GJNC

We are pleased to present vballrecruiter.com’s 16 and 17 Open All-Tournament Team from the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. After covering the divisions for four days we were presented with the challenge of putting together the selections. This is not to be confused with the honors awarded by USAV itself at the conclusion of the championship match. These picks are made from our observations and our observations alone. It would be easy to add more to each position or even include honorable mentions, but that’s something we do at the end of the year with our Club All-Americans. As for the All-Tournament Team selections, they are meant to be limited and difficult to make given all the talented players. To narrow the selections, we honored players from the Top 16 finishers, or the teams which advanced as far as the challenge rounds. We want to keep a team element to the award and making the challenge round is a strong indicator of team success. The process does leave amazing players off, even some of the best in the field! But if we were to pick solely based on talent, we could pick the team ahead of time as we know in advance who many of the talented players are competing. Congrats to those named to this year’s vballrecruiter.com All-Tournament Teams. 16 OPEN OUTSIDESTeraya Sigler Arizona Storm 16 ThunderAbby Vander Wal 1st Alliance 16 GoldSuli Davis Drive Nation 16 RedAsia Harvey A5 16 GabeKelly Kinney Tribe 16 Elite CardinalMadison Quest OH MKE Sting 16 Gold MIDDLESNatalie Wardlow Nebraska One 16 SynergyJordan Taylor HJV 16 EliteBayleigh Minor Hou Skyline 16 RoyalReese Dunkle Circle City 16 PurpleZoe Gillen-Malveaux Drive Nation 16 RedKenna Cogill MB Arizona Storm 16 Thunder RIGHT SIDESTaylor Porter Hou Skyline 16 RoyalCamryn Jeffery A5 16 GabeTaryn Morris Drive Nation 16 RedAddison Horner 1st Alliance 16 Gold (S/RS) SETTERSCharlotte Glass Tribe 16 Elite CardinalKassidy O’Brien Hou Skyline 16 RoyalTenesyn Frye ID Crush 16 BowerMalorie Boesiger Nebraska One 16 Synergy LIBEROSSydney Black HJV 16 EliteKeri Leimbach Nebraska One 16 SynergyElizabeth Bower ID Crush 16 BowerZoey Matias Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal *** 17 OPEN OUTSIDESSkyler Pierce Dynasty 17 BlackCari Spears TAV 17 BlackKendall Beshear SCVC 17 RoxyEmerson Sellman Metro 17 TravelEllie White 1st Alliance 17 GoldGrace Nelson 1st Alliance 17 Gold MIDDLESJaela Auguste Hou Skyline 17 RoyalAyden Ames Drive Nation 17 RedFavor Anyanwu TAV 17 BlackJulia Hunt NKYVC 17-1 TsunamiJenna Hanes Wave 17 JulianaJade Dudley-Epps SCVC 17 Roxy RIGHT SIDESRyan Hunter Triangle 17 BlackAbigail Mullen Dynasty 17 BlackJadyn Livings TAV 17 BlackIzzy Starck Co Jrs 17 Kevin (S/RS) SETTERSReese Messer Dynasty 17 BlackTaylor Yu SG Elite 17 RoshCharlie Fuerbringer Mizuno Long Beach 17 RockstarTaylor Parks OT 17 Aaron LIBEROSTaylor Deckert SCVC 17 RoxyAva Falduto 1st Alliance 17 GoldGillian Pitts TAV 17 BlackRyan McAleer Dynasty 17 Black

While the 17 Open division ended with a stunning gold-medal performance from SCVC 17 Roxy – which defeated Dynasty 17 Black in the championship – what was not surprising was the caliber of play on the last day of the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. The standout efforts came from everywhere. Below, we feature our favorite 10 players of Day 4. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 4 ALL RED HAT TEAM Kendall Beshear OH SCVC 17 Roxy: Beshear – a 3-star Cal Poly SLO commit – played an instrumental role in her team earning the top spot on the podium. She’s an explosive, hard-hitting outside with the savviness and smarts to frustrate defenses. She also helps makes up a strong ball control and defensive group, as she’s solid out of serve receive and covers well too. Jada Ingram MB/OH Dynasty 17 Black: A 4-star UNLV recruit, Ingram showed her versatility in the finals against SCVC. Part of Dynasty’s comeback against SCVC and forcing a third set was shifting Ingram from the middle to the pin. She brought a jolt to the attack and was delivering at key times with aggressive swings. Piper Newton MB Dynasty 17 Black: Newton was the other half of the lineup shift that allowed Dynasty to get back into the match and extend the contest to three. She filled out the middle position and helped give Dynasty a lift with her contributions. Favor Anyanwu MB TAV 17 Black: A 5-star USC recruit, Anyanwu plays the position like no other. She’s so physically strong and overpowering and can be flat-out dominating at times. She brings production to both sides, with her ability to score points with massive blocks and/or kills that always fire up her teammates. She can also get out on the slide and crush balls, adding yet another worry to watch defenses must be ready for. Ryan Hunter RS Triangle 17 Black: Hunter – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2025 – is a high-flying, free swinging right side who also produces highlight kills frequently. Her height and explosiveness allows her to swing over blocks and down with ease. She’s a featured part of the Triangle attack and was one of the reasons the club tied for fifth. Jadyn Livings RS TAV 17 Black: Livings – a 5-star USC commit – stays on the court as a six-rotation right side. She’s a threat front and back row with a big arm to match. She’s also part of serve receive at times and plays with lots of fire. Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black: Messer – a 5-star USC recruit from the Class of 2025 – does a masterful job directing the attack and getting her hitters one-on-one swings. She’s smooth with her delivery and makes things look easy. She’s also tough to read, as she doesn’t give away her sets and keeps defenses guessing. Emily Bobbitt S Triangle 17 Black: A 4-star Iowa State commit, you can see Bobbitt’s competitiveness in the determination in which she plays with. She doesn’t back down and is another setter who does well guiding the offense and distributing the ball to her all her hitters. Ava Falduto L 1st Alliance 17 Gold: Falduto – a 5-star Penn State recruit – is an exciting libero with the energy and passion she plays with. She gets after it defensively with all-out hustle and effort and is solid with her first-ball contacts. Taylor Deckert L SCVC 17 Roxy: Deckert – a 4-star USC commit from the Class of 2025 – is another top-notch libero who makes the game look easy. She’s always cool, calm and collected in her demeanor and rarely misses a play. Her defensive contributions and what she brings to the position were a major reason SCVC finished on top in 17 Open.

For the final time this club season we’ll release our All Red Hat Team from the 16s division, which came to a close Thursday at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. Arizona Storm 16 Thunder completed an undefeated run by downing 1st Alliance 16 Gold in a heavyweight championship clash for the gold medal. The win-or-lose nature of the gold bracket delivered unbelievable, highlight-worthy play. Below, we note our 10 favorite players of Day 4. DAY 4 ALL RED HAT TEAM Teraya Sigler OH Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: A 5-star recent Nebraska commit, Sigler showed what type of special talent she is on the biggest of stages. She’s an all-around contributer who does everything at a high level. She’s a physical hitter with the capability of taking over matches. She produced over and over on Day 4 in helping Storm to the gold medal. Abby Vander Wal OH 1st Alliance 16 Gold: Vander Wal – a 5-star Texas commit – did everything she could to put 1st Alliance on the brink of a gold medal. She has a big, strong arm and hammers balls all over. She’s long and one of the best back row attackers in the division with her length and ability to hit at high angles. Natalie Wardlow MB Nebraska One 16 Synergy: Wardlow – a 5-star Wisconsin recruit – changes the whole dynamic of the front row. At 6-4, she’s by far the tallest player on the roster and has the ability to change momentum on either side. She has a strong arm and can send balls straight down. She also puts up a monster block and forces hitters to change direction. Makena Rumple MB Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Rumple was coming through at clutch moments with timely plays that helped Storm cap a perfect tournament. She knows how to score and provide what’s needed on that end. She does well timing her blocks and getting touches to also contribute on the defensive side. Taylor Porter RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal: Porter – a 4-star recruit – was awesome on the right side. She’s a big jumper and free swinger who defenses must be prepared for. Along with her quickness, defenders struggled to contain her. Addison Horner S/RS 1st Alliance 16 Gold: Horner – a 4-star Wisconsin commit – has tremendous upside and potential to star at the next level. She’s 6-3, with the ability to set and hit. She’s a solid setter who locates well. Her length as an attacker is a problem for defenses. Charlotte Glass S Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal: A 5-star recruit, Glass is in total control of the offense and you can see the competitiveness that she plays with. She brings a lot of fire to the court. She’s a smooth disher on top of that, capable of making difficult sets with ease. Malorie Boesiger S Nebraska One 16 Synergy: Boesiger is part of the Class of 2027 and does an incredible job guiding the attack. She’s a fearless leader who doesn’t shy away from the moment. She plays sound defense and can set with tempo and consistent location. Izzy Mahaffey L Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: We love the spirit and desire Mahaffey plays with. There’s no question she wants to win and she does everything she can in her defensive role to make it happen. She did well patrolling the back court and making plays to extend rallies. Aniya Warren L 1st Alliance 16 Gold: Warren was a strong in her role taking care of the back court. She didn’t rattle and held firm against the biggest hitters the division had to offer. She’s quick and flies around the court with her all-out effort and hustle plays.

It was that type of day when all the stars stepped up in efforts to will their teams to the podium as the 16s age group wrapped up on the final day of the club season at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships on Thursday in Chicago. We were on hand for the fantastic ending, one that saw Arizona Storm 16 Thunder lift the championship trophy after knocking off 1st Alliance 16 Gold in the final. Below, we highlight our Show Stoppers from the last day of action. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS By Chris Tobolski and Christine Phillips Hannah Kenny S 1st Alliance 16 Gold: Kenny is a fun backrow setter with great hands and location. She’s quick and strong and able to make any set. Kenna Cogill MB Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Cogill – a 4-star recent Oregon commit – is long and impactful at the middle position. She’s a tough cover offensively with her whippy and ability to send balls flying. She’s also takes away a lot of space at the net blocking. Keri Leimbach L Nebraska One 16 Synergy: Leimbach – a recent Nebraska commit – is an energetic libero who flies around making hustle plays. She’s a sharp passer too. Tekoa Barnes OH Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal: Barnes – a 3-star recruit – can get up and bring it on the outside. She’s a solid attacker with a strong arm and was putting balls down in big moments. Morgan Madison L Hou Skyline 16 Royal: A 4-star recruit, Madison was among the standout defenders with the way she was going all out in her role. She plays under control and makes tough plays look routine. Kassidy O’Brien S Hou Skyline 16 Royal: O’Brien – a 5-star Kentucky commit – runs a great offense and keeps all her hitters involved. She has a nice touch and locates well. McKenna Garr L Northern Lights 16-1: Garr – a 3-star recruit – also caught our attention with her defensive tenacity and sharp passing out of serve receive. Maddie Smotherman L Madfrog 16 Green: Smotherman – a 3-star recruit – was another libero who was patrolling the back row with a passion. She was making hustle balls and helping keep her side in the rally. Audrey Nuckols OH/RS SG Elite 16 Roshambo: Nuckols, a 3-star recruit, can hit from either pin with her smooth yet powerful swing. Avery Boothe RS Club One AZ 16Platinum: Boothe, a 3-star recruit, is a 6-4 wall on the right side. Sydni Vice OH MJVA 16 Elite: Vice, a 2026 4-star recruit playing up a division, has a limitless ceiling. She can attack from anywhere efficiently and the featured piece of the MJVA offense. Jordyn Dugi L AZ Sky 16G: Dugi, a 3-star recruit, is a smooth yet tenacious defender who doesn’t quit on plays. Zoe Haan OH ARIZONA STORM 16LIGHTNING: Haan is a ball-control oriented outside who can swing with the best of them AND then throw in a shot here and there. Ryan Murphy S JJVA 16 Teal: Murphy, a 4-star recruit committed to Florida State, has nice length at the setting position. She does a good job of getting all her hitters involved with her distribution. Olivia Guzman MB MVA 16 Pedro: Guzman, a 4-star recruit, is incredibly fast, jumps well and was putting away impressive kills. Damisi Osibodu MB H Skyline 16 Black: Osibodu is an athletic gem with a lot of upside in the middle. Chloe Elarton S CoJrs 16Shannon: Elarton, a 3-star recruit committed to Georgia, distributes the ball well from pin to pin. Takyla Brown S AJV 16 adidas: Brown, a 3-star recruit, is an undersized 5-1 setter that has a great touch on the ball. Her athleticism helps her defensively at the net. Sophie Bridges L TAV 16 Platinum: Bridges, a 3-star recruit, is quick and was making ups consistently. She was also strong out of serve receive. Ava Lloyd OH MVP United 16 Red: Lloyd is a ball control minded outside hitter who can also get on the ball in a hurry and unload. Ashby Zubchevich OH CITY Volleyball 16 Gold: Zubchevich explodes off the ground and gets in the air quickly. She has a fluid swing and can rip the ball.