JVA West Coast Cup

The vballrecruiter.com team spent the weekend enjoying the action at the JVA West Coast Cup in Long Beach. You can check out our Day 1, 2 and 3 Show Stoppers, plus our Gold Medal Rundown. The last of our coverage features the vballrecruiter.com All-Tournament Teams from 14 Club and 15-17 Open presenting our top players from the weekend. 17 OPEN OUTSIDES Arielle Bruk Academy 17 HP Lukasz Kiera Maynard Saddleback 17 Sofly Tate Drageset Actyve 17 Black MiKenna Henjum San Clemente 17 Riley Carly Grumet San Clemente 17 Riley Adia McCown Balboa Bay 17 Blue MIDDLES Rian Barr Saddleback 17 Sofly Sara Johnson Saddleback 17 Sofly Bella Chen Academy 17 HP Lukasz RIGHT SIDES Marlee Arrington Tstreet IE 17 Taylor Emma Rowell Actyve 17 Black (S/RS) SETTERS Isabelle Marco Academy 17 HP Lukasz Brooklyn Kostoff San Clemente 17 Riley Riley Barr Saddleback 17 Sofly L/DSs Camille Solovjev San Clemente 17 Riley Jaedyn Houston Balboa Bay 17 Blue Gemma Larbalestier Actyve 17 Black *** 16 OPEN OUTSIDES Lauren Farris Tstreet 16 Naseri Alexandra Jacome Club Cactus 16 Mizuno Kendall Timme Arete 16 Navy Telos Madelyn Feramisco VVA 16-1 Ryan Gilhooly Sunshine 16 Pacific MIDDLES Leimaile Lasike Tstreet LV 16 Trevor Kate Camp Tstreet LV 16 Trevor Delaney Blied Seal Beach 16 Black Amika Swanson Seal Beach 16 Black Juliana Sanchez VVA 16-1 RIGHT SIDES Ai-Lani Hunter VVA 16-1 Nikki Tawil Sunshine 16 Pacific (S/RS) Ayla Johanski SoCal 16 Eric (S/RS) SETTERS Jaleah Bauss Arete 16 Navy Telos Jolianna Salazar Tstreet LV 16 Trevor L/DSs Addison Dedekian VVA 16-1 Ava Akoubian Seal Beach 16 Black *** 15 OPEN OUTSIDES Charlotte Nowak Tstreet 15 Curtis Grace Jamison Actyve 15 Black Aviya Russo Academy 15 HP Daniele Sammie Aaron VVA 15-1 MIDDLES Emma Champagne Tstreet 15 Curtis Addison Coady Tstreet 15 Curtis Lauryn Lewis Sunshine 15 Westside Frankie Jones Sunshine 15 Westside RIGHT SIDES Melina McKinney Academy 15 HP Daniele Sophia Cotter Sunshine 15 Westside Sara Moynihan Tstreet 15 Curtis (S/RS) SETTERS Ava McBride Actyve 15 Black (S/RS) Emerson Boyd Arete 15 Navy Telos (S/RS) Adriana Dorn Rage 15 Greg (S/RS) L/DSs Karys Campos Actyve 15 Black Emily Dufresne Arete 15 Navy Telos Skylar Noble Tstreet 15 Curtis *** 14 CLUB OUTSIDES Laila Turner Marin 13 Black Kayla Wolford BRVBA 14 Royal Ella Iseminger BRVBA 14 Royal Elsa Matherly 303 14 Alpha Adeline Robinson Silver State 14 Brad MIDDLES Whitney Longspaugh BRVBA 14 Royal Emerson Novac Juggernaut 14 National RIGHT SIDES Abigail Lardner Marin 13 Black Sierra Treewater Marin 13 Black SETTERS Lynniah Rodriguez 303 14 Alpha (S/RS) Sienna Moretti Silver State 14 Brad L/DSs Kaylee Bray Juggernaut 14 National Enujin Enkhbold 303 14 Alpha

The last day of the JVA West Coast Cup in Long Beach went down as expected. That is, with teams going all out in hopes of claiming their division’s gold medal. It produced plenty of spectacular individual efforts and outings. We present the ones who impressed us the most with our daily Show Stoppers. DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Gemma Larbalestier L/DS Actyve 17 Black: An energetic and outgoing libero, Larbalestier anchored the defense with strong passing out of serve receive and making plenty of digs to keep rallies alive. Emma Rowell S/RS Actyve 17 Black: A setter/right side from the Class of 2025, Rowell was instrumental in Actyve’s gold medal march. She’s a physical attacker who can pound balls down. She’s an above-average setter as well, with nice hands and the ability to locate consistently. Tate Drageset OH Actyve 17 Black: Drageset – another member of the Class of 2025 – proved nearly impossible to stop. Kills went over blocks, around them and through them as Drageset menaced defenses repeatedly. Kiera Maynard OH Saddleback 17 Sofly: Saddleback finished with the silver medal in part because of the play of Maynard. The six-rotation outside held her own and gave her team regular scoring when set. Riley Barr S Saddleback 17 Sofly: Barr did well running the offense and moving the ball around. She was connecting with all her hitters and putting the ball in nice spots. Rian Barr MB Saddleback 17 Sofly: Barr was making plays at the net on both sides. She put up a strong block and also was able to turn around and put balls away. Adia McCown OH Balboa Bay 17 Blue: McCown sums up Balboa Bay in a lot of ways. She’s a bit undersized but has a lot of fight and comes with it on the attack. She’s a free-swinger who lets it fly and was giving Balboa Bay an arm it could count on. Jaedyn Houston L/DS Balboa Bay 17 Blue: Houston was sharp in serve receive and putting her passes on target. She’s a scrappy defender with lots of hustle. MiKenna Henjum OH/S San Clemente 17 Riley: Henjum can set adequately at times, but she really stands out with her hitting. She carries a key role in the offense. She’s a springy, quick attacker with a solid arm. Brooklyn Kostoff S San Clemente 17 Riley: Kostoff was dishing well in running the offense. She showed a nice touch and consistent release. *** Isabelle Marco S Academy 17 HP Lukasz: Marco was among the setters taking care of business in 17 Open. She sets a clean ball and connects well with her hitters. Leimaile Lasike MB Tstreet LV 16 Trevor: Lasike is part of a strong 1-2 punch in the middle. She moves well and takes up a lot of space with her long reach. It allows to be impactful on both offense and defense as Tstreet likes to get her the ball. Kate Camp MB Tstreet LV 16 Trevor: Camp is the other half who Tstreet likes to get involved as much as possible. Camp has a knack for scoring. Whether putting balls down with a big swing or tipping into the open space, she’s tough to stop. Ai-Lani Hunter RS VVA 16-1: Hunter flashed her upside and potential more than a few times. She’s a big jumper with a strong arm who can generate pace and lots of offense. Brooklyn Washington MB VVA 16-1: Washington is another standout middle in 16 Open. She’s tall with a long wingspan and can go straight over smaller blockers with ease. She’s one to follow as she continues to move up. Madelyn Feramisco OH VVA 16-1: Feramisco is a bit undersized but a fearless outside who jumps well and doesn’t back down. She brings it on the attack with an aggressive swing and was providing her share of offense. Kendall Timme OH Arete 16 Navy Telos: Timme is a long outside with nice extension. She’s one of the main offensive threats and can drill it at times. Jaleah Bauss S Arete 16 Navy Telos: Bauss is a bit undersized but is quick and gets to the ball well. She has a smooth release and was locating well with her various hitters. Isabella Wood RS Arete 16 Navy Telos: Wood has a booming arm. She was a back row opposite who was crushing balls and delivering points. Charlotte Nowak OH Tstreet 15 Curtis: Nowak and teammates walked away with the gold medal. She’s a lanky outside who takes lots of swings in helping anchoring the offense. *** Emma Champagne MB Tstreet 15 Curtis: Champagne makes up one half of Tstreet’s middle threat. She can impact both sides with her strong blocking and attacking. Addison Coady MB Tstreet 15 Curtis: Coady is another who makes it happen on both sides. She’s lanky and can take away space in a hurry while also being able to whip down kills. Ava McBride S/RS Actyve 15 Black: McBride does a lot on the court with her setting and attacking. She’s tall with a high contact point and it makes her dangerous on the attack. She’s also an on-point setter who can move the ball around. Karys Campos L/DS Actyve 15 Black: Campos, a 2027 libero playing up, is a gamer. She’s quick, covers and passes well and is another to keep tabs on. Aviya Russo OH Academy 15 HP Daniele: Russo was one of the top outsides in the division. She’s another long outside who can extend and go over blocks. Melina McKinney RS Academy 15 HP Daniele: McKinney is a baller with her ability to pass out of serve receive as well as her heady attacking from tips to tools to hammering balls for points. Laila Turner OH Marin 13 Black: Turner and company rose to the top in capturing the 14 Club gold medal. She did well locating her shots and not forcing the issue. Abigail Lardner RS Marin 13 Black: Lardner showed off her arm at times.

The third and final day of the JVA West Coast Cup in Long Beach saw Actyve 17 Black continue its dominance through 17 Open. In going 8-0 and not dropping a set, Actyve left no doubt about which club was tops in the division. Led by recent 18 American MVP and sophomore outside hitter Tate Drageset, Actyve finished off its perfect run by sweeping Saddleback 17 Sofly in the final, 25-14, 25-22. Actyve also received outstanding performances from sophomore setter/right side Emma Rowell and junior libero Gemma Larbalestier. Opponents scored 20 or more points in just three sets against Actyve, which is set to compete in 17 USA this summer in Chicago. As a club, Actyve was close to another gold medal in 15 Open. However, Tstreet 15 Curtis spoiled that feat by taking down Actyve 15 Black in three sets, 23-25, 25-23, 15-7, in the championship clash. It was a rematch to the ending of Day 2 pool play, when Actyve narrowly clipped Tstreet, 25-23, 20-25, 15-13. That was Tstreet’s only loss of the weekend. With middles Emma Champagne and Addison Coady making impacts and outside Charlotte Nowak and setter/right side Sara Moynihan playing key parts too, Tstreet uprooted Academy 15 HP Daniele in the semifinals. Academy HP was the only Open-qualified team in the field. Tstreet qualified for 15 National in Chicago while Actyve is participating in 15 USA. After catching a Day 1 break, another Tstreet club came out ahead in 16 Open. Tstreet LV 16 Trevor went 1-2 on the first day and finished in third place in its pool. However, the top two third-place finishers remained in the upper half and Tstreet LV earned one of those distinctions. Tstreet LV opened up Day 2 with a loss to VVA 16-1, the same team which beat Tstreet LV on Day 1. Yet, it was Tstreet LV getting the last say. Middles Leimaile Lasike and Kate Camp were vital as Tstreet topped VVA, 25-22, 25-20, in the gold medal match. VVA fell to Seal Beach 16 Black on Saturday but got revenge on Monday by outlasting Seal Beach, 19-25, 25-23, 16-14, in the semifinals. In 14 Club, it was Marin 13 Black taking home the top honors after sweeping Blue Royals VBA 14 Royal, 25-8, 27-25, in the final. Marin had just one setback all weekend, that coming with a Day 2 loss to Silver State 14 Brad.

With pool play wrapping up on Day 2 of the JVA West Coast Cup in Long Beach, setting the stage for bracket play on Day 3, let’s take a look at the top highlights as well as our Show Stoppers. A day after upsetting top-seeded SoCal 16 Eric in 16 Open, it was SF Tremors 16 Tigers which was on the other end of it on Sunday. Both VVA 16-1 and Tstreet LV 16 Trevor took down SF Tremors to advance from Pool 1. VVA, as the No. 2 team, finished 3-0 ahead of 2-1 Tstreet LV. Nothing was out of place in Pool 2, though, as both Arete 16 Navy Telos and Seal Beach 16 Black reached the gold bracket. There was a minor upset in Pool 3, as the No. 2 team in Tstreet 16 Naseri finished 3-0 ahead of No. 1 Sunshine 16 Pacific. Both also moved onto the gold bracket. In 15 Open, Actyve 15 Black, Tstreet 15 Curtis, Academy 15 HP Daniele and Sunshine 15 Westside advanced to the gold bracket. While Pool 1 played out according to seed with Actyve going 3-0 as the No. 1 team and Tstreet 2-1 as the No. 2 team, it was a different tale in Pool 2. Academy HP ended up on top at 3-0 as the No. 2 team, with Sunshine the No. 3 team going 2-1 and taking second. That kept Arete 15 Navy Telos, the No. 2 overall seed and No. 1 team in the pool, from advancing. The results were fairly straightforward in 17 Open. Saddleback 17 Sofly, Actyve 17 Black and Sa Clemente 17 Riley all advanced as the No. 1 teams in their pools. Tstreet LV 17 Britta and Balboa Bay 17 Blue also moved on as No. 2 teams in their pools, while Academy 17 HP Lukasz reached the gold bracket by winning Pool 3 as the No. 4 team. Academy HP, San Clemente and Tstreet IE 17 Taylor finished in a three-way tie at 2-1, with Tstreet being eliminated after taking third based on tiebreakers. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Emerson Boyd S/RS Arete 15 Navy Telos: Boyd has a bright future a 6-0 setter/right side. She does well distributing the ball with a consistent release. As a hitter, she has a strong arm and was powering down balls. Brylee Moore OH Arete 15 Navy Telos: Another 6-0 prospect, Moore can bring it on the outside. When the opportunity presented itself she would let it fly. Sara Moynihan S/RS Tstreet 15 Curtis: Moynihan played a key role setting and hitting. Though she’s a bit undersized, she’s a springy lefty who gets up and is a reliable scorer. She’s also a solid setter who puts up a nice ball. Sammie Aaron OH VVA 15-1: Aaron was coming with it all around. She was a key cog in the attack with front and back row scoring. She also played sound defense in the back row. Emily Pruett RS VVA 15-1: Pruett is someone to keep tabs on. The lefty has a nice arm and can generate pace when called upon. Lauryn Lewis MB Sunshine 15 Westside: Lewis is a tad undersized but is quick and jumps well. She was getting her hands on plenty of balls moving side to side blocking at the net. Ayla Johanski S/RS SoCal 16 Eric: Johanski is another player who though is a bit undersized is a flat-out baller. She’s a feisty attacker who doesn’t back down and challenges bigger blockers. She’s also a steady setter who does well mixing it up. Kaylee Noa L/DS SoCal 16 Eric: Noa made a few incredible saves. She wasn’t afraid to lay out flat and get the ball up to keep the rally going. Ai-Lani Hunter RS VVA 16-1: Hunter is an athletic right side with an explosive jump and strong arm. She’s a definite threat and someone VVA likes to get involved plenty. Delaney Blied MB Seal Beach 16 Black: Blied was showing off her powerful arm. She was getting fed and was delivering the thunder as she hammered down her share of kills. Lola Padilla OH Tstreet IE 16 Andy: Padilla is a hard-hitting outside who takes plenty of swings. She has a big arm and was pounding balls for points. Evelyn Jurden OH VA Elite 16s: Jurden was another outside who displayed a powerful arm. She was not holding back and being aggressive with her attacks. *** Sophia Van Ness OH Sunshine 16 Pacific: Van Ness was giving Sunshine consistent offense, including a couple of loud kills. She was also doing well in the back row defending and keeping the ball alive. Nikki Tawil S Sunshine 16 Pacific: Tawil was sharing the ball and getting all her hitters involved when she could. She has a consistent release and locates well. Kiera Hamilton OH Club Cactus 16 Mizuno: Hamilton was among the best scoring threats with her 6-0 frame and ability to go over the block at times. She’s lanky with the ability to connect high and let it go. Camille Solovjev L/DS San Clemente 17 Riley: Solovjev was a back row stalwart, passing and defending well with on-point deliveries. Alice Taylor RS SF Elite 17 Saga: Taylor is a physical right side who can power through blocks. When she was across the front row, SF Elite looked to get her involved as she was coming through on the regular. Logan Stern S SF Elite 17 Saga: Stern is a smooth disher with a clean release. She was putting the ball in good spots and moving it around well. Arielle Bruk OH Academy 17 HP Lukasz: Bruk carries a strong arm and was bringing it over and over. When she connects she can really rip it. Marlee Arrington RS Tstreet IE 17 Taylor: A 6-0 right side touching 10-4, Arrington gets up. She has great upside with the ability to go right over blocks. Emma Rowell S/RS Actyve 17 Black: Part of the Class of 2025, Rowell

If it’s Memorial Day weekend, it must be time for clubs to begin traveling again as tournaments start back up as everyone gears up for the upcoming national championships. As for vballrecruiter.com, the latest escapade brought us to the JVA West Coast Cup in Long Beach. The three-day tournament kicked off Saturday as teams looked to get the competitive juices flowing. While the top seeds in 16 Open were able to escape any dooming upsets, there was plenty of shake up elsewhere in the division. Top-seeded SoCal 16 Eric was taken down by SF Tremors 16 Tigers but finished second and still advanced. SoCal was the only No. 1 team in its pool to fall, as Arete 16 Navy Telos, Sunshine 16 Pacific, Tstreet 16 Naseri and Seal Beach 16 Black all finished 3-0. However, it wasn’t so straightforward elsewhere as the No. 4 team in SD Beach 16 Premier took second in Pool 4. In Pool 2 it was the No. 3 team in VA Elite beating the No. 2 team in Club V 16 Ren Matt to advance after finishing second. And in Pool 3 Tstreet IE 16 Andy also advanced after finishing second as the No. 3 team in Pool 3. The results were all over the place in 17 Open, making for a hectic day. The big news was top-seeded SF Tremors 17 Wolverines being eliminated. SF Tremors went 1-2 and took third in Pool 1, where Saddleback 17 Sofly finished 3-0 as the No. 3 team. Taking second was Academy 17 HP Lukasz. Included in the highlights was Tstreet IE 17 Taylor going 3-0 and winning Pool 4 as the No. 4 team. It was a three-way tie behind Tstreet IE between Amazons 17 Mambas, VVA 17-1 and VA Elite 17. Amazons advanced in second place based on tiebreakers. Another No. 4 team in SF Elite 17 Saga had a great day, going 2-1 and making it out of Pool 3 behind 3-0 San Clemente 17 Riley. Actyve 17 Black had no troubles in winning Pool 2, but the chase for second was tight. MVVC 17 Red, ACT 17 Jim and TCV 17 Fighting Mermaids tied at 1-2. MVVC, as the No. 3 team, finished second to move on. There was only one case of a lower-seeded team breaking through in 15 Open. It came in Pool 2 when Balboa Bay 15 Blue finished 2-1 and in second place as the No. 3 team. The top four seeds in Actyve 15 Black, Arete 15 Navy Telos, Academy 15 HP Daniele and Tstreet 15 Curtis combined went 23-1 in sets. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Lynniah Rodriguez S/RS 303 VBA 14 Alpha: Rodriguez and company finished the day 3-0 and on top of Power Pool 1 in 14 Club. She played a valuable role with her setting and hitting. She also has a strong serve that was scoring points. Elsa Matherly OH 303 VBA 14 Alpha: Matherly flashed her potential at times. She’s a lanky outside who could send it down at certain moments and has plenty of upside. Kayla Wolford OH BRVBA 14 Royal: It was Wolford and teammates taking top honors with a 3-0 showing in Power Pool 2. Wolford is a heady attacker who was providing lots of offense. Madelyn Feramisco OH VVA 16-1: With Feramisco part of the attack, VVA went 2-1 and remains in contention. She was passing on point in serve receive and delivering consistently when set. Leimaile Lasike MB Tstreet LV 16 Trevor: Lasike is a tall middle with raw potential. She made herself known with stuff blocks and was also a reliable option on offense. Katie Camp MB Tstreet LV 16 Trevor: Camp was another impactful middle for Tstreet. She was scoring at a high rate as defenses struggled to slow her down. Sarah Page S Club V 16 Ren Matt: Page, who was part of a 6-2 package, did a nice job distributing the ball and looking to get her various hitters involved. Madison Evans S Club V 16 Ren Matt: Evans, the other half of Club V’s 6-2, showed what she could do with tempo sets to the outside and well-located backsets. Katie Swanson OH Empire 16-1: Swanson, part of the Class of 2026, was the go-to on the left for Empire. Though the team went 0-3, Swanson showed off her nice arm and the ability to score on the regular. Lauren Farris OH Tstreet 16 Naseri: Farris helped Tstreet to a 3-0 performance in Pool 4. She hits a heavy ball and was putting down big kills with it. Memphis Burnett OH Tstreet 16 Naseri: Burnett – part of the Class of 2026 – was the other half of a strong 1-2 attack that helped Tstreet not drop a set. Burnett gets off the ground quickly and has a nice arm to punish opponents with. Amika Swanson MB Seal Beach 16 Black: Seal Beach also managed to go 3-0 and win Pool 5. Swanson stood out in the middle with her blocking and scoring. She’s a tall middle with lots of potential. Kendall Timme OH Arete 16 Navy Telos: Timme and Arete looked strong on Day 1 with a 3-0 mark in Pool 2. A six-rotation outside, Timme did plenty in helping the team succeed as she’s a threat front and back row. Mackenzi Davis OH Arete 16 Navy Telos: Davis is an athletic outside who can bring it. She has an explosive jump and can crush balls. Ryan Gilhooly OH Sunshine 16 Pacific: Gilhooly and crew rolled in Pool 3 with a 3-0 finish. She’s a six-rotation outside with a high IQ. She was giving Sunshine consistent scoring and proved difficult for opponents to stop. Adriana Dorn S/RS Rage 15 Greg: Dorn showed considerable upside in her dual role setting and hitting. She has a nice touch and release and a strong arm when it comes to swinging. Aviya Russo OH Academy 15 HP Daniele: Russo is an offensive threat who provides lots of

The JVA West Coast Cup took place over Memorial Day weekend in Long Beach. vballrecruiter.com was on hand covering the three-day event. Below, we present our All-Tournament teams from 14-17 Open. JVA WEST COAST CUP ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS 17 Open OH – Julia Blyashov, Wave 17 Juliana OH – Torrey Stafford, Sunshine 17 LA OH – Levani Key-Powell, Club V 17 Ren Reed MB – Reese Robins, Drive Nation 17 Red MB – Leah Ford, Drive Nation 17 Red MB – Tori Davis, Legacy Girls 17 Pyramid RS – Olivia Babcock, Sunshine 17 LA RS/MB – Ryleigh Patterson, Wave 17 Juliana S – Zoe Rachow, Coast 17-1 S/RS – Madison Maxwell, Legacy Girls 17 Pyramid L – Tehani Ulufatu, Absolute Black 17-1 L – Drew Wright, Sunshine 17-1 *** 16 Open OH – Isabel Clark, Momentous 16 Dan OH – Suli Davis, Drive Nation 16 Red OH – Jaidyn Jager, Coast 16-1 MB – Jenna Hanes, Wave 16 Brennan MB – Zoe Gillen-Malveaux, Drive Nation 16 Red MB – Mackenzie Parsons, Coast 16-1 S/RS – Izzy Starck, Co Jrs 16 Sherri S/RS – Charlie Fuerbringer, Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar S – Logan Tusher, Absolute Black 16-1 S – Maya Baker, Vision 16 Gold L – Taylor Deckert, SCVC 16 Roxy L – Maya Evens, Wave 16 Brennan *** 15 Open OH – Teraya Sigler, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder OH – Lauryn Mack, Drive Nation 15 Red OH – Mae Kordas, Wave 15 Scott MB – Kalyssa Blackshear, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar MB – Kenna Cogill, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder MB – Isabella Ehrlich, Absolute Black 15-1 RS – Raegan Richardson, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder RS – Izzy Romero, Vision 15 Gold S/RS – KK Green, OT 15 Meg S/RS – Ruby Hill, Tstreet 15 Curtis L – Izabella Mahaffey, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder L – Hadley Porter, Dynasty 15 Black *** 14 Open OH – Finley Krystkowiak, Wave 14 Brennan OH – Westley Matavao, Forza1 North 14 UA OH – Sarah Uebelhoer, Wave 14 Brennan MB – Emmerson Champagne, Tstreet 14 Carson MB – Kendall Omornyi, Arizona Storm 13 Thunder MB – Nina Hemsley, Forza1 North 14 UA RS – Sophia Johnson, Wave 14 Brennan RS – Camellia Ding, SG Elite 14 Rosh S – Emery Gonzales, Wave 14 Brennan S – Adelyn Chang, Arizona Storm 13 Thunder L – Presley Thompson, Wave 14 Brennan L – Pulelehua Laikona, Arizona Storm 13 Thunder

We wrap up our Show Stoppers with the top outsides we saw at the JVA West Coast Cup in Long Beach this past weekend. These are the outsides who caught our eye the most over our three days of watching the action. If you missed our other positions, you can click on the links below. (Right Side Show Stoppers) (Middle Blocker Show Stoppers) (Setter Show Stoppers) (Libero Show Stoppers) 14 Open Tessa Larkin, Arizona Storm 13 Thunder – With Storm playing up in 14 Open, it allowed Larkin to display her skill set. She’s dynamic and gets off the floor to attack with such ease she makes defending her a tough task. She’s a major weapon from the back row as she hits the bic effectively. Finley Krystkowiak, Wave 14 Brennan – At 6-2, Krystokowiak is the volleyball unicorn. Her height and athleticism makes her play at the net impressive. Yet her passing touch in serve-receive and defense makes her a six-rotation stud. Presley Johnson, Tstreet 14 Carson – Watching this 5-6 outside continually score versus a double block can be attributed to not only her court vision but also her willingness to tool a block. She’s also solid in serve receive and defends the whole court in the backrow. Westley Matavao, Forza North 14UA – Matavao is a solid six-rotation hitter who does everything at such a high level. Her ability to snap on the ball at a high contact point allows her to hit any shot. It makes her a big asset out of the back row too with her jump serve and pipe attack. Ryah Brock, Forza North 14 UA – Brock’s ability to hit line effectively rallied her team from down one set to come back and beat AZ Storm 13 Thunder in the semifinal. Swing after swing she gave her team an identity that helped secure a 15-13 win in the third set. Sarah Uebelhoer, Wave 14 Brennan – Down a set with the offense struggling Wave found Uebelhoer to lean on and take them to the finals and eventually the championship. She took all the tough swings to get momentum for her team, scoring on four straight swings during one stretch. Her serving game was on point as she tallied ace after ace and also forced many tough passes from her targets. Nylah Bibby, Arizona Storm 13 Thunder – Bibby is solid at the net but really shines in the back row. She possesses a powerful serve resulting in easy points. She hits the bic with power and confidence and also moves well on defense. Kalya Kearney, Arizona Storm 14 Thunder – Kearney has a combination of a powerful and flexible swing, hitting the perfect set and scoring with the tough out of system ones as well. She had great results hitting the “go” set. Kylie Parker, SG Elite 14 Rosh – Park has a quick and powerful approach. She’s unstoppable with the “go” set, as she is hard to time and get in front. Madyson McCarthy, Coast 14-1 – McCarthy has a fearless swing with the power and finesse to score against any block. 15 Open Brianna Brewer, Tstreet 15 Curtis – When we caught Brewer, she was on her game. She was ripping powerful kills deep to both corners and provided Tstreet a reliable and consistent scoring option. Mae Kordas, Wave 15 Scott – Kordas – a three-star recruit – was helping power the offense along with her various shots. Using her height to her advantage, she was going over blocks deep to the cross-court corner. Or she was going high hands and tooling blocks regularly. Teraya Sigler, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder – This five-star recruit – as she’s done all season – proved to be a difference maker. With her physicality, Sigler is simply overpowering at times. She’s also a solid passer and defender. And she even stepped in and helped set for a bit when Storm lost its starting setter for a short period of time. Lauryn Mack, Drive Nation 15 Red – A three-star recruit with lots of upside, Mack is difficult to slow down when she gets up and lets loose. She has a fluid swing and ability to blow up blocks. Aveya Stone, Absolute Black 15-1 – Stone has been getting better throughout the season and had a great weekend in Long Beach. She was scoring consistently, tooling blocks and giving Absolute another piece to the puzzle. Sarah Hom, SCVC 15 Roxy – Hom isn’t afraid to challenge bigger blocks. She’s an aggressive hitter and is the best scoring threat for SCVC. Maylynn Mitchell, Forza1 North 15 UA – A physical player, Mitchell is strong and uses her strength to her advantage. She’s the go-to hitter for Forza and can hit from the front and back row. Kiana Mark, Vision 15 Gold – Mark was showing her ability to score in a variety of ways throughout the weekend. She was a reliable scorer and part of the reason why Vision reached the final. Ella Duong, Vision 15 Gold – We wrote about Duong at Red Rock. She’s an undersized pin but she jumps very well. Combined with her aggressiveness, she’s a valuable piece of the offense. Kierstin Bevelle, OT 15 Meg – A three-star recruit, Bevelle flashed plenty of potential. She had great energy to go with a fluid swing that was producing reliable offense for OT. Devyn Wiest, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder – A 6-1, three-star recruit, Wiest is lanky with a good arm. She can hit at a high contact point and can generate pace when she connects. Layli Ostovar, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar – We’ve written about Ostovar a couple of times, but as a right side. She was on the left this weekend in Long Beach and was excelling. She’s improved her passing and was her usual self on the attack with a fluid swing and finding different ways to score. Quinn Loper, Tstreet 15 Curtis – A four-star recruit, the

One of the best things of any volleyball tournament is getting to highlight some of the best players we witnessed. For vballrecruiter.com, it meant spending three days searching for those who impressed us the most. Below, we introduce our middle blocker Show Stoppers. 14 Open Emmerson Champagne, Tstreet 14 Carson – Champagne hit the hardest middle attack at the tourney. She has no problem with the block as her athleticism allows her to see and crush it anywhere she wants to. Kendall Omornyi, Arizona Storm 13 Thunder – A 6-1 middle as a 13-year old is amazing. But what makes her impressive is her athleticism to go with her height. She moves well along the net and penetrates consistently forcing errors. She gets up in transition, allowing easy points due to such a quick attack. Ruby Partain, Wave 14 Brennan – Partain saw limited time until the semis and finals. Down one set to Tstreet, her coach put her in and she quickly rewarded him with a couple of quick kills and a long serving run that changed the dynamics of the match. During the finals she got to serve and according to her coach when she’s serving amazing things happen for the team. Nina Hemsley, Forza1 North 14 UA – An imposing presence at the net, Hemsley will make teams pay if the pass or set is too tight as she touches everything. Offensively, she can hit either in front or behind the setter effectively. 15 Open Kalyssa Blackshear, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar – A 6-4, four-star recruit, Blackshear changes the dynamic of the team anytime she checks in. Her length across the front creates problems for opponents whether it’s trying to slow Blackshear from scoring or trying to score against the block she puts up. Kenna Cogill, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder – Cogill is another long middle. Standing 6-4, this three-star recruit is someone defenses must be aware of. She can bring the heat and can do so straight over the block. Bella Ehrlich, Absolute Black 15-1 – A 6-2, three-star recruit, Ehrlich has been mentioned throughout the season. She’s a scoring threat every time she checks in and defenses need to take note of her with her ability to hit to different spots. Kiana Landers, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder – Landers is yet another piece to the puzzle Storm uses to torment defenses. She has nice length with her 6-3 frame. She’s also a heady scorer who sees the court well and attacks accordingly. Erika Sayer, Co Jrs 15 Shannon – Sayer is difficult to slow down on the slide attack. A three-star recruit, she’s 6-2 and touches well over 10-feet. She’s got a smooth swing and punishes defenses with it. 16 Open Ava Shankle, Drive Nation 16 Red – Shankle proved unstoppable at times. Drive Nation went to her on the slide and 1s and defenses had few if any answers to keep her from scoring at will. Jenna Hanes, Wave 16 Brennan – A three-star recruit, Hanes is part of an impactful middle duo for Wave. At 6-2, she’s a reliable scorer who can let loose from sideline to sideline. Zoe Gillen-Malveaux, Drive Nation 16 Red – This 6-3 middle is on another level. A five-star recruit from the Class of 2025, Gillen-Malveaux has a limitless ceiling. She’s a force to be reckoned with when she’s on the attack. She’s long and can hit straight down with ease. Mackenzie Parsons, Coast 16-1 – A three-star recruit, the 6-2 Parsons is one of the main weapons in the Coast attack. She scores at a high clip with a variety of shots and provides a huge spark in the process. Skyler Gartin, Arizona Storm 16 Thunder – A 5-11, three-star recruit, Gartin helps open up the offense when she’s front row. She has a nice arm and can generate good pace on her shots. Anaya Thrower, Absolute Black 16-1 – Thrower is one to keep an eye on as she continues to develop. She’s a long 6-2 and is only going to add more and more power as she fills out. She’s already putting up a good block. Hayley Ogden, Coast 16-1 – A 6-0 middle, Ogden fills out a strong middle attack for Coast. She just finds ways to score and also comes up with timely blocks. Camden Bolane, Wave 16 Brennan – Bolane – a four-star recruit – is 6-2 and is the other half to the prolific Wave middle duo. She’ll get fed the ball often because of her reliability and she can score points with her block as well. 17 Open Reese Robins, Drive Nation 17 Red – This five-star recruit and Louisville commit controls the net. At 6-5, she closes her blocks and presses her hands over the net consistently. She also gets in transition and her setter loves to find her for easy kills. Leah Ford, Drive Nation 17 Red – Another five-star recruit in the middle for Drive Nation, this USC commit is dangerous when she goes up. She’s lengthy 6-3 with a quick arm and can rip it when she gets a hold of it. Tori Davis, Legacy Girls 17 Pyramid – Davis is only getting better and better. A 6-2 Baylor commit, she’s a four-star recruit who can elevate and unleash on opponents. She changes the entire dynamic of Legacy’s attack when she’s in. Eva Rohrbach, Wave 17 Juliana – Rohrbach – a four-star recruit committed to Maryland – is one reason why the offense comes from everywhen with Wave. The 6-2 middle is always a scoring option when in system and she can hit sharp angles cross court running the slide. Cayla Payne, Wave 17 Juliana – A three-star recruit committed to Colorado, this 6-4 middle is also a big part of the Wave middle attack. Payne also runs an effective slide and puts up a big block to help slow attackers down. Dior Charles, Sunshine 17 LA – Charles, at 6-0, is springy and

Check out our Show Stoppers for liberos and right sides in case you missed them. Now it’s time for the setter Show Stoppers from the JVA West Coast Cup this past weekend in Long Beach. 14 Open Ava McBride, S/RS, Actyve 14 Black – A 5-10 hybrid who hits in the front row and sets when she’s in the back row. She hits pretty well when up but as a tall setter she is very athletic and mobile and is able to chase down errant passes. Her training shows as her technique is pretty fluid. Lily Rolfes, Arizona Storm 14 Thunder – An athletic setter with strong and consistent location is a great thing. Then add the fact that Rolfes has a strong and energetic vibe is what can be called a setter’s personality. Emery Gonzales, Wave 14 Brennan – At 5-9 with a 23-inch vertical defines athleticism. Gonzales is quick and able to set any ball. Combined with consistent location makes for happy hitters. Her deceptive setter dumps combined with good decision fueled her team to the gold medal. Adelyn Chang, Arizona Storm Thunder 13 – One way to be a 5-2, six-rotation setter is to be relentless! Chang blocks and digs then chases down and sets such a pretty outside set. Her mixture of setting her front row players and setting the bic is impressive and shows her high volley IQ. 15 Open KK Green, S/RS, OT 15 Meg – A two-way contributor, Green has a soft touch and consistent accuracy when setting. She also carries a strong arm and hits the ball hard. Ruby Hill, S/RS, Tstreet 15 Curtis – A four-star recruit, Hill is one of the keys to the lineup. She plays a versatile role by setting and hitting. She’s 6-2, so she brings length to the front row with her hitting and blocking. Avery Lim, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder – An eight-grader playing up, Lim showed her toughness by playing the end of Sunday with a sprained ankle. She went down midway through the semifinals and was out for a bit before coming back and finish the day with a noticeable limp. Hannah Beauford, S/RS, Drive Nation 15 Red – A three-star recruit, Beauford is another versatile player who gives Drive Nation options of running a 5-1 or a 6-2. With Drive Nation down a right side this weekend, she was setting back row and hitting across the front. Chloe Elarton, Co Jrs 15 Shannon – It was the first time we got to see this three-star recruit doing her thing. Elarton, who is 5-11, has soft hands and nice touch to her consistent delivery. Ayva Ostovar, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar – One half of the Beach setting duo, Ostovar is scrappy and one of the better defensive setters. She has consistent location as well. Isabella Jones, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar – Jones is the other half of the setting package for Beach. She has nice hands and also delivers consistently to put her hitters in good positions. 16 Open Izzy Starck, S/RS, Co Jrs 16 Sherri – This five-star recruit was doing it all, but was especially effective on the attack. Starck was explosive, getting up and hammering balls down all over the court. Juleigh Urbina, OT 16 Roberto – Urbina – who is a three-star recruit – was helping the OT offense click. She has a good hands with a smooth deliver and doesn’t miss her target often. Brooke Hansen, S/RS, Forza1 North 16 UA – A freshman playing up an age group, Hansen is integral to what Forza does. She’s been improving throughout the year as a setter. At 5-11, she’s not the tallest but tall enough to do some damage with her swing. Charlie Fuerbringer, S/RS, Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar – We’ve written quite a few times about Fuerbringer, a five-star recruit, this season. Her setting is effortless and smooth and she’s rarely off her mark. She’s a smart hitter with beach prowess that gives her a wide variety of shots to throw at defenses. Maya Baker, Vision 16 Gold – Baker is a three-star recruit for the Class of 2025. She knows how to run an offense well and gets all her hitters involved when Vision is passing well enough to do so. She has great hands and is accurate as well. Logan Tusher, Absolute Black 16-1 – A 6-0, three-star recruit, Tusher has a bright future. She can move the ball around very well and puts her hitters in favorable matchups regularly. Kiersten Remensperger, Coast 16-1 – Another three-star recruit, Remensperger is a bit undersized at 5-9. However, she’s quick and athletic and gets to the ball well. She has great connections with her middles too. Amanda Saeger, Wave 16 Brennan – At 5-10, Saeger is a four-star recruit. She doesn’t get rattled and has good command of the offense. She also connects well with her middles and is rarely off target. 17 Open Fatimah Hall, S/RS, Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar – This three-star recruit and San Diego State commit is an athletic setter who delivers with great tempo. Mixing her athleticism and deception makes her valuable when passes are not in system. Zoe Rachow, Coast 17-1 – Rachow – a three-star recruit who is committed to Tulane – is strong with the ability to set balls further away from her target then some others could. She also does well mixing in her hitters and it can be hard to read where she’s going at times. Madison Maxwell, S/RS, Legacy Girls 17 Pyramid – Another three-star recruit, the 6-1 Maxwell is a Class of 2024 playing up. She’s vital to what Legacy does, with her ability to be a legit scoring threat across the front row and a reliable setter in the back. Nicole Feliciano, S/RS, Tstreet 17 Naseri – Another setter/right side who plays a key role in the lineup, Feliciano does well dishing to her targets. She’s also an impact scorer

The JVA West Coast Cup brought plenty of talented teams and individuals to Long Beach for Memorial Day weekend. vballrecruiter.com spent Saturday, Sunday and Monday watching and observing the action. Below, we highlight our Show Stoppers for the libero position. 14 Open Presley Thompson, Wave 14 Brennan – The amount of quality hitters that she faced Day 3 was daunting but Presley was up to the challenge. Watching her dig the heat, then dive for tips and cover half the court was exciting to watch. Add the fact that she went on long serving runs with that great serve, she gave a masterclass on being a stud libero. Sage Meidroth, Surfside 14 Legends Jess – Meidroth plays with such energy it makes it easy for her teammates to trust her. She has a solid serve and covers the court well. Ava Gordon, Sunshine 14 Westside – Quick and fearless, Gordon moves well to cover most any swing. She can get caught without a block and is still able to keep them in system. It makes her fun to watch. Pulelehua Laikona, Arizona Storm 13 Thunder – Laikona’s positioning is impeccable. Whether there’s a block or no block, she sees the play develop and puts herself in the only spot where the ball can go. Mya Capistrano, Forza1 North 14 UA – Capistrano’s technique is clean. Watching her touch a ball makes you wonder why can’t everyone do the same. This seventh-grader is absolutely quick and possess a very accurate serve. 15 Open Izabella Mahaffey, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder – Go ahead and challenge Mahaffey – three-star recruit – at your own risk. She’s a smooth passer out of serve receive who’ll keep Storm in system the majority of the time. Hadley Porter, Dynasty 15 Black – Porter – another three-star recruit – helps steady out the back row with her consistent passing and defending. She moves well and can make up ground when covering. Sarah Ng, Absolute Black 15-1 – Whenever we caught Ng in action, she was playing really well. She was picking up some tough attacks to keep her team in the rally and was also passing fairly well out of serve receive. Jannelize Perez, OT 15 Meg – In general, OT Meg was playing solid defense with Perez leading the charge. She was getting the ball to her setter in good spots on the regular. Yuri Park, Wave 15 Scott – Park was her usual self, making the plays that came her way. She rarely missed her mark out of serve receive and was in position to make a few nice saves. Sarah Mendoza, Drive Nation 15 Red – A four-star recruit, Mendoza takes care of business in the back row with confidence. She’s not one to get serve at very often. 16 Open Jacqueline Smith, OMNI 16 John – We caught Smith on the opening day. She was passing very well out of serve receive. She also showed some digging skills in picking off a few cross-court shots that came her way. Ella Vogel, Co Jrs 16 Sherri – A three-star recruit, Vogel is a defensive stalwart. She reads and moves well, getting to balls that others aren’t able to. Rylie Sengdara, Forza1 North 16 UA – We saw Sengdara on Days 1 and 2 and both times she was performing well. She was showing consistent passing when targeted in serve receive. And she made several nice digs on cross-court shots. Taylor Deckert, SCVC 16 Roxy – Deckert was on fire for much of Day 1. Practically every ball she touched she bettered. Her passing was sharp and on point. Liv Leschly, Academy 16 HP Denny – We didn’t see a whole lot of Academy but did catch some of the team on Day 1. When we were there, Leschly was nails. She was smooth in serve receive and covering well at the net in scooping up blocked balls. Maya Evens, Wave 16 Brennan – A three-star recruit, Evens is a smooth defender and passer. Teams rarely go at her in serve receive. She’s also a game-changer in the backrow with her ability to pick up balls and extend rallies. Caleigh King, Drive Nation 16 Red – Another three-star recruit, King is hard working. She was all over the court making plays the entire weekend. Annah Legaspi, Momentous 16 Dan – Yet another three-star recruit, Legaspi played a large role in Momentous’ success over the weekend. She’s a lights-out passer and she’s quick with good range. 17 Open Makena Lim, A4 Volley 17 Joaco – Lim – a recent Georgia commit – was a steadying presence in the back row. Her passing was keeping A4 in system. She also made a couple A-plus digs to keep rallies alive. Tehani Ulufatu, Absolute Black 17-1 – Ulufatu is a passing machine. Absolute often uses a two-person serve receive and it’s Ulufatu passing at least half the court or more. Drew Wright, Sunshine 17 LA – Wright’s been playing outside for Sunshine but made the move to libero and it paid huge dividends. Wright has been Sunshine’s best-passing pin and took that skill to the libero position. It really helped steady serve receive in addition to her making some big-time saves. Ella Scott, Tstreet 17 Naseri – The 17s division has some big bangers. It’s Scott who is charged with standing and taking the best they have to offer. She does well getting some tough balls up and keeping points alive. Koko Kirsch, Wave 17 Juliana – We’ve written about Kirsch at others points this season. She’s as steady as they come and very active. She’s always flying around the court getting to balls. Sydney Bold, Coast 17-1 – A three-star recruit, Bold is a defensive force in the backrow. She’s rarely off target in serve receive. She also reads and reacts well to make some unbelievable plays.