Free Article of the Week

It was a busy two-week stretch, as we hosted Elite ID Clinics on both the East and West coasts. The first stop featured traveling to Miami and was hosted by Miami Volleyball Academy. The second stop was this past weekend and was held at Tstreet in Irvine. Below, we highlight standout performers from both clinics. TSTREET2024Avery Fearnley OH NNV 18 Jason: Fearnley is a crafty hitter who showed a nice range of shots and ability to score in a different ways. 2025Gracie Armato S NorCal 17 Black: Armato was among the standout setters with her play. She has a smooth touch, locates well and can spread the ball around. She can also hit on the right. Mikaela Brennan OH/RS TStreet 17 Predeny: Brennan has nice length and a solid arm. She unloaded at times which showed her upside. Kailya Ndiaye MB Tstreet 17 Predney: Ndiaye is long and had the ability to impact play on both sides of the ball. Samantha Bayardo L/DS Oasis 18s National: Bayardo is a hard worker who covers the court well and extended rallies. Veronica Estrada L/DS Forza1 North 17 National: Estrada is a defender who you can tell is going all out all the time because of her hustle and effort she puts forth. Madison McPherson S/RS Tstreet IE 18-1: McPherson was not only setting well she was doing a nice job of making plays defensively too. 2026Jaslene Massey RS Tstreet 16-1: Massey is an athletic pin who jumps well and hits hard. She has a lot of upside as she continues to develop and gain experience. Addison Williams OH Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar: Williams is a hard-swinging outside who also plays beach. She showed a wide variety of shots and a high IQ. Blair Gardiner S SoCal VBC 16-1: Gardiner moves well and also plays sound defense. Casandra Doll OH Tstreet 16 Katie: Doll was coming with it on the attack. She’s an aggressive hitter with a nice arm and plenty of upside. Nessa Nyblade S Surfside 16 Legends Hayley: Nyblade is a vocal setter with great energy. She was setting well and putting up hittable balls. Abigail Garland L/DS Tstreet 16 Adam: Garland is quick and was flying around the court. Brighton Richards L/DS Forza1 16 One: Richards was another standout libero. She was doing a solid job in both passing and making hustle plays. 2027Charlotte Hall OH/RS Seal Beach 15 Black: Hall has a solid arm and was bringing it on both pins. Blake Borgquist OH/MB/RS Tstreet 14 Tara: Borgquist wasn’t shying away on the attack. She was coming with it and taking aggressive cuts. 2028Brooke Badorek RS Tstreet 14 Tara: A lefty RS, Badorek is long. She has a strong arm and she can also set too. She’s another with a lot of upside. Jaydee Zook OH Tstreet 14 Cynthia: Zook showcased her intensity and passion, as well as carrying a quick arm and staying aggressive on the attack. Leah Hidalgo L/DS Mizuno Long Beach 14 Gerald: Hidalgo is a scrappy defender who isn’t afraid to get after it and go for the ball. Madison Goodrich L/DS United 14A Susie: Goodrich was very vocal. She was solid with her passing and did a great job hustling after balls. Francesca Jensen S Tstreet 13 PJ: Jensen was is quick and moves well to get her feet to the ball. Camile Beltre OH Tstreet 13 PJ: Beltre can bring it on the outside. She has a quick, strong swing and was scoring on the regular. 2029Liberty Badorek MB Tstreet 13 PJ: Badorek was a stud in the middle and has a ton of potential as she moves up in age. She was making play after play on both sides and impacting rallies with both her scoring and blocking. Olivia LeDoyen S TAV 13 Black: LeDoyen brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the court. She’s constantly hustling and giving it her all. Sloan Schaffer S TAV 13 Blue: Schaffer was locating well and moving the ball around to get her hitters involved. Emmery Ambe L/DS Tstreet 13 KC: Ambe showed a nice platform. She plays under control and reads and reacts well too. Jade Morgan S/RS Actyve 14 Black: Morgan was solid in both her setting and attacking. She has a lot of potential and was among the standout younger players. Catherine Riebli OH Tstreet 13 PJ: Riebli is a lanky outside who was passing well as well as scoring when her number was called. Keola Aquiningoc L Mizuno Long Beach 14 Gerald: Aquiningoc is a hustler who isn’t afraid to go after the ball. She was very active in the back row. ***** MIAMI2026Corina McDanal S MVA 16 Elite Pedro: McDanal was one of the highlights of the clinic, especially among setters. She has a lot of potential. She has nice hands, a clean release and locates well. Gaby Miriki MB MVA 16 Elite Pedro: Miriki was a force among middles. She was controlling the net and impacting play on both sides of the ball. Sophia Bermudez MB MVA 16 Elite Pedro: Bermudez was another standout middle who was making plays on both sides. She has a strong arm and showed she can score in a wide variety of ways. Paige Hill OH BVA 16 Elite: Hill has a solid arm. She did well scoring consistently and putting pressure on the defense. 2027Daniella Tadeo L/DS MVA 15U Crystal: Tadeo is a scrappy defender who was getting after it and doing a nice job of keeping balls in play and extending rallies. Dylan Zuckerman L/DS Tribe 15 Premier Navy: Zuckerman was another defender with lots of spirit and effort. She too was making plays to keep balls alive. 2028Aspen Edwards OH AZ Sky 14 Gold: Edwards was bringing and stayed aggressive with her swings. She has nice upside as she continues to develop and gain strength. Shyraine Cayubit L/DS Wildfire 14N Open: Cayubit brought tons of energy and hustle to the court and stood out among the defenders because

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Gentry Barker. *** Last week our Player of the Week featured Peyton Heatherly, a freshman setter who helped Mother McAuley to the Illinois 4A state championship. This week, our Player of the Week features Gentry Barker. She’s also a freshman who happened to play a major role in Lovejoy winning the Texas 5A state championship. Barker – a 4-star recruit who is shifting her focus to beach-only – went from thinking should would start the season on the junior varsity roster to leading the varsity team in kills. She finished the year with 424 kills, averaging 3.3 per set. She also finished second in aces with 44 and tied for second in digs with 365. She recorded 17 kills in the state championship against Liberty Hill. It was two off of her season high of 19. Her performance this fall led her to being named the 5A state MVP. “Well, I didn’t think I was going to make varsity because not a lot of freshmen make varsity,” Barker said. “I was invited to practice with the varsity team in the middle of the summer. Our coach pulled me in after and announced to the whole team that I was going to be on varsity. It really surprised me. My coach told me they were probably going to put me on JV and then pull me up at some point.” It didn’t take Barker long to show what she brings to a lineup. She dropped 10 kills in a four-set victory over Guyer to open the season before Lovejoy headed to the Ann Kang Invitational in Hawaii. Lovejoy pushed eventual champion Mira Costa to three games on the final day of the tournament, with Barker pounding out 10 kills. “I had never been to Hawaii before,” Barker said. “It was really cool going to that tournament. It was a fun tournament. It was really our first time playing as a team and we definitely didn’t play our best. It was a good warm up and I think it got us ready for the competition we were going to face for the season.” Hoisting the state trophy and being named MVP capped an amazing four-month stretch for Barker. She was the starting outside on TAV 14 Black, which captured the USAV 14 Open gold medal in July in Chicago. “That was my biggest reward in volleyball in my life so far,” Barker said. “I’ve been playing club for so long and had been dreaming of that. I didn’t think it was ever going to happen. I moved to Dallas to be on a better team and have a better opportunity. I was so proud of how hard we worked. It was such a cool experience. “I want to thank my coach Josh McKinney. I was really happy I had him. He improved my skill and he really believed in me. He’s my favorite coach.” All the recent indoor success only made Barker’s decision to shift to beach-only that much harder to make. However, she said she feels her future is on the sand and though she was sad to give up indoor, it’s something she felt she needed to do. “Recently I have really been getting into beach and taking it a lot more seriously,” she said. “I just think I will be playing college beach volleyball instead of indoor. This summer changed my idea of everything. I want to play beach in college and doing club would be taking up so much of my time to get better on the beach. “I thought about it for a long time. It was really hard because I love that team and I love club. I’ve played my whole life. It’s hard to give up but in the end I know I’ll end up in beach for college.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Barker about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Barker: Growing up I’ve always looked up to my sister (Brinkley). Playing volleyball she was my role model. She made me want to be my best. My goal was I wanted to be as good as her one day. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Barker: I would go to Manhattan Beach in California in the summer. It’s my favorite place to go. I go in the summer to play beach volleyball there. I’ve been go there every summer since I was little. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Barker: I think it would be really cool to be a dancer or a gymnast. I think both would be fun. I did dance when I was little and that was fun. Do you have any volleyball superstitions or rituals and if so what? Barker: Yes. Whenever I go back to serve I hit the ball five times and then the last two steps I have to count to seven in my head or it won’t go over. Also, if it’s the championship game and only for the championship game, I have to put two little small braids that go into my ponytail. Aside from basic necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Barker: That’s a hard one. Probably my Ugg flippers. I’m actually wearing them right now. They are the comfiest shoes ever. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Barker: It’s seeing one of my teammates at school. I love seeing Skylar Jackson at school. She is one of my best friends. What’s one of

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Peyton Heatherly. *** Before Peyton Heatherly could even think about how she would fit in on Mother McAuley’s varsity roster, she first had to make the team. Even though Heatherly – a 3-star setter/right side from the Class of 2027 – was coming off a season in which she helped Lions 14-1 qualify and finish 22nd in 14 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships nothing was guaranteed. “I was doing summer workouts and tryouts with Mother McAuley but I didn’t know what team I was going to end up on,” Heatherly said. “I didn’t expect to be on varsity because I know how competitive the program is.” It was after the first freshmen tryout when Heatherly found out she would be on varsity. She was about to be the only ninth-grader on a team that returned the majority of its starting lineup after going 39-3 and claiming the Illinois 4A state championship in 2022. “I knew the team lost both starting setters but I didn’t know if I would step foot on the court,” Heatherly said. “I did have a conversation with Coach Jen (DeJarld) at the beginning of the year and she did say I needed to work hard being a freshman on varsity and that I needed to keep a positive attitude and keep working to be able to play.” What happened next is what makes high school volleyball so special. Heatherly grew up around volleyball, essentially starting the sport as soon as she was able to walk. Her aunt and mom played in college. Her grandma owns 1st Alliance. And both her older sisters – Kate and Jordan – play. Kate is a sophomore at Lyons while Jordan is in her freshman season at Memphis. “My sister Kate is a sophomore so we are closer in age and we were always super competitive,” Heatherly said. “We were always on the same team because I used to play up with her and we would yell at each other. As we grew up we were better and we are super close. With volleyball we both lean on each other. “Jordan is also a setter, but I didn’t really have any competitiveness with her. She just would always give me really good advice.” Heatherly, meanwhile, developed as both a setter and hitter. Because of it, she never ran a 5-1. Until this fall. Heatherly opened the season as part of a 6-2 with the Macs. But after falling to Sacred Heart Academy in five sets the day before the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament, DeJarld told her she was making the switch to a 5-1 with Heatherly. “I was definitely super nervous,” Heatherly said. “We hadn’t ever practiced it before. There was a lot of emotions but the team helped calm me down. Ellie (White) talked to me and told me she knew I could do it.” Mother McAuley ended up taking third place and there was no going back. The Macs hit a few speed bumps along the way, falling to both Marist and Benet Academy, but also winning the Asics Challenge where they avenged their loss to Marist and handed Divine Savior Holy Angels WI its only loss of the season. With Heatherly guiding the attack, Mother McAuley defeated Marist once more in the sectional finals before avenging the previous loss to Benet Academy by beating the Redwings in the 4A state championship match. Heatherly finished the season with 737 assists, averaging 7.8 per set. She was also third in both digs and aces. It’s a type of season that has her in the running for vballrecruiter.com’s Freshman Player of the Year. “When we played Marist and beat them (at the Asics Challenge) that was our turning point in the season,” Heatherly said. “During sectionals we were super nervous but we calmed each other down and just left everything on the court. Against Benet (in the final) it was definitely cool seeing our team focused on ourselves and doing everything we could. It’s definitely what helped us win state.” With the high school season over, Heatherly is looking forward to club. She’s part of 1st Alliance 15 Gold and aiming for an improvement on last year. “I’m super excited for club to start,” she said. “A lot of the girls on the team also had a varsity season, so I feel we have been getting so much better and improving. This club season is going to be really good and super fun.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Heatherly about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Heatherly: It’s definitely my older sister Jordan. She’s accomplished so much. She’s playing volleyball in college. I definitely want to be like her as a person when I grow up. I’ve always looked up to her. She’s always been someone I can talk too since I was little. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Heatherly: I would want to go skydiving. I love adventures and I love the outdoors. I think it would be such a thrilling thing to do. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Heatherly: I would want to learn drawing or painting because being an artist person we be so fun. To be able to draw all the time would be so fun and I’m not very good at it now. Do you have any volleyball superstitions and if so what? Heatherly: Before I serve — I just started doing this during high school — I would look at the state championship banner and

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Lydia Chinchar. *** To say our latest Player of the Week burst onto the high school scene this season would be inaccurate. Lydia Chinchar – a 4-star setter/right side from the Class of 2027 – was part of Carrollwood Day’s varsity team last year as an eighth-grader. She had an incredible campaign, leading the squad in kills and blocks. However, the Patriots’ state championship aspirations ended with a regional quarterfinal loss to Tampa Prep. Chinchar was among a handful of returning players – including her older sister and senior setter Naomi. Combining with a couple of newcomers – including 3-star Purdue commit and junior libero Mattea Casale – Carrollwood Day was on a mission in 2023. “I remember the first day of practice and we said our goal was to win state and nothing else,” Chinchar said. “We set our minds to that and we just kept going to the very end. In practice, we worked so hard each and every day and we did a really good job of that.” Chinchar once again led the charge. The freshman right side powered the offense with 573 kills – averaging 6.3 per set and hitting .428 – as the Patriots captured the program’s second-ever state championship after defeating Westminster Christian in the Florida 3A final. Adding a punctuation mark to her fabulous season, Chinchar sent down a season-high 37 kills (9.3 per set) and hit .301 in the four-set victory over the Warriors that helped Carrollwood Day finish the fall 31-2 overall. “Our mindset was to walk in confidently and just play our game and not worry about anyone else’s game,” Chinchar said. “That was the most important thing. We never had a doubt in our mind that we were going to lose. We always knew we had each other and that was the best part of it. “The emotions were everywhere on the last point when the ball hit the ground. There was so much excitement and a weight off our shoulders. Finally, all that hard work paid off. Everything we all put it, winning it with your best friends is a pretty awesome feeling.” Carrollwood Day emerged as the team to beat in Florida this fall after its run to the finals of the Nike TOC Southeast tournament in early September. The Patriots suffered their first setback in a sweep against Cornerstone Christian of Texas in the championship match. Along the way Carrollwood Day downed eventual Nebraska Class B state champion Skutt Catholic and eventual Florida 6A runner up Viera. Later in the season, Carrollwood Day notched a victory over eventual 7A state champ Plant. “After the Nike tournament, it was pretty early in the season and we made it to the final and I just remember people saying ‘Oh my goodness, who is this CDS team,’” Chinchar said. “We knew teams were targeting us and coming for us after that.” Chinchar grew up immersed in volleyball. Her parents – Douglas and Sarah – both played. Chinchar’s father is her coach at Carrollwood Day and both parents are directors of No Name Volleyball, where Chinchar will suit up as part of the top 17s team this coming club season. For Chinchar, volleyball was the only sport she ever wanted to play. “I started really young,” she said. “I was six and playing on a 12-and-under team. My parents got me into volleyball and I didn’t really want to do anything else. They were pushing me to try something else but I just wanted to pursue volleyball. I was around it every day. My sister Naomi was in love with volleyball so we decided to do it together.” With both her parents being setters, Chinchar naturally developed at that position as well as hitting. She did both this past club season for No Name 16 but she’s been purely a hitter in high school. “I would say I enjoy hitting more than setting,” Chinchar said. “It is quite the job to run the court and I really appreciate all my setters throughout the years.” It’s not surprising that volleyball takes up much of Chinchar’s time, but she does like to scuba dive and sew sometimes when her schedule allows for it. “My sister and I do scuba diving together,” she said. “It’s always fun to go and we love being able to do it together.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Chinchar about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Chinchar: A role model I look up to is my sister, Naomi. I’m with her every day and she’s always been front and center for me. We do everything together on and off the court. She’s a great role model. She’s going to West Point, so there is no better role model than that. If you could choose to be or do anything for a day, what would you be or do and why? Chinchar: If I had the chance to do anything for a day I would probably drive to Disney World. It’s right here in Florida. I love all the Disney characters. Since I was a little girl it was always a place to go to. It makes me feel like a kid again with all the rides and all the characters there. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Chinchar: I would like to learn to sing. I have always tried to sing and it never works out for me. It would be fun to be up on a stage performing and singing. But, really I wouldn’t try to do anything else but volleyball. Do

The Vballrecruiter team headed to Atlanta for the latest Elite ID Clinic hosted by TK Volleyball this past Saturday. With players representing Classes from 2024-2030, the energy in the building was both rocking and infectious. Below, we highlight two things: 1) the latest round of invites to The Red Hat Games (some players who attended have been invited previously) and 2) other standouts who showed what they are capable of. RED HAT GAMES INVITES 2025Laney Barnes S A5 17 Jaime: Barnes ran her court well. She has solid hands and showed great leadership. Maya Swenson L/DS Club Savannah 17 National: Swenson went all-out and was covering the court well. 2026Chloe Neal L/DS M2 16-2 Elite: Neal brings hustle and effort to the back row. She did well keeping rallies going. Alyssa Kato OH Roots 16 Green: Kato delivered her share of strong attacks and impressive plays. She stayed aggressive and kept coming with it. 2027Sullivan Lell L/DS Alabama Performance: Lell’s energy is contagious. She’s fast and quick to the ball and makes up ground in a hurry. Harper Sanders L/DS 575 15 National: Sanders showed a nice platform and was making lots of plays all over the court. Raquel Mina MB A5 15 Danielle: Mina flies under the radar but has plenty of potential to rise as she continues developing. She was making many plays on both sides of the ball at the net. Destinee Chukelu MB A5 15 Victor: Chukelu is another middle with lots of upside and a high ceiling. She made her presence felt with forceful blocks and getting up and putting balls down. Chloe Mosley L/DS/S Rio 14 Elite: Mosley brings a lot of hustle to the position. She moves around the court with ease and was getting a lot of balls up. Jasmine Mosley L/DS Rio 15 National: In similar fashion, Mosley flies around the court making plays all over and plays with a high level of confidence. Caroline Presswood L/DS Alliance 14 Ren: Presswood was among a solid group of defenders doing their things in the Class of 2027. She showed no fear and did well keeping balls in play. Kailey Leonard L/DS A5 15 Kelly: Leonard handled business well with her ability to extend rallies and court coverage. McKenzie Wilkie L/DS A5 15 Kelly: Wilkie showed her defensive prowess with her hustle and reaction plays. 2028Addy Gosselin S/RS Atlanta Extreme 14-1: Gosselin moves the ball around well and gets her hitters involved. She also showed a lot of leadership on the court. Lauren Rivers S/RS SC Midlands 16 National Elite: Rivers was dishing well from pin-to-pin. She has a physical presence and has a bright future. Emily Childress OH TK 14 Glow: Childress was yet another young player doing her thing. She’s fearless on the attack and kept swinging away no matter the size of the block she was facing. Jentelle McNairl OH Alliance 15-1: McNairl doesn’t back down and is not afraid to challenge the block in front of her. She brings a lot of energy to the outside position. Charlie McDaniel OH Alliance 14 Ren: McDaniel was a fun outside to watch. She goes hard and is relentless on the attack. 2029Emily Rupeika L/DS A5 13 Karen: Rupeika is a smooth operator and plays under control. She doesn’t get rattled and her passing was on point. 2030Makenna Johnson S A5 12 LA: Johnson displayed solid footwork and did well getting to the ball repeatedly. She also has a nice touch on her sets. *** MORE STANDOUTS 2024Lily Kate Kenyon RS A5 17 Jaime: Kenyon showed up strong on the attack. She’s lanky with a nice range of shots. Sydney McCutcheon S TK 18 Fearless: McCutcheon did a solid job of locating with consistency and moving the ball around. Talia Anderson L/DS TK 17 Endgame: Anderson was getting after it and making hustle plays. She also played with lots of energy. 2025Sydney Frazier MB M2: Frazier made her presence known in the middle. She gets up well and was touching balls and putting them away consistently. Katelynn Mundy OH 575 17 Cheyenne: Mundy had her moments scoring and sending balls down. She was taking aggressive swings and attacking with authority. Alexandria Tookes OH Tsunami: Tookes is an athletic outside with upside. She was letting loose at times and flashing her potential. Haleigh Kamer OH/S/DS Xcel Performance: Kamer is a versatile player who was mainly setting. She has good hands and was connecting with her hitters well. 2026Mataya Orth L/DS A5 16 Pat: Orth was among the scrappy defenders getting after it and going all out. She’s not afraid to take balls overhead and play them with her hands. Samantha Bailey RS/MB Tsunami 16-1: A lefty right side, Bailey showed off a solid arm and her ability to put balls away. Kennedi White OH M2 16-1: White swung well from both pins. She gets off the ground nice and has a good arm. Emma Pastusic OH Triad United 16 Teal: Pastusic was another outside who was scoring with consistentcy. She has a lively arm and hits with plenty of pace. 2027Alina Phillips RS A5 15 Kelly: Phillips is a rising talent who extends well and was bringing it from the right side. She showed a wide range of shots and is a someone to keep tabs on. Hana Catic OH/DS A5 15 Kelly: Catic showcased her potential with solid attacking. She has a nice arm and moves the ball around sideline to sideline. Marissa Jones S A5 15 Kelly: Jones was the best player in the gym. She’s a 5-star talent with the ability to vary her sets from anywhere on the court with great accuracy. Kylee Evans MB A5 15 Kelly: Evans is another rising talent who is poised for a breakout club season. She’s a beast at the net on both sides of the ball. She gets up very well and can both hammer balls down as well as stuff them back at opponents. Kerrington Corbin MB Alliance 15 Ren:

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Keoni Williams. *** With a loss to Fossil Ridge in bi-district play at the end of October, the 2023 high school season came to a conclusion for Keoni Williams and her Boswell teammates. While the defeat came sooner then the Pioneers would have liked, it did shift Williams’ focus and attention fully to the upcoming club season. Williams – a 6-4, 5-star middle blocker from the Class of 2026 – has excelled during the club portion of the calendar in recent years. She’s coming off a gold medal performance in 15 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships this past summer playing with Skyline 15 Royal. The year before she finished runner up in 14 Open playing with Frisco Flyers. That was after winning it all with Frisco Flyers in 13 Open in 2021. “It’s been really great these past few years being on top teams,” Williams said. This past summer presented a rare occurrence where Skyline squared off with Mintonette Sports m.51 in both the 15 Open championship matches at AAU and USAV. While Mintonette captured the gold in Orlando, Williams and Skyline extracted revenge by claiming the gold in Chicago. “It was tough after AAUs because we felt good and were playing well,” Williams said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game and we felt we could’ve taken that one. After we just had to make sure we didn’t get distracted and look at what we did wrong in case we did face them again. Mintonette is a really good team. When we came to USAV we knew we had to stay calm and do what we needed to do to get the win. When we got that last point it was a crazy feeling. It felt great coming back and getting that win.” Williams will aim for a fourth consecutive Open finals appearance this coming season as she suits up for Skyline 16 Royal. One of the challenges is overcoming the roster changes that took place. Williams is one of six returners combining with seven newcomers. “I’m really excited for this club season,” Williams said. “I’ve been looking forward to it even during the high school season. I’m going to keep working on myself and focus on my conditioning and blocking and really closing out. We are ready to have a great run this year.” The high school season for Boswell kicked off at the Ann Kang Invitational in Hawaii in August. The Pioneers faced a challenging slate, going against nationally-ranked teams in Sierra Canyon CA and Cornerstone Christian TX, as well as eventual California Open Division state quarterfinalist Huntington Beach, eventual Texas 5A semifinalist Lovejoy and host ‘Iolani. “I’ve never been to Hawaii before,” Williams said. “It was really fun. We went to the ocean everyday and took lots of pictures. The volleyball was something. There were crazy good teams who hit well and play great defense. The first day we played Sierra Canyon and they were pretty good. It was tough playing those teams but it was really good to see what we needed to work on for our season.” With her father, Mike, playing basketball oversees, Williams grew up around sports and “was always traveling with him.” Williams started settling down around 11 and was leaning more towards basketball at first than volleyball. “It was between basketball and volleyball, but I was talking with my aunties because they played volleyball in college,” Williams said. “When I started volleyball it was really hard at first. I just kept working and working at it and then I just played volleyball from there. I did some basketball in middle school a little bit but I stopped.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Williams about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Williams: I don’t really have a volleyball role model. But I do watch volleyball to see what other middles are doing like Asjia O’Neal. I watch how she’s fast out to the block and the ways she’s able to score. I try to look at it as though it’s me versus me. Every time I step on the court I’m just focused on working on improving. After the game, I’ll look at what I did and didn’t do, like not getting off the net quick enough or I wasn’t very effective on offense. Then the next time I’m watching to make sure I do get off the net quickly and working hard on making myself available so I am able to produce. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Williams: If I could do anything for a day, a while back I saw a massive go-kart place that opened in Massachusetts (Supercharged Entertainment). I would want to go there with my friends and ride go-karts with them. I really love going out and doing stuff. That would be fun. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Williams: I would definitely love to master the skill of basketball. To feel the energy and intensity and be a part of that I think it would be fun. I think it would be really fun to have the ball passed to me and I bully my defender a little bit then go up and get that point and score. Do you have any volleyball superstitions and if so what? Williams: The only superstition I have is I always wear two pair of socks, even with my ankle braces. I always have two pair of socks and my teammates make fun of me. They ask

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Ella Florez. *** Ella Florez and her Mill Valley teammates did not start off the high school season looking like a state championship squad. The Jaguars dropped their first contest of the year to Blue Valley West. Two weeks later they lost to both Blue Valley North and Olathe South on the same day. From there though, Mill Valley began to step it up. At the end of September Florez and company split a pair of key matches, falling to St. James Academy but beating Blue Valley North in a rematch. There was one more setback from there, with an early-October loss to Olathe West. From there, Mill Valley closed the season on a 17-match winning streak, culminating with the Kansas 6A state championship after sweeping Blue Valley North in two games in the final. “I felt really confident going into the season,” said Florez, a 5-star setter from the Class of 2026. “We did lose a super good libero and a super good outside but we have girls who stepped up and a freshman who came in. That really gave me confidence in the team. I thought we could take it all the way.” Mill Valley defeated Blue Valley North once more before facing off in the state final, in a showdown on Oct. 11. Blue Valley North still wound up drawing the top seed for the 6A state playoffs, but Mill Valley finished the season 3-1 against the Mustangs. “Obviously, we were nervous a little bit,” Florez said of the state finals clash. “We all knew we could do it. We were able to shut them down from point one and went after it with everything we had. “It was very emotional. Parents, siblings, the whole team we were all crying. We all get along so well. Finishing off our season like that we could not have had a better way to finish it.” Florez grew up trying many different sports and activities. There was gymnastics, dance, softball and soccer, which she thought would be her sport of the future, before landing in volleyball. Her dad signed her up for club tryouts but “he played a little prank on me and told me it was just a camp,” Florez said. “I went in not knowing it was a tryout,” she said. “I came back and my dad said that I made the team. I was really excited. I ran around telling everyone I was playing club volleyball. I was only mad at him for like 10 minutes.” Florez was an outside for her 11s season. She started the 12s there too before transitioning to setting halfway through the season. She then ran a 5-1 during her 13s and 14s season before spending the past two club seasons setting and hitting. She played a dual role last year as a freshman for Mill Valley before taking over the reigns and running a 5-1 during this state championship season. Florez ended the year with 892 assists, averaging 9.2 per set. She finished the state championship match with 24 assists. She set her season-high mark with 51 in a four-set victory over De Soto in mid-October. “I feel more comfortable and confident running a 5-1 and taking more control running the offense,” Florez said. “I like to consider myself just a setter instead of a setter/hitter. Setting is what I want to primarily do.” After playing club for Dynasty, Florez is making the switch to Pohaku this year and playing her age group after playing up a year the past couple of seasons. She’s hoping to get to run a 5-1 this season. “From what I’m hearing I should be setting a 5-1,” she said. As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Florez about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Florez: I would say my sister (Lauren). She’s six years older. She played softball and she was a pitcher. She showed really good leadership and she was super competitive. I always looked up to her. I always want to exceed what she was doing on the field on the volleyball court. She gave me the competitiveness that I have now. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Florez: I’d probably go on a shopping spree and go to the lake with my friends, tan and have fun with them. I love shopping for new makeup or anything like that. Like Sephora, I like to go to the mall and browse usually. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Florez: I wish I knew how to dance. It sounds funny but I watch dancers dance and I always with I could do that. They look so cool. Do you have any volleyball superstitions and if so what? Florez: If I play well on the first day, I’ll usually wear the same hair style the next day. On a bad day, I’ll change my hair style the next day. Also, my serving routine is the same every single time. Aside from necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Florez: It’s talking to my family and friends. They are always there for me and it makes me happy. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Florez: My dog, Ace. He’s so cute. He has so much energy. He never runs out. When I got him they said he was a Chihuahua and Beagle mix but I don’t know that I believe them. What’s your favorite way to have fun? Florez: My

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Malorie Boesiger. *** There’s plenty to get to with our latest Player of the Week in Malorie Boesiger, who is a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2027 and currently in her freshman season at Norris. It’s an important week for the Titans, who are coached by Boesiger’s mom, Christina. She was the coach the last time Norris finished on top of Nebraska’s Class B state championship in 2014. Since then, Skutt Catholic has ran off eight consecutive state titles, including beating Norris in the finals in 2020 and 2021. Boesiger and company are aiming to stop that streak. The Titans enter Wednesday’s state quarterfinals as the top seed. Norris and Skutt Catholic – the No. 3 overall seed – haven’t played this year. The state finals are set for this coming Saturday at the Devaney Center. Boesiger – who’s taken over the setting role during her rookie campaign – is no stranger to volleyball. With her mom coaching and her older sister, Maisie, being a sophomore on Nebraska’s squad, she grew up around the sport. “I would say I watch volleyball all the time,” Boesiger said. “I’m always watching games, whether it’s high school, college or professional. I’m always trying to get better and learn from other people. “I grew up in the gym. My mom is a coach and my sister and I would always be playing with each other passing and setting. Volleyball has always been in my life.” Boesiger and her older sister have a close relationship. They are both very competitive, which growing up “most of the time ended up in a fight because someone would win and someone would lose. She’s my biggest supporter. I go to her home games and she comes to watch my high school and club games whenever she can.” Boesiger started club volleyball in first grade and has been setting since. She’s also always played up two age groups, including this past season for Nebraska One 16 Synergy as she helped guide the team to a bronze medal in 16 Open at the USAV Girls Junior Nationals Championships. She’ll be playing up two age groups once more this coming club season. But first she needs to wrap up her first high school season, one she has long anticipated. “I was so excited to finally be in high school,” she said. “I have played with a few girls on the team because we play together in club. I was super excited. I’ve always been at practices growing up. I used to be the water girl. I was off to the side playing with my dad or other student managers so now I’m super excited to be a part of it.” She’s having a stellar debut to date, as Norris entered the state playoffs 31-3. Boesiger is averaging 11.5 assists per set and leads the team in aces by a wide margin. She’s recorded at least 19 assists in every match so far. It includes a season-high 49 in a four-set victory over Waverly back in September. It was one of four times she’s surpassed 40 or more assists. With three more victories, she could help Norris earn back the state championship. “I think we are one of the best passing teams in the state,” she said. “It’s super easy for me to run a fast offense. The hitters are always talking and calling for the ball. I can set whoever. I trust all my hitters. Also, we are very close and always supporting each other. We are working hard to win a state championship.” When Boesiger isn’t immersed in volleyball she enjoys traveling with her family and learning about different cultures and surroundings. She also enjoys baking and once had a business with her sister before both became too busy to continue on with it. “My mom’s friend lives in Colorado and she’s a pastry chef,” Boesiger said. “We went there one time and she makes these super detailed cookies and decorations. My sister and I wanted to try it so we did it for almost two years. We made cakes and cupcakes for birthdays and grad parties. We made all the desserts for my sister’s grad party.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Boesiger about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Boesiger: Inside volleyball I really look up to Lauren Carlini and Sydney Hilley. I grew up watching them all the time. They are balanced and really good leaders. Outside of volleyball I look up to my parents and my sister. They are always supporting me and care so much for me. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would you do and why? Boesiger: I would probably take all my friends and family and go to the beach or the Amalfi coast. I always wanted to go there. It’s super pretty. I love the ocean. It’s so beautiful. I’d probably do that and play some games and get some coffee. I love coffee. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Boesiger: I would say gymnastics. I love watching it on TV. It’s crazy how they can do all those tricks. It’s something I would want to learn. Do you have any volleyball superstitions and if so what? Boesiger: At club tournaments that are three or four days, if we do well on the first day the next day if I had a certain type of food I need to pack the same type of food the next day or use the same hair tie. Aside from necessities, what is one thing you

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Sakura Codling. *** After falling in the regional semifinals the past two seasons, Sakura Codling and her Seton teammates are aiming for a deeper run in this year’s Ohio Division 1 state playoffs. The Saints — who last captured a state championship in 2005 — entered this week 21-2 and face Milford on Wednesday in hopes of making Saturday’s district finals before continuing on from there. Codling – a 3-star libero and UCLA commit from the Class of 2025 – has been part of varsity since her freshman season. She took over at libero last year and remains there as a junior this fall. She’s been a defender since her 11s season, when she switched from playing setter her 10s year. “I love being a libero,” she said. “It’s so much fun. I know hitters get all the glory but my club team when I make a big play they all rush and push each other around. The feeling of making a huge dig in a crazy big moment is such a good feeling.” To date, Codling has put up a team-leading 406 digs. She’s averaging 5.1 per set and recorded a season-high 32 digs in a September victory over defending Division 1 state champion Ursuline Academy. Seton opened the season winning its first 15 contests before dropping consecutive matches to Kings and Mercy McAuley — both in five. The Saints had swept Mercy McAuley in their first meeting and it’s possible they could see one or both again in the state playoffs. “My freshman and sophomore season we were so close to being really good, we just didn’t quite have all the pieces,” Codling said. “This year we are playing really well. We were on a roll for a while then we lost our first game to Kings. We were ready to bounce back in the next one but we ended up losing in five again. That really took a toll on us but it helped us build character. We are all focused on doing our jobs and holding each other accountable.” Seton coach Kelly Crowley is also the club director at Tri-State Elite, where Codling plays club. She’ll be a part of Tri-State Elite 17 Blue this coming spring. Codling gave a lot of credit to Crowley for helping her through her recruiting process and her eventually committing to UCLA. “I was out in California when I made my decision,” Codling said. “I had to quickly call Kelly to ask him about what I should do and if this should be my final choice and what about the other schools involved. He was right by my side and ready to answer any question. He helped lift so much stress and pressure of my shoulders. He was at AAUs and I was texting him at random times in the middle of the night. It was like 9pm in California and midnight in Florida when I sent him a text and he was ready to answer and walk me through my stuff.” With the high school season soon coming to its conclusion, it won’t be long before Codling is back at it for club. She said she’s hoping the team learned from a tough ending last season when it finished 21st in 16 Open at AAUs and will take a step forward in 2024. “Going into next season we have almost the same team,” she said. “We have a new setter who played on Drive Nation last year because she ended up moving into town. We are excited to have her. Going into the season it’s about staying focused on what our goals are and what type of team we are going to be.” Outside of volleyball, Codling said she’s really into crossfit and will spend three to four days a week doing it during the club season. She also loves to fish during family vacations, saying the family makes it a competition every year. “This past year we didn’t have a lot of luck,” Codling said. “We go down to this small part of Florida and there is a little dock. There are sheepshead and some red snappers and stuff. They aren’t huge. Maybe eight inches, so we catch and release them.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Codling about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Codling: For volleyball, it’s Morgan Hentz because she’s the one who shared that you don’t know if you don’t go. I remember that every time I play defense. I don’t know what balls I can touch or not or what passes I can make without making the move. Just going after every ball and watching her play in general because of her volleyball IQ is always something to remember. Also, I look up to my teammates for all the effort they put in every day that keeps me going. If they are putting in their all it makes me feel the need to put in my all too. Would you rather explore space or the ocean and why? Codling: I think exploring the ocean. There is so much we don’t know about it and exploring it would be fun. Also, to be able to go scuba diving seems so interesting and it’s something I want to do. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be and why? Codling: I don’t know, I would want to go somewhere international like Italy or Greece and just have a fun day with my friends chilling and relaxing. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Codling: I think

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Ayanna Watson. *** Being 5-10 in fifth grade and her father being a former NBA player, it makes sense Ayanna Watson would grow up having played basketball. Though she tried just about everything from dance, to gymnastics, to soccer, “the sport I played the most was basketball,” she said. However, her mom wanted her to try a new sport and that’s what led her to volleyball. Watson continued playing both sports until age 13. Now a 6-4, 5-star recruit and a sophomore at Bishop Gorman in Nevada, volleyball is her main focus. “I really like the fact that I get to do everything,” Watson said. “In basketball, I really only did one thing. I was a center because I’m tall and I stood by the basket and didn’t do much else. In volleyball, I get to hit, pass, block and set out of system. I pretty much get to do everything.” Watson began garnering attention as an eighth-grader playing up an age group on Vegas Aces 15 UA two years ago. She’s becoming more and more recognizable on the national stage with both the success enjoyed by Vegas Aces this past season as well as Bishop Gorman’s travel during the high school season. Watson – again playing up an age group – helped Vegas Aces 16 UA earn an Open bid to the USAV GJNC in Chicago this past summer, as the team qualified at the Salt Lake City Showdown qualifier in April. This coming club season, she’ll stay with her own age group and be part of the 16s once more for Vegas Aces. “I’m looking forward to building with my team and getting to know all of them and being able to play at a high level like we did last year,” Watson said. As for high school, Bishop Gorman has shown it’s not afraid to participate in the most competitive tournaments the country has to offer. As a freshman, Watson was part of a squad that traveled to both Nike TOC events in Tampa and Phoenix, as well as playing in the local Durango Fall Classic, long considered the gold standard of high school volleyball tournaments. She ended her rookie campaign second on the team in kills with 317, averaging 3.4 per set, as the Gaels reached the semifinals of the 5A state playoffs. Once more this season, Bishop Gorman has stacked its schedule in hopes of finishing the season on top when the state playoffs roll around. The team again traveled to Tampa for the Nike TOC and participated in the Durango Fall Classic – taking 17th place – and visited Southern California recently for the Redondo Power Classic, where the Gaels finished third after falling to national No. 2 Mira Costa CA in the semis. Watson entered the week leading the team in kills with 427, averaging 5.2 per set. She’s also second in both blocks and aces, and third in digs. “We are doing pretty well,” she said. “We are staying on track and really want to win state. We have the talent. We have the right people. We are always there for each other. I love playing with this team. “It’s a really big privilege to get to travel with the people you are closest with. It’s really a big family. The coaches and players talk on a personal level. No one gets offended when you give any feedback. There’s nothing negative about it.” Watson shared she would eventually want to coach when she’s done playing. She’s aiming to sign at a top Division 1 program and possibly play professionally after that. In her free time Watson likes to go shopping with her mom and friends, as well as spend time hanging out with her friends and sisters. “I just want to give all of the glory to God for blessing me with my athletic abilities and for allowing me to be able to display them,” Watson said. “Without Him, none of this would be possible and I thank Him for keeping me safe and protected. I am excited to see where His plan will take me in the future.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Watson about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Watson: For volleyball, I would say it’s a lot of successful pin hitters. Players who not only hit hard, but they are smart and really good at defense. Just all-around good players. Logan Eggleston is one. Outside of volleyball it is Kobe (Bryant) because of his work ethic, mentality and just his all-around competitiveness. Would you rather explore space or the ocean and why? Watson: This is kind of hard. I would say probably the ocean. I like being by the water. I would like learning about different animals, especially the ones people don’t already know about. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be and why? Watson: I would go to dinner with my friends. I would go hang out with them and have a sleepover. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Watson: I want to learn how to play an instrument. I used to play violin in third grade because the school required it, so I picked that. I don’t know how to play it anymore, but instruments are fun and they help with other things. It would be a good experience. Aside from necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Watson: I definitely can’t go a day without my phone or my headphones. What is one thing that instantly makes your