GJNC

With the younger age that is the 14 Open at USAV nationals, unpredictability rules out more times than not. The up-and-down roller coaster of a ride ended with Dynasty 14 Black downing Hou Skyline 14 Royal for the gold medal. You can catch up on how it played out here. You can also view our Day 4 Show Stoppers here. Below, we present our All Red Hat Team for the 14 Open division. It’s our version of an all-tournament team. Given the depth of competition, we limited our selections from the Top 12 finishers. 14 OPEN PIN HITTERS Jensen Kubik Dynasty 14 Black Brooklyn Andrews Dynasty 14 Black Brooklyn Warren Hou Skyline 14 Royal Jada Skinner Hou Skyline 14 Royal Peyton Barnes Hou Skyline 14 Royal Sarah Albers HPSTL 14 Royal Leilani Lamar OT 14 Laura Izzie Penrose OT 14 Laura Maya Ogbogu Madfrog 14 Green Olivia Kitur Madfrog 14 Green Adelyn Lopez SG Elite 14 Rosh Lucy Stillwell SG Elite 14 Rosh Sarah Floyd TAV 14 Black Olivia Permenter TAV 14 Black Trinity Johnson TAV 14 Black Grace Regula AVC Cle 14 Red Audrey Utterback Circle City 14 Purple Sydney Harrison A5 14-1 Helen Leah Stickney A5 14-1 Helen Baylee Wilson Coast 14-1 *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Lilianah Jackson Dynasty 14 Black Hailey Tinnell Hou Skyline 14 Royal Taylor Moore Hou Skyline 14 Royal Gillian Pfeiffer HPSTL 14 Royal Rilynn Wingenbach HPSTL 14 Royal Lauren Sheldon Legacy 14-1 Adidas McKenzie Andrews Legacy 14-1 Adidas Gracie White MB Madfrog 14 Green Hayden Thomas Madfrog 14 Green Allison Charvat SG Elite 14 Rosh Nicole Jacobson TAV 14 Black *** SETTERS Sophia Sturdy Dynasty 14 Black Tiana Kinsella Dynasty 14 Black Addison Musgrove Hou Skyline 14 Royal Shelbi Mead HPSTL 14 Royal Molly Monday OT 14 Laura Mila Zujovic OT 14 Laura Payton Woodruff Legacy 14-1 Adidas Charlee Groninger Circle City 14 Purple *** LIBEROS Haedyn Lynnes Dynasty 14 Black Carly Pipes Hou Skyline 14 Royal Carina Buttrum HPSTL 14 Royal Caroline Hayes OT 14 Laura Ashlyn Pelon Legacy 14-1 Adidas Caitlin Carrizales TAV 14 Black Lola Loncar AVC Cle 14 Red Bethany Benjamin A5 14-1 Helen

The 15 Open division at USAV nationals produced an intense four days of action. The wild ride eventually ended with Tstreet 15 Asics beating Arizona Storm 15 Thunder in the championship match. You can read about that here. You can also check out our Day 4 Show Stoppers. Below, we present our All Red Hat Team for the 15 Open division. It’s our version of an all-tournament team. Given the depth of competition, we limited our selections from the Top 12 finishers. 15 OPEN PIN HITTERS Jaycee Mack Wave 15 Brennan Ireland Real Wave 15 Brennan Olivia Greenwood Wave 15 Brennan Ella Olson Tstreet 15 Asics Kate Jackson Tstreet 15 Asics Tessa Larkin Arizona Storm 15 Thunder Kamille Scott Arizona Storm 15 Thunder Eva Jeffries City 15 Gold Maya Harris City 15 Gold Gentry Barker TAV 15 Black Brynn Stephens TAV 15 Black Ava Burgess Club V 15 Ren Kalee Sitoafa Tausinga Club V 15 Ren Kalee Jordan Morrow Hou Skyline 15 Royal Aspen Brown Hou Skyline 15 Royal Hanna McGinest Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar Makenna Barnes Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar Bo Bronson KC Power 15 Black Kate Kalczynski Legacy 15-1 Adidas *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Megan Hodges Tstreet 15 Asics Katherine Nowak Tstreet 15 Asics Kendall Omoruyi Arizona Storm 15 Thunder Nyla Livings TAV 15 Black Mariah Akinsola TAV 15 Black Marlee Steiner HPSTL 15 Royal Aleigha Zollicoffee KC Power 15 Black Cynthia Ockerman Legacy 15-1 Adidas *** SETTERS Emery Gonzales Wave 15 Brennan Royal Banducci Tstreet 15 Asics Fara Bronson Arizona Storm 15 Thunder Piper Chylinski City 15 Gold Sophee Peterson TAV 15 Black Zamari Christensen Club V 15 Ren Kalee Tinsley Welker-Brown Hou Skyline 15 Royal Lucky Fasavalu Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar Sasha Cromer KC Power 15 Black Marlie Smith Legacy 15-1 Adidas *** LIBEROS Sarah MacDonald Tstreet 15 Asics Pulelehua Laikona Arizona Storm 15 Thunder Ella Garner City 15 Gold Ansley Shafer TAV 15 Black Cedra Talaga Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar Aubrey Burns AZ Sky 15 Gold Lucy Moriarty HPSTL 15 Royal Addison Stepp Legacy 15-1 Adidas

The last day of competition at USAV nationals was a fitting conclusion to the club season. You can read about Dynasty 14 Black rising up and winning another gold medal in 14 Open here. You can also catch up on Tstreet 15 Asics’ run to the 15 Open championship here. Below, we highlight the individuals who stood out the most to us on Thursday with our Day 4 Show Stoppers. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Jensen Kubik OH Dynasty 14 Black:  A 3-star recruit, Kubik helps make up an attack that can come from anywhere. She’s a smart hitter who does well going off hands or hitting to the gaps in the defense. Molly McGovern RS Dynasty 14 Black: McGovern – a 3-star recruit – had a big match in the finals against Hou Skyline. Her ability to score consistently on the right side kept the defense honest and gave Dynasty a big boost offensively. Haedyn Lynnes L/DS Dynasty 14 Black: Lynnes – a 3-star recruit – is a sparkplug defensively. She’s high-energy and flies around the court covering and making plays. Sophia Sturdy S/RS Dynasty 14 Black: Sturdy plays a vital role with her ability to set across the back and hit across the front. She knows how to get all her hitters involved as well as find ways to score. Addison Musgrove S Hou Skyline 14 Royal: A 3-star setter, Musgrove has nice hands and locates well. She spreads the ball around and runs a balanced offense. Jada Skinner OH Hou Skyline 14 Royal: Skinner was part of the reason Hou Skyline advanced to the final. She’s a wirey attacker with a solid arm and was someone her side could count on coming through when needed. Taylor Moore MB Hou Skyline 14 Royal: Moore was making plays in the middle. She has a strong arm and was connecting when the opportunity presented itself. Sarah Albers RS HPSTL 14 Royal: Albers – a 5-star recruit – has a big-time arm and is a six-rotation presence. She can swing over blocks and crush shots down. Carina Buttrum L/DS HPSTL 14 Royal: A 3-star recruit, Buttrum is a scrappy defender who gets after it. She was hustling around and extending rallies. Ashlyn Pelon L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Pelon – a 3-star recruit – was another back row standout who showed she could command the defense. She was defending well and making strong first-ball touches. *** Maya Ogbogu OH Madfrog 14 Green: A 5-star recruit, Ogbogu is a massive force on offense. She’s a high-flyer who gets way, way up and unleashes over blocks in a flurry. Adelyn Lopez OH SG Elite 14 Rosh: Lopez played a key role in SG’s success. She’s a steady passer out of serve receive. She’s also a heady attacker who knows how to find ways to produce points. Ella Olson OH Tstreet 15 Asics: A 4-star recruit, there was no one better among the players we saw on the final day than Olson. She simply owned all three opponents Tstreet faced. Her ability to hit hard, sharp angles as well as tool and swipe blocks made her nearly indefensible. Megan Hodges Tstreet 15 Asics: Hodges – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2028 – was on another level. Her size and length proved to be a real difference maker. She puts up a wall of a block. In addition, she’s an extremely tough cover on offense with her ability to get out and run the slide while swinging over blocks. Katherine Nowak MB Tstreet 15 Asics: A 3-star recruit, Nowak’s contributions were as vital as anyone’s. Her move to the middle in midseason brought stability to the lineup. As an outside making the switch, she was able to stay in across the back row and give Tstreet another way to score points. Royal Banducci S Tstreet 15 Asics: Banducci did a fine job of directing the offense. She puts up a hittable ball and knew when to ride a hot hand and when to switch it up. Tessa Larkin OH Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: A 4-star outside, Larkin has a really fast arm and can bring the heat on the pin. She’s the go-to on the outside and proved she can deliver in the clutch and when her team needs her the most. Kamille Scott RS Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Scott had a big day. The lefty right side scored consistently when called upon. She has a whippy arm and was slinging it cross court. Kendall Omoruyi MB Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: A 6-4, 5-star middle, Omoruyi changes the dynamic of the match when she’s in. She can dominate the net on both sides. She puts up a massive block. She’s also a legit offensive weapon with her ability to swing right over blocks and send shots straight down. Piper Chylinski S City 15 Gold: A 4-star setter, Chylinski closed out her impressive tournament with another strong day guiding the attack. She has good hands and a nice touch. She can also vary her sets. *** Eva Jeffries RS City 15 Gold: Jeffries – a 3-star outside – was the tournament’s breakout player. As a six-rotation right side, she remains a threat across the back row and can hit with the same effectiveness as when she’s across the front. Ansley Shafer L/DS TAV 15 Black: A 4-star defender, Shafer stays strong in the back row. Facing big hitters, she held her ground and didn’t give in inch in trying to keep her team in the rally. Sophee Peterson S TAV 15 Black: Peterson, a 4-star setter, is quick to the ball and does well squaring up. Even when out-of-system, she still does a nice job of getting the ball to her hitter and giving her team a good look. Brynn Stephens OH TAV 15 Black: Stephens, a 5-star recruit, is lanky and can really deliver on the outside. She can score from sideline to sideline as well as swing off blocks. Ava Burgess OH Club

With more out-of-state clubs participating this season during the first stop of the Tour of Texas in Dallas back in January, it led to a development no one could see coming. On the first day of play Dynasty 14 Black and Hou Skyline 14 Royal faced off in Power Pool 2. Dynasty came out ahead in three sets. Additionally, they crossed paths twice more at Triple Crown, with Hou Skyline winning both. Fast forward to Thursday, the final day of competition at USAV nationals in Las Vegas and the sides were the last two standing as they duked it out in the 14 Open championship match. Earlier in the tournament, national No. 3 Hou Skyline beat national No. 8 Dynasty in the final match of the first round of pool play. However, in the rematch in the final it was Dynasty returning the favor and sweeping, 25-22, 26-24, to earn the title of national champions. The victory completed ‘the double’ for Dynasty, which also finished with the 14 Open gold medal at AAUs last month. In contrast to 15 Open, the 14 Open gold bracket didn’t feature the same thrilling ride that saw five of the seven contests go the distance. Instead, just two of the gold bracket showdowns went to three sets, and none past the quarterfinals. However, one of the three-set results was massive as national No. 22 OT 14 Laura upset top-ranked Madfrog 14 Green, 25-22, 23-25, 15-8, in a stunner. With Madfrog out, all attention went to national No. 2 HPSTL 14 Royal. HPSTL managed to sweep national No. 13 Legacy 14-1 Adidas, 25-18, 25-23, in its quarterfinal. That set up a clash between Dynasty and HPSTL, which was 3-2 previously against Dynasty this year. However, Dynasty was victorious in the prior two outings before Thursday’s meeting, as Dynasty beat HPSTL at Show Me and then at the Midwest PreNational event in early June. Dynasty came through once more in the semis, sweeping 25-18, 25-21 and evening the season series at 3-3. The other semifinal featured Hou Skyline and OT Laura. OT defeated Hou Skyline at Sunshine back in March in their only prior meeting. This time, Hou Skyline was ready and swept, 25-20, 25-16. While Hou Skyline had no issues in sweeping national No. 6 TAV 14 Black, 25-13, 25-16, in its quarterfinal, Dynasty was in trouble early against national No. 28 SG Elite 14 Rosh. SG was the lowest-ranked team still in contention and put Dynasty on edge before the AAU champion rallied back and prevailed in three, 19-25, 25-18, 15-9, in its quarterfinal. While Madfrog and HPSTL proved themselves the best teams leading up to nationals, there is no denying no team was playing better at the end of the year than Dynasty. Though the depth of competition wasn’t the same, Dynasty went 12-0 in Orlando where it defeated A5 14-1 Helen in the final. Dynasty went 10-1 in Vegas. For added perspective, Dynasty lost four times at the Windy City qualifier in late March. Since then, Dynasty went 35-2 to close out the season. The only other team beside Hou Skyline to beat Dynasty in that stretch was Ozark 14-1 Elite, which finished tied for 19th in Vegas. It was difficult to see OT Laura’s upset of Madfrog coming. OT ended tied for fifth at AAUs after losing to Legacy in the quarterfinals. In Vegas, OT lost twice in the first round of pool to AVC Cle 14 Red and A5. Madfrog also beat OT at Triple Crown.

With three of the top four teams from Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 national rankings represented in the 15 Open semifinals at USAV nationals on Thursday in Las Vegas it was truly a heavyweight clash to the finish line. Mixed in was the tournament’s biggest surprise in City 15 Gold, which entered the four-day event ranked No. 31 nationally. The remaining trio consisted of top-ranked Arizona Storm 15 Thunder, No. 2 TAV 15 Black and No. 4 Tstreet 15 Asics. Through last year and this season there is plenty of history between the three clubs. Storm defeated Tstreet twice a season ago, once in the Red Rock Rave finals and once more in the USAV 14 Open quarterfinals in preventing Tstreet from reaching the medal stand. TAV went 2-0 against Storm a season ago, beating Storm in the Triple Crown semifinals and then again to capture the USAV 14 Open gold medal. Tstreet, meanwhile, was one of two teams to defeat TAV last year, topping TAV in the finals of the Salt Lake Showdown. With the teams all returning the almost all their players, it set the stage for 2024. Storm and TAV met twice at Triple Crown, with Storm beating TAV in pool play before TAV downed Storm in the final. Storm then beat TAV in the finals at Sunshine. In April, TAV defeated Tstreet in the Lone Star final. Tstreet and Storm didn’t meet this season. That was until Thursday’s 15 Open final. Both teams reached the championship without losing a match. But not without plenty of drama. Tstreet found a way past national No. 9 Club V 15 Ren Kalee in three sets, 25-20, 18-25, 15-12, in the quarterfinals. Storm was pushed by national No. 10 Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar to three sets before prevailing, 25-18, 18-25, 17-15, in its quarterfinal. Long Beach trailed 14-11 in the third but scored three straight to make it interesting. However, Long Beach never held match point as Storm was able to close it out. With TAV sweeping national No. 8 Hou Skyline 15 Royal in another quarterfinal, it set up a rematch between TAV and Tstreet from Lone Star. Storm, meanwhile, was paired with upstart City after City stunned national No. 6 Wave 15 Brennan in three sets, 19-25, 26-24, 15-13, in another quarterfinal. Wave led 10-6 in the final set before City fought back. The TAV-Tstreet meeting lived up to the hype. It was a back-and-forth slugfest with Tstreet edging TAV, 28-26, 22-25, 16-14. Tstreet was ahead 16-8 in the opening set before TAV roared back and extended the set into overscore. Then in the third set, TAV was up 14-12 and held two match points before Tstreet reeled off four straight to leave the 14 Open defending champions shocked. In the other semifinal, Storm had to fight back after dropping the opening set. There wasn’t nearly the same dramatics as Storm was able to rally and move on in three, 19-25, 25-16, 15-7. In the final, it was all Tstreet. After controlling the opening set, Tstreet took a commanding lead in the second and never looked back in sweeping, 25-20, 25-15. Tstreet concluded nationals by going 11-0. Outside of the quarterfinals and finals, the only other time Tstreet lost a set was to 1United 15 Blue in its second match of the tournament. Storm – which went 10-1 overall – finishes with the silver medal for a second season in a row. TAV went 9-1 in earning the bronze medal. City, meanwhile, was the only team in the top eight to finish with more than two losses. City went 6-4 in winning the bronze. Club V, Hou Skyline, Long Beach and Wave all ended tied for fifth at 7-2. In wrapping up, City deserves a ton of credit. City picked up a clutch victory over No. 5 OT 15 Randy in pool play to help City go 3-2 and take third place. That victory helped City avoid a three-way tie at 2-3 with OT Randy and KC Power 15 Black. Who knows how the tiebreaker would have shaken out? City then swept national No. 12 A5 15-1 Kelly in its three-team pool. Though City lost to Forza1 15 One in its next outing, City clinched first by winning one set. In challenge play, City upset national No. 15 Madfrog 15 Green to make the top eight. City was one of four SCVA clubs in the gold bracket, joining Wave, Long Beach and Tstreet. Overall, seven of the eight gold-bracket participants were from Vballrecruiter’s Top 10 in No. 1 Arizona Storm, No. 2 TAV, No. 4 Tstreet, No. 6 Wave, No. 8 Hou Skyline, No. 9 Club V and No. 10 Long Beach. City was the lone exception. Given that, it was hardly surprising to see everyone else in the gold bracket. Two more teams which did well for themselves were AZ Sky 15G and HPSTL 15 Royal. They tied for ninth. AZ Sky came in ranked No. 29. HPSTL was ranked No. 27. Legacy 15-1 Adidas, which captured the AAU 15 Open championship and was ranked No. 13 nationally, finished tied with KC Power for 11th. KC Power came in ranked No. 26. 1United was one of five at-large recipients and finished the highest of any of them at 13th after going 3-6.

At USAV nationals, in the Open divisions, it takes two days to eliminate 12 teams. On Day 3, however, 16 clubs go by the wayside between the second round of pool play then the challenge matches. That leaves eight standing in the gold bracket for the final day of competition. In 15 Open, seven of the eight morning pools ended with one team going 2-0, the next 1-1 and the last 0-2. The exception was Pool 3, where Forza1 15 One, City 15 Gold and A5 15-1 Kelly all went 1-1. A5 started play outlasting Forza in three. City then swept A5. It left Forza needing to beat City to advance. With the A5 team reffing the match and watching on nervously, Forza squeaked out a dramatic victory, winning Game 3 18-16. As a result, City finished first and Forza second, with A5 eliminated in third. That wasn’t the set that produced the most drama, however. That belonged to 1United 15 Blue and VCNebraska 15 Elite. With Arizona Storm 15 Thunder also in the pool, the winner of 1United and VCNebraska was likely to take second place. The teams went back-and-forth and back-and-forth before 1United finally prevailed by the whopping score of 26-24 in Game 3! There seemed to be more happening in the first round of pool play in 14 Open. One involved the pool of SG Elite 14 Rosh, AVC Cle 14 Red and Metro 14 Travel. Metro upset SG to start with, leaving SG in need of beating AVC Cle to move on. SG Elite swept that one to create the three-way tie at 1-1. SG won the pool, followed by AVC Cle in second and Metro in third. A5 14-1 Helen, Legacy 14-1 Adidas and Elevation 14 Molly also finished tied at 1-1. It played out the same way too, with A5 still winning the pool, followed by Legacy in second then Elevation in third. One of the biggest results came in Pool 3 where Coast 14-1 upset Hou Skyline 14 Royal to win that pool. That forced Hou Skyline, ranked No. 3 nationally, and A5, ranked No. 4 nationally, to have to face off in the challenge round. That contest didn’t disappoint and was full of gut-wrenching moments, especially down the stretch before Hou Skyline came through, 17-15 in Game 3. There was a tense moment as AVC Cle took top-seeded Madfrog 14 Green to three sets in one challenge match before Madfrog got a handled and closed it out, 15-5 in Game 3. Two other showdowns also went down to the wire. One was TAV 14 Black fighting off Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal, 15-13 in the third. The other was Legacy clipping Coast, 16-14 in the final set. As for the 15 Open challenge matches, there as momentary drama with Arizona Storm as Skyline 15 Royal and Storm went to a third set. Storm eventually prevailed 15-11 to make the top eight. Two more outings went the distance. One was a showdown of AAU champ Legacy 15-1 Adidas and Wave 15 Brennan. Wave escaped, 15-12 in Game 3. The other was Hou Skyline 15 Royal holding off AZ Sky 15G in three, taking the third set 16-14. The quarterfinals breakdown like this: 15 Open TAV v Hou Skyline Club V v Tstreet City v Wave Mizuno Long Beach v Arizona Storm   14 Open Madfrog v OT Laura TAV v Hou Skyline Legacy v HPSTL Dynasty v SG Elite   *** DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Gentry Barker OH TAV 15 Black: A 4-star recruit, Barker is a six-rotation contributor who passes and defends at an above level. She also packs a powerful arm that she can unleash both front and back row. Ireland Real OH Wave 15 Brennan: The outside duo of Wave is a relentless and always puts a ton of pressure on defenses. Real, a 4-star recruit, is long and lanky. She extends high up and does a great job on getting on top of the ball and swinging over blocks. Jaycee Mack OH Wave 15 Brennan: Mack – another 4-star recruit – delivers the thunder. Whether front or back row, she can simply unload and drop the hammer. Natalie Norton OH Excel 15 National Red: It wasn’t Excel’s day, but Norton did her best to try and make it happen. The 4-star outside is another hitter with the size and strength to go over or power through blocks. Zamari Christensen S Club V 15 Ren Kalee: Christensen – a 4-star setter – does a great job guiding the attack. She brings a lot of poise to the floor and works hard to get to the ball and deliver. Averi Bridges L/DS VCNebraska 15 Elite: Bridges – part of the Class of 2028 – and company lost a heartbreaker in pool play to 1United 15 Blue and didn’t advance. Bridges still stood out with her defenses tenacity and hustle all over the court. Grace Pinegar OH Skyline 15 Royal: Pinegar and crew took Arizona Storm 15 Thunder to three sets before dropping the challenge match. She did well exploiting the gaps in the block and taking aggressive swings. Mackenzie Ratcliff MB Madfrog 15 Green: Ratcliff – a 3-star recruit – is so quick in the middle. She has a lively arm too. She gets off the ground so fast she can connect before the block is fully formed. Kate Kalczynski OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: A 4-star outside, Kalczynski helped Legacy reach the challenge round before falling in three to Wave. She carried a big load offensively, showing she can score with big-time swings or well-placed roll shots. Eva Jeffries RS City 15 Gold: Jeffries – a 3-star right side – was unstoppable. She played six-rotations and proved herself to be a factor even when in the back row the way she was able to get up and get after it. *** Bethany Benjamin L/DS A5 14-1 Helen: Benjamin – 4-star defender – and teammates dropped a crushing three-setter to Hou Skyline

As the first round of pool play came to a conclusion, the top seeds held it down in 15 Open at USAV nationals in Las Vegas. The No. 1 teams in their respective pools combined to go 28-2 through the first two days of competition. Skyline 15 Royal – the No. 3 overall seed – was the only one of the group of six to lose. Skyline finished 3-2 and took third place playing without regular starter and outside Ryan Spencer, which has left Skyline with a different lineup. While the top seeds have managed to take care of business, it’s been all over the place after that. OT 15 Randy – which came in as the No. 11 overall seed and ranked No. 5 in Vballrecruiter’s Top 50 National Rankings – went 1-4 and finished in fifth place in Pool 1. Meanwhile, KC Power 15 Black, the No. 5 team and ranked No. 26 nationally advanced in fourth place after going 2-3. In Pool 2, Excel 15 National Red, the No. 2 team and ranked No. 14 nationally, barely held on. Excel finished 2-3, tied with both Forza1 North 15 One and Madfrog 15 Black. Forza North took third based on tiebreakers, with Excel in fourth and Madfrog eliminated in fifth. With Skyline not in top form in Pool 3, it was Forza1 15 One taking advantage. The No. 4 team and No. 25 squad nationally, went 4-1 to take first. AZ Sky 15G followed in second at 3-2, as the No. 5 team. Premier Nebraska 15 Gold tied at 2-3 with Paramount 15 Nick but grabbed fourth based on their head-to-head result. Behind 5-0 Tstreet 15 Asics in Pool 4 was Vision 15 Gold at 4-1. However, AZ Rev 15 Premier, PVA 15 Elite and 1United 15 Bill all went 2-3. 1United – an at-large recipient – ended in third. AZ Rev advanced in fourth after beating PVA in three sets on Day 2. Pool 5 played out mostly to seed, with Wave 15 Brennan going 5-0, followed by the No. 3 team in Hou Skyline 15 Royal going 4-1. VCNebraska 15 Elite, the No. 2 team, went 3-2 for third. Madfrog 15 Green, the No. 4 team, wrapped up at 2-3 and in fourth. In Pool 6, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar went 4-1 to take second behind 5-0 Legacy 15-1 Adidas. The No. 5 team – Dynasty 15 Black – went 3-2 for third. Dynasty was one of the five at-large entries. It was A5 15-1 Kelly, the No. 7 overall seed, taking fourth at 2-1. Looking ahead to the three-team pools on Day 3, nothing too crazy standouts. One of the things that I noticed was Skyline ending up in Pool 1 along with top-seeded TAV 15 Black. Also in that pool is Dynasty. Pool 5 – featuring Wave, Club V 15 Ren Kalee and AZ Rev – stands out. I would have guessed all three would have reached the challenge rounds, but one of the three won’t make it that far now. After that, there looks to be good opportunities to capitalize on and advance to the challenge round where teams can move within one victory of the gold bracket. Switching gears to 14 Open, just two of the six respective No. 1 teams finished first in their pool. One was top-seeded and national No. 1 Madfrog 14 Green. The other was No. 4 overall seed and national No. 4 A5 14-1 Helen was the other as both went 5-0. HPSTL 14 Royal – the No. 2 overall seed and national No. 2 – finished 4-1 and in second place after being upset by national No. 28 SG Elite 14 Rosh in its last outing of pool play. Dynasty 14 Black – the No. 3 overall and national No. 8 which captured the AAU 14 Open – went 4-1 as well. Dynasty fell to national No. 3 Hou Skyline 14 Royal, which went 5-0. Circle City 14 Purple, the top team in Pool 5 and ranked No. 10 nationally, was another one to go 4-1. Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal, seeded No. 8 overall and ranked No. 7 nationally beat Circle City in the last outing to also finish 4-1 and grab first based on the head-to-head result. Alamo 14 Premier, the No. 6 overall seed and ranked No. 5 nationally, fell to No. 7 overall seed and No. 6 national TAV 14 Black. TAV went 5-0, Alamo 4-1. There were some big-time results to go against the seeding. One was PVA 14 Elite going 2-3 and taking fourth as the No. 6 team in Pool 2. PVA was seeded last at No. 36. Also, Metro 14 Travel, the No. 33 overall seed, went 2-3 as well and took third in Pool 5 as the No. 6 team. Tstreet 14 Tara, the No. 27 overall seed and No. 5 team in Pool 3, took a dramatic three-set victory over Absolute 14 Black in the final match of pool play to finish 2-3 and take fourth place. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS With the second day of competition bringing the end to the first round of pool play and with it the first elimination process, the action definitely stepped up a notch. Below, we highlight those individuals who stood out the most to us while watching them play with our Day 2 Show Stoppers. Marissa Jones A5 15-1 Kelly: A 5-star setter and one of the top recruits in the class, Jones is a phenomenal talent. She has all the tools of a high-level setter. She has incredible hands. She locates consistently. And she can turn off balls into workable sets to keep the offense flowing. Lauren Forelli OH AZ Rev 15 Premier: Forelli – a 4-star outside – has a big-time arm. She can load up and crush it down. She’s a key piece of the attack and shoulders a large load. Molly Bokenkroger L/DS PVA 15 Elite: Bokenkroger – a 3-star defender – goes

With the older age groups all wrapped up, we shift our attentions to the 14s and 15s. Those two age groups kicked off their four-day stretch at USAV nationals in Las Vegas on Monday. The high stakes led to stellar competition from first serve. Below, we highlight those players who caught our attention the most with our daily Show Stoppers. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Sitoafa Tausinga OH Club V 15 Ren Kalee: A 3-star recruit, Tausinga had a big day. We saw her in two of her three matches and both times she was delivering regularly. She has a very strong arm and caught more than a few balls to score in impressive fashion. Sasha Cromer S KC Power 15 Black: Cromer – a 3-star recruit – did a fine job distributing the ball. She spreads it around and does a good job holding blockers. Gabbie Skopljak MB Madfrog 15 Black: A 6-foot middle who touches 10 feet, Skopljak is a real threat in the middle. She was giving her side a scoring option and finding ways to put the ball down. Maia Raleigh S Madfrog 15 Black: Raleigh showed a nice touch and consistent location. She was putting up a hittable ball and also playing sound defense. Marlee Steiner MB HPSTL 15 Royal: A 6-3 middle touching over 10 feet, Steiner is a game-changer in the front row. The 3-star’s length makes her a factor on both sides of the ball. She has no issues extending up and swinging over the block. Ella Horvick L/DS OT 15 Randy: A 3-star defender, Horvick was passing on target out of serve receive. Her also covered well at the. Stella Wishon OH OK Charge 15 UA: Wishon, a 6-2 outside, hits a heavy ball. She’s a key component on offense and did well carrying her share of the responsibility. Eva Jeffries OH City 15 Gold: Jeffries, a 3-star recruit, has tremendous potential. At 6-2, she was able to go right over the block and hit straight down. She has a fluid swing and hits from a high contact point. Piper Chylinsky S City 15 Gold: Chylinsky is another one to keep a watch out for. The 4-star recruit is 6-3 and does a great job directing the attack. She has soft hands and with her size she’s a real presence at the net. Ryah Brock OH Forza1 North 15 One: Brock – a 4-star, 5-11 outside – is the go-to arm in the lineup. She’s a springy attacker with a lively arm. With it, she can really get after it at times. *** Shaye Witherspoon OH Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite: A 6-3, 5-star outside, Witherspoon is a massive offensive weapon. She has a big-time arm and with her size can overpower defenses with her thunderous kills. Taylor Harrington MB Paramount 15 Nick: A 6-2 middle touching over 10 feet, Harrington is a difference maker. She moves very well laterally and it helps her put up a huge block. The 5-star recruit also has a very good arm and does plenty of damage offensively. Janiah Burrage OH Forza1 15 One: Burrage is a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2028. She’s an athletic outside with a solid arm. Her explosiveness makes her tough to slow down and contain and gives Forza a terminal hitter. Reagan Wallraff OH Premier Nebraska 15 Gold: A 6-0 outside touching 10 feet, Wallraff is a springy attacker with a whippy arm. The 4-star recruit is a vital part of the offense capable of unleashing in a flurry. McKinley Moser S VCNebraska 15 Elite: Moser – a 4-star recruit – has excellent hands. She sets a clean ball and puts it on target regularly. Marissa Jones S A5 15-1 Kelly: A 5-star setter, Jones was another standout setter who demonstrated next-level talent. She not only has the skill set, she also has the IQ. Those thing combined make her fun to watch as she dishes with ease and makes the position look effortless. Mckenna McIntosh OH Vision 15 Gold: A 6-1 outside touching over 10 feet, McIntosh is six-rotation mainstay who does a lot for Vision. The 3-star recruit is a scoring threat front and back row. She has a strong arm and was sending shots down from sideline to sideline. Evie Igbenebor MB PVA 15 Elite: A 3-star recruit, Igbenebor was having huge moments when we caught her in action. She’s a quick middle who moves very well. She gets up in a hurry and has a good arm to match. Cedra Talaga L/DS Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar: Talaga – a 4-star defender – is a fiery libero who brings a defensive edge to the lineup. She reads and reacts well and is able to cover a lot of court. Samantha Shultz L/DS MAVS KC 14-1: Shultz is a solid passer out of serve receive and does well with her first-ball contacts. She was putting the ball on target consistently. *** Alexandrea Brasel DS MAVS KC 14-1: Brasel is another backrow player for MAVS who showed up strong on defense. She too was passing on target and keeping rallies alive. Carsyn Chitty L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41: Chitty – a 4-star defender – is a sparkplug in the back row. She brings a lot of energy to the position. She hustles around the court and goes all out in pursuit of the ball. Tristen Hamilton OH Ozark Jrs 14 Elite: Ozark started off 2-1 and part of the reason is the contributions of Hamilton. She’s a bit undersized on the pin but she jumps well. She’s a relentless attacker who doesn’t back down. Baylee Wilson OH Coast 14-1: Wilson, a standout beach player and member of the Class of 2029, is a heady attacker. She scores in a multitude of ways. She also has a really good arm and does well extending and connecting at the high point. Lucy Waleskowski S/OH NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: It’s hard to believe Waleskowski is part of the Class of 2029. She

The show that was 17 Open was sensational. After four days of intense competition it all came down to the top-two ranked teams in the country in Hou Skyline 17 Royal and Arizona Storm 17 Thunder. You can read all about Storm going back-to-back and winding up on top with the gold medal here. Below, we present our All Red Hat Team for the division. It’s our version of an all-tournament team. Given the depth of competition, we limited our selections from the Top 12 finishers. 17 OPEN ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Teraya Sigler Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Devyn Wiest Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Bailey Warren Hou Skyline 17 Royal Abby Vander Wal 1st Alliance 17 Gold Addy Horner 1st Alliance 17 Gold Sophia Thornburg Skyline 17 Royal Logan Bell Circle City 17 Purple Izzy Busignani Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Gabriella Babinski Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Kaci Demaria Surfside 17 Legends Quinn Loper Wave 17 Juliana Mae Kordas Wave 17 Juliana Jaidyn Jager Coast 17-1 Abigail Mullen RS Dynasty 17 Black Addison Burke OH CUVC 17 Open *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Kenna Cogill Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Mackenzie Collins Hou Skyline 17 Royal Bayleigh Minor Hou Skyline 17 Royal Zoe Gillen-Malveaux Skyline 17 Royal Reese Dunkle Circle City 17 Purple Kalyssa Blackshear Surfside 17 Legends Ariel Chime Coast 17-1 *** SETTERS Kassidy O’Brien Hou Skyline 17 Royal Hannah Kenny 1st Alliance 17 Gold Ava Hunter Circle City 17 Purple Ella Craggs Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Jolyna Salas Coast 17-1 Reese Messer Dynasty 17 Black Arianna Lopez CUVC 17 Open Logan Parks MAVS KC 17-1 *** LIBEROS Izzy Mahaffey Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Morgan Madison Hou Skyline 17 Royal Aniya Warren 1st Alliance 17 Gold Maddie Smotherman Skyline 17 Royal Avery Freeman Circle City 17 Purple McKenna Payne Mich Elite 17 Mizuno Liv Foye Surfside 17 Legends Maya Evens Wave 17 Juliana Brookelyn Hatton MAVS KC 17-1