AAU

There were twists and turns that only the final day of competition can bring. Ultimately, it was Legacy 15-1 Adidas navigating the gold bracket and hoisting the championship trophy as 15 Open came to a conclusion on Day 4 at AAU nationals. You can read about how it played out here. Below, we present our Day 4 Show Stoppers featuring the players who stood out the most to us. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Kate Kalcyznski OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Kalcyznski, a 4-star recruit, had moments where she simply took matches over. She has a lively arm, can hit over blocks and put up points in a hurry. Calli LeFevre OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: LeFevre – a 3-star recruit – is a steadying presence with infectious energy. She’s a smart attacker who doesn’t overdo it and knows how to better the ball. Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: A 4-star recruit, Ockerman was a force all day long, but especially in the finals against Top Select, which had no answer for her. Her physicality and ability to run the slide caused havoc all match long. Marlie Smith S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Smith – a 3-star setter – is quick to the ball and does well getting her feet there. She has a nice touch, locates well and showed she can mix up her sets and move the ball around to her various hitters. Addison Stepp L/DS Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Stepp, a 3-star recruit, had a huge day defensively. She was lights out in the back row, making all the plays and picking off hard-driven shots coming her way. Jenna Brooks L/DS Top Select 15-1 Adidas: Another 3-star defender, Brooks showed no fear in the back row. She’s consistent out of serve receive and covers very well. Kaleigh Langmo OH Top Select 15-1 Adidas: Langmo did a great job carrying her share of the offense. She’s a heady attacker who knows when to be aggressive and take big swings versus taking something off her shot and finding holes in the defense. Haley Higgins MB Top Select 15-1 Adidas: Higgins made a big impact across the front row, especially in helping Top Select reach the final. She gave Top Select a scoring threat at the net as well as delivering timely blocks to lift her team to victory. Kaelyn Bjorklund S/RS Northern Lights 15-1: Bjorklund, a 4-star recruit, doesn’t come off the court. While she’s a solid setter who puts up a good ball, she really shined at times attacking. She has a big-time arm and absolutely thundered shots down to the floor. Elleroa Utecht OH Northern Lights 15-1: Utecht, a 3-star recruit, has a lightning fast arm. She can let it fly in the blink of an eye and simply overwhelm defenders with the speed she hits at. *** Clara Christ L/DS Northern Lights 15-1: Christ, a 4-star defender, is extremely tough to get a shot down on. If the ball is in her vicinity she’s going to get it up more times than not and frustrate attackers in the process. Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 15 Blue: A 5-star recruit, Comer is a game-changing middle. She can carry an offense when she checks in. She has a powerful arm and sees the court very well. Lyndsey Robinson L/DS Munciana 15 Blue: Robinson, a 3-star recruit, is a scrappy defender and very quick around the court. She made many hustle plays to keep her team in the point. Shania Rhamy OH Munciana 15 Blue: Rhamy is a fearless, relentless attacker. Though she’s a bit undersized she doesn’t give up an inch when it comes to challenging bigger blockers and throwing a variety of shots at the defense. Marissa Jones S A5 15-1 Kelly: Jones – a 5-star setter – has next-level written all over her. She’s extremely smooth and gifted. She can keep her team in system on off balls and just makes the position look easy. Kylee Evans MB A5 15-1 Kelly: Evans – a 4-star recruit – was having a day in the middle. She was making herself felt on both sides of the ball. She was coming up with monster stuffs as well as quick attacks and ripping shots down. Layla Dunn RS A5 15-1 Kelly: Dunn, a 3-star recruit, and her length was a problem for Top Select in the quarterfinals. She was scoring on both the left and right sides as well as getting her hands on shots and slowing down the attack. Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 15 Alpha: A 5-star setter from the Class of 2028, Samuels is tremendously talented. She’s another one who makes dishing the rock look easy and effortless and can also take off balls and get her hitters nice looks still. Ruthie Robinson MB Kairos 15 Alpha: Robinson, a 3-star middle, has a lot of potential. She’s a legit scoring option as her length helps her hit from high angles. She’s also a solid blocker. Marlee Ellison OH RVA 15 Naples: Ellison is a big part of why RVA was in the quarterfinals. She’s a smart hitter with a solid arm and finds different ways to keep the defense guessing. *** London Taylor L/DS RVA 15 Naples: Taylor was another standout defender. She’s scrappy and flies around the court making plays. Jillian Forrest MB Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Forrest had as good a day as any middle. She was a total force at the net on both sides of the ball. Her athleticism and scoring prowess brought a whole different dynamic to the front row as teams struggled to contain her. Maisie Jones OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Jones, a 3-star recruit, was steady and consistent and provided her share of offense. She has a smooth swing and can get after it at times. Brooke Codey OH Adidas KiVA 15 Red: Codey, part of the Class of 2028, shoulders a large load offensively. She has a strong arm and has all types of shots to throw at defenses. Brianna Napoles OH Miami

Watching Dynasty 14 Black compete its way to the 14 Open AAU national championship without dropping a match, the path to the 15 Open gold medal was a vastly different one. Only one club – Munciana 15 Blue – entered the 12-team gold bracket on the last day undefeated. The rest had tasted defeat at least once during the previous three days. And the only way to the top of the podium for any club outside Munciana was not to experience that fate again. It wasn’t that Legacy 15-1 Adidas was an unlikely candidate to do so. The club did enter the tournament ranked No. 13 nationally. It was just after Legacy lost its opening match on Day 2 to unranked MOD 15 Elite and then another to No. 5 OT 15 Randy on Day 3, it seemed a lot less plausible that Legacy would survive the final day of action unscathed. Yet, in the unpredictable world of club volleyball, Legacy managed to do just that. The Lakeshore Region club fended off Top Select 15 Elite, 25-15, 20-25, 15-7, in the championship match to capture gold in preparation for its season-ending event in a couple weeks at the USAV national championships in Las Vegas. Legacy swept Kairos 15 Alpha (25-20, 25-16) in the quarterfinals and Northern Lights 15-1 (25-20, 25-20) in the semis before going the distance with Top Select. Legacy fought its way through a loaded pool on Day 3 that featured OT Randy, No. 37 Adidas KiVA 15 Red and No. 41 Mintonette Sports m.51, finishing in first place and taking over the top seed for Day 4. The upper half of the gold bracket was day-and-night compared to the lower half. While the five matches leading into the final in the upper half all concluded in two sets, the lower half featured four consecutive three-setters before Top Select took care of Munciana in straight sets, 25-19, 25-20, in the semis. It began with A5 15-1 Kelly, ranked No. 12 nationally, downing No. 32 WPVC 15 Armour Black, 22-25, 25-15, 15-8, to reach the quarters. Tri-State Elite 15 Blue, ranked No. 11 in our Top 50, followed suite by fighting off KiVA in three, 25-23, 19-25, 15-9, to also move to the quarters. There, Top Select upset A5, 28-26, 14-25, 15-10, and Munciana eliminated Tri-State, 27-25, 21-25, 15-8. Meanwhile, the upper half kicked off with No. 46 Kairos sweeping Miami Hype 15 Nekane, 25-16, 26-24. Northern Lights then ran past MN Select 15-1, 25-18, 25-14. Northern Lights also swept RVA 15 Naples, 25-18, 25-19, before falling to Legacy and taking home the bronze medal along with Munciana. While Legacy wrapped up the four days with a 9-2 overall mark, Munciana was one of two teams with just one setback at 9-1. The other team, Pitt Elite 15 Elite, wasn’t fortunate enough to make the gold bracket. Pitt Elite concluded 11-1, coming in 13th. The only team to beat Pitt Elite was RVA. That came in the opening match on Day 3. Pitt Elite upset A5 to close out pool play, but was on the short end of the tiebreaker after ending up in a three-way tie with A5 and RVA.

In recapping the action from Day 2, we highlighted how the results created a super pool for Day 3. That was the biggest storyline as 15 Open built up towards its final day of competition featuring a 12-team gold bracket. Pool A was loaded with four nationally-ranked teams with No. 5 OT 15 Randy, No. 13 Legacy 15-1 Adidas, No. 37 Adidas KiVA 15 Red and No. 41 Mintonette Sports m.51. In a different scenario, it would be possible to see all four teams in the gold bracket. However, with them all together on Day 3 only two could continue on. It didn’t take long to see what type of day it would be. KiVA upset OT Randy out of the gate to shake things up early. After Legacy swept Mintonette, OT bounced back and took care of Legacy in two. KiVA next outlasted Mintonette in three before Legacy swept KiVA. That left everything up to the final match between OT and Mintonette. Not only did OT need to win, but the club needed a sweep in order to advance. That would create a three-way tie, with OT holding one of the two tiebreakers to move on. While OT won, Mintonette managed to stretch the outcome to three sets. That meant Legacy took first place with the best set percentage. With KiVA and OT tying on set percentage, KiVA advanced thanks to its head-to-head victory over OT to open the pool. That was hardly the only drama on the day. A5 15-1 Kelly, the No. 4 overall seed and ranked No. 12 nationally, was upset by unranked Pitt Elite 15 Elite to finish off Pool D. That also created a three-way tie at 2-1 with A5, Pitt Elite and RVA 15 Naples. Despite Pitt’s big victory, the club still took third based on tiebreakers. However, the big news was it relegated A5 to second place with RVA taking first. Another pool that went down to the wire was Pool F. Tri-State Elite 15 Blue, ranked No. 11 nationally, was also upset to start the day, falling to unranked Adversity 15 Adidas. It left Tri-State in a must-win position in its final match against No. 46 Kairos 15 Alpha. Tri-State pulled out the victory. It left Tri-State and Kairos tied at 2-1. Tri-State therefore took first based on the head-to-head result as Kairos moved on in second. Munciana 15 Blue, Northern Lights 15-1 and Top Select 15 Elite all advanced by going 3-0 in their respective pools. Top Select did it as the No. 4 team, while Northern Lights was the No. 2 team and beat WPVC 15 Armour Black, the No. 1 team, to close out its pool as WPVC finished in second. With the results of Day 3, we now know what the gold bracket looks like. One of the matches features Northern Lights taking on rival MN Select 15-1 for a spot in the quarterfinals. KiVA and Tri-State face on for a spot in the quarters as well, where the winner will play Munciana. The trio is familiar with each other as they all play in the Mideast Power League. *** DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Below, you can find our Day 3 Show Stoppers. These are the players who stood out the most to us during our time watching them. Audrey Simpson MB A5 15-1 Kelly: Simpson, a 6-3 middle and 3-star recruit from the Class of 2026, makes her presence felt. She can see and hit over blocks with consistency. She also puts up a strong block and is a big disrupter defensively. Marissa Jones S A5 15-1 Kelly: A 5-star setter, Jones is a high-level, high IQ disher who runs a diverse offense. She has silky smooth hands and her location is almost always spot on. Livia Sathre RS Northern Lights 15-1: A 6-1 right side, Sathre made herself known to opponents. She puts up a solid block on the right side. She also has a strong arm and is a scoring threat on the right as well. Clara Christ L/DS Northern Lights 15-1: A 4-star defender, Christ is quick and patrols the back row with all-out hustle and effort. She’s tough to get a ball down on. She covers at the net exceptionally well too. Elleora Utecht OH Northern Lights 15-1: Utecht, a 3-star outside, has a lively arm and can let it fly with authority. She helps anchor the attack with her steady attacking. Kaelyn Bjorklund S/RS Northern Lights 15-1: A 4-star recruit, Bjorklund is a key piece of the lineup. She’s able to move the ball around and mix her sets. Attacking wise, she has a strong arm and hits a heavy, powerful ball. Mia Diouf RS GP 15 Rox: Diouf – another 4-star recruit – is a lefty right side who can stay in across the back row and remain an offensive threat. She’s an explosive attacker and provides a real offensive lift. Addison Thompson-Stepp L/DS Legacy 15-1 Adidas: A 3-star recruit, Thompson-Stepp is a defensive anchor who provides a boost on that side of the ball. She plays under control and is a steadying presence in the back row. Kate Kalczynski OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Kalczynski – a 4-star recruit – is a weapon on offensive. She’s a legit threat front and back row. She extends and hits from a high angle. Combine with a quick swing, she’s a handful to deal with. Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: A 4-star middle, Ockerman is a physical presence at the net. She makes a huge impact on both sides of the ball. She puts up a big block. She’s also a reliable offensive option who defenses need to keep track on. *** Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 15 Alpha: Samuels, part of the Class of 2028, is one of the premier setters in the country for her age group. She also stands out playing up a year. She’s a smooth disher who understands how to run the offense and put her hitters

What a day it was Tuesday as the second day of the second wave at AAU nationals played out. The results in 15 Open were all over the place, and with it comes an insane pool for Day 3. Let’s start there. Legacy 15-1 Adidas, the No. 2 overall seed and ranked No. 13 in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50, lost and finished second in its pool. Adidas KiVA 15 Red, the No. 11 overall seed and ranked No. 37 nationally, also lost. It forced both of them into Pool A for Day 3. That means top-seeded and national No. 5 OT 15 Randy along with No. 41 Mintonette Sports m.51 are all together. Only two of them can advance. It’s unusual for four nationally-ranked teams to wind up together in the same pool on Day 3. All four are good enough to all be in the 12-team gold bracket for Day 4. But as stated above, only two can make it that far now. That’s how quickly things can take shape and shake up the draw in the process. Mintonette was actually upset in its first outing, falling to MAVA Adidas 15-Select. Mintonette finished in a three-way tie at 2-1 and still wound up in first place, with Lex United 15 Blue. It might have been better for Mintonette to finish second, as Lex United is in a Day 3 pool with two ranked teams in No. 40 MN Select 15-1 and No. 49 Top Select 15 Elite. Tri-State Elite 15 Blue, the No. 6 overall seed and ranked No. 11 nationally, found itself in the same spot as Mintonette. Tri-State was upended in its first match, going down to Shockwave 15 Black. Tri-State and Shockwave ended in a three-way tie at 2-1, along with GP 15 Rox. Tri-State took first based on tiebreakers, followed by GP in second. Two other pools ended with three-way ties as well, with both of them featuring three teams all ending at 1-2. One of was Pool G. While Kairos 15 Alpha went 3-0, Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal, Sky High Adidas 15 Elite and Academy 15 Diamond knotted at 1-2. Tribe had the best set percentage and managed to move on in second place. The other pool was Pool I, where Pitt Elite 15 Elite went 3-0. Behind Pitt Elite, FarOut 15 Black, IVBA 15 Open and L2 151 all went 1-2. It was FarOut having the best set percentage as well to take second and remain in the hunt. ***** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Below, we present our Day 2 Show Stoppers. These are the players who made us take note the most during our time in the gym. McKenzie Wilkie L/DS A5 15-1 Kelly: A 3-star defender, Wilkie brings a defensive edge to the court. She’s a sharp passer who covers a lot of ground and excels at keeping rallies alive. Mia Ray OH A5 15-1 Kelly: Ray – a 3-star outside – is a central piece in A5’s attack. She’s a strong, physical attacker who can boom balls down with lots of authority. Payton Scifres S Sky High Adidas 15 Elite: Scifres, at 6-1, has lots of upside. Her height allows her to be a factor at the net. On top of that, she has a clean, consistent release. Logan Georgy MB Sky High Adidas 15 Elite: A 6-2 middle, Georgy is another player who adds height to the front row for Sky High. She’s a real scoring threat and teams need to keep tabs on her because of it. Maizy Agnello OH Sky High Adidas 15 Elite: Agnello is a springy attacker. She adds a punch to Sky High’s offense. She swings very well and hits with lots of pace. Akshara Jay RS Sky High Adidas 15 Elite: Jay, a lefty right side, is another part of the attack. She’s a heady hitter who helps spread out the offense with her ability to score in a variety of ways. Sage Illian S/OH Shockwave 15 Black: Illian, a member of the Class of 2028, brings a lot to the lineup with her versatility. She’s a smooth setter with the ability to move the ball around with ease. She’s also a smart attacker who uses crafty and well-placed shots to beat the defense. Ruthie Robinson MB Kairos 15 Alpha: A 3-star, 6-0 middle, Robinson is a game-changer across the front row for Kairos. She adds a legit offensive dynamic. She can get out on the slide, extend and unload with force. Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 15 Alpha: A 6-0 setter from the Class of 2028, Samuels is silky smooth. She sets at a high level and has firm command of the offense. She puts up a nearly perfect ball on almost every set. Makenna Meibers OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Meibers, a 3-star recruit, was bringing it on the outside. She caught a few where she unloaded in impressive fashion in sending balls down for emphatic kills. *** Ellie Osowski OH Northern Lights 15-1: Osowski was another outside who was proving her team a big lift offensively. She was finding ways to score, including swinging aggressively and firing shots past and off blockers for points. Candice Holloway MB OT 15 Randy: A 3-star, 6-2 middle, Holloway is a presence in the middle. Her length is disrupting at the net. It allows her to hit over blocks as well as slow down opponents coming at her. Ella Horvick L/DS OT 15 Randy: Horvick – a 3-star recruit – was among the defenders who were performing at a high level. She sees and reads the court well, putting herself in position to make the play. Jenny Glushakov RS Top Select 15 Elite: A 6-1 right side, Glushakov gives Top Select a legit scoring option. She extends and hits from a high contact point and it makes her tough to slow. Jenna Brooks L/DS Top Select 15 Elite: Brooks, a 3-star defender, gives Top Select a defensive presence. She’s a solid passer out of serve

The four days across 14 Open at AAUs eventually ended with Dynasty 14 Black earning the gold medal after defeating A5 14-1 Helen 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 14 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 14 Open gold bracket. 14 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Brooklyn Andrews Dynasty 14 Black Jensen Kubik Dynasty 14 Black Molly McGovern Dynasty 14 Black Sydney Harrison A5 14-1 Helen Leah Stickney A5 14-1 Helen Azaria Ehima A5 14-1 Helen Quinn Nelson Legacy 14-1 Adidas Lia Ray Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal Natalia Marciante Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal Taylor Price Adidas KiVA 14 Red Kayleigh Rogers Adidas KiVA 14 Red Julia Masselink Kairos 14 Alpha Leilani Lamar OT 14 Laura Lowe Long Tri-State Elite 14 Blue Charlotte Patton Tri-State Elite 14 Blue Decelise Champion K1 Bayamon 14 Ava Broadie Peak 14 Black Kyra Bolden Peak 14 Black ***** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Lilianah Jackson Dynasty 14 Black Madelyn Moog A5 14-1 Helen Lauren Sheldon Legacy 14-1 Adidas McKenzie Andrews Legacy 14-1 Adidas Morgan Kooiman Kairos 14 Alpha Lauren Williams Tri-State Elite 14 Blue Aubrey McDaniel Tri-State Elite 14 Blue Kennedy Christie MB Peak 14 Black ***** SETTERS Payton Woodruff Legacy 14-1 Adidas Logan McGuire Kairos 14 Alpha Molly Monday OT 14 Laura Mila Zujovic OT 14 Laura Mya Bosse Tri-State Elite 14 Blue Tiana Kinsella Dynasty 14 Black Sophia Sturdy Dynasty 14 Black Chelsea Torrence A5 14-1 Helen Jane Myers A5 14-1 Helen ***** LIBEROS/DSs Haedyn Lynnes Dynasty 14 Black Bethany Benjamin A5 14-1 Helen Ashlyn Pelon Legacy 14-1 Adidas Isabella DeSensi Adidas KiVA 14 Red Deviryn McCarty Kairos 14 Alpha Izzie Penrose OT 14 Laura Meagan Timmerman Tri-State Elite 14 Blue Sofia Tang Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal

We continue on with Part 2 of our Day 1 Show Stoppers. You can find Part 1 here. Though Day 1 is like dipping your toes in the pool, there were still plenty of individuals bringing the noise and we highlight the ones who stood out the most to us below. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Bryn Meyer OH Mintonette Sports m.51: A 4-star recruit, Meyer is a lanky outside with lots of upside. She can really extend up and hit at a high angle. There are times she can go right over the block. Isabella Borgio OH Mintonette Sports m.51: Borgio, a 3-star recruit, has a strong arm and hits a heavy ball. She’s another key part of the offense and gives Mintonette someone it can count on to deliver when needed. Ailanni Sellers S OT 15 Will: A 3-star recruit, Sellers does a nice job running the offense. She has a consistent release and locates well. She is also capable of moving the ball around and keeping defenses guessing. Lillie Eason OH OT 15 Will: A member of the Class of 2028, is a key component as a six-rotation outside. She’s solid on the attack. She can swing both front and back row and is a featured part of the attack. Sage Illian OH Shockwave 15 Black: Illian demonstrates a high volleyball IQ by frequently exploiting the block’s weaknesses, using the block at times and angles to find gaps in the defense. Her agility and quick footwork enable her to seamlessly transition between offensive and defensive roles, consistently maintaining a dominant presence throughout the match. Throughout the match she was a key player in gaining them points. Autumn Popp S Shockwave 15 Black: Popp is an exceptionally dynamic and athletic setter, known for her ability to get her feet to every ball with remarkable consistency. Her reliable hands and skill in switching up the offense were crucial in leading her team to a victorious performance against SPVB 15 Elite. She quickly adapted to high pressure moments. Bailey Bernal OH Shockwave 15 Black: Against SPVB 15 Elite, Bernal made several crucial plays. When every point matters in this sport her points really mattered when it came down to a close scoring match. More scoring possibilities resulted from her defensive one-arm saves and steady passing to keep them in-system. She was a dependable player on the net for her team since she was putting every ball away. Harper Sanders L/DS 575 15-1 Kortney: Sanders, playing as libero, showed incredible tenacity throughout the game, consistently passing difficult balls with accuracy. She also stepped in seamlessly for the setter when needed, delivering excellent sets and demonstrating her versatility and dedication on the court against VoltageVB 15 Elite. Holly Dufrene MB 575 15-1 Kortney: Dufrene is an excellent middle blocker in the Club division who uses her awareness and quick reactions to dominate the net against VoltageVB 15 Elite by anticipating what is happening from the other team. Her powerful blocks and ability to read hitters make her a defensive powerhouse, while her strategic placement of attacks adds an extra layer of threat to her offensive game. Bella Cocke OH Polar Elite 18-1: As an outside hitter, Cocke excels at finding scoring opportunities even in out-of-system plays. She stays confident and always goes for it, turning challenging situations into successful results against Top Flight 18 Theta. *** Madison Holker S Polar Elite 18-1: As a setter with strong leadership, Holker unites the team and skillfully utilizes all her players at the net. Her exceptional ball control is evident in her ability to set up plays and keep the team in rhythm throughout a match. Cat Nygaard L A5 Chattanooga 15-1 Mary: Nygaard has no problem hustling for every ball and giving 110% on the court. Her adept ball control is apparent in how she orchestrates plays, maintaining the team’s momentum and setting up scoring opportunities effectively against Rampage 15s Black. The outcome of her having a solid platform on serve receive, provides the team a solid foundation. Rory Oleksik DS A5 Chattanooga 15-1 Mary: Oleksik is incredibly energetic and agile on the court, covering sharp angles with her court knowledge and preparedness. Oleksik is easily recognizable on any court because of her extremely active athleticism. Amelia Lamberti OPP Eastside Volleyball 15 Ice: Lamberti came out firing in the first set against Trivolley 15-1. Right out of the gate, she made several huge swings down the line on the RS resulting in multiple points on the scoreboard for her team. Lamberti is someone to watch closely. Ellie Payne S Eastside Volleyball 15 Ice: Payne is a skilled setter who anticipates everything and knows exactly what to do next. She connects well with her middle and right side. She has great footwork on out of system balls. Emmerson Otto MB Eastside Volleyball 15 Ice: Otto, a middle blocker, does a good job of following the hitters and made a couple of blocks against Trivolley 15-1. She is a vital component of her team’s offensive and defensive lineup. She makes excellent lateral movement across the net and is able to close the block efficiently. Avery Warren S/OPP Block Out Academy 15-1: Warren has exceptional hands and can run a fast offense with the help of her teammates, additionally, she ensures that she gets to the ball square as much as possible. Warren has good court awareness and can see the openings when she is swinging on the right side. It is also noticeable that she has great communication with her hitters. Elizabeth Lee L/DS Block Out Academy 15-1: In Lee’s match against Crossfire 15-1, she had a beautiful platform on serve receive continuously setting her team up for success. She also made some really impressive hustle plays, particularly when it was necessary for her to intervene and set. Charlotte Poole MB Block Out Academy 15-1: Poole made some big time blocks in the second set against Crossfire 15-1 to put her team back in the game

The second wave of the AAU girls national championships kicked off Monday at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. It features all of the 15s age groups. We spent Day 1 taking in as much of the action as we could. Below, we present Part 1 of our Day 1 Show Stoppers featuring the players who made us take notice the most. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Eden Hafermann OH Illini Elite 15 Cardinal: Illini Elite enjoyed a 3-0 start thanks in part to the contributions of Hafermann. She showed off a strong arm and the ability to score consistently as she helped lift the offense. Annabelle Bischoff MB Illini Elite 15 Cardinal: When the opportunity presented itself, Bischoff took advantage. There were moments when she reared back and unleashed to liven up the attack. Marissa Jones S A5 15-1 Kelly: A 5-star recruit, Jones is as smooth a disher as there is. She’s in complete command of the offense and can turn off balls into perfect sets still. Kaylee Foreman L/DS Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Foreman was among the group of defenders who held it down and made us take notice. She’s quick, covers a lot of ground and brings a lot of competitive energy to the court. Ella Gravlee OH Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: A 6-2 outside, Gravlee filled her role as a six-rotation outside very well. She’s a big piece of the offense. She has a strong arm and showed it off plenty. Ellie Enger OH WPVC 15 Armour Black: A 3-star recruit, the 6-0 Enger is a glue piece. She’s a steadying presence on the outside. She has a solid arm and is a smart attacker who does well finding holes. Isabel Incinelli OH WPVC 15 Armour Black: A 6-5, 4-star recruit, Incinelli is certainly a presence on the court. Her length is a huge advantage. With it, she can easily go over blocks and hit down from high angles. Brennan Hoppe OH Balboa Bay 15 Blue: A bit undersized on the pin, Hoppe was taking aggressive swings and really putting pressure on defenses. Isabella Kompaniez RS Balboa Bay 15 Blue: Kompaniez is certainly someone opponents to keep track of. When in system, Balboa Bay will get her the ball. She’s a heady attacker with a sound arm who can find the gaps and exploit them. Mia Diouf RS GP 15 Rox: A 4-star right side, Diouf is an explosive attacker who can light up defenses. She can score from sideline to sideline and carries her fair share of the attack. *** Brianna Napoles S/OH Miami Hype 15 Nekane: A 3-star recruit, Napoles is very versatile. She’s a beach player and it helps her in being well-round on the indoor side. She spent time setting and hitting on the outside. She’s quick to ball and has a soft touch and accurate location setting. She’s a crafty hitter who finds ways to score and frustrate defenses. Aylah Belding RS Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Belding was having a good time on the right side. She was bringing it, taking big, aggressive swings and tooling blocks and providing an offensive boost. Penelope Reisman S Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: A 3-star recruit from the Class of 2028, Reisman has plenty of upside. She has nice size for the position. She showed she can move the ball around and connect well with her hitters. Margaret Kurpeikis OH Adversity 15 Adidas: Kurpeikis is a real problem for opponents. She’s a wirey outside with a lively arm. She can really extend and connect high and with it blast winners from corner to corner. Caroline Hanchar RS Munciana 15 Blue: A bit undersized on the pin, Hanchar makes up for it with her ability to get off the ground and swing with authority. She was connecting at times in impressive fashion and thundering shots down. Mallory Wandel OH Rise Academy 51: Wandel is a physical attacker who shoulders a large load offensively. She hits a heavy ball and can overpower opponents at times. Bradee Boyd OH Princeton 15-1 National: Boyd is a feisty hitter. She’s wirey and carries a loose arm. She can let it fly in a blink of an eye. Kennedy Hummert L/DS Pitt Elite 15 Elite: Hummert, part of the Class of 2028, was showing up strong in the back row. She has a sound platform. She was passing well out of serve receive and defending with lots of energy and effort. Ella Hartung OH Kokoro Volleyball 15-1: Hartung was another outside who is just a bit undersized but carries a really strong arm. She took a few swings and rocketed balls either off or past the block. Hailey Mueller OH Triangle 15 Black: Mueller, a 4-star recruit, has a plenty of upside. She’s an athletic outside who jumps and swings well. She can come with it at times and blast shots. *** Graceyn Shepard L/DS Triangle 15 Black: Shepard was part of the reason Triangle opened up 3-0 and upset No. 15 overall seed Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal. She’s a scrappy defender who goes all out to help keep her team in the point. Piper Endris L/DS Team Indiana Elite 15.1: Endris was another defender who played at a high level. She’s a smooth passer who plays under control and always seemed to be in the right position to make a play. Jaylynn Carter OH CUVC 15 Open: Carter, a 4-star recruit, is a tremendous talent. She can jump through the roof and has the arm to match. She can simply get on opponents and overwhelm them with the speed she comes at them with. Kinley Young MB Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Young, at 6-2, is a presence and big factor in the middle. She changes the dynamic of the front row with her ability to both block and score. Riley Loehfelm OH FarOut 15 Black: Loehfelm was holding it down on the outside. She has a solid arm. She hits with both pace and power and was giving

Of the Open divisions at AAU, 16 Open packs the most punch. With that, the division should bring the most drama and we are very much looking forward to it. The four-day event is set for June 21-24 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Below, we take a brief look at the field, including nationally-ranked teams, players to know plus our predictions. Number of Teams: 79 Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (19): 1. Mintonette Sports m.61 OH 4. Boiler Jrs 16 Gold IN 6. Legacy 16-1 Adidas MI 8. Skyline 16 Royal TX 9. A5 16-1 Gabe GA 15. MN Select 16-1 MN 16. Team Pineapple 16 Black IN 24. WPVC 16 Armour Black FL 25. Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal FL 29. GP 16 Rox FL 31. EC Power KOP 16 Empire PA 36. Academy 16 Diamond NC 38. Tri-State Elite 16 Blue OH 39. SPVB 16 Elite IL 40. Rev 16-1 Fury IN 41. Academy 16 Yeti IN 46. Sunshine 16 LA 47. Tribe 16 Elite Navy FL 49. OT 16 Roberto FL   5-Star Players to Know: Gigi Artiles OH Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal (Georgia) Genevieve Harris S Academy 16 Diamond (Texas) Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas Ella Andrews MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas Gabi Divita OH Legacy 16-1 Adidas (Nebraska) Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.61 (Texas) Elena Hoecke MB MN Select 16-1 Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1 (Creighton) Keoni Williams MB Skyline 16 Royal Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold (2027)   4-Star Players to Know: Taylor Clarke RS Skyline 16 Royal (2025) Jessica Smallwood MB Adidas KiVA 16 Red Cala Haffner L/DS Team Pineapple 16 Black Eva Long S Legacy 16-1 Adidas Meredith Martin L/DS Legacy 16-1 Adidas Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports m.61 (Indiana) Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports m.61 Mallory Matheny S Mintonette Sports m.61 Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold (Indiana) Ava Wilkerson MB Academy 16 Diamond Levariya Pinder OH/MB Skyline 16 Royal Ryan Sadler OH A5 16-1 Gabe Sofia Guerrero-Wilson RS A5 16-1 Gabe Kalyssa Taggart S A5 16-1 Gabe Cassidy Cage MB SPVB 16 Elite Leilani Lawrence OH OT 16 JP Sophia Stallworth OH OT 16 Roberto Madeline Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1 Eva Swenson S/RS MN Select 16-1 Mia Gold OH Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Rylan Miller L/DS OT 16 Will (Georgia) Lily Bosworth MB Illini Elite 16 Cardinal Elle Mottola S WPVC 16 Armour Black   Outlook: There is no doubt that 16 Open is the premier division at AAU this season. The field is loaded, featuring five teams inside the Top 10 from Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 national rankings. It includes two from the Top 5, one being top-ranked Mintonette. There are 19 total from the Top 50, including 11 teams which qualified for 16 Open at USAV nationals in July. With such a strong field, we shouldn’t have to wait as long for the action to heat up. We could see some clubs squaring off on Day 2 if the draw breaks right. Mintonette enters looking to defend its 15 Open title from last year when it defeated Skyline in the final. Skyline is back too. However, there’s no guarantee either makes it that far again. Legacy is coming off its SummerFest victory, when it defeated Mintonette in the final. A5 and Boiler Jrs are certainly going to have a big say in what happens. Then there are many teams that can cause havoc. MN Select, Team Pineapple and Tribe all have the ability to make a deep run and put themselves in position to medal. Plenty others could spring big upsets. The ranked teams aren’t the only ones who can make things happen. Northern Lights, Triangle, Jupiter Elite, KiVA, FarOut, Kairos and Illini Elite are not featured in the Top 50 but all have shown at varying times this season they can make life difficult on opponents. The first day starts with 79 teams. Only 20 get eliminated heading into Day 2, but that’s when it picks up. Days 2 and 3 teams must finish first or second in their respective pools to move on. Teams are competing to make the 16-team gold bracket on Day 4. That’s a large gold bracket. It means the two teams which make the championship match are going to be playing four matches in one day having already played three days in a row. That’s a tough ask no matter who makes it that far. Prediction: I’m taking Legacy to build on its victory at SummerFest and continue on to win gold at AAU. Legacy tops Boiler Jrs in the final. Mintonette and MN Select take third.

We are already through the first wave at AAU. Sunday brought the completion of the 14 Open division, where Dynasty 14 Black took down A5 14-1 Helen in the championship match. You can read more about how the gold bracket played out here. Below, we highlight the standout players who caught our attention the most with our Day 4 Show Stoppers. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Brooklyn Andrews OH Dynasty 14 Black: Equipped with a strong arm, Andrews hits a  heavy ball. Defenders need to close off the line because given any space Andrews can hammer balls past the block and down for winners. Jensen Kubik OH Dynasty 14 Black: Kubik – a 3-star recruit – extends and hits the ball and high contact point. She sees the court well and knows when to unload and when to place her shots to keep the point going. Lilianah Jackson MB Dynasty 14 Black: A 3-star middle, Jackson brings a real offensive dynamic to the front row with her quickness and ability to terminate. Defenses need to be ready for her because when in system Dynasty will get her involved. Haedyn Lynnes L/DS Dynasty 14 Black: Lynnes – a 3-star defender – is steady out of serve receive and helps keep Dynasty in system. She has a solid platform and doesn’t miss very many plays. Molly McGovern RS Dynasty 14 Black: A 3-star right side, McGovern’s length presents real problems on both sides of the ball. She puts up a solid block and in turn can hit over blocks and help expand the offense. Bethany Benjamin L/DS A5 14-1 Helen: Benjamin is a 4-star recruit and a libero teams aim to keep the ball away from in serve receive. She’s quick, makes up a lot of ground and covers a lot of court. Sydney Harrison OH A5 14-1 Helen: Harrison – a 3-star hitter – has a big arm and helps power the offense along. She can deliver electric kills and overwhelm defenses at times. Leah Stickney OH A5 14-1 Helen: Stickney is another 3-star recruit who can do it all on the outside. She’s a sound passer and defender and can attack front and back row in carrying her fair share of the offense. Azaria Ehima RS A5 14-1 Helen: A 3-star recruit, Ehima is another key component of the offense. She helps to balance the attack with her scoring prowess on the right side. She can elevate and connect in the blink of an eye. Ashlyn Pelon L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Pelon, a 3-star recruit, was part of a strong defensive group on the final day of competition. She’s another back-row player who is solid out of serve receive. She’s also scrappy and hangs tough against big hitters. *** Lauren Sheldon MB Legacy 14-1 Adidas: A 3-star recruit, Sheldon brought it in the middle repeatedly. She has a big arm and showed time and time again she can power shots down and end points. Lia Ray OH Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal: Ray – a 4-star outside – does a lot of things on the court. She’s a strong passer out of serve receive and smart attacker who sees the court well and takes her shots accordingly. Sofia Tang L/DS Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal: Tang’s defensive efforts helped Tribe reach the semifinals. She’s relentless with her coverage and doesn’t get rattle in big moments. Taylor Price OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Price – a 3-star recruit – flashes her potential at times. She gets up well and has a fluid swing. She uses it to torch defenses. Kayleigh Rogers OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Rogers – also a 3-star outside – has a loose arm and can let it fly. She’s a key piece of the offense and shoulders an impressive load. Julia Masselink OH Kairos 14 Alpha: Part of the Class of 2029, Masselink brings it on the outside. She jumps and swings very well. She can blast shots from sideline to sideline. Libby Kranz OH Kairos 14 Alpha: Kranz is another effective outside who helps the Kairos attack. She has a solid arm and when the opportunity is there can really connect. Morgan Kooiman MB Kairos 14 Alpha: Kooiman is a tall middle who impacts the match on both sides of the ball. She can get out and run the slide attack and the fact she hits at a high angle makes it difficult to slow her down. Leilani Lamar OH OT 14 Laura: Lamar – a 5-star recruit – displayed her next-level talent. She’s a smooth operator with an easy swing and ability to crush shots effortlessly. Izzie Penrose L/DS OT 14 Laura: A 4-star defender, Penrose owns the back row. She’s a sharp passer who rarely is out of position or misses her target. *** Lowe Long OH Tri-State Elite 14 Blue: Long – a 3-star recruit – has lots of upside. She can extend and hit at a high contact point. She also sees the court well and does a nice job placing her shots. Lauren Williams MB Tri-State Elite 14 Blue: A 3-star recruit, Williams’ length in the middle is a factor. She makes plays on both sides of the ball with her blocking and attacking and always provides a boost across the front row. Aubrey McDaniel MB Tri-State Elite 14 Blue: McDaniel is an effective attacker. Her speed is a weapon and can beat defenders before they can form the block fully. Decelise Champion OH K1 Bayamon 14: Champion – a 5-star outside from the Class of 2027 – is a one-man wrecking ball. At 6-4, she can simply hit over blocks and/or overpower defenders. And it doesn’t matter if she’s front or back row, she’s equally effective. Kyra Bolden RS Peak 14 Black: Bolden was among the standouts in 14 Open. She’s a wirey attacker with the ability to light it up in a hurry. Ava Broadie OH Peak 14 Black: Broadie was another star outside. She’s a six-rotation contributor who passes well

It was back on the opening day of the Triple Crown NIT in February when Dynasty 14 Black and A5 14-1 Helen went head-to-head as part of a loaded Power Pool A. A5 ended up winning the match in three sets and it remained the only time the two sides squared off as the season wore on. That is until the two clubs were across the net from one another with the AAU 14 Open gold medal on the line Sunday at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Not that this had any bearing on the outcome, but shortly before they started their pre-match warmups, A5 had already captured championships in both 12 and 13 Open and was looking to complete a dominating day in the Open divisions. Dynasty had other plans. Undefeated through the first three days and fresh off victories over Tri-State Elite 14 Blue in the quarterfinals and Legacy 14-1 Adidas in the semis, Dynasty kept the pressure on A5 and never allowed its opponent to gain any firm traction. It led to a sweep, 25-21, 25-22, as Dynasty finished on top, claiming gold and ending the four-day event with a perfect 12-0 mark. It’s a definite confidence booster as the club next heads to USAV 14 Open in July in Las Vegas early next month. Though the usual unpredictably played a role in shaping how the 10-team gold bracket eventually stacked up, in the end it was the highest-ranked teams in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 which held court. A5 entered the tournament ranked No. 4, followed by No. 7 Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal, No. 8 Dynasty, No. 12 Munciana 14 Chipmunks and No. 13 Legacy 14-1 Adidas. All but Munciana reached the semifinals. Munciana was eliminated by Legacy in a one-game playoff to close out Day 3. While Dynasty seized the day, it didn’t pass without drama as the gold bracket played out. Early on, Legacy came from behind to get past K1 Bayamon 14 in three, 21-25, 25-22, 15-8 to reach the quarterfinals. K1 featured last year’s 13 Open MVP Decelise Champion, a 6-4, 5-star recruit who is capable of single-handily taking over matches and elevating her squad to victory. Legacy wound up rolling over OT 14 Laura, 25-21, 25-12, in the quarterfinals, but the other three contests all went the distance. Dynasty fought past Tri-State Elite 14 Blue, 16-25, 25-20, 15-8. It was just the second set Dynasty lost during its run, with the other coming in a three-set victory over Adidas KiVA 14 Red to end Day 3 action. KiVA, meanwhile, dropped a three-setter to A5, 25-19, 22-25, 15-7, in the quarters. That came right after Tribe clipped Kairos 14 Alpha, 26-28, 27-25, 15-13. Kairos held match point at 25-24 and thought it had won the match when a Tribe serve appeared to go long. However, it was ruled in – which I believe was the correct call as it looked to me it clipped the back line – extending the match and allowing Tribe to capitalize. Unfortunately for spectators, the semifinals didn’t produce the same level of excitement as A5 swept Tribe and Dynasty downed Legacy in straight sets. The tournament largely played out as expected in terms of the highly-ranked teams having the biggest say as to what happened. The biggest surprise was without a doubt Munciana not making the gold bracket as Munciana was my pick to win it all by beating Tribe in the final. Tribe’s only loss came to A5 in the semifinals. I did pick Legacy and A5 to get bronzes. A5 did one better, with Tribe and Legacy ending with bronzes. In hindsight the final day really started to take shape on Day 2. That’s when Mintonette Sports m.41 upset OT Laura to win their pool. That placed OT Laura in the same pool as top-seeded Munciana on Day 3. With both A5 and Legacy winning their Day 2 pools, it meant either Munciana or OT Laura would wind up in the same pool with A5 and Legacy to create a blockbuster pool no matter what. With Munciana falling to OT Laura, it was Munciana falling into the do-or-die pool. In other 14s results Sunday, it was A5 14-2 Earl sweeping TPV 14 Zulu, 25-23, 25-18, to claim the 14 Premier championship. A5 wrapped up going 13-0 and handed TPV its only defeat.