GJNC

The final day of the 17s division Thursday at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago officially marked the conclusion of the 2022-23 club season. With everything riding on teams performing in the clutch, it set the stage for a finale that could not disappoint. Below, we highlight our Day 4 Show Stoppers. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS By Chris Tobolski and Christine Phillips Jade Dudley-Epps MB SCVC 17 Roxy: Dudley-Epps is a fun middle to watch. She’s quick and knows how to score from getting set in the middle or pressuring defenses with a slide attack. Ryan McAleer L Dynasty 17 Black: McAleer – a 4-star Purdue commit – helped Dynasty to a silver medal. She’s a locked-in libero who can makes plays all over the court. Abigail Mullen OH Dynasty 17 Black: Mullen – a 5-star Class of 2025 recruit – was showcasing her powerful arm on the right side. She’s a strong hitter who is no match when she’s swinging one-on-one. Skyler Pierce OH Dynasty 17 Black: Pierce – a 5-star Nebraska commit – was carrying a large load of offense and taking lots of swings. She’s a long outside who can get up and extend. Grace Nelson OH 1st Alliance 17 Gold: A 4-star Kansas recruit, Nelson carries a booming arm and hits a heavy, hard ball. She swings all over the court is a key part of the offense. Ellie White OH 1st Alliance 17 Gold: White fills out the leftside duo for 1st Alliance. The 4-star Michigan commit is a smart attacker who hits with pace and sees the court extremely well. Jaela Auguste MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal: Auguste – a 5-star Florida commit – produces highlight kill after highlight kill. Her athleticism makes her a difficult cover, as she’s both quick and jumps high. Mykayla McMillian L Hou Skyline 17 Royal: McMillian was showing her scrappiness and her willingness to go all-out to cover the court. She’s very active and was bringing lots of energy. Cari Spears OH TAV 17 Black: Spears – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2025 – is one of the hardest hitters in the division. She can get way up and launch balls at incredible angles with tons of power. Caleigh King Drive Nation 17 Red: King – a 3-star UNLV commit from the Class of 2023 – is a fiery libero who plays with lots of passion. She flat-out gets after it in her pursuit of defending the back court. Emerson Sellman OH Metro 17 Travel: A 5-star Ohio State commit, Sellman is among the tallest outsides in the division. It’s that length and size combined with her fluid swing that makes her an offensive force. Lameen Mambu OH Metro 17 Travel: Mambu – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2025 – is a high-flying outside with a loose arm. She can rip balls from sideline to sideline and fills out a dynamic outside duo for Metro. Myah Sharfner S ARIZONA STORM 17 THUNDER: Sharfner directs the offense well. She’s very good at getting all her hitters involved. Elizabeth Andrew MB ATHENA VB 17-1 Gold: Andrew, a 5-star recruit, definitely makes herself known to opposing teams with both her attacking and defending. Ashlyn Tafoya S Rocky Elite 17 National: Tafoya, a 2025 3-star recruit playing up, was doing a good job with her tempo sets and connecting with her hitters everywhere on the court. Maeve Rehmann MB Club Ignit Select 17 Blue: Rehmann, a Winthrop commit, has a strong feel for blocking and gets in the way of plenty of attacks. She’s also a reliable scorer who Club Ignit looks to get involved often. Madison Scrivner S/RS FH 17 Ikaika-Daniel: Scrivner, a North Texas commit, plays a duel role for her squad. This lefty dishes well to her hitters in the backrow while swinging with fire in the front row. Madeline Stucky S NORCO 17 Black: Stucky, a 4-star recruit committed to Wyoming, runs the show on her court. She connects well with her hitters and isn’t afraid to attack offensively when given the opportunity. Onyinyechi Ndee RS HJV 17 PREMIER: Ndee, a six-rotation right side, gets fed a ton of balls on the court. She also makes some great defensive plays. Claire Mosh L Mizuno Club North 17Ang: Mosh is steady out of serve receive. She also reads and anticipates well, which helps her be in the right spots to make plays. Jordyn Gove OH Ama Xtreme 17 Queens: Gove, a Valparaiso commit, can get up and get after it. She has a smooth swing and generates pace. Autumn Bax RS Missouri Jrs 17-Black: Bax, a 4-star athlete committed to Lindenwood, is a six-rotation right side. She is a lefty who continually brings the heat everywhere on the court. Brooklyn Kostoff S San Clemente 17-Riley: Kostoff, a 3-star recruit, who knows how to run a balanced offense, getting her middles and right side involved as much as she can. Payton Petersen OH Six Pack 17: Petersen, a 3-star recruit committed to Louisville, is a solid all-around outside. She passes sound. She can score. She can block. She is just plain fun to watch. Annalise Grant L Six Pack 17: Grant was covering the court and making digs everywhere. She was also consistent in serve receive and keeping her squad in system. Audrey Small L HPSTL 17 Royal: Small, a North Alabama commit, seems to read the court well and position herself to make play after play. She’s tough to breakdown in serve receive. Lauren Schneider OH Skyline 17 Black: Schneider, a 3-star recruit heading to Kansas State this fall, is an explosive outside hitter who can terminate with the best of them. Gemma Larbalestier L Actyve 17-Black: Larbalestier, a 3-star recruit, is quick. She can track down balls in a hurry and brings lots of energy to the court.

Everyone knew the stakes at this point of the tournament, as Day 3 at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago brought the 17s to the brink of bracket play and a potential spot on the podium. With it came tremendous individual efforts as highlighted below with our daily Show Stoppers. DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS By Chris Tobolski and Christine Phillips Ayden Ames MB Drive Nation 17 Red: Ames – a 5-star Nebraska recruit – is a menace in the middle. Her length and agility is a combo most opponents struggle to slow, as she can get on the slide and deliver haymakers. Hannah Benjamin OH A5 17 Jing: Benjamin – a 5-star Kentucky commit – is a dangerous threat anywhere on the court. She’s a springy outside with a big arm who can blast balls sideline to sideline. Caroline Byrne OH Rage Westside 17 Kimmy: Bryne was bringing it on the outside. She’s an aggressive attacker with a strong arm. Grace Killion OH HPSTL 17 Royal: Killion is a hard-hitting outside with a heavy arm. She was hammering balls down and providing steady offense. Ellie Moore S Northeast 17 Open: Moore is part of sister setting-duo. She has nice hands with a consistent release. She can also set tempo and spread the ball around. Aubrey Moore S Northeast 17 Open: Moore is similar, also showing a soft touch and steady location and does well getting her feet to the ball. Jenna Hanes MB Wave 17 Juliana: Hanes – a 4-star Michigan commit – brings a lot to the front row. From her scoring ability to her blocking and competitiveness, she’s a dynamic middle who plays a key role whenever she checks in. Camdyn Stucky S Shockwave 17 Black: Stucky, a 4-star Tennessee commit, is a fun 5-1 setter to watch on the court. She connects incredibly well with her hitters and isn’t afraid to attack at the net.  Sydney Mayfield RS VA Juniors 17 Elite: Mayfield is a physical presence on the court both offensively and defensively.  Isabel Ostvig S/RS VA Juniors 17 Elite: Ostvig, a Maryland Baltimore County commit, is an upbeat two-way player who sets and hits well. She has a nice release and locates well and can also help out providing offense. Blaykli Bobik OH ARIZONA STORM 17 THUNDER: Bobik, a 4-star recruit committed to BYU, brings the heat on the outside. She can unleash with a fury. Petra Fritz OH DCVA 17-Hong: Fritz, a six-rotation 3-star recruit, is an aggressive attacker who takes big swings everywhere. Anna Blaine S TX LEGACY 17 ELITE: Blaine, a Texas State commit, dishes well on the court. She also is a defensive wall in the front row.  Hadley Hardersen Iowa PowerPlex 17U Black: Hardersen is a dual contributor on the court. She connects well in the back row with her hitters and in the front row this lefty can pack a punch offensively.  Leilia Toailoa OH Vegas Aces 17 UnderArmour: Toailoa, a 3-star committed to Alabama, is a huge presence on the court. She hits with lots of power that defenses really struggle with. Ale Romo S Areté 16 Navy Telos: Fun fact, Romo, who normally swings on the outside, stepped into the setting position this week. And she is doing a great job dishing her hitters. Defensively she is making some scrappy plays.  Jenna Meitzler S/RS Sky High-Adidas 17 Elite: Meitzler, an Iowa commit, is a smooth setter who connects well with her hitters along with being a force at the net offensively..  Caelyn Emmerling OH TAV Houston 17 Adidas: Emmerling, 3-star Texas State commit, swings well everywhere on the court and knows how to keep pressure on defenses. Chloe Morgan MB TAV Houston 17 Adidas: Morgan, a 3-star recruit committed to Loyola Chicago, has a quick arm and can beat blocks on the middle attacks.  Victoria Staples MB Zona VBC 17-1: Staples has long arms and reaches well on defense. When she gets on top of the ball she can crush.

There was plenty to witness on Day 3 of the 16s age group at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. With the second-round of pool play followed by a set of challenge rounds the play elevated as the competition rose. Below, we present our Day 3 Show Stoppers.   DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS By Chris Tobolski and Christine Phillips Asia Harvey OH A5 16 Gabe: Harvey is the exact definition of what a Show Stopper really is! Wow. Her high-flying antics are impossible to ignore. She gets way high up and hits sharp cross-court angles few at any age group are able to pull off. Lily Hayes L OT 16 JP: Hayes and company made a run to the challenge round. Hayes is a sound libero who doesn’t get rattled and keeps her poise in the biggest of moments. Kelly Kinney OH Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal: Kinney – a 5-star recruit – is part of the reason why Tribe is in the quarterfinals. She’s a long outside who gets up and extends and hits with power. Elizabeth Bower L ID Crush 16 Bower: Bower – part of the Class of 2026 – is a lockdown defender with great range. The way she reads and anticipates shows her high IQ.   Tenesyn Frye S ID Crush 16 Bower: Frye is another reason why ID Crush reached the challenge rounds and was competing for a spot in the quarterfinals. She’s a lanky setter with a soft touch and spot-on location. Ava Hunter S Circle City 16 Purple: Hunter was another standout setter who helped Circle City fight for a spot in the quarterfinals in a close loss to Nebraska One 16 Synergy. She does well distributing the ball around as well as play solid defense. Reese Dunkle MB Circle City 16 Purple: Dunkle was playing a key role in the middle with her ability to impact both sides of the ball. She’s a legit threat when in system and also gets her share of touches on swings coming her way. Jordan Taylor MB HJV 16 Elite: Taylor is a game-changing middle with her length and size. She’s a huge disrupter at the net blocking. On offense, she goes right over blocks with ease. Sydney Black L HJV 16 Elite: Black is a fun libero who brings a ton of energy to the lineup. She flies around the court and makes tough digs look routine. Taylor Cook S Skyline 16 Royal: Cook – a 4-star, 5-1 setter – is strong and not afraid to be offensive. She can dish pin to pin with ease.  Halle Jameson OH EXCEL 16 National Red: Jameson, a 3-star six rotation outside was swinging with fire. She can power through block or tool with ease. Chloe Johnson OH TAV 16 Platinum: Johnson, a six-rotation outside can pack a punch on the pins.   Alexis Ewing OH VA Juniors 16 Elite: Ewing, a 4-star recruit, is an athletic gem on the court. She is high-flying, hard-hitting six-rotation outside.  Addison Worley OH OK Charge 16 UA: Worley is an undersized scrapper on the court. She isn’t afraid to swing through blocks or get dirty on defense.   Gia McGrew RS OK Charge 16 UA: Mcgrew, a 3-star recruit committed to Iowa, adds a physical presence to the attack. She had huge swings and big blocks. Addyson Rebmann OH CSDP 16 National: Rebmann, a 3-star recruit, was bringing it on the attack. She was taking aggressive, hard swings and pressuring the defense in providing a steady, reliable option. Sophia Van Ness OH Sunshine 16 Pacific: Van Ness carries a strong arm and was bringing it over and over. When she connects she can really rip it. Ellie Muller MB Club Ignit Select 16 Blue: Muller is an effective scorer who does well putting balls in open spaces. Thalia Yancey OH SA Juniors 16 Adidas: Yancey is an explosive outside who jumps well and passes consistently.   Georgi Stein OH AZ Sky 16G 1 OH: Stein, a 3-star six-rotation outside, tools blocks with ease. She isn’t afraid to power through blocks either. Emma Stewart  OH TVA 16 Smack Sheila: Stewart extends really well and can drill the line when given the opportunity. Lola Sageer  OH VolleyFX 16 Mantra: Sageer, a six-rotation 3-star 2026 recruit, wields a heavy hand. She also played sound defense in the back row.

There are few days like Day 3 at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships. The action in Chicago started with 24 teams in medal contention and ended with just eight in the quarterfinals. With must-win matches taking place all over, it produces high-level and entertaining volleyball and it’s extremely fun to cover and watch. Below, we highlight our favorite 10 players of the day. 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 1 ALL RED HAT TEAM Camryn Hayek OH Momentous 17 Dan: Hayek was playing large! She’s a bit undersized but she was coming through time and time again in the clutch, including in Momentous’ big victory over Metro 17 Travel to open pool play. She’s fearless on the attack. She was staying aggressive and as a result was coming up with key kills at key moments, going through or around blocks and pumping up her teammates. Rachel Van Gorp OH KC Power 17 Black: Van Gorp is similar to Hayek in that she too is an undersized outside who shows no fear and never backs down. She jumps well and has a lively arm. She’s a heady attacker who knows how to score against bigger blocks. Taylor Walsh MB Momentous 17 Dan: Walsh was another key member of Momentous’ success. She’s a lanky middle who was providing offense for Momentous out of the middle and causing defenses to respect her scoring ability. She also has a nice swing and was hitting with pace. Allison Legates MB Vision 17 Gold: Legates is a perfect fit for the All Red Hat Team as well. She’s another player who is undersized for her position but she doesn’t back down and stands in with the biggest of middles. It helps she jumps well and can get up, which allows her to deliver kills when set. Madison Loiselle RS OT 17 Aaron: The AAU 17 Open champs were on the cusp of the quarterfinals but fell in challenge play. We absolutely love what Loiselle brings to the lineup. She’s a physical presence with her blocking and attacking. She can hammer balls down from all across the front row. Even though defenses know she’s getting the ball when she’s in, they still struggle to stop her. Abigail Mullen RS Dynasty 17 Black: Mullen – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2025 – is an absolute joy to watch. She’s intense and you can see her competitiveness and will to win in the way she carries herself. She’s also among the top two-way players on the right side in terms of her blocking and attacking. Teams consistently set away from her when she’s front row. On offense, she has a big, booming arm and can punish defenses with it whether she’s front or back row. Izzy Starck S/RS Co Jrs 17 Kevin: Starck – a 5-star Penn State recruit – is one of the top all-around players in the division. She’s an above-average hitter who can get up and launch balls from corner to corner. But she’s even more fun to watch dish. She can simply sling it from pin to pin without any trouble and has excellent location. Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black: Messer – another 5-star recruit from the Class of 2025 who recently committed to USC – is silky-smooth and is almost never misses her mark when setting. She too is a serious competitor who can make just about any set from anywhere. Lauren Lynch L SG Elite 17 Rosh: Lynch – a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2025 – simply gets the job done. She’s not flashing and doesn’t play in a way that brings a lot of attention her way, except for her exceptional play. She has great first-ball contact and does well defending and picking up shots in the back row. Gillian Pitts L TAV 17 Black: Pitts is yet another member of the Class of 2025 who is playing up and starring. She’s one of the more athletic liberos in the division. The way she plays, she makes plays look effortless at times. She’s also a feisty competitor who will meet any challenge in front of her head on.

There is no letting up at a tournament of the caliber that is the USAV Girls Junior National Championships. The competition in Chicago took a major step up as Day 3 rolled around and teams could sense their place in the quarterfinals. Trimming the All Red Hat Team selections to 10 was nearly impossible. It’s no exaggeration to say we could list 25 players easily. However, we stuck with our normal 10, which you can read about below.   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 3 ALL RED HAT TEAM Logan Bell OH Circle City 16 Purple: Bell – a 4-star recruit who recently verbaled to Oregon – is an exciting player who brings lots of energy and spirit to the court. She’s a springy attacker with a quick jump and swing. Those together make her a legit offensive weapon and one of the key pieces in the Circle City attack. Mesaiya Bettis OH Northern Lights 16-1: Bettis spent last season on the right side and has excelled on the left this year. She’s a big part of why Northern Lights is in the quarterfinals. She’s long with great reach and extension. She can get up there and it makes her very difficult to slow when she gets it going. Riley Lynch MB VA Jrs 16 Elite: Lynch has been coming on here making us take notice. She moves well laterally, which helps with her blocking. She can put up a strong block. She does nice work off the net to make herself available. She exudes a positive demeanor as well, cheering on her teammates. Charlotte Kelly MB NorCal 16-1 Black: NorCal had a great, great run until barely missing out on advancing from its three-team pool. Kelly played a vital role in NorCal’s upset of Drive Nation. She’s a big middle who can make plays on both sides of the ball to help her team win. She has a strong arm that can power through blocks. Camryn Jeffery RS A5 16 Gabe: Jeffery – a 4-star recruit – keeps improving every tournament we catch her at. A5 was on the cusp of the quarterfinals in part because of the production of Jeffery on the right side. She stays in across the back row too, adding another option there. She’s also physical and can hit with power. Bella Schwantz S/RS Cape Coast 16 Titan: You can see Schwantz bringing her beach skills to the indoor side of things. She’s a bit undersized but is a savvy hitter who has a solid arm and can frustrate defenses with her well-placed off-speed shots too. She jumps well, which also helps her play. Ella Craggs S Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Mich Elite gave Drive Nation everything it had in the challenge round. We love Craggs at the setter position because she represents what the All Red Hat Team is about. She’s a bit undersized but she is fearless and doesn’t let up. She does well moving the ball around. She has a consistent release and locates well too. Reese Axness S Northern Lights 16-1: Axness is not necessarily in the same mold as Axness but fairly similar in that she too is a bit undersized but runs the offense well. She does well getting her feet to the ball and delivering hittable balls to all her attackers. Brookelyn Hatton L MAVS KC 16-1: Hatton is smooth! She’s on the stoic side and plays with a fierce intensity. She also happens to be really, really good. She reads and anticipates as well as any libero in the division. She’s not needing to make a ‘highlight’ save to keep a ball up because she’s in position to make the simple pass. Callie Krueger L Austin Skyline 16 Royal: Krueger – a recent Texas commit – can flat-out defend and pass. She’s a top-notch libero with the way she covers and reacts. She shows great first-ball contact and does well keeping her team in system.

How wild and unpredictable has 17 Open been so far at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago? Of the top six seeds, only one of them finished in first place in its respective pool and even then it didn’t come with a 5-0 mark. A5 17 Jing, the No. 2 overall seed, finished 4-1 but managed to hold onto first place based on its head-to-head victory over SG Elite 17 Rosh. SG Elite also went 4-1 to take second. After that, the results were anything but according to seed. Top-seeded Dynasty 17 Black – playing without stud outside Carlie Cisneros – finished 4-1 and in second place after falling to SCVC 17 Roxy in the final pool outing. SCVC also went 4-1 and takes over the top seed. Drive Nation 17 Red, the No. 3 overall seed, was fortunate enough to take second palce after going 3-2 in Pool 3. Wave 17 Juliana made it out unscathed at 5-0. KC Power 17 Black, the No. 4 overall seed, tied with Metro 17 Travel at 4-1. With Metro winning that contest head-to-head, Metro took first with KC Power coming in second. TAV 17 Black, the No. 5 overall seed, was also lucky in finishing in second place. Like Drive Nation, TAV also went 3-2. It was Club V 17 Ren Matthew going 4-1 in an impressive performance to grab first. The pool also featured Triangle 17 Black, which barely made it out in fourth place at 2-3. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami, the No. 6 overall seed, went 1-2 on Day 1 and bounced back to win both matches on Day 2. That put NKYVC at 3-2, which was good enough for third place. It was Coast 17-1 earning first after going 4-1 and having the head-to-head tiebreaker over Miami Hype 17 Emilio, one of two at-large recipients which also finished 4-1. A few big movers included AVC Cle 17 Red. The club started off as the No. 35 seed but went 3-2 and took third in Pool 1. Pohaku 17-1 opened as the No. 32 seed but also went 3-2 and took third in Pool 3. Hou Skyline 17 Royal began as the No. 28 overall seed and ended pool play at 2-3. That was enough for third place. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Kiki Remensperger S Wave 17 Juliana: Remensperger was part of a perfect first round of pool play for Wave. She’s a bit undersized but she’s very fast and does well getting to the ball. She has nice hands and can fling it from pin to pin with ease. Mia Hood RS A5 17 Jing: Hood – a 4-star Michigan State commit – is on the right side after spending her time at AAUs in the middle. It seems to have made a difference, as A5 is playing well. She puts up a massive block on the right side while also being able to go straight over blockers to score. Mya Bolton L KC Power 17-1: Bolton, a 3-star Michigan State commit, is a lockdown libero who sets the defensive tone for a KC Power squad that relies heavily on that side of the ball. She’s a sharp passer out of serve receive and doesn’t let many balls near her drop. Janelle Green KC Power 17-1: Green – a 4-star Cincinnati recruit – is an outgoing, energetic setter who does well moving the ball around and getting all her hitters involved. Emily Bobbitt S Triangle 17 Black: A 4-star Iowa State commit, Bobbitt is another setter who can spread the ball around and take advantage of the pieces the offense has to offer. She’s a competitor too and doesn’t back down. Taylor Parks S OT 17 Aaron: Parks – a 4-star Florida commit – is silky-smooth in running the show. She has great hands and does well keeping the defenses off balanced. Kate Duffey S/RS City 17 Gold: City was one of two at-large recipients but wasn’t able to break pool after going 2-3. Duffey, a 3-star UCLA recruit, did well in a two-way role swinging and setting. Jade Dudley-Epps MB SCVC 17 Roxy: Dudley-Epps was part of a great first round of pool play for SCVC. She adds a different dynamic with her athleticism and ability to get out and score effectively on the slide. Kirra Musgrove S/RS Hou Skyline 17 Royal: Musgrove – a 5-star Texas AM from the Class of 2025 – is tremendous in both roles. She’s long and extends way up on the attack and has a smooth swing to back it. She also dishes at an above-average level. Emerson Sellman OH Metro 17 Travel: Sellman is among the top outsides in the division. The 5-star Ohio State recruit can bring the heat on the outside and overpower defenders. Jordan Smith RS Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite: Smith, a 4-star recruit part of the Class of 2025, is a big-time presence on the right side with her size and ability to get up and impact the play on both sides of the net. She puts up a big block and can also go over blocks without much trouble. Addison Collum RS Seal Beach 17 Black: Collom is another fun right side to watch bring it. She’s relentless on the attack, and doesn’t back down against bigger blockers as she comes with aggressive swings.

When it came to the 14 and 15 Open divisions at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago the top-ranked teams were safe through the first round of pool play. That’s not to say none of them lost, but none failed to break pool and not advance. That’s where 16 Open starts to deviate. There was a major development on Day 2 as No. 2 overall seed Surfside 16 PV Legends – which is ranked No. 3 in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 National Rankings – finished at 2-3 and tied with MAVS KC 16-1. Since MAVS started off Tuesday by sweeping Surfside, 25-23, 25-23, that gave MAVS the head-to-head edge and thus fourth place in their pool. With Surfside coming in fifth, any chance at advancing and medaling are gone. After losing to MAVS, Surfside still had an opportunity to move on but either needed to beat Adidas KiVA 16 Red or have MAVS lose to Triangle 16 Black. With MAVS rolling against Triangle by only giving up 25 total points in two sets, Surfside needed to win against KiVA but fell in the third set, 15-12, to the AAU 16 Open champs and are out of contention. Did anyone see that one coming? Very likely not. The second round of pool play is going to be interesting, in part because top-seeded 1st Alliance 16 Silver also lost its final pool match to OT 16 JP and finished second behind OT. While Drive Nation 16 Red went 5-0 in Pool 3, No. 4 overall seed Hou Skyline 16 Royal lost twice and finished in second place behind Mich Elite 16 Mizuno, one of two at-large recipients. HJV 16 Elite also lost as the No. 5 overall seed but still finished in first place in a tiebreaker with A5 16 Gabe as both were 4-1. Arizona Storm 16 Thunder went 5-0 as the No. 6 overall seed. ID Crush 16 Bower – which received the No. 7 overall seed – went 2-3 and finished in a three-way tie and made it out as the fourth-place finisher. Surfside losing was shocking in its own right, but it also led to a bigger trend that’s likely never happened before at a USAV GJNC and that’s the fact that no Southern California Region club advanced to the Top 24. Surfside was obviously the top candidate to do so, but Wave 16 Kevin, Coast 16-1 and Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar all finished fifth or lower in their respective pools and did not advance either. Long Beach was playing without its star in Layli Ostovar and was one of three teams which earned its Open bid at the Salt Lake City Showdown. Vegas Aces 16 UA and OT 16 Roberto also qualified there, but none of the three broke pool. Meanwhile, Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal, which opened as the No. 14 overall seed, joined Drive Nation and Arizona Storm as the only squads to make it through the first round of pool play without a loss. Tribe beat KiVA, Surfside and Austin Skyline 16 Royal to help fuel its run so far. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS KK Green S/RS GP 16 Rox: GP remains in the hunt in part with the contributions of Green in her dual role as a setter and hitter. She does well with both. She’s a hard-hitter on the right side who does well tooling blocks. She’s also an above-average setter with strong hands and the ability to locate her sets with accuracy. Julia Oster L AVC Cle 16 Red: Oster was making play after play when we caught her in action. And they were just ordinary plays, She was picking off rockets launched her way and doing so without any struggle. Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Mich Elite has come alive during its time in Orlando and now in Chicago. Busignani is the go-to left side who can deliver in the clutch. She has height and extends high up. Combined with her fluid swing, she can rip it. Logan Parks S/RS MAVS KC 16-1: MAVS did well to break pool, with Parks playing a big factor in that. She’s a next-level talent who attracts the big-name college coaches to her court. She’s a pure athlete who can jump high, swing hard and set at a high level. Keri Leimbach L Nebraska One 16 Synergy: Leimbach is a high-energy, outgoing libero who gets the job done with ease. She passes lights-out and she’s quick and can cover ground in a hurry. Teraya Sigler OH Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Sigler – a 5-star Nebraska commit – is among the most physical players in the division. But she’s so much more than a big arm on the outside. She can pass and defend at a really high level as well. Devyn Wiest OH Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Wiest is a lanky outside who continues to improve and get better. She can crush balls when she extends and catches one. Ava Poinsett OH Coast 16-1: Coast was knocked out but Poinsett did her best to not let it happen. She’s a six-rotation mainstay with a powerful arm. She can blast balls front and back row and put them on a defender in a hurry. Campbell Flynn S Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Flynn – also a 5-star Nebraska recruit – is a big reason why Legacy, an at-large recipient, broke pool. She’s a tall setter with smooth hands and consistent location. She’s also a viable threat front row because her size allows her to be aggressive by going on two. Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 16 Gold: Quest – a 5-star Wisconsin recruit – was showcasing her skills all over the court. She has the ability to score equally well front and back row. She’s another tall outside who extends way up. Matched with a lively arm, she has no issues letting it fly. Olivia Durst L MKE Sting 16 Gold: Durst was sensational the times we saw her. It seemed like

We start our Day 2 coverage of the 17s with our All Red Hat Team. Tuesday’s action brought about the first set of eliminations and with it desperation that led to incredible standout performances. Below, we highlight our favorite 10 players of the day. 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 2 ALL RED HAT TEAM Kendall Beshear OH SCVC 17 Roxy: SCVC took over the No. 1 overall seed with its victory over Dynasty 17 Black to close out the first round of pool play. Beshear is tremendously fun to watch because though she’s just a bit undersized she’s an explosive jumper and attacker with a heavy arm. She can get up and simply unload. She’s also sound out of serve receive and gives the all-out effort needed to succeed. Julia Lewkowitz OH Miami Hype 17 Emilio: We watched Lewkowitz at AAUs in Orlando and Miami Hype continues to perform here in Chicago. Part of that success is what Lewkowitz brings to the lineup. She’s another outside who is a bit undersized yet just knows how to score and keep producing for her team. She can be frustrating because of the variety of ways she comes at defenses from going high hands to well-placed off speed and roll shots. Zoey Burgess MB Club V 17 Ren Matthew: Burgess – a 5-star Kansas commit – is an exciting player to watch because she plays with lots of joy and enthusiasm. It doesn’t hurt that she’s a tall middle with length and reach to be a major impact at the net with her hitting and blocking. She gets in the way of attackers with her touches or redirecting attempts. When it comes her turn to go on offense, she runs a lethal slide attack. Jaela Auguste MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal: Auguste is a 5-star Florida recruit who you could classify as a freaky athlete. There just aren’t that many players who can physically do what she can on the court. It’s as if she springs off a trampoline on the attack. She’s quick and has a fast swing and can rocket balls straight down in impressive fashion. Ryan Hunter RS Triangle 17 Black: Hunter is the third consecutive 5-star recruit but one difference is she is part of the Class of 2025. We recently featured her as our Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods so we might be a little partial to what she brings to the court. That is to say lots of high-flying kills. She’s a walking highlight reel and is definitely one of the more entertaining Naara Tanco RS AJV 17 Adidas: Tanco also was another electric right side who was delivering spectacular kills with her lanky frame. The combination of her jump and ability to extend make her tough to cover. She also has a whippy arm and was making defenses pay. Calli Kenny S/RS 1st Alliance 17 Gold: Kenny is a gritty, passionate player who leaves every ounce on the court with the way she hustles and competes. She’s a bit undersized but she’s high IQ with everything she does on the court. Maya Baker S Vision 17 Gold: Baker is another member of the Class of 2025. She’s a smooth operator with a nice touch and consistent location. She’s a steadying presence, a setter who doesn’t get too high or low in leading her team. Maya Evens L Wave 17 Juliana: Wave is playing well and part of that is the production of Evens in the back row. She too is part of the Class of 2025. She’s a high-level defender with an accurate first-touch. She also brings a lot of energy and fire to the lineup. Taylor Deckert SCVC 17 Roxy: We end with yet another member of the Class of 2025 and a recent USC commit. Deckert caught the attention of coaches long ago with the ease as which she covers and defends. She’s always under control and rarely is off the mark with her intended target.

With the first elimination day on hand, dreams remain alive for those advancing while those knocked out dealt with the heartbreak of seeing their national championship aspirations leave with it. Desperation mode was kicking in and it brought out the best in those competing. Below, we highlight our Day 2 All Red Hat Team by featuring our 10 favorite players of the day. 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 2 ALL RED HAT TEAM     Jessica Costlow OH Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Costlow spent all last season playing out of position as a middle. With added roster depth this season, she’s been able to shift to the outside. She’s a perfect for a the All Red Hat Team. She’s a bit undersized but she’s an absolute gamer and doesn’t back down. She’s also a smart hitter with lots of shots in her bag. Bellamie Beus OH ID Crush 16 Bower: Beus – a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2026 – is another outside who really caught our attention with the way she gets after it. She’s a feisty competitor with huge upside with her jumping and swinging ability. She’s an explosive attacker who gets off the floor well and hammers balls off blocks or down around them. Shelby Ignash MB Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Ignash was a new addition at the beginning of the season and she’s turned into a staple of the offensive attack by season’s end. She’s a physical middle who hits with lots of power. She can get out on the slide too and crush balls. And defenses need to be prepared because Mich Elite will run her often when in system. Addison Makun MB Adidas KiVA 16 Red: Makun – a 4-star recruit – is a major presence in the middle with her size and length. She continues to improve and can impact the rally on both sides of it with her hitting and blocking. She can make gaps disappear in a hurry with her long reach. And with it, she can go right over blockers and send balls down at or near the 10-foot line. Stella Dillon RS Coast 16-1: Dillon joined Coast late last year and since has been a regular in the starting lineup. She’s a contributor on the right side with both her blocking and hitting. She has decent size and she definitely opens up the attack as defenses need to keep note of her. Coast will go to her consistently. She has a solid arm and was doing well tooling blocks. Maddie Mitchell S/RS MAVS 16-1: We love Mitchell and what she brings to the lineup. She’s in a tough spot with 5-star Logan Parks playing the same role but MAVS isn’t the same team without Mitchell on the court. She’s a bit undersized but she knows what is needed to win. She plays under control, both as a setter and a hitter. She does well dishing and moving the ball around. As a hitter, she isn’t going to deliver the biggest kill in the gym but hitting hard doesn’t count for extra points. Trust us, she knows how to score consistently against bigger blocks. Billie Reiter S MKE Sting 16 Gold: We really enjoy watching these next two setters a lot! Reiter can run a 5-1 like she did in Sting’s victory over Circle City 16 Purple. Or she can set back row as part of 6-2 package as she did in the match after. Either way, she gets after it and is a steadying presence on the court. She has a soft touch and locates well while connecting with all her hitters. Malorie Boesiger S Nebraska One 16 Synergy: You would have no idea watching Boesiger that she is actually playing up not one but two age groups! That’s right, it makes her part of the Class of 2027. She’s a bit undersized but she is a spot-on disher who plays without any fear or trepidation. Avery Freeman L Circle City 16 Purple: From our perspective, there might be higher-rated liberos than Freeman but when it comes down to having to win, we’d gladly take her as our starting libero. She flat-out competes and gets after on the defensive end and it’s fun to watch. She’s not a demonstrative libero who plays with a lot of outward emotion. She’s more reserved with determination and tenacity that is easy to see with the effort she plays out. Izzy Mahaffey L Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Mahaffey was a wall when we were watching. And on top of that, she was making it look easy. She has that type of game. She’s also a fiery libero who plays with lots of emotion and passion.

If the results from Day 1 of 17 Open are any indication, then there’s little clue as to what is going to happen the rest of the way. One result was Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite upsetting No. 3 overall seed Drive Nation 17 Red. KC Power 17 Black – which received a generous No. 4 overall seed – fell to Metro 17 Travel in its final outing of the day to sit at 2-1. TAV 17 Black wasn’t safe either. The No. 4 overall seed was stunned by Seal Beach 17 Black and is 2-1. However, perhaps the biggest surprise is NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami going 1-2 on Day 1. The No. 6 overall seed fell to both Miami Hype 17 Emilio and Coast 17-1 with a victory over AJV 17 Adidas wedged in between. As for Miami Hype, it received one of two at-larges into the 17 Open field and started off 3-0, with the clutch victory over NKYVC. City 17 Gold was the other at-large recipient and went 1-2 on Day 1. City lost to 1st Alliance 17 Gold and KC Power before salvaging a victory against Boiler Jrs 17 Gold. *** By Chris Tobolski and Christine Phillips 17s DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Lauren Harden OH Rev 17-1 Raptors: Harden – a 5-star Florida recruit – carries a giant portion of the offense on her shoulders. She’s a long outside who can power kills front and back row. She’s a big reason why Rev qualified for Open originally. Taylor Williams OH Vision 17 Gold: Williams – a 4-star Duke recruit – is another outside with height who can extend and really connect. She was providing reliable offense with her ability to hit through or around blocks. McKenna Brand L Skyline 17 Royal: Brand – a 4-star UCONN commit – was under serious consideration for our Day 1 All Red Hat Team but there wasn’t enough space. Still, she’s super fun to watch because she’s an unassuming libero who just makes play after play all over the court. Maya Witherspoon OH Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite: Witherspoon – a 4-star Class of 2025 recruit – was bringing it on the both pins. She has a lively arm and was letting loose with it in giving her team plenty of points. Savannah Skopal S AJV 17 Adidas: Skopal – a 4-star Rice commit – is a high-level, take-charge setter who is in total command of the show. She has a great touch and release and puts the ball in a hittable window consistently. Rachel Resta S TAV 17 Blue: Resta, a 3-star recruit, dishes beautifully and consistently.  Marin Collins OH Niagara Frontier 17 Navy: Collins, a recent Penn State commit, commanded a presence on the court. She is someone to watch as she continues to grow in the sport. She is impressive on the court.  Jordan Smart S CHAVC 17 Black: Smart, a James Madison commit and 3-star recruit, quarterbacks her team well. She runs a 5-1 and connects with her hitters everywhere on the court.  Milani Lee RS FORZA1 NORTH 17ONE Franko: Lee, a 2025 athlete, had moments where she was ripping the ball and providing key production from the right side. Elizabeth Andrew  MB ATHENA VB 17-1 Gold: Andrew, a 5-star recruit, is legit. She owns the net offensively and defensively. She’s tons of fun to watch. And her jump serve isn’t too shabby either.  Meghan Kagehiro L RAGE 17 GREG: Kagehiro has a knack for touching a ton of balls on the court. She wasn’t afraid to get dirty.   Mia Gladden S SoCal VBC 17-Sola: Gladden caught my attention when I was walking by and she literally did a one-handed dig was beyond impressive. She sets a clean ball too.  Payton Petersen  OH Six Pack 17:  Petersen, a 3-star recruit committed to Louisville, was aggressive, attacking and really challenging the block in all six rotations.   Alivia Keegan S/RS Mission 17 Elite: Keegan, a 3-star recruit, impressed me on the court. She has great hands and finds her hitters well. AND she can bounce balls in the front roll.  Georgia Watson RS Mission 17 Elite: Watson, a 3-star 2025 recruit playing up, was cranking on the pins. She hits a heavy ball. Carys Fouser MB Abq Juniors 17-1 Jordan: Fouser is part of a 1-2 punch in the middle for her squad. She brings a punch to the middle.  Alyssa Carlisle  MB Abq Juniors 17-1 Jordan: Carlisle, the other half of the middle blocking duo, is a wall at the net. She seals the net well.   Shannon Sheehy S AZ REV 17 Premier: Sheehy, a San Francisco commit, has great hands and pushes well from pin to pin.  Miliana Sylvester MB 417 Juniors 17 Nat Black: Sylvester, a 3-star recruit committed to Hawaii,   was making plays on both sides of the ball, disrupting attackers while giving her squad a reliable point scorer in the middle.  Madison Swehla  OH Rockwood Thunder 17 Navy: Swehla is an undersized outside who jumps fast and quick. She can beat blocks with her quickness.  Jazmine Gaston OH Texas Fury 17 Legacy: Gaston, a Louisiana commit, is an athletic force on the court who jumps well on the outside.   Maya Collins L OVA 17 Black: Collins  was passing consistently out of serve receive and was constantly making  great plays.  Caroline Tredwell MB Skyline 17 Black: Tredwell, a UTSA commit and 3-star recruit, is an explosive middle who moves well laterally and gets off the ground quickly.