AAU

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.

The third wave of AAUs started Thursday, meaning it was time for the 17 Open to get underway. We’ve already seen Northern Lights 14-1 and Mintonette Sports m.51 take home Open gold medals from their time in Orlando? Who’s up next in 17 Open? We are going to have to wait for that answer until Sunday, when the gold bracket takes place. As for now, let’s introduce our Day 1 All Red Hat Team from the 17s action we witnessed on the opening day. 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 1 ALL RED HAT TEAM Jersey Loyer OH Summit 17 Elite: Loyer is such an incredibly fun outside to watch do her thing. An opposing coach had a great comment in that she’s built in the mold of the Louisville outsides. She might be bit undersized compared to others, but what a six-rotation gamer who absolutely brings it on the attack. She’s a springy attacker with a great arm and helped Summit go 3-0 and take over the No. 1 seed. Dionna Mitchell OH Top Select 17 Elite: Top Select went 3-0 as well, with Mitchell putting on a show at times with her athletic ability. She was soaring and roaring, pounding down kills with authority. As soon as the defense dug in, she would hit them with a deceptive tip and catch them flat-footed and left in frustration. Faith Young MB Tri-State Elite 17 Blue: Tri-State Elite rolled through its three opponents. No one had answers for Young in the middle. She carries a big arm and bashes balls left and right with lots of strength and power. Ava Durgan MB RVC 17 Kari: Durgan was another standout middle who made us take notice. It was an overall rough day for RVC, which went 0-3. However, Durgan was rocketing balls down in the middle and providing a real offensive weapon. Kamaluhia Garcia RS Ku’Ikahi 17 RSB: Garcia played up on 17s last year as Ku’Ikahi earned a bronze medal. She was back at it on Day 1 in a hybrid role. She was lined up as an outside and she was passing out of serve receive at times. Yet, she would switch and play on the right side both front and back row, where was a legit threat. Ku’Ikahi loves to move her around and get her swinging from everywhere on the court. And why not? She’s lanky, extends really well and has a wide range of shots. Jessica Neiman RS Maverick 17 Elite: Neiman was a feisty attacker and playing with tons of energy. The lefty has a nice arm and was bringing it. She’s a featured part of the attack and was taking a lot of swings. Carolyn Maser S Nebraska Jrs 17 Black: Maser is a smooth disher. The 6-0 setter also plays sound defense and has a good presence at net. She runs a nice offense and doesn’t get rattled, showing a calming presence while directing the attack.   Kaylee Musick S Mintonette Sports m.71: Musick was another setting orchestrating the attack with ease. She’s also a taller setter with a soft touch and release. She was moving the ball around and locating well. Elsie McCutchan L/DS EU 17 Black: McCutchan is a workhorse in the back row. She’s vocal and is a steady and consistent passer. She was covering well and picking off a few hard-hit swings. Julia Murdy L/DS Renaissance 17 Black: Murdy was getting after it defensively, passing and defending well and bringing tons of energy and fire. She was hustling all over the court keeping her team in the rally.

In trying to put together the All-Tournament Team for 15 Open at AAUs the depth at each position becomes readily apparent. After spending four days covering the action, including Wednesday’s championship day that ended with Mintonette Sports m.51 celebrating a gold-medal performance, we present vballrecruiter.com’s 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 players 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 All-Tournament Team ahead of time as we know in advance who many of the talented players already are competing. Congrats to those named to this year’s AAU 15 Open All-Tournament Team as awarded by vballrecruiter.com. OUTSIDES Layla Hoying Mintonette Sports m.51 Gigi Artiles Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal Mia Gold Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal Gabby DiVita Legacy 15-1 Adidas MIDDLES Keoni Williams Skyline 15 Royal LeVariya Pinder Skyline 15 Royal Ella Andrews Legacy 15-1 Adidas Kayla Nwabueze Legacy 15-1 Adidas RIGHT SIDES Caroline Ward Boiler Jrs 15 Gold Taylor Clarke Skyline 15 Royal Lyla Stewart Mintonette Sports m.51 SETTERS Lexi Shondell Boiler Jrs 15 Gold Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m.51 Elle Mottola WPVC 15 Armour Black LIBEROS Emma Cugino Mintonette Sports m.51 Mallory Johnson Far Out 15 Black Meredith Martin Legacy 15-1 Adidas

A club can’t win both AAU and USAV national championships without accomplishing the first leg in Orlando. That’s the position Mintonette Sports m.51 finds itself in after capturing the 15 Open gold medal Wednesday after outlasting top-ranked Skyline 15 Royal in the final. Both teams are headed to Chicago to compete for another national championship next week, when Mintonette will not only look to double-up on the gold medals, but will be looking to go back-to-back after raising the 14 Open trophy a year ago in Indianapolis. Needless to say, there are players from both Mintonette and Skyline featured on our Day 4 Show Stoppers below, along with many more standout players from Wednesday’s gold-bracket action. (Gold Medal Rundown) (Day 4 All Red Hat Team) DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Gabby Semona MB Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: If you love middle play, then the gold bracket was the place to be on the final day of competition. Semona, a 6-3 force, was just one in a bunch of middles holding it down and delivering booming kills and rally-ending stuffs. Grace Jones L/DS Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Jones had her hands full having to pick off all the fastballs being thrown her way from the Boiler Jrs offense. The attack comes from everywhere but Jones did a solid job getting balls up and keeping her team in the point. Gwenyth Berry OH Top Select 15 Elite: Berry is a bit undersized but she has a powerful arm and hits a heavy ball. She was doing a good job of hitting off or around blocks. Kaleigh Langmo OH Top Select 15 Elite: Langmo filled out the other half of the Top Select outside duo. She’s a heady attacker who excelled at going high hands. Isabelle Masten L/DS Rev 15-1 Fuego: Masten was among the standout defenders with her back row presence and effort. She’s a smooth and accurate passer and covers the court well. Karen Dutro MB Rev 15-1 Fuego: Dutro is a lanky middle who can let it fly when she connects. She’s definitely a threat and a target when Rev is in system and defenses must keep track of her. Kalyssa Taggart S/RS A5 15 Bob: Taggart starred in a two-way role. She’s another smart hitter who is low error and scores in a variety of ways. She’s also a steady setter who locates consistently. Ryan Sadler OH A5 15 Bob: Sadler continues to make us take notice. She’s hard to miss on the attack. She’s the one still hanging in the air and swinging as the blockers are coming down. Elle Mottola S WPVC 15 Armour Black: Mottola was a bright spot at the setting position and big reason WPVC was still in contention on the final day. She dishes well from anywhere on the court and puts her hitters in winnable positions. Sophia Stallworth MB WPVC 15 Armour Black: Like we said, middles were the name of the game with Stallworth’s name being called a lot whenever she’s across the front. She has a whip for an arm combined with hops and it makes her a difficult cover. *** Victoria Belfort L/DS Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Belfort was passing well out of serve receive. She also was digging and making plays to keep the rally alive. Mia Gold Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Gold was arguably the most lights-out outside in a gym full of big swingers. She was on fire for Tribe, slinging shots left and right with authority. Gigi Artiles OH Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Artiles, like Gold, has been mentioned previously for her standout play. The problem for her opponent is her big arm doesn’t go away. She can hit as hard as anyone there and it made for loud kills at times. Jenness Orcutt RS GP 15 Rox: Orcutt filled her role on the right side well. She came up with timely blocks and key kills, including a stuff and winner late to help GP close out its victory over Top Select. Alana Bailey MB Far Out 15 Black: Bailey flies under the radar compared to the other middles in the gym but she shouldn’t. She has tons of potential with her quickness and jumping ability. Meredith Martin L/DS Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Martin is a defensive rock, as she does not crack. She’s a steady passer and defender and makes unbelievable saves at times. Gabby DiVita OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: DiVita’s highlights were many. She’s a free-swinging outside who gets up, extends and ricochets shots down in a hurry. Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Nwabueze owns the net at times on both sides of the ball. She can power balls through, over or around blocks or frustrate with a well-placed tip. She can then turn around and cram a ball back in an attacker’s face on the block. Ella Andrews MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Andrews is also major weapon on both sides of the ball. She’s another strong blocker but she really excels on the attack. She has a next-level arm with her power and swing. Eva Long S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: I mentioned it before but the way Long competes is a joy to watch. She has a no-nonsense approach and dishes well to all spots as she knows how to get all her hitters involved. *** Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Hepler covers and moves very well around the court. She’s also an above-average passer and defender who brings a lot of passion to the lineup. Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Foster’s all-around game makes her a joy to watch. She does it all above average and she goes all out doing it, from laying out for a ball to getting off the ground and bashing balls. Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: With Miles, it can come front and back row equally well. She extends really well and has a loose arm to explode on balls with. Keoni Williams MB Skyline 15 Royal: The 6-4 Williams

On championship day, like 15 Open was Wednesday at AAUs in Orlando, just about every player who steps on the court could be featured or written about in one way or another. Teams don’t make it to the gold bracket without the contributions of many and that’s what makes it so challenging to select just 10 players for the Day 4 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 4 ALL RED HAT TEAM Amelia Mancino OH WPVC 15 Armour Black: It was a solid day for Winter Park, which swept Rev 15-1 Fuego before falling to Legacy 15-1 Adidas in the quarterfinals. Mancino was part of our Day 3 Show Stoppers. She’s an undersized pin who knows how to deliver against bigger blocks. She’s a feisty attacker, from swinging hard to blow blocks up or swiping off hands to cause frustration. She keyed WPVC’s close out of Rev, scoring three kills and a block late in Game 2. Reese Poerner OH Skyline 15 Royal: Poerner is a total gamer. She’s not the biggest or hardest hitter in the Skyline lineup, but she provides lots of value because of the way she allows for roster flexibility and more. She can play on the left or the right and Skyline was utilizing her on the former on Day 4. She also provides her share of offense and you know it’s frustrating to opponents that Skyline has yet another player who can deliver when called upon as she did reliably. Alia Schoonover MB Mintonette Sports m.51: I talked about the middle duos from Skyline, Legacy and Boiler Jrs – and for very good reason – earlier in the tournament and I would be remiss to not include the Mintonette pair here after their performance on Day 4. Schoonover is an offensive threat, capable of scoring in different ways, from the quick or getting out on the slide and letting loose. Defenses need to stay honest when she’s front row or else Mintonette is going to make them pay in system. Isabelle Thomas MB Mintonette Sports m.51: Thomas might not be the same threat offensively, but she changes the dynamic in the opposite way when she checks in. She’s a strong, physical blocker who is a wall at the net. She might not match other middles inch-for-inch, but she times her blocks well and was providing much-needed defense at the net for Mintonette. Taylor Clarke RS Skyline 15 Royal: Having a dominant right side is a game-changer and that’s why they next two made the cut. Clarke – a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2025 – is such a force across the front row with her ability to get up and blast balls. The lefty hits at ridiculous angles and causes so much stress on defenses to have to cover the whole court. Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Ward – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2027 – has already been on the All Red Hat Team this tourney but what can I say? She would be a marvel and force in 16 Open. With her length and jumping ability, she’s as much a next-level talent as anyone can be. At times, she’s a shut down blocker with the way she can swallow a ball up with her long arms. On the attack, good luck. She leaps effortlessly and has a rocket for an arm. It’s a lethol combination. Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: There were so many strong settting performances that any of them could have been written up here. Shondell – a 4-star recruit – has such great on-court demeanor and poise and that’s a big reason I’m going with her. She has total command of the offense and when in system Boiler Jrs is nearly impossible to slow. Madison Wehr S GP 15 Rox: GP fought off Top Select 15 Elite in three sets and then hung tough against Skyline before falling in the quarterfinals. Wehr showed her stuff in both matches. She ran a 5-1 against Top Select and was part of a 6-2 against Skyine. She’s a bit undersized compared to the other setters but she has nice hands and does well locating and connecting with all her hitters. Mallory Johnson L Far Out 15 Black: Far Out outlasted A5 15 Bob before running into Mintonette in the quarterfinals and getting swept. Johnson makes her second appearance on the All Red Hat Team. She’s such a smooth operator. She plays under total control. She never gets rattled and, as one opposing coach mentioned, always seems to be in the right spot. Emma Cugino L Mintonette Sports m.51: There were really good liberos not only competing in the gold bracket but in the tournament overall. Cugino stood above all. She’s a lights-out passer and defender. She’s steps ahead of the play and rarely gets caught out of position. She also plays with lots of fire and determination as she’s not backing down from the biggest hitters coming her way.

The wait? Worth it! It might have taken three days to get to the point where we were at Wednesday but the final day of competition in 15 Open at the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando is what dreams are made of! And I’m not even talking about this year’s national champion in Mintonette Sports m.51, which fended off the No. 1 team in the country in Skyline 15 Royal in three sets, 22-25, 25-23, 15-9, in the gold-medal match to end the tournament a perfect 11-0. There isn’t anyone who could have written a more entertaining, a more exciting script than the one that played out on Day 4 at the State Farm building on the campus on ESPN Wide World of Sports. Except for the fans of the 11 other competitors which did not get the golden ending produced by Mintonette, which is ranked No. 2 behind Skyline in our Top 50 National Rankings. That’s right. The championship match was a heavyweight bout between the top-two ranked teams in the country. And that wasn’t all! When the 15 Open division opened played four days ago, there were 15 teams from our Top 50 in contention. As for Wednesday’s 12-team gold bracket, 11 were from our Top 50 with Rev 15-1 Fuego the only unranked team of the bunch. There was that, and also the fact that of the 11 ranked teams, they were among the 13 highest-ranked teams in the field to start with. The two to miss out were No. 11 AP 15 Adidas and No. 30 Jupiter Elite 15E. The rest of the top teams were all on hand to begin the last day of play, which included previously-mentioned Skyline, Mintonette, No. 3 Boiler Jrs 15 Gold, No. 8 Legacy 15-1 Adidas, No. 19 Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal, No. 21 GP 15 Rox, No. 25 Tri-State Elite 15 Blue, No. 26 Far Out 15 Black, No. 28 WPVC 15 Armour Black, No. 33 Top Select 15 Elite and No. 36 A5 15 Bob. It took until the quarterfinals to finally see two of those squads lined up on different sides of the net from one another, as the lack of upsets kept most of the ranked teams apart the first three days. Mintonette did advance to the gold bracket in part by beating No. 11 AP on Day 3, but that was about it. The mega quarterfinal match Wednesday featured Boiler Jrs taking on Tribe. Boiler was pushed early on the round before by Tri-State Elite, which made Boiler work extra time before winning in three, 23-25, 25-13, 15-3. It was really at this point a trend developed, as Boiler-Tribe was the last of the quarterfinals to wrap up and produced another three-setter, the same as both semis and the final in what was a fairytale ending from a fan’s perspective. Boiler Jrs and Tribe was that match where you didn’t know what was going to happen, with the way each side could go on mini-spurts to change the momentum and score. Tribe led 21-15, 23-19 and 24-22 in the opening set but that didn’t prevent Boiler from tying it at 24 all before Tribe hung on. The second set was the reverse, with Boiler going ahead 24-20 before Tribe reeled off four straight points and was positioned for a sweep. But Tribe was called out of rotation on set point and a it was on to a third set, with Boiler closing it out, 24-26, 26-24, 15-9. The semifinal clashes both had their background stories. For Mintonette and Legacy, it was a trilogy meeting with both teams winning and losing once against each other so far this season. Mintonette took it to Legacy at Windy City only for Legacy to get revenge earlier this month at the JVA Summerfest. The third meeting delivered the set of the tournament! And it was the only reason Mintonette even was still around, having held off two match points in an epic overscore before eventually prevailing, 16-25, 36-34, 15-12. Mintonette had eight – yes eight! – chances to put Legacy down in set two before Legacy had its first look at victory leading 32-31. Legacy earned one more opportunity to put itself in the final and a chance to win 15 Open for the second consecutive season here in Orlando. However, Mintonette went back in front 34-33 before winning on a Legacy hitting error three points later. You know what they say, if at first your don’t succeed, try 10 more times. It worked for Mintonette in Game 2. The other semifinal was about payback. Back in February when Skyline captured the 15s championship at the Triple Crown NIT there was one team it lost to. Can you guess who that might have been? You got it! Boiler Jrs! Don’t’ think for a second that either side had forgotten what took place five months ago. We certainly didn’t. When Boiler let a lead slip away in Game 1 it looked like perhaps they were gassed from their victory over Tribe, but that was not it. Boiler Jrs settled down and played a strong second set, forcing a third and putting themselves that much closer to defending their 14 Open gold medal they took home a year ago here. Yet, Skyline was not having any of it in the final set, building an early lead and maintaining before ending it, 25-22, 19-25, 15-7. That brings us to the showdown between the top two teams in the country. It wasn’t a tricky match to figure out from an Xs and Os standpoint. If Mintonette didn’t serve tough and keep Skyline off the net it was going to be a short outing. With Mintonette struggling with its own ball control, it was not a close opening set. But as Mintonette settled and the passing picked up, so did its chances at winning the match. Skyline played behind for much of Game 2 but couldn’t quite catch Mintonette at the

And finally!! The one drawback of the AAU format is unless there are big-time upsets in pool play, we have to wait until the fourth and final day for the top teams to actually be on the same court together. Of the 12 teams remaining in gold-medal contention in 15 Open, four are ranked in our Top 10 in No. 1 Skyline 15 Royal, No. 2 Mintonette Sports m.51, No. 3 Boiler Jrs 15 Gold and No. 8 Legacy 15-1 Adidas. The quartet combined to go 12-0 without dropping a set Tuesday. The highest-ranked team eliminated was No. 11 AP 15 Adidas, which fell to both Mintonette and Top Select 15 Elite to finish 1-2. Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal, ranked No. 19, overcame an upset loss to MN Select 15-1 to still win its pool. Tribe downed WPVC 15 Armour Black head-to-head to win the pool outright. There was a lot of drama behind top-seeded Skyline in Pool 1. NE Elite 15 Phoenix, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue and SPVB 15 Elite ended in a three-way tie at 1-2. It was Tri-State catching the break and taking second. Tri-State Elite is ranked No. 25 in our Top 50 and avoided being the second-highest ranked team to not make the gold bracket. Instead, it was No. 30 Jupiter Elite 15E finishing in third in its pool and failing to advance. Here’s how the modified 12-team gold bracket looks for Wednesday:   The way the bracket is set up could lead to an epic chase for gold. If we could see the four teams ranked in the Top 10 all make the semifinals and go from there, that is the best-case scenario from a fan’s perspective. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Emmi Merhi MB Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Merhi fills her role well, providing offense when called upon and doing a fine job of getting her hands on balls. With the outside threat so dangerous, the is opportunity for Tribe to take advantage in the middle and that’s what they do with Merhi. Ashlyn Cobb RS Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Cobb is another who helps spread out the Tribe attack or at the very least gives another threat to think about on the pin. She has a good arm and is an aggressive attacker who pressures the defense by not tipping too much. Macy McAmis L/DS Jupiter Elite 15 E: McAmis goes all out in the back row and is all over the court in efforts to make plays and keep rallies going. She’s a steady passer who moves well. Bre Morgan MB Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: We featured the middle duos from Legacy and Skyline on Day 2 and this go around it’s the pair from Boiler Jrs. They are similar in how the handle the position. Morgan is a strong hitter who hits with authority and puts up a solid block. Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Resmer assures the middle spot never slows, as she’s another force at the net with her attacking and blocking. She moves well and hits with nice extension. She has a whippy arm and crushes balls. Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Shondell sets with such smarts and IQ is fun to watch. She has hitters all around her and when in system it is game on! She has a great hands and can locate any set she needs to deliver. She does a great job of getting her hitters one-on-one looks or even confusing defenders to the point no block is up. Sofia Guerrero-Wilson MB A5 15 Bob: Middle is a position of strength in 15 Open and Guerrero-Wilson has to be included in the reason why. She has unbelievable potential. She’s tall at 6-2 and has a cannon for an arm. Taylor Clarke RS Skyline 15 Royal: Clarke – part of the Class of 2025 – is like a cheat code. She hits at such crazy angles and has so much range defenses can’t cover it all. She closed out Skyline’s first victory of the day with back-to-back aces as well. Kiley Brooks L/DS Skyline 15 Royal: There is so much firepower on Skyline that the defensive side can get overlooked. But Brooks handles business in the back row with consistent passing. Gabi DiVita OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Legacy rolled on Day 3 in part with the attacking of DiVita. She’s a wirey outside who gets off the ground and lets it go with her fluid swing. Combined with her range of shots, she’s one of the top offensive options in the division. *** Brooklynne Brass OH SPVB 15 Elite: Sports Performance’s run ended but Brass did her part in trying to extend it. She’s a bit undersized but gets up and doesn’t hold back. She stays aggressive and doesn’t back down. Elle Mottola S WPVC 15 Armour Black: Mottola is among the top setters here. She’s smooth and dishes a clean ball consistently. She locates well with her soft hands and does well getting her hitters different looks. Sophia Stallworth MB WPVC 15 Armour Black: We featured Stallworth on Day 1 and could feature her every time we see her. She has a huge impact across the front row. She’s quick with a great arm and it makes her such a tough cover. Isabella Umpierre RS WPVC 15 Armour Black: Umpierre is a little undersized on the right side but the lefty is fearless. She has a really nice arm and jumps well. It leads to big kills at times. Amelia Mancino OH WPVC 15 Armour Black: Mancino is also a bit undersize but is a smart attacker who hits from various spots, including running combos. Kaela Jenkins MB Black Swamp 151: Jenkins plays a valuable role for Black Swamp. She changes the dynamic of the attack when she checks in. She hits hard and is someone defenses need to be ready for when in system. Alana Whitfield OH Illini Elite 15 Cardinal: Whitfield was another outside shouldering a