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Number of Teams: 36 vballrecruiter.com National Rankings: 1. Dynasty 16 Black 2. NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami 3. A5 Mizuno 16-1 Gabe 4. Co Jrs 16 Sherri 5. Wave 16 Brennan 6. TAV 16 Black 7. 1st Alliance 16 Gold 8. OT 16 Jason 9. KC Power 16-1 12. Circle City 16 Purple 13. Metro 16 Travel 14. Triangle 16 Black 15. Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar 16. Coast 16-1 17. Arizona Storm 16 Thunder 18. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold 19. Vision 16 Gold 20. AJV 16 Adidas 21. Skyline 16 Royal 22. Madfrog 16 Green 23. SG Elite 16 Rosh 24. OT 16 Roberto 25. MKE Sting 16 Gold 26. Drive Nation 16 Red 27. Top Select 16 Elite 28. Flyers 16 Dylan 29. Gainesville 16 Black 30. Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite 34. Club V 16 Ren Wayne 38. Seal Beach 16 Black 41. Norco 16 Black 42. OT 16 Will 43. Hou Skyline 16 Royal 44. OJVA 16 Gold Unranked – Alamo 16 Premier Unranked – Capitanas 16-1 vballrecruiter.com 5-star recruits (18): Izzy Starck, S/RS, Co Jrs 16 Sherri Skyler Pierce, OH, Dynasty 16 Black Charlie Fuerbringer, S/RS, Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar Ayden Ames, MB, TAV 16 Black Favor Anyanwu, MB, TAV 16 Black Babi Gubbins, OH, Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar Taylor Yu, S, SG Elite 16 Rosh Camille Edwards, S, TAV 16 Black Carlie Cisneros, OH, Dynasty 16 Black Jadyn Livings, OH, TAV 16 Black Suli Davis, OH, Drive Nation 16 Red (2025) Amina N’diaye, OH, OT 16 Roberto (2025) Zoe Gillen-Malveaux, MB, Drive Nation 16 Red (2025) Reese Messer, S, Dynasty 16 Black (2025) Abigail Mullen, RS, Dynasty 16 Black (2025) Jaidyn Jager, OH, Coast 16-1 (2025) Gillian Pitts, L, TAV 16 Black (2025) Macaria Spears, OH, Metro 16 Travel (2025) vballrecruiter.com 4-star recruits (20): Mia Hood, MB, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe Logan Wiley, MB, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe Bethanie Wu, S, TAV 16 Black Grace Carroll, S, Alamo 16 Premier Carson Eickenloff, S, Madfrog 16 Green Lillian Croshaw, MB, Madfrog 16 Green Anna Bjork, MB, MKE Sting 16 Gold Julia Hunt, MB, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Ryan McAleer, L, Dynasty 16 Black Ava Utterback, OH, Circle City 16 Purple Amanda Saeger, S, Wave 16 Brennan Camden Bolane, MB, Wave 16 Brennan Mikala Young, OH, TAV 16 Black Lainee Pyles, MB, Madfrog 16 Green Anna Boatner, MB, TAV 16 Black Jade Ingram, MB, Dynasty 16 Black Hannah Benjamin, OH, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe Madeline Stucky, S, Norco 16 Black Maya Witherspoon, OH, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite (2025) Lauren Lynch, L, SG Elite 16 Rosh (2025) Outlook: The feeling is there’s a short list of teams that can earn the gold medal. Dynasty 16 Black comes in as a strong favorite having won three national qualifiers plus Triple Crown. Dynasty has just two losses on a national stage this year – to TAV 16 Black and NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami. It’s why Dynasty garnered the top seed. TAV is on the short list of teams that could win it all. Injuries have prevented TAV from reaching its full potential but the club appears poised and on track health-wise and should be a definite factor. Yet, it appears TAV could be way under-seeded. The club is the No. 3 team in Pool 1, which is a tough pool containing Dynasty, Co Jrs 16 Sherri and TAV as the top three teams in the pool Ouch. Wave 16 Brennan has fared well all season and has the type of ball control and defense to go all the way. Wave enters as the No. 3 seed. A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe has the height and size to be a real factor. A5 begins as the No. 2 seed. NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami has finished high all season long and knows how to win tight matches. NKYVC opens as the No. 2 tam in Pool 4 behind OT 16 Jason. The teams which are somewhat x-factors are Co Jrsand Metro 16 Travel. Co Jrs didn’t fare so well at the JVA West Coast Cup but has the size and talent to be any team in the country. It is just a matter of playing consistently over four days. Metro captured first at the JVA SummerFest recently and has the size and physicality to be a problem to any opponent. Metro is the No. 5 seed. Another team to watch for that could be way under-seeded is Capitanas 16-1. The Puerto Rican club is formidable but is the No. 6 team in Pool 6. Pool 6 could be the toughest one to break, as it contains Triangle 16 Black at the top followed by Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar, Vision 16 Gold, Top Select 16 Elite and Alamo 16 Premier, as well as Capitanas. There are plenty more squads that could make runs and be in contention on Day 4. OT Jason, 1st Alliance 16 Gold, Circle City 16 Purple, KC Power 16-1 and Trianglehave turned in strong seasons and it would not be a surprise to see any or all of them in the top eight. It’s part of what makes this division so intriguing is how many competitive clubs there are that can all beat each other any given outing. Prediction: The final comes down to Dynasty and TAV. TAV prevails in three sets to earn the gold medal. Wave and A5 get the bronzes.

It didn’t take long for the first jolt to hit on the opening day of the 14s and 15s divisions at USAV GJNC in Indy. Top-seeded Madfrog 14 Green was upset in opening round by Tstreet 14 Carson. Top-seeded Arizona Storm 15 Thunder nearly suffered the same fate before sneaking past AJV 15 Adidas by winning the third set, 17-15. We’ll get to those things and much more if you keep scrolling on down. Before that though, we want to introduce our Day 1 Show Stoppers featuring the players who stood out the most to us during an entertaining day of volleyball. Jaidyn Hartsfield, S/RS, Madfrog 14 Green – Hartsfield is a key cog in the lineup with her contributions setting and hitting. She delivers a clean ball and goes behind her with accuracy to keep defenses honest. Though she’s a bit undersized she’s aggressive on the attack and doesn’t intimidated. Emmerson Champagne, MB, Tstreet 14 Carson – Champagne was instrumental in Tstreet’s tournament-opening upset of top-seeded Madfrog. She was an unstoppable force and burnt Madfrog over and over with her scoring ability. She also makes great reads and can deliver one-on-one blocks. Audrey Dyas, MB, NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami – With her length, opponents better hope Dyas is not able to get on top of the ball. When she does watch out, she can put it down in a hurry with plenty of pop. Peytyn Pyle, MB, TAV Houston 14 Adidas – Pyle is lanky and can get out and run the slide effectively. She has a good arm and it makes her a difficult cover, especially against smaller blockers. Henley Anderson, OH, AP 14 Adidas – Anderson’s height is a major weapon. She easily goes over blocks for points but does a good job tipping to open spots as well. AP will get her involved in various ways, including running her on combos out of the middle. Vivian Hickman, S/RS, AZ Sky 14G – There was plenty to like about what Hickman was bringing. She’s an aggressive attacker who comes with it on the right side. Back row, she’s a capable setter with sound location and a solid release. Skylar Brady, MB, OP2 14-1 – We liked the group of middles we witnessed on Day 1, with Brady part of it. She’s another one who can run the slide well. She has a nice swing too and it makes her a threat who defenses have to respect. Sophia Davila, OH, Skyline 14 Royal – Davila was bringing it as much as anyone we saw. She has a strong, powerful arm and doesn’t hold back too often. She showed a great knack for tooling blocks as well. Brooklyn Bailey, MB, Skyline 14 Royal – Bailey gets up well and she gets up in a hurry. She showed a strong scoring touch with her ability to put balls down. She can also get in the way of attacks, touching balls coming her way from opposing hitters. Genevieve Harris, S, Academy 14 Diamond – It was a tough day overall for Academy, but Harris was a bright spot. She demonstrated a great touch and release. Her sets were almost always clean and she was spotting well. Kalli Lipo, L, Arizona Storm 14 Thunder – Similarly, it was a rough day as well for Storm but Lipo was strong in the back row. She was nails in serve receive, though she doesn’t get served very often as teams purposely keep the ball away from her. Kaiya Kearney, OH, Arizona Storm 14 Thunder – Kearney can bring heat when the opportunity is there. She’s an aggressive swinger and doesn’t back down. Catherine Palmi, OH, GP 14 Rox – There’s a different sound when Palmi catches one full force. She’s a powerful hitter who hits a heavy ball with her hammer of an arm. Paisley Pavliska, OH, Alamo 14 Premier – A bit undersized, Pavliska gets up well and has a whippy swing. It helps her generate plenty of pace on her shots to beat defenses with. Danielle Whitmire, S/RS, TAV 14 Black – Whitmire is another two-way player and valuable with her ability to set and hit. She possesses a good touch and carries a nice arm. Hannah Lee, MB, Flyers 14 Anthony – A middle who doesn’t necessarily look like she can bang like she does, Lee had impressive kills as she crushes balls. She can unload on 1s and slides alike and forces defenses to stay on her. Cassidy Bruns, L, MKE Sting 14 Gold – Bruns was an anchor in the back row. She’s a steadying presence who doesn’t rattle. She was on point in serve receive, rarely missing her target. Natalie Surges, OH, MKE Sting 14 Gold – An outside with a hammer, watch out for Surges. She keeps coming and is relentless. Milly McGee, S, SCVC 14 Roxy – McGee was dishing a clean ball. She consistently was giving her hitters balls to work with and was one of the few setters who was jump setting. Olga Nikolaeva, L, SCVC 14 Roxy – Nikolaeva showed her defensive prowess. She made great ups as balls were banged at her. Kylie Parker, OH, SG Elite 14 Rosh – Parker is a bit undersized but plays big. She gets up well, swings hard and unloads with a fury. She’s also a strong back row player with her passing and defending, making her a valuable all-around contributor. Kassidy O’Brien, S, Hou Skyline 15 Royal – O’Brien – a four-star recruit – was one of the smoother setters we came across. She has a soft touch and consistent delivery. She hits her mark on the regular and has plenty of pieces to work with. Lauryn Mack, OH, Drive Nation 15 Red – There were thundering kills coming off the arm of Mack. When this three-star recruit is hitting like that, she is difficult to slow. Drive Nation moves her around too in keeping the defenses guessing. Zoe Baliva, OH, HPSTL 15 Royal –

The final day of 16 Open competition at AAU in Orlando was all about the heavyweights. With seven of the top eight seeds all in the hunt for the gold medal, it was really the best of the best facing off for the right to be called national champions. Making it out ahead of the pack was top-seeded A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe, which proved to be the best after sweeping third-seeded Tri-State Elite 16 Blue, 25-17, 25-21, in the championship match. Earning the bronzes were No. 2 seed OT 16 Jason and Capitanas 16, the No. 5 seed. It completed a nearly perfect run for A5, which finished 12-0 and 24-1 in sets. The only frame A5 dropped came in its three-set victory over Capitanas in the semifinals, 25-17, 20-25, 15-10. It was an interesting last day of action from the standpoint that six of the eight teams in the quarterfinals all suffered their first loss of the tournament in the quarters or semis. Munciana 16 Moana, City 16 Gold and Momentous 16 Dan tied for fifth and all faced their first defeat in the quarters. The other fifth-place team – Shockwave 16 Sean – ended the tourney with a 6-5 mark. Capitanas and OT Jason didn’t lose until the semis, while Tri-State didn’t lost until the final. For OT Jason, it hadn’t dropped a set until getting swept by Tri-State, 25-17, 25-22, in the semis. A5 also started off as the highest team in our 16s National Rankings, coming in at No. 3. OT Jason sat at No. 8, while Tri-State was No. 10. All three medaled, along with Capitanas, which is unranked as a Puerto Rican club. Shockwave was the lowest-seeded team to make it the farthest. Shockwave opened as the No. 36 seed overall and faced A5 in Day 1 pool play. The two sides met again the quarterfinals, with A5 sweeping, 30-28, 25-17. Munciana, the No. 4 seed to open and ranked No. 11 nationally, had a shot at the semis and a medal but was topped by Capitanas in three, 20-25, 25-21, 15-10, in the quarters. Similarly, Momentous, the No. 6 seed, also was close enough to taste the semis but fell to Tri-State in three, 25-18, 21-15, 15-11, in the quarters. A5, OT Jason and Capitanas turn around and head to USAV GJNC in Indy next. A5 starts off as the No. 2 seed there. OT Jason is the No. 4 seed in Indy. Interestingly, Capitanas is the No. 6 team in Pool 6.

The 2022 version of AAU in Orlando is all done with after the 16s finished up on Sunday. The 16 Open division concluded with A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe sweeping Tri-State Elite 16 Blue to earn the gold medal. OT 16 Jason and Capitanas 16 earned the bronzes. We’ll have more on that in a separate article. For now, we want to focus on the Day 4 Show Stoppers, which you can find below. Hannah Benjamin, OH, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe – A four-star recruit, Benjamin’s game was on full display as A5 brought home the 16 Open gold medal. She has a big, powerful swing with the ability to hit any part of the court. It makes her a nightmare to defend and cover. Logan Wiley, MB, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe – Another four-star recruit, Wiley also keeps defenses on their toes with her scoring prowess. A5 can use her as a decoy or the main option and she has a wide variety of shots in her bag as well. Gabriela Cornier, L, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe – Cornier isn’t scared of hitting the floor to make a save or pass out of serve receive. She was consistently on point when served and did a nice job making hustle plays throughout the day. Molly Kate Patten, RS, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe – A 6-6, three-star recruit, Patten changes the dynamic of the lineup when she’s across the front row. She puts up a big block and can discourage teams from using their outsides. She’s also someone A5 will use in various spots to attack, including running combo plays to get her swings out of the middle. Lola Schumacher, L, Munciana 16 Moana – Schumacher continued to shine on the final day. A five-star recruit, she commands the back row. She isn’t one to challenge too often in serve receive as she’s rarely off the mark to her target. Lauren Evans, OH, Munciana 16 Moana – The outside duo is a position of strength for Munciana. Evans – a three-star recruit – can mash it at times. She’s an aggressive, free swinger and challenges defenses to make plays on her. Delaney Lawson, OH, Munciana 16 Moana – Lawson – a three-star recruit – is similar in her ability to pressure defenses. She’s lanky with nice extension and can generate lots of pace on her swings. Melina Schrader, S, Munciana 16 Moana – A bit undersized, Schrader has a sharp release and is on target regularly. She does well getting her various hitters involved when in system. Kate Duffey, S/RS, City 16 Gold – A vital piece of the puzzle, Duffey plays a key role as a setter and hitter. She has a nice touch and shows consistent location setting. On the attack, she can bring heat at times. Madeline Way, MB, City 16 Gold – Way – a three-star recruit – is a legitimate scoring threat out of the middle. She has a great extension with high contact and can send balls down over and over. Jenna Garner, OH, City 16 Gold – A three-star recruit, Garner carries a good chunk of the offensive load. She has a nice arm and keeps coming at blockers and defenders. Elana Erickson, OH, Far Out 16 Black – Erickson – a three-star recruit – was difficult to slow down in the Round of 16 matches. She was showing her smarts, hitting off speed shots to open spots or taking her swing down the line. Audrey Kocon, S/RS, Northern Lights 16-1 – Kocon fills a valuable role as a setter and hitter. She was consistent hitting her spots when in the back row. Up front, the lefty was putting pop on her swings and was a reliable scoring option. Julia Kakkis, S/RS, Momentous 16 Dan – Another setter/right side, Kakkis does well putting up a hittable ball on a consistent basis. She also carries a big arm and can hammer balls at times.     Isabel Clark, OH, Momentous 16 Dan – A three-star recruit, Clark is who Momentous turns to when it is in need of a point. She has a powerful swing and can slam kills down when the opportunity is there. Annah Legaspi, L, Momentous 16 Dan – Legaspi – a three-star recruit – is routinely on point when she’s targeted in serve receive. She does well covering tips and touches and was showing her ability to run down errant balls and extend rallies. Taylor Parks, S, OT 16 Jason – This three-star recruit is smooth with her delivery. She can be hard to read and is rarely off her mark. Maria Happ, MB, OT 16 Jason – Happ – a three-star recruit – proved to be a great scoring presence. She was consistently scoring when her number was called, showing power at times with big kills. Bailey Higgins, RS, OT 16 Jason – A three-star recruit, Higgins is an offensive weapon any team would love to have. The lefty can sky and rip it, making her tough to dig. Camdyn Stucky, S, Shockwave 16 Sean – Watching Stucky it’s easy to see why she’s a four-star recruit. She has a great touch and sets a clean ball seemingly every time. She knows how to mix it up by going to her various hitters and keeping defenses guessing. Gracie Morrow, OH, Shockwave 16 Sean – Morrow – a three-star recruit – was at it again. She provides valuable offense with her ability to score in a variety of ways. London Wijay, OH, Supernova 16 All Star – A three-star recruit, Wijay carries a lot of the offensive load. She can score from all over. She jumps and swings well and helps keep Supernova in matches at times. Mallorie Meyer, L, VCNebraska 16 Ellite – Meyer was solid in both her passing and defending skills. She did well chasing down balls and showing her range. Faith Young, MB, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – Young was a menace out of the middle. She has

The 16 Open division at AAU in Orlando is winding down. Day 3 was key in that it decided the final 14 teams for the gold bracket. Given that, there was fierce competition as clubs fought and scrapped for one of those spots. Below, we highlight the Show Stoppers, featuring the players who caught our attention the most. Logan Wiley, MB, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe – A four-star recruit, Wiley was scoring at will. A5 was running her on quicks and slides. It didn’t matter, she was pounding kills either way. Meghan Roggenkamp, L, Northern Lights 16-1 – Roggenkamp was defending with a passion. She made plenty of nice saves in helping hold down the back row defense. Kamryn Utley, S, Rev 16-1 – A three-star recruit, Utley was doing a good job of spotting her sets accurately. She also showed a nice touch and consistent release. Lauren Harden, OH, Rev 16-1 – Harden – a five-star recruit – is a difference anywhere she is on the court. She’s long and can go over blocks. Or she hits hard enough to blow them up. She proved difficult to slow time and time again. Reese Wuebker, OH, Tri-State 16 Elite – Wuebker was part of a strong outside attack for Tri-State. A three-star recruit, Wuebker jumps well and swings fast. It allows her to generate pace on her shots and makes her tough to dig. Addy Brus, OH, Tri-State 16 Elite – Another three-star recruit on the left for Tri-State, Brus was also tough to slow consistently. She was displaying nice extension on her swings and hitting at a high contact point. Leah Richmond, S, Academy 16 Yeti – Richmond has good hands and soft touch. She was on point with her location. She was also helping on the defensive end with blocks for points. Samantha Bowron, OH, Top Select 16 Elite – Top Select has a strong outside duo, with Bowron – a three-star recruit – a part of it. She can get up well and swings hard. It makes for big kills at times. Dionna Mitchell, OH, Top Select 16 Elite – A three-star recruit, Mitchell can also jump well and swings hard. Given that, she puts a lot of pressure on the defenders to make plays as she brings the heat. Jayda Redd, RS, Top Select 16 Elite – Redd – a three-star recruit – was a reliable scoring option. She has a big arm and was popping winners with authority. Chelsea Sutton, MB, OT 16 Will – Sutton – a three-star recruit – 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. Connor Rahn, OH, OT 16 Will – A lanky outside, this three-star recruit has a fluid swing and high contact point. It allows her to go over smaller blockers. She also hits with pace and can be tough to dig up. Jenna Garner, OH, City 16 Gold – Garner – a three-star recruit – was attacking with a vengeance. She was ripping balls through the seam and down the line and scoring lots of points. Havyn Rolle, MB, City 16 Gold – Rolle showed her value on both sides of the ball. She was getting up and sending balls down with power. She was also touching and blocking balls when attacked against. Landry Braziel, OH, OP2 16-1 – Braziel was taking aggressive cuts and was backing down. OP2 likes to move her around, running her on the combo to utilize her scoring ability. Juleigh Urbina, S, OT 16 Roberto – Urbina – a three-star recruit – has a good release and consistently sets a clean ball. She was doing well running the offense, getting her hitters good looks. Fallon Stewart, OH, OT 16 Roberto – Stewart can be tough to slow down. She’s long with a high contact point. She’ll go right over the block with big rips at the ball. Bailey Higgins, RS, OT 16 Jason – Higgins – a three-star recruit – can be an offensive force. She gets up very well with a fluid swing. She can bring real heat and is tough to keep in check consistently. Taylor Parks, S, OT 16 Jason – A three-star recruit, Parks has a very nice hands and a soft touch. She can go behind her with ease and is rarely off the mark with her delivery. Kyla Firestone, S, Supernova 16 All Stars – Firestone is a bit undersized but she’s quick and gets to the ball well. She hits her spots regularly and does well moving the ball around. Alanah Clemente, RS, Supernova 16 All Stars – A freshman playing up, Clemente has huge upside. She’s a long 6-0 and a lefty. She can really extend and hits well when the set is lined up. Taylor Lewis, MB, Munciana 16 Moana – Lewis – a three-star recruit – is someone defenses have to pay attention to. Munciana loves going to her and she has the ability to score on slides or quicks with her big arm. Lola Schumacher, L, Munciana 16 Moana – A five-star recruit, Schumacher is a defensive force. She makes everything she does look easy and smooth, from passing in serve receive to showing great range in coverage. Lauren Evans, OH, Munciana 16 Moana – Evans keeps coming at blockers and doesn’t let up. A three-star recruit, she has a nice swing and can power balls deep cross court to the corner regularly. Amanda Mack, OH, K2 16 Adidas – A four-star recruit, Mack is the go-to on the left for K2. When the opportunity is there, she can unleash with a fury and crush balls down. Natalie De Paula, S/RS, Tribe 16 Elite – De Paula is a vital piece of the lineup with her setting and hitting. She has a nice touch and accurate delivery. Though she’s a bit undersized, she might be even more valuable on the attack. She’s a

Number of Teams: 36 vballrecruiter.com National Rankings: 1. Arizona Storm 15 Thunder 2. Hou Skyline 15 Royal 3. TAV 15 Black 4. Dynasty 15 Black 5. Circle City 15 Purple 6. 1st Alliance 15 Gold 7. OT 15 Randy 8. Legacy 15-1 Adidas 9. HJV 15 Elite 10. Surfside 15 PV Legends 11. Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar 12. MAVS KC 15-1 13. Austin Skyline 15 Royal 14. Coast 15-1 15. Absolute Black 15-1 16. Nebraska One 15 Synergy 17. Skyline 15 Royal 18. Excel 15 National Red 19. Alamo 15 Premier 20. Tstreet 15 Curtis 21. Drive Nation 15 Red 22. NE Elite 15 Matrix 23. Wave 15 Scott 24. HPSTL 15 Royal 27. Mich Elite 15 Mizuno 28. Six Pack 15 29. AZ Sky 15 Gold 30. AZ Rev 15 Premier 31. NorCal 15-1 Black 33. AJV 15 Adidas 34. ID Crush 15 Bower 35. Madfrog 15 Green 40. Northern Lights 15-1 42. GP 15 Rox 48. NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami 49. Top Select 15 Elite vballrecruiter.com 5-star recruits (6): Logan Parks, S/RS, MAVS KC 15-1 Bayleigh Minor, MB, Hou Skyline 15 Royal Abby Vander Wal, OH, 1st Alliance 15 Gold Bailey Warren, OH, Hou Skyline 15 Royal Teraya Sigler, OH, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder Megan Fitch, OH, Alamo 15 Premier vballrecruiter.com 4-star recruits (25): Ruby Hill, S/RS, Tstreet 15 Curtis Quinn Loper, OH, Tstreet 15 Curtis Sydney Bryant, OH, HJV 15 Elite Mesaiya Bettis, OH/RS, Northern Lights 15-1 Sarah Mendoza, L, Drive Nation 15 Red Natalie Wardlow, MB, Nebraska One 15 Synergy Kassidy O’Brien, S, Hou Skyline 15 Royal Ella Lewis, OH, Hou Skyline 15 Royal Morgan Madison, L, Hou Skyline 15 Royal Sydney Black, L, HJV 15 Elite Kirra Musgrove, S/RS, HJV 15 Elite Kennedi Rogers, OH, HJV 15 Elite Campbell Flynn, S, Legacy 15-1 Adidas Riley McCloskey, OH/RS, NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami Sydnee Peterson, RS, TAV 15 Black Aaliyah Smith, OH, HJV 15 Elite Kalyssa Blackshear, MB, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar Taryn Morris, MB, TAV 15 Black Reese Jackson, MB, TAV 15 Black Sophia Thornburg, OH, TAV 15 Black Izzy Mogridge, S, OT 15 Randy Sarah Pfiffner, S, TAV 15 Black Madison Winkler, L, TAV 15 Black Maddie Smotherman, L, Madfrog 15 Green Audrey Jackson, OH, TAV 15 Black Outlook: The two heavyweights sit atop our national rankings in Arizona Storm 15 Thunder and Hou Skyline 15 Royal. The feeling here is if you played this event 10 times, one or the other would win it eight out of the 10. The other 34 teams in the field will be trying to prevent that from happening. It’s very unlikely the gold medalist comes from outside the Top 10 in our national rankings. However, while Storm grabbed the No. 1 overall seed, Hou Skyline checks in as the No. 6 overall seed. In between is No. 2 Dynasty 15 Black, No. 3 Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar, No. 4 TAV 15 Black and No. 5 1st Alliance 15 Gold. Dynasty, Circle City 15 Purple – the No. 2 team in Pool 5 – and 1st Alliance have been in the mix everywhere they have gone. The same is true of TAV, Legacy 15-1 Adidas and OT 15 Randy. The latter two faced off for the 15 Open gold in Orlando, with Legacy topping OT. The first two days of pool will cut the field to 24 teams, as four teams advance from each pool. Given that, we don’t anticipate any contenders getting bumped early. One thing to watch for though is if any top contenders don’t take first in the pool. In that case, it would make for a difficult Round 2 pool, which will feature eight pools of three teams. If we have to pick a dark horse to keep an eye on it would be Austin Skyline 15 Royal. Prediction: Arizona Storm and Hou Skyline have not met yet this season and the prediction is they will finally play in the championship match. Storm takes the match in three games. Circle City and 1st Alliance earn the bronze medals.

Number of Teams: 36 vballrecruiter.com National Rankings: 1. Madfrog 14 Green 2. MKE Sting 14 Gold 3. TAV 14 Black 4. Wave 14 Brennan 5. Flyers 14 Bill 6. Mintonette m.41 7. Pohaku 14-1 8. Boiler Jrs 14 Gold 9. Elevation 14 Molly 10. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami 11. GP 14 Rox 12. AZ Sky 14 Gold 13. Forza1 North 14 UA 14. SCVC 14 Roxy 15. Premier Nebraska 14 Gold 16. Alamo 14 Premier 17. Arizona Storm 14 Thunder 18. HPSTL 14 Royal 19. Dynasty 14 Black 20. SG Elite 14 Rosh 21. Tstreet 14 Carson 22. Hou Skyline 14 Royal 23. Austin Skyline 14 Royal 24. A5 Mizuno 14 Helen 25. AP 14 Adidas 26. TAV Houston 14 Adidas 28. AZ Rev 14 Premier 29. Skyline 14 Royal 31. Rev 14-1 Fuego 32. Drive Nation 14 Red 33. AVC Cle Rox 14 Red 36. OP2 14-1 37. High Tide 14 Elite 39. WPVC Armour Black 41. SF Tremors 14 Wolverines 42. Academy 14 Diamond Outlook: Madfrog 14 Green enters as the team to beat. Madfrog captured three national qualifier titles plus Triple Crown. It has just one loss on a national stage and that was to Elevation 14 Molly. Deservedly, Madfrog was awarded the No. 1. Six teams in the field also competed at AAUs. They were Boiler Jrs 14 Gold, GP 14 Rox, Dynasty 14 Black, A5 Mizuno 14 Helen, Rev 14-1 Fuego and WPVC Armour Black. It left them with eight days between competitions. Of course, Boiler Jrs took home the 14 Open gold medal in Orlando. The Indiana club starts off as the No. 2 overall seed and is playing well at the right time of year. GP finished runner up in Orlando, while A5 earned one of the bronze medals. Rounding out the top six is No. 3 MKE Sting 14 Gold, No. 4 Wave 14 Brennan, No. 5 Pohaku 14-1 and No. 6 Flyers 14 Anthony. While Madfrog is the favorite the way the 14s have played out anything can happen. All the top teams have taken turns beating each other. The main question is will any of the top seeds not advance from the first round of pool play? With four of the six teams moving on, it’s really unlikely that any top seeds won’t remain in the mix. But with three-team pools after that leading into the challenge matches to reach the top eight, the action is going to get interesting in a hurry. Prediction: The winner and gold medal goes to Madfrog, which defeats TAV in an all-Texas final. MKE Sting and Boiler Jrs get bronzes.

We are winding down at AAU in Orlando. With the 14s, 15s, 17s and 18s divisions in the rearview, it’s time the 16s take stage. Thursday marked the first day of play in the age group and girls were eager to get after it and compete (scroll further down for a recap of the day). vballrecruiter.com was on the move from court to court checking for the athletes who were making us take notice. Below, we highlight our Day 1 Show Stoppers. Allie Shondell, S, Boiler Jrs 16 Gold – Shondell – a five-star recruit – is a setting highlight reel. She has a clean release and soft touch. She hits her target almost always and can be tough for defenses to read. Riley Resmer, MB, Boiler Jrs 16 Gold – A 6-1 middle, Resmer was a reliable scoring option. She was running 1s effectively and defenses were forced to stay close and committed to her. Paige Wagner, MB, Northern Lights – Wagner was letting opponents feel her existence in the middle with her 6-2 frame. She was touching a lot of balls while also scoring on quicks. Reis Baune, OH, Northern Lights – Baune was getting after it every time we saw her swing. A 6-0 outside, she’s an aggressive attacker with a quick swing to torment defenses with. London Wijay, OH, Supernova 16 All Stars – A three-star recruit, Wijay is a wirey outside with a nice bounce and swing. She’s a six-rotation threat and the main weapon for Supernova. Rachel Ogunleye, MB, Ilini Elite 16 Cardinal – With nice size in the middle at 6-2, there’s plenty of upside to Ogunleye and her potential to shine at the next level. A three-star recruit, she’s springy and quick, which allows her to move side to side with ease. Kendall Beshear, OH, SCVC 16 Roxy – Beshear is relentless. She’s a bit undersized but has an explosive jump and arm and crushes balls over and over. Taylor Deckert, L, SCVC 16 Roxy – We’ve seen Deckert throughout the year and she’s steady and consistent in the back row. She is rarely off in serve receive and makes tough digs look easy at times. Macie Malchow, S, Kairos 16 Adidas – A 5-10 disher, Malchow showcased a consistent release and nice touch. Her location was spot on and she was playing solid defense too. Liliana Dutcher, RS, Ka Ulukoa 16 Black – Dutcher changes the look of the offense when she checks in. A lefty, she’s a threat anytime Ka Ulukoa was in system and she will get fed the ball often in that scenario. Allison Pilat, MB, Mich Elite 16 Mizuno – At 6-1, when Pilat is able to extend she can deliver. She sent down a couple kills of note that had to make the defense pay attention. Katelynn Rottman, OH, Mich Elite 16 Mizuno – A bit undersized on the pin, Rottman plays with lots of energy and a high spirit. She has a good arm and is fearless, as she keeps coming at defenses time and time again. Ava Vetter, RS, Adversity 16 Adidas – Vetter is a featured part of the attack. Adversity likes to move her around to give defenses more to think about. Vetter has nice extension on her swings as well. Grace Busold, OH, AVC Cle Rox 16 Red – A bit undersized at 5-9, Busold was showing plenty of pop on the outside. She cracked a few that were impossible to ignore. Annabelle Groomes, S, AVC Cle Rox 16 Red – A five-star recruit from the Class of 2025, Groomes is an unbelievable talent. She has remarkable hands and consistently sets a clean, hittable ball in guiding the offense. Delaney Lawson, OH, Asics Munciana 16 Moana – A 6-1, three-star recruit, Lawson is lanky with a fluid swing that generates plenty of pace. She was showing great extension with a high contact point, making it difficult for blockers to slow down. Lola Schumacher, L, Asics Munciana 16 Moana – Schumacher was showing why she’s a five-star recruit. She owns the back row with lots of range and presence. She can slide over and pass dimes on the move with little effort. Maria Drapp, S, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue – A three-star recruit, Drapp has really good hands and hits her mark regularly. She does well varying her sets to get all her hitters involved and can be hard for defenses to get a feel for. Camille Morrison, OH, SPVB 16 Elite – Morrison is 5-11 but plays taller than that. She’s wirey and springy with huge upside. Chloe Gels, OH, Summit 16 Blue Elite – Gels – a three-star recruit, was taking aggressive rips and really challenging defenses to make a play. She’s a threat front and back row, so defenses need to be aware of her no matter what. Carly O’Brien, OH, Upward Stars 16 Amy – At 5-9, O’Brien is a little undersized but she’s a gamer. A six-rotation outside, she can get up and attack with a passion. Ellie Moore, S, Northeast 16 Open – Moore was showing consistent spotting with her dishes. She features a soft release and was making a few plays defensively as well. Caroline Ellis, OH, Northeast 16 Open – A 6-1 outside from the Class of 2025, Ellis has a strong, powerful arm. She was pounding balls deep near the end line consistently. Ryan Hunter, RS, CJV 16 Zoe – Another member of the Class of 2025, Hunter is a four-star recruit who is going to star at the next level. She’s a lefty with a big jump and arm who plays all the way around. Taylor Treahy, RS, LAVA North 16 Adidas – A 6-0 lefty right side, Treahy completely changes the dynamic of the game when she comes across the front row. She’s long and can go over blocks. She’s also able to help slow down attackers with her ability to get her hands on shots. Nina Mitchell, MB, Shockwave

Another day, two more age groups wrapped up. Gold medals were awarded in the 15s and 17s divisions Wednesday at AAU in Orlando. We’ll have more on Legacy 15-1 Adidas topping OT 15 Randy in the 15 Open championship match and Legacy 17-1 Adidas defending its title by beating Rev 17-1 in the 17 Open final in separate articles. Below, we bring you our Day 4 Show Stoppers. Lauren Yacobucci, S, AVC Cle Rox 17 Red – Yacobucci was showing off her smooth hands. She was consistently on target with her sets and did a solid job directing the offense. Sophia Anghilante, MB, AVC Cle Rox 17 Red – Anghilante was a presence on both sides of the ball. She delivered a few resounding blocks and was scoring well when her number was called. Kamaluhia Garcia, RS, Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB – We highlighted this lefty on Day 3 and she was back at it again. Once more she was producing big kills and changed the dynamic of the offense every time she checked in. She also puts up a wall of the block on the right. Melie Vaioleti, L, Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB – Another member of Ku’Ikahi that we featured from Day 3, Vaioleti is nails out of serve receive. She was also holding the defensive line effectively. Reese Diersbock, OH, Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB – When this three-rotation outside checks in she brings her powerful arm to the court. She was firing away time and time again. Sarah Brodner, RS, High Tide 17 Elite – A 6-5 right side from the Class of 2024, we are high on the potential of Brodner. She can control the net on both sides of the ball, as she showed in the quarterfinals with shutdown blocks and critical kills at key moments. Lindsay Walch, MB, High Tide 17 Elite – Walch was not holding back when she went on the attack. She was swinging fiercely and also was clamping down with her block. Janyah Henderson, MB, Rev 17-1 – Henderson is a firecracker in the middle with her speed and quickness. She’s a bit undersized buy owns everything she touches and puts constant pressure on the defense. Elie Patterson, OH, Rev 17-1 – A six-rotation stalwart, Patterson delivered clutch kill after clutch kill. Just one example was her semifinal match-clincher off the block that boosted Rev into the 17 Open final. Sarah Gooch, OH, Top Select 17 Elite – One of the main offensive weapons for Top Select, Gooch was swinging well with her long arm and high contact point. She also displayed her smarts with her heady shot selections. Ileyshmi Negron, L, Top Select 17 Elite – Negron seemed to play her best in the bigger moments. If Top Select needed a dig she seemed to always get one. Harper Murray, OH, Legacy 17 Adidas – Murray’s performance in the 17 Open final was next level magic. She was unstoppable, powering Legacy to the gold medal with her wide array of shots from the front and back row, including the match-clinching kill to set off the celebration. Laurece Abraham, MB, Legacy 17 Adidas – Abraham is a scoring threat every time she checks in. Legacy doesn’t hesistate to go to her and time after time she delivered, including a few resounding kills. Abigail Reck, MB, Legacy 17 Adidas – Reck was also giving Legacy a potent punch out of the middle with her attacking. It helped keep the defense honest and not allow blockers to stack up on Legacy’s outsides. Nina Horning, OH, Legacy 17 Adidas – Throughout gold bracket play Horning showed off her arm and scoring prowess. She consistently delivered timely kills and loud winners. Sydney Lewis, L, OT 17 John – Lewis was showing what she’s able to do in the back row in the quarters and semis. She’s smooth with her passing and defending and was a defensive force. Allison Cavanaugh, RS, OT 17 John – With her height, Cavanaugh is a presence on both sides of the ball. She was showcasing her blocking knack on the right side, stuffing more than a few when challenged. Stella Swenson, S, MN Select 17-1 – Few command the offense like Swenson, who is a sophomore playing up. She was running a 5-1 with poise and confidence and had MN Select on the brink of the semifinals. Charlotte Vinson, RS, Asics Munciana 15 Lorax – A six-rotation right side who provides offense all the way around, Vinson was showcasing her arm time and time again. She has a high contact point and just keeps coming at the defense. Lilly Howell, MB, Asics Munciana 15 Lorax – Howell was giving Muncie tons of production out of the middle. So much so Muncie trusted going to her with the season on the line twice in a row in the semifinals against Legacy and she scored both times. Taylor Cripe, OH, Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – Cripe come can up with big time kills with her strong arm. She also has a great wrist snap that keeps her hard shots in the court. Mallory Johnson, L, Far Out 15 Black – Johnson had a strong Day 4. She was holding it down in serve receive by regularly putting her passes on target. She was also making key digs to extend rallies. Navea Gauthier, OH, Far Out 15 Black – Far Out is not the same team without Gauthier on the outside. She’s a menacing presence to any opponent Far Out faces, as she can wail front or back row with the best of them. Victoria Hill, OH, GP 15 Rox – A bit undersized, it doesn’t matter to Hill. She soars high and swings hard. That combo makes her a scoring machine and someone defenses to need to guard against no matter where she’s at in the rotation. Elizabeth Bower, L, ID Crush 15 Bower – ID Crush is built on its defensive prowess, led by Bower. An eighth-grader, she owns