Premium Content

The final four days of the season is here, as the 16s and 17s  age groups are set to compete at the USAV GJNC from June 30-July 3 in Indianapolis. Below, I make my predictions for 17 Open. It includes which teams will make it out of pool, which this year means finishing in the Top 3 because of the expanded field instead of Top 4. I then play it out with the second round of pool play, the quarterfinals, semifinals and ultimately the pick to win it with the finals. 17 OPEN ROUND 1 POOL PLAY Pool 1 *predicted finish order TAV 17 Black Jon City 17 Gold HJV 17 Elite A5 17 Calvin Top Select 17 Elite Adversity 17 Adidas Pool 2 *predicted finish order Club V 17 Prodigy Reed PVA 17 Elite Nebraska One 17 Synergy Coast 17-1 Ozhan Hou Skyline 17 Royal Skyline 17 Sean *** Pool 3 *predicted finish order WPVC 17 Armour Black Madfrog 17 Green KC Power 17-1 Paramount 17 Nick OK Charge 17 UA Momentous 17 Dan *** Pool 4 *predicted finish order Wave 17 Juliana 1st Alliance 17 Gold Dynasty 17 Black Drive Nation 17 Red AP 17 Adidas Triangle 17 Black *** Pool 5 *predicted finish order OT 17 Aaron Forza1 North 17 One Legacy 17-1 Adidas Kairos 17 Alpha Pineapple 17U Aspire 17 Alpha *** Pool 6 *predicted finish order Arizona Storm 17 Thunder Vision 17 Gold Tstreet 17 Hayden PowerPlex 17U Brogean Northern Lights 17-1 ID Crush 17 Bower *** Pool 7 *predicted finish order SC Rockstar 17 LOVB Angel Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite AZ Rev 17 Premier Absolute 17 Black AVC Cle 17 Red 1United 17 Blue *** Pool 8 *predicted finish order VCNebraska 17 Elite AZ Sky 17 Gold Metro 17 Travel Skyline 17 Ping HPSTL 17 Royal SC Rockstar LOVB 17 Melissa *** ROUND 2 POOL PLAY Pool 1 *predicted finish order TAV 1st Alliance AZ Rev *** Pool 2 *predicted finish order Club V Madfrog Metro *** Pool 3 *predicted finish order WPVC Legacy PVA Pool 4 *predicted finish order Wave Tstreet City *** Pool 5 *predicted finish order OT Aaron KC Power AZ Sky *** Pool 6 *predicted finish order Arizona Storm Dynasty Rockwood Thunder *** Pool 7 *predicted finish order SC Rockstar Vision HJV *** Pool 8 *predicted finish order VCNebraska Forza1 North Nebraska One 17 Synergy *** QUARTERFINALS TAV Vision OT Aaron Wave WPVC Arizona Storm SC Rockstar Club V *** SEMIFINALS Vision OT Aaron WPVC Club V *** FINAL Vision Club V *** WINNER Club V

The final four days of the season is here, as the 16s and 17s  age groups are set to compete at the USAV GJNC from June 30-July 3 in Indianapolis. Below, I make my predictions for 16 Open. It includes which teams will make it out of pool, which this year means finishing in the Top 3 because of the expanded field instead of Top 4. I then play it out with the second round of pool play, the quarterfinals, semifinals and ultimately the pick to win it with the finals. 16 OPEN ROUND 1 POOL PLAY Pool 1 *predicted finish order A5 16 Gabe Kairos 16 Alpha Iowa Premier 16-1 AJV 16 Adidas Excel 16 National Red SC Rockstar 16 Carlos *** Pool 2 *predicted finish order TAV 16 Black HJV 16 Elite Legacy 16-1 Adidas Tstreet 16 Bailey KC Power 16-1 VCNebraska 16 Elite *** Pool 3 *predicted finish order Circle City 16 Purple Skyline 16 Jimmy Adversity 16 Adidas Union 16 Black Club V 16 Prodigy Reed TW Skyline 16 Royal *** Pool 4 *predicted finish order Academy 16 Diamond ID Crush 16 Bower TAV Houston 16 Black OMNI 16 National TAV 16 Black Josh Elevation 16 Renfro Pool 5 *predicted finish order Wave 16 Scott Alamo 16 Premier NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Stars 16 ZAmy Arete 16 Navy Telos PVA 16 Elite *** Pool 6 Skyline 16 Royal Paul 1st Alliance 16 Gold HPSTL 16 Royal MN Select 16-1 Vision 16 Gold Coast 16-1 Nilay *** Pool 7 *predicted finish order Dynasty 16 Black Hou Skyline 16 Royal South County 16 Nina Premier Nebraska 16 Gold Madfrog 16 Green Actyve 16 Navy *** Pool 8 *predicted finish order Arizona Storm 16 Thunder Metro 16 Travel SG Elite 16 Rosh MAVS 16 Elite PineappleHP 16U MKE Sting 16 Gold *** ROUND 2 POOL PLAY Pool 1 *predicted finish order A5 ID Crush South County *** Pool 2 *predicted finish order TAV SG Elite Skyline Jimmy *** Pool 3 *predicted finish order Circle City HJV NKYVC Pool 4 *predicted finish order Academy Diamond Kairos HPSTL *** Pool 5 *predicted finish order Wave Metro Adversity *** Pool 6 *predicted finish order Skyline Hou Skyline TAV Houston *** Pool 7 *predicted finish order Dynasty Iowa Premier 1st Alliance *** Pool 8 *predicted finish order Alamo Arizona Storm Legacy *** QUARTERFINALS A5 Alamo Wave HJV Circle City Skyline Dynasty TAV *** SEMIFINALS A5 Wave Skyline TAV *** FINAL A5 Skyline *** WINNER A5

The final four days of the season is here for certain age groups. The 14s and 15s are set to compete at the USAV GJNC from June 25-28 in Indianapolis. Below, I make my predictions for 15 Open. It includes which teams will make it out of pool, which this year means finishing in the Top 3 because of the expanded field instead of finishing in the Top 4. I then play it out with the second round of pool play, the quarterfinals, semifinals and ultimately the pick to win it with the finals. 15 OPEN ROUND 1 POOL PLAY Pool 1 *predicted finish order Madfrog 15 Green Metro 15 Travel SynergyForce 15 National MKE Sting 15 Gold Actyve 15 Navy Mintonette Sports m.51 *** Pool 2 *predicted finish order Wave 15 Brennan OT 15 Randy Triangle 15 Black HPSTL 15 Royal MODE 15 National NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami *** Pool 3 *predicted finish order Skyline 15 Royal Ryan A5 15 Kelly 1st Alliance 15 Gold Vision 15 Gold Premier Nebraska 15 Gold Tribe 15 VKTRY Cardinal *** Pool 4 *predicted finish order Legacy 15-1 Adidas Top Select 15 Elite Iowa United 151 Elite MAVS 15 Elite Elevation 15 ED PCVC 15 Nalu *** Pool 5 *predicted finish order Dynasty 15 Black Hou Skyline 15 Royal Tstreet 15 Chandler 1United 15 Blue AZ Rev 15 Premier NE Elite 15 Apex *** Pool 6 *predicted finish order Arizona Storm 15 Thunder AJV 15 Adidas Gainesville Jrs 15 Adidas Drive Nation 15 Red SC Rockstar 15 Carlos Paramount 15 Nick *** Pool 7 *predicted finish order KC Power 15-1 Circle City 15 Purple Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite AVC Cle 15 Red TAV 15 Black Jason SC Rockstar 15 Stevi *** Pool 8 *predicted finish order Boiler Jrs 15 Gold Club Sand 15 Leao Skyline 15 Royal David Coast 15-1 Luis HJV 15 Elite NLVA 15 Girouard *** ROUND 2 POOL PLAY Pool 1 *predicted finish order Madfrog Top Select Rockwood Thunder *** Pool 2 *predicted finish order Wave A5 Skyline David *** Pool 3 *predicted finish order Skyline Ryan OT Randy Tstreet *** Pool 4 *predicted finish order Metro Legacy Gainesville Jrs *** Pool 5 *predicted finish order Dynasty 1st Alliance Club Sand *** Pool 6 *predicted finish order Arizona Storm Circle City Iowa United *** Pool 7 *predicted finish order KC Power AJV SynergyForce *** Pool 8 *predicted finish order Hou Skyline Boiler Jrs Triangle *** QUARTERFINALS Madfrog AJV Dynasty Metro Skyline Arizona Storm KC Power Wave *** SEMIFINALS Madfrog Dynasty Arizona Storm Wave *** FINAL Madfrog Wave *** WINNER Madfrog

The final four days of the season is here for certain age groups. The 14s and 15s are set to compete at the USAV GJNC from June 25-28 in Indianapolis. Below, I make my predictions for 14 Open. It includes which teams will make it out of pool, which this year means finishing in the Top 3 because of the expanded field instead of finishing in the Top 4. I then play it out with the second round of pool play, the quarterfinals, semifinals and ultimately the pick to win it with the finals. 14 OPEN ROUND 1 POOL PLAY Pool 1 *predicted finish order Skyline 14 Royal Erin Coast 14-1 Said WPVC 14 Armour Black Absolute 14 Black Hou Skyline 14 Royal MKE Sting 14 Gold *** Pool 2 *predicted finish order Legacy 14-1 Adidas Metro 14 Travel PVA 14 Elite OT 14 Jody TAV Houston 14 Black Academy 14 Diamond *** Pool 3 *predicted finish order Dynasty 14 Black Top Select 14 Elite Circle City 14 Purple AZ Rev 14 Premier AJV 14 Adidas Kairos 14 Alpha Pool 4 *predicted finish order Madfrog 14 Green Alamo 14 Premier AZ Sky 14 Gold Mintonette Sports m.41 GP 14 National KC Power 14-1 *** Pool 5 *predicted finish order Wave 14 Juliana A5 14 Helen Premier Nebraska 14 Gold Pineapple 14U HPSTL 14 Royal TAV 14 Black *** Pool 6 *predicted finish order 1United 14 Blue Boiler Jrs 14 Gold 1st Alliance 14-1 MVVC 14 Red Northern Lights 14-1 VCNebraska 14 Elite *** Pool 7 *predicted finish order Tribe 14 VKTRY Cardinal Elevation 14 Case Excel 14 National Red MAVS 14 Elite AP 14 Adidas Vision 14 Gold Pool 8 *predicted finish order SC Rockstar 14 Libby Arizona Storm 14 Thunder A5 14 MoBetty Fieldhouse 14.1 Ikaika HJV 14 Elite Club V 14 Prodigy Silver *** ROUND 2 POOL PLAY Pool 1 *predicted finish order Skyline Excel Alamo *** Pool 2 *predicted finish order Legacy A5 14 MoBetty Top Select *** Pool 3 *predicted finish order Dynasty Premier Nebraska Metro *** Pool 4 *predicted finish order Coast Madfrog 1st Alliance *** Pool 5 *predicted finish order Wave Circle City Arizona Storm *** Pool 6 *predicted finish order Elevation 1United AZ Sky *** Pool 7 *predicted finish order Tribe Boiler Jrs WPVC *** Pool 8 *predicted finish order A5 SC Rockstar Circle City *** QUARTERFINALS Skyline A5 Wave Coast Dynasty Elevation Tribe Legacy *** SEMIFINALS A5 Wave Dynasty Tribe *** FINAL Wave Dynasty *** WINNER Dynasty

We wrap our 2026 Open qualifier rankings with the 14s division. The factors taken into consideration are 1) percent chance of qualifying; 2) number of eventual qualifiers; 3) percentage of teams eventually qualified from the field; 4) number of nationally-ranked teams; 5) percentage of nationally-ranked teams in the field; and 6) average ranking of those teams. Those spots are then added up and divided by six to get an average ranking, with the goal being to get the lowest ranking, thus indicating the qualifier ranked highly in most every category. It’s hardly an exact science. There are some obvious flaws with the way the averages are generated. For example, coming up with the chance of qualifying is done from subtracting the number of teams already having a bid from the number of teams in the field and then using the number of bids available and dividing that by the number of teams without a bid. This, of course, doesn’t take into account the odds of trickle down and get into the nitty-gritty of that, or whether it’s harder to qualify when no qualified teams are in the field versus when a bunch are in the field. The rankings are also biased and influenced heavily based on our own national rankings. Which the latest release from the month of May is used and not the rankings at the actual time of each qualifier. At the same time, I do feel the number of eventual Open qualifiers and the percentage of that in terms of the overall field is relevant and a strong reflector of just how difficult a qualifier was or wasn’t. The lower the percentage, the less difficult a qualifier was, as compared to a qualifier that may have 50 percent or more of the field eventual qualify. I also feel there is a lot to be taken from the overall rankings and that even though the system is far from perfect it is fairly reflective of the strength of each individual qualifier. Generally speaking, the rankings more times than not match up with the “eye test” if you will. Here are some takeaways from this year’s breakdown. Sunshine and Boston were on the same weekend and the first qualifiers of the season. There was a stark difference between the two. Sunshine ranked as the toughest qualifier in 2026, with a 3.2 average. Boston, in its first season as a qualifier, came in ninth with a 7.5 average. Sunshine tied for fourth place a season ago with an average of 5. With its average jumping nearly two points this season, it was a clear winner this year. The Mideast Qualifier took top honors last year with an average of 4.2. This year, the average actually was better, at 4, but was only good enough for second place. Windy City, at 4.8, and Salt Lake Showdown, at 5, came in third and fourth place respectively. What’s impressive about Windy City being third is the 14s division was also competing that same weekend at Big South, Lone Star and Red Rock. Even with four qualifiers on the same weekend, Windy City clearly drew one of the most competitive fields as teams were not split up as much as one would have thought. Salt Lake was the last qualifier of the season, and teams did not shy away and made it one of the stronger events of the season. Far Western took a noticeable jump forward this spring. A year ago Far Western finished 11th with a 9.3 average. This season? Far Western tied for fifth with Show Me with a 6.2 average. You can view the full rankings and breakdown below. Final Rankings 1. Sunshine (Avg 3.2) 2. Mideast (4) 3. Windy City (4.8) 4. Salt Lake Showdown (5) T5th. Show Me (6.2) T5th. Far Western (6.2) 7. Northeast (6.3) 8. Lone Star Classic (7.3) 9. Boston (7.5) 10. Northern Lights (8.5) 11. Red Rock Rave (9) 12. Pacific Northwest (9.3) 13. Big South (10.5) *** 1. SUNSHINE CLASSIC (Avg 3.2) 2025 ranking: 4, Avg 5 Number of Teams: 24 Bids Available: 3 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 0 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 12.5 (6th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 15 (T2nd) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 62.5 (T2nd) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 16 (T1st) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 66.7 (1st) Average of Ranked Teams: 25.1 (7th) *** 2. MIDEAST (Avg 4) 2025 ranking: 1, Avg 4.2 Number of Teams: 40 Bids Available: 3 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 2 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 7.9 (2nd) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 16 (1st) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 40 (T9th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 16 (T1st) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 40 (T9th) Average of Ranked Teams: 17.8 (2nd) *** 3. WINDY CITY (Avg 4.8) 2025 ranking: T4th, Avg 5 Number of Teams: 20 Bids Available: 2 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 3 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 11.8 (3rd) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 11 (T5th) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 55 (T5th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 10 (7th) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 50 (T6th) Average of Ranked Teams: 21.7 (3rd) *** 4. SALT LAKE SHOWDOWN (Avg 5) 2025 ranking: T8th, Avg 6.8 Number of Teams: 24 Bids Available: 3 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 6 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 16.7 (T11th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 15 (T2nd) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 62.5 (T2nd) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 14 (T3rd) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 58.3 (T4th) Average of Ranked Teams: 26.1 (8th) *** T5. SHOW ME (Avg 6.2) 2025 ranking: 2nd, Avg 4.3 Number of Teams: 24 Bids Available: 3 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 6 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 16.7 (T11th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 14 (4th) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 58.3 (4th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 14 (T3rd) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 58.3 (T4th) Average of Ranked Teams: 27.8 (11th) ***

The 15s division is next in our Open qualifier rankings. The factors taken into consideration are 1) percent chance of qualifying; 2) number of eventual qualifiers; 3) percentage of teams eventually qualified from the field; 4) number of nationally-ranked teams; 5) percentage of nationally-ranked teams in the field; and 6) average ranking of those teams. Those spots are then added up and divided by six to get an average ranking, with the goal being to get the lowest ranking, thus indicating the qualifier ranked highly in most every category. It’s hardly an exact science. There are some obvious flaws with the way the averages are generated. For example, coming up with the chance of qualifying is done from subtracting the number of teams already having a bid from the number of teams in the field and then using the number of bids available and dividing that by the number of teams without a bid. This, of course, doesn’t take into account the odds of trickle down and get into the nitty-gritty of that, or whether it’s harder to qualify when no qualified teams are in the field versus when a bunch are in the field. The rankings are also biased and influenced heavily based on our own national rankings. Which the latest release from the month of May is used and not the rankings at the actual time of each qualifier. At the same time, I do feel the number of eventual Open qualifiers and the percentage of that in terms of the overall field is relevant and a strong reflector of just how difficult a qualifier was or wasn’t. The lower the percentage, the less difficult a qualifier was, as compared to a qualifier that may have 50 percent or more of the field eventual qualify. I also feel there is a lot to be taken from the overall rankings and that even though the system is far from perfect it is fairly reflective of the strength of each individual qualifier. Generally speaking, the rankings more times than not match up with the “eye test” if you will. Here are some takeaways from this year’s breakdown. The rankings produced stark differences from 2025. Notably, is the giant gap between the top-two qualifiers and the third-place and 4-6. Windy City, at a 3.3 average, was almost two full points ahead of No. 3 Mideast at 5.2. Mideast was also third last year, with a 4.3 average. Both Windy City and Salt Lake made big gains from a season ago. Windy City tied for No. 6 in 2025, with an average of 6.2. Salt Lake was No. 9 last season. While Windy City and Salt Lake, at 3.7, were the clear-cut front runners this season, it’s even more remarkable that Lone Star took the top spot last year with an average of 2.7. And with that, it was crazy to see Lone Star slide all the way to 10th this year with an average of 8.2. The two new qualifiers this year in West Coast and Boston averaged out in 13 and 14th place. Those two qualifiers ranked in the top half in 17 Open, but did not carry through to 15 Open. It’ll be interesting to see how they fare next season and if they climb the charts and by how much. You can view the rankings and full breakdown below. Final Rankings 1. Windy City (Avg 3.3) 2. Salt Lake Showdown (3.7) 3. Mideast (5.2) T4. Show Me (6.2) T4. Sunshine Classic (6.2) 6. Big South (6.5) 7. Northern Lights (7.3) T8. Red Rock Rave (7.7) T8. Northeast (7.7) 10. Lone Star Classic (8.2) 11. Far Western (8.7) 12. Pacific Northwest (10.5) 13. West Coast (10.7) 14. Boston (11) *** 1. WINDY CITY (Avg. 3.3) 2025 ranking: T6, Avg 6.2 Number of Teams: 31 Bids Available: 3 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 9 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 13.6 (7th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 17 (2nd) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 54.8 (1st) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 18 (T1st) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 58.1 (1st) Average of Ranked Teams: 23.4 (8th) *** 2. SALT LAKE SHOWDOWN (Avg. 3.7) 2025 ranking: 9, Avg 7 Number of Teams: 38 Bids Available: 4 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 16 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 18.2 (12th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 19 (1st) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 50 (2nd) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 18 (T1st) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 46.2 (3rd) Average of Ranked Teams: 21.7 (3rd) *** 3. MIDEAST (Avg. 5.2) 2025 ranking: 3, Avg 4.3 Number of Teams: 40 Bids Available: 4 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 2 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 10.5 (T4th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 15 (3rd) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 37.5 (T7th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 17 (3rd) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 42.5 (4th) Average of Ranked Teams: 24.9 (10th) *** T4. SHOW ME (Avg. 6.2) 2025 ranking: 8, Avg 6.3 Number of Teams: 29 Bids Available: 4 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 9 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 20 (13th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 12 (5th) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 41.4 (5th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 11 (5th) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 37.9 (7th) Average of Ranked Teams: 20.5 (2nd) *** T4. SUNSHINE CLASSIC (Avg. 6.2) 2025 ranking: 4, Avg 4.5 Number of Teams: 48 Bids Available: 4 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 0 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 8.3 (1st) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 13 (4th) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 27.1 (12th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 13 (4th) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 27.1 (11th) Average of Ranked Teams: 22.5 (5th) *** 6. BIG SOUTH (Avg. 6.5) 2025 ranking: 5, Avg 5.8 Number of Teams: 22 Bids Available: 3 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 3 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 15.8 (10th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 10 (T6th) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 45.5 (3rd) Number

Up next in our Open qualifier rankings is the 16s division. The factors taken into consideration are 1) percent chance of qualifying; 2) number of eventual qualifiers; 3) percentage of teams eventually qualified from the field; 4) number of nationally-ranked teams; 5) percentage of nationally-ranked teams in the field; and 6) average ranking of those teams. Those spots are then added up and divided by six to get an average ranking, with the goal being to get the lowest ranking, thus indicating the qualifier ranked highly in most every category. It’s hardly an exact science. There are some obvious flaws with the way the averages are generated. For example, coming up with the chance of qualifying is done from subtracting the number of teams already having a bid from the number of teams in the field and then using the number of bids available and dividing that by the number of teams without a bid. This, of course, doesn’t take into account the odds of trickle down and get into the nitty-gritty of that, or whether it’s harder to qualify when no qualified teams are in the field versus when a bunch are in the field. The rankings are also biased and influenced heavily based on our own national rankings. Which the latest release from the month of May is used and not the rankings at the actual time of each qualifier. At the same time, I do feel the number of eventual Open qualifiers and the percentage of that in terms of the overall field is relevant and a strong reflector of just how difficult a qualifier was or wasn’t. The lower the percentage, the less difficult a qualifier was, as compared to a qualifier that may have 50 percent or more of the field eventual qualify. I also feel there is a lot to be taken from the overall rankings and that even though the system is far from perfect it is fairly reflective of the strength of each individual qualifier. Generally speaking, the rankings more times than not match up with the “eye test” if you will. Here are some takeaways from this year’s breakdown. For the second year in a row, Windy City reigned supreme. The qualifier held a similar average between the years, with a 3.5 in 2025 and 3.7 this season. What also was impressive was how wide of a margin Windy City had over the next-closest finishers. Last year, Sunshine checked in at No. 2 with an average of 4. This year though, Salt Lake and Show Me were a distance second averaging 5.2. That Windy City was on the same weekend this year as Big South, Lone Star and West Coast is also of note and just how difficult it remained given those other tournament options. With that said, spots 2-6 were extremely close, ranging from 5.2-5.7. Those five qualifiers all averaged out strong and showed the overall competitiveness of a big bunch. There was a drop off at No. 7, as Lone Star averaged 7.3. Last year, Lone Star averaged 5.2 and landed at No. 4. When it came to 17 Open, both Red Rock and West Coast finished in the Top 5, but both wound up in the bottom half for 16 Open. In fact, West Coast barely missed last place, beating out Pacific Northwest 11.3 to 11.5. Final Rankings 1. Windy City (Avg 3.7) T2. Salt Lake Showdown (5.2) T2. Show Me (5.2) 4. Northern Lights (5.3) 5. Mideast (5.5) 6. Sunshine (5.7) 7. Lone Star Classic (7.3) 8. Boston (7.7) T9. Northeast (8) T9. Red Rock Rave (8) 11. Far Western (8.5) 12. Big South (10) 13. West Coast (11.3) 14 Pacific Northwest (11.5) *** 1. WINDY CITY (Avg. 3.7) 2025 ranking: 1, Avg 3.5 Number of Teams: 40 Bids Available: 4 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 8 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 12.5 (T9th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 17 (1st) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 42.5 (1st) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 20 (1st) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 50 (1st) Average of Ranked Teams: 25.7 (9th) *** T2. SALT LAKE SHOWDOWN (Avg. 5.2) 2025 ranking: 6, Avg 6.2 Number of Teams: 40 Bids Available: 3 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 11 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 10.4 (7th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 14 (4th) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 35 (5th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 15 (4th) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 37.5 (5th) Average of Ranked Teams: 24.1 (6th) *** T2. SHOW ME (Avg. 5.2) 2025 ranking: 9, Avg 7.2 Number of Teams: 40 Bids Available: 4 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 10 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 13.3 (11th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 16 (2nd) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 40 (4th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 17 (3rd) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 42.5 (3rd) Average of Ranked Teams: 25.1 (8th) *** 4. NORTHERN LIGHTS (Avg. 5.3) 2025 ranking: 7, Avg 6.5 Number of Teams: 24 Bids Available: 3 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 2 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 13.6 (12th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 10 (T8th) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 41.7 (T2nd) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 11 (6th) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 45.8 (2nd) Average of Ranked Teams: 19.2 (2nd) *** 5. MIDEAST (Avg. 5.5) 2025 ranking: 3, Avg 4.8 Number of Teams: 48 Bids Available: 4 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 2 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 8.7 (3rd) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 15 (3rd) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 31.3 (T7th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 19 (2nd) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 39.6 (4th) Average of Ranked Teams: 30.3 (14th) *** 6. SUNSHINE CLASSIC (Avg. 5.7) 2025 ranking: 2, Avg 4 Number of Teams: 48 Bids Available: 4 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 0 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 8.3 (1st) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 12 (T5th) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 25 (T11th) Number of Ranked Teams from

It’s time for our manufactured national qualifier rankings. Up first is 17 Open. The factors taken into consideration are 1) percent chance of qualifying; 2) number of eventual Open qualifiers; 3) percentage of teams eventually Open-qualified from the field; 4) number of nationally-ranked teams; 5) percentage of nationally-ranked teams in the field; and 6) average ranking of those teams. Those spots are then added up and divided by six to get an average ranking, with the goal being to get the lowest number, thus indicating the qualifier ranked highly in most every category. It’s hardly an exact science. There are some obvious flaws with the way the averages are generated. For example, coming up with the chance of qualifying is done from subtracting the number of teams already having a bid from the number of teams in the field and then using the number of bids available and dividing that by the number of teams without a bid. This, of course, doesn’t take into account the odds of trickle down and get into the nitty-gritty of that, or whether it’s harder to qualify when no qualified teams are in the field versus when a bunch are in the field. The rankings are also biased and influenced heavily based on our own national rankings. The latest release from the month of May is used and not the rankings at the actual time of each qualifier. At the same time, I do feel the number of eventual Open qualifiers and the percentage of in terms of the overall field is relevant and a strong reflector of just how difficult a qualifier was or wasn’t. The lower the percentage, the less difficult a qualifier was, as compared to a qualifier that may have 50 percent or more of the field eventual qualify. I also feel there is a lot to be taken from the overall rankings and that even though the system is far from perfect it is fairly reflective of the strength of each individual qualifier. Generally speaking, the rankings more times than not match up with the “eye test” if you will. Here are some takeaways from this year’s breakdown. It was not surprising in the least to see the Windy City Qualifier top out at No. 1 with the lowest average. That qualifier just felt like the strongest of the year. It averaged out at 4.3, which is well above last year’s winner, which was the Salt Lake Showdown at 2.8. What really stood out with this year’s rankings is how closely bunched many qualifiers were. For instance, Mideast (5.7), Sunshine (5.7), Salt Lake (5.8), West Coast (6.2), Boston (6.3) and Northeast (6.7) all came in within a one-point range. West Coast and Boston were both first-year qualifiers and came out of the gate strong. Arguably the biggest surprise was the strength of the West Coast Qualifier, which at the time didn’t appear to be very strong at all to me. However, the ranking suggests otherwise. The same could be said for the Red Rock Rave. I was surprised how high it ranked, coming in the Top 5. I would not have guessed that. Not even close. Another observation was how low down the Lone Star Classic finished. This was a qualifier that ranked No. 2 last year with an impressive average of 3.7, but dropped all the way to No. 11 with an average of 8.7 in 2026. With the event moving to Houston and being on the same weekend as Windy City, Big South and West Coast, there simply wasn’t the same amount of depth and talented teams as in year’s past. You can view the rankings, as well as a full breakdown, below. Final Rankings 1. Windy City: Avg. 4.3 T2. Mideast: 5.7 T2. Sunshine: 5.7 T4. Salt Lake Showdown: 5.8 T4. Red Rock Rave: 5.8 6. West Coast: 6.2 7. Boston: 6.3 8. Northeast: 6.7 9. Northern Lights: 7.7 10. Show Me: 8.5 11. Lone Star: 8.7 T12. Big South: 10 T12. Far Western: 10 14. Pacific Northwest: 12.2 *** 1. WINDY CITY (Avg. 4.3) 2025 ranking: T3, Avg 5 Number of Teams: 40 Bids Available: 3 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 9 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 9.7 (6th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 15 (2nd) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 37.5 (5th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 17 (T1st) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 42.5 (2nd) Average of Ranked Teams: 26.2 (10th) *** 2. MIDEAST (Avg. 5.7) 2025 ranking: T3, Avg 5 Number of Teams: 48 Bids Available: 4 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 5 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 9.3 (5th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 13 (T5th) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 27.1 (T10th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 17 (T1st) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 35.4 (8th) Average of Ranked Teams: 25.1 (5th) *** 3. SUNSHINE CLASSIC (Avg. 5.7) 2025 ranking: 5, Avg 5.7 Number of Teams: 48 Bids Available: 4 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 1 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 8.5 (2nd) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 14 (T3rd) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 29.2 (T8th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 16 (3rd) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 33.3 (9th) Average of Ranked Teams: 25.8 (9th) *** 4. SALT LAKE SHOWDOWN (Avg. 5.8) 2025 ranking: 1, Avg 2.8 Number of Teams: 42 Bids Available: 4 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 15 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 14.8 (12th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 17 (1st) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 40.5 (4th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 15 (T4th) Percent of Ranked Teams in Field: 35.7 (7th) Average of Ranked Teams: 25.5 (7th) *** 5. RED ROCK RAVE (Avg. 5.8) 2025 ranking: 11, Avg 8.7 Number of Teams: 32 Bids Available: 3 Number of Previously-Qualified Teams: 3 Percent Chance of Qualifying: 10.3 (8th) Number of Eventual Open Qualifiers: 11 (7th) Percent Eventually Qualified from Field: 34.4 (7th) Number of Ranked Teams from Vballrecruiter Top 50: 13 (6th) Percent of Ranked Teams