GJNC

It all comes down to this. USAV nationals are finally here! The 17s are scheduled to compete July 3-6 in Las Vegas. When it’s over, we’ll know the best team in the country and the club wearing the gold medal around its neck. Below, we check in on 17 Open. You can see how the teams stack up in our national rankings, see players to know, as well as check out our brief outlook plus our predictions for how it’ll go down. Number of Teams: 36 Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (35): 1. Hou Skyline 17 Royal TX 2. Arizona Storm 17 Thunder AZ 3. 1st Alliance 17 Gold IL 4. MKE Sting 17 Gold WI 5. TAV 17 Black TX 6. Skyline 17 Royal TX 7. OT 17 Aaron FL 8. Circle City 17 Purple IN 9. Nebraska One 17 Synergy NE 10. Surfside 17 Legends CA 11. Wave 17 Juliana CA 13. HJV 17 Elite TX 15. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno MI 16. MAVS KC 17-1 KS 17.  Co Jrs 17 Kevin CO 18. Legacy 17-1 Adidas MI 19. Coast 17-1 Rodrigo CA 20. Idaho Crush 17 Bower ID 21. Northern Lights 17-1 MN 23. Dynasty 17 Black KS 25. AZ Sky 17G AZ 26. Excel 17 National Red TX 27. Alamo 17 Premier TX 28. VCNebraska 17 Elite NE 29. Drive Nation 17 Red TX 32. OT 17 Felix FL 33. Triangle 17 Black NC 34. CUVC 17 Open NC 36. GP 17 Rox FL 37. Austin Skyline 17 Royal TX 38. AJV 17 Adidas TX 39. Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar CA 40. Club V 17 Ren Reed UT 41. AVA TX 17 Adidas TX 47. TAV 17 Haroun TX Norco 17 Black (unranked)   5-Star Players to Know: Addison Horner S/RS 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Abby Vander Wal OH 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Texas) Logan Parks S/RS MAVS KC 17-1 (Stanford) Natalie Wardlow MB Nebraska One 17 Synergy (Wisconsin) Amina N’diaye OH OT 17 Felix (Miami) Kassidy O’Brien S Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Kentucky) Bailey Warren OH Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Wake Forest) Bayleigh Minor MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal Kaci Demaria OH Surfside 17 Legends Jordan Taylor MB HJV 17 Elite (Minnesota) Campbell Flynn S Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Nebraska) Addison Gaido RS Austin Skyline 17 Royal (Texas) Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Zoe Gillen-Malveaux MB Skyline 17 Royal (Duke) Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black (USC) Abigail Mullen RS Dynasty 17 Black (USC) Teraya Sigler OH Arizona Storm 17 Thunder (Nebraska) Megan Fitch OH Alamo 17 Premier (Texas AM) Taylor Harvey OH Club V 17 Ren Reed (Texas) Jaidyn Jager OH Coast 17-1 (Indiana) Layli Ostovar OH Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar (2026, USC)   4-Star Players to Know: Ariel Chime MB Coasty 17-1 (Vanderbilt) Gabby Nichols MB Triangle 17 Black (Penn State) Gabriela Pitcel MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Illinois) Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Michigan State) Emma Koceja OH MKE Sting 17 Gold (Iona) Brookelyn Hatton L/DS MAVS KC 17-1 (Arizona) Anna Blamires RS Co Jrs 17 Kevin (BYU) Erika Sayer MB Co Jrs 17 Kevin (Stanford) Keri Leimbach L/DS Nebraska One 17 Synergy (Nebraska) Chichi Nnaji RS Skyline 17 Royal (Notre Dame) Taylor Cook S Skyline 17 Royal (Kansas) Naya Salfiti RS Skyline 17 Royal (Yale) Bella Ocampo OH Skyline 17 Royal (LMU) Sophia Thornburg OH Skyline 17 Royal (Notre Dame) Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (Cincinnati) Izzy Mogridge S OT 17 Aaron (Oregon) Elena Maynulet OH GP 17 Rox (Columbia) KK Green S/RS GP 17 Rox (Holy Cross) Tenesyn Frye S ID Crush 17 Bower (Houston) Callie Krueger L/DS Austin Skyline 17 Royal (Texas) Rebekah Pfefferkorn MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal (FIU) Taylor Porter RS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Vanderbilt) Morgan Madison L/DS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Baylor) Izzy Mahaffey L/DS Arizona Storm 17 Thunder (Long Beach State) Kenna Cogill MB Arizona Storm 17 Thunder (Oregon) Devyn Wiest OH Arizona Storm 17 Thunder (Utah) Kennedi Rogers OH AVA TX 17 Adidas (SMU) Hannah Beauford S Drive Nation 17 Red (Cal) Reese Jackson MB Drive Nation 17 Red Quinn Loper OH Wave 17 Juliana (USC) Sydney Bryant OH HJV 17 Elite (Vanderbilt) Aaliyah Smith OH HJV 17 Elite (Rice) Mesaiya Bettis OH Northern Lights 17-1 (Iowa State) Sarah Mendoza L/DS TAV 17 Black Shelby Burriss MB TAV 17 Black (Princeton) Alex Richter OH TAV 17 Black (Georgia) Sarah Pfiffner S TAV 17 Black (West Virginia) Madison Winkler L/DS TAV 17 Black Reese Dunkle MB Circle City 17 Purple (Stanford) Logan Bell OH Circle City 17 Purple (Oregon) Kalyssa Blackshear MB Surfside 17 Legends (Louisville) Aniya Warren L/DS 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Indiana) Maya Evens L/DS Wave 17 Juliana (Notre Dame) Brooklyn Hardy MB ID Crush 17 Bower (2026, BYU) Bellamie Beus OH ID Crush 17 Bower (2026, Kentucky) Elizabeth Bower L/DS ID Crush 17 Bower (2027) Malorie Boesiger S Nebraska One 17 Synergy (2027)   Outlook: Let’s begin with seedings. Fans can get wrapped up in overall seedings but what is far more important is how the pool overall measures up. Always better to get a lower overall seed and to end up in a more favorable pool than to receive a higher seed only to land in an overall harder pool. With that said, one thing that stood out was Co Jrs 17 Kevin receiving the No. 4 overall seed. Co Jrs is No. 17 in our Top 50 national rankings. Co Jrs is in Pool 4 with Circle City, Dynasty, Excel, AJV and Long Beach. Dynasty and AJV received at-large bids, so two of the three at-large teams are in the same pool which is a bit unusual given there are only three at-large teams (Drive Nation is the other). It’s impossible to make the pools perfectly even. I think Pool 1 – with Hou Skyline, TAV, Wave, Triangle, GP and Club V – is top heavy. There’s a clear gap between the top three teams in the pool and the remaining

The final day of the USA GJNC Dallas definitely was exciting! There were plenty of upsets and plenty of excitement as the National Champions were crowned! You can read about the Gold Medal matchup’s here. The future looks incredibly bright for the game of volleyball! DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Kari Knotts OH A5 13-1 Karen: Knotts is the real deal. She has the capability to not only hit over blocks with ease but change the flow of the game. Macurdy Harden OH A5 13-1 Karen: Harden was really effective defensively on the court. She was also serving very well throughout the day. Madison Middleton/Milan Tallman MB A5 13-1 Karen: In the finals match there were two “tag teams” I will refer to. First up is Middleton and Tallman who were both really aggressive on the court. They also both moved laterally well and were able to shut down hitters with ease. Brooklyn Howard L A5 13-1 Karen: Howard did a great job in serve receive and was also a force from the service line. Brynli Burgess L Dallas Skyline 13 Royal: Burgess is a smooth operator on the court. She reads the ball well defensively and gets touches on literally everything. Alexis Elsey OH  Dallas Skyline 13 Royal: Elsey hits with a very heavy hand consistently and is hard to slow down. Kennedy Jefferson S Dallas Skyline 13 Royal: Jefferson, a 2030 recruit, has a great touch on the ball and connects well with her hitters. MacKenzie Carr/Kendall Hill MB Dallas Skyline 13 Royal: The second tag team was Carr and Hill for Skyline. Both middles were aggressive offensively and slowed balls down defensively. Lily Vandeweghe MB MIZ LB 13 Rockstar: Vandeweghe has a huge wingspan and reach at the net. She has no problem turning balls with her wrist and is highly effective offensively. Delaney Holder S MIZ LB 13 Rockstar: Holder runs a 5-1 on her squad and can easily redirect balls to her hitters. She is a hustler too. *** Kaelyn Easton S Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Easton is a 5-1 dishing quarterback who is strong, smart, and effective. Lexi Coleman OH Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: When Coleman hits you can hear it. She has an impressive arm swing from literally everywhere on the court. Daniela Echeandia OH GVA/Mizuno 131u White: Echeandia is a scrapper who has a great arm swing on the court. Marcela Santiago S GVA/Mizuno 131u White: Santiago dished her squad well. She makes athletic moves and is an aggressive setter. Ashley Ruschill L Madfrog 13’s N Black: Ruschill has a great first step to anything on the court. She is fast and smooth in serve receive. Taylor Sembower OH GJ 13 Nicole: Sembower is powerful and swings well everywhere on the court. She is fiesty and doesn’t back down. Anna Smith OH Circle City 13 Purple: Smith brings the heat on the court offensively. Sophia Baron OH Gulfside 13U Prime: Baron jumps and swings well on the court. She hits with a very heavy hand too. Luiza Queiroz OH Tribe 12 Elite Cardinal: Queiroz was a mainstay all day. She is a flyer who hits through or over blocks with ease. Perla Antuchas OH Tribe 12 Elite Cardinal: Antuchas, like Queiroz, hits with a heavy hand. She also has no fear and literally just “goes for it.” *** Emma Luehrs S Tribe 12 Elite Cardinal: Luehrs dishes her squad well. She isn’t as flashy as some of her hitters but knows who to get the ball to in a pinch. Kendall Fugate MB Tribe 12 Elite Cardinal: Fugate is an athlete with a quick arm. She explodes well off the ground. Alexis Walker OH Dallas Skyline 12 Royal: Walker did a great job swinging on the pins. She brings a lot of energy to the court too. Olivia Rylee S/RS Dallas Skyline 12 Royal: Rylee is a two-way threat on the court. She is strong and dishes with ease from the back row and can terminate in the front row. Aniston Barnett MB Dallas Skyline 12 Royal: Barnett was huge in the finals match blocking wise. Jenna Barnes OH A5 12-1 LA: Barnes hits with a heavy hand and isn’t afraid to get dirty on defense. Molly Hickey S Legacy 12-1 ADIDAS: Hickey runs her offense smoothly. She is also a scrapper on defense. Jae Christina Starks OH NorCal 12-1 Black: Starks explodes well off the ground and hit a great line shot. Isabella Pelayo OH NorCal 12-1 Black: Pelayo hits a heavy ball from where ever she is in the court.

Day 4 meant GJNC CHAMPIONSHIP DAY in Dallas! And before we breakdown the 13 Open and 12 National finals here are some fun facts about athletes in the finals. In 13 Open, A5 is the defending champion from last season’s 12 National match. But did you know A5 actually took the silver in the 11’s season? Also, in regards to A5, outside hitter Macurdy Harden was a part of the inaugural Red Hat Games Middle School championship team, the Cowgirl Crushers, in December. Her teammate on that squad was Skyline 13 Royal outside hitter Julianna Godbey. And focusing on Skyline, MacKenzie Carr also played at the inaugural RHG. And more from Skyline includes Carr and teammate Kendall Hill winning the 12 American Gold medal last season with Drive Nation. Also in the 11’s season Godbey and Kennedy Jefferson were a part of the Madfrog 11 Green squad that won the 11 National title over A5. So tons of experience on the court in the finals! That being said, let’s talk about the 13 Open Finals. Both squads had to overcome tough semifinals matchups. Skyline defeated Legacy 25-22, 25-19 while A5 defeated Mizuno Long Beach 13 Rockstar 25-16, 25-15. Out of the gate Skyline started quickly and scored early points behind solid defense from libero Brynli Burgess and big kills from outside hitter Alexis Elsey. A5 came back swinging which was led by outside hitter Kari Knotts. A5 middles Madison Middleton and Milan Tallman came in clutch for the squad both offensively and defensively. And despite being down most the game, A5 ended up winning 25-23. The second game had A5 on top from the jump. Outside hitter Macurdy Harden, setter Sophie Holt (2030), setter Olivia Hayden, libero Brooklyn Howard all shined. On the other side of the net Skyline never was out but definitely struggled in a few areas. Middle blockers MacKenzie Carriddle and Kendall Hill, setter Kennedy Jefferson (2030) and outside hitter Julianna Godbey (2030) played well. But in the end A5 ran away with the title, 25-23, 25-20. In 12 National, Skyline 12 Royal squared off against Tribe 12 Elite Cardinal. In the division to get to the finals both teams had to upset a ton of great squads! Skyline took out Mizuno Long Beach 12 Rockstar 27-25, 25-14 and then A5 12-1 Lori 25-13, 25-18 in the morning. Tribe knocked out Excel 12 Red 25-19, 25-11 and then defeated Legacy 12-1 Adidas 14-25, 25-16, 15-12. The Skyline vs Tribe finals only featured one athlete that played in the 11 National finals last season which was Skyline libero Hayden Leavitt. That being said, this match went back and forth the entire time. Tribe jumped on Skyline from the beginning and captured game one 25-18. Tribe outside hitter Perla Antuchas did a great job leading her team. Game two flipped back to Skyline who ended up winning. Aniston Barnett was blocking really well on the right and was able to shut down the Tribe outside hitters. Also, setter/right side hitter Olivia Rylee and outside hitter Alexis Walker starred for Skyline. Skyline won the game 25-20. In game three Tribe found themselves leading from the beginning. Tribe outside Luiza Queiroz started to really catch fire in this game along with middle blocker Kendall Fugate. And in the end Tribe won the 12 National title 25-18, 20-25, 15-12. Here are the other divisions’ results. Congrats to all!! 13 National: Circle City 13 Purple defeated GJ 13 Nicole 25-16, 16-25, 15-12 13 USA: GVA/Mizuno 131u White defeated Madfrog 13’s N Black  25-19, 23-25, 15-`12 13 Liberty: Madfrog 13’s N White defeated Club One AZ 13Platinum 25-18, 25-23 13 American: Gulfside 13U Prime defeated SG Elite 13 Roshambo 25-22, 25-19 13 Patriot: Aspire 13 Premier defeated PCVC 13-1 25-17, 25-16 12 USA: WPVC 12 Armour Black  defeated SG Elite 12 Roshambo 27-25, 11-25, 15-12 12 American: NorCal 12-1 Black defeated AZ REV 12 Premier 25-20, 25-21 12 Patriot: Texas United 12Red defeated FORZA1 12 ONE 25-12, 25-19 11 National: Madfrog 11’s N Green defeated Dynasty 11 Black 25-18, 18-25, 15-9 10 Patriot: 1United 10N Blue defeated Madfrog 10’s N Green 17-25, 25-23, 15-12

There were national championship matches played Sunday so let’s get right to it. First up was the 10 Patriot division that featured 1United 10N Blue against Madfrog 10’s N Green. In the end 1United defeated Madfrog in three, 17-25, 25-23, 15-12. Next up was the 11 National Championship match. Madfrog 11’s N Green and Dynasty 11 Black squared off in an intense championship match that ended up being a fierce three-set battle. Madfrog ended up winning the title, 25-18, 18-25, 15-9. One side note in regards to the 11’s, there are girls on both sides of the net that we will be hearing about in the future. Tons of future stars. In the 12’s and 13’s divisions Day 3 means upsets, intense competition, and finals day setup! Like I said previously, 12 National is loaded talent wise and there were some big upsets heading into the crossovers. Monday’s gold bracket will be fun to watch for sure. And in 13 Open, after a few shakeup’s in the pools and crossover matches, the defending champions A5 13-Karen will be facing Mizuno Long Beach 13 Rockstar and Legacy 13-1 Adidas will be facing Dallas Skyline 13 Royal. And a quick side note on these two matches, A5 13-Karen is the defending champions from 12s last season while Legacy has two members who won the 13 Open title with the now 14s team a summer ago. So needless to say there is a lot of championship experience heading into the semis! *** DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Olivia LeDoyen S TAV 13 Black: LeDoyen is scrappy on the court. She has great speed and movement in the setters role. She is a scrapper and isn’t afraid to hit the ground on defense either. Joelle Wasson MB Omni 13N1: Wasson is huge defensively at net. She shuts down hitters with ease. Marcela Santiago S GVA/Mizuno 131u White: Santiago is an athlete who dishes well along with playing some scrappy defense. Leeya McDaniel OH OP2 13-1 Elite: McDaniel is a physical outside who can crack on the ball when she connects. Kaia O’Malley L OT 13 T Patty: O’Malley isn’t the flashy libero but rather the calm, smooth, keeping a rhythm libero who holds down the back court for her squad. Gia Stokes MB Boiler Jrs 131E Gold: Stokes is smart and very effective in the middle. She knows how to shut down opponents and hits a mean quick. Madison Nolting OH MIZ LB 13 Rockstar: Nolting is part of a 1-2 outside hitter punch for the Beach. She hits wells on the pins. Tyleani Allen OH MIZ LB 13 Rockstar: Allen is the other part of the 1-2 punch for the beach. She is a no fear scrapper on the court. Alexandria White OH GP 13 Rox: White is a leaper who can hit a heavy ball over blocks. Sophia Baron OH Gulfside 13U Prime: Baron is a flier on the outside who hits incredibly well and makes an impact. *** Taylor Sembower OH GJ 13 Nicole: Sembower is part of a 1-2 outside hitter punch for her squad. She has a great physical presence and hits with a heavy hand. Holdyn Moore OH GJ 13 Nicole: Moore is the other part of the 1-2 outside hitter punch. She is fast and explodes well off the ground. Hattie Fansler S High Street 13-1: Fansler moves the ball well around the court to her hitters and does a great job getting her hands on balls. Kate Berghoff OH Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Berghoff is an outside who does a little of everything. She finds the holes in blocks with ease. Aubrey Coleman Axtell MB EXCEL 13 National Red: Coleman Axtell might not be the loudest one on the court BUT her defense at the net speaks volumes. Piper Hudson RS KC Power 13 Black: Hudson, a lefty on the right, was hammering through or around blocks with ease. Taylor Wardell OH TAV Houston 12 Adidas: Wardell is a hammer on the court. Literally she hits with a ton of power wherever she is. Wanli Sakugawa S/MB Surfside 12 PV Legends: Sakugawa is just a gamer. She has a knack for whatever role she is in, whether it be setting or in the middle. Leila Rendon S SA Juniors 12 Adidas: Rendon is a no fear, all out hustler who has a great touch on the ball. Sierra Johnson S AZ Sky 12 Gold: Johnson did a great job connecting with her hitters. She is also very offensive minded setter too. *** Kennedy Watkins S CVC 12 BLACK: Watkins has no fear and makes very aggressive plays on the court. She dishes her hitters well too. Elke Venter MB Tejas 12 Black Jeff: Venter is both a big block at the net and attacks well in the middle. Olivia Coulter S Sunshine 12 Westside Red: Coulter is a smooth operator on her squad. She makes plays happen. Corinne Redmond OH DYNASTY 12 Black: Redmond is a presence on the outside. She can power through blocks with ease. Senalah Sagiao S WAVE 12-Binh: Sagiao dishes efficiently and effectively on her squad in the 5-1 role. Emily Lin S COAST 12-1: Lin is a two-way threat on the court. She dishes well in the back row and attacks well in the front.

GJNC Dallas Day 2 was in my opinion all about the liberos and defensive specialists lighting up the courts! That is the one universal thing I saw walking court to court. No fear, consistent passing, and lights out defense. And don’t get me wrong there was a ton of other amazing athletes out there too, but defense wins games right?! In 13 Open Skyline 13 Royal was the only squad who made it through pool undefeated. After that we had tons of matchups that ended up “flipping the switch” and while most the teams projected to move on did, the seeding moved around.  And in 12 National, the competition is very deep nationwide and Sunday’s matches will be fun to watch. And yes, we all know 12’s is about serving BUT these girls can do so much more! Sunday is going to bring another level of matchups in the 12’s and 13’s division. And for the 10’s and 11’s it’s CHAMPIONSHIP DAY! *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Kennedy Mallory MB/S Elevation 12 Berg: Mallory is part of a 1-2 setter hitter punch on this squad. She is an aggressive hitter who is strong and dishes well to her hitters. Anna Richter OH/S Elevation 12 Berg: Richter is the 2nd part of the 1-2 setter punch. And like Mallory, Richter adds so many dimensions on the court. Maikalelani Siufanua  MB Miz LB 12 Rockstar: Siufanua is a huge block in the middle for Mizuno. And while Mizuno has a ton of weapons Maikalelani shuts downs opponents with ease. Vitoria Claret MB Tribe 12 Elite Cardinal: Claret explodes well offensively and bring serious heat offensively. Emersyn Curry L MAVS KC 12-1: Curry is a no fear scraper on the court. She has great reactions too. Juliet Berishaj MB Legacy 12-1 ADIDAS: Berishaj hammers the ball in the middle. She adds great energy to the court too. Karlie Sherbert RS 1United 12N Blue: Sherbet is a crafty left handed hitter who can power through blocks or tool them with ease. Lillie Hewlett OH Club V 12 Ren Mondo: Hewlett has a ton of potential and is someone to watch grow. She swings well on the pins. Alani Williams L Madfrog 12N Green: Williams is the definition of smooth on the court. She moves laterally with ease and passes nails. Kalenna Thiele L Arizona Storm 13 Thunder: Thiele cleans up the back court with ease. She is also steady in serve receive. Rebecca Gaeta S Boiler Jrs 131E Gold: Gaeta is strong and has a very smooth touch on the ball. She is not afraid to try and make the impossible set. Miranda Ludwick L Elevation 13 S J: Ludwick is a ton of fun to watch. And when she is locked in she touches everything, LITERALLY. She keeps her squad in rhythm too. Karla Medina L Tstreet 13-PJ: Medina, another scrappy libero, was touching everything thrown her way. She was consistently passing nails too. Brylie Milo  OH KC Power 13 Black: Milo has such a great court presence. She can hit over blocks with ease and plays great defense. Delaney Holder S MIZ LB 13 Rockstar: Holder is a 5-1 setter who is smart, strong, and a leader on the court. She dishes her hitters consistently. Kailey Lane L Rockwood Thunder 13 Elite: Lane was digging and scrapping with the best of them today. She was making some big plays look easy. Nariah Johnson OH COAST 13-1: Johnson is a high flying outside who can also use her beach smarts offensively. And she is fast on the court. Kaelys Sanchez L GP 13 Rox: Sanchez is a firecracker in the back court. She’s scrappy and fast. Jordan Molnar S Tribe 13 Elite Cardinal:  Molnar is strong, dishes well, and physically gifted height wise. She is a leader on the court too. London Kuntz L EXCEL 13 National Red: Kuntz was making HUGE defense plays today. She reads the hitters and setter dumps well. Logan Crosson RS Vision 13 Gold: Crosson, a lefty right side, hits a heavy ball consistently. She also is a wall at the net defensively. Saniya Tucker MB Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Tucker is HUGE and a force at the net. She jumps well and hits with a heavy hand. Ava Anders OH AVC CLE 13 Red: Don’t ever give Anders an open line on either pin. She takes it and makes it look easy, consistently. Soleil Rhodes RS Madfrog 13’s N Green: Rhodes was a huge 2-way threat on the court. She was attacking with fire and defensively at the net shutting down opponents with ease. Alexis Elsey OH  Dallas Skyline 13 Royal: Elsey can easily unload on balls on the pins. She was passing well out of serve receive too. Mila Prpa OH TAV Houston 13 Molten: Prpa is physically strong. She hits and serves a heavy ball along with adding consistent defense at the net.

Before getting to the opening day of the USAV 11-13s Girls Junior National Championships, let’s do a brief recap of the AAU National results that took place in Orlando. In 13 Open, A5 13-1 Karen captured the 13 Open title, with Dynasty 13 Black, GP 13 Rox, Legacy 13-1 Adidas, Top Select 13 Elite and Tribe 13 Elite Cardinal rounding out the top 10 (all are here in Dallas). The 13 Premier champion GJ 13 Nicole are also here. In the 12s division, A5 12-1 LA captured the 12 Open title. Boiler Jrs 12-1 Gold, Legacy 12-1 Adidas and Tribe 13 Elite Cardinal rounded out the top 5 (and are here). The 12 Premier champion A5 12-2 Erin is also in Dallas. With that being said Day 1 in Dallas definitely did not disappoint! Tons of great match-ups, early upsets (which in the end might not mean much but it is still fun to see), and amazing up and coming talent running the courts! And let’s not forget that the 10’s are here too and can we just say UTTER CUTENESS! In 13 Open we had some big matchups right out of the gate and big wins! Rockwood Thunder 13 Elite defeating A5 13-1 Karen in three games (16-14 in the 3rd) was the match a lot of people were talking about early on. As a result, OT 13 T Tabitha was the only undefeated team in that pool after day 1. In other pools, Dallas Skyline 13 Royal, Tstreet 13-PJ, Excel 13 National Red, and MIZ LB 13 Rockstar are all 3-0 heading into Day 2. In 12 National only two matches were played so there were multiple 2-0 teams heading into Day 2. And there is a TON of talent in this division. It’s fun to see how much teams have grown since Triple Crown and seeing new faces starting to mature and grow. In 11 National Madfrog 11N Green is returning the National Championships this season but now playing their age and will definitely be a team to watch out for. But what makes 11 National so fun to watch is the energy and potential of the next generation of stars (and there are PLENTY). And while the talk of the gym was that a massive basketball star was in attendance I will say I had more fun watching, supporting, and capturing this amazing group of athletes. Jenna Barnes OH A5 12-1 LA: Barnes has a whip of an arm and explodes well on the outside. Lochlyn Aldridge MB EXCEL 12 National Red: Aldridge explodes quickly in the middle and turns the ball well. Leighton Butters S Arizona Storm 12 Thunder: Butters quite possibly might have the best name for a setter as in she sets “butter” to her hitters consistently. Story Nixon S Boiler Jrs 121E Gold: Nixon runs a 5-1 on her squad well. She is smart and savvy with hands of gold. Emily Shabalina L COAST 12-1: Shabalina brings a lot of energy and make big plays in the backcourt consistently. Kaeley Johnston S Academy 12 National: Johnston, a 2032, is full of energy and smart as a whip on the court. She dishes her hitters well. Sophia Morris S/RS MAVS KC 12-1: Morris is a feisty, smart setter who not only hustles everywhere but also dishes her hitters well. Claire Kaemming OH FH 12 Ikaika-Annette S: Kaemming did a great job on the court where ever she was. She was attacking well and holding down the back court defensively. Layla Ljajcaj MB Legacy 12-1 ADIDAS: Ljajcaj is a middle you need slow down or she will control the net. She can hit with a vengeance. Molly Hickey S Legacy 12-1 ADIDAS: Hickey is a very smooth and strong setter. She runs her offense well. *** Zofia Shockley OH SA Juniors 12 Adidas: Shockley is explosive and energetic on the outside. Saydee Peterson S/RS TAV 12 Black: Peterson, TAV stars Sydnee and Sophee younger sister, is an athlete with a soft touch. Bella Rupe OH/S FSJ 12 National: Rupe caught my eye when she was swinging with no fear in the front row and then set her squad well. Emma Bates OH PVA 12 ELITE: Bates was firing away on the court when I was watching. She can crank around blocks with ease. Macurdy Harden OH A5 13-1 Karen: Harden is part of a 1-2 outside punch on her squad. She is a ball control outside who can unleash on the ball at will. Kari Knotts OH A5 13-1 Karen: Knotts, the other half of the 1-2 punch, is another level outside. She hits over blocks with ease and at will. Lana Bakrac RS Rockwood Thunder 13 Elite: Bakrac, a lefty right side, can crack on the ball and is a huge threat offensively. Brynli Burgess L Dallas Skyline 13 Royal: Burgess is a calm, steady, and explosive libero who makes her presence known on the court. She is a huge scraper. Kylie Winn L Houston Skyline 13 Royal: Winn caught my eye with her speed defensively. She was lights out fast in the back court. Eva Bower OH ID Crush 13 Bower: Bower, a lefty, is smooth on the pins. She hits a mean line on the outside that is highly effective. *** Peyton Smith-Johnson OH MADFROG 13’S N GREEN: Smith-Johnson is one to keep tabs on. She is a high flying outside who has a ton of physicality. Kaelyn Easton S Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Easton is a 5-1 setter who dishes with the best of them. She is a team leader who connects well with her hitters. Lexi Coleman OH Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: When you watch Coleman swing you see so much power and authority on the ball. She is a definite threat everywhere on the court. Mikayla Matuszko OH Tribe 13 Elite Cardinal: Matuszko is continuing to grow on the outside. She has a very high reach and can hit over or through blocks with ease. Tiana Fortuin MB Arizona Storm 12