VERA AI
SIGN UP

Christine Phillips

USAV 11-13s: Day 1 Show Stoppers And More

June 15, 2023

It’s that time! GJNC time! So for all those who didn’t know USA Volleyball decided to split up the national tournaments this year with 11-13s running this week in Minneapolis and the 14-17s running from June 28-July 6 in Chicago. With that being said let’s dive right into the action from Day 1 of the youngers.  13 Open Day 1 brought the fire with the top-three seeds in the tournament, Madfrog 13 Green, Dynasty 13 Black and TAV 13 Black going 2-1 for the day. A5 13 Karen, Excel 13 Red and HPSTL 13 Royal were the three squads who ended the day 3-0.  I was lucky to catch the Dynasty 13 Black and OT 13 Tampa match. That match was electric. Two very different squads literally leaving it on the court. Dynasty ended up with the win in three (25-23, 23-25, 15-12). 12 National The 12s group in general is loaded with enormous talent. And the top-four seeds all went 3-0 along with a few other squads. Skyline 12 Royal, Coast 12-1 and Boilers 121E Gold also went 3-0 on Day 1.  12s odds & ends One team I have not seen this season is GVA/MIZUNO 12U Dark Blue out of Puerto Rico who is playing in 12 USA. Talk about scrappers! MB Anna Aquino Machado is definitely someone to keep your eye on! And another 12 USA kid I haven’t seen before is Top Select 12 Elite middle blocker Gabrielle Robinson. Holy wow when she connects. I watched for the first time MVA 12 Julio in 12 American. Outside hitter Anabelle Bencosme and setter Amy Smith led the way for a team with a lot of athleticism and fire. 11 National If you have never seen the 11s play at Nationals I would highly suggest heading over and watching them. Wow. Tons of siblings across the board who have watched their older sisters ball out and now it is their time to start shining (which I honestly love to see). And let’s not forget the two 10s teams (Madfrog 10 Green and Dynasty 10 Black) who qualified an age group up!  Show Stoppers Molly Monday S/RS OT 13 T Tabitha: Monday is a dual threat with great hands and attacks well on the right side. She isn’t afraid to throw a few shots out there either. Leilani Lamar OH OT 13 T Tabitha: Lamar can really extend and let it fly. As she adds more strength to her frame and continues to grow in the game, watch out. Sarah Floyd RS TAV 13 Black: Floyd, a lefty, gets up effortlessly and can simply unload on balls.  Bethany Benjamin OH A5 13 Karen: Benjamin brings alot of sass and fire to the court both defensively and offensively.  Riley Stringer S MIZ LB 13 Rockstar: Stringer sets effortlessly. She puts up a clean ball and puts her hitters in good positions. Sophia Sturdy S/RS Dynasty 13 Black: Sturdy does double duty for her squad. She is an offensive weapon on the pins and sets well from the backrow.  Olivia Carter MB OP2 13-1: Carter is a quick middle and that causes trouble for opponents. She gets up and swings well. Lily Vandeweghe MB Mizuno Long Beach 12 Rockstar: Vandeweghe is always a threat in the middle. She’s long and hits well. She also provides a big block to help slow down attacks. Brylie Milo OH KC Power 12 Black: Milo takes a lot of swings. She’s one of the mainstays in the attack and consistently finds ways to score. Anna Coulis MB MKE Sting 12 Gold: This was my first time seeing Coulis. She is a very active middle and someone Sting looks to get the ball to. Danaya Petkova MB Rockwood Thunder 12 Elite: Petkova is long and lanky and has lots of upside as she moves up the rank. She is a defensive weapon at the net.  Anna Aquino Machado MB GVA/MIZUNO 12U Dark Blue: Machado has seriously no fear when she swings. And let me tell you she can bring the heat.  Anabelle Bencosme OH MVA 12 Julio: Bencosme in one word is explosive. She will be fun to watch move through the ranks.  Gabrielle Robinson MB Top Select 12 Elite: Robinson can literally crush the ball when she connects in the middle. Wow.  Ellie Fangman MB 208 U12 Elite: Fangman is an athletic attacker who gets up and swings very well along with being a literal wall on defense.

Read More »

Elite ID Clinic Colorado Invites And Standouts

May 8, 2023

The recent vballrecruiter.com Elite ID Clinic brought the team to Englewood, Colorado and was hosted by Elevation last Friday. Girls from Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Missouri and even Massachusetts lit up the court with fast-paced and energetic play. The two-and-a-half-hour session flew by and when it was all over it was time to announce all the invites to the upcoming Red Hat Games in December in Dallas. There were a high number of invites with a total of 16 receiving them, plus two were recognized as previous invites. Here’s the list of players invited: *previously invited In addition to the invites, there were more players who stood out to us as we continue evaluating players for the Red Hat Games. Here’s a rundown of players who caught our eye the most. Sofia Posada 7th L Elevation: Posada showed no fear and an eagerness to get on the court no matter what. She might have been undersized in the middle but she still managed to score. De’Ja Lewis 7th OH Elevation 14 Peak: Lewis has a lively arm and was letting loose with it over and over. Her athleticism is going to be tough to deal with as she adds more and more power to her game. Elena Paz 8th L Elevation 14 Peak: Paz was a workhorse in the back row. She put out a lot of effort and was making hustle plays. Maliyah Bui 8th OH Elevation 15 Timberlin: Bui was performing in her role as a six-rotation outside. When the chance was there, she was really connecting incredibly well. Piper McFadden 8th S Elevation 14 Peak: McFadden was a smart-dishing setter with nice height. She takes the ball high and connects well with her hitters. Riley Hake 8th OH Elevation 14 Peak: Hake is an outside who not only jumps well, but she is physically strong and is able to hit with power. Riley Riggs 8th OH/MB MAVS KC 14-1: Riggs hit a heavy ball on the pins and in the middle. She is one to watch as she continues to mature in the game. Gia Ireland 8th S/Opp NORCO 15 Black: Ireland is a next-level talent to be sure. Her ability to both set and hit was on display and she was doing both at an above-average level. Jaylyn Lynch FR OH NORCO 15 Black: Lynch, an undersized outside, was aggressive with her attacking and was coming hard with it! Madeline Smith FR OH/Opp NORCO 15 Black: Smith was aggressive attacking throughout the entire clinic. When she connects, she hits a heavy ball. Kate Schroetlin FR L NORCO 15 Black: Schroetlin displayed plenty of poise with a side of no fear. She was a wall on defense, getting almost everything upcoming her way and covering the court incredibly well. Jenna Baller FR L Elevation 15 Peak: Baller played well everywhere in the back row. A defensive gem for sure. Chloe Crider FR OH/L Rocky Elite 15 National: Crider is a six-rotation outside who has great court presence and is a smart attacker. Aubrey Blake FR S 303 Volleyball Academy 15 Alpha: Blake was a scrapper on the court. There was not a single attacked ball that she could not get up. She showed no fear. Margaux Manthe FR S Colorado Juniors 15 Sherri: Manthe was steady and consistent in her delivery and location. Tegan Beuhler FR MB/Pin Colorado Juniors 15 Sherri: Beuhler hits a heavy ball and stood out attacking. Sutton Sales SO OH Arete 16-1: Sales was an attacker who was simply bringing it every time she swung wherever she was on the court. Watch out when she connects! Jessica Eldridge SO L Arete 16-1: Eldridge has great reactions and was very steady defending. Anne Haley SO S Arete 16-1: Haley is a bit undersized but don’t let that fool you. She has great hands and her athleticism shows in every set she dishes. Brianna Hazak SO OH/DS Front Range 16-1: Hazak is another next-level talent who really stood out with her attacking skills. She hammered the very first ball of the day and only kept it up from there, showing her lively arm and ability to put balls away. Piper DeRuiter SO MB/Opp Elevation 16 Peak: DeRuiter was hitting out of both the middle and right side during drills and was swinging equally well. She’s also puts up a good block. Maya Flemister SO MB Elevation 16 Peak: Flemister is a presence in the middle. She has everything it takes to be a next-level middle. Lily Markwell SO L Elevation 16 Peak: Marwell was holding it down on the court with sound defense. Her first touches were consistent and on point. Lauren Jacobson SO OH Rocky Elite 16 National: Jacobson moves and swings well on the court. She is a baller with high energy. Ashlyn Tafoya SO S Rocky Elite 17 National: Tafoya has a great release. She moves and connects with her hitters well on the court. Petra Fritz SO OH/S DCVA 17 Hong: Fritz is powerful on the pins. She is also a powerful setter who moves well. Aly Dolan SO S/Opp Colorado Momentum 15-Elsa: Dolan is a double threat. She has great hands and hits incredibly well on the pins. Marcela Calderon JR L Five Star VBC: Calderon’s vocal leadership was on display. She was both talkative and encouraging. She is also a great out of system setter.

Read More »

USAV 11-13s: Day 1 Show Stoppers And More

June 15, 2023

It’s that time! GJNC time! So for all those who didn’t know USA Volleyball decided to split up the national tournaments this year with 11-13s running this week in Minneapolis and the 14-17s running from June 28-July 6 in Chicago. With that being said let’s dive right into the action from Day 1 of the youngers.  13 Open Day 1 brought the fire with the top-three seeds in the tournament, Madfrog 13 Green, Dynasty 13 Black and TAV 13 Black going 2-1 for the day. A5 13 Karen, Excel 13 Red and HPSTL 13 Royal were the three squads who ended the day 3-0.  I was lucky to catch the Dynasty 13 Black and OT 13 Tampa match. That match was electric. Two very different squads literally leaving it on the court. Dynasty ended up with the win in three (25-23, 23-25, 15-12). 12 National The 12s group in general is loaded with enormous talent. And the top-four seeds all went 3-0 along with a few other squads. Skyline 12 Royal, Coast 12-1 and Boilers 121E Gold also went 3-0 on Day 1.  12s odds & ends One team I have not seen this season is GVA/MIZUNO 12U Dark Blue out of Puerto Rico who is playing in 12 USA. Talk about scrappers! MB Anna Aquino Machado is definitely someone to keep your eye on! And another 12 USA kid I haven’t seen before is Top Select 12 Elite middle blocker Gabrielle Robinson. Holy wow when she connects. I watched for the first time MVA 12 Julio in 12 American. Outside hitter Anabelle Bencosme and setter Amy Smith led the way for a team with a lot of athleticism and fire. 11 National If you have never seen the 11s play at Nationals I would highly suggest heading over and watching them. Wow. Tons of siblings across the board who have watched their older sisters ball out and now it is their time to start shining (which I honestly love to see). And let’s not forget the two 10s teams (Madfrog 10 Green and Dynasty 10 Black) who qualified an age group up!  Show Stoppers Molly Monday S/RS OT 13 T Tabitha: Monday is a dual threat with great hands and attacks well on the right side. She isn’t afraid to throw a few shots out there either. Leilani Lamar OH OT 13 T Tabitha: Lamar can really extend and let it fly. As she adds more strength to her frame and continues to grow in the game, watch out. Sarah Floyd RS TAV 13 Black: Floyd, a lefty, gets up effortlessly and can simply unload on balls.  Bethany Benjamin OH A5 13 Karen: Benjamin brings alot of sass and fire to the court both defensively and offensively.  Riley Stringer S MIZ LB 13 Rockstar: Stringer sets effortlessly. She puts up a clean ball and puts her hitters in good positions. Sophia Sturdy S/RS Dynasty 13 Black: Sturdy does double duty for her squad. She is an offensive weapon on the pins and sets well from the backrow.  Olivia Carter MB OP2 13-1: Carter is a quick middle and that causes trouble for opponents. She gets up and swings well. Lily Vandeweghe MB Mizuno Long Beach 12 Rockstar: Vandeweghe is always a threat in the middle. She’s long and hits well. She also provides a big block to help slow down attacks. Brylie Milo OH KC Power 12 Black: Milo takes a lot of swings. She’s one of the mainstays in the attack and consistently finds ways to score. Anna Coulis MB MKE Sting 12 Gold: This was my first time seeing Coulis. She is a very active middle and someone Sting looks to get the ball to. Danaya Petkova MB Rockwood Thunder 12 Elite: Petkova is long and lanky and has lots of upside as she moves up the rank. She is a defensive weapon at the net.  Anna Aquino Machado MB GVA/MIZUNO 12U Dark Blue: Machado has seriously no fear when she swings. And let me tell you she can bring the heat.  Anabelle Bencosme OH MVA 12 Julio: Bencosme in one word is explosive. She will be fun to watch move through the ranks.  Gabrielle Robinson MB Top Select 12 Elite: Robinson can literally crush the ball when she connects in the middle. Wow.  Ellie Fangman MB 208 U12 Elite: Fangman is an athletic attacker who gets up and swings very well along with being a literal wall on defense.

Read More »

Elite ID Clinic Colorado Invites And Standouts

May 8, 2023

The recent vballrecruiter.com Elite ID Clinic brought the team to Englewood, Colorado and was hosted by Elevation last Friday. Girls from Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Missouri and even Massachusetts lit up the court with fast-paced and energetic play. The two-and-a-half-hour session flew by and when it was all over it was time to announce all the invites to the upcoming Red Hat Games in December in Dallas. There were a high number of invites with a total of 16 receiving them, plus two were recognized as previous invites. Here’s the list of players invited: *previously invited In addition to the invites, there were more players who stood out to us as we continue evaluating players for the Red Hat Games. Here’s a rundown of players who caught our eye the most. Sofia Posada 7th L Elevation: Posada showed no fear and an eagerness to get on the court no matter what. She might have been undersized in the middle but she still managed to score. De’Ja Lewis 7th OH Elevation 14 Peak: Lewis has a lively arm and was letting loose with it over and over. Her athleticism is going to be tough to deal with as she adds more and more power to her game. Elena Paz 8th L Elevation 14 Peak: Paz was a workhorse in the back row. She put out a lot of effort and was making hustle plays. Maliyah Bui 8th OH Elevation 15 Timberlin: Bui was performing in her role as a six-rotation outside. When the chance was there, she was really connecting incredibly well. Piper McFadden 8th S Elevation 14 Peak: McFadden was a smart-dishing setter with nice height. She takes the ball high and connects well with her hitters. Riley Hake 8th OH Elevation 14 Peak: Hake is an outside who not only jumps well, but she is physically strong and is able to hit with power. Riley Riggs 8th OH/MB MAVS KC 14-1: Riggs hit a heavy ball on the pins and in the middle. She is one to watch as she continues to mature in the game. Gia Ireland 8th S/Opp NORCO 15 Black: Ireland is a next-level talent to be sure. Her ability to both set and hit was on display and she was doing both at an above-average level. Jaylyn Lynch FR OH NORCO 15 Black: Lynch, an undersized outside, was aggressive with her attacking and was coming hard with it! Madeline Smith FR OH/Opp NORCO 15 Black: Smith was aggressive attacking throughout the entire clinic. When she connects, she hits a heavy ball. Kate Schroetlin FR L NORCO 15 Black: Schroetlin displayed plenty of poise with a side of no fear. She was a wall on defense, getting almost everything upcoming her way and covering the court incredibly well. Jenna Baller FR L Elevation 15 Peak: Baller played well everywhere in the back row. A defensive gem for sure. Chloe Crider FR OH/L Rocky Elite 15 National: Crider is a six-rotation outside who has great court presence and is a smart attacker. Aubrey Blake FR S 303 Volleyball Academy 15 Alpha: Blake was a scrapper on the court. There was not a single attacked ball that she could not get up. She showed no fear. Margaux Manthe FR S Colorado Juniors 15 Sherri: Manthe was steady and consistent in her delivery and location. Tegan Beuhler FR MB/Pin Colorado Juniors 15 Sherri: Beuhler hits a heavy ball and stood out attacking. Sutton Sales SO OH Arete 16-1: Sales was an attacker who was simply bringing it every time she swung wherever she was on the court. Watch out when she connects! Jessica Eldridge SO L Arete 16-1: Eldridge has great reactions and was very steady defending. Anne Haley SO S Arete 16-1: Haley is a bit undersized but don’t let that fool you. She has great hands and her athleticism shows in every set she dishes. Brianna Hazak SO OH/DS Front Range 16-1: Hazak is another next-level talent who really stood out with her attacking skills. She hammered the very first ball of the day and only kept it up from there, showing her lively arm and ability to put balls away. Piper DeRuiter SO MB/Opp Elevation 16 Peak: DeRuiter was hitting out of both the middle and right side during drills and was swinging equally well. She’s also puts up a good block. Maya Flemister SO MB Elevation 16 Peak: Flemister is a presence in the middle. She has everything it takes to be a next-level middle. Lily Markwell SO L Elevation 16 Peak: Marwell was holding it down on the court with sound defense. Her first touches were consistent and on point. Lauren Jacobson SO OH Rocky Elite 16 National: Jacobson moves and swings well on the court. She is a baller with high energy. Ashlyn Tafoya SO S Rocky Elite 17 National: Tafoya has a great release. She moves and connects with her hitters well on the court. Petra Fritz SO OH/S DCVA 17 Hong: Fritz is powerful on the pins. She is also a powerful setter who moves well. Aly Dolan SO S/Opp Colorado Momentum 15-Elsa: Dolan is a double threat. She has great hands and hits incredibly well on the pins. Marcela Calderon JR L Five Star VBC: Calderon’s vocal leadership was on display. She was both talkative and encouraging. She is also a great out of system setter.

Read More »