bounce. She’s quick off the ground with a nice arm and delivered a few impressive kills. Adriana Jeanpierre, OH, JJVA 14 Teal – Jeanpierre gets in the air well with her strong jump. She gives JJVA a scoring option front or back row as she’s not afraid to let it rip. Avery MacMeccan, L, Upward Stars 14 Taylor – Taylor communicates well, encouraging teammates and letting hitters know where to swing. She was also consistently picking up swings

You know what time it is. It’s time to get to the happenings of Day 2 from the 14s and 18s from AAUs in Orlando. Keep scrolling down to see recap with news and notes from the second round of pool play. Before getting to that though, we present our Day 2 Show Stoppers from the aforementioned age groups. Elle Mottola, S/RS, WPVC 14 Armour Black – Mottola showed what she can bring to a lineup with her setting and hitting abilities. She was delivering with consistent location when setting. Kampbell Niepagen, RS, Illini Elite 14 Cardinal – A lanky right side, Niepagen was showing nice extension on her swings and generating pace that had shots going deep cross court. Alana Whitfield, OH, Illini Elite 14 Cardinal – Whitfield is the go-to hitter and a valuable six-rotation outside. She was showing great skill in the back row passing and running down balls to extend rallies. Isabella Taveras Seda, L, JJVA 14 Teal – Seda is a fiery libero with lots of spirit. She’s also quick and able to cover a lot of court. Mollie Vandeusen, S/RS, JJVA 14 Teal – Vandeusen has nice size and is part of a 6-2 package, setting in the back and hitting across the front. She does well at both, with accurate sets and solid swing. Ryan Murphy, S/RS, JJVA 14 Teal – Murphy is also a big piece of the lineup, as she can also play in part of a 6-2. She also has nice height and sets a good ball with the ability to give the team a boost offensively as well with her hitting. Reagan Hare, RS, CJV 14 Kim – A lefty, Hare is a vital piece. She has a good arm and sees the court well, varying between strong contacts and roll shots to the open court. She was also hitting out of the back row on D balls. Riley Nagamine, L, 808 14 Sheri – Nagamine showed a sound platform and was passing nails in serve receive. She also showed her grit and determination chasing down errant balls. Amira Bailey, MB, TPV 14 Legacy – It’s fun identifying future prospects and Bailey is definitely one to keep tabs on. We don’t know her exact height but she’s the tallest player in the division. Her upside is tremendous, as she already gets her hands way above the net when blocking. Maggie Szlachcic, OH, Far Out 14 Black – Szlachcic was providing key offense for Far Out. She was showing a solid swing and wasn’t holding back at times in challenging the defense to make a play. Kam’Bre Jones, MB, OT 14 Laura – Even if defenses know the ball is going to Jones, she can be tough to slow. She has a quick jump and fluid swing and can seemingly score at will. Laila Ornick, L, Roots 14 Green – Ornick is a quick libero who makes up ground in a hurry. She was showing her hustle by running down balls all over the court and also doing a good job covering touches. Ella Meador, L, FCA Upstate 141 – Meador is a gamer with a steady demeanor. She was passing dimes out of serve receive the times teams dared come at her. Nalanie Neal, RS, RVJ 14 Caleb – Neal has a high ceiling and could be a future prospect. She’s wirey with a good arm. RVJ definitelys looks to get her involved as much as possible, so defenses must be ready for her attacks. Cali Foster, OH, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – An all-around contributor, Foster is a lights-out passer and defender. She’s also a smart hitter who can tool blocks and consistently put pressure on defenses with her ability to go down the line. Avery Stephens, L, OT 14 Cristobal – Stephens has the ability to make dazzling saves, like when she dove to her left and made a one-arm dig near the sideline to extend a rally. Gabby Semona, MB, Tri-State Elite 14 Blue – A 6-1 middle, Semona brings size to the front row. She’ll line up and hit on the right as well as Tri-State moves her around to get her more involved. Mckenna Morton, OH, Madfrog 14 Black – Madfrog 14 Green is the top 14s team in the nation, so you know the Black squad has seen high-level volleyball this whole season. While undersized at every position, there’s so much heart and passion. Morton is part of the group, attacking front and back row without fear. Bradi Weidman, S/RS, Madfrog 14 Black – Weidman is a big piece to what Madfrog does. She sets and hit and she’s also a strong defender who makes hustle plays. Kayla Nwabueze, MB, Legacy 14-1 Adidas – We wrote about Nwabueze at the JVA SummerFest. This 6-0 middle is a freaky prospect. She hits from all over – on the left, on the right, on 1s and on 3s. When she gets full extension she almost never gets dug. Reese Resmer, MB, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – We also watched Resmer at SummerFest, where she was one of the best middles in the age group. She was owning the second set against Legacy with her quick jump and swing that generates plenty of pace. Emily Keiran, L, Adidas KiVA 14 Red – Keiran passes a lot of court in serve receive. She was also making well-timed saves while showing her scrappiness. Kathryn O’Toole, DS, Adidas KiVA 14 Red – Admittingly, we should write about more DS’s like O’Toole. She was part of a two-person serve receive and was covering and passing well during her time in the back row. Dasia Johnson, OH, Wildfire 14 Albert – An undersized outside, Johnson proves plenty of punch to the attack. She jumps well and hits a heavy ball with lots of topspin due to a nice wrist snap. Alayna Vaeth, S, Dynasty 14 Black – Vaeth is steady, not getting too high or low. She has a strong

If you like reading about talented and impressive volleyball players then you’ll be glued to vballrecruiter.com for the next couple of weeks as we go on our journey through the two end of the year national championships. Wednesday brought us Day 1 of the 14s and 18s divisions at AAUs in Orlando. We’ll get to some of the day’s action further down if you keep scrolling. But first, we want to highlight the Show Stoppers from Day 1. These are the players who made us take notice while we were roaming from court to court. Kalyssa Taggart, S, A5 Mizuno 14 Helen – Taggart hits her spots well. She has an easy, seamless delivery and can go behind her well too. Sophia Stallworth, MB, WPVC 14 Armour Black – Stallworth is a smooth attacker with an easy swing. Defenders need to be on their toes because Stallworth can connect and hit with pact. Elle Mottola, S, WPVC 14 Armour Black – Mottola has a nice touch and delivers consistently hittable balls. Amelia Mancino, OH, WPVC 14 Armour Black – A bit undersized, Mancino isn’t afraid to challenge blockers. She was showing ability to tool blocks with aggressive swings. Alivia Morgan, RS, Rev 14-1 Fuego – Morgan was a viable threat on the right side. She’s lanky with a nice swing who is capable of catching a few and ripping them for winners. Ella Jenkins, OH, Rev 14-1 Fuego – We recently saw Jenkins at the JVA SummerFest and she was back doing her thing. She’s the go-to outside who gets off the ground well and pressures defenses to try and slow her down. Ashlyn Cobb, OH, Tribe 14 Elite – The outsides for Tribe are tough to slow down. Cobb takes big swings and isn’t afraid to get after it, whether front or back row. Vitoria Belfort, OH, Tribe 14 Elite – Belfort is quick off the ground, which makes her harder to time blocking. She also showed a nice knack for making some defensive plays in the back row. Reagan Turk, L, Team Indiana 14.1 – Turk was nails. She wasn’t getting a lot of action in serve receive but when the ball did find her she was on target to the setter. Lydia Stahley, OH, Team Indiana 14.1 – Team Indiana moves Stahley around to throw different looks at the defense. Stahley is a force with her fluid swing and ability to carry the offense. Sydni Lafasciano, OH, Dynasty 14 Black – Lafasciano is a dangerous weapon for Dynasty. She explodes off the ground and has a quick swing. She was putting down impressive kills on the regular. Elizabeth Scanlon, OH, Dynasty 14 Black – One match Scanlon was playing across the front. The next she was in for six rows. She has a big arm and can really connect when the set allows for it. Madeline Kraft, L, Northern Lights 14-1 – Kraft was a steadying presence defensively. She’s also a reliable passer out of serve receive. Teaming with DS Sidney Burley, they made up a two-person serve receive formation at times. Rayna Christianson, S/RS, Northern Lights 14-1 – What a talent Christianson is! At 6-2, she’s long and is good enough setting and hitting it’s hard to say which she is better at. She has great hands running the offense and is a total mismatch when attacking with her height. Caroline Banks, S, Northern Lights 14-1 – The backrow setter in a 6-2, Banks moves well and hits her spots on the regular. Kenlee Barnard, S, Metro VBC 14 Rasche – This is likely a name you’ll be hearing more of in the future. Barnard oozes potential. She’s tall at 6-1 with good hands. The future is bright for her. Siri Fullop, L, Metro VBC 14 Rasche – Fullop is scrappy and confident, darting in and picking off balls. Her passing was on point as she rarely missed keeping Metro in system. Geiliany Del Valle, S, Top Select 14 Elite – Del Valle was smooth and effective. She displayed nice hands and was able to get her various hitters involved when in system. Isabella Umpierre, RS, Top Select 14 Elite – A springy lefty, Umpierre is quick on the attack. She has a fluid swing and can find the hole in the block to exploit it. Allie Davison, S, Mich Elite 14 Mizuno – Davison sets a nice ball. She didn’t miss her spots very much and was putting her hitters in good positions to score. Graceyn Shepard, L, Triangle 14 Black – Shepard was passing well out of serve receive when the ball did come her way. She was routinely picking up cross court shots at left back and was covering touches well to keep the play alive. Maya McConnell, OH, Munciana 14 Chipmunks – McConnell went on the best serving running we saw all day. She has a strong jump serve with lots of topspin. She was also able to make a few nice digs in the back row to help her own cause and stay serving. Andrea Rodriguez, S/RS, OT 14 Cristobal – Rodriguez plays an important role by setting and attacking. She has a good touch and was dishing to her spots with consistent accuracy. Isabel Taylor, OH, Club V 14 Ren Silver – Taylor was not holding back. She was attacking with aggression and was a threat to hit from different spots on the court, including out of the middle. Grace Jones, L, Tri-State Elite 14 Blue – Jones was displaying a tough serve, one with lots of movement and deep near the end line. Sienna Fry, OH, Summit 14 Elite – When Fry is front row she gets set as often as possible. For good reason, she’s long with a good swing and can go right over the top of smaller blockers. Sarah Ojeda, OH, Wildfire Albert 14 – Ojeda is a bit undersized but she stood out for her tremendous defense and passing ability. She has a sound

Before vballrecruiter.com dives heads first into the end-of-the-year national championships the rest of June and into July, we pause for a moment to introduce our inaugural college recruiting class rankings for the Class of 2022. If you are new to vballrecruiter.com we use a player rankings system similar to those used in football and basketball where we rank players as 3, 4 or 5-star recruits. These rankings heavily influenced our Top 25 below. In formulating the Top 25 we took into consideration only domestic players from the Class of 2022. Some programs are bringing in international players as well as adding transfers to their rosters. However, those players were not considered. 1. USC Incoming Class: Jordan Middleton, OH, AZ Storm (5-star) Adonia Faumuina, OH/S, Mizuno Long Beach (5-star) Gala Trubint, L/DS, Coast (5-star) Rylie McGinest, MB, Mizuno Long Beach (4-star) Megan Verbiest, L/DS, Sunshine (4-star) Danielle Thomas-Nathan, OH, Sunshine 3 (star) Madison Pietsch, RS, Rage Westside (3-star) Notes: The Trojans take top honors based on the depth of its incoming class. Texas, Nebraska and Florida were the only other programs to land three, 5-star recruits. That in itself is a haul. Then add the rest of the bunch to what the Trojans are getting and it makes it an unbelievable class. “Jordan has grown immensely from the time we began recruiting her and has shown the ability to dominate a match from anywhere on the court,” USC coach Brad Keller said. “She brings athleticism, intensity, and a winning mentality that is infectious. Jordan also exemplifies the values we put on family. We anticipate and expect Jordan will have an immediate impact for us.” “There are few volleyball players as fluid and athletic as Adonia,” Keller said. “She can do it all and has shown poise and maturity as a leader. Adonia plays the entire game and affects it in many ways. More importantly, the value that we’ve seen Adonia put into her family and relationships are such coveted traits in young athletes today. We expect her to immediately contribute to our program.” “Gala is an extremely polished player that has clearly been around the game for a long time,” Keller said. “She has great touch with her platform and shows impressive instincts in all areas of the game.” It does remain to be seen the immediate impact this class will have however. USC added four transfers in outside Skylar Fields, middles Lindsey Miller and Kalyah Williams and libero Kelli Barry. Of the incoming class, Middleton seems most likely to see the court first. *** 2. Florida Incoming Class: Alexis Stucky, S, Norco Jrs, (5-star) Carly Hendrickson, OH, Elevation (5-star) Amaya Thomas, MB, OTVA (5-star) Emily Canaan, L/DS Skyline, (4-star) Emerson Hoyle, L/DS Xcel, (3-star) Notes: With three, 5-star recruits, Florida definitely deserved a spot in the Top 5. Propelling the Gators to No. 2 is landing the top-rated setter in the class in 6-foot-2 Stucky. She has a very high volleyball IQ and is ultra-competitive. She’s expected to compete for a starting role in the fall. Help making up the class are two more 5-star recruits in Hendrickson at outside and Thomas in the middle. Hendrickson might be able to crack the lineup but the outside position is going to be tough as Florida added three transfers at that spot in AC Fitzpatrick, Rhett Robinson and Marina Markova. As for Thomas, she’ll be competing with three middles already on the roster in junior Nnedi Okammor and sophomores Gabrielle Essix and Bre Kelly. Also, part of Florida’s class are backrow specialists in Canaan and Hoyle. Canaan could see time as a defensive specialist given junior libero Elli McKissock is back. “When we are able to announce the entire class, we will celebrate the collection of elite talent that makes up the Class of ’22. We cannot wait to have them compete for us in the fall,” Florida coach Mary Wise said of the November signing day. *** 3. Nebraska Incoming Class: Bekka Allick, MB, VCNebraska (5-star) Hayden Kubik, OH, Club Ignit (5-star) Maggie Mendelson, MB, Hive (5-star) Maisie Boesiger, S/DS, Premier Neb (3-star) Notes: Like the other teams in the Top 4, Nebraska is bringing in three, 5-star recruits. Two of them are middles Bekka Allick and Maggie Mendelson, who is planning on playing basketball for Nebraska as well. Along with grad transfer Kaitlyn Hord from Penn State it’ll help shore up a position of need for Nebraska. “Being at the top of her position and one of the top recruits overall in this class, Bekka provides us some much-needed depth at the middle blocker position, and we expect her to make a big impact on our team from the day she steps on campus,” Nebraska coach John Cook said. “When recruiting opened back up after a year and a half, Maggie’s club tournament in Salt Lake City was the first place I went,” Cook said. “Maggie is a special talent, an elite competitor and a multi-sport athlete, which we love here at Nebraska. Coach Williams and I presented a great plan for her to succeed in both sports, and that’s one of the reasons she decided to come here.” Rounding out the 5-star recruits is outside Hayden Kubik, whose older sister, Madi, is a standout already for the Huskers. The younger Kubik could be challenged to see the court in her first year. She’s competing with her older sister, plus returns Ally Batenhorst and Lindsay Krause. “We’ve recruited Hayden for a very long time, due to the fact that she is Madi’s sister as well as one of the best players in this recruiting class,” Cook said. “Being rated one of the top six-rotation outside hitters in this class, we made her our first phone call back on June 15, 2020 to make sure she knew we wanted her to be a Husker.” Back row specialist Maisie Boesiger completes the incoming class. “Small-town Nebraska girls have always been very important to us, and Maisie embodies that,” Cook said. “She

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.

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.

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.

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