AAU

The last day of 17 Open pool play gave shape to the 14-team gold bracket scheduled to play out on the final day of competition – Friday – as AAU nationals nears its conclusion. The third day of 17 Open started with all 10 teams appearing in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 national rankings still in the mix. However, not all made it through Thursday’s action as two teams were eliminated in No. 31 Tri-State Elite 17 Blue and No. 43 NorCal 17-1 Black. Tri-State finished in a three-way tie with No. 32 OT 17 Felix and No. 36 GP 17 Rox at 2-1. But Tri-State was on the short end of the tiebreaker as OT Felix and GP had better set percentages. Tri-State had a chance to move on, but needed to sweep GP in the last outing of the pool to make it happen. Instead, Tri-State wound up winning in three and thus took third place. NorCal also fell victim to a three-way tie and having the worst set percentage of the trio. NorCal went 2-1, along with No. 15 Mich Elite 17 Mizuno and unranked SAVC 17 Premier. NorCal upset Mich Elite earlier in the pool, leaving Mich Elite needing to beat SAVC to advance. There was no way for NorCal to advance unless SAVC could beat Mich Elite, which just needed to beat SAVC to have a better set percentage than NorCal. There was also lots of drama in Pool B. While No. 14 Adidas KiVA 17 Red finished 3-0, A5 Chattanooga 17-1 Nancy, Pitt Elite 17 Elite and Top Select 17 Elite all went 1-2. It was Pitt Elite taking second based on set percentage. Even though Pitt Elite ended up losing to Top Select in three sets, that Pitt Elite was able to take one set off Top Select it positioned Pitt Elite well. A5 Chattanooga needed to upset KiVA to move on or if not watch Pitt Elite move on. OT 17 Aaron, Northern Lights 17-1, Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal and SPVB 17 Elite joined KiVA in going 3-0 and winning their respective pools. *** DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS With teams fighting for a spot in the gold bracket, it brought out big-time individual efforts. Below, we highlight the players who grabbed our attention the most on Thursday. Kahealani Moriwaki L/DS Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB: A Hawaii commit, Moriwaki helped Ku’Ikahi reached the gold bracket in 17 Open. She was everywhere in the back court, making saves and keeping her side in the point. Natalie Carr OH Pitt Elite 17 Elite: Carr – a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2026 – powered the offense along. She’s the focal point of the attack. She’s a threat front and back row and does well finding holes in the defense. Ella Nicotra OH Pitt Elite 17 Elite: Nictora came up with timely kills. She was taking aggressive swings and hitting shots off the block well. Lily Long OH MOD Elite 17 Blue: A 6-0 pin, Long is a heady attacker who finds ways to score consistently. She also showed well in serve receive, passing on point and getting the point started with a strong first touch. Addison Pollock L/DS Wildfire 17 Open: A 3-star Penn commit, Pollock was among the defenders bringing it in the back row. She moves well, covers a lot of ground and did a well picking up hard-driven shots in her area. Mariyana Cardwell RS Wildfire 17 Open: Cardwell is a springy right side. She gets off the ground in a hurry and can rip it at times. Alexa Haley L/DS PVA 17-B: A FGCU commit, Haley is an energetic defender with lots of hustle. She goes all out and never gives up on a play. She was also passing steadying out of serve receive. Samantha Soderlund OH PVA 17-B: Soderlund, a Georgetown commit, was a key piece in the PVA attack. She has a solid arm and can swing it front and back row. Ashlyn Paymal RS NE Elite 17 Mamba: A 4-star Creighton commit, Paymal is a handful. She has a big arm and hits with power. She’s one of the go-to hitters when she’s in across the front. Charlotte Kelly MB NorCal 17-1 Black: Kelly – a 4-star Cal Poly commit – is a real factor in the middle. She’s a solid blocker who gets her hands on a lot of swings. She can also finish points when called upon as she’s an effective attacker. *** Lucy Chertock OH NorCal 17-1 Black: A New Hampshire commit, Chertock is a glue piece as a six-rotation outside. She hits well and has a variety of shots she can toss at the defense. Francesca Popescu L/DS A5 17-1 Calvin: Popescu – a 4-star Cal commit – is a high IQ libero who commands the defensive side of the game. She’s a spot on passer. She also reads and reacts well and is often in position to make the play. Camryn Jeffery OH L/DS A5 17-1 Calvin: A 4-star LSU commit, Jeffery has a powerful arm and hits a heavy ball. A5 sets her front and back row and runs plenty of plays in order to get her swings. Paige Tode RS Illini Elite 17 Cardinal: A 6-3 Southeast Missouri State commit, Tode is a presence on the right side. She puts up a big block. She also gives Illini Elite an option to help open up the offense and keep defenses honest. Bella Bullington OH SPVB 17 Elite: Bullington – a 4-star Northwestern commit – has a lively arm and can rip it. She’s a scoring machine and can take over matches at times. Sakura Codling L/DS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: A 4-star UCLA commit, Codling brings a defensive edge. She’s a vocal leader. She can make impressive digs and she is a lights-out passer. Ava Jo Berry S NCWVBC 17-1 Gold: Berry is a next-level setter who excels at jump setting and running a fast-paced offense. Her agility and dynamism on

So far, so good for the 17 Open teams appearing in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 national rankings as the fourth wave of AAU nationals continued on Wednesday at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. There are 10 Top-50 clubs competing and all day have made it through to Day 3. However, it was not all smooth sailing for all off them. OT 17 Felix – ranked No. 32 and one of the clubs which is also set to participate in 17 Open at USAV nationals – was upset by unranked Sunshine 17 Pacific and finished second in their pool. A5 17-1 Calvin, ranked No. 22 nationally, also lost. A5 was taken down by unranked Lex United 17 Elite. Lex United, A5 and OT 17 John all finished at 2-1. Lex United and A5 tied on set percentage, so Lex United earned first based on the head-to-head result. The rest of the No. 1 team in their respective four-team pools all went 3-0. There were two, three-team pools. In one, Kairos 17 Alpha was the No. 1 team but went 1-1 and then lost its crossover match to EliteVBTC 17 Black and was eliminated. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Below, we present our Day 2 Show Stoppers. These are the players who stood out the most to us during Wednesday’s action. Mattea Casale L/DS No Name 17 Sarah: A 3-star Purdue commit, Casale is a sound defender with a steadying presence. She has a strong platform and passes well out of serve receive. Lydia Chinchar RS No Name 17 Sarah: Chinchar – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2027 – is a take-over pin who can beat defenses in a multitude of ways. She sees the court very well and can unload or hit well-timed off-speed shots. Jaemysen Martin L/DS Rage Westside 17-1: Martin is scrappy and goes all out in pursuit of the ball. She was making hustle plays and working hard to keep balls alive. Natalia Clifford OH Rage Westside 17-1: Clifford is a glue piece offensively. She carriers her fair share of the attack. When the opportunity is there, she can let it fly and send it down to the floor. Ava Glonek MB Supernova 17 National: Glonek took care of her role in the middle. She made plays on both sides of the ball. Alanah Clemente RS Supernova 17 National: Clemente, a 6-3 lefty, is a tough cover. She can swing all across the front row. She extends well and can go right over the block. Meg Goodwin S Tulsa Power 17-1: Goodwin showed nice consistency in both her release and location. She also did well moving the ball around and connecting with her various hitters. Arriana Brown OH Tulsa Power 17-1: Brown – a 6-0 outside – has a lively arm. She can light it up in a hurry and record massive kills at times. Maddy Range OH Kokoro Volleyball 17-1: A SMSU commit, Range helped carry the offense on the outside. She’s a smart attacker who did well tooling blocks or hitting around them. Addison Pollock L/DS Wildfire 17 Open: A 3-star Penn commit, Pollock was flying around the back court and making plays. She brough a lot of energy and vocal leadership as Wildfire advanced from its pool. *** Mikayla Porter S Wildfire 17 Open: Porter also played a key role in Wildfire’s success. She has nice hands and was putting up a good ball for her hitters. Hannah Brady L/DS Sunshine 17 Pacific: Brady – a Michigan commit – helped Sunshine go 3-0 on the day. She’s calm and steady and doesn’t rattle. She was sharp out of serve receive and made a few big-time digs. Ella Craggs S Mich Elite 17 Mizuno: A 3-star Illinois State recruit, Craggs runs a smooth and balanced offense. She gets all her hitters involved and keeps defenses on their toes as to where she’s going. Luci Heid OH Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: Heid, a 3-star Northern Kentucky commit, was bringing it on the attack on the regular. She was a tough cover. She was swinging well, blasting shots from sideline to sideline. Sakura Codling L/DS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: A 4-star UCLA commit, Codling is a high-level defender who checks all the boxes. She reads and reacts well and is typically in position to make the plays in front of her. Bryn Dircksen S Blackswamp 17-1: Part of the Class of 2027, Dircksen showed lots of consistency with her delivery. She put her hitters in good spots. Lyndi Wolf MB Blackswamp 17-1: An Akron commit, Wolf was a factor at the net on both sides. She was getting touches and helping slow down the opposing attack. She was also finding ways to score when her number was called. Aubree Valcourt MB Munciana 17 Pandas: Valcourt is fast in the middle with a quick arm. She gets off the floor in a hurry and it made her difficult to time and stop. Natalie Carr OH Pitt Elite 17 Elite: A 4-star outside from the Class of 2026, Carr is a featured part of the offense. She has a legit arm and can really connect at times. Cassidy Trahan L/DS Pitt Elite 17 Elite: An Eastern Kentucky commit, Trahan was among the defenders who caught our attention. She was getting to balls and doing well keeping them in play to extend rallies. *** Lauren Hurst OH A5 Chattanooga 17-1 Nancy: Hurst – a 4-star outside – is an athletic pin who jumps and swings really well. She’s a focal point of the offense and can crush shots at times. Abigail Crowley S Husky Volleyball 17 Smack: As a setter, Crowley excels in delivering precise sets while showcasing her adaptability mid-play. Her swift decision-making allows her to modify her sets based on the defense’s positioning, effectively capitalizing on weaknesses against DME Elite 17-1. Olivia Westfort MB Husky Volleyball 17 Smack: In the match against DME Elite 17-1, Westfort showcased her exceptional blocking skills in the first set.

The four days of action in the 16 Open division at AAU nationals ended with Mintonette Sports m.61 earning the gold medal after defeating Skyline 16 Royal in the championship match. You can read all about how the final day played out here. We also released our Day 4 Show Stoppers from the last day of competition. Now, it’s time to present our 16 Open All Red Hat Team. It’s Vballrecruiter’s version of an all-tournament team. We determined our list from the teams which made the 16 Open gold bracket. 16 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Layla Hoying Mintonette Sports m.61 Sara Snowbarger Mintonette Sports m.61 Lyla Stewart Mintonette Sports m.61 Taylor Clarke Skyline 16 Royal Simone Heard Skyline 16 Royal Brooke Lacewell Skyline 16 Royal Jenness Orcutt GP 16 Rox Jordin Southall GP 16 Rox Catherine Palmi GP 16 Rox Hayden Reeder MN Select 16-1 Gabby Divita Legacy 16-1 Adidas Sophia Stallworth OT 16 Roberto Izzy Masten Rev 16-1 Fury Merritt Sliwa Rev 16-1 Fury Sofia Guerrero-Wilson A5 16-1 Gabe Madison Miles Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Caroline Ward Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Ava Castro Jupiter Elite 16E Madelynn Henry Kairos 16 Alpha Brooklynee Brass SPVB 16 Elite Abbey Knight SPVB 16 Elite Haley Burgdorf SPVB 16 Elite Gianna Bogan SynergyForce 16 James Simone Huarte SynergyForce 16 James Marykate Scheumann Team Pineapple 16 Black *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Alia Schoonover Mintonette Sports m.61 Keoni Williams Skyline 16 Royal London Adkins GP 16 Rox Elena Hoecke MN Select 16-1 Kayla Nwabueze Legacy 16-1 Adidas Ella Andrews Legacy 16-1 Adidas Karen Dutro Rev 16-1 Fury Alivia Morgan Rev 16- Fury Riley Bethea A5 16-1 Gabe Ava Wilkerson Academy 16 Diamond Reese Resmer Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Lyla Buser Jupiter Elite 16E Cassidy Cage SPVB 16 Elite *** SETTERS Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m.61 Madison Victoriano Skyline 16 Royal Ellery DeBoer MN Select 16-1 Eva Long Legacy 16-1 Adidas Rayna Christianson Northern Lights 16-1 Genevieve Harris S Academy 16 Diamond Lexi Shondell Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Jillian McCarty Jupiter Elite 16E Ellie Stiernagle SPVB 16 Elite Sophia Gisslen Team Pineapple 16 Black *** LIBEROS Emma Cugino Mintonette Sports m.61 Kiley Brooks Skyline 16 Royal Meredith Martin Legacy 16-1 Adidas Madi Kraft Northern Lights 16-1 Avery Stephens OT 16 Roberto Ruby McDermott A5 16-1 Gabe Ellie Hepler Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Macy McAmis Jupiter Elite 16E Cala Haffner Team Pineapple 16 Black

It was an incredible – and familiar – ending in the 16 Open division at AAU nationals as the third wave wrapped up Monday at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. You can read about Mintonette Sports m.61 downing Skyline 16 Royal in the championship match here. Below, we highlight the standout performers from Day 4 with our Show Stoppers. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.61: A recent Texas commit and 5-star recruit, Cugino showed why she’s one of the best in her class to do it. She does not get rattled no matter the situation. She’s sharp and steady and a lights-out passer. Alia Schoonover MB Mintonette Sports m.61: A 3-star recruit, Schoonover brought a true offensive dynamic to the middle. She runs an effective slide attack and can put it away cross court, in the seams or down the line with equally effectiveness as she lit up defenses all day long. Kaela Jenkins MB Mintonette Sports m.61: Jenkins was the unsung hero for Mintonette on the final day of competition. She brought a blocking edge and delivered big-time stuffs at key moments, including on championship point to help Mintonette clinch the 16 Open gold medal. Madison Victoriano S Skyline 16 Royal: A 3-star setter and recent Vanderbilt commit, Victoriano is a smooth disher. She has great hands, locates well and can deliver all the sets to get her hitters involved. Lexi Anderson OH Skyline 16 Royal: Anderson – a 3-star recruit – gave Skyline a boost with the role she played. At times she helped steady out the passing in serve receive. Other times she came through on the attack to help move the offense along. Keoni Williams MB Skyline 16 Royal: A 5-star middle, the 6-4 Williams forces defenses to be aware of her. Teams have to avoid hitting into her on the attack and then must be ready for Williams to come at them when Skyline is in system. Jordin Southall OH GP 16 Rox: Southall – a 3-star recruit – was injured earlier this season and the Sunshine Classic and GP struggled in her absence. With her back, the team reached the semifinals. She’s a quick attacker with a fast arm to match. She also held it down defensively and made many saves. Catherine Palmi OH GP 16 Rox: Palmi – another 3-star recruit – is a glue piece. She’s a heady attacker with a heavy arm. But she doesn’t always need to hit hard to be effective as she frustrated defenses with well-placed off-speed shots. She also has a booming serve and can go on runs as a result. Elena Hoecke MB MN Select 16-1: Hoecke – a 5-star middle and recent Minnesota commit – Hoecke is a force at the net. She puts up a massive block. She also has a huge arm and can pound kills down with authority. Ellery DeBoer S MN Select 16-1: DeBoer – a 3-star setter from the Class of 2027 – does a great job running the offense. She’s quick on her feet, gets to the ball well and knows how to incorporate all her hitters. *** Gabby Divita OH Legacy 16-1 Adidas: A 5-star outside and recent Nebraska commit, Divita was bringing it. She almost singled-handily overwhelmed SynergyForce in the Round of 16. She has a lightning quick arm and can rip shots from sideline to sideline. Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1: Christianson – a 5-star setter/right side and recent Creighton commit – is a special talent. At 6-3, she has the size and length to excel at the next level. She’s a high-level setter with her ability to move the ball around with ease. She’s also a handful offensively, as she can hit anywhere across the front row with plenty of pace. Madi Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1: Kraft, a 4-star defender, makes big-time saves at times on hard-driven shots. She extended lots of rallies and kept her side in the play. Kendall Worwa MB Northern Lights 16-1: Worwa did well in her role in the middle. She as able to score with called upon. She also did well getting touches at the net. Sophia Stallworth OH OT 16 Roberto: A 4-star recruit, Stallworth has a potent arm and was providing plenty of offense for her side. She can get up and hit through, around or over blockers. Merritt Sliwa OH Rev 16-1 Fury: A 3-star outside, Sliwa was part of a feisty Rev group that was playing without a couple regular starters. She can really connect at times and provided a punch to the attack. Izzy Masten OH Rev 16-1 Fury: Masten – a 3-star recruit and recent Pitt commit – is normally in the lineup as a libero. However, she’s been forced to play on the outside in Orlando and showed that though she is undersized at the position still finds ways to score and help her team. Ava Wilkerson MB Academy 16 Diamond: A 4-star, 6-4 middle, Wilkerson is a presence at the net with her size. She’s a strong blocker. She’s also a strong attacker who can go right over the block. Genevieve Harris S Academy 16 Diamond: Harris – a 5-star setter and recent Texas commit – is top notch. She can move the ball around effortlessly. She’s really strong at out-of-system balls and still putting her hitters in a spot to do something. Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 16 Gold: A 4-star recruit, Shondell was among the standout setters. She’s quick with a high IQ. She does really well getting all her hitters involved and running a balanced attack. *** Jillian McCarty S Jupiter Elite 16E: A 6-1 setter/right side, McCarty is a recent Michigan State commit. She’s a consistent, steady disher who locates well. Macy McAmis L/DS Jupiter Elite 16E: A 3-star defender, McAmis is the definition of scrappy. She brings a ton of energy to the lineup too. She flies around the court making all sorts of plays to help

For the third national championship in a row in their relative age group, Mintonette Sports m.61 and Skyline 16 Royal shared the same court vying for the same coveted prize. We’ll have to wait a couple of weeks to see if a repeat storyline plays out once more. But we are halfway there after Mintonette clipped Skyline, 25-22, 26-24, in the AAU 16 Open championship Monday at the Orange County Convention Center. Going back to Mintonette capturing the USAV 14 Open gold medal in 2022, it was the club’s fourth consecutive national championship appearance for its relative age group. It was last summer when Mintonette outlasted Skyline in three sets in the AAU 15 Open final. The two sides then met in the 15 Open final at USAV nationals, with Skyline sweeping Mintonette. What are the odds of it happening again in back-to-back years? Given what both had to endure during the gold bracket on Day 4, extremely improbable is a good starting point. Three times Mintonette was a point away from being beaten by MN Select 16-1 in the semis. Mintonette overcame third-set deficits of 14-13, 15-14 and 16-15 before prevailing, 20-25, 25-17, 18-16. It was the second time Mintonette survived in three sets, the first coming with Mintonette downing Academy 16 Diamond, 19-25, 25-17, 15-10, in the Round of 16. Skyline, meanwhile, had its hands full with Boiler Jrs 16 Gold in the Round of 16. Boiler Jrs took the first set and was ahead 15-10 and 18-14 in Game 2 before Skyline awoke and began to find its stride. Skyline eventually completed the rally, winning in three, 19-25, 25-20, 15-10. Skyline swept its next two matches over Northern Lights 16-1 in the quarterfinals and GP 16 Rox in the semis. GP came through with the day’s biggest upset, surprising previously undefeated Legacy 16-1 Adidas in three sets, 19-25, 25-17, 15-9, in the quarterfinals. In the final, Skyline was on the opposite end of a comeback. Skyline was in control of the opening set, leading 15-9 before Mintonette turned it around. In Game 2, Skyline built a 23-21 margin and was up 24-23 before Kaela Jenkins’ stuff block eventually sealed the title for Mintonette, which finished a perfect 12-0. The 16 Open standings looked vastly different from what we saw last wave in 15 Open. There, champion Legacy 15-1 Adidas lost three times en route to the gold medal. Silver medalist Top Select 15 Elite lost twice. Just two teams lost once – Munciana 15 Blue and Pitt Elite 15 Elite. The 16 Open standings featured Mintonette going undefeated. Skyline, GP, Legacy and A5 16-1 Gabe all lost just once. A5 fell in the Round of 16 to Rev 16-1 Fury. Mintonette, Skyline, GP, MN Select, Legacy, A5, Academy Diamond, Boiler Jrs and Jupiter Elite 16E, which also reached the gold bracket on Day 4, are among the 36 teams in 16 Open at USAV nationals next month in Las Vegas. Two more teams from AAUs are also included in WPVC 16 Armour Back and Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal. WPVC ended in 18th here, while Tribe took 25th.

Atlas, the 16-team gold bracket is formed in 16 Open at AAU nationals in Orlando. It took a whirlwind Day 3 to make it happen. Of the 16 clubs remaining in contention for the gold medal, 13 reside in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 national rankings. While it’s played out mostly with the favorites advancing, there’s been a few teams to work their way into the mix. The highest-ranked team to not advance was No. 24 WPVC 16 Armour Black. The Florida club went 1-2, falling to No. 9 A5 16-1 Gabe and No. 39 SPVB 16 Elite. In the same pool was No. 38 Tri-State Elite 16 Blue, which went 0-3 and didn’t break pool either. Right behind WPVC was No. 25 Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal. Tribe was playing without 4-star outside Mia Gold and missed her presence in going 0-3 on Day 3. Instead it was No. 36 Academy 16 Diamond going 2-1 and moving on along with 3-0 and No. 6 Legacy 16-1 Adidas from the pool. The other ranked team not to continue on after Day 3 was No. 46 Sunshine 16 LA. However, Sunshine lost to two higher-ranked teams in No. 8 Skyline 16 Royal and No. 16 Team Pineapple 16 Black. The three teams not in the Top 50 which are still alive are Northern Lights 16-1, SynergyForce 16 James and Jupiter Elite 16 Elite. All three appeared in the On The Cusp section of our Top 50 rankings. Jupiter qualified in 16 Open for USAV and will be in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. Northern Lights and Jupiter Elite ended up tied at 2-1 on Day 3, but it was Northern Lights taking first place in the pool based on the head-to-head result. SynergyForce managed to stay in the hunt after going 2-1 in Pool A. SynergyForce opened with a loss to top-ranked Mintonette Sports m.61 but bounced back to defeat both Kokoro Volleyball 16-1 and FarOut 16 Black. Other big news was No. 4 Boiler Jrs 16 Gold losing its opening match to No. 15 MN Select 16-1. The two sides tied at 2-1, with MN Select taking first as a result. That made the bottom of the gold bracket a lot tougher. Boiler Jrs opens the Round of 16 facing Skyline in a showdown between Top-10 teams. Legacy is also in the bottom half. In the upper half, it’s Mintonette and A5 from the Top 10. Those two could potentially meet in the semifinals. *** DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS We present our Day 3 Show Stoppers as the 16s continued on Sunday. Below, we highlight those players who stood out the most to us. Mallory Johnson L/DS FarOut 16 Black: A 3-star recruit from the Class of 2027, Johnson was lights-out defensively as FarOut fought for a spot in the gold bracket. She passes half the court in serve receive. She also reads very well and is almost never out of position to make the play. Emily Keiran L/DS Adidas KiVA 16 Red: Keiran, a 3-star defender, was part of a feisty KiVA squad that was hard to get a ball down on. She made many great saves on well-struck shots to extend plays and keep her side in the point. Gigi Artiles OH Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal: Artiles, a 6-2 outside and recent Georgia commit, has a big-time arm. The 5-star recruit can unload at times and hammer balls down with authority. Camden Rahn OH OT 16 Will: A 3-star recruit, Rahn is a smart hitter. She does well tooling the block or finding the gap in it and exploiting it. Rylan Miller L/DS OT 16 Will: Miller – a 4-star Georgia commit – was among the next-level defenders showing out. She’s quick and covers a lot of ground. She’s also a consistent, spot-on passer who doesn’t miss her mark often. Elle Mottola S WPVC 16 Armour Black: A 4-star recruit, Mottola is in control of the offense. She does a great job of moving the ball around and getting all her hitters involved. Nattie Slusher OH Tri-State Elite 16 Blue: Slusher – a 3-star outside – had moments where she delivered incredible shots. She hit high and hard to the deep corner or hit with plenty of pace at a tough angle cross court. Ady Bollinger L/DS Ozark Jrs 16 Elite: Bollinger is a scrappy defender who brings a lot of energy and passion to the back court. She covers well at the net on blocked shots and was consistent out of server receive as well. Piper Batie S/RS Ozark Jrs 16 Elite: A 3-star recruit, Batie plays a vital role and never comes off the court. She has great hands and locates very well. She’s also a smart hitter who can beat defenses with various shots and placements. Sofia Guerrero-Wilson RS A5 16-1 Gabe: Guerrero-Wilson, a 4-star recruit, makes a real impact on the right side. Her length makes her both a solid blocker and a viable option offensively as she can extend and hit over blocks with ease. *** Riley Bethea MB A5 16-1 Gabe: A 6-2, 3-star middle, Bethea played a big role in A5 advancing to the gold bracket. She was scoring effectively when called upon. She also put up a wall of a block and made it tough on hitters to find a way past her. Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 16 Gold: Resmer – a 4-star middle and a recent Kansas State commit – was another middle who provided a key boost. The speed at which she gets off the ground and attacks with is tough to time. She also hits with power. Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold: Miles – a 4-star outside and recent Illinois pledge – had moments where she looks dominant. She has the length and extension combined with a legit jump that makes her an explosive hitter who can let it fly. Brooke Lacewell RS/MB Skyline 16 Royal: At 6-1, Lacewell showed her value and versatility.

The action on the first two days is what sets up the pools for Day 3. And it’s Day 3 when you can really start to see the tournament take shape and get an idea of what the path to gold is going to take. To give you an idea of how the first two days of 16 Open at AAU nationals played out let’s look at Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 National Rankings. Of the 79 teams entered in the age group, 19 are represented in the rankings. Only two did not advance to Day 3. They were No. 41 Academy 16 Yeti and No. 47 Tribe 16 Elite Navy. Academy fell to another ranked team – No. 46 Sunshine 16 LA – and finished third behind No. 39 SPVB 16 Elite and Sunshine. As for Tribe, it lost to No. 15 MN Select and unranked Northern Lights 16-1, which was on the cusp of making the Top 50. Northern Lights went on to upset MN Select to take first. Despite the lackluster first two days, the action is going to take a significant upswing on Day 3. Here’s why. Pool E features four nationally-ranked teams – No. 9 A5 16-1 Gabe, No. 39 SPVB, No. 38 Tri-State Elite 16 Blue and No. 24 WPVC 16 Armour Black. Only two can advance, making that a power pool of sorts. Pool B is another intriguing pool. It contains No. 6 Legacy 16-1 Adidas, No. 36 Academy 16 Diamond, No. 25 Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal and unranked Adidas KiVA 16 Red. Pool D opens with No. 4 Boiler Jrs 16 Gold facing No. 15 MN Select. Both teams are among those headed to USAV nationals in a couple of weeks. Also in the pool is No. 31 EC Power KOP 16 Empire and unranked OT 16 Will. Of course, there are opportunities to be had as well. Take Pool A for example. While it features national No. 1 Mintonette Sports m.61, the other three teams in Kokoro Volleyball 16-1, SynergyForce 16 James and FarOut 16 Black are unranked. That gives one of them the chance to make the gold bracket. It’s even better in Pool F, where all four teams are unranked, meaning two get to make the gold bracket. The quartet is made up of Ozark Jrs 16 Elite, Northern Lights, Jupiter Elite 16E and JJVA 16 Teal. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Below, we name our Day 2 Show Stoppers. These are the players we feel stood out to us the most during our time watching them. Cala Haffner L/DS Team Pineapple 16 Black: Haffner, a 4-star recruit, never rattles. She plays under control. She reads and reacts at a high level and is a spot-on passer. Sophia Gisslen S Team Pineapple 16 Black: Gisslen, a 3-star setter, does a good job incorporating all her hitters. She runs a diverse offense and with it keeps defenses on their toes. Briana Pagan OH Vaqueras 16-1: Pagan is slightly undersized on the pin. Yet, she jumps well and has a solid arm. She uses it to tool blocks effectively and find ways to beat bigger blocks. Valeria Nunez RS Vaqueras 16-1: Nunez has huge upside. She’s a 6-2 recruit from the Class of 2027. She can extend and hit a high contact point, hitting sharp angles along with it. Genevieve Harris S Academy 16 Diamond: A 5-star setter and recent Texas commit, Harris is just smooth. She does well getting to off passes and still getting her hitters looks with strong sets. Taylor Bruce RS Academy 16 Diamond: Touching over 10 feet and a recent Georgia commit, Bruce helps open up the offense with her scoring ability from the right side. She has a lively arm and combined with her jump, she can rip shots down in a hurry. Ella Thorson S Kokoro Volleyball 16-1: A 6-0 setter, Thorson was among the quarterbacks who stood out. She has a consistent, clean release and puts the ball in a hittable window. Madelynn Henry OH Kairos 16 Alpha: A 3-star recruit from the Class of 2027, is an explosive attacker. She has serious hops and a really fast arm. Together, she can let it fly at times and rip shots down. Kamryn Jackson RS OK Charge 16 UA: Jackson was doing her thing on the right side. She’s an athletic attacker who jumps well. She has a solid arm too. She was helping shoulder a fair share of the offense. Brooklynne Brass OH SPVB 16 Elite: Brass – a 3-star recruit – is another pin hitter who can get up. She touches well over 10 feet and has a lively arm. She too was lighting it up with a few impressive kills. *** Abbey Knight RS SPVB 16 Elite: A 3-star recruit, Knight is a force on the right side. She has a heavy arm and hits with lots of power. Kennedey Whitford L/DS Iowa Rockets 16R: Whitford is a scrappy defender who flies around the court. She brings a ton of energy to the lineup and passes consistent out of serve receive. Mia Kinney RS K2 16 Adidas: Kinney is part of the Class of 2027. She’s a bit undersized on the right but she does not get cheated on the attack. She takes aggressive swings and hits with lots of power. Gunny Brock OH K2 16 Adidas: A 3-star recruit, Brock is a wirey outside with a lively arm. She shoulders a load on offense and provides a punch to the attack. Madeline Dettling OH Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Dettling, a 3-star outside, is the key piece of the attack. She provides a lot of the offense with her ability to score in a variety of ways. Allie Davison S/RS Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Davison brings flexibility to the lineup with her ability to set and hit. She’s a solid setter who can move the ball side to side. Madison Mayo OH Alabama Perf 16 National: Mayo is an up-and-coming talent and

The third wave of AAUs is under way. It features all of the 16s division. We spent the opening day getting to as much action as we could. Below, we present our Day 1 Show Stoppers featuring the players who made us take notice the most. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Ellie Stiernagle S SPVB 16 Elite: A 6-1, 3-star setter, Stiernagle’s height is a real advantage. Not only is she a factor at the net with her ability to go over on two and block, she has does a really nice job mixing her sets up and spreading the ball around. Abbey Knight RS SPVB 16 Elite: A 3-star recruit, the 6-0 Knight adds power to the lineup. She’s a physical hitter who pounds a heavy ball and can overwhelm defenders at times. Jasmine Daniels S Rev 16-1 Fury: Daniels is a sparkplug of a setter. She does a really good job running the offense and getting her hitters involved. She has nice hands and a consistent release. Taylor Wathen OH MAVA Adidas 16 Select: A 6-3 outside, Wathen is a presence on the pin. She has a big arm and when the opportunity there she can load up and hammer shots down. Norah Campbell L/DS MAVA Adidas 16 Select: Campbell was among the defenders who stood out. She’s steady out of serve receive and passing to target. Kylee Sells L/DS MAVA Adidas 16 Select: Sells helped make up a strong defensive back row for MAVA. She too was passing consistently and did well covering the court and keeping balls in play. Callie Largent S Triad United 16 Teal: Largent stood out with her consistent release and ability to locate. She was also able to move the ball around well. Emma Pastusic OH Triad United 16 Teal: Pastusic helped carry the offense. She has a strong arm and hits with power. She’s also able to mix it up with off-speed shots to keep the defense guessing. Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1: A 5-star setter/right side and recent Creighton commit, Christianson is an impact player and game-changer. She’s a smooth setter with a soft touch. Offensively, she can lineup and swing it from anywhere along the front row. Maddie Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1: A 4-star defender, Kraft was playing well in the back row. She was all over the court making plays and extending rallies. She was also solid out of serve receive and controlling the first touch. *** Brynn Burgk S Wildfire 16 Open: A 6-0 setter, Burgk caught our attention with her ability to locate and put up a clean ball consistently. She has nice hands and puts her hitters in good spots. Morgan Heater S Tri-State Elite 16 Blue: A 3-star, 6-1 setter, Heater was another setter who showed tons of potential. She moves well and gets her feet to the ball. She too has nice hands and does well getting all her hitters involved. Alexandra Abernathy MB SC Elite 16 Elite: Abernathy, at 6-3, is a factor in the middle. She puts up a solid block. She can also put it down offensively. She has a strong arm and gives her side an offensive threat defenses need to worry about. Fallon Humphries OH QCA Royals 16 National: A 6-0 outside from the Class of 2025 and North Florida commit, Humphries is a wirey attacker. She has a lively arm and snaps it with authority. Ryan Murphy S JJVA 16 Teal: A Florida State beach commit from the Class of 2025, Murphy was among the setters who stood out. She has very nice hands with a soft, clean release. Mollie VanDeusen RS JJVA 16 Teal: A 6-1, 3-star recruit from the Class of 2027, VanDeusen showed what she can bring to the floor as a six-rotation right side. She’s a smart hitter who sees the floor and can hit with power too. Emma Keeping S/RS Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Keeping did well in her dual role. The lefty is solid on the attack and finds ways to score. She also did well dishing and putting her hitters in good positions. Allie Davison S Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Davison also showed up well setting. She’s quick and has nice hands as well as locating well. Isabelle Kremer OH Iowa Rockets 16R: A 6-2 outside, Kremer adds physicality to the offense. She has a really strong arm and can thunder shots down at times. Sophia Albaugh OH OT 16 Will: A 6-1 outside from the Class of 2027, Albaugh has tons of potential. She’s lanky and can swing it front and back row. She hits with pace and is going to continue to add to her game. *** Rylan Miller L/DS OT 16 Will: Miller – a 4-star Georgia commit – does everything that’s needed. She sees the court and reads and react well. She’s a spot on passer with the ability to cover a lot of court. Avery MacMeccan L Stars 16 Sanders: MacMeccan showcases impressive talent in positioning herself on the court, especially against float serves from Infinity 16 Green. By adeptly creating space between her platform and body, she makes her digging technique more efficient. Her keen game sense allows her to read plays accurately, ensuring she keeps her actions straightforward and effective. Olivia Smith OH Stars 16 Sanders: Smith is an incredibly versatile player, excelling both at the net and in the back row. Her ability to deliver smart shots, execute critical defensive saves, and orchestrate powerful plays highlights her adaptability and talent. These qualities made her capable of contributing effectively in any position against Infinity 16 Green. Ammecy Ray L/DS SPVB 16 Red; Ray, playing as libero, displayed outstanding determination throughout the game leading her team to victory, consistently passing difficult balls with precision. She also effortlessly took over for the setter when required, delivering top-notch sets and highlighting her versatility and dedication on the court against SC Midlands National R. Juliana Padavic S SPVB 16 Red: Padavic, as a setter, possesses

With the conclusion of the 15 Open division at AAU, it’s time to present our 15 Open All Red Hat Team. First, if you missed any of our daily Show Stoppers, you can catch up on Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4 by clicking the links. You can also read about Legacy 15-1 Adidas capturing the gold medal and how the final day of competition played out here.  Now back to the All Red Hat Team. It’s Vballrecruiter’s version of an all-tournament team. We determined our list from the teams which made the 15 Open gold bracket. 15 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Kate Kalczynski Legacy 15-1 Adidas Calli LeFevre Legacy 15-1 Adidas Kennedy Langmo Top Select 15 Elite Kaleigh Langmo Top Select 15 Elite Jenny Glushakov Top Select 15 Elite Shania Rhamy Munciana 15 Blue Caroline Hanchar Munciana 15 Blue Ellie Osowski Northern Lights 15-1 Elleora Utecht Northern Lights 15-1 Livia Sathre Northern Lights 15-1 Mia Ray A5 15-1 Kelly Marlee Ellison RVA 15 Naples Teagan Moyer RVA 15 Naples Makenna Meibers Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Maisie Jones Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Brooke Codey Adidas KiVA 15 Red Lilah Anthony Adidas KiVA 15 Red Brianna Napoles Miami Hype 15 Nekane Kacie Schulte MN Select 15-1 Ellie Enger WPVC 15 Armour Black Isabel Incinelli WPVC 15 Armour Black *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Carsyn Comer Munciana 15 Blue Cynthia Ockerman Legacy 15-1 Adidas Haley Higgins Top Select 15 Elite Kylee Evans A5 15-1 Kelly Audrey Simpson A5 15-1 Kelly Ruthie Robinson Kairos 15 Alpha Jillian Forrest Tri-State Elite 15 Blue *** SETTERS Marlie Smith Legacy 15-1 Adidas London Evans Munciana 15 Blue Kaelyn Bjorklund Northern Lights 15-1 Ryah Cotton Northern Lights 15-1 Marissa Jones A5 15-1 Kelly Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 15 Alpha Penelope Reisman Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Rilee Enns MN Select 15-1 Sydney Friedly MN Select 15-1 *** LIBEROS Addison Stepp Legacy 15-1 Adidas Jenna Brooks Top Select 15 Elite Lyndsey Robinson Munciana 15 Blue Clara Christ Northern Lights 15-1 McKenzie Wilkie A5 15-1 Kelly Mya VanWesten Kairos 15 Alpha London Taylor RVA 15 Naples Dannah Kerberg Adidas KiVA 15 Red

The final wave of AAU features 17 Open. It’s typically 16 Open that closes out the two weeks. The 17 Open division features five teams – OT Aaron, Mich Elite, Northern Lights, OT Felix and GP – which we’ll also see at USAV nationals in July. Below, we take a brief look at the division, nationally-ranked teams, players to know and our predictions. Number of Teams: 71 Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (10): 7. OT 17 Aaron FL 12. Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal 14. Adidas KiVA 17 Red KY 15. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno MI 21. Northern Lights 17-1 MN 22. A5 17-1 Calvin GA 31. Tri-State Elite 17 Blue OH 32. OT 17 Felix FL 36. GP 17 Rox FL 43. NorCal 17-1 Black CA   5-Star Players to Know: Kelly Kinney OH Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal (Minnesota) Charlotte Glass S Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal (Duke) Amina N’diaye OH OT 17 Felix (Miami) Kristen Simon L/DS Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Wisconsin) Addison Makun MB Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Louisville) Lydia Chinchar RS No Name 17 Sarah (2027)   4-Star Players to Know: Olivia Guzman MB Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal Zoey Matias L/DS Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal (Missouri) Mija Bendziute RS Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal (UCLA) Isabela Haggard S/RS Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Indiana) Manaia Ogbechie MB SAVC Jen 17 Premier (Nebraska) Elena Maynulet OH GP 17 Rox (Columbia) KK Green S/RS GP 17 Rox (Holy Cross) Mesaiya Bettis OH Northern Lights 17-1 (Iowa State) Sakura Codling L/DS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue (UCLA) Charlotte Kelly MB NorCal 17-1 Black (Cal Poly SLO) Isabelle Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (Cincinnati) Camryn Jeffery OH A5 17-1 Calvin Francesca Popescu L/DS A5 17-1 Calvin (Cal) Ashlyn Paymal NE Elite 17 Mamba (Creighton) Izzy Mogridge S OT 17 Aaron (Oregon) Natalie Carr OH Pitt 17 Elite (2026)   Outlook: With 71 teams, 17 Open is a large field. However, it features just 10 teams from Vballrecruiter’s Top 50. OT Aaron is the lone team in the Top 10, with Tribe, KiVA and Mich Elite residing in the Top 20. Northern Lights and A5 are both in the Top 25. It would be a surprise to see any of the 10 ranked teams being knocked from contention before Day 3. Based on the season’s results, it’s really looking like OT Aaron, Tribe, KiVA or Mich Elite should walk away with the gold medal. OT Aaron has put together the most consistent season of the group. Tribe certainly has the firepower to get it done. KiVA too, while Mich Elite has the savvy to win it all. With just 10 ranked teams participating, there is bound to be teams outside our Top 50 which make noise. A couple leading candidates could be No Name and Wildfire, two Florida clubs. Ku’Ikahi, from Hawaii, is another. As are Tulsa Power and Academy Tsunami. As is the case at AAUs, only the fourth-place finisher in pool play on Day 1 is eliminated from contention, so it’s a slow start before picking up steam as we head into Days 3 and 4. For teams still in contention, Day 3 breaks down into seven, four-team pools. Therefore, we are bound to get ranked teams going against one another by then, if they make it that far. Day 4 features a 14-team gold bracket, with the first and second-place finishers from Day 3 pool play advancing that far. Prediction: The pick is OT Aaron winning it all. OT beats Mich Elite in the final. Tribe and Northern Lights tie for third.