Free Article of the Week

It’s been an action-packed time here in Orlando for the vballrecruiter.com team. Alongside of covering the 50th edition of the AAU Girls Junior National Championships, we also hosted two Elite ID Clinic at the Wiregrass Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel. The clinics culminated with 11 players being invited to The Red Hat Games in December in Dallas. The invitations went out to the following:   In addition to the 11 invites handed out, there were more players who caught our attention as well. We highlight all below. INVITES AND STANDOUTS Damia Ellis S SC Midlands 17 National Elite (2024): Ellis received an invite for her outstanding play both setting and hitting. The lefty has a strong arm and hits with lots of power. Liv Lambert OH Team Kiwi 15 Graphite (2025): Lambert is a bit undersized but she jumps well and swings with authority. Olivia Burns RS Coastal 15 Elite (2026): Burns is a lefty with a strong arm. She was bringing the wood at times with her hard hitting. Alivia Martin L/DS OT 15 Madison (2026): Martin stood out among a strong ball control group. She has a sound platform and quiet movement when passing. She also brought a lot of energy. Ainhoa Molleja OH MVA 15 Julio (2026): Molleja was the top hitter in her session. She’s a springy outside with a really quick swing. She was swinging away with authority and scoring a bunch. Sarah McDonnell S OPU 15 Adidas (2026): McDonnell did well getting to the ball. She had  a nice consistent release. She also stood out with her defensive play and could be a future defender too. Alaina Walker S/RS CJV 15 Brook (2026): Walker was arguably the top overall player from both sessions. She has tremendous potential and is definitely a name to know. She can dish the ball with ease and moves very well. Gabriella White MB All-In Coral 15 Taylor (2026): White is lanky and another who flashed her potential with her play at the net. She also has a nice arm and was letting balls fly. Veda Sharma OH Miami Hype 14 Nekene (2027): Sherma was another standout attacker who played with high energy and lots of effort. She showed off a good arm and has lots of potential as she moves up the ranks. Avery Thorp MB Dead Frog 14 Black (2027): Thorp was among the younger players who was owning the net. She has a solid arm and was doing well off of one foot. Ali Strange L/DS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami (2027): Strange is a flat-out baller and a legit next-level prospect. She was making hustle plays, showing scrappiness and bringing lots of energy. Soleie Rizzi OH St. Pete 16 Teal (2025): Rizzi is a six-rotation pin. She has a presence on the court, showed a variety of shots and a nice arm. Valerie Yambao S GP 15 Premier (2026): Yambao is a gamer and was working hard. She was moving the ball around well and has potential to continue to grow and blossom. Kamryn McDonald OH/DS MAVS 816 16-1 (2025): McDonald does a good job getting her feet to the ball. It allows her to hit high. She also had a lot of energy. Rosa Smith S WPVC 17 Armour Black (2025): Smith was among the top setters in her session. She has nice hands, is consistent and jump sets well. Lanie Malobabich MB Sky Elite 15U (2026): Malobabich is young and has lots of potential. She has a sound base and just needs time and more reps. Gigi Bernier L/DS Academy LI (2025): Bernier stood out in a strong libero group. She had sound passing and held it down digging.   Grace DeVall L/DS Pitt Elite 17 Elite (2024): DeVall had solid platform and outstanding court demeanor.

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: Natalie Carr. *** Making the switch from competitive cheerleading to volleyball took time from a skills perspective. For Natalie Carr, it didn’t matter at first if she couldn’t underhand serve the ball over the net. The sport was new and she was having fun doing it. “I started going to Pitt camps when I was young and one of the first camps I started doing, the way the players were interacting with each other was really cool,” Carr said. She’s no longer the 10-year-old trying out a new sport. The Class of 2026 outside hitter is now 5-11 and playing up an age group for Pitt Elite 16 Elite. Carr was recently named to the JVA All-National Team for U16 and she’s also an accomplished beach player who has been competing on the sand since she was 11. While individually Carr continues to grow and develop at a rapid pace, Pitt Elite has also taken steps forward this season. The team has done so by capturing gold medals at both the JVA Rock’N Rumble and Capitol Hill Classic and recently going 6-0 at the The Nike Open in early May, all in 16 Open. Up next is the end of the season, when Pitt Elite competes in 16 Open at the AAU national championships on June 26-29 in Orlando. It was back in mid-January at Rock’N Rumble in Cleveland where a top highlight of Carr’s took place. There’s no doubt herself and teammates would love to bookend their season by creating another lasting memory like it at AAUs. “Our first tournament of the year was Rock’N Rumble and we were going in and didn’t know how we stood next to other teams,” Carr said. “Metro (16 Travel) was the top team and we had to play them in the first game (Sunday morning). We played them and it went three sets and the final score was 23-21. It was crazy winning that last point. It was incredible. It was so much fun. That was our first big win of the season and it was really special for everyone on the team.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Carr about volleyball and more. Who is your role model or icon you look up to? Carr: I would say Kerri Walsh Jennings. She’s obviously a very good beach volleyball player. I follow her on social media. Just who she is, she’s such a good person. I look up to her in both volleyball and life in general. I met her at p1440 nationals two years ago. It was a really cool experience. What is your favorite food(s)? Carr: Definitely acai bowls. It’s my favorite thing in the whole entire world. What is your favorite tournament of the season? Carr: Probably the Capitol Hill Classic. It was a relatively big tournament. There were a bunch of teams there and they were all high-level. Getting to compete against them and winning that tournament was really big. It was a fun tournament. What is your favorite team bonding event? Carr: For me, in club we always find a restaurant to do a team dinner at. It’s so much fun. We dress up in cute outfits. We talk about volleyball and everything else. It’s fun because we get to dress up and get ready together then come back to the hotel and hang out. It’s so much fun. What is your favorite quote? Carr: My favorite quote is ‘Be the best version of you.’ The reason I like this quote so much is from a volleyball perspective you can’t compare yourself to other people. That’s really important. That’s something that is easy to do but it doesn’t help anyone. For real life, it’s about always being a nice person and being as good as you can be. What is your go to song to warm up to? Carr: Whenever I warm up, I have a 12-hour Taylor Swift playlist I always play. I put it on shuffle and whatever comes on is what hypes me up and gets me ready to play. If you could have any super power what would it be and why? Carr: Probably the ability to teleport. I lose track of time and normally I’m a pretty late person. I’m never where I’m supposed to be on time. What do you like to do outside of volleyball? Carr: I really enjoy baking. I like journaling and hiking. I enjoy being outside. My chocolate chip cookies are so good. Everyone I’ve ever given one to loves them. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Carr: I’m a pretty quiet person but on the volleyball court I’m really loud and energetic. When I meet new people I’m shy and timid until I get to know them. If you could have dinner with anyone past or present, who would it be and why? Carr: Taylor Swift. She’s such an interesting person. Her music is so good. I would like to know her thought process behind her songs and what she decides. What is your favorite number and why? Carr: Number 10. I honestly have no idea why. It has no relation to anything. If anything, it’s an even number and I really like even numbers.

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: Ryan Hunter. *** To this point, if Ryan Hunter’s volleyball career were a race it would be the 100-meter dash. She’s gone from ending her time in competitive dance and beginning volleyball just three years ago to becoming one of the top Class of 2025 prospects in a flash. The 6-2, 5-star dynamic right side has spent the season playing up and turning heads on nationally-ranked Triangle 17 Black, which is competing in 17 Open this summer at the USAV Junior National Championships in Chicago. Hunter’s addition has elevated Triangle into a national title contender. She made the switch to the club this season. That she’s competing at such a high level in such a short time is a credit to her, plus reason why big-time college programs around the country are hoping to make their impressions when the recruiting season officially opens in a couple of weeks. “It’s been really fun coming into a new club full of very advanced athletes,” Hunter said. “It was new and it was a little challenging to get used to. When I did get used to it, it was really fun. We connected quickly. We’re all competitive and we all work well together.” As Hunter began getting taller she was looking for something new besides dancing, which she’d been doing since she was 2. Her older sister, Keimaya, played volleyball at UNC and that inspired her to give the sport a try. She went to a camp at a local gym and that was it. Three short years later and the next stop up is Junior Nationals, where Triangle will enter 17 Open ranked No. 3 in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 National Rankings. It’ll be Hunter’s first time competing in Open at JN’s. It’s even possible she could have a new college in her future by then, but for now we’ll have to wait and see how both to unfold. “We are preparing ourselves to be dealing with more competition and getting better every single practice,” Hunter said. “We are mentally preparing ourselves for the intense play but I think with this team we have a real chance of pulling off winning nationals.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Hunter about volleyball and more. Who is your role model or icon you look up to? Hunter: My sister was the one to first introduce me to volleyball. Her love for volleyball inspired me to love it. She’s been one of my biggest supporters and has been there to help me. When my mom was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, she made sure I made it practice, all my tournaments and always took time to help me practice. I’ve seen how hard she works and how focused she is on accomplishing her own goals while helping me achieve mine. She’s my hero and I’m so blessed to have her. What is your favorite food? Hunter: My favorite foods would have to be lasagna, pizza and pasta. What is your favorite tournament of the season? Hunter: I’d have to say maybe either Triple Crown or Sunshine Classic. I think both those tournaments had great competition and those were the times we were really connecting and getting into a groove. It showed how well we can work together and it really made us push ourselves. What is your favorite team bonding event? Hunter: Usually, after the first day of a tournament the team goes out to eat. It’s a fun time. We are always laughing. Those times are really special. It helps us connect off the court. Do you have a favorite quote or mantra? Hunter: I’d say my favorite quote is ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ If you could have any super power what would it be and why? Hunter: If I could have any superpower I’d say to be able to fly. I don’t know, it would be really cool to be above everything in the sky and see it all from the perspective of above. Also, being able to fly I could get places faster. What do you like to do outside of volleyball? Hunter: I like to draw. Sometimes I go on walks when the weather is nice. I think I’m a creative person. I like to make things like crafts. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Hunter: I’d say if you didn’t know me before you met me you would think I’m a quiet person. Once you get to know me you’d probably be surprise to see how crazy and goofy I am. If you could have dinner with anyone past or present, who would it be and why? Hunter: Kobe Bryant. I would want to ask him everything and anything regarding his methods for maintaining focus and how he came to have a Mamba mentality. What’s your favorite number and why? Hunter: My favorite number is 18. It’s a combination of my sister’s number and my brother’s number. His number in high school was 33 and my sister’s number in college was 15. 33 minus 15 is 18.

vballrecruiter.com introduces our Class of 2027 Player Rankings. We’ve recently updated the Classes of 2024, 2025 and 2026. Below, you can find the players listed in our initial rankings. To view the full rankings, click here. Initial Class of 2027 Player Rankings Addison Otto S Northern Lights 14-1 Alice Wood S LAV 15 National Black Amelia Snider OH/MB No Name 15 Erin Ansley Shafer L/DS TAV 14 Black Asia Udo-Ema OH Pipeline 14-1 Audrey Davis RS Circle City 14 Purple Ava Burgess OH Club V 14 Ren Silver Averi Hanna MB Metro 14 Travel Bailey Lambert MB AZ Sky 14G Berkley France OH AZ Sky 14G *** Braelyn Patton MB Dallas Premier 14 Brooklyn Sippio MB GP 14 Rox Bryn Meyer OH Mintonette Sports m.41 Brynn Stephens S/RS TAV 14 Black Calli LeFevre OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas Camille Presley MB AP 14 Adidas Capri Romjue OH TAV 14 Black Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 15 Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks Cassidy Armstrong S/RS AZ Sky 14G *** Cedra Talaga OH/L/DS Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar Charlotte Cavin S Madfrog 14 Green Clara Christ L/DS Northern Lights 14-1 Coco Lewis OH Virginia Jrs 14 Elite Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 14-1 Adidas Dakota Huynh L/DS Skyline 14 Royal Ella Olson OH Tstreet 14 Carson Ellie Enger S/OH WPVC 14 Armour Black Emerson Butler S/RS AP 14 Adidas Emily Poteraj MB Adidas KiVA 14 Red *** Emma Kingston MB Tstreet 14 Carson Fara Bronson S Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Francesca Hansel DS/L Tri-State Elite 14 Blue Francesca Lorenzo OH Lions 14-1 Gabriella Souza S Tstreet 14 Carson Gabrielle Ngo MB Wave 14 Tammy Gentry Barker OH TAV 14 Black Gia Ireland S/RS Norco 15 Black Hailey Mueller OH Triangle 14 Black Hanna McGinest OH Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar *** Isabel Incinelli MB WPVC 14 Armour Black Isabella Stojkovic RS Arizona Storm 14 Izabelle Buchholz MB Skyline 14 Royal Jaycee Mack MB Wave 15 Brennan Jazzlyn Hepburn MB AP 14 Adidas Jentelle McNairl OH Alliance 14 Ren Kaelyn Bjorklund S Northern Lights 14-1 Kaitlyn Herweg SCVC 15 Roxy Kamryn Mullican S/RS Excel 14 National Red Karsyn Rogers S Drive Nation 14 Red *** Kate Cuppett OH Skyline 14 Royal Kate Kalczynski OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas Katherine Jackson RS Tstreet 14 Carson Katherine Nowak OH Tstreet 14 Carson Kendall Hubbard S/RS Elevation 14 Molly Kendall Omoruyi MB Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Kyla Williams MB AVC Cle 14 Red Landri Trice OH Drive Nation 14 Red Lauren Forelli OH AZ Rev 14 Premier  Lauren Garcia S Alamo 15 Premier *** Laven Blumoff L/DS Austin Skyline 14 Royal Lexi Martin OH Drive Nation 14 Red Lilah Anthony RS Adidas KiVA 14 Red Lilly Tierney MB NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami Lola Waleskowski OH NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami London Merchant OH Madfrog 14 Green Lucky Fasavalu OH Austin Skyline 14 Royal Lyla Sands MB HPSTL 14 Royal Macie Murray OH Metro 14 Travel Maisie Jones OH Tri-State Elite 14 Blue *** Malorie Boesiger S Nebraska One 16 Synergy Maria Schulte S/RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami Mariah Akinsola MB TAV 14 Black Marissa Jones S A5 14 Helen Marlee Steiner MB HPSTL 14 Royal Marlo Libbey S Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar Mia Diouf RS GP 14 Rox Molly Aubert S Drive Nation 14 Red Molly Drake OH Royal Legends 15-1 National Orange Monica Bercaru-Maxim L/DS Madfrog 14 Green *** Morgan Meiring OH Elevation 14 Molly Nafanua Alofipo OH Austin Skyline 14 Royal Naomi Livings OH TAV Black 14 Black Nia LaMons L/DS TAV 14 Black Nyla Livings MB TAV 14 Black Nylah Bibby OH Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Olivia Garey MB/RS Metro 14 Travel Olivia Greenwood RS Wave 14 Tammy Olivia Henry OH/MB AXEVC 15 Premier Peyton Heatherly S/RS Lions 14-1 *** Piper Chylinski S/RS SG Elite 15 Rosh Piper McFadden S Elevation 14 Peak Pulelehua Laikona L/DS Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Reagan Wallraff MB Arizona Storm 14 Ryan Spencer OH Skyline 14 Royal Sasha Plummer RS Metro 14 Travel Savanna Stacey OH Elevation 14 Molly Shaye Witherspoon OH Rockwood Thunder 14 Elite Simrin Adams OH/RS Mizuno Long Beach Rockstar Sophee Peterson S/RS TAV 14 Black *** Sophia Dostic S OT 14 Laura Sophia Puleo OH OT 14 Laura Susan Hudgins OH AP 14 Adidas Taimane Poe MB Mizuno Long Beach Rockstar Taylor Harrington MB Paramount 14-1 Tessa Larkin OH Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Vanessa Glenn OH Madfrog 14 Green Vega Tunnell OH AZ Sky 14G Zamari Christianson S Club V 14 Ren Silver

Last week we released our updated player rankings for the Classes of 2024 and 2025. Up next is the Class of 2026. We start with the players whose star rankings have changed, moving from either 4 to 5 stars or from 3 to 4 stars. That is followed by a list of new additions to the rankings. To view the full rankings, click here. Athletes Rising To 5 Stars   Athletes Rising To 4 Stars   NEW ADDITIONS Addison Polivka OH 1United 15 Dylan Ai-Vy Ho S Excel 15 National Red Anna O’Keefe S Northern Lights 15-1 Brooklyn Jenkins OH AZ Sky 15G Claire Nelson MB Austin Skyline 15 Royal Destiny Wiggins L/DS Wildfire 15 Ellie Stiernagle S SPVB 15 Elite Gentry Oblad OH Vegas Aces 16 UA Giovanna Artiles OH Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal  Grace Lee OH High Tide 15 Elite *** Grace Martin OH Pohaku 15-1 Jayden Robinson OH Hou Skyline 15 Royal Jordyn Joppru MB AZ Sky 15G Kaitlyn Nguyen L/DS Dakine Warriors 17 Surf Kate Schroetlin L/DS Norco 15 Black Kaylee Maikranz L/DS High Tide 15 Elite Leah Robinson OH MAVS 816 15-1 Lola Sageer OH VolleyFX 16 Mantra Lyla Stewart RS Mintonette Sports m.51 Makenna Crosson OH/RS NorCal 17-1 Black *** Melaina Haines OH LAV 15 National Black Mia Crowley OH TAV Houston 15 Adidas Nikolija Bulotovic S 1st Alliance 15 Gold Olivia Branum S OP2 15-1 Paighton Erb MB Premier Nebraska 15 Gold Skylar Brady OH OP2 15-1 Sydni Vice OH MJVA 16 Elite Taylor Stanley RS Dynasty 15 Black Trinity Thompson L/DS Vegas Aces 16 UA

We’re proud to officially begin an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our new Player of the Week program. Moving forward we’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods. Below is our initial Player of the Week: Reagan Ennist. *** Like countless before her, it didn’t take Reagan Ennist long to fall in love with volleyball. The 6-2, 4-star outside hitter from the Class of 2025 currently plays for TeamLVC 17-1 – which is participating in 17 Aspire for the upcoming AAUs Girls National Championships later this summer – but didn’t grow up playing the sport. She tried everything from softball to basketball to swimming while also sticking to competitive gymnastics for eight years. Then volleyball came along. After watching her older sister, Ryan, play Ennist decided it was time to get out of gymnastics and into a new sport. “I watched her games and they were fast-paced plus I wanted to be around a team sport,” Ennist said. We’ve talked to players before who stopped doing gymnastics because they simply outgrew the sport due to their height. However, Ennist said that wasn’t the case with her. She was actually shorter than most of her friends in sixth grade and didn’t start her growth spurt until seventh grade. By the time Ennist was playing her first year at Shenendehowa in New York as an eighth-grader she knew she wanted to continue playing in college. Having grown to 6-2 and touching over 10 feet, Ennist should have no trouble in making that happen. She’s considered one of the top recruits in the country, though she might fly under the radar, and will be sought after in the coming weeks when the recruiting period officially begins. Ennist recently quit track and field, where she competed in high, long and triple jump, to focus on volleyball. Even though she captured the Section II high jump title as a freshman volleyball is where her heart is. “I think my absolute favorite thing is being able to play with different girls from around the country,” Ennist said. “I’ve been playing with different people and different styles. I love the traveling and the different coaching.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Ennist about volleyball and more. Who is your role model or icon you look up to? Ennist: Definitely the two who stick out to me the most is Jordan Larson. I met her last year at the Drive Nation camp in Texas. It’s seeing not just how much of a great player she is, but what a leader she is on the court. That’s something I strive to be in all my years I play. Second, she is actually from around where I grew up, is Emma Werkmeister. She plays at UCONN. I look up to her because New York is not a huge volleyball state. I competed against her a lot last year. She’s an amazing player and shows great leadership in being humble. It’s great seeing someone so close playing in college and having a great experience. What is your favorite food? Ennist: I do love seafood and lobster. I love tacos and Mexican food, but seafood, especially lobster, is my favorite. What is your favorite tournament of the season? Ennist: I’ve been to the Capital Hill Classic two years in a row and it’s one of my favorites. The level of play is crazy and I love the length of the tournament that it’s three days. It’s probably one of the bigger tournaments we’ve been to. I’m also super excited for AAUs because I’ve never been. What is your favorite team bonding event? Ennist: Over my (high) school season we have a couple away tournaments that are four or five hours away and we stay in hotels. The night before the first day of the tournament the coach picks out mini groups to create a song and dance. We have 20 minutes to come up with one and then we perform it in front of everyone. It’s so fun to connect like that outside volleyball. Do you have a quote or mantra? Ennist: This is hard because I’ve been doing #MyQuoteMondays for a couple of months. I started doing that and one that stood out is, I don’t remember exactly, but it talks about the only person holding you back is yourself. Sometimes you get called names and people talk about you as competitors. That’s what happens, but that quote always sticks out and I remember to block out the negative and focus on myself and my team and achieving what we want. It makes it super important to me. If you could have any super power what would it be and why? Ennist: Probably being able to time travel. I don’t know why, that just seems so cool going back in time. I don’t think I would want to go forward, just backward. What do you like to do outside of volleyball? Ennist: Besides modeling, I love hanging out with friends outside of volleyball when I get the chance. I workout with my best friend on off days and go to a trainer, so working out and modeling are what I do outside of volleyball. What is one thing that may surprise people about you? Ennist: I’m not as serious as a lot of people who make the assumption about me think I am. They think I’m completely serious and intimidating. I’m nothing like that. I’m very funny and love to joke around with people and be goofy. When I don’t have games, I’m always goofing around. What is your favorite number and why? Ennist: My favorite number is six and I honestly can’t tell you why. That number has stuck with me since I was young. Six is in my birthday and it’s been a lucky number, so maybe that’s why but it’s not a volleyball number of mine.