GJNC

Regardless of how the 15 Open division plays out at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships, one thing we already know for sure. The division is deep and overflowing with next-level athletes who were given center stage to showcase their skills on the second day of competition. vballrecruiter.com was on hand watching it go down and it led us to creating our Day 2 All Red Hat Team featuring our 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 Finley Krystkowiak OH Wave 15 Brennan: Wave as a whole is undersized compared to other squads. Krystkowiak, a 6-3 5-star recruit, brings real size to the lineup and is the go-to hitter who Wave relies on to score in the clutch. She hits at a high contact point and can create sharp angles cross court. It makes her a tough cover because teams have to defend more court than usual. Paisley Pavliska OH Alamo 15 Premier: Pavliska is a competitive outside who does just about everything at an above-average level. She’s a bit undersized but she’s a smart attacker who knows how to use both pace and off-speed to score on a regular basis. Like Krystkowiak, Pavliska is leaned on in the clutch to come through and score points. Nina Hemsley MB Forza1 North 15 One: Hemsley plays with so much fire and energy in the middle. She’s slightly undersized but an effective scorer who changes Forza’s dynamic when she checks in. She’s also a smart hitter who sees the court and knows when to unload and when to tip. Brooke Harwood MB Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Harwood – a 5-star recruit – was starring in the middle. At 6-3, she’s long and extends very well. She can get out and run the slide effectively and give defenses yet another concern. She was also scoring points with her serve. Abby Zimmerman RS SCVC 15 Roxy: Zimmerman is listed at 6-1 but looks more like 6-4. Or at least she plays like it. She’s an up-and-coming talent who the community will get to know in the coming years as she continues to blossom. She has a big arm, puts up a big block and can hammer balls down to the floor. Lauren Garcia RS Alamo 15 Premier: What stands out about Garcia is her versatility. She’s multi-talented and does them all well. She’s able to set, hit and pass and there is not many players like that in the division. She has a nice, fluid swing and can hit with pace. She’s a sound passer. We didn’t see her setting on Day 2, but we did see her dishing on Day 1 and she has nice hands and locates well. Danielle Whitmire S/RS TAV 15 Black: Whitmire – a 5-star recruit – is a stud. She has a big, booming arm that produces highlight kills. Combined with her height and ability to hit high, defenses really struggle to contain her. She’s also a smooth setter with nice hands and spot-on accuracy. Vivian Hickman S AZ Sky 15G: Hickman was running the show and was doing it at a high level. She’s a bit undersized but she has a bright future as she continues to develop and improve. She’s already smooth in her delivery. She gets to the ball well and has a clean, consistent release. She does well going behind her and connecting with all her hitters. Kaitlyn Herweg L SCVC 15 Roxy: SCVC had a great day, taking down TAV and ending pool play 5-0. It’s hard to win at this level without defense and Herweg was supplying plenty of it. She’s a lights-out passer and defender with a sound platform. She’s rarely off with her plays and holds up against the biggest of hitters. Raegan Ramirez L Austin Skyline 15 Royal: With Austin Skyline, it’s easy to get wrapped up on the offensive side with the setters and weapons they have. Yet, Ramirez gets the job done and she does so without much flare or flash. She’s good enough to make plays without the extra and does well out of serve receive and patrolling the back row.

Desperation was already seeking in for clubs on the cut line in 14 Open on Day 2 of the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. With the field being trimmed from 36 to 24, it brought a sense of urgency to the gym and the teams and athletes reacted accordingly. It produced tremendous, high-level action and we made sure to note our favorite players of the day with our Day 2 All Red Hat Team. 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 Jordan Morrow OH Hou Skyline 14 Royal: Morrow is a workhorse on the left side. She’s high-intensity, high-energy and brings it on the attack. She’s a six-rotation outside who swings from the back row. She’s a strong hitter and was showing off her powerful arm.   Aubrey Martinez OH Lions 14-1: Martinez fits the description of outsides we love. She’s a bit undersized but she is flat-out a baller! She too comes with it on the attack, not backing down from bigger blockers and taking aggressive, hard swings in challenging the defense. She hits with lots of pace too. Jazzlyn Hepburn MB AP 14 Adidas: With her speed and athleticism, Hepburn is difficult to time when it comes to blocking. She gets off the ground quick and has a lively arm. She was ripping balls down and being an effective point scorer. She also takes swings at different spots across the front row. Sitoafa Tausinga MB Club V 14 Ren Silver: Tausinga is a rising prospect to be sure. She’s an athletic middle who gets up and hits with plenty of pop. She’s another middle who’ll line up on the outside when she first checks in and take swings from there. She was scoring at a high rate for Club V. Sophee Peterson S/RS TAV 14 Black: Peterson is one half of the setting/right side duo and she was shining in that role. She’s an effortless setter who can fling the ball pin to pin with accuracy. As a hitter, she has an above-average arm and hits with strength. She also is a strong defender who does well picking off balls coming her way. Kamryn Mullican S/RS Excel 14 National Red: Mullican has a great on-court demeanor. She plays under control and fills a valuable role as a two-way player. She does a sound job setting and connecting with her hitters. As an attacker, the lefty has a whippy swing and hits with lots of speed. Kiersten Moore S Forza1 14 One: Moore is slightly undersized but does a great job getting to the ball and using her hands. She’s an athletic setter who moves very well and also has a nice, soft touch with consistent location. She’s one to keep an eye on in the coming years as she continues to improve. Emmeline Sandgren S Absolute 14 Black: Sandgren was another setter who we totally loved. She’s outgoing on the court and plays with lots of passion. She has a smooth release and does well setting against the flow. Ali Strange L NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Strange is a scrappy libero who plays with lots of energy and grit. She’s quick, so she can cover ground in a hurry and does well covering tips. She’s also steady out of serve receive and was laying out for saves. Cedra Talaga L Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar: Talaga is a joy to watch play defense. She is super-fiery and defends the back row with all-out hustle and effort. It’s tough to get a ball down on her as she’s capable of making highlight digs.

When it came to 15 Open at AAUs, it was a slow grind toward the gold bracket where we had to wait four days for the top teams to get together. That’s not the case with the pool-play format at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships here in Chicago. One of the first matches of the day saw top-seeded Skyline 15 Royal – a silver medalist in 15 Open at AAU – going toe-to-toe with AP 15 Adidas. It was no cakewalk to Skyline’s start, going three before prevailing and finishing its day 3-0. Mintonette Sports m.51 – the AAU gold medalist – Hou Skyline 15 Royal, TAV 15 Black, SCVC 15 Roxy, Legacy 15-1 Adidas, Aspire 15 Premier and Arizona Storm 15 Thunder all joined Skyline in going 3-0. While those teams positioned themselves nicely, Boiler Jrs 15 Gold has work to do. After earning the bronze medal in Orlando, the crew faces the possibility of not breaking the first round of pool play. Boiler Jrs – the No. 6 overall seed – is 1-2 after falling to both AVC Cle 15 Red and Forza1 North 15 One. Boiler Jrs defeated Alamo 15 Premier in three in its opener, so Boiler Jrs narrowly avoided going 0-3. Boiler Jrs would advance with victories over Premier Nebraska 15 Gold and NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami on Day 2. Another top seed to taste defeat on Day 1 was Austin Skyline 15 Royal. The No. 5 overall seed is 2-1 after being upended by Arizona Storm in its last outing of the day. Austin Skyline barely edged Top Select 15 Elite in its opener, winning the third set 16-14 to avoid sitting at 1-2 as well. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Teagan Cooling MB Vision 15 Gold: It was a tough day for Vision, which went 0-3. However, Cooling caught our eye with her offensive play. Vision likes to give her the ball and she was rewarding her team with big, big kills. Natalie Monroe OH Vision 15 Gold: Monroe was another bright spot with her swinging on the outside. She’s a lanky hitter who extends and connects well. Kendall Northern MB/RS Elevation 15 Tony: Northern has tremendous upside with her length and athleticism. She can get up high with her long arms and press over the net. She also showed her versatility playing on both the right and in the middle. Taylor Stanley RS Dynasty 15 Black: Dynasty was another team who had a rough opening day at 0-3. Stanley was a featured part of the attack both front and back row. She’s long and can bring the heat. Addison West OH Premier Nebraska 15 Gold: West was carrying her share of the offensive responsibilities. She’s a lanky hitter with an easy swing that can deliver plenty of pace. Halle Thompson OH Hou Skyline 15 Royal: Thompson was an absolute beast on the outside. She was unstoppable at times. She’s a high-flying, hard-swinging attacker who can bring the thunder. Blair Thiebaud S Hou Skyline 15 Royal: Thiebaud was another standout for Hou Skyline on Day 1. She’s a smooth disher who connects well with her hitters. Sydney Borowy OH AVC Cle 15 Red: It was a strong start for AVC and Borowy was part of the reason. She’s the go-to on the outside and was taking a lot of swings and delivering in key moments. D’Aira Whitner MB AVC Cle 15 Red: Whitner is a bit undersized but is very quick. She gets off the ground in a hurry and has a lively arm to rip balls with. Henley Anderson OH AP 15 Adidas: AP isn’t where it expected to be at 0-3 but Anderson was showcasing her next-level skills. She’s very long, swings really high and can rocket kills. Bella Lopez RS Madfrog 15 Green: Lopez was getting up and smashing balls at times. She’s an athletic, wirey hitter who helps open the attack. Addyson Bianchini S/RS NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Bianchini was excelling in her two-way role. She’s a steady, consistent setter who can move the ball around. She’s also an effective hitter with a strong arm.

At-large magic? A year ago in Indianapolis it was Alamo 15 Premier capturing the 15 Open gold medal after receiving an at-large bid. We still have three days to go here in Chicago at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships but could we be in for a repeat performance of sorts? TAV 14 Black, Arizona Storm 14 Thunder and Tstreet 14 Carson have been the class of the division all season and received the top three seeds. They are also heavy favorites in our preview and predictions we put out, where we said it would take a monumental upset to keep one of the three from hoisting the championship trophy. However, one of the big three lost on Day 1. Can you guess which team? It was Tstreet falling at the hands of Tejas 14 Black, which received one of the seven at-larges into Open. Tejas, the last seed in Pool 2, also took care of Top Select 14 Elite, which earned a bronze medal in 14 Open at AAUs. Tejas lost its last outing to Lions 14-1 and sits at 2-1. Of course, Tstreet’s loss doesn’t mean Tstreet is out of contention. Hardly. The top-four teams in each pool advance, so it would take the most unexpected of results for Tstreet not to break the first round of pool. Skyline 14 Royal, Drive Nation 14 Red, Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar, AP 14 Adidas and A5 14 Helen – the silver medalist in 14 Open at AAU – joined TAV and Arizona Storm as squads to post a 3-0 mark on the opening day. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Camille Presley MB AP 14 Adidas: Presley is a presence in the middle with size and ability to impact the rally on both sides of the ball. She puts up a strong block. She also is a legit threat on offense with the way she can score and put balls away. Allie Hudgins OH AP 14 Adidas: Hudgins is such a force and weapon for AP. Watch the heck out when she goes on the attack. She’s long, has a booming arm and can drill the ball as hard as anyone in the age group. Ryah Brock OH Forza1 North 14 One: Brock jumps and moves well with a really nice arm. She’s a smart hitter who knows how to attack blocks and takes a lot of swings. Lyric Judson MB Premier Nebraska 14 Gold: Judson was getting it done in her role. She’s a quick middle and moves side-to-side well and she was putting balls away when set. Emily Redwine L/DS Tejas 14 Black: Redwine is a scrappy libero who gives all-out effort in keeping plays alive. She was covering well and bringing tons of energy. Ava Burgess OH Club V 14 Ren Silver: Burgess is one of the rising stars in the division. She’s a taller outside with a fluid arm and can really connect at times. Simrin Adams RS Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar: Adams was crushing it from the right side. She was a difficult cover for defenses as she was scoring at a high rate. She’s a wirey attacker who swings well. Nailah Randle OH SA Jrs 14 Adidas: Randle is yet another future star. She’s an athletic outside with plenty of length and the ability to get in the air and deliver loud winners. Naomi Livings OH TAV 14 Black: Talking about loud winners, Livings had a few of the loudest. She has a great arm and can blast balls corner to corner. Kendall Omoruyi MB Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Omoruyi – who is our featured Player of the Week – is a wrecking ball in the middle. She’s very tall and takes up a lot of space blocking with her long arms. She’s also tough to slow on offense with her ability to hit so high and go straight over the block. Reagan Wallraff MB Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Wallraff keeps the middle attack going when she checks in. She’s a quick middle with a whippy arm and can rip balls down.

With the start of the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago, it also means it is time for another edition of our daily All Red Hat Team! With the 15 Open division getting underway on Wednesday we spent our time on the lookout for our 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 1 ALL RED HAT TEAM Westley Matavao OH Forza1 North 15 One: The way Matavao gets after it is impressive! She’s an all-out competitor who brings tons of fire to the court. She’s a featured part of the Forza attack and she was hammering balls down with her powerful arm. Grace Martin OH Pohaku 15-1: Martin’s growth and development was on display from earlier this year. She’s added speed and pace to her shots and was ripping balls from the outside. She has a lively arm and when she connected she launched balls past the defense. Anna Williams MB Aspire 15 Premier: The middle duo for Aspire was eye-catching. Williams made up one half of the attack. She’s a physical middle who hits with power and puts up a strong block. When in system, Aspire looks to get her going and for good reason. She has a hammer for an arm and was bashing balls down with authority. Hayden Conner MB Aspire 15 Premier: Conner makes up the half of the middle duo as well and we loved what we saw from her too. She’s an effective attacker who can score on quick sets or running the slide. She also hits with plenty of pace and gets the ball when Aspire is in system. Savanah Weathers RS Michio 15 National: Weathers is a bit undersized but she is a high-flying right side who looks like she’s jumping off a trampoline. She’s also an aggressive attacker who doesn’t back down and we love that type of fearlessness! Nadiya Johnson RS Metro 15 Travel: Johnson has next-level written all over her. She’s one of the most athletic players in the division and that’s saying a lot! She can launch in the air and hang there for a moment before letting loose. She has a nice arm and is definitely a rising star everyone should know. Genevieve Harris S Academy 15 Diamond: Harris is among the top setters in her class. She’s a smooth disher and runs a nice offense. She has soft hands, locates well and doesn’t give her sets away. She also plays sound defense and plays totally under control and exhibits a calm demeanor. Sophia Gisslen S Team Pineapple 15 Black: Gisslen is an under-rated setter but we absolutely love the way she gets after it and directs the attack. She does well getting to the ball and locating for her hitters. She too plays with a steady demeanor and doesn’t get too high or low in setting the tone. Cala Haffner L Team Pineapple 15 Black: With Haffner, it always seems like she’s making a play and never making a mistake. She’s a sound passer who is steps ahead with her defending and reading. She’s also has a no-nonsense attitude and is flat-out competitor. Emma Frietch L NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Frietch was on-point out of serve receive. She also covers well and is a calming influence on the defensive side. She also did well picking off cross-court shots and keeping rallies going.

After a two-week stretch in Orlando for AAUs, it’s time to shift our attention to the USAV Girls Junior Nationals Championships in Chicago. Wednesday represented the beginning of the older age groups – the 11-13s took place in Minneapolis two weeks ago – with the 14s and 15s competing ahead of the 16s and 17s next week. The vballrecruiter.com team was on hand for Day 1. Below, we present our 14 Open All Red Hat Team 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 1 ALL RED HAT TEAM Reese Eilenstine OH Premier Nebraska 14 Gold: Eilenstine is a bit undersized on the outside yet she brings it on the attack. We loved her aggressiveness and the way she goes for it. She’s a fearless attacker with a lively arm. She doesn’t necessarily look like she can rip it like she does, but she lets it fly. Hanna McGinest OH Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar: McGinest was showcasing her high-flying antics. She’s a smooth-swinging outside with a loose arm. Combined with her effortless jump, she produces highlight kill after highlight kill. She was lighting it up from corner to corner. Isabella Howard MB Madfrog 14 Green: Howard is a lanky middle who made quite the impression with her play. She’s athletic, moves very well and can unload in a blink of the eye. She’s a tough cover because she gets up quick and hits with lots of pace. Marlee Steiner MB HPSTL 14 Royal: Steiner is a fun middle to watch hold it down. She’s long with a fluid swing and she contacts at a high point. She’s a competitor who plays with lots of energy and passion. She also does well getting in front of balls and getting touches. Kaylie Davis RS Skyline 14 Royal: Davis was blasting away on the right side. She’s a taller pin with a good arm. She was extending high and taking aggressive cuts. It made her a tough cover as she was tooling blocks high hands or putting the ball straight down. Janiah Burrage RS Forza1 14 One: Burrage is part of the Class of 2028 and is going to be a name most everyone knows before too long. She’s a springy, athletic attacker. She also has a great arm. She takes big, aggressive swings and can go right over the block and hammer balls down. Peyton Kubik S/RS MAVS KC 14-1: Kubik is yet another up-and-comer who is going to be a household name, if she isn’t already to insiders. She’s a next-level talent who sets and hits well above average. She’s long, moves well, has smooth hands and swings like the wind. She’s in total control of everything she’s doing on the court. Brynn Stephens S/RS TAV 14 Black: Stephens is another all-world talent who does it all at above-average levels. She’s long and extends way up on the attack, with a loose arm and ability to rocket balls anywhere. She’s also a high-level setter who can fling balls left and right with ease and accuracy. Dakota Huynh L Skyline 14 Royal: Huynh is a lockdown libero who patrols the backcourt with grit and determination. She’s quick, covers well and passes on point. She brings lots of energy and flat-out hustle to the defensive side as well. Nafanua Alofipo L/DS Club V 14 Ren Silver: Alofipo is just a volleyball player who can do so many things on the court. She’s a setter/right side normally, but after moving to Texas at the start of the year and playing for Austin Skyline, she moved back to Utah and has reconnected with Club V, where she’s suiting up in the back court. She’s a sharp passer and lights-out defender with an extremely bright future.

The final day of the USAV Girls Junior National Championship was an incredible culmination of the tournament, featuring thrilling displays of passion, heart and athleticism. Although there were moments of heartbreak, each team gave it their all and left everything out on the court.  In the 13 Open final, Legacy 13-1 Adidas faced off against Elevation 13 SJ, with Legacy ultimately emerging victorious in three sets, 23-25, 25-10, 15-12. The match was tense in the first and third sets with a back-and-forth that kept spectators on the edge of their seats. Both teams showed incredible skill and determination. In the end, however, Legacy prevailed securing a well-deserved victory. The 12 National finals were eagerly anticipated, and the match between A5 12-LA and  EXCEL 12 National Red did not disappoint. A5 emerged victorious, winning the match in two, 25-23, 25-15. One thing that struck me about this national championship was the sheer amount of talent on display. Many players showcased exceptional skills and athleticism that will undoubtedly make them future stars of the sport. It was truly thrilling to watch such a high level of play and witness the emergence of so many young talents. The 12 USA finals between Drive Nation 12 Red and GVA/MIZUNO 12U DARK BLUE was an electrifying match. Ultimately, Drive Nation emerged as the winner, securing a hard-fought sweep, 25-16 25-19. The match showcased the incredible skill and determination of both teams, featuring some standout performances from Puerto Rican players renowned for their powerful swings. However, Drive Nation prevailed thanks to their tenacious defense, superb serving and formidable blocking at the net.  There were several other thrilling final results across the divisions. In the 13 National division, Alamo 13 Premier faced off against ARVC 13N1 Adidas and emerged victorious in three, 18-25, 25-23, 15-3. In the 13 USA division, OP2 13-1 claimed a well-deserved win over United 13 Susie in two, 26-24, 25-17. Meanwhile, in the 13 Liberty division, WAVE 13-Reily defeated SF Tremors 13 Wolverines in a nail-biting three-set match that kept fans on the edge of their seats, 17-25, 25-14, 19-17. The 13 American division saw AVA TX 13 Adidas triumph over SA Xtreme 13U in two, 25-18 25-19, while in the 13 Patriot division, Iowa Power Plex 13u Black secured a hard-fought victory over Rancho Valley 13Premier, 25-27, 25-18, 15-8. Finally, in the 12 American division, LV 12 Team Rox defeated Iowa Select 12 Mizuno in a a two-set match, 25-14 25-13.  So much talent and athleticism coming up through the ranks. It was an honor to witness and cover such an incredible event, and to support the growth of the sport we love. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Olivia Kitur OH EMV 13 National Black: Kitur is huge on the outside, literally. She is a six-rotation hitter who swings with no fear anywhere.  Peyton Smith-Johnson MB/OH EMV 13 National Black: Smith-Johnson is an upcomer to watch. Another scoring weapon for her squad, she doubles as a wall defensively.  Aubrey Waters OH Gainesville Jrs 13-1: Waters was very reliable with her attacks, getting key kills but rarely making any mistakes. Ana Sofia Garcia-Cruz MB SF Tremors 13 Wolverines: Garcia-Cruz was undersized in her position but between her athleticism and fire she was blocking and attacking with the best of them.  Kylie Moy MB SF Tremors 13 Wolverines: Moy is quick and moves well side to side. When she connects in the middle she brings the heat.  Quinn Nelson OH Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Nelson was taking smart swings, either tooling the block or exploiting the seam well.  Lexi Coleman OH Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Coleman has a big, strong arm and can hammer kills on the regular. Ashlyn Pelon L Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Pelon is a defensive force. She makes everything she does look easy and smooth, from passing in serve receive to showing great range in coverage.  Kelsey Green S Elevation 13 S J: A 5-1 setter, Green handled the setting duties efficiently, seemingly making all the right sets at the right time. Avery Brannon MB/RS Elevation 13 S J: Brannon is a real imposing presence at the net both in the middle on the pin when needed. Kaedyn Blotzer OH WAVE 13-Reily: Blotzer is a scrappy and undersized outside. She has a knack for hitting the line shot well.  Natalie Rynard S WAVE 13-Reily: Rynard has a great touch and consistently sets a clean ball. Rylee Hartwell OH UNITED 13’s Susie: Hartwell is an undersized hitter who you knows has to play beach with the shots she was pulling and hops that rivaled any outside hitter out there. Tons of fun to watch.  Cienna Enriquez  OH UNITED 13’s Susie: Enriquez is a savvy hitter who had no problem going against the block and continually found the open spots for kills. Madison Goodrich L UNITED 13’s Susie: Goodrich was passing out of serve receive was sharp and on point. She was also picking up touches and tips well too. Sloane Rattay OH OP2 13-1: Rattay was tough to slow down. She was displaying nice extension on her swings and hitting at a high contact point.  Jentri Denwalt S/RS OP2 13-1: Denwalt, a 2030, showed a nice touch and consistent release along with being a very reliable scoring option, Olivia Carter MB OP2 13-1: Carter contributes on both sides of the ball. When in system, she’s always a viable scoring threat. She can also be a menace with her blocking. Madison McGuire S AVA TX 13 Adidas: McGuire does well guiding the attack. She has a nice release and sets a hittable ball consistently. Charlie Marsico L AVA TX 13 Adidas: Marsico is a sound passer and a scrappy defender. Abigail Ibarra MB SA Xtreme 13U: Ibarra is a factor in the middle with her ability to score and block balls. She also moves well laterally.  Sara Gonzalez L Alamo 13 Premier: Gonzalez is a scrappy, energetic libero who goes all out in the back row. She is a lot of fun to watch make plays.  Sydney Whisenton OH/S Alamo 13 Premier: Whisenton brings value with her versatility. She’s a solid setter with lots of upside and

In one word Day 3 was ELECTRIC. Talk about fiery wins and loaded upsets! So before I get sidetracked talking about crossover matches let’s start talking about the 11s division. 11 National The first four matches of the gold bracket were tight score wise! Three of the four went to three games and were only won by two points! The semifinals were both won in two setting up the finals match up of Elevation 11 Dawn vs Excel 11 Red. And for the most part you had two different style teams facing off. From the Ohio Valley Region this Elevation squad was filled with speed and two middle blockers who loved to crank on slides. And from the North Texas Region you had a never say die squad that didn’t make a ton of errors and served tough. In the end Excel 11 Red won the National title in two sets, 25-14, 25-23. Congrats Excel!  12 National The 12 National matches Friday were played with incredible passion and determination, delivering a mix of excitement, heartbreak and pure grit. Watching these young athletes put everything on the line was truly inspiring. With that being said here is your 12 National gold bracket matches for Saturday: EXCEL 12 National Red vs Circle City 12 Purple Tstreet 12-Kaila vs DYNASTY 12 Black A5 12-LA vs COAST 12-1 Miz LB 12 Rockstar vs KC Power 12 Black 13 Open I am absolutely blown away by the incredible performances this morning in 13 Open. One pool in particular I dubbed the “pool of death”. Madfrog 13 Green, TAV 13 Black and HPSTL 13 Royal put on a show in each match. All three matches were three-gamers and it came down to points. TAV 13 Black came out on top but Madfrog and HPSTL had to play a one set to 15 to see who else advanced. The energy both on and off the court was electric, and HPSTL pulled off the upset.  The challenge matches also were intense and the four teams advancing to the gold bracket all deserve a huge round of applause. And drum roll please … your 13 Open gold bracket matches: Elevation 13 S J vs COAST 13-1  Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS  vs Tribe 13 Elite Cardinal  *** DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Nicole Jacobson MB TAV 13 Black: Jacobson was coming up huge defensively for TAV. Olivia Permenter OH/RS TAV 13 Black: Permenter was bringing the heat on the pins. Her kills were coming in clutch in their “pool of death.”  Brynli Burgess L Madfrog 13 Green: Burgess, a 2029 athlete, was literally everywhere on the court. She is definitely one to watch continue to grow in the game.  Hayden Thomas MB Madfrog 13 Green: Thomas was another key element for her squad defensively. Sarah Albers MB HPSTL 13 Royal: Albers is a handful, to say the least. With her size and length, she can easily go over blocks or through blocks at will.  Gillian Pfeiffer MB/RS HPSTL 13 Royal: She’s such a tough cover with her length and size offensively and was a huge factor defensively.  Carina Buttrum L HPSTL 13 Royal: She covered the court well and did a nice job reading and digging to pick her squad up defensively.  Lia Ray OH Tribe 13 Elite Cardinal: Ray, who doubles as a beach superstar, uses her court IQ offensively incredibly well. She sees the opening and she takes it.  Natalia Marciante OH Tribe 13 Elite Cardinal: Marciante was taking aggressive, no-fear swings consistently on the court.  Addison Tucker L Excel 13 Red: Tucker was passing well out of serve receive and doing a nice job of digging balls. Marley Rogers RS Excel 13 Red: Rogers helps provide offense on the right side with her strong arm.  Sadie Ellis MB Elevation 13 S J: Ellis gets up quickly and was putting balls down to the floor.  Kelsey Green Elevation 13 S J: Green did well moving the ball around and getting her various hitters involved. She was also locating consistently. Jamie Carnes MB CJV 13 Ben: Carnes is an athletic middle who was making plays on both sides of the ball. She also moves well. Emilie LaSala  OH COAST 13-1: LaSala is an explosive hitter who can crush it. Her ability to tool blocks or bang it down makes it difficult on defenses to slow her down. Samantha Saba L COAST 13-1: Saba is a firecracker libero who was passing and defending with the best of them.  Carolina Delaney OH Absolute 13 Black: Delaney is a handful for opponents. She has nice range and did well finding the open spaces on the court. Amelia Knutson S  Absolute 13 Black: Knutson did well guiding the attack. She was locating well and showed strong hands dishing far cross court. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 13-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski brings her height to the front row as well as gives her squad another option on the right. Bonus she has great hands.  Kenadi Sieg L NKYVC 13-1 Tsunami: Sieg is a scrappy libero with high energy and she moves very well.  Haedyn Lynnes L DYNASTY 13 Black: Lynnes was owning the back row with her passing and defending. She reads and covers well and extends her share of rallies. Carley Ward OH Skyline 13 Royal: Ward is a go-to outside with a strong arm and can bring the heat with big kills at times to fire up her teammates. Audrey Utterback OH Circle City 13 Purple: What caught my the most on Utterback was her aggressive, fearless defensive play.  Kennedy Wilkinson L WAVE 13-Reily: Wilkinson anchored the back row and didn’t rattle against the onslaught of attackers she faced. She held it down with strong passing and many hustle plays. Daniela Nieves-Papaleo OH BORINQUEN COQUI 13-1F: Nieves-Papaleo is an undersized scrappy hitter who isn’t afraid to go right through blocks.  Payton Woodruff S Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Woodruff is a smooth disher with lots of potential. She has nice hands and consistent location and moves well too. Lexi Coleman OH Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Coleman is a go-to on the left for this squad and she provides her share of offense. Leeya Svendson MB East Side Blaze 13N:

Day 2 of the USA GJNC was jammed-packed full of action and excitement!  11 National The Gold bracket is set for Friday! Before we get there I want to say the crossover matches were a ton of fun to watch! Of course with wins comes heartbreaks BUT congrats to the teams vying for the title!  A few odds and ends: Madfrog 10 Green fought the entire time in their challenge bracket match but Legacy ended up winning in two sets, 25-23, 25-21. This is a squad full of superstars in the making and will be fun to watch progress over the years.  12 National This field of teams has pretty much stayed in sync with the incoming rankings. Friday’s matchups will start to bring some changes. This age group continues to impress with its depth in all positions. 13 Open Thursday was action-packed across the board in the pools! Wow. If you happen to walk by the 10A matches the courts were jammed packed with people watching the incredible match ups. My favorite one was the A5 13 Karen vs Madfrog 13 Green match. Heavy hitters, scrappy defense and walls at the net dominated the three-set Madfrog victory, 26-28, 25-11,15-8. And on a side note is that Excel 13 Red was the only squad in all the pools to go 5-0. Friday’s pools pit some heavyweight favorites against each other so it will definitely be action packed.  SHOW STOPPERS Sophie Frietch  L NKYVC 12-1 Tsunami: Frietch is the definition of a no-fear libero! She was soaring through the air and diving for every ball with reckless abandon.  Layna Wilkinson MB NKYVC 12-1 Tsunami: Wilkinson gets up and unloads, pressuring the defense with her aggressive and hard hitting. Mary Christine Crutcher OH Excel 12Red: Crutcher can really extend and let it fly. As she adds more strength and experience, watch out. She is a big-time scorer anywhere on the court. Skye Lincoln OH Excel 12Red: Lincoln, like Crutcher, can fly on the outside. Her fire she brings to the court is fun to watch.  Jenysis Solomua S/RS DaKine Warriors 12 Surf: Solomua is a glue piece in the lineup, setting and hitting. She is also strong with a great touch on the ball.  Kailey Lane L HPSTL 12 Royal: Lane passes dimes and covers the court incredibly well. Olivia Klinedinst MB Academy 12 Diamond: Klinedinst is such a factor in the middle with her length and athleticism. She will definitely continue to grow in the game.  Alexis Elsey MB Skyline 12 Royal: Elsey is an impactful blocker and brings her share of offense across the front. Trynity Alsaid S/RS Madfrog 12 Green: A dual threat on the court. She’s a leaper and attacks the block and defense with her aggressiveness. She’s also a strong setter.  Collins Alonzo L Madfrog 12 Green: Alonzo’s combination of smooth serve receive and scrappy defense were fun to watch on the court.  Dylan Wilson MB Alamo 12 Premier: Wilson is a big block at the net and will continue to grow in the game. She has a knack for attracting the ball defensively.  Mary Clayton MB Boss Cle 12-1: Clayton brings a much-needed presence to the front row. She attacks well in the middle and is a wall to get through defensively.  Jayla Green OH Premier Nebraska 12 Gold: Green is the definition of a scrappy outside hitter. No fear mixed with athleticism.  Reese Canada OH Boiler Jrs 121E Gold: Canada is a six-rotation outside and key part of the offense. She also passes well out of serve receive.  Rebecca Gaeta S Boiler Jrs 121E Gold: Gaeta runs a 5-1 smoothly and efficiently. She smooth setter with great hands. Baylee Wilson OH COAST 13-1: One thing that stood out right away watching Wilson attack is she is strong and smart. She has no problem hitting with pace and she was a reliable scoring option on the left. Alice Burgett S COAST 13-1: Burgett knows how to run the offense and she connects well with her hitters. And her hands are so smooth.  Jaelyn Jordan  S MAVS KC 13-1: Jordan has firm command of the offense. She’s smooth and does a great job of distributing the ball to her various hitters. Lexi Coleman MB Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Coleman is a menace to both defenses and offenses with her size and athleticism.  Kaelyn Easton S Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: She’s a smooth disher who knows how to run an offense.  Katy Mcgough  OH Excel 13 Red: McGouch is a six-rotation outside with strong ball control skills. She sees the court well and has a variety of shots to throw at defenses.  Khloe Navarro OH Excel 13 Red: Navarro filling out the left side duo, Excel is never hurting for a front row attacker who can deliver on a consistent basis. She can let it fly and put away big kills too. Maya Ogbogu OH Madfrog 13 Green: Ogbogu is a difference maker on the left with her length and leap. She has no trouble banging balls.  Grace White MB Madfrog 13 Green: White is very energetic with a knack for scoring in the middle.  Aleyna Bramschreiber S/RS Madfrog 13 Green: Bramschreiber can hit, set, play balls out defense and bring the fire on the court consistently.  Charlee Groninger S Circle City 13 Purple: Groninger puts up a clean ball and puts her hitters in good positions. Stella Hamood L Circle City 13 Purple: Hamood is scrappy and covers well for touches and tips.  Meredith Abney  L A5 13 Karen: Abney is a gritty serve receive player. She was making plays in extending rallies and keeping her team in the point. Leah Stickney OH A5 13 Karen: Stickney passed steady and gave her team a reliable scoring option when she was front row. Cadence Talaga OH Mizuno Long Beach 13 Rockstar: Talaga always seems under control and she never appears to get rattled. She’s going to make the play in front of her, as well as a couple you don’t expect her to. Lyla Crowder MB  1United 13N Bill: Crowder has a big arm and is a defensive wall at the net.  Summer Guerrero OH 1United 13N Bill: Guerrero displayed

It’s that time! GJNC time! So for all those who didn’t know USA Volleyball decided to split up the national tournaments this year with 11-13s running this week in Minneapolis and the 14-17s running from June 28-July 6 in Chicago. With that being said let’s dive right into the action from Day 1 of the youngers.  13 Open Day 1 brought the fire with the top-three seeds in the tournament, Madfrog 13 Green, Dynasty 13 Black and TAV 13 Black going 2-1 for the day. A5 13 Karen, Excel 13 Red and HPSTL 13 Royal were the three squads who ended the day 3-0.  I was lucky to catch the Dynasty 13 Black and OT 13 Tampa match. That match was electric. Two very different squads literally leaving it on the court. Dynasty ended up with the win in three (25-23, 23-25, 15-12). 12 National The 12s group in general is loaded with enormous talent. And the top-four seeds all went 3-0 along with a few other squads. Skyline 12 Royal, Coast 12-1 and Boilers 121E Gold also went 3-0 on Day 1.  12s odds & ends One team I have not seen this season is GVA/MIZUNO 12U Dark Blue out of Puerto Rico who is playing in 12 USA. Talk about scrappers! MB Anna Aquino Machado is definitely someone to keep your eye on! And another 12 USA kid I haven’t seen before is Top Select 12 Elite middle blocker Gabrielle Robinson. Holy wow when she connects. I watched for the first time MVA 12 Julio in 12 American. Outside hitter Anabelle Bencosme and setter Amy Smith led the way for a team with a lot of athleticism and fire. 11 National If you have never seen the 11s play at Nationals I would highly suggest heading over and watching them. Wow. Tons of siblings across the board who have watched their older sisters ball out and now it is their time to start shining (which I honestly love to see). And let’s not forget the two 10s teams (Madfrog 10 Green and Dynasty 10 Black) who qualified an age group up!  Show Stoppers Molly Monday S/RS OT 13 T Tabitha: Monday is a dual threat with great hands and attacks well on the right side. She isn’t afraid to throw a few shots out there either. Leilani Lamar OH OT 13 T Tabitha: Lamar can really extend and let it fly. As she adds more strength to her frame and continues to grow in the game, watch out. Sarah Floyd RS TAV 13 Black: Floyd, a lefty, gets up effortlessly and can simply unload on balls.  Bethany Benjamin OH A5 13 Karen: Benjamin brings alot of sass and fire to the court both defensively and offensively.  Riley Stringer S MIZ LB 13 Rockstar: Stringer sets effortlessly. She puts up a clean ball and puts her hitters in good positions. Sophia Sturdy S/RS Dynasty 13 Black: Sturdy does double duty for her squad. She is an offensive weapon on the pins and sets well from the backrow.  Olivia Carter MB OP2 13-1: Carter is a quick middle and that causes trouble for opponents. She gets up and swings well. Lily Vandeweghe MB Mizuno Long Beach 12 Rockstar: Vandeweghe is always a threat in the middle. She’s long and hits well. She also provides a big block to help slow down attacks. Brylie Milo OH KC Power 12 Black: Milo takes a lot of swings. She’s one of the mainstays in the attack and consistently finds ways to score. Anna Coulis MB MKE Sting 12 Gold: This was my first time seeing Coulis. She is a very active middle and someone Sting looks to get the ball to. Danaya Petkova MB Rockwood Thunder 12 Elite: Petkova is long and lanky and has lots of upside as she moves up the rank. She is a defensive weapon at the net.  Anna Aquino Machado MB GVA/MIZUNO 12U Dark Blue: Machado has seriously no fear when she swings. And let me tell you she can bring the heat.  Anabelle Bencosme OH MVA 12 Julio: Bencosme in one word is explosive. She will be fun to watch move through the ranks.  Gabrielle Robinson MB Top Select 12 Elite: Robinson can literally crush the ball when she connects in the middle. Wow.  Ellie Fangman MB 208 U12 Elite: Fangman is an athletic attacker who gets up and swings very well along with being a literal wall on defense.