Free Article of the Week

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: Layli Ostovar. *** What does the Texas heat have to do with our featured Player of the Week? It’s a big reason why Layli Ostovar – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2026 and a sophomore at Mater Dei CA – started playing volleyball. She was 4 and living in Southlake when she first started playing tennis, along with her older sisters Ayva and Kayla, who were 5. “Playing tennis outdoors in the Texas heat we decided we would rather play an indoor sport and that’s how we fell in love with volleyball,” Ostovar said. “My dad coached and used to play in college.” A few years later the family moved to San Diego and then to Orange County when Ostovar was 10. That’s the year she started playing club at Tstreet before switching to Mizuno Long Beach at the start of her 13s season. She’s remained there since. “I just love competing everyday and trying to be the best I can be,” she said. “I like setting goals for myself. Every single day I wake up and I want to play volleyball. It’s something I love.” Being the youngest child helped develop Ostovar’s competitive drive. She strives to better than her older sisters in anything she does no matter what it is. It’s helped fuel her desire for reaching the next level. “My big goal is to get on the court at a top Division 1 school,” Ostovar said. “I liked to be challenged a lot and I want to be around girls who like to compete like me and who have made sacrifices in order to make themselves successful.” As for success, Mater Dei has enjoyed its share so far this fall. As one of the starting outside hitters, Ostovar has had a hand in Mater Dei capturing both the Volleypalooza and Durango Fall Classic tournament titles. The Monarchs entered the week No. 1 in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 National HS Rankings. “It was the best feeling,” Ostovar said of winning Volleypalooza. “We all really wanted to win that. It was one of our goals. It was such a competitive tournament. Just winning gave us such more confidence moving on. “Durango was such a hard tournament. We knew we hadn’t won it all in a long time and we wanted to bring that back. Winning it and bringing (the title) back was so great.” It was at Volleypalooza when a rare moment occurred. There was a trio of sisters playing on both teams at the same time as Mater Dei faced Prestonwood Christian TX in the final. Ostovar was on the court with her older sisters, while the Livings sisters – Jadyn, Nyla and Naomi – were on the other side of the net for Prestonwood. “I had no idea until after the game when someone told me that,” Ostovar said. “It was actually cool and funny too. Playing with my sisters is a really special experience and we are making so many memories we’ll be able to look back on. But I didn’t know we were playing against three other sisters. That was a really cool experience.” In addition to playing high school and club, Ostovar also plays beach volleyball. She feels playing on the sand helps grow her indoor skills. Playing indoor in college is her priority but she’s open to playing both. She also can envision herself continuing to play on the beach after she’s finished with college and her studies. “I want to study sports physical therapy,” said Ostovar, who also likes to bake cakes in her spare time. “I enjoy being around athletes and want to be around them for as long as possible and helping them to do their best.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Ostovar about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Ostovar: I look up to undersized pins who have been really successful. Yossiana Pressley is one. London Wijay is another. I look up to them because I like how they are really well-rounded players. Would you rather explore space or the ocean and why? Ostovar: I would probably rather explore space. The ocean is kind of scary to me. I’m a little scared of the ocean. In space, you would be looking at different planets and stars and it would be such a cool image and memory to have. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be and why? Ostovar: I’m thinking it would be to go on a shopping spree to Sephora, then dress up and go out to dinner with my friends. Then after, go to a Bruno Mars concert. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Ostovar: I really want to learn how to sing well. I love listening to music and singing along makes me happy and puts me in a really good mood, so I would love to learn that. Would you rather have the power to instantly master any new sport you try or have the ability to instantly recover from any sports-related injury and why? Ostovar: I would want to recover from any sports injury that happens. As an athlete it’s hard to come back from injuries and just getting back to jumping or being smart where to place the ball it takes a while to get back to the level you were at, so I’d rather be able to do that. Aside from necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Ostovar: One thing I can’t go a day without is probably touching a volleyball. Sometimes I

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: Vivian Hickman. *** Having played volleyball since she started in second grade and club since she was 10, our latest Player of the Week not only has her share of experience but she’s developed into a versatile player who excels both indoor and on the sand. Vivian Hickman – a 5-10, 3-star recruit from the Class of 2026 – is currently in her sophomore season at Xavier College Prep in Arizona. What she brings to a roster has been on full display these past two weekends as the Gators have competed in two prestigious national tournaments in the Durango Fall Classic and Nike TOC Southwest. She’s spent most of the season setting and hitting like she did in Las Vegas, where Xavier Prep finished in 11th place overall out of 64 teams. However, with a short-handed roster in Phoenix, Hickman was asked to perform as a six-rotation outside and helped her team take fifth place out of 32 teams. “We faced a lot of challenges and we got better,” Hickman said after Durango. “That tournament really continued preparing us for what’s ahead.” This past summer, Hickman was part of an AZ Sky 15G group which finished tied for 13th in 15 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. There, she split time between running a 5-1 and setting and hitting as part of a 6-2. Hickman originally started volleyball as an outside before being moved to middle blocker. Then during her 12s season she was moved to setter and that led her to eventually setting and swinging. “I really do like setting,” she said. “That’s probably my favorite. But hitting does give me the chance to swing.” Hitting was her full-time responsibility last year as a freshman on varsity. She led Xavier Prep in kills 246, averaging 2.6 per set. She played in all but four sets in her rookie campaign. As a sophomore she’s taken on a dual role. Playing in all but one set so far this season, Hickman leads the Gators in assists 193. She’s also second in both kills (151) and digs (194). “It’s really fun,” she said of the season so far. “Everyone is so close on the team. We have such great chemistry and trust on the court. We all hang out all the time.” Beyond indoor, Hickman has enjoyed success in beach as well. She’s been playing that side of the sport for about four years. She said she really got into it when everything was shut down because of Covid. She played last season as part of Xavier’s beach team and was named Section Offensive Player of the Year by AZPreps365. She’s still not sure whether she’ll play both at the next level or not. “I’m definitely deciding on that,” she said. “They go hand-and-hand. Beach does compliment playing indoor. I’m liking both. I really do like indoor. It has to be the right opportunity to do both.” Outside of volleyball, Hickman enjoys baking and reading, as well as spending time with her family and friends. She’s in her first year of being part of the AIA Student Leadership Advisory Committee (SLAC). “I really like to be involved in a good way,” Hickman said. She also added that “when I get older I want to go into medicine or be a psychologist. I like to see how people’s brains work and the decisions they make. I would like to help people or even potentially go pro.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Hickman about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Hickman: I think it’s Serena Williams. I love her passion and grit on the court and how she is so involved in her sport. I just recently started looking into her. She’s really cool and I really like what she’s about. I saw the movie about the sisters and I thought it was really interesting. What is your favorite food? Hickman: I really like enchiladas. Chipotle is my favorite restaurant. My go-to order is a burrito with white rice, pinto beans, chicken and queso. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Hickman: I would really like to learn photography and how to take high-quality photos. Taking pictures like that would be really fun to learn. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be and why? Hickman: I would choose to skydive because that seems like it would be so much fun. I would be so scared but I would love the thrill of it. Aside from necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Hickman: It would probably be Capri Sun. I drink so many of those. I love them. I put them in the freezer and drink them like slushies. I like Pacific Cooler. It’s really good. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Hickman: My family and friends. When I see them we start cracking jokes and they make me laugh. If you could have any superpower what would it be and why? Hickman: I would want to have the ability to teleport. I get anxious about time. I don’t like to be late to anything. That would be such a helper and it would save me so much stress. Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why? Hickman: I’m really passionate about my school and grades. I’m also passionate about my family and friend bonds because those are really important too. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Hickman: Something

The final weekend of September promises to be a huge one, at least in terms of high school tournaments. Both the Asics Challenge and the Nike TOC Southwest events are on tap this Friday and Saturday. vballrecruiter.com will have coverage from both. You can read about what to expect in Chicago here. As for the action in the Phoenix area, a total of 76 teams are set to compete across three divisions (National, Premier and Elite). Below, we check out the top-ranked teams in the field, the 3, 4 and 5-star athletes to know, as well as offer our outlook and predictions as how it’ll all play out. Number of Teams: 76 vballrecruiter.com’s Nationally-Ranked Teams (5):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   3-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook: The four highest-ranked teams in Cornerstone Christian, Sierra Canyon, Xavier Prep and St. Francis/Mountain View all participated in last week’s Durango Fall Classic. Sierra Canyon finished the highest among them, tying for third place. Part of the Trailblazers’ run included defeating Cornerstone in the quarterfinals. It was the second time the two schools faced off this season. The first came in pool play at the Ann Kang Invitational in Hawaii in August, with Cornerstone winning that contest. Should the schools hold seed this weekend, they’ll meet for a third time in the championship match. Cornerstone is the defending champion, and also captured the Nike TOC Southeast tourney earlier this month. Xavier Prep and St. Francis also met up at Durango, with Xavier winning that encounter. All four are serious contenders to bring home the title this weekend. Sacred Heart Academy is another nationally-ranked team which is talented enough to make its way to the top of the podium. SHA has victories over both Assumption KY and Mother McAuley IL, which shows they are more than capable of beating the top teams in the country when on. Lake Highland Prep FL is another out-of-state school to watch out for. The Highlanders have a skilled enough roster to make a deep, deep run and contend this weekend. La Cueva NM hasn’t played very many matches so far, but will bring a 7-0 mark into this weekend’s event. Then there are the other Arizona schools joining Xavier Prep in hopes of keeping the title home. While the Gators have been the best so far in the state, teams like Corona del Sol, Liberty, Queen Creek and Millennium are capable of making waves and pulling upsets. Prediction: When it comes to the National Division, there’s no doubt Cornerstone and Sierra Canyon are the top favorites but there’s no guarantee of anything at tournaments like this. Still, we are going with a trilogy to take place, with Cornerstone taking the season matchup, earning another Nike TOC title this season and defending its crown from last year.

We are nearing the end of tournament season but not before a couple more major ones take place this coming weekend. It includes the Asics Challenge hosted by Mother McAuley IL on Friday and Saturday in Chicago. Compared to last weekend’s Durango Fall Classic made up of 64 teams, the Asics Challenge is smaller with 24 schools. However, with five programs ranked in the Top 30 of vballrecruiter.com’s National HS Rankings it packs a punch. Below, we highlight the ranked teams in the field, the 3, 4 and 5-star athletes to know, as well as offer a preview and our predictions for the weekend. Number of Teams: 24 vballrecruiter.com’s Nationally-Ranked Teams (5):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   3-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook: Before getting to the actual tournament, there are a pair of heavyweight contests Thursday before the event even gets underway. One of them features Assumption taking on Mother McAuley. The other is Notre Dame Academy facing Marist. Assumption and Mother McAuley have a long history. The most recent meeting took place earlier this month when Assumption defeated the Macs in three sets in the semifinals of the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament. Assumption went on to beat Notre Dame Academy in the final. That loss remains NDA’s lone setback. That leads us to NDA facing Marist. Marist also has only one loss to date, having fell to Benet Academy, which is not in the field. Marist picked up a huge victory over Mother McAuley last week. There’s no doubt all four teams in Assumption, Mother McAuley, NDA and Marist will be in contention for the tournament title. However, none enter as the top seed. That honor goes to Divine Savior Holy Angels. DSHA is entering the tournament riding a 42-match winning streak dating back to last season. The last team to defeat DSHA? That would be Marist at last year’s Asics Challenge. DSHA barely kept its winning streak intact by downing Hamilton WI in a five-set thriller earlier this week, taking the final set 15-13. Hamilton is also in the field and could be a dark horse. Another team of note is North Branch MI. The Broncos entered the week with a 28-1 record, with their only loss to Hudsonville in early August. With DHSA coming in undefeated, either Notre Dame Academy or Marist sitting on one loss along with North Branch, something will have to give this weekend. DHSA and North Branch have not faced the strength of schedule like Assumption, Mother McAuley or NDA has. As for Assumption, the Rockets are coming off a seventh-place showing at the Durango Fall Classic and are traveling for the second consecutive weekend. Meanwhile, Mother McAuley is aiming to go back-to-back at its own tournament. Prediction: Even as the top seed, DHSA is facing a challenging task to finish on top. The winner of the NDA-Marist match is going to be coming in riding high and feeling confident. Mother McAuley is out to defend its home court. However, in the end Assumption and NDA will have a LIVT rematch in the final, with NDA getting revenge and leaving town victorious.

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: Aubrey DeGrate. *** Growing up Aubrey DeGrate wasn’t afraid of trying new things. But playing volleyball wasn’t necessarily something she ever saw herself getting into. Her activities included cheer, dancing and tumbling. She even did modeling. Then one day it all changed. “I thought I would be a dancer or doing cheer, then one day I went to a friend’s volleyball game and thought it’s something I would like to try,” DeGrate said. “I didn’t see myself playing basketball, volleyball or anything like it. I was not good at first and really had to work at it. Everything else I did I was good at right away, but this was something I really had to work at to get better.” The team environment and just being part of a new sport in general really drew DeGrate to volleyball. She was excited simply because she hadn’t done anything like it before. What kept her going was the challenge of it all. “I’m definitely competitive and have the drive,” she said. “I get it from my mom. She’s really competitive, especially when it comes to any board games.” DeGrate started off playing recreation at 11 and spent her first couple of club seasons playing for clubs that are no longer in existence. She moved to Madfrog the season before this last one and is currently playing high school at Wylie, where she made the varsity team as a freshman. The current coach at Wylie saw DeGrate’s potential in junior high, so she was hoping she would make the varsity cut this season. But she did admit she was a little nervous it wasn’t going to happen. “I knew my coach liked me as a player, so I wasn’t really shocked to be on varsity but I was relieved,” she said. “I know I was overthinking the situation.” Not only did DeGrate make the team, she’s been a steady presence for the Pirates. She’s appeared in all but one set so far. She entered the week with 103 kills, averaging 1.3 per set. She’s been even better on defense, putting up 44 blocks, which is second. She posted a season-high nine kills in a sweep against Lakeview Centennial in August and hit a season-best .889 with eight kills in a sweep over South Garland earlier this month. When it comes to volleyball, DeGrate said she’s aiming to earn a scholarship and play in college. She loves the opportunity the sport has opened for her, including getting to travel to new places and meeting new friends. And one more important aspect as well. “Definitely the competition too and striving to be better,” she said. There are aspirations outside of volleyball as well. DeGrate has always enjoyed modeling and is into fashion too. The modeling slowed as volleyball came into the picture and took up more of her time, but she still does it on the side when she can. “I can see myself being an influencer and getting NIL deals,” she said. “That’s a goal of mine. Fashion is like my own setting. I’m a different person. It brings out my confidence. I would like to get my social media up and continue on with fashion.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with DeGrate about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? DeGrate: Somebody I look up to is Angel Reese. Even though she plays a different sport, she dominates in her sport and uses her platform to encourage young girls. That’s something I would like to do in the future and it motivates me to do the same things. She models stuff too, so she is someone I really look up to. What is your favorite food? DeGrate: My favorite food is Chipotle for sure. I could eat that every day, or any type of Mexican food. I definitely like tacos, like street tacos, or nachos. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? DeGrate: I definitely would like to get better at public speaking and work on my communication skills. That’s something I feel like I will need in the future and could use work on that. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be and why? DeGrate: I would go on a shopping spree and buy clothes, shoes and make up. I would go to Chipotle and hang out with my friends. Aside from necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? DeGrate: One thing I can’t go a day without is music. I listen to music in the morning and throughout the day. It sets the tone of the day. When I’m going through lots of things music helps get me in a good mood. I definitely listen to a lot of music. It sets the energy I need. I have a wider range. I like gospel, rap and 90s R&B. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? DeGrate: It’s definitely seeing other people smile as well as making someone else’s day. Also my mom in general, just having conversations with her because she’s my best friend. If you could have any superpower what would it be and why? DeGrate: It would be having the ability to read minds. I’m an overthinker and knowing what someone else is thinking or wondering about me would answer all of my questions. Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why? DeGrate: I’m most passionate about my family and friends and making sure our bonds stay tight. Nothing is more important than family and

The Durango Fall Classic has long been the gold standard when it comes to national high school tournaments. Day 2 at Durango High School, when the top 16 teams in the field compete for the championship, delivers the best that high school volleyball has to offer and is head-and-shoulders above any other day of competition during the season. The final results play a huge role and go a long way in determining the national champion at the end of the year. Given that, this year’s field could deliver the most epic edition yet and that’s no exaggeration. It’s impossible for the Durango results to not heavily influence this year’s national championship race as the top teams in the country are set to go at it for the prestigious title. On top of that, four major tournament champions from this season are participating in 2023, starting with top-ranked Mira Costa CA, which captured the Ann Kang Invitational in August by defeating Cornerstone Christian TX. Cornerstone finished first at the Nike TOC Southeast event at the beginning of the month, while Volleypalooza champ Mater Dei CA – as well as Volleypalooza runner-up Prestonwood Christian TX – are also in the mix. Wrapping it up is recent Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament winner Assumption KY. Any one of the five teams could take over the top spot in the nation – or in Mira Costa’s case retain it – should they leave Las Vegas this weekend with the coveted trophy. Of course, given the strength of the field, there is a chance none of the five finish first and another school lays claim to the throne. Defending national and tournament champion Cathedral Catholic CA could be one of them. A school like Torrey Pines CA has five-set losses to both Mira Costa and Cathedral Catholic and shouldn’t be overlooked, while Archbishop Mitty CA started the week undefeated and is the highest-seeded team still without a loss. Number of Teams: 64 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (16): 1. Mira Costa CA 2. Cornerstone Christian TX 4. Archbishop Mitty CA 5. Assumption KY 6. Mater Dei CA 7. Prestonwood Christian TX 9. Cathedral Catholic CA 16. Torrey Pines CA 22. St. Francis/Mountain View CA 23. Sierra Canyon CA 25. Xavier Prep AZ 34. Redondo Union CA 39. Marymount CA 40. Lone Peak UT 43. Huntington Beach CA 45. Kamehameha HI 5-Star Athletes to Know   4-Star Athletes to Know   Outlook: As mentioned in the intro, four schools have finished first at national tournaments already in Mira Costa, Mater Dei, Cornerstone Christian and Assumption, while a fifth in Prestonwood Christian finished runner up at Volleypalooza. Cathedral Catholic – which lost to Mater Dei in the semifinals of Volleypalooza – defeated Mater Dei earlier this month in the Dave Mohs championship match at a tournament in Southern California. Archbishop Mitty owns a victory already this season over last year’s California Open Division state runner up in St. Francis/Mountain View, which is also competing this weekend at Durango. Another storyline is Xavier Prep AZ, which entered the week 6-0 without losing a set yet. Then there is Sierra Canyon CA, which tied for third at Ann Kang in August. Two other schools who are typically among the final 16 are Redondo Union CA and Marymount CA and neither can be discounted. While ‘Iolani HI is unable to make the trip this year, another Hawaii school in Kamehameha/Kapalama is a Durango constant. The Warriors have opened the year 12-1, with their only setback to one-loss Punahou HI, which is the only school so far this season to beat Mira Costa. Punahou also owns a victory over another Durango participant in Huntington Beach CA, which defeated Sierra Canyon at Ann Kang. The storylines are plentiful at this year’s event, and yet another is a team like Branson CA, which was the California Division 1 state champion last year. They are all, as is everyone, fighting to win their Day 1 pool. With it comes a ticket to the top 16 and the fun and excitement of Day 2 at Durango High. The two-day tournament always comes with tons of anticipation and even with the hype surrounding this year’s field exceeding the norm, there is no way the 2023 version of Durango can disappoint! Prediction: Aiming to pick the correct winner is no easy task given the number of teams which can rise up and win it all. Preseason No. 1 Prestonwood Christian has all the talent to wind up on top. Current No. 1 Mira Costa has the best ball control of any team in the field but not the same firepower. Mater Dei, Assumption and Cornerstone Christian have all shown what they are capable of, while Cathedral Catholic plays with a ton of resiliency. I don’t see a team outside of one of those six capturing the title. In the end, Assumption keeps up its strong play of late and downs Mira Costa in the championship match.

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: Layla Hoying. *** With a dad who was a quarterback at Ohio State and spent six seasons in the NFL, two aunts who played Division 1 volleyball, an older brother, Jacob, who plays football at the University of Cincinnati and an older sister, Ava, currently playing volleyball at Northern Kentucky University, sports have always been a huge part of Layla Hoying’s life growing up. She spent five years doing competitive dance. She ran track. Played AAU basketball. And has participated in soccer and cheer. Still, she always knew volleyball would be No. 1. “I was exposed (to volleyball) from such a young age,” she said. “I was going to clinics. I did a lot of other sports but I always knew volleyball would be my sport.” Hoying – a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2026 – started club during her 11s season at Mintonette and has been there since. It’s where her sister Ava played club too, so it was a natural fit. Currently, Hoying is in the middle of her sophomore season at Bishop Watterson, where Mintonette coach Stephanie Grieshop is the head coach. With Hoying a freshman last season and teaming with her older sister, the Eagles advanced to the Ohio Division 1 state semifinals before falling to eventual champion Ursuline Academy. “I was so excited because I always knew we would have the opportunity to play one year together,” Hoying said. “It really gave me extra incentive to make varsity because I really wanted to play with her. Everyone was telling me I had nothing to worry about but I wasn’t just expecting to make varsity. I was telling myself I had to work harder than everyone else to have that chance and it made it extra special.” Hoying ended her rookie season third in both kills and digs. The Eagles graduated seven seniors coming into her sophomore season, so she’s taken on an increased role. The team began this week 8-3 with Hoying leading the roster in kills and aces. “I think we were expecting this season to be more of a rebuilding year but the season has been pretty good so far,” she said. “Our first game was against Ursuline, who won state last year and we lost to in the semifinals, and we lost in five sets, 20-18. We have a lot of Mintonette players and we all have that same foundation with our training. Steph is our coach and she coaches with Max (Miller) so she is training us well. We have a lot of juniors so we’ll be a similar team next year. We are growing as a team and getting better.” When it comes to club, Hoying and company have enjoyed plenty of success the past two seasons. Her Mintonette squad finished the 2021-2022 season capturing the USAV 14 Open national championship. The ending to this past club campaign was just as memorable, even though it didn’t quite end the same way. The first chapter featured Mintonette defeating Skyline to take home the AAU 15 Open gold medal. A couple of weeks later the two clubs met again in the USAV 15 Open championship match. That one went Skyline’s way. “That was insane,” Hoying said. “That was not something I expected. At AAUs, we definitely expected to play them in the finals. When we beat them we were so excited about winning AAUs. We knew USAV was coming up and we needed to stay focused. We had it in the back of our mind that we could play them again. Once it was Day 4 and we both made it to the final, we were really excited playing them again. I do think we were the two top teams in the nation. We knew they had extra fire and reason to beat us, so that made us a little nervous. It’s hard to beat a really good team but it’s even harder to beat a really good team twice in the span of a few weeks. We worked our hardest and I do think we were capable of beating them, it just didn’t happen.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Hoying about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Hoying: I would say I definitely look up to my sister. I always go to her for advice, whether it’s about volleyball or school or anything else. She’s really wise. She’s only 18 but she is wise and always has good advice for me. I play volleyball because of her. When people compliment me about volleyball they are really complimenting her because she’s the reason I’m playing. With her, I always have someone to talk to who understands the sport in depth, plus I look up to her. I still want to beat her. That’s something that I use as an incentive is to beat Ava. That sense of competition definitely helps me to work harder. She’s definitely my biggest role model. What is your favorite food? Hoying: I’m definitely not a picky person. I think I’ll eat anything but olives. I definitely like fruit. I will eat any fruit. I also love pasta and I like getting my protein too though I don’t enjoy eating meat as much. Definitely fruit is my favorite food. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner but I’m really not picky. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Hoying: I feel like I would want to learn … there are so many options. I feel like I would want to learn how to play the piano super well. I took lessons

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: Madeline Kraft. *** It always has to start somewhere. When it came to Madeline Kraft’s beginning in the sport of volleyball, it was simple. “At first I did it because my friends were doing it and it just stuck,” she said. “Another interest I had in volleyball was going to a lot of (Minnesota) Gophers games. That also really got me into it.” Before taking up volleyball for the first time in fourth grade, Kraft had spent time doing gymnastics and dancing. She didn’t feel as comfortable with either of those as she did with volleyball. “It felt natural,” Kraft said of volleyball. Kraft – a 4-star libero/DS from the Class of 2026 – first played club for Northern Lights during her 12s season. Being part of a club like that and playing for a competitive team is when she started finding out how much she likes the sport. She’s been a defender throughout her relatively short volleyball career. With her dad being a 4-time All-American wrestler at Minnesota, Kraft has always had a competitive edge and she really enjoys bringing that mentality to the defensive side. “I love how relentless you have to be,” she said. “You don’t get to think too much about the play, you just have to react and go. It’s like being the quarterback of the defense and being a defensive leader, as well as cheering everyone up.” When we spoke with Kraft she was only two matches into her high school season with Eagan. The Wildcats currently sit at 6-1 as of this writing. It’s an exciting time at the school with the big coaching change this season. Longtime coach Kathy Gillen stepped down as head coach after 30 seasons. She was inducted into the Minnesota Hall of Fame in 2014, racked up over 700 victories and guided the program to seven state championships during her tenure. Gillen is now an assistant coach for her daughter, McKenna Melville, who has taken on head coaching duties this season. Melville – a Eagan alum who just concluded her collegiate career at the University of Central Florida – taking over the head position has created a buzz. She made a name for herself at UCF by leading the nation in kills and becoming the first player in program history to be named to the AVCA First Team All-America list. “We have a good team,” Kraft said. “We are all glad we get to play under her. Obviously, she’s a really good player and a really good role model.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Kraft about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Kraft: It’s Mckenna (Melville), my (new) coach for Eagan. She just graduated (from Central Florida). I can really relate to her. She’s a good student-athlete and I want to be like her. I look up to her because she succeeded a lot in college. I knew of her before. I met her once before and I always watched her while growing up. She played at Eagan. She committed as a libero but she grew four inches and started hitting in college. What is your favorite food? Kraft: It’s probably pasta and pineapple. When it comes to pasta, I really like spaghetti. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Kraft: I would like to become fluent in another language, so I can travel the world and be able to communicate with other cultures and people throughout the world. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be and why? Kraft: Probably spend time with my friends. It’s hard to make time for them with my busy schedule. I like hanging out with them. We’d probably go shopping. Aside from necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Kraft: Starbucks. My everyday drink is the Strawberry Acai refresher with lemonade. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better or makes you smile? Kraft: Probably my dog. Whenever I’m sad she cheers me up. Her name is Olivia. She’s a Toy Poodle but she doesn’t really look like a poodle though. If you could have any superpower what would it be and why? Kraft: It probably would be teleportation. I can’t drive right now and it would make my life a lot easier to go wherever, whenever I want. If I want to go to the beach, I’d just be there. Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why? Kraft: Just being a good person in general. Being a good friend, being a good sibling, being a good daughter. I’m always trying to think of the best in people and things. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Kraft: I can get very serious in stressful times and I can shut everything out and be focused. It’s because I’m usually all over the place. I’m usually making jokes and being light-hearted but I can switch and just turn it on, especially on the court. What is your strangest irrational fear? Kraft: It’s mice or rodents. I don’t like hamsters or anything like that. They freak me out. They are little and fast. I had a hamster once and one day the cage was open and we never found it. What’s your favorite number and why? Kraft: It’s probably 6 because I’ve always been some sort of 6 when I play. I’m usually always 6 or 16. I randomly just get a 6 every time.

Another weekend forthcoming, another national tournament on the slate. This Friday and Saturday features the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament taking place at Assumption and KiVA. It’s a smaller affair than the past two weeks with Volleypalooza and the Nike TOC Southeast. Still, the tournament packs a punch with three defending state champions in the field in Mother McAuley IL, Notre Dame Academy KY and Clearwater Central Catholic FL. Check out the nationally-ranked teams competing, the 3, 4 and 5-star athletes participating and our outlook and predictions below. Number of Teams – 24 vballrecruiter.com’s Nationally-Ranked Teams (6):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   3-Star Athletes to Know:   OUTLOOK: Last year’s tournament played out with Mother McAuley IL taking home the title for the first time in program history as the Macs went on to capture the 4A state championship in Illinois. The defending tournament champions return and are aiming to go back-to-back as the Macs start off as the top seed. Right behind Mother McAuley is Notre Dame Academy, which claimed the Kentucky state championship a season ago and returns the majority of its roster. Both Sacred Heart Academy KY and Assumption KY have what it takes to contend, while a team to watch out for is fifth-seeded St. Ursula Academy OH. The Bulldogs have young talent on the roster and will look to take it to the more experienced teams seeded ahead of them. The sixth overall seed is Clearwater Central Catholic. The Marauders handed Westminster Christian FL its only loss by beating the Warriors in the Florida 3A state championship a season ago. The two-day tournament starts off with eight, three-team pools. The pool winners advance to Saturday’s eight-team gold bracket. PREDICTION: There’s no doubt all eyes are on Mother McAuley to repeat, but this tournament has a way of surprising. Therefore, the pick is for Assumption to reverse its fortune from last year and take down Mother McAuley in Saturday’s final.

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: Tenesyn Frye. *** Flashing back to last year, it was Tenesyn Frye’s first season playing club volleyball for Idaho Crush. She was on the 15s team, one that ended up qualifying for 15 Open and finishing tied for 29th at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Indianapolis. So much has happened since then for the 6-1, 4-star athlete who plays high school at Mountain View in Idaho. This summer she wrapped up her second season with Idaho Crush, one in which the club made history. And she recently committed to Houston where she’ll further her career in a couple of years. It’s been a whirlwind of a progression considering Frye only spent two seasons playing at a small club before joining Idaho Crush, where she’s since elevated quickly. “The club I was playing for fell apart and Caroline (Bower) asked if I wanted to be on the team,” Frye said. “That’s when I went to Triple Crown and saw all the college coaches. That’s when I thought I could go to college and got serious. Caroline developed my game and I improved so much. She knows a lot about volleyball.” This past club season was a special one for Frye and her Idaho Crush 16 teammates. They became the first club from Idaho to win a national qualifier when they finished first at the Pacific Northwest Qualifier. That was a remarkable achievement but they didn’t stop there. Frye and company added two more national qualifier victories by capturing gold at both the Salt Lake City Showdown and Far Western qualifiers. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity winning three national qualifiers,” Frye said. “Before that no team from Idaho had ever won one national qualifier. So to win two more after winning the first, that was unreal. I love my team. We all get along really well outside of volleyball too so that really helps us.” The team wound up finishing tied for 13th in 16 Open at the USAV GJNC in Chicago. There’s a sense of pride in representing the state on a stage like a national qualifier and the national championship, Frye said. The team loves that they are helping put Idaho on the map. “Idaho volleyball is very small, but it’s growing,” Frye said. “It’s still nothing compared to Nebraska, California and Texas but it’s good to hear from random people at tournaments who come up to us. We are the only club in Idaho that plays in Open and we are getting a name for ourselves.” Frye’s rapid ascension also opened up doors for the next level that she wouldn’t have thought were available previously. She said her recruiting process was stressful at times and that she “didn’t organize well with all the calls and that was my fault.” When it came to Houston, she said the school offered her at nationals and “that was pretty cool.” “I was so tired that day and the coaches made my day because of it,” she said. “They are all super fun and super energetic and fun to talk to. I committed on July 15 one month after it started. I decided I waited long enough and didn’t want to lose another opportunity to play at a great school.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Frye about volleyball and more. Who is a role model or someone you look up to? Frye: It’s probably my dad. He always has worked really hard. He is the only one from his family to go to college and play sports in college. He’s a big motivation of mine. What is your favorite food? Frye: I would say Italian food, pizza and pasta. I’ll try any type of new pizza, but normally I go with pepperoni or the meat lovers is my favorite. Other than volleyball, what skill would you most like to learn and why? Frye: I would say getting better grades. It’s not that I have bad grades or my grades aren’t good, it’s just that I would like more time to be able to focus on my academics and do a little better in school. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be and why? Frye: I think I would go to a different country. I really want to go to Japan and walk around there and learn about their country. Aside from necessities, what is one thing you could not go a day without? Frye: It would probably be my phone. It has everything on there. It has my class schedules. It’s how I get a hold of my teachers, my parents and my friends, so it would be my phone. If you could have any superpower what would it be and why? Frye: I think I would want to teleport because I would get to sleep in longer. I wouldn’t have to wake up so early. I actually only live five minutes from my school but it takes 30 minutes to get parked and everything. It’s crazy. Outside of volleyball what are you most passionate about and why? Frye: I would say my grades. I know I have to be a student-athlete as well as an athlete. I want to have good grades so I can do well in college and be prepared for that. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Frye: Probably that I’m half Vietnamese. My mom is from Vietnam and a lot of people don’t get that. What is your strangest irrational fear? Frye: Probably bugs. I’m really scared of spiders and all that stuff. In the summer it can get bad here but it’s