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Central Zone

Central Zone: Show Stoppers

January 30, 2025

Central Zone was packed with action, with the two days of play bringing incredible play and outstanding performances coming from everywhere. Below, we highlight those players we caught who stoodout the most to us. SHOW STOPPERS Gia Stokes MB Boiler Jrs 14 Gold: Stokes is a big-armed middle who owns the front row. Her powerful kills are a huge boost to the attack and can be deflating to teams on the other side of the net. Kenzie Conner L/DS Boiler Jrs 14 Gold: Among the shining lights for Boiler Jrs was the back-row play from Conner. She plays with a ton of energy and hustle and was getting after it defensively. Lexi Coleman OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Coleman is a force on offense. She has a very fast arm swing and generates plenty of pace with it. She can hit over, around or through blocks and it makes her a difficult matchup no matter the opponent. Stella Smith L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Another standout defensively was Smith. She’s a smooth operator in the back row. She plays with a lot of poise and confidence and her first touches with on target consistently. Mary Clayton MB AVC Cle 14 Red: Clayton is a difference maker in the front row. Her size and length impact both sides of the ball and changes the dynamic of the match. She proved to be an effective scorer. Mallory Rosa MB AVC Cle 14 Red: Rosa is a quick middle. She showed off a nice arm and gave AVC another option in the middle for defenses to be concerned about. Anna Smith OH Circle City 14 Purple: Smith was a key factor in the offense. She was able to give her team a reliable option on the outside and could score in a variety of ways. Rebecca Turley OH Alliance 14 Ren: Turley displayed what she can do. She was the go-to hitter for Alliance. She has a strong arm and was scoring from sideline to sideline. Alexandra Cannon RS Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Cannon stood out on the right side with a strong arm. She took aggressive swings and put pressure on the defense. Emersyn Robinson L/DS Team Indiana 14.1 Elite: Robinson was flying around the court and helping to keep her team in rallies. She was also consistent out of serve receive. Faith Benson OH MKE Sting 14 Gold: Benson took her share of swings for Sting. She’s a lanky outside with a nice arm who put balls away regularly. *** Natalie Tarkowski OH MKE Sting 14 Gold: Tarkowski was both fearless and relentless on the outside. She was taking big swings and going at blockers and not backing down. Kinley Yoder MB Elevation 14 Case: When it came to middles, Yoder was one of the best in the 14s division. She moves well at the net, puts up a strong block and was an effective offensive weapon when set. Laura Raines OH Elevation 14 Case: Raines brought a lot to the attack. She can swing it from the front or back row and has a strong arm to punish defenses with. Chyla Jukes OH 1st Alliance 14-1: Jukes flashed plenty of potential on the left side. She moves and jumps well and was taking strong swings. Audrey Utterback OH Circle City 15 Purple: A six-rotation contributor, Utterback played an integral role in Circle City winning the 15 Open division. She has a powerful arm that can be utilized front and back row and with it she brings a lot of firepower to the attack. Finley Smith MB Circle City 15 Purple: Smith looks poised for a big season. She was a real factor at the net and making plays on both sides of the ball while giving Circle City a lift at middle. Tegan Loechler S/RS MKE Sting 15 Gold: Loechler is another player who could be ready for a real breakout season. Taking on the role of setting and hitting this season, Loechler is a true impact player for her side. She has the length and reach to swing over blocks and a nice touch setting. Lauren Sheldon MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Sheldon is a heavy-armed middle whose physicality gives Legacy a real weapon across the front. She finished plenty of points with powerful kills. Isabella DeSensi L/DS Adidas KiVA 15 Red: KiVA’s run to the semifinals was boosted by the play of DeSensi. She showed to be a sharp defender with great first touches and effort plays. Kayleigh Rogers OH Adidas KiVA 15 Red: Rogers provided her share of offense. Whether front or back row defenses needed to stay on their toes. *** Kelsey Green S Elevation 15 Tony: Green did well using all her hitters and spreading the attack around. She has nice hands and was locating well. Eliana Ashley MB AVC Cle 15 Red: Count Ashley among the middles who left her mark in Indy. Ashley was pounding winners down with force and simply overpowering the defense at times. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski’s two-way contributions are a big part of NKYVC does. She’s a smart player, both with her hitting and setting. She brings a lot to the court with her skill level. Marlie Smith S Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Smith did a fantastic job directing the attack and making plays beyond setting up her hitters. She moves the ball around with ease and keeps the defense guessing as to where she’s going. Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Ockerman is an impact middle. Her ability to get out and run the slide opens up the attack. She’s also a strong blocker who can give her team lift defensively. Kyla Williams MB AVC Cle 16 Red: Another standout middle, Williams’ reach and length at the net is imposing on both sides of the ball. She can extend way up and swing over blocks while sending balls straight down. Payton Beard OH AVC Cle 16 Red: Beard brings power to the lineup. She’s a hard-swinging, big-hitting outside

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Central Zone: 14 Open All Red Hat Team

February 6, 2024

Our last item when it comes our coverage of the Central Zone Invitational is releasing the 14 Open All Red Hat Team. We’ve already put out the Day 1 and Day 2 Show Stoppers, as well as the Gold Medal Rundown. Below, we wrap up with the All Red Hat Team for 14 Open. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring the players who made us take the most notice among the teams which finished in the Top 12. 17 Open All Red Hat Team  16 Open All Red Hat Team 15 Open All Red Hat Team  14 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Vanessa Mancini Circle City 14 Purple Audrey Utterback Circle City 14 Purple Grace Regula AVC Cle 14 Red Eva Clevenger Munciana 14 Chipmunks Taylor McKenzie Adidas KiVA 14 Red Kayleigh Rogers Adidas KiVA 14 Red Avery Brannon Elevation 14 Molly Lauren Sheldon Legacy 14-1 Adidas Isabelle Haas NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami Syliva Flood MKE Sting 14 Gold Tegan Loechler MKE Sting 14 Gold MIDDLE BLOCKERS Ariana Hueter Boss Cle 14-1 Ja’maria Jackson Munciana 14 Chipmunks Abbie Powell Munciana 14 Chipmunks Sadie Ellis Elevation 14 Molly Mia Schmitt Elevation 14 Molly Lauren Williams Tri-State Elite 14 Blue SETTERS Charlee Groninger Circle City 14 Purple Kaylie Liepins AVC Cle 14 Red Kelsey Green Elevation 14 Molly Payton Woodruff Legacy 14-1 Adidas Lucy Waleskowski NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami Madelyn Keipert NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami Avary Brown Mintonette Sports m.41 LIBEROS/DSs Stella Hamood Circle City 14 Purple Lola Loncar AVC Cle 14 Red Brooke Neale Munciana 14 Chipmunks Ashlyn Pelon Legacy 14-1 Adidas Kenadi Sieg NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami Carsyn Chitty Mintonette Sports m.41 Maggie Timmerman Tri-State Elite 14 Blue

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Central Zone: 15 Open All Red Hat Team

February 6, 2024

It’s time for us to present our All Red Hat Team for 15 Open from the Central Zone Invitational this past weekend at the Indianapolis Convention Center. If you haven’t already checked out the Gold Medal Rundown, Day 1 Show Stoppers and Day 2 Show Stoppers, you can do so by clicking the links. Below, we present the All Red Hat Team for 15 Open. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring the players who made us take the most notice among the teams which finished in the Top 12. 17 Open All Red Hat Team  16 Open All Red Hat Team 14 Open All Red Hat Team 15 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Calli LeFevre Legacy 15-1 Adidas Kate Kalcynski Legacy 15-1 Adidas Sophia Smith Legacy 15-1 Adidas Morgan Meiring Elevation 15 Tony Maisie Jones Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Makenna Meibers Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Brooke Codey Adidas KiVA 15 Red Lilah Anthony Adidas KiVA 15 Red Lola Waleskowski NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami Taylor Frey MAVA Adidas 15 Select Allison Riegling MAVA Adidas 15 Select MIDDLE BLOCKERS Cynthia Ockerman Legacy 15-1 Adidas Jillian Turvey Elevation 15 Tony Charley Moeddel Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Carsyn Comer Munciana 15 Blue Emily Poteraj Adidas KiVA 15 Red Macy Armstrong NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami Lilly Tierney NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami SETTERS Marlie Smith Legacy 15-1 Adidas Kendall Hubbard Elevation 15 Tony Abby Keller Elevation 15 Tony London Evans Munciana 15 Blue Jacqueline Katuska NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami LIBEROS/DSs Ali Strange Elevation 15 Tony Lindsey Curless Elevation 15 Tony Francesca Hansel Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Lyndsey Robinson Munciana 15 Blue Addison Knapke Mintonette Sports m.51 Rylee Jewell NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami

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Central Zone: 16 Open All Red Hat Team

February 6, 2024

In continuing concluding our coverage of the Central Zone Invitational, we turn to the release of our 16 Open All Red Hat Team. You can catch up on the Gold Medal Rundown, Day 1 Show Stoppers and Day 2 Show Stoppers. Below, we present the All Red Hat Team for 16 Open. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring the players who made us take the most notice among the teams which finished in the Top 12. 17 Open All Red Hat Team 15 Open All Red Hat Team 14 Open All Red Hat Team 16 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Grace Portwood NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Sidney Sprada Elevation 16 Goller Layla Hoying Mintonette Sports m.61 Sara Snowbarger Mintonette Sports m.61 Mallory Pike TVC 16 Black Cali Foster Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Caroline Ward Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Marlee Sivak MKE Sting 16 Gold Alicia Beers MKE Sting 16 Gold Brooklynne Brass SPVB 16 Elite Abigail Knight SPVB 16 Elite Lydia Stahley Team Indiana 16 Elite Gabby Divita Legacy 16-1 Adidas MaryKate Scheumann Team Pineapple 16 Black MIDDLE BLOCKERS Audrey Dyas NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Sydney Geselbrecht Elevation 16 Goller Alia Schoonover Mintonette Sports m.61 Reese Resmer Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cassidy Cage SPVB 16 Elite Elli Strecker Team Indiana 16 Elite Ella Andrews Legacy 16-1 Adidas Kayla Nwabueze Legacy 16-1 Adidas SETTERS Makenna Kirlin Elevation 16 Goller Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m.61 Hayden Rodriguez TVC 16 Black Lexi Shondell Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Brooke Baldwin MKE Sting 16 Gold Ellie Stiernagle SPVB 16 Elite Anabelle Schembra Team Indiana 16 Elite Eva Long Legacy 16-1 Adidas Sophia Gisslen Team Pineapple 16 Black LIBEROS/DSs Emma Frietch NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Ellie Hepler Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cassidy Bruns MKE Sting 16 Gold Reagan Turk Team Indiana 16 Elite Meredith Martin Legacy 16-1 Adidas Cala Haffner Team Pineapple 16 Black

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Central Zone: 17 Open All Red Hat Team

February 6, 2024

Part of our wrap-up coverage of the Central Zone Invitational this past weekend at the Indianapolis Convention Center features the release of our All Red Hat Team, starting with 17 Open. In case you missed it, you can check out the Gold Medal Rundown, Day 1 Show Stoppers and Day 2 Show Stoppers. Below, we present the All Red Hat Team for 17 Open. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring the players who made us take the most notice among the teams which finished in the Top 12. 16 Open All Red Hat Team 15 Open All Red Hat Team 14 Open All Red Hat Team 17 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Bailey Blair Adidas KiVA 17 Red Marie Laurio Legacy 17-1 Adidas Jessica Costlow Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Izzy Busignani Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Gabriella Babinski Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Madison Quest MKE Sting 17 Gold Delaney Steers Academy 17 Tsunami Logan Bell Circle City 17 Purple Luci Heid Tri-State Elite 17 Blue MIDDLE BLOCKERS Addison Makun Adidas KiVA 17 Red Olivia Grenadier Legacy 17-1 Adidas Gabriella Pitcel MKE Sting 17 Gold Reese Dunkle Circle City 17 Purple SETTERS Isabela Haggard Adidas KiVA 17 Red Campbell Flynn Legacy 17-1 Adidas Annabelle Groomes AVC Cle 17 Red Ava Hunter Circle City 17 Purple LIBEROS/DSs Kristen Simon Adidas KiVA 17 Red Avery Freeman Circle City 17 Purple Sakura Codling Tri-State Elite 17 Blue McKenna Payne Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Devin Dzienny Legacy 17-1 Adidas

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Central Zone: Day 2 Show Stoppers

February 5, 2024

The Central Zone Invitational wrapped up on Sunday at the Indianapolis Convention Center. The tournament was just two days but it contained enough energy and excitement that it felt much longer. You can catch up on how the event played out here. Below, we note the players who stood out the most to us with our Day 2 Show Stoppers. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Stella Hamood L/DS Circle City 14 Purple: Hamood played a key role in Circle City taking home the 14 Open gold medal. Her passing was smooth and sharp and she kept plenty of rallies going with her strong digging. Audrey Utterback OH Circle City 14 Purple: Utterback adds an explosive element to the attack. She’s a legit threat anywhere on the court with her power and ability to unload. Blaine Adams RS Circle City 14 Purple: Adams is a wirey right side who helps balance out the attack. She’s a quick jumper and can beat blockers before they are squared up. Kaylie Liepins S AVC Cle 14 Red: One of Liepins’ strength is she sets a really clean ball. She rarely puts up a bad ball for her hitters. Lola Loncar L/DS AVC Cle 14 Red: Loncar was another standout defender. She was solid out of serve receive and displayed the tools to keep her side in the rally. Grace Regula OH AVC Cle 14 Red: When it comes to providing punch to the offense, Regula checks that box and then some. She has a fast arm swing and hits with lots of pace. Ja’maria Jackson MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Part of Munciana’s success is being able to utilize its middle attack effectively. Jackson is one half of the equation. She gets off the ground in a hurry and it causes timing problems for the blockers. Abbie Powell MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Powell fills outs the middle attack for Munciana. She brings a strong arm to the front row and sends down big kills. Taylor McKenzie OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: KiVA looks to its outside to deliver a large share of the offense and both fill their roles well. McKenzie is a quicker attack and uses her speed to her advantage. Kayleigh Rogers OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Rogers balances out the left side attack. She extends nicely and does well taking aggressive swings and challenging the block. *** Sadie Ellis MB Elevation 14 Molly: Ellis was another effective middle. She’s strong offensively with the variety of ways she can beat defenses, including taking swings from the right side. Lauren Sheldon OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Sheldon has a lively arm and can really connect when the opportunity presents itself. She puts a lot of pressure on the defense to defend her. Payton Woodruff S Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Woodruff does a nice job locating and moving the ball around when in system. Ariana Hueter MB Boss Cle 14-1: Boss had a great run to the semifinals. Hueter showed her scoring prowess and she delivered time and time again when her number was called. Kenadi Sieg L/DS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Sieg is a really active libero. She flies around the court and was making plays all over. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski was a Day 1 Show Stopper as well. She’s a difference maker with her two-way contributions and using her size to her advantage. Alexis Steinhauser RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: A lefty right side, Steinhauser has a solid arm and did well exploiting the gaps in the block in front of her. Lyndsey Robinson L/DS Munciana 15 Blue: Munciana pushed its way through to the semifinals in part because of the defensive edge supplied by Robinson. She’s a quick defender who doesn’t back down. Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 15 Blue: Comer’s power arm supplies a different level of offense. She’s a physical hitter who can overpower blockers and crush winners consistent. Makenna Meibers OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Meibers showed up well in her role. She’s an aggressive attacker who was taking big swings and going for it when she could. *** Maisie Jones OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Jones is another strong outside for Tri-State who contributes as a six-rotation. She’s a smart attacker who can hurt defenses in multiple ways. Addison Knapke L/DS Mintonette Sports m.51: Knapke showcased her defensive prowess, making plays in the back row and passing well in serve receive. Lola Waleskowski OH NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski is an integral part of the attack. She’s a strong hitter who is adept at tooling blocks or hitting around them. Macy Armstrong MB NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Armstrong made an impact in the middle with her knack for scoring and being able to get touches on balls. Ali Strange L/DS Elevation 15 Tony: Strange showed up strong in the back row. She reacts and covers well in addition to extending rallies. Morgan Meiring OH Elevation 15 Tony: Meiring is a six-rotation workhorse. She can swing it from the front or back row and helped hold down the offense. Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Ockerman is a play-maker on both sides of the ball. She’s a physical presence who can lift her team with a big kill or monster block. Marlie Smith S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Smith is a quick setter who does a nice job getting her feet to the ball and mixing up her sets and location. Kate Kalczynski OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Kalczynski is developing at a sharp rate. After an impressive high school campaign, she’s carried it over to club where she’s showing off her whip for an arm. Legacy moves her around too, keeping defenses guessing as to where she might take her next swing from. Calli LeFevre OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: LeFevre is a solid all-around outside who brings a ton of energy and spirit to the lineup. She’s a heady attacker who can hurt defenses with well-placed shots. *** Audrey Dyas MB NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami: Dyas is more than a handful. She brings size

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Central Zone: Gold Medal Rundown

February 5, 2024

Representing an early-season test, the Central Zone Invitational brought many of the Midwest powerhouse clubs together for two days of competition at the Indiana Convention Center. The host club – Circle City – found success in 14 Open, capturing the gold medal after sweeping AVC Cle 14 Red in the championship match and finishing the weekend 8-0. There is sure to be plenty of fluxation in our 14s National Rankings when we update them next. For the time being, Circle City entered Central Zone sitting at No. 17. There were five teams ranked ahead, including AVC at No. 11. For the most part, all fared relatively well. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami held the highest ranking at No. 6 and finished tied for fifth after going 5-1. NKYVC fell to Munciana 14 Chipmunks in gold pool play, as Muncie went on to tie for third with Boss Cle 14-1. Boss was the only team not ranked to finish in the Top 8. Muncie, meanwhile, entered weekend play at No. 21. Both No. 13 Elevation 14 Molly and No. 15 Legacy 14-1 Adidas tied for fifth as well, with each going 5-1 over the two days. Mintonette Sports m.41, ranked No. 14, also went 5-1 but tied for ninth. Elevation, Mintonette and AVC shared an all-Ohio gold pool Sunday morning and finished in a three-way tie at 1-1. Mintonette lost to AVC for its only tournament setback. Mintonette managed to hand Elevation its only loss while Legacy lost a three-setter to Boss to miss out on the semis. Rounding at the top eight was No. 25 KiVA 14 Red, which went 3-3 overall. All but Circle City and Boss will be back together in a couple weeks at the Triple Crown NIT in Kansas City, along with No. 26 MKE Sting 14 Gold which tied for ninth at Central Zone. The most topsy-turvy division proved to be 16 Open. While the field featured highly-ranked teams in No. 4 Mintonette Sports m.61, No. 5 Legacy 16-1 Adidas and No. 8 Boiler Jrs 16 Gold, none were around for the championship clash. That meeting came down to No. 12 Elevation 16 Goller and No. 16 NKYVC 16-1 Tsnunami, with NKYVC prevailing in three sets. One of the biggest surprises was unranked TVC 16 Black tying for third with Mintonette. On an interesting side note, Mintonette hosted a 16s training day the Sunday before Central Zone at its facility in Columbus. Other clubs to participate beyond Mintonette included NKYVC, Elevation and TVC, the top four finishers this weekend coincidentally. Boiler Jrs wound up tied for fifth, along with No. 30 MKE Sting 16 Gold, No. 43 SPVB 16 Elite and unranked Team Indiana 16 Elite, which upset No. 21 Team Pineapple 16 Black in the Round of 16. TVC’s run was propelled by its upset over Legacy in the Round of 16. It was Adidas KiVA 17 Red coming out on top in 17 Open. KiVA lost to Legacy 17-1 Adidas during power pool play on Day 1 and the two sides found themselves on opposites sides of the net once more in the championship match. KiVA earned payback by pulling out a tight sweep, 25-23, 25-23, to end the weekend 7-1. Legacy, which lost to Mich Elite 17 Mizuno on Day 1, finished 6-2. Mich Elite and MKE Sting 17 Gold tied for third, both going 6-1. Once more, our Top 50 rankings held up decent. KiVA came in ranked No. 15 overall, behind both No. 6 MKE Sting and No. 7 Mich Elite. AVC Cle 17 Red, which is ranked No. 11, tied for fifth after going 3-3. Legacy sits at No. 24 overall, behind No. 18 Circle City 17 Purple, which tied for fifth. Tri-State Elite 17 Blue, ranked No. 45, also tied for fifth, along with unranked Academy 17 Tsunami. Mintonette Sports m.71, at No. 46, was the only ranked team to miss out on the Top 8 after going 3-3 and tying for ninth. As for 15 Open, Legacy 15-1 Adidas swept its way past Elevation 15 Tony in the championship match. It just so happened those were the two highest ranked teams in our Top 50, with Legacy at No. 7 and Elevation at No. 3. Munciana 15 Blue and Tri-State Elite 15 Blue tied for third. Munciana was the third-highest ranked team in the field, coming in at No. 26. Tri-State wasn’t far behind at No. 31. Two teams in between at No. 29 KiVA 15 Red and No. 30 Mintonette Sports m.51 tied for fifth, along No. 39 NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami and unranked MKE Sting 15 Gold.

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Central Zone: Day 1 Show Stoppers and More

February 3, 2024

The different format for 15, 16 and 17 Open at the Central Zone Invitational made for an incredible Day 1 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. That’s because it allowed for the top teams to get together in the afternoon while fighting for seeding in the 16-team gold bracket set for Day 2. While 14 and 18 Open uses a more traditional format, those divisions also provided their share of excitement as two rounds of pool play left teams competing for a spot in the gold bracket as well. There were no shocking results in that all the top seeds made it through and remain in contention on Day 2. The closest thing came with Rock City 16-1 downing Tri-State Elite 16 Blue and eliminating Tri-State from contention. However, there were big-time slugfests all-around produced by the modified power pool format. One example were two top contenders in 16 Open in Mintonette Sports m.61 and Legacy 16-1 Adidas facing off. Legacy survived that one in three, 23-25, 29-27, 15-10. Another high-level 16 Open encounter saw Team Pineapple 16 Black fending off Boiler Jrs 16 Gold, 25-14, 22-25, 18-16. Team Pineapple then swept NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami, 26-24, 25-20. There was also a 17 Open clash between MKE Sting 17 Gold and Circle City 17 Purple. Sting prevailed in three, 25-19, 20-25, 15-9. In the other power pool, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno downed Legacy 17-1 Adidas, 17-25 25-18, 15-9. In 15 Open, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue went toe-to-toe with Legacy 15-1 Adidas and earned the sweep, 25-17, 27-25. Munciana 15 Blue also had a great Day 1, capping it off by sweeping Elevation 15 Tony, 25-23, 25-23. Most of the drama on Day 1 centered around not the power pools but the play-in pools. Teams not making the power pools had to fight to stay alive by winning a three-team pool to make the 16-team gold bracket. In 17 Open, teams like NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami and Mintonette Sports m.71 took advantage to remain in contention. In 16 Open, we mentioned Rock City coming through. Other clubs earning a spot in the gold bracket included Elevation 16 Goller, Rev 16-1 Fury, Adidas KiVA 16 Red and Team Indiana 16 Elite. Circle City 15 Purple, Mintonette Sports m.51, Michio Chicago 15 National and MKE Sting 15 Gold earned spots by winning their three-team pool in 15 Open. The way 14 Open went was different, as two rounds of pool play led to one more round of pool play Sunday morning before breaking out into a four-team gold bracket. It sets up an exciting morning as clubs like Circle City 14 Purple, NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami, Elevation 14 Molly, Legacy 14-1 Adidas and more are still in the hunt. As for 18 Open, two rounds of pool play Saturday set up the gold bracket for Day 2. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue took over the No. 1 seed from SPVB 18 Elite. Adidas KiVA 18 Red starts Sunday as the No. 2 seed. Others alive include SPVB 18 Elite, Circle City 18 Purple, Union 18 UA Black, Team Pineapple 18 Black, SPVB 18 Kahl, Team Indiana 18 Elite and Circle City 18 Black. *** Below, we highlight the individuals who made us take notice the most with their outstanding play Saturday and feature them in our Day 1 Show Stoppers. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Kelsey Green S Elevation 14 Molly: Green is a smooth disher with a soft touch and clean release. She’s also steady with her location. Avery Brannon RS Elevation 14 Molly: Brannon brings plenty of offense when she’s front row. She uses her height to her advantage, going over blocks. She also moves around, taking swings out of the middle. Abbie Powell MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: There was a different dynamic to the attack with Powell in the front. She has a solid arm and was delivering with consistency when called upon. Brooke Neale L/DS Munciana 14 Chipmunks: There was lots of defense being played all over and Neale was included in it. She was passing dimes out of serve receive and controlling the ball well. Vanessa Mancini OH Circle City 14 Purple: Mancini brings size and power to the attack. She carries a big arm and thundered shots to the ground. Audrey Utterback OH Circle City 14 Purple: A six-rotation outside, Utterback is another key cog in the offense. She has a strong arm and swings front and back row. Lauren Doney OH Pursuit 14 Elite: Doney was another six-rotation standout. She’s the go-to hitter and for good reason. She has a solid swing and can really connect. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski is an up-and-coming player. Her length is an attribute in her two-way role setting and hitting. She does a nice job delivering consistently to her hitters and can also turn around and swing for points. Tegan Loechler RS MKE Sting 14 Gold: Loechler was among the 14s standout who also has lots of size to impact the match with. She extends well and it allows her to hit over blocks on the regular. Ashlyn Pelon L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Pelon brought a defensive edge to the lineup with her steady passing and putting balls on target. *** Lola Loncar L/DS AVC Cle 14 Red: Loncar was also a defender who caught our eye with her on-point deliveries and hustle keeping rallies alive. Grace Regula OH AVC Cle 14 Red: Regula was impressing with her quick arm and ability to rip shots from sideline to sideline. Carsyn Chitty L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41: Chitty brings tons of energy to the court. She’s a vocal defender and was doing well keeping plays alive. Lauren Williams MB Tri-State Elite 14 Blue: Williams is a lanky middle with a knack for scoring. She’s a legit threat when the team is in system and defenses need to be ready. Jillian Turvey MB Elevation 15 Tony: Turvey was a factor in the middle with her ability to impact play on both sides of the ball

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Central Zone Preview and Predictions

February 1, 2024

Usually played at the end of January, this year’s edition of the Central Zone Invitational takes place during the first weekend of February. While the dates have changed, the level of competition has not. It’s an early-season slugfest for those involved as the tournament features many nationally-ranked clubs throughout the 14-18s age groups. Below, we highlight each Open division in those ages with players to watch, a brief outlook and predictions as to which clubs will walk away with a gold medal. 18 OPEN Number of Teams: 18 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (3): 22. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue OH 29. KiVA 18 Red KY 34. Circle City 18 Purple IN   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Morgan Gaerte OH Team Pineapple 18 Black IN (Notre Dame)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Ayen Nhial MB KiVA 18 Red (James Madison)   Outlook: The 18 Open division is the smallest of our featured age groups with just 18 teams. Part of the reason is teams that chase USAV Open bids are not participating like they did a year ago, and that has left the field reduced for 2024. However, one big addition comes in the form of Sports Performance, which brought its top two 18s programs. Another difference with the 18s is they are playing a more traditional format, beginning with six, three-team pools. The teams face two rounds of pool play on Day 1 in hopes of making the gold bracket on Day 2. Prediction: We are watching for KiVA to win it all, beating Sports Performance in the final. Tri-State Elite and Circle City tie for third place. *** 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 32 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (9): 6. MKE Sting 17 Gold WI 7. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno MI 11. AVC Cle 17 Red OH 15. KiVA 17 Red KY 18. Circle City 17 Purple IN 24. Legacy 17-1 Adidas MI 40. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami KY 45. Tri-State 17 Elite Blue OH 46. Mintonette Sports m.71 OH   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Kristen Simon L/DS KiVA 17 Red (Wisconsin) Addison Makun MB KiVA 17 Red (Louisville) Campbell Flynn S Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Nebraska) Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Annabelle Groomes S/RS AVC Cle 17 Red (San Diego)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Gabriella Pitcel MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Illinois) Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Michigan State) Emma Koceja OH MKE Sting 17 Gold Emma Parks OH AVC Cle 17 Red (Marquette) Kayla Dunlap MB TPV 17 Maverick (Vanderbilt) Rebecca Ring OH VC United 17 Elite (NC State) Ava Tilden OH NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Xavier) Riley McCloskey OH/RS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Memphis) Reese Dunkle MB Circle City 17 Purple (Northwestern) Logan Bell OH Circle City 17 Purple (Oregon) Katie Gielas OH Elevation 17 Cabo (FGCU) Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (Cincinnati) Sienna Fry OH Summit 17 Blue (2026)   Outlook: The 17 Open division has its share of firepower among the 32-team field. First though, let’s talk a little about the format. It’s a lot different than normal as teams begin in one of eight, four-team brackets. The winners of each four-team bracket move into power pools and play for seeding on Day 2, which features a 16-team gold bracket. The rest of the teams go into one of eight, three-team play-in pools. The winners of each play-in pool also advance to the 16-team gold bracket Sunday. Leading the way is MKE Sting, which is coming off a third-place finish at Northern Lights last weekend where the club clinched its 17 Open bid for Nationals. Also in the field last weekend were Mich Elite and NKYVC. Host club Circle City is one to watch for, as is KiVA and AVC. Legacy is capable of doing damage, while Tri-State could certainly play the role of spoiler. Prediction: We’ll see how much teams who played last weekend have in the tank for Central Zone. While we fully expect MKE Sting and Mich Elite to be in the mix, we are taking Circle City over KiVA in the final. AVC and MKE Sting earn the bronzes. *** 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 32 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (13): 4. Mintonette Sports m.61 OH 5. Legacy 16-1 Adidas MI 8. Boiler Jrs 16 Gold IN 12. Elevation 16 Goller OH 16. NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami KY 18. Tri-State Elite 16 Blue OH 19. AVC Cle 16 Red OH 21. Team Pineapple 16 Black IN 30. MKE Sting 16 Gold WI 40. Rev 16-1 Fury IN 41. KiVA 16 Red KY 43. SPVB 16 Elite IL 50. Circle City 16 Purple IN   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas Gabby Divita OH Legacy 16-1 Adidas Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.61 Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold (2027)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Lily Bosworth MB Illini Elite 16 Cardinal Kendall Northern MB/RS Elevation 16 Goller Sydney Geselbracht MB Elevation 16 Goller Sidney Sprada OH Elevation 16 Goller Cala Haffner L/DS Team Pineapple 16 Black Lydia Stahley OH Team Indiana 16 Elite Cassidy Bruns L/DS MKE Sting 16 Gold Margaret Czajka OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Marlee Sivak OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Ella Andrews MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas Meredith Martin L/DS Legacy 16-1 Adidas Mallory Matheny S Mintonette Sports m.61 Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports m.61 Audrey Dyas MB NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Addison Haberthy S Circle City 16 Purple   Outlook: With 13 of the 32 teams appearing in our Top 50 National Rankings, 16 Open is the premier division of the weekend. It’s the same format as 17 Open, with clubs opening up in one of eight, four-team brackets and ultimately playing to make the 16-team gold bracket on Day 2. The depth should lead

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Central Zone: Day 2 Show Stoppers

January 31, 2023

It was a jammed-packed weekend at the Central Zone Invitational in Indianapolis, with Sunday’s conclusion delivering its share of entertaining performances and efforts. We were there taking notice and it led to the list below, or what we call our Day 2 Show Stoppers. Abby Vander Wal OH 1st Alliance 16 Gold – Vander Wal – a 5-star recruit – was back at it on Day 2. If there was a thought that her dominating Day 1 came against lower-seeded competition, she was an equal force against other top teams in the field. At 6-3, she’s had the length but the power she has added this season is remarkable! Hannah Kenny S 1st Alliance 16 Gold – A 3-star recruit, Kenny is feisty and full of fight! She’s a terrific player who dishes well. She’s can also be deceptive at times. Keira Lucas OH Circle City 16 Purple – Lucas – a 3-star recruit – had a solid performance Sunday, helping Circle City to the silver medal in 16 Open. She was a reliable scoring option, showing her smarts in not trying to do too much and finding different ways to score. Reese Dunkle MB Circle City 16 Purple – The 6-3 Dunkle is active at the net. A 3-star recruit, she’s also very energetic with a knack for scoring. Ava Hunter S Circle City 16 Purple – Hunter is a 3-star recruit who joined Circle City this year and is fitting right in. She’s a smooth deliverer and her location is rarely off. Ella Craggs S Mich Elite 16 Mizuno – Craggs is a solid setter who connects well with her hitters. A 3-star recruit, she has added pieces to work with this season and she does well keeping everyone involved when the team is passing well. Billie Reiter S MKE Sting 16 Gold – Reiter – a 3-star recruit – sets effortlessly. She puts up a clean ball and puts her hitters in good positions. Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 16 Gold – Durst – a 3-star recruit – was tough to put a ball down on. She was making plays in extending rallies and keeping her team in the point. Emma Koceja OH MKE Sting 16 Gold – The big strength of Sting comes with the outside duo, which includes the 3-star recruit and 6-0 Koceja. She can find the open space or tool blocks consistently and always gives Sting someone to go to in the front row. Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 16 Gold – Quest – a 4-star outside – is simply impressive. At 6-3, she’s long and can really extend. It allows her to hit at sharper angles and really pressure the defense with her pace as well. Ally Hughes S Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – A 3-star recruit, Hughes did a great job running the offense and putting her hitters in favorable positions. She showed a soft release and sound placement as well. Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports m.51 – It was a strong Day 2 for Hoying, a 3-star recruit. She displayed her all-around game, scoring in the front and playing defense in the back. Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports m.51 – With Snowbarger, a 3-star recruit, filling out the leftside duo, Mintonette is never hurting for a front row attacker who can deliver on a consistent basis. She can let it fly and put away big kills. Alia Schoonover MB Mintonette Sports m.51 – Schoonover – a 5-11 middle – could have had her own highlight reel from Sunday. She was coming through time and time again with loud kills! Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.51 – Cugino is a gritty libero who owns the back row. She’s a sound passer and doesn’t miss her mark often. Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m. 51 – Matheny – a 3-star recruit is another reason Mintonette prevailed in 15 Open. She’s a smooth dishing setter who does well mixing it up and adjusting to what the defense is doing. Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – A 4-star recruit, Foster is a true six-rotation outside with strong ball control skills. She sees the court well and has a variety of shots to throw at defenses.   Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – Ward – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2027 – is an impactful player on the right side. She’s long and gets in the way of opposing attackers. She’s also a real offensive threat and capable of bouncing balls straight down when the block is late. Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – Hepler is a 4-star recruit and as steady and as consistent as they come in the back. She’s scrappy and she covers well for touches and tips. Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – Shondell – a 4-star recruit – has firm command of the offense. Boiler Jrs has options in every rotation and Shondell knows how to take advantage of them. Ella Grimes L/DS Elevation 15 Tony – We wrote about Grimes – a 3-star recruit – on Day 1 and she continued to standout in a big way on Day 2. Her jump serve is a weapon and helps her team go on scoring runs. She’s a wall in the back row as well. Sidney Sprada OH Elevation 15 Tony – Sprada – a 3-star recruit – has taken big strides from last year. She’s added a few inches both to her frame and jump and she was a force all weekend long. She gets up and bangs and she’s reason why Elevation is a medal contender this summer.   Sydney Geselbracht MB Elevation 15 Tony – A strength of Elevation comes in the middle. One half is Geselbracht, a 3-star recruit who is really fun to watch running the slide. She has a whippy arm and can let it go when it’s there. Grace Herzog MB Elevation 15 Tony – Herzog is the other half of the Elevation middle

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Central Zone: Show Stoppers

January 30, 2025

Central Zone was packed with action, with the two days of play bringing incredible play and outstanding performances coming from everywhere. Below, we highlight those players we caught who stoodout the most to us. SHOW STOPPERS Gia Stokes MB Boiler Jrs 14 Gold: Stokes is a big-armed middle who owns the front row. Her powerful kills are a huge boost to the attack and can be deflating to teams on the other side of the net. Kenzie Conner L/DS Boiler Jrs 14 Gold: Among the shining lights for Boiler Jrs was the back-row play from Conner. She plays with a ton of energy and hustle and was getting after it defensively. Lexi Coleman OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Coleman is a force on offense. She has a very fast arm swing and generates plenty of pace with it. She can hit over, around or through blocks and it makes her a difficult matchup no matter the opponent. Stella Smith L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Another standout defensively was Smith. She’s a smooth operator in the back row. She plays with a lot of poise and confidence and her first touches with on target consistently. Mary Clayton MB AVC Cle 14 Red: Clayton is a difference maker in the front row. Her size and length impact both sides of the ball and changes the dynamic of the match. She proved to be an effective scorer. Mallory Rosa MB AVC Cle 14 Red: Rosa is a quick middle. She showed off a nice arm and gave AVC another option in the middle for defenses to be concerned about. Anna Smith OH Circle City 14 Purple: Smith was a key factor in the offense. She was able to give her team a reliable option on the outside and could score in a variety of ways. Rebecca Turley OH Alliance 14 Ren: Turley displayed what she can do. She was the go-to hitter for Alliance. She has a strong arm and was scoring from sideline to sideline. Alexandra Cannon RS Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Cannon stood out on the right side with a strong arm. She took aggressive swings and put pressure on the defense. Emersyn Robinson L/DS Team Indiana 14.1 Elite: Robinson was flying around the court and helping to keep her team in rallies. She was also consistent out of serve receive. Faith Benson OH MKE Sting 14 Gold: Benson took her share of swings for Sting. She’s a lanky outside with a nice arm who put balls away regularly. *** Natalie Tarkowski OH MKE Sting 14 Gold: Tarkowski was both fearless and relentless on the outside. She was taking big swings and going at blockers and not backing down. Kinley Yoder MB Elevation 14 Case: When it came to middles, Yoder was one of the best in the 14s division. She moves well at the net, puts up a strong block and was an effective offensive weapon when set. Laura Raines OH Elevation 14 Case: Raines brought a lot to the attack. She can swing it from the front or back row and has a strong arm to punish defenses with. Chyla Jukes OH 1st Alliance 14-1: Jukes flashed plenty of potential on the left side. She moves and jumps well and was taking strong swings. Audrey Utterback OH Circle City 15 Purple: A six-rotation contributor, Utterback played an integral role in Circle City winning the 15 Open division. She has a powerful arm that can be utilized front and back row and with it she brings a lot of firepower to the attack. Finley Smith MB Circle City 15 Purple: Smith looks poised for a big season. She was a real factor at the net and making plays on both sides of the ball while giving Circle City a lift at middle. Tegan Loechler S/RS MKE Sting 15 Gold: Loechler is another player who could be ready for a real breakout season. Taking on the role of setting and hitting this season, Loechler is a true impact player for her side. She has the length and reach to swing over blocks and a nice touch setting. Lauren Sheldon MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Sheldon is a heavy-armed middle whose physicality gives Legacy a real weapon across the front. She finished plenty of points with powerful kills. Isabella DeSensi L/DS Adidas KiVA 15 Red: KiVA’s run to the semifinals was boosted by the play of DeSensi. She showed to be a sharp defender with great first touches and effort plays. Kayleigh Rogers OH Adidas KiVA 15 Red: Rogers provided her share of offense. Whether front or back row defenses needed to stay on their toes. *** Kelsey Green S Elevation 15 Tony: Green did well using all her hitters and spreading the attack around. She has nice hands and was locating well. Eliana Ashley MB AVC Cle 15 Red: Count Ashley among the middles who left her mark in Indy. Ashley was pounding winners down with force and simply overpowering the defense at times. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski’s two-way contributions are a big part of NKYVC does. She’s a smart player, both with her hitting and setting. She brings a lot to the court with her skill level. Marlie Smith S Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Smith did a fantastic job directing the attack and making plays beyond setting up her hitters. She moves the ball around with ease and keeps the defense guessing as to where she’s going. Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Ockerman is an impact middle. Her ability to get out and run the slide opens up the attack. She’s also a strong blocker who can give her team lift defensively. Kyla Williams MB AVC Cle 16 Red: Another standout middle, Williams’ reach and length at the net is imposing on both sides of the ball. She can extend way up and swing over blocks while sending balls straight down. Payton Beard OH AVC Cle 16 Red: Beard brings power to the lineup. She’s a hard-swinging, big-hitting outside

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Central Zone: 14 Open All Red Hat Team

February 6, 2024

Our last item when it comes our coverage of the Central Zone Invitational is releasing the 14 Open All Red Hat Team. We’ve already put out the Day 1 and Day 2 Show Stoppers, as well as the Gold Medal Rundown. Below, we wrap up with the All Red Hat Team for 14 Open. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring the players who made us take the most notice among the teams which finished in the Top 12. 17 Open All Red Hat Team  16 Open All Red Hat Team 15 Open All Red Hat Team  14 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Vanessa Mancini Circle City 14 Purple Audrey Utterback Circle City 14 Purple Grace Regula AVC Cle 14 Red Eva Clevenger Munciana 14 Chipmunks Taylor McKenzie Adidas KiVA 14 Red Kayleigh Rogers Adidas KiVA 14 Red Avery Brannon Elevation 14 Molly Lauren Sheldon Legacy 14-1 Adidas Isabelle Haas NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami Syliva Flood MKE Sting 14 Gold Tegan Loechler MKE Sting 14 Gold MIDDLE BLOCKERS Ariana Hueter Boss Cle 14-1 Ja’maria Jackson Munciana 14 Chipmunks Abbie Powell Munciana 14 Chipmunks Sadie Ellis Elevation 14 Molly Mia Schmitt Elevation 14 Molly Lauren Williams Tri-State Elite 14 Blue SETTERS Charlee Groninger Circle City 14 Purple Kaylie Liepins AVC Cle 14 Red Kelsey Green Elevation 14 Molly Payton Woodruff Legacy 14-1 Adidas Lucy Waleskowski NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami Madelyn Keipert NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami Avary Brown Mintonette Sports m.41 LIBEROS/DSs Stella Hamood Circle City 14 Purple Lola Loncar AVC Cle 14 Red Brooke Neale Munciana 14 Chipmunks Ashlyn Pelon Legacy 14-1 Adidas Kenadi Sieg NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami Carsyn Chitty Mintonette Sports m.41 Maggie Timmerman Tri-State Elite 14 Blue

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Central Zone: 15 Open All Red Hat Team

February 6, 2024

It’s time for us to present our All Red Hat Team for 15 Open from the Central Zone Invitational this past weekend at the Indianapolis Convention Center. If you haven’t already checked out the Gold Medal Rundown, Day 1 Show Stoppers and Day 2 Show Stoppers, you can do so by clicking the links. Below, we present the All Red Hat Team for 15 Open. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring the players who made us take the most notice among the teams which finished in the Top 12. 17 Open All Red Hat Team  16 Open All Red Hat Team 14 Open All Red Hat Team 15 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Calli LeFevre Legacy 15-1 Adidas Kate Kalcynski Legacy 15-1 Adidas Sophia Smith Legacy 15-1 Adidas Morgan Meiring Elevation 15 Tony Maisie Jones Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Makenna Meibers Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Brooke Codey Adidas KiVA 15 Red Lilah Anthony Adidas KiVA 15 Red Lola Waleskowski NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami Taylor Frey MAVA Adidas 15 Select Allison Riegling MAVA Adidas 15 Select MIDDLE BLOCKERS Cynthia Ockerman Legacy 15-1 Adidas Jillian Turvey Elevation 15 Tony Charley Moeddel Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Carsyn Comer Munciana 15 Blue Emily Poteraj Adidas KiVA 15 Red Macy Armstrong NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami Lilly Tierney NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami SETTERS Marlie Smith Legacy 15-1 Adidas Kendall Hubbard Elevation 15 Tony Abby Keller Elevation 15 Tony London Evans Munciana 15 Blue Jacqueline Katuska NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami LIBEROS/DSs Ali Strange Elevation 15 Tony Lindsey Curless Elevation 15 Tony Francesca Hansel Tri-State Elite 15 Blue Lyndsey Robinson Munciana 15 Blue Addison Knapke Mintonette Sports m.51 Rylee Jewell NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami

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Central Zone: 16 Open All Red Hat Team

February 6, 2024

In continuing concluding our coverage of the Central Zone Invitational, we turn to the release of our 16 Open All Red Hat Team. You can catch up on the Gold Medal Rundown, Day 1 Show Stoppers and Day 2 Show Stoppers. Below, we present the All Red Hat Team for 16 Open. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring the players who made us take the most notice among the teams which finished in the Top 12. 17 Open All Red Hat Team 15 Open All Red Hat Team 14 Open All Red Hat Team 16 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Grace Portwood NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Sidney Sprada Elevation 16 Goller Layla Hoying Mintonette Sports m.61 Sara Snowbarger Mintonette Sports m.61 Mallory Pike TVC 16 Black Cali Foster Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Caroline Ward Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Marlee Sivak MKE Sting 16 Gold Alicia Beers MKE Sting 16 Gold Brooklynne Brass SPVB 16 Elite Abigail Knight SPVB 16 Elite Lydia Stahley Team Indiana 16 Elite Gabby Divita Legacy 16-1 Adidas MaryKate Scheumann Team Pineapple 16 Black MIDDLE BLOCKERS Audrey Dyas NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Sydney Geselbrecht Elevation 16 Goller Alia Schoonover Mintonette Sports m.61 Reese Resmer Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cassidy Cage SPVB 16 Elite Elli Strecker Team Indiana 16 Elite Ella Andrews Legacy 16-1 Adidas Kayla Nwabueze Legacy 16-1 Adidas SETTERS Makenna Kirlin Elevation 16 Goller Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m.61 Hayden Rodriguez TVC 16 Black Lexi Shondell Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Brooke Baldwin MKE Sting 16 Gold Ellie Stiernagle SPVB 16 Elite Anabelle Schembra Team Indiana 16 Elite Eva Long Legacy 16-1 Adidas Sophia Gisslen Team Pineapple 16 Black LIBEROS/DSs Emma Frietch NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Ellie Hepler Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cassidy Bruns MKE Sting 16 Gold Reagan Turk Team Indiana 16 Elite Meredith Martin Legacy 16-1 Adidas Cala Haffner Team Pineapple 16 Black

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Central Zone: 17 Open All Red Hat Team

February 6, 2024

Part of our wrap-up coverage of the Central Zone Invitational this past weekend at the Indianapolis Convention Center features the release of our All Red Hat Team, starting with 17 Open. In case you missed it, you can check out the Gold Medal Rundown, Day 1 Show Stoppers and Day 2 Show Stoppers. Below, we present the All Red Hat Team for 17 Open. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring the players who made us take the most notice among the teams which finished in the Top 12. 16 Open All Red Hat Team 15 Open All Red Hat Team 14 Open All Red Hat Team 17 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Bailey Blair Adidas KiVA 17 Red Marie Laurio Legacy 17-1 Adidas Jessica Costlow Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Izzy Busignani Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Gabriella Babinski Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Madison Quest MKE Sting 17 Gold Delaney Steers Academy 17 Tsunami Logan Bell Circle City 17 Purple Luci Heid Tri-State Elite 17 Blue MIDDLE BLOCKERS Addison Makun Adidas KiVA 17 Red Olivia Grenadier Legacy 17-1 Adidas Gabriella Pitcel MKE Sting 17 Gold Reese Dunkle Circle City 17 Purple SETTERS Isabela Haggard Adidas KiVA 17 Red Campbell Flynn Legacy 17-1 Adidas Annabelle Groomes AVC Cle 17 Red Ava Hunter Circle City 17 Purple LIBEROS/DSs Kristen Simon Adidas KiVA 17 Red Avery Freeman Circle City 17 Purple Sakura Codling Tri-State Elite 17 Blue McKenna Payne Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Devin Dzienny Legacy 17-1 Adidas

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Central Zone: Day 2 Show Stoppers

February 5, 2024

The Central Zone Invitational wrapped up on Sunday at the Indianapolis Convention Center. The tournament was just two days but it contained enough energy and excitement that it felt much longer. You can catch up on how the event played out here. Below, we note the players who stood out the most to us with our Day 2 Show Stoppers. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Stella Hamood L/DS Circle City 14 Purple: Hamood played a key role in Circle City taking home the 14 Open gold medal. Her passing was smooth and sharp and she kept plenty of rallies going with her strong digging. Audrey Utterback OH Circle City 14 Purple: Utterback adds an explosive element to the attack. She’s a legit threat anywhere on the court with her power and ability to unload. Blaine Adams RS Circle City 14 Purple: Adams is a wirey right side who helps balance out the attack. She’s a quick jumper and can beat blockers before they are squared up. Kaylie Liepins S AVC Cle 14 Red: One of Liepins’ strength is she sets a really clean ball. She rarely puts up a bad ball for her hitters. Lola Loncar L/DS AVC Cle 14 Red: Loncar was another standout defender. She was solid out of serve receive and displayed the tools to keep her side in the rally. Grace Regula OH AVC Cle 14 Red: When it comes to providing punch to the offense, Regula checks that box and then some. She has a fast arm swing and hits with lots of pace. Ja’maria Jackson MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Part of Munciana’s success is being able to utilize its middle attack effectively. Jackson is one half of the equation. She gets off the ground in a hurry and it causes timing problems for the blockers. Abbie Powell MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: Powell fills outs the middle attack for Munciana. She brings a strong arm to the front row and sends down big kills. Taylor McKenzie OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: KiVA looks to its outside to deliver a large share of the offense and both fill their roles well. McKenzie is a quicker attack and uses her speed to her advantage. Kayleigh Rogers OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red: Rogers balances out the left side attack. She extends nicely and does well taking aggressive swings and challenging the block. *** Sadie Ellis MB Elevation 14 Molly: Ellis was another effective middle. She’s strong offensively with the variety of ways she can beat defenses, including taking swings from the right side. Lauren Sheldon OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Sheldon has a lively arm and can really connect when the opportunity presents itself. She puts a lot of pressure on the defense to defend her. Payton Woodruff S Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Woodruff does a nice job locating and moving the ball around when in system. Ariana Hueter MB Boss Cle 14-1: Boss had a great run to the semifinals. Hueter showed her scoring prowess and she delivered time and time again when her number was called. Kenadi Sieg L/DS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Sieg is a really active libero. She flies around the court and was making plays all over. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski was a Day 1 Show Stopper as well. She’s a difference maker with her two-way contributions and using her size to her advantage. Alexis Steinhauser RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: A lefty right side, Steinhauser has a solid arm and did well exploiting the gaps in the block in front of her. Lyndsey Robinson L/DS Munciana 15 Blue: Munciana pushed its way through to the semifinals in part because of the defensive edge supplied by Robinson. She’s a quick defender who doesn’t back down. Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 15 Blue: Comer’s power arm supplies a different level of offense. She’s a physical hitter who can overpower blockers and crush winners consistent. Makenna Meibers OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Meibers showed up well in her role. She’s an aggressive attacker who was taking big swings and going for it when she could. *** Maisie Jones OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Jones is another strong outside for Tri-State who contributes as a six-rotation. She’s a smart attacker who can hurt defenses in multiple ways. Addison Knapke L/DS Mintonette Sports m.51: Knapke showcased her defensive prowess, making plays in the back row and passing well in serve receive. Lola Waleskowski OH NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski is an integral part of the attack. She’s a strong hitter who is adept at tooling blocks or hitting around them. Macy Armstrong MB NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Armstrong made an impact in the middle with her knack for scoring and being able to get touches on balls. Ali Strange L/DS Elevation 15 Tony: Strange showed up strong in the back row. She reacts and covers well in addition to extending rallies. Morgan Meiring OH Elevation 15 Tony: Meiring is a six-rotation workhorse. She can swing it from the front or back row and helped hold down the offense. Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Ockerman is a play-maker on both sides of the ball. She’s a physical presence who can lift her team with a big kill or monster block. Marlie Smith S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Smith is a quick setter who does a nice job getting her feet to the ball and mixing up her sets and location. Kate Kalczynski OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Kalczynski is developing at a sharp rate. After an impressive high school campaign, she’s carried it over to club where she’s showing off her whip for an arm. Legacy moves her around too, keeping defenses guessing as to where she might take her next swing from. Calli LeFevre OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: LeFevre is a solid all-around outside who brings a ton of energy and spirit to the lineup. She’s a heady attacker who can hurt defenses with well-placed shots. *** Audrey Dyas MB NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami: Dyas is more than a handful. She brings size

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Central Zone: Gold Medal Rundown

February 5, 2024

Representing an early-season test, the Central Zone Invitational brought many of the Midwest powerhouse clubs together for two days of competition at the Indiana Convention Center. The host club – Circle City – found success in 14 Open, capturing the gold medal after sweeping AVC Cle 14 Red in the championship match and finishing the weekend 8-0. There is sure to be plenty of fluxation in our 14s National Rankings when we update them next. For the time being, Circle City entered Central Zone sitting at No. 17. There were five teams ranked ahead, including AVC at No. 11. For the most part, all fared relatively well. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami held the highest ranking at No. 6 and finished tied for fifth after going 5-1. NKYVC fell to Munciana 14 Chipmunks in gold pool play, as Muncie went on to tie for third with Boss Cle 14-1. Boss was the only team not ranked to finish in the Top 8. Muncie, meanwhile, entered weekend play at No. 21. Both No. 13 Elevation 14 Molly and No. 15 Legacy 14-1 Adidas tied for fifth as well, with each going 5-1 over the two days. Mintonette Sports m.41, ranked No. 14, also went 5-1 but tied for ninth. Elevation, Mintonette and AVC shared an all-Ohio gold pool Sunday morning and finished in a three-way tie at 1-1. Mintonette lost to AVC for its only tournament setback. Mintonette managed to hand Elevation its only loss while Legacy lost a three-setter to Boss to miss out on the semis. Rounding at the top eight was No. 25 KiVA 14 Red, which went 3-3 overall. All but Circle City and Boss will be back together in a couple weeks at the Triple Crown NIT in Kansas City, along with No. 26 MKE Sting 14 Gold which tied for ninth at Central Zone. The most topsy-turvy division proved to be 16 Open. While the field featured highly-ranked teams in No. 4 Mintonette Sports m.61, No. 5 Legacy 16-1 Adidas and No. 8 Boiler Jrs 16 Gold, none were around for the championship clash. That meeting came down to No. 12 Elevation 16 Goller and No. 16 NKYVC 16-1 Tsnunami, with NKYVC prevailing in three sets. One of the biggest surprises was unranked TVC 16 Black tying for third with Mintonette. On an interesting side note, Mintonette hosted a 16s training day the Sunday before Central Zone at its facility in Columbus. Other clubs to participate beyond Mintonette included NKYVC, Elevation and TVC, the top four finishers this weekend coincidentally. Boiler Jrs wound up tied for fifth, along with No. 30 MKE Sting 16 Gold, No. 43 SPVB 16 Elite and unranked Team Indiana 16 Elite, which upset No. 21 Team Pineapple 16 Black in the Round of 16. TVC’s run was propelled by its upset over Legacy in the Round of 16. It was Adidas KiVA 17 Red coming out on top in 17 Open. KiVA lost to Legacy 17-1 Adidas during power pool play on Day 1 and the two sides found themselves on opposites sides of the net once more in the championship match. KiVA earned payback by pulling out a tight sweep, 25-23, 25-23, to end the weekend 7-1. Legacy, which lost to Mich Elite 17 Mizuno on Day 1, finished 6-2. Mich Elite and MKE Sting 17 Gold tied for third, both going 6-1. Once more, our Top 50 rankings held up decent. KiVA came in ranked No. 15 overall, behind both No. 6 MKE Sting and No. 7 Mich Elite. AVC Cle 17 Red, which is ranked No. 11, tied for fifth after going 3-3. Legacy sits at No. 24 overall, behind No. 18 Circle City 17 Purple, which tied for fifth. Tri-State Elite 17 Blue, ranked No. 45, also tied for fifth, along with unranked Academy 17 Tsunami. Mintonette Sports m.71, at No. 46, was the only ranked team to miss out on the Top 8 after going 3-3 and tying for ninth. As for 15 Open, Legacy 15-1 Adidas swept its way past Elevation 15 Tony in the championship match. It just so happened those were the two highest ranked teams in our Top 50, with Legacy at No. 7 and Elevation at No. 3. Munciana 15 Blue and Tri-State Elite 15 Blue tied for third. Munciana was the third-highest ranked team in the field, coming in at No. 26. Tri-State wasn’t far behind at No. 31. Two teams in between at No. 29 KiVA 15 Red and No. 30 Mintonette Sports m.51 tied for fifth, along No. 39 NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami and unranked MKE Sting 15 Gold.

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Central Zone: Day 1 Show Stoppers and More

February 3, 2024

The different format for 15, 16 and 17 Open at the Central Zone Invitational made for an incredible Day 1 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. That’s because it allowed for the top teams to get together in the afternoon while fighting for seeding in the 16-team gold bracket set for Day 2. While 14 and 18 Open uses a more traditional format, those divisions also provided their share of excitement as two rounds of pool play left teams competing for a spot in the gold bracket as well. There were no shocking results in that all the top seeds made it through and remain in contention on Day 2. The closest thing came with Rock City 16-1 downing Tri-State Elite 16 Blue and eliminating Tri-State from contention. However, there were big-time slugfests all-around produced by the modified power pool format. One example were two top contenders in 16 Open in Mintonette Sports m.61 and Legacy 16-1 Adidas facing off. Legacy survived that one in three, 23-25, 29-27, 15-10. Another high-level 16 Open encounter saw Team Pineapple 16 Black fending off Boiler Jrs 16 Gold, 25-14, 22-25, 18-16. Team Pineapple then swept NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami, 26-24, 25-20. There was also a 17 Open clash between MKE Sting 17 Gold and Circle City 17 Purple. Sting prevailed in three, 25-19, 20-25, 15-9. In the other power pool, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno downed Legacy 17-1 Adidas, 17-25 25-18, 15-9. In 15 Open, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue went toe-to-toe with Legacy 15-1 Adidas and earned the sweep, 25-17, 27-25. Munciana 15 Blue also had a great Day 1, capping it off by sweeping Elevation 15 Tony, 25-23, 25-23. Most of the drama on Day 1 centered around not the power pools but the play-in pools. Teams not making the power pools had to fight to stay alive by winning a three-team pool to make the 16-team gold bracket. In 17 Open, teams like NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami and Mintonette Sports m.71 took advantage to remain in contention. In 16 Open, we mentioned Rock City coming through. Other clubs earning a spot in the gold bracket included Elevation 16 Goller, Rev 16-1 Fury, Adidas KiVA 16 Red and Team Indiana 16 Elite. Circle City 15 Purple, Mintonette Sports m.51, Michio Chicago 15 National and MKE Sting 15 Gold earned spots by winning their three-team pool in 15 Open. The way 14 Open went was different, as two rounds of pool play led to one more round of pool play Sunday morning before breaking out into a four-team gold bracket. It sets up an exciting morning as clubs like Circle City 14 Purple, NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami, Elevation 14 Molly, Legacy 14-1 Adidas and more are still in the hunt. As for 18 Open, two rounds of pool play Saturday set up the gold bracket for Day 2. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue took over the No. 1 seed from SPVB 18 Elite. Adidas KiVA 18 Red starts Sunday as the No. 2 seed. Others alive include SPVB 18 Elite, Circle City 18 Purple, Union 18 UA Black, Team Pineapple 18 Black, SPVB 18 Kahl, Team Indiana 18 Elite and Circle City 18 Black. *** Below, we highlight the individuals who made us take notice the most with their outstanding play Saturday and feature them in our Day 1 Show Stoppers. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Kelsey Green S Elevation 14 Molly: Green is a smooth disher with a soft touch and clean release. She’s also steady with her location. Avery Brannon RS Elevation 14 Molly: Brannon brings plenty of offense when she’s front row. She uses her height to her advantage, going over blocks. She also moves around, taking swings out of the middle. Abbie Powell MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: There was a different dynamic to the attack with Powell in the front. She has a solid arm and was delivering with consistency when called upon. Brooke Neale L/DS Munciana 14 Chipmunks: There was lots of defense being played all over and Neale was included in it. She was passing dimes out of serve receive and controlling the ball well. Vanessa Mancini OH Circle City 14 Purple: Mancini brings size and power to the attack. She carries a big arm and thundered shots to the ground. Audrey Utterback OH Circle City 14 Purple: A six-rotation outside, Utterback is another key cog in the offense. She has a strong arm and swings front and back row. Lauren Doney OH Pursuit 14 Elite: Doney was another six-rotation standout. She’s the go-to hitter and for good reason. She has a solid swing and can really connect. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski is an up-and-coming player. Her length is an attribute in her two-way role setting and hitting. She does a nice job delivering consistently to her hitters and can also turn around and swing for points. Tegan Loechler RS MKE Sting 14 Gold: Loechler was among the 14s standout who also has lots of size to impact the match with. She extends well and it allows her to hit over blocks on the regular. Ashlyn Pelon L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Pelon brought a defensive edge to the lineup with her steady passing and putting balls on target. *** Lola Loncar L/DS AVC Cle 14 Red: Loncar was also a defender who caught our eye with her on-point deliveries and hustle keeping rallies alive. Grace Regula OH AVC Cle 14 Red: Regula was impressing with her quick arm and ability to rip shots from sideline to sideline. Carsyn Chitty L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41: Chitty brings tons of energy to the court. She’s a vocal defender and was doing well keeping plays alive. Lauren Williams MB Tri-State Elite 14 Blue: Williams is a lanky middle with a knack for scoring. She’s a legit threat when the team is in system and defenses need to be ready. Jillian Turvey MB Elevation 15 Tony: Turvey was a factor in the middle with her ability to impact play on both sides of the ball

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Central Zone Preview and Predictions

February 1, 2024

Usually played at the end of January, this year’s edition of the Central Zone Invitational takes place during the first weekend of February. While the dates have changed, the level of competition has not. It’s an early-season slugfest for those involved as the tournament features many nationally-ranked clubs throughout the 14-18s age groups. Below, we highlight each Open division in those ages with players to watch, a brief outlook and predictions as to which clubs will walk away with a gold medal. 18 OPEN Number of Teams: 18 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (3): 22. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue OH 29. KiVA 18 Red KY 34. Circle City 18 Purple IN   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Morgan Gaerte OH Team Pineapple 18 Black IN (Notre Dame)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Ayen Nhial MB KiVA 18 Red (James Madison)   Outlook: The 18 Open division is the smallest of our featured age groups with just 18 teams. Part of the reason is teams that chase USAV Open bids are not participating like they did a year ago, and that has left the field reduced for 2024. However, one big addition comes in the form of Sports Performance, which brought its top two 18s programs. Another difference with the 18s is they are playing a more traditional format, beginning with six, three-team pools. The teams face two rounds of pool play on Day 1 in hopes of making the gold bracket on Day 2. Prediction: We are watching for KiVA to win it all, beating Sports Performance in the final. Tri-State Elite and Circle City tie for third place. *** 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 32 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (9): 6. MKE Sting 17 Gold WI 7. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno MI 11. AVC Cle 17 Red OH 15. KiVA 17 Red KY 18. Circle City 17 Purple IN 24. Legacy 17-1 Adidas MI 40. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami KY 45. Tri-State 17 Elite Blue OH 46. Mintonette Sports m.71 OH   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Kristen Simon L/DS KiVA 17 Red (Wisconsin) Addison Makun MB KiVA 17 Red (Louisville) Campbell Flynn S Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Nebraska) Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Annabelle Groomes S/RS AVC Cle 17 Red (San Diego)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Gabriella Pitcel MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Illinois) Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Michigan State) Emma Koceja OH MKE Sting 17 Gold Emma Parks OH AVC Cle 17 Red (Marquette) Kayla Dunlap MB TPV 17 Maverick (Vanderbilt) Rebecca Ring OH VC United 17 Elite (NC State) Ava Tilden OH NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Xavier) Riley McCloskey OH/RS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Memphis) Reese Dunkle MB Circle City 17 Purple (Northwestern) Logan Bell OH Circle City 17 Purple (Oregon) Katie Gielas OH Elevation 17 Cabo (FGCU) Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (Cincinnati) Sienna Fry OH Summit 17 Blue (2026)   Outlook: The 17 Open division has its share of firepower among the 32-team field. First though, let’s talk a little about the format. It’s a lot different than normal as teams begin in one of eight, four-team brackets. The winners of each four-team bracket move into power pools and play for seeding on Day 2, which features a 16-team gold bracket. The rest of the teams go into one of eight, three-team play-in pools. The winners of each play-in pool also advance to the 16-team gold bracket Sunday. Leading the way is MKE Sting, which is coming off a third-place finish at Northern Lights last weekend where the club clinched its 17 Open bid for Nationals. Also in the field last weekend were Mich Elite and NKYVC. Host club Circle City is one to watch for, as is KiVA and AVC. Legacy is capable of doing damage, while Tri-State could certainly play the role of spoiler. Prediction: We’ll see how much teams who played last weekend have in the tank for Central Zone. While we fully expect MKE Sting and Mich Elite to be in the mix, we are taking Circle City over KiVA in the final. AVC and MKE Sting earn the bronzes. *** 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 32 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (13): 4. Mintonette Sports m.61 OH 5. Legacy 16-1 Adidas MI 8. Boiler Jrs 16 Gold IN 12. Elevation 16 Goller OH 16. NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami KY 18. Tri-State Elite 16 Blue OH 19. AVC Cle 16 Red OH 21. Team Pineapple 16 Black IN 30. MKE Sting 16 Gold WI 40. Rev 16-1 Fury IN 41. KiVA 16 Red KY 43. SPVB 16 Elite IL 50. Circle City 16 Purple IN   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas Gabby Divita OH Legacy 16-1 Adidas Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.61 Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold (2027)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Lily Bosworth MB Illini Elite 16 Cardinal Kendall Northern MB/RS Elevation 16 Goller Sydney Geselbracht MB Elevation 16 Goller Sidney Sprada OH Elevation 16 Goller Cala Haffner L/DS Team Pineapple 16 Black Lydia Stahley OH Team Indiana 16 Elite Cassidy Bruns L/DS MKE Sting 16 Gold Margaret Czajka OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Marlee Sivak OH MKE Sting 16 Gold Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Ella Andrews MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas Meredith Martin L/DS Legacy 16-1 Adidas Mallory Matheny S Mintonette Sports m.61 Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports m.61 Audrey Dyas MB NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Addison Haberthy S Circle City 16 Purple   Outlook: With 13 of the 32 teams appearing in our Top 50 National Rankings, 16 Open is the premier division of the weekend. It’s the same format as 17 Open, with clubs opening up in one of eight, four-team brackets and ultimately playing to make the 16-team gold bracket on Day 2. The depth should lead

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Central Zone: Day 2 Show Stoppers

January 31, 2023

It was a jammed-packed weekend at the Central Zone Invitational in Indianapolis, with Sunday’s conclusion delivering its share of entertaining performances and efforts. We were there taking notice and it led to the list below, or what we call our Day 2 Show Stoppers. Abby Vander Wal OH 1st Alliance 16 Gold – Vander Wal – a 5-star recruit – was back at it on Day 2. If there was a thought that her dominating Day 1 came against lower-seeded competition, she was an equal force against other top teams in the field. At 6-3, she’s had the length but the power she has added this season is remarkable! Hannah Kenny S 1st Alliance 16 Gold – A 3-star recruit, Kenny is feisty and full of fight! She’s a terrific player who dishes well. She’s can also be deceptive at times. Keira Lucas OH Circle City 16 Purple – Lucas – a 3-star recruit – had a solid performance Sunday, helping Circle City to the silver medal in 16 Open. She was a reliable scoring option, showing her smarts in not trying to do too much and finding different ways to score. Reese Dunkle MB Circle City 16 Purple – The 6-3 Dunkle is active at the net. A 3-star recruit, she’s also very energetic with a knack for scoring. Ava Hunter S Circle City 16 Purple – Hunter is a 3-star recruit who joined Circle City this year and is fitting right in. She’s a smooth deliverer and her location is rarely off. Ella Craggs S Mich Elite 16 Mizuno – Craggs is a solid setter who connects well with her hitters. A 3-star recruit, she has added pieces to work with this season and she does well keeping everyone involved when the team is passing well. Billie Reiter S MKE Sting 16 Gold – Reiter – a 3-star recruit – sets effortlessly. She puts up a clean ball and puts her hitters in good positions. Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 16 Gold – Durst – a 3-star recruit – was tough to put a ball down on. She was making plays in extending rallies and keeping her team in the point. Emma Koceja OH MKE Sting 16 Gold – The big strength of Sting comes with the outside duo, which includes the 3-star recruit and 6-0 Koceja. She can find the open space or tool blocks consistently and always gives Sting someone to go to in the front row. Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 16 Gold – Quest – a 4-star outside – is simply impressive. At 6-3, she’s long and can really extend. It allows her to hit at sharper angles and really pressure the defense with her pace as well. Ally Hughes S Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – A 3-star recruit, Hughes did a great job running the offense and putting her hitters in favorable positions. She showed a soft release and sound placement as well. Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports m.51 – It was a strong Day 2 for Hoying, a 3-star recruit. She displayed her all-around game, scoring in the front and playing defense in the back. Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports m.51 – With Snowbarger, a 3-star recruit, filling out the leftside duo, Mintonette is never hurting for a front row attacker who can deliver on a consistent basis. She can let it fly and put away big kills. Alia Schoonover MB Mintonette Sports m.51 – Schoonover – a 5-11 middle – could have had her own highlight reel from Sunday. She was coming through time and time again with loud kills! Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.51 – Cugino is a gritty libero who owns the back row. She’s a sound passer and doesn’t miss her mark often. Mallory Matheny Mintonette Sports m. 51 – Matheny – a 3-star recruit is another reason Mintonette prevailed in 15 Open. She’s a smooth dishing setter who does well mixing it up and adjusting to what the defense is doing. Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – A 4-star recruit, Foster is a true six-rotation outside with strong ball control skills. She sees the court well and has a variety of shots to throw at defenses.   Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – Ward – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2027 – is an impactful player on the right side. She’s long and gets in the way of opposing attackers. She’s also a real offensive threat and capable of bouncing balls straight down when the block is late. Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – Hepler is a 4-star recruit and as steady and as consistent as they come in the back. She’s scrappy and she covers well for touches and tips. Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – Shondell – a 4-star recruit – has firm command of the offense. Boiler Jrs has options in every rotation and Shondell knows how to take advantage of them. Ella Grimes L/DS Elevation 15 Tony – We wrote about Grimes – a 3-star recruit – on Day 1 and she continued to standout in a big way on Day 2. Her jump serve is a weapon and helps her team go on scoring runs. She’s a wall in the back row as well. Sidney Sprada OH Elevation 15 Tony – Sprada – a 3-star recruit – has taken big strides from last year. She’s added a few inches both to her frame and jump and she was a force all weekend long. She gets up and bangs and she’s reason why Elevation is a medal contender this summer.   Sydney Geselbracht MB Elevation 15 Tony – A strength of Elevation comes in the middle. One half is Geselbracht, a 3-star recruit who is really fun to watch running the slide. She has a whippy arm and can let it go when it’s there. Grace Herzog MB Elevation 15 Tony – Herzog is the other half of the Elevation middle

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