AAU

Two teams came through in big ways on the opening day of 14 Open at the AAU national championships in Orlando. One was Top Select 14 Elite. The other was CUVC 14 Open. It’s hard to say which one had the better day, but both took first place in their respective pools in unexpected fashion. Top Select opened as the No. 3 team in Pool F yet went 3-0 on Day 1. It included upsetting Kairos 14 Alpha, ranked No. 44 in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50. Top Select also upended Iowa Select 14 Mizuno and Adversity 14 Adidas to take over the No. 6 seed spot for Day 2. As for CUVC, the club was the No. 4 team in Pool K. But after finishing in a two-way tie at 2-1 with Wildfire 14 Open, the No. 11 overall seed, CUVC earned the tiebreaker based on the head-to-head result and thus finished in first place. It was an eventful day in Pool F. While CUVC was moving up, MN Select 14-1 and Academy 14 Fuego tied at 1-2. MN Select, the No. 2 team in the pool, was on the wrong side of the tiebreaker and finished in fourth. As a result, MN Select was one of 12 teams eliminated from contention Thursday. NE Elite 14 Koa was another No. 2 team to be knocked out along with MN Select. There were eight No. 4 teams which were eliminated as well. Though it’s typically a slow start at AAUs, Day 1 did feature one contest between teams ranked in our Top 50. It was between OT 14 Laura, the No. 1 team in Pool G, and Mintonette Sports m.41, the No. 2 team. OT entered ranked No. 22 nationally and Mintonette No. 34. Both happened to receive at-large entries into 14 Open at USAV nationals next month in Las Vegas. Mintonette prevailed to finish the day 3-0 and take first place in the pool. On the day, the 13 nationally-ranked teams in our Top 50 combined to go 34-5. None were eliminated. The action will slowly start to heat up on Day 2. There are six matches between nationally-ranked teams slated for Friday. One features No. 12 Munciana 14 Chipmunks against OT Laura. *** SHOW STOPPERS Below is our Day 1 Show Stoppers featuring those players who stood out and caught our attention the most. Juliana Lugo S/RS Wildfire 14 Open: A 6-1 setter/right side, Lugo has plenty of upside. She had a consistent release when running the offense. She was also able to score when called upon when hitting. Julia Clarke MB A5 14-1 Helen: Clarke – a 6-2 middle – was a big-time factor at the net. She used her height to impact both sides of the ball with her blocking and attacking. Brynlee Opland L/DS Northern Lights 14-1: Opland brought a lot to the floor defensively. She’s a sound, consistent passer. She also reads well and puts herself in position to make plays. Ella Zieske OH Northern Lights 14-1: Zieske – a 3-star, 5-10 outside – provides a fair share of the offense. She has a solid arm and can really connect at times and deliver loud kills. Brielle Gunderson MB Northern Lights 14-1: Gunderson did well making herself available and being a real threat offensively. When in system, Lights was looking to get her involved as she provided offense out of the middle. Meredith Liles OH Academy 14 Diamond: Liles, at 6-1, was one of the standout outsides. She jumps well, extends and hits at a high contact point and was scoring consistently across the front row. Chloe Burbage S Academy 14 Diamond: A 6-0 setter, Burbage caught our attention with her ability to direct and run the offense. She did well taking off-target passes and still putting the ball in a hittable window. Elyse Brisson OH NE Elite 14 Koa: Brisson added punch to the offense. She showed a strong ability to score and mix her shots up from hitting with power to placing off-speed balls. Elyse Mead OH Empowered 14 Elite Black: Mead is a bit undersized but she’s relentless on the attack. She was taking aggressive swings and not holding back as she put shots away consistently. Lyla Tindall OH Empowered 14 Elite Black: Tindall also was providing a lift offensively. There were moments when she would catch one and drill it down in style. *** Ava Broadie OH Peak 14 Black: Broadie showed up well as a six-rotation outside. She was bringing it on the attack. She has a lively arm and lets it rip. Kyra Bolden RS Peak 14 Black: Bolden is an athletic right side who gets off the ground well. She was a key part of the offense and was coming through time and time again. Saylor Halvorsen MB SAVC 14 Premier: A 6-1 middle, Halvorsen was part of a 1-2 punch in the middle that made life difficult on opponents. She’s active on both sides of the ball and was making her presence felt both blocking and swinging. Malie Ogbechie MB SAVC 14 Premier: Ogbechie is the other half of the middle duo for Sports Academy. She’s strong offensively and swings with authority. Siri Maciej RS MN Select 14-1: A lefty right-side, Maciej is a key part of the offense. She takes a lot of swings all across the front row and was delivering kills on the regular. Ayva Jennings OH MN Select 14-1: Jennings showed off her potential. She was coming through when called upon and was carrying her share of the attack. Neysa Allen MB MN Select 14-1: A 6-0 middle who is close to touching 10 feet, Allen puts up a massive block and is a physical attacker. She moves well laterally and it’s part of why she has huge upside. Jordyn Blair MB K2 14-1 Adidas: Blair is another middle with lots of potential. At 6-3, her presence at the net is big. She was making plays on both sides of the ball and

Congrats to OT 17 Aaron for capturing the AAU 17 Open gold medal after defeating Top Select 17 Elite in the final. The four days of action saw many impressive standout individual efforts as players went all-out in hopes of ending the tournament on top. Below, we present vballrecruiter.com’s 17 Open All-Tournament Team. This is not to be confused with the honors awarded by AAU itself at the conclusion of the championship match. These picks are made from our observations and our observations alone. It would be easy to add more to each position or even include honorable mentions, but that’s something we do at the end of the year with our Club All-Americans. As for the All-Tournament Team selections, they are meant to be limited and difficult to make given all the talented players. To narrow the selections, we honored players from teams which made the gold bracket. We want to keep a team element to the award and making the gold bracket is a strong indicator of team success. The process does leave amazing players off, even some of the best in the field. But if we were to pick solely based on talent, we could pick the team ahead of time as we know in advance who many of the talented players are competing. Congrats to those named to this year’s AAU 17 Open All-Tournament Team as awarded by vballrecruiter.com. OUTSIDES Navea Gauthier Far Out 17 Black Hannah Benjamin A5 17 Jing Alaleh Tolliver Academy 17 Tsunami Fallon Stewart OT 17 Felix MIDDLES Logan Wiley A5 17 Jing Izabela Molina Miami Hype 17 Emilio Reese Ptacek Northern Lights Faith Young Tri-State Elite 17 Blue RIGHT SIDES Madison Loiselle OT 17 Aaron Sarah Schnell Miami Hype 17 Emilio Nayelis Cabello Top Select 17 Elite (S/RS) SETTERS Taylor Parks OT 17 Aaron Abbigail Pickard Far Out 17 Black Maria Drapp Tri-State Elite 17 Blue LIBEROS Maggie Meister Kairos 17 Alpha Luca Bredenberg Northern Lights 17-1 Carley Piercefield Far Out 17 Black

With the 17 Open division ending Sunday at AAUs, it meant the conclusion of the season for some of the athletes participating. For others, we’ll see them real soon in Chicago for the USAV national championships. Below, we highlight standout players with our Show Stoppers.   DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Juleigh Urbina S OT 17 Felix: Urbina – a 4-star Georgetown recruit – helped OT reach the gold bracket, falling to Far Out. Urbina has nice hands and mixes her sets around well to get her hitters involved. Caylan Russ L/DS OT 17 Felix: A 3-star Florida State commit, Russ is a super-quick libero who closes space in a hurry. She’s also a strong passer and defender and plays with lots of fire and passion. A’siya Magazine RS OT 17 Felix: A UNC-Wilmington commit, Magazine is a high-flying right side who can bash the ball down with authority. She gets utilized across the front by getting set in different spots, including out of the middle, to keep defenses guessing. Isabelle Swiercz RS Far Out 17 Black: Swiercz, a Central Michigan recruit, was coming with it on the right side. She’s a lanky attacker with a fluid swing and Far Out likes to get her the ball. She does well tooling blocks and scoring down the line. Kendall Hopewell MB Far Out 17 Black: A Northern Kentucky commit, Hopewell is a feisty middle who does well blocking and scoring in her role. She can get up and put balls down, as well as turn around and provide stuff blocks for points. Madison Evett OH Academy 17 Tsunami: Evett is a lanky outside with a loose arm and ability to let it fly when she connects. She was taking aggressive swings and nailing balls through gaps. Leah Richmond S Academy 17 Tsunami: A 3-star Western Michigan commit, Richmond is a bit undersized but she’s an athletic setter who gets her feet to the ball and sets with consistent accuracy. Alaleh Tolliver OH Academy 17 Tsunami: Tolliver – a 3-star Butler commit – is the big arm that powers the attack. When Academy needs a point it is Tolliver they are looking for. She’s an easy jumper with an easy swing and can crush balls. Hadley Burger RS Northern Lights 17-1: Burger is an undersized lefty right side but she’s fearless. She also has a whip for an arm and can blast balls that you might not expect her to be able to. Luca Bredenberg L/DS Northern Lights 17-1: A Lipscomb commit, Bredenburg was among the standout liberos. She patrols the back row like a predator on the hunt, not letting balls drop and defending with a passion. She’s also someone servers like to keep the ball away from, as she doesn’t get challenged a lot. *** Reese Ptacek MB Northern Lights 17-1: Ptacek – a 3-star Kanas commit – is an impactful middle on both sides of the ball. She times her blocks well and gets a lot of touches on shots. On the other side, she’s a smart hitter who can boom balls down or tip to open spots. Lucy Mott L/DS @legacyvolleyballclub 17-1 Adidas: Mott – a 3-star Boston College commit – is a steady setter who locates well and mixes the ball around. Samantha Bowron OH Top Select 17 Elite: Bowron, a Coastal Carolina commit, plays a valuable offensive role with her scoring. She’s a strong attacker, able to send the ball off blocks or cross court with pace. Kamyla Vega David S Top Select 17 Elite: Vega David is quick on her feet. She sets a clean, consistent ball and does well going behind her. Dionna Mitchell OH Top Select 17 Elite: Mitchell carries a big arm and she can tee off with it. She’s the type of hitter when she connects you can feel it. Kaylee Musick S Mintonette Sports m.71: Musick – a 3-star FIU commit – helped Mintonette reach the gold bracket by was stopped in the opening round by A5. Musick is a taller setter with smooth hands and spot-on location. Linnea Nesheim OH Kairos 17 Alpha: Nesheim is an undersized outside who doesn’t back down no matter the challenge. She’s a free swinger who knows how to score against and frustrated bigger blocks. Izabela Molina MB Miami Hype 17 Emilio: Molina is a force in the middle. She brings strength and physicality to the position. She has a powerful arm and Miami Hype likes getting her the ball as much as possible. Kelsey Niesen L/DS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: Niesen plays with lots of energy and goes all out in efforts of making saves and digs to keep her team in the rally. Maria Drapp S Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: We’ve featured Drapp a couple times already and for good reason. She runs a smooth offense and knows how to get all her hitters involved. *** Taylor Bedinghaus OH OT 17 Aaron: Bedinghaus is a six-rotation mainstay. She plays solid defense and is a smart attacker who places her shots well. Olivia Hart OH OT 17 Aaron: Hart can send down highlight kills with the way she elevates and swings. She gets up and unleashes, leading to monster kills at times. Bella Lee L/DS OT 17 Aaron: Lee – a 3-star Florida commit – brings a defensive edge to the lineup. She’s vocal in the back row and is a sharp passer who covers ground well.

Twelve teams woke up with hopes and aspirations of winding up on the podium as the 17 Open division fought its way to its conclusion Sunday at the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando. vballrecruiter.com was on hand taking notes and we selected our last All Red Hat Team for this wave. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 4 ALL RED HAT TEAM Navea Gauthier OH Far Out 17 Black: Gauthier – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2025 who spent the season playing up on the 18s – is a rock star on the outside. She’s a high-flying, hard-hitting slugger who takes swings from all over the court. She gets set on the left, the right, on combos, back row left, back row right. Defenses can never relax with her on the court. Hannah Benjamin OH A5 17 Jing: Benjamin – a 5-star Kentucky recruit – brings it on the outside. She has a powerful swing and can blast balls as hard as any hitter in the division. She doesn’t come off the court as she’s the go-to hitter and carries a big chunk of the attack. Logan Wiley MB A5 17 Jing: Wiley – a 4-star Georgia Tech commit – was virtually unstoppable on the attack. She’s wirey, high-flying hitter who bounces ball straight down at 12 feet on the regular. She’s quick and gets up fast, which makes her tough to block. Especially when she can get up high enough to go over blocks. Faith Young MB Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: We love Young, a 3-star Western Kentucky commit – and her play in the middle. She’s a workhorse and has a no-nonsense approach when it comes to competing and winning. She’s a fearless, heady attacker who can beat defenses with her power or her off-speed placement. She’s a vital part of the attack and she changes the offensive dynamic across the front row. Madison Loiselle RS OT 17 Aaron: Loiselle was holding down the right side. She’s a physical presence. She puts up a strong block and she crushes balls to the floor with her strength attacking. She plays a key role as she helps open up the attack by being a legit threat defenses must account for. Nayelis Cabello S/RS Top Select 17 Elite: Cabello – a 5-star Louisville commit – is the real deal and a huge reason for Top Select’s success. She’s a two-way star. She excels setting, as she moves and gets to the ball well. She can jump set well too, and she sets a clean, consistent ball that she locates accurately. She’s just as good on the attack. She jumps well, has a strong arm and rips winners corner to corner.   Abbigail Pickard S Far Out 17 Black: Pickard – a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2025 – is fun to watch run the show and do her thing. Far Out runs a more complex offense than most and it’s possible because of Pickard’s ability to dish the ball to different spots. Far Out runs a lot of combos and off-centered back row sets. It definitely keeps the defense on its toes. She’s also has great hands and connects well with all her hitters. Taylor Parks S OT 17 Aaron: Parks – a 4-star Florida commit – is another smooth operator at the setter position. She plays with so much poise, composure and confidence. She’s certainly a steadying presence. She’s also a terrific setter with great hands and silky delivery. She knows how to hold defenses too and not give all her sets away. Maggie Meister L Kairos 17 Alpha: Meister continues to impress and own the back row. Kairos is not a big team and must rely on its defensive play to hang in rallies. Meister is all over the court making plays. She’s a dime passer out of serve receive and doesn’t get flustered under pressure. Carley Piercefield L Far Out 17 Black: A Western Michigan commit, we love Piercefield’s play in the back row. She plays under total control and is seemingly always in the right spot to make the play in front of her. She’s another strong passer out of serve receive and she makes a few highlight saves each match.

What a total contrast 17 Open has been compared to 15 Open last week here at the AAUs Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando. With the 15s, we didn’t see any of the top six seeds lose until the third day. And even then, one of which lost still won its respective pool, while the other was the No. 6 seed which lost to the No. 7 seed in the 1 v 2 match in their pool. However, for the third consecutive day we watched the No. 1 overall seed go down, and for the second day in a row be eliminated altogether. First it was A5 17 Jing falling on Day 1, but A5 still managed to find its way to Sunday’s 12-team gold bracket and remains alive for a medal. Next, it was Summit 17 Blue Elite bowing out on Day 2 with a 1-2 showing. Following the unfortunate trend was Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal, which dropped contests to Northern Lights 17-1 and Kairos 17 Alpha in Pool A in going 1-2 and missing the gold bracket. If there’s one safe pick for the final day, it is that Kairos taking over the No. 1 seed is almost destined to lose, right? It’s been that type of unpredictable ride to this point and while a few teams are no doubt feeling fortunate to have survived Day 3, others who did not were surprising. Both VCNebraska 17 Elite and Boiler Jrs 17 Gold were knocked out of contention. Why was that surprising? They were the fifth and seventh highest-ranked teams competing from out Top 50 National Rankings. VCNebraska checks in at No. 25, while Boiler is just behind at No. 27. The other top-ranked teams pulled through in No. 5 A5, No. 9 OT 17 Aaron, No. 22 Tri-State Elite 17 Blue and No. 23 OT 17 Felix, as well as No. 26 Academy 17 Tsunami. Of the 13 ranked teams to begin, nine made the 12-team gold bracket. Others include No. 39 Top Select 17 Elite, No. 46 Miami Hype 17 Emilio, No. 48 Northern Lights 17-1 and No. 49 Mintonette Sports m.71. The ranked teams joining VCNebraska and Boiler Jrs outside the gold bracket are No. 38 Ku’Ikahi 17 RSB Wahine and No. 40 Adidas KiVA 17 Red. Both Ku’Ikahi and KiVA were eliminated on Day 2. As for Saturday’s third round of pool play, Tri-State Elite caught a bit of a break in finishing in a three-way tie at 2-1 with Legacy 17-1 Adidas and Boiler Jrs. Tri-State lost to Boiler, which had just lost to Legacy, and needed to beat Legacy to advance. Meanwhile, VCNebraska lost to Mintonette and OT Aaron to go 1-2. Top Select and NE Elite 17 Top Gun were both 1-1 heading into their 1 v 2 contest in Pool F, with only the winner advancing. Top Select prevailed, taking first ahead of Far Out 17 Black. *** 17 OPEN DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Natalie De Paula S/RS Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal: With her two-way role, De Paula shoulders lots of responsibility and is a key part of the lineup. She’s a steady, quick setter who does well moving the ball around. As a hitter, she’s a springy lefty who takes a lot of swings in helping drive the attack. Elizabeth Havlicek MB Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal: Havlicek did her part in giving Tribe a middle presence. She puts up a solid block and can turn around and send it down with power. Amelia Wass de Czege MB TVA 17 Smack Megan: TVA did well making it to the third round. Wass de Czege was a force in the middle for her team. She has a huge arm and hits with tons of power. Amelia Haggins OH TVA 17 Smack Megan: Haggins, a Tulane commit, is an athletic outside who gets set a lot when she’s front row. She jumps well and can bring the heat on the outside. Sophia Adkins RS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: Adkins, a Providence commit, holds down the right side with her strength and power. She opens the attack across the front row with her big arm capable of producing pounding kills. Audrey Kocon S/RS Northern Lights 17-1: Kocon was a big reason why Northern Lights remains in contention. She starred in her two-way role. She did a nice job running the attack and going against the flow. When hitting, she can bring the thunder with her heavy left-arm attack. Nora Wurtz MB NE Elite 17 Top Gun: Wurtz, a 4-star Creighton commit, is a 6-4 middle/right side who puts up a huge block. She’s also difficult to slow offensively with her ability to go over blocks and send balls down with authority. Carly Ries OH NE Elite 17 Top Gun: Reis, a 6-3 South Dakota commit, is another lengthy attacker defenses must be concerned about with the NE Elite attack. She can hit at a high contact point and has a fluid swing to match. Emerson Lionberger MB VCNebraska 17 Elite: Lionberger did well in her role in the middle, providing timely offense. She was taking advantage of her opportunities and giving VCNebraska a reliable option in the middle. Paisley Douglas L/DS VCNebraska 17 Elite: Douglas, a USC commit, is a speedy libero who does well covering and picking off shots. She’s a sound passer out of serve receive as well. *** Delaney Lawson OH Munciana 17 Pandas: A Utah State commit, Lawson carries a big offensive load swinging front and back row. She can unload at times and bounce balls straight down. Hattie Welker MB Mintonette Sports m.71: Welker is a lanky middle who helped Mintonette reach the gold bracket with her attacking and blocking. She did well getting her hands on balls and slowing down the attack. Taylor Bahnub OH Mintonette Sports m.71: Bahnub doesn’t back down, coming with aggressive swings and challenging blocks. She hits a hard ball and was taking care of business. Sarah Schnell RS Miami Hype 17 Emilio:

With spots in the gold bracket on the line, the intensity was turned up a full notch more than the previous two days on Saturday, which was the third day of 17 Open competition at the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando. It made for difficult choices for the All Red Hat Team, which we present below. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 3 ALL RED HAT TEAM Julia Lewkowitz OH Miami Hype 17 Emilio: A 3-0 outing has Miami Hype in the gold bracket. Lewkowitz – a 2025 outside – carried her duties well. She’s a bit undersized compared to the biggest hitters in the division but she’s not lacking for power or smarts. She hits a heavy, hard ball. She’s also smart with her placement of off-speed shots as she comes through with key kills in big moments. Linnea Nesheim OH Kairos 17 Alpha: A streaking Kairos also went 3-0 in winning its pool, upsetting top-seeded Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal in the process. Nesheim is the perfect fit for the All Red Hat Team. She’s another undersized outside but she’s fearless and comes at bigger blockers with a vengeance. She has a great, upbeat energy on the court and she exemplifies Kairos’ fighting spirit. Logan Wiley MB A5 17 Jing: Wiley – a 4-star Georgia Tech recruit – was making herself known in the middle. She moves well side to side and does a nice job of getting touches and her share of stuff blocks as well. She’s also a very difficult cover as she can score to any spot of the court. It includes ridiculous sharp-angled shots cross body that leave defenders looking at each other in disbelief. Caitlyn Cornell MB Excel 17 National Red: Unlike our first three players, Cornell and Excel won’t be around for the gold bracket after finishing third in pool play. However, Cornell still caught our attention with the way she was booming balls down and hyping up her teammates with it. She dropped the hammer more than a few times and watch out when she does! Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 17 Gold: Whitlock – a 4-star Ball State commit – is long and lanky and has a whippy swing. It was a tough day overall for Boiler Jrs finishing third, yet Whitlock had her moments where she showed her athleticism and impact she can make. She puts up a solid block and is one of the main offensive threats across the front row with her ability to get up and deliver from different spots on the net. Kate Maley RS Legacy 17-1 Adidas: Legacy survived a three-way tie to make the gold bracket. We loved Maley’s play and contributions on the right side. She has an unassuming demeanor and was giving Legacy key production. We saw her getting set a bunch as defenses cheated to the outside and she made them pay time and time again. She has a nice arm and doesn’t try to do too much, instead taking what’s there. Maria Drapp S Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: Tri-State was part of the three-way tie with Legacy, taking first place and holding onto its No. 2 overall seed. Drapp runs an effective offense, connecting with all her hitters and moving the ball around well in keeping defenses guessing. You can see her competitiveness in the way she gets after in her play and she did something we haven’t seen other setters do. That’s set the middle from behind the 10-foot line in yet another twist to the Tri-State attack. Whitney Scherrer S Munciana 17 Pandas: Munciana wasn’t able to crack the gold bracket but Scherrer was a bright spot with her setting. She’s long and moves well. She has nice hands and was locating on a consistent basis in helping keep Muncie in the fight until the end. Sarah Galligan L/DS NE Elite 17 Top Gun: A 1-2 day spelled the end of NE Elite’s medal hopes. Galligan was still exceptionally strong holding it down on the defensive side. She’s a quick libero who covers well and was defending the cross-court shots with ease. She also brings a lot of energy and hustle to the court.   Caylan Russ L/DS OT 17 Felix: Russ helped OT Felix to a 2-1 mark and a spot in the gold bracket. She’s quick on a different level, as she flies around the court taking away space in a hurry. She was also showing strong in serve receive and defending without any hesitation.

Umm, did y’all catch the 12 and 13s Open divisions at the AAU National Championships Friday? We’re talking high intensity, jaw-dropping athleticism and serious scrappiness all over the courts. It was awesome to see a few of the teams from USAV Girls Junior National Championship 11-13s which competed in Minneapolis doing their thing and squaring off against new competitors.  A couple of my favorite games I watched included Game 1 of the A5 12-LA vs Capitanas 12-1 match. A5 ended winning, 25-22, and ultimately sweeping. But let me just say Capitanas had no fear taking on the recently crowned USAV 12 national champions. Everything they touched in the beginning was perfect. Now kudos to A5 for settling down and coming back swinging. The other one was Game 2 of the 13 T Tabitha vs Tribe 13 Elite Cardinal match. It was an absolute nail-biter! Both teams were battling it out, with the score going back-and-forth. Ultimately, OT came out on top, winning , 27-25, and taking the match in two. Side note, have you watched the Puerto Rican volleyball teams play? These scrappy players leave it all out on the court. Keep your eye on these Puerto Rican squads – they’re a force to be reckoned with.  DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Olivia Hayden S/Opp A5 12-LA: Hayden is a key piece in the lineup with the versatility she brings. She’s a solid setter with nice hands who can block well in the front row. Mikayla Matuszko OH Tribe 12 Elite Cardinal: Matuszko takes a ton of swings. She’s one of the mainstays in the attack and consistently finds ways to score. Gabrielle Robinson MB Top Select 12 Elite: Robinson is a heavy-hitting middle blocker who makes great athletic moves both offensively and defensively.  Roxanne Rigo S Mintonette Sports – m.21: Rigo is a 5-1 setter who has great extension and has a sizable block at the net.  Kiersten Lutz S TI Elite 12-Thundercats: Lutz has a great touch and quarterbacks her team well.  Angelina Quiles MB TOVC 12u- Ruben: Quiles brings the heat in the middle blocking position. She packs a punch when she connects.  Anabella Valentin Miranda S BORINQUEN COQUI 12-1F: Valentin Miranda has hands of gold.  Alanis Lopez Saavedra OH Capitanas 12-1: Lopez is a smaller outside who literally flies and will swing with no fear.  Kaylee Winkler OH OT 12 O Gibby: Winkler is an outside who is relentless when she attacks.  Lucie Amonett MB OT 12 T Kesha: Amonett is a defensive gem at the net. She has the ability to shut down oppositions in every match.  Alexandria White OH GP 12 Rox: White jumps and swings well on the outside.  Isabelle Alexander  L Adidas KIVA 12 Red: Alexander sets the rhythm in serve receive well. She also has no fear defensively.  Decelise Champion Opp VAQUERAS 13-1: Champion is a six-rotation opposite who brings the heat everywhere on the court. She is also a defensive gem at the net.  Paula Jimenez OH VAQUERAS 13-1: Jimenez is an undersized scrapper on the outside who literally skies when she attacks.  Kelsey Bareswilt L Tri-State Elite 13 Blue: Bareswilt is a scrapper on the court, with a fearless attitude on defense.  Carsyn Chitty L Mintonette Sports m.31: Chitty is a strong defender and an on-point passer which sets the tone for the rest of the team.  Lia Ray OH Tribe 13 Elite Cardinal: Ray is a ball magnet. She also is incredibly smart on offense.  Kaelyn Easton S/Opp Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Easton is part of a S/RS tandem. She is a strong setter with a nice release and she can also score well across the front.  Payton Woodruff S/Opp Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Woodruff, the other S/RS on the squad, connects well with her hitters and swings well offensively. Isabel Penrose OH OT 13 T Tabitha: Penrose is the gutsy six-rotation outside who literally swings with no fear everywhere on the court.  Leilani Lamar OH OT 13 T Tabitha: Lamar was the other half of a strong 1-2 attack on her squad. When she connects she can go literally over the block on the regular. Leah Stickney OH A5 13-Karen: Stickney is a six-rotation outside who is a consistent scorer and passes nails in serve receive.  Ava Lazar MB OT 13 O Felix: Lazar was coming up big defensively at the net.

The race to the gold medal continued on as the 17 Open division took the courts for the second day of play at the AAU Girls Junior National Championship in Orlando. We spent our time checking on not only the teams duking it out, but the individual talents showcasing their skills and game. That leads us to our daily All Red Hat Team. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 2 ALL RED HAT TEAM Kaila Kalama-Bajet OH Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB: Unfortunately, Ku’Ikahi’s run ended with an 0-3 outing, yet we really loved what we saw from Kalama-Bajet. She’s an undersized outside but is fearless and plays with lots of passion. She jumps well and is a smart hitter who can vary her shots to keep defenses on their toes. Olivia Heitkamp OH EliteVBTC 17 Black: Heitkamp was lights out the times we caught her. The six-rotation outside is lanky with a lively arm. She was excelling going over the block and drilling balls down the line with authority. Then when the defense was dug in she would drop a well-timed, well-placed roll shot to catch them sleeping. Izabela Molina MB Miami Hype 17 Emilio: It was a great day for Miami Hype, which went 3-0 and took over the No. 3 overall seed. We couldn’t decide which middle we liked more so why not feature both? Molina is a strong, powerful hitter who can blasts balls out of the middle. She also puts up a strong block to help slow down the attack. Jacqueline Taylor MB Miami Hype 17 Emilio: Taylor is the lightning to the Molina’s thunder. She’s quick and can really get up. She has a whippy arm too and it leads to big kills at time and she tees off. Mollie Hobson RS VC United 17 Elite: VC United rose up, going 3-0 as the No. 4 team and taking over the No. 8 seed. Hobson was an absolute delight to watch on the right side. She’s undersized but plays with a ton of heart and determination. She’s a six-rotation right side who is an offensive option both front and back row. She has a lively arm and is a smart attacker. She knows when to swing all-out and when to keep the ball in the court and let the rally keep playing out. Brynne Topolski RS VC Nebraska 17 Elite: Topolski was not the hard-hitting or most physical right side but she was certainly very effective in her role in helping VCNebraska post a 3-0 showing. She was taking advantage of her chances and putting balls away both cross court and down the line equally well. Malayah Long S VCNebraska 17 Elite: Long is among the top setters in the division and she shows great leadership and on-court demeanor. She’s a high-energy setter with great hands and command of the offense. She also has deception in her delivery, keeping defenses honest and allowing hitters to get 1-on-1 looks or even at times hitting with no blockers up. Ashlyn Tafoya S Rocky Elite 17 National: Rocky Elite faced a difficult pool and finished 0-3. Still, Tafoya, part of the Class of 2025, showed her potential and more. She’s a bit undersized but she does a nice job of getting to the ball and has a clean, consistent release. Luca Bredenberg L/DS Northern Lights 17-1: We really loved what we saw from our next two players. Brendenberg is a defensive stalwart who doesn’t blink or back down. She’s a very sharp passer out of serve receive and covers the court well too. Madison Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports .71: Cugino wins the toughest player award from Day 2. She got smacked in her right eye that left a mark and the need for an ice bag. Yet, there she was on the court answering the bell and holding it down on the defensive end. She’s a smooth passer who sees the court well.

The musical chairs that is the seeding for 17 Open kept up on the second day of competition at the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando. The opening day of play saw top-seeded A5 17 Jing taken down and replaced by Summit 17 Blue Elite. Summit’s time at the top was as short-lived as A5’s, as Summit finished Friday’s action 1-2 and in third place. The new No. 1 seed? That honor now belongs to Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal. Tribe put up a 3-0 showing as the No. 3 team in Pool A, starting play by beating Summit and then earning a hard-fought victory over Boiler Jrs 17 Gold in three, 25-20, 13-25, 16-14, to help its way to a first-place finish. Boiler Jrs wound up 2-1 and moved on as well. OT 17 Aaron lost its hold on the No. 3 overall seed as it was upset by Miami Hype 17 Emilio. It’s Miami Hype, after going 3-0, taking over that spot when plays continues on Day 3. NE Elite 17 Top Gun also lost as the No. 1 team in Pool F, but still managed to hold onto its seed because it finished first after ending in a two-way tie with Team Indiana 17.1. The biggest movement, however, happened with VC United 17 Elite. VC United was the No. 4 team in Pool I but came out ahead of the rest at 3-0. Illini Elite 17 Cardinal finished in second at 2-1 as the No. 3 team, as the pool was reversed. There was lots happening in Pool H, which featured three teams expected to go further in the tournament in Far Out 17 Black, Adidas KiVA 17 Red and A5. A5 got back on track, going 3-0 as the No. 3 team and remaining in the hunt. It left a showdown between Far Out and KiVA in the 1 v 2 meeting. Both were 1-1 and only the winner was able to advance. Far Out came through to stay alive as KiVA was eliminated. A couple of other notes includes OT 17 Felix taking down Mintonette Sports m.71 and taking first in Pool J as the No. 2 team. Mintonette is moving on as well still too. Legacy 17-1 Adidas ended 3-0 as the No. 3 team in Pool K. In the same pool, Northern Lights 17-1 went 2-1 as the No. 2 team to take second. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Taylor Parks S OT 17 Aaron: Parks – a 4-star Florida recruit – is a smooth operator. She plays under total control and doesn’t get rattled at all. She can fling the ball around the court with ease and precise accuracy. Taylor Bedinghaus L/DS OT 17 Aaron: Bedinghaus takes care of her role as a six-rotation outside. She’s a smart, heady attacker who knows how to frustrate and score against bigger blockers. Olivia Hart OH OT 17 Aaron: Hart can bring the heat on the pin. She has a lively arm and can let loose at times to smack balls off the floor. Isabelle Swiercz RS Far Out 17 Black: Far Out remains in contention in part with the contributions of Swiercz on the right side. She’s lanky and has a fluid swing and can generate pace to help spread out the attack. Navea Gauthier OH Far Out 17 Black: Gauthier – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2025 – spent the season playing up on the 18s and is now ending the year on the 17s. She has a big-time arm and can blast balls from all over the court, including front and back row and running combo plays. Carly Piercefield L/DS Far Out 17 Black: Piercefield is a feisty defender who isn’t afraid to hit the floor to keep the ball alive. She laid out a few times to make impressive ups. Kamyla Vega S Top Select 17 Elite: Vega sets in the back row and does a nice job setting pin-to-pin. She has nice hands and was locating well. Nayelis Cabello S/RS Top Select 17 Elite: Cabello – a 5-star Louisville commit – hits at sets and a high level. She’s a smooth setter who connects well with her hitters. She also jumps well and has a strong arm to help bolstered the attack. Reis Baune OH Northern Lights 17-1: Baune can really let it fly when she connects. She has a fluid arm and is capable of blasting balls from corner to corner. Reese Ptacek MB Northern Lights 17-1: Ptacek makes her presence known on both sides. She takes up space and is a physical hitter and blocker. *** Samantha Christen L/DS Summit 17 Blue Elite: Christen was putting in work in the back row. She was hustling from sideline to sideline and laying out in hopes of keeping Summit in the rally. Ava Kanj MB Maverick 17 Elite: Kanj is a lanky middle who changes the dynamic of the attack when she’s in. She’s an effective scorer who does well putting balls in open spaces. Alaleh Tolliver OH Academy 17 Tsunami: Tolliver is a high-flying, hard-hitting outside who shoulders a large load of the offense. She can rip it front and back row and unloads highlight kills. Leah Richmond S Academy 17 Tsunami: Richmond is a bit undersized as a setter but she moves very well and does well getting to the ball and setting overhand. She also jump sets well and has consistent location. Julianna Horta S Academy 17 Diamond: Horta is another setter who caught our attention directing the attack. She can move the ball around well to her hitters and is also on point with her delivery most of the time. Tyne Ross OH Academy 17 Diamond: Ross is a bit undersized but makes up for her with her big jump. She gets up well and swings hard as she helps power the offense along. Alec Rothe MB EliteVBTC 17 Black: Rothe – a 5-star Florida recruit – is a force at the net.

It didn’t take long for the first major upset to hit 17 Open, which kicked off with the third wave of the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando. Top-seeded A5 17 Jing, was playing short-handed and was dealt an early blow by Summit 17 Blue Elite, which prevailed and three and went on to finish 3-0 and take over the No. 1 seed for Day 2. Coming off 15 Open where none of the top seeds lost until the quarterfinals, that was a huge shift in play. A5 was hardly alone, however, as many respective No. 1 teams in their pools lost on opening day. Miami Hype 17 Emilio, Far Out 17 Black, Boiler Jrs 17 Gold, Circle City 17 Purple, K2 17 Adidas and Northern Lights 17-1 all dropped contests. However, Far Out, Circle City and Northern Lights still managed to win their pools while the others finished in second place. Academy 17 Diamond went 1-2 as the No. 1 team in Pool M but still advanced as the third-place finisher. With only one team per pool being eliminated, it’s a great day for No. 4 teams to try and take advantage. A4 Volley 17 Tyler did exactly that, going 2-1 and taking second place. MAVA Adidas 17 Select also went 2-1, but took third as part of a three-way tie with Northern Lights and TI Elite 17.1. Kairos 17 Alpha joined Summit as a No. 3 team to win its pool. Kaiors topped K2 in its opening match on its way to going 3-0. MN Select 17-1 and TVA 17 Megan both went 3-0 as No. 2 teams in their respective pools. The action does start to pick up on Day 2, when only two of the four teams from each pool move on. With A5 losing, Pool H is especially perilous territory as it contains A5, Adidas KiVA 17 Red and Far Out. That means one of those clubs is out on Friday. *** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Chloe Smith OH Adidas KiVA 17 Red: Smith is a wirey outside with a fluid swing who lets it fly. She extends well and can hit a high contact point. Emma Closurdo RS Adidas KiVA 17 Red: Closurdo is a bit undersized but she has a heavy arm and can absolutely pound balls. Rella Binney L/DS Ku’Ikahi 17 RSB: Binney was holding down the back row with both her passing and defending. She covers and moves well and did well making a couple highlight saves. Mckayla Theleus OH WIZARD 17: Theleus, an undersized hitter, got up and blasted off on balls every time  we walked by her court. Anae Asuncion S Maunalani 17-808Hui: Asuncion, a 5-1 setter, is smooth with nice hands and puts the ball in a hittable window for her hitters. Addie Waller S Elevation 17 Peak: Waller, a Northern Colorado commit, is a competitor with a strong ability to dish the ball around to her hitters. Rachel Ogunleye MB Illini Elite 17 Cardinal: Ogunleye, a 3-star recruit committed to Vanderbilt, is a leaper with a great vertical and fluid swing in the middle. Mia Radeff OH Encore 17 DTB: Radeff, a Notre Dame commit, is a six-rotation outside who packs a punch and can really bring it. Stevie Henderson RS OVA 17 Black: Henderson had moments where she was ripping the ball and providing key production from the right side. Mia Schaefer L/DS Maverick 17 Elite: Schaefer held her own, playing under control and passing well out of serve receive. Kelsey Niesen L/DS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: Niesen was another standout defender. She’s a scrappy libero who hustles around the court making plays. Madison Loiselle RS OT 17 Aaron: Loiselle was among the hardest hitters we saw on Day 1. She can just flat-out hammer the ball down. OT will line up at different spots across the net to try and utilize her. Abbigail Pickard S Far Out 17 Black: Pickard, part of the Class of 2025 who spent this season playing on the 18s, is part of the 17s for AAUs and did a great job running a 5-1. She has a smooth hands and her location is consistent. Kendall Hopewell MB Far Out 17 Black: Hopewell was making an impact in the middle. She can get out and run the slide very well, booming down balls and being a real offensive threat. Marlee Ervin OH Nebraska Jrs 17 Black – Ervin is someone to keep an eye out for. She was a middle moved to the outside. She was swinging away and showed her smarts by mixing up her shots.