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Any time teams are playing to make a gold bracket is a big deal. When it’s at a national championship, it’s an even bigger one. That’s what Day 3 for the 14s and 18s at AAUs in Orlando had in store for us. You can read about the day’s developments below if you keep scrolling. First, we want to showcase our Day 3 Show Stoppers. These are the players who stood out to us the most while going from court to court. Ruby McDermott, L, A5 Mizuno 14-1 Helen – McDermott showed her ability to get low and pick balls up off the floor. She was passing on target out of serve receive and was holding down the back row with confidence. Jordin Southall, OH, GP 14 Rox – A high-flying outside, Southall is someone to keep tabs on as she moves up in age groups. She can unleash on balls at times and is a definite scoring threat when she checks in front row. Jenness Orcutt, RS, GP 14 Rox – Orcutt brings her much-needed height to the front row. She has a good extension on her attacks and gave GP a reliable option on the right side. She was also touching balls and helping slow down attacks. Emma Adkins, OH, Tri-State Elite 14 Blue – A six-rotation outside, Adkins is a key cog in the Tri-State lineup. She doesn’t back down, swinging well and keeps it coming at blockers. Arielle Hepler, L, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – Boiler is one of the better passing and ball control teams in the field. Hepler contributes to that with her play at libero. She plays with lots of energy and is sound out of serve receive and does well chasing down balls. Lexi Shondell, S, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – Shondell is someone we could talk about every time we see her play. She’s that talented. She already shows great command of the offense as she gets all her hitters involved. She’s also a plus defender. Madeline Dettling, OH, Mich Elite 14 Mizuno – A lanky outside, Dettling is one of the better offensive options for Mich Elite. She was showing nice extension on most of her swings. Ella Askin, OH, Adidas KiVA 14 Red – Asking brings a bit of physicality to the lineup. She’s a strong hitter who can unleash big kills at times. Riley Taylor, MB, Triangle 14 Black – Taylor displayed her upside and it makes her someone to keep watch on in the years to come. She’s tall and that’s always an advantage at this age group. She also has the capability to send down loud kills when she gets a hold of one. Lexi Kedvesh, L, Rev 14-1 – Kedvesh does a solid job patrolling the back row. She can pass overhead and she can move side to side in serve receive and still deliver on target. Isabelle Masten, OH, Rev 14-1 – A bit undersized, Masten passes well and is a fearless attacker who can hit from the back row as well. Jaycee Jones, MB, Rev 14-1 – Also a bit undersized, Jones is an athletic middle who moves well. She has a quick leap and nice arm that makes her a scoring threat on in-system passes. Meredith Martin, L, Legacy 14-1 Adidas – Martin is one of the best liberos in the field. She’s smooth and consistent and rarely makes mistakes or misses on plays. She also can pass half the court in a two-person serve receive along with Jadyn Kennedy. Zoe Ross, L, Wildfire 14 Albert – Wildfire is one of the better digging and scrambling teams in the tournament. Ross is part of the reason why with her ability to make hustle plays and passing well when served at. Josie Noble, MB, Far Out 14 Black – Noble brings a level of physicality to the front row. She was scoring from sideline to sideline, going cross body and wrist away with equal effectiveness. Charlotte Segard, OH, MVA 14 National Black – Segard helps keep the offense ticking across the front row. She’s also a strong contributor in the back row where she was making nice digs and covers to keep rallies alive. Madison Hewitson, RS, Ocala Power 14 Adidas – A lanky lefty right side, Hewitson was making an impact on both sides of the ball. She was get her hands on attacks then turning around and scoring with nice shots to the deep cross court corner. Violet Poole, L, MVP 14 Gold – Poole was performing well and working hard to hold down the defensive side. She was laying out to keep balls alive, stepping taking them overhead and passing steady out of serve receive. Jenna Baller, L, Elevation 14 Peak – Baller was another defensive presence. She was sound in serve receive and putting passes on digs right on target consistently. Kennedy Boatman, S, Tx Tornados 14 Adidas – Boatman was consistently setting clean balls. She showed a soft touch and was hitting her spots regularly. Gabriella Brodner, OH, Jupiter Elite 14 – Brodner flashed her upside. She’s lanky with nice extension and is part of a solid outside duo for Jupiter. Olivia Peterson, OH, Jupiter Elite 14 – Peterson is the other half of a standout outside duo for Jupiter. She was showcasing strong passing skills and though she’s a bit undersized she was aggressive with her swings. Shaniya Harris, MB, HJV 14 Premier – A middle who is a bit undersized, Harris helps make up for with her bounce. She’s quick off the ground with a nice arm and delivered a few impressive kills. Adriana Jeanpierre, OH, JJVA 14 Teal – Jeanpierre gets in the air well with her strong jump. She gives JJVA a scoring option front or back row as she’s not afraid to let it rip. Avery MacMeccan, L, Upward Stars 14 Taylor – Taylor communicates well, encouraging teammates and letting hitters know where to swing. She was also consistently picking up swings

Day 2 in 13 Open from AAUs in Orlando was all business for most of the top seeds as four out of the six went undefeated in matches and sets. The only upset was in Pool 6 where GP 13 Rox upset the No. 1 team in Tribe 13 Elite. Tomorrow will consist of three pools of four, with the top three in each pool advancing to gold bracket. There should be plenty of great volleyball on Day 3. Now, let’s take a look at our Day 2 Show Stoppers, featuring the players that stood out to us the most. 13s SETTERS Marissa Jones, A5 MIzuno 13 Karen – Jones dominated the net with her size. She was putting up block after block while throwing down some powerful one-handed dumps. Addison Traina, GP 13 Rox – In GP’s upset of Tribe, she handled the setting duties efficiently, seemingly making all the right sets at the right time. Avery Thompson-Stepp, Legacy 13-1 Adidas – Thompson-Stepp has strong hands with high contact. She set a good slide with pace and got results. Kenna Robinson, Asics Munciana 13 Stingrays – Robinson showed her creativity with a slew of combination plays and confusing the blocks. Addison Hurley, Adidas KIVA 13 Red – Hurley made all the right sets as she rallied her team back from a 18-14 deficit late in the game for a great win. LIBERO Abril Fernandez, GP 13 Rox – Fernandez plays with excitement and energy that is contagious. She also uses her hands for overhead digs with ease. Dannah Kerberg, Adidas KIVA 13 Red – Kerberg showed great hustle chasing balls down all over. She was also consistent in serve receive. McKenzie Willkie, A5 Mizuno 13 Karen – Willkie makes good reads on plays, constantly placing herself where the ball ends up. Lyndsey Robinson, Asics Munciana 12 Stingrays – Robinson delivered key serves when her team was down and needed it. She seems like a coach on the court coming out of a timeout talking and high fiving everyone on the court. MIDDLES Emily Poteraj, Adidas KIVA 13 Red – Poteraj’s blocks changed a lot of decisions by hitters. She also had hard hits to both sidelines in her resume. Sofia Tausinga, Club V 13 AR – Tausinga’s quick hops are a nightmare for anyone’s timing trying to block her. Brooklyn Sippio, GP 13 Rox – Sippio was very athletic around the net moving sideline to sideline well and also transitioning and hitting tight sets. Cynthia Ockerman, Legacy 13-1 Adidas – Ockerman has good size for blocking bur her slide attack is her bread and butter that lands many kills for her team. RIGHT SIDES Mia Diouf, GP 13 Rox – This lefty set the tone in her team’s upset match. Her big blocks and powerful swings caused confusion and hesitation with the other team. Kaitlyn Wohl, Adidas KIVA 13 Red – Wohl was very reliable with her attacks, getting key kills but rarely making any mistakes. Ava Gould, Asics Munciana 13 Stingrays – Gould does a good job of saving balls that are set in trouble and keeping those hits in play. OUTSIDES Brooke Codey, Adidas KIVA 13 Red – Codey had five kills in a row late in a match for her team’s comeback victory. Nafanua Alofipo, Club V 13AR Jess – Alofipo is a solid six-rotation player with great passing skills. Offensively, she is very quick and a definite plus in transition. Paige Rudolph, Asics Munciana Stingrays – Rudolph has a good arm and hits with pace. Her hits were beating defenders to the spot. Kaylee Forman, Tribe 13 Elite Hector – Forman had good swings down the line with pace and rarely made any errors. 12s The underdog to root for on Day 2 was fourth-seed GVA 12 Jayson from Puerto Rico, which beat everyone in its pool and starts tomorrow as the No. 2 overall seed. Friday’s gold pools feature two pools of four. Before that action takes place however, let’s get to our Day 2 Show Stoppers highlighting the players who stood out. SETTERS Paislee Terry, Asics Munciana 12 Peppers – Terry did a good job distributing the ball as the defense had a tough time getting in position for either quick sets or sets to the pin. Amanda Martinez, GVA 12 Jayson – Martinez has a good setter’s mentality. She was hustling for balls and kept good composure when her serve receive was in trouble. Kaelyn Easton, Legacy 12-1 Adidas – Easton has really good footwork and it showed when passes were tight and she was able to get there and jump set a nice ball. Chelsea Torrence, A5 Mizuno 12 Jing – Torrance has a good touch and gets the ball to the same spot consistently, whether she is setting conventionally or running and bump setting. Marlan Rolon, Borinquen 12-1 Juan – Rolon really shined in the back row with her tough serves and sound defense. LIBERO Danica Waterman, OT 12 T Kesha – Waterman is a strong server with not only pace but accuracy. She was also able to locate a weak area and keep the pressure on. Rebekah Tigertail, Tribe 12 Elite Altone – Tigertail is a strong defender who not only will dive and chase down ball, but she also digs overhand confidently. Arianys Salgado, Borinquen 12-1 Juan – Salgado is a very active defender, will cover all hitters, chase down loose balls, and set all out of system balls without hesitation. Brooke Neale, Asics Munciana 12 Peppers – Neale is very good in serve receive with her technique and her communication to her teammates. She also plays strong middle back defense. MIDDLES Lexi Coleman, Legacy 12-1 Adidas – Coleman is really good in transition. She showed good footwork with a quick arm swing. Kennedy Davis, A5 Mizuno 12 Jing – Davis has good timing and technique on her blocks, consistently getting touches. Hailli Winkle, Asics Munciana 12 Peppers – Winkle is strong and dynamic. She gets a

You know what time it is. It’s time to get to the happenings of Day 2 from the 14s and 18s from AAUs in Orlando. Keep scrolling down to see recap with news and notes from the second round of pool play. Before getting to that though, we present our Day 2 Show Stoppers from the aforementioned age groups. Elle Mottola, S/RS, WPVC 14 Armour Black – Mottola showed what she can bring to a lineup with her setting and hitting abilities. She was delivering with consistent location when setting. Kampbell Niepagen, RS, Illini Elite 14 Cardinal – A lanky right side, Niepagen was showing nice extension on her swings and generating pace that had shots going deep cross court. Alana Whitfield, OH, Illini Elite 14 Cardinal – Whitfield is the go-to hitter and a valuable six-rotation outside. She was showing great skill in the back row passing and running down balls to extend rallies. Isabella Taveras Seda, L, JJVA 14 Teal – Seda is a fiery libero with lots of spirit. She’s also quick and able to cover a lot of court. Mollie Vandeusen, S/RS, JJVA 14 Teal – Vandeusen has nice size and is part of a 6-2 package, setting in the back and hitting across the front. She does well at both, with accurate sets and solid swing. Ryan Murphy, S/RS, JJVA 14 Teal – Murphy is also a big piece of the lineup, as she can also play in part of a 6-2. She also has nice height and sets a good ball with the ability to give the team a boost offensively as well with her hitting. Reagan Hare, RS, CJV 14 Kim – A lefty, Hare is a vital piece. She has a good arm and sees the court well, varying between strong contacts and roll shots to the open court. She was also hitting out of the back row on D balls. Riley Nagamine, L, 808 14 Sheri – Nagamine showed a sound platform and was passing nails in serve receive. She also showed her grit and determination chasing down errant balls. Amira Bailey, MB, TPV 14 Legacy – It’s fun identifying future prospects and Bailey is definitely one to keep tabs on. We don’t know her exact height but she’s the tallest player in the division. Her upside is tremendous, as she already gets her hands way above the net when blocking. Maggie Szlachcic, OH, Far Out 14 Black – Szlachcic was providing key offense for Far Out. She was showing a solid swing and wasn’t holding back at times in challenging the defense to make a play. Kam’Bre Jones, MB, OT 14 Laura – Even if defenses know the ball is going to Jones, she can be tough to slow. She has a quick jump and fluid swing and can seemingly score at will. Laila Ornick, L, Roots 14 Green – Ornick is a quick libero who makes up ground in a hurry. She was showing her hustle by running down balls all over the court and also doing a good job covering touches. Ella Meador, L, FCA Upstate 141 – Meador is a gamer with a steady demeanor. She was passing dimes out of serve receive the times teams dared come at her. Nalanie Neal, RS, RVJ 14 Caleb – Neal has a high ceiling and could be a future prospect. She’s wirey with a good arm. RVJ definitelys looks to get her involved as much as possible, so defenses must be ready for her attacks. Cali Foster, OH, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – An all-around contributor, Foster is a lights-out passer and defender. She’s also a smart hitter who can tool blocks and consistently put pressure on defenses with her ability to go down the line. Avery Stephens, L, OT 14 Cristobal – Stephens has the ability to make dazzling saves, like when she dove to her left and made a one-arm dig near the sideline to extend a rally. Gabby Semona, MB, Tri-State Elite 14 Blue – A 6-1 middle, Semona brings size to the front row. She’ll line up and hit on the right as well as Tri-State moves her around to get her more involved. Mckenna Morton, OH, Madfrog 14 Black – Madfrog 14 Green is the top 14s team in the nation, so you know the Black squad has seen high-level volleyball this whole season. While undersized at every position, there’s so much heart and passion. Morton is part of the group, attacking front and back row without fear. Bradi Weidman, S/RS, Madfrog 14 Black – Weidman is a big piece to what Madfrog does. She sets and hit and she’s also a strong defender who makes hustle plays. Kayla Nwabueze, MB, Legacy 14-1 Adidas – We wrote about Nwabueze at the JVA SummerFest. This 6-0 middle is a freaky prospect. She hits from all over – on the left, on the right, on 1s and on 3s. When she gets full extension she almost never gets dug. Reese Resmer, MB, Boiler Jrs 14 Gold – We also watched Resmer at SummerFest, where she was one of the best middles in the age group. She was owning the second set against Legacy with her quick jump and swing that generates plenty of pace. Emily Keiran, L, Adidas KiVA 14 Red – Keiran passes a lot of court in serve receive. She was also making well-timed saves while showing her scrappiness. Kathryn O’Toole, DS, Adidas KiVA 14 Red – Admittingly, we should write about more DS’s like O’Toole. She was part of a two-person serve receive and was covering and passing well during her time in the back row. Dasia Johnson, OH, Wildfire 14 Albert – An undersized outside, Johnson proves plenty of punch to the attack. She jumps well and hits a heavy ball with lots of topspin due to a nice wrist snap. Alayna Vaeth, S, Dynasty 14 Black – Vaeth is steady, not getting too high or low. She has a strong

AAUs in Orlando features stiff competition in the 13 Open division. Day 1 showcased 27 teams. All the top seeds proved dominant in pool play. It has all the makings for exciting pool play moving forward as the cream is rising to the top. Plenty of individuals stood out as well. Here are our Show Stoppers from the first day of action. 13s SETTERS Addison Hurley, Adidas KIVA 13 Red – Hurley has a solid serve which resulted in long serving runs. Additionally, the location of her sets were consistent. Marissa Jones, A5 Mizuno 13 Karen – Jones’ hands are strong and the release is smooth. She was able to set a “3” going backwards showing her athleticism. Zamari Christensen, Club V 13 AR Jess – Christensen’s trust in her middles in evident in the fact that she sets them frequently and they reward her with kills. Kenna Robinson, Asics Munciana Stingrays – Robinson was very effective running combination plays with two quick attacks or two players crossing, giving her hitters no blockers. Caitlin Crino, Tribe 13 Elite Hector – Crino was very good at getting her feet to the ball with a nice release making her sets consistent. LIBERO Lyndsey Robinson, Asics Munciana Stingrays – Robinson has a consistent and strong serve. Peyton Beatty, Lexington United 13 Adidas – Beatty displayed good touches in serve receive and is confident in her out of system setting. Addison Traina, GP 13 Rox – Traina is an energetic and active libero who also moves well and covers the backrow. Paige Lee, Top Select 13 Elite – Lee likes to move the serve around. She also flashed strong serve receive and played good middle back defense. MIDDLES Cynthia Ockerman, Legacy 13-1 Adidas – Ockerman was the only middle who ran a slide and it was effective. Milana Mays, Asics Munciana Stingrays – Mays runs a very quick “1” attack in serve receive and in transition. Sitoafa Tausinga, Club V 13 AR Jess – Tausinga’s “3” attack is hard to dig because it is so quick. Emily Poteraj, Adidas KIVA 13 Red – Poteraj’s presence at the net was felt during tight balls as she had quite a few stuff blocks. Ava Mineer, Adidas KIVA 13 Red – Mineer possesses a heavy arm swing resulting in many big kills. RIGHT SIDES Kaitlyn Wohl, Adidas KIVA 13 Red – Wohl has a lot of range on her swing including the sharp cross court. Ava Gould, Asics Muncian Stingrays – Gould is a lefty with a sound swing. She does get kills in row 1 on the outside. Jenny Glushakov, Top Select 13 Elite – Glushakov has a good, high contact that allows her to hit line consistently. Bradee Boyd, Tribe 13 Elite Hector – Boyd was engaging with her teammates, bringing smiles from everyone. OUTSIDES Brooke Codey, Adidas KIVA 13 Red – Codey has a high wrist snap on her swing giving it a lot of topspin. Darby Felts, K2 13 Adidas – Felts is a fearless hitter who swings hard with or without a block. Abbie Stewart, Asics Munciana Stingrays – Stewart has good court sense as she moves the ball around and tips to open spots for points. Jada Cripe, Boiler Juniors 13 Gold – Cripe not only can move the ball around but also put some monster blocks on tight sets and passes. 12s The 12 Open division at AAU is not as big as others with 19 total teams. The top seeds mostly dominated with four out of the five pool winners not dropping a set. We present our Day 1  Show Stoppers featuring the standouts who caught our attention the most. SETTERS Mila Zujovic, OT 12 T Kesha – Zujovic has nice, strong hands and very consistent location. Kaelyn Easton, Legacy 12-1 Adidas – Easton is very athletic as she will jump set consistently. Paislee Terry, Asics Muncian Peppers – Terry has a great touch and shows confidence in setting slides regularly. Marian Rolon, Borinquen 12-1 Juan – Rolon has a hard serve that is also accurate. LIBERO Danica Waterman, OT 12 T Kesha – Waterman has a consistently accurate serve that frustrates passers. Stella Smith, Legacy 12-1 Adidas – Smith is an energetic and talkative teammate. She’s very quick on hustle plays. Brooke Neale, Asics Munciana 12 Peppers – Neale was solid in serve receive and such a good passer she plays defense in middle back. Arianys Salgado, Borinquen 12-1 Juan – Salgado is very quick and can set out of system wherever the setter passes the ball. MIDDLES Adriana Hernandez, Borinquen 12-1 Juan – Hernandez hits a hard quick attack that defenders don’t expect to come so fast. Haili Winkle, Asics Munciana 12 Peppers – Winkle was the only middle to run a slide attack in her age group, showing her athleticism. Lexi Coleman, Legacy 12-1 Adidas – Coleman can hit a variety of hard shots, including quick attacks as well as a “2” out of transition. McKenzie Andrews, Legacy 12-1 Adidas – Andrews is a tall and very athletic middle. She will run “3s” consistently. RIGHT SIDES Mikaella Fontanez, Borinquen 12-1 Juan – Fontanez is a strong attacker constantly tooling the block and will hit a quick set out of serve receive. Arya Ozel, OT 12 T Kesha – Ozel was very good at the net blocking many outside attackers. Isabel Penrose, OT 12 T Kesha – Penrose is very dynamic. She can hit on the right side and out of serve receive. She will hit a middle set effectively too. OUTSIDES Anabella Valentin, Borinquen 12-1 Juan – Valentin is her team’s lifeline as at any signs of trouble she will get set for a big swing. Itzamar Martinez, Borinquen 12-1 Juan – Martinez is physical on offense with her hard swings and at the net with her blocking. Sofia Rivera, GVA 12 Jayson – Rivera has such a quick swing. Line diggers have a tough time reacting to how fast it comes. Lia Ray, Tribe

If you like reading about talented and impressive volleyball players then you’ll be glued to vballrecruiter.com for the next couple of weeks as we go on our journey through the two end of the year national championships. Wednesday brought us Day 1 of the 14s and 18s divisions at AAUs in Orlando. We’ll get to some of the day’s action further down if you keep scrolling. But first, we want to highlight the Show Stoppers from Day 1. These are the players who made us take notice while we were roaming from court to court. Kalyssa Taggart, S, A5 Mizuno 14 Helen – Taggart hits her spots well. She has an easy, seamless delivery and can go behind her well too. Sophia Stallworth, MB, WPVC 14 Armour Black – Stallworth is a smooth attacker with an easy swing. Defenders need to be on their toes because Stallworth can connect and hit with pact. Elle Mottola, S, WPVC 14 Armour Black – Mottola has a nice touch and delivers consistently hittable balls. Amelia Mancino, OH, WPVC 14 Armour Black – A bit undersized, Mancino isn’t afraid to challenge blockers. She was showing ability to tool blocks with aggressive swings. Alivia Morgan, RS, Rev 14-1 Fuego – Morgan was a viable threat on the right side. She’s lanky with a nice swing who is capable of catching a few and ripping them for winners. Ella Jenkins, OH, Rev 14-1 Fuego – We recently saw Jenkins at the JVA SummerFest and she was back doing her thing. She’s the go-to outside who gets off the ground well and pressures defenses to try and slow her down. Ashlyn Cobb, OH, Tribe 14 Elite – The outsides for Tribe are tough to slow down. Cobb takes big swings and isn’t afraid to get after it, whether front or back row. Vitoria Belfort, OH, Tribe 14 Elite – Belfort is quick off the ground, which makes her harder to time blocking. She also showed a nice knack for making some defensive plays in the back row. Reagan Turk, L, Team Indiana 14.1 – Turk was nails. She wasn’t getting a lot of action in serve receive but when the ball did find her she was on target to the setter. Lydia Stahley, OH, Team Indiana 14.1 – Team Indiana moves Stahley around to throw different looks at the defense. Stahley is a force with her fluid swing and ability to carry the offense. Sydni Lafasciano, OH, Dynasty 14 Black – Lafasciano is a dangerous weapon for Dynasty. She explodes off the ground and has a quick swing. She was putting down impressive kills on the regular. Elizabeth Scanlon, OH, Dynasty 14 Black – One match Scanlon was playing across the front. The next she was in for six rows. She has a big arm and can really connect when the set allows for it. Madeline Kraft, L, Northern Lights 14-1 – Kraft was a steadying presence defensively. She’s also a reliable passer out of serve receive. Teaming with DS Sidney Burley, they made up a two-person serve receive formation at times. Rayna Christianson, S/RS, Northern Lights 14-1 – What a talent Christianson is! At 6-2, she’s long and is good enough setting and hitting it’s hard to say which she is better at. She has great hands running the offense and is a total mismatch when attacking with her height. Caroline Banks, S, Northern Lights 14-1 – The backrow setter in a 6-2, Banks moves well and hits her spots on the regular. Kenlee Barnard, S, Metro VBC 14 Rasche – This is likely a name you’ll be hearing more of in the future. Barnard oozes potential. She’s tall at 6-1 with good hands. The future is bright for her. Siri Fullop, L, Metro VBC 14 Rasche – Fullop is scrappy and confident, darting in and picking off balls. Her passing was on point as she rarely missed keeping Metro in system. Geiliany Del Valle, S, Top Select 14 Elite – Del Valle was smooth and effective. She displayed nice hands and was able to get her various hitters involved when in system. Isabella Umpierre, RS, Top Select 14 Elite – A springy lefty, Umpierre is quick on the attack. She has a fluid swing and can find the hole in the block to exploit it. Allie Davison, S, Mich Elite 14 Mizuno – Davison sets a nice ball. She didn’t miss her spots very much and was putting her hitters in good positions to score. Graceyn Shepard, L, Triangle 14 Black – Shepard was passing well out of serve receive when the ball did come her way. She was routinely picking up cross court shots at left back and was covering touches well to keep the play alive. Maya McConnell, OH, Munciana 14 Chipmunks – McConnell went on the best serving running we saw all day. She has a strong jump serve with lots of topspin. She was also able to make a few nice digs in the back row to help her own cause and stay serving. Andrea Rodriguez, S/RS, OT 14 Cristobal – Rodriguez plays an important role by setting and attacking. She has a good touch and was dishing to her spots with consistent accuracy. Isabel Taylor, OH, Club V 14 Ren Silver – Taylor was not holding back. She was attacking with aggression and was a threat to hit from different spots on the court, including out of the middle. Grace Jones, L, Tri-State Elite 14 Blue – Jones was displaying a tough serve, one with lots of movement and deep near the end line. Sienna Fry, OH, Summit 14 Elite – When Fry is front row she gets set as often as possible. For good reason, she’s long with a good swing and can go right over the top of smaller blockers. Sarah Ojeda, OH, Wildfire Albert 14 – Ojeda is a bit undersized but she stood out for her tremendous defense and passing ability. She has a sound

Before vballrecruiter.com dives heads first into the end-of-the-year national championships the rest of June and into July, we pause for a moment to introduce our inaugural college recruiting class rankings for the Class of 2022. If you are new to vballrecruiter.com we use a player rankings system similar to those used in football and basketball where we rank players as 3, 4 or 5-star recruits. These rankings heavily influenced our Top 25 below. In formulating the Top 25 we took into consideration only domestic players from the Class of 2022. Some programs are bringing in international players as well as adding transfers to their rosters. However, those players were not considered. 1. USC Incoming Class: Jordan Middleton, OH, AZ Storm (5-star) Adonia Faumuina, OH/S, Mizuno Long Beach (5-star) Gala Trubint, L/DS, Coast (5-star) Rylie McGinest, MB, Mizuno Long Beach (4-star) Megan Verbiest, L/DS, Sunshine (4-star) Danielle Thomas-Nathan, OH, Sunshine 3 (star) Madison Pietsch, RS, Rage Westside (3-star) Notes: The Trojans take top honors based on the depth of its incoming class. Texas, Nebraska and Florida were the only other programs to land three, 5-star recruits. That in itself is a haul. Then add the rest of the bunch to what the Trojans are getting and it makes it an unbelievable class. “Jordan has grown immensely from the time we began recruiting her and has shown the ability to dominate a match from anywhere on the court,” USC coach Brad Keller said. “She brings athleticism, intensity, and a winning mentality that is infectious. Jordan also exemplifies the values we put on family. We anticipate and expect Jordan will have an immediate impact for us.” “There are few volleyball players as fluid and athletic as Adonia,” Keller said. “She can do it all and has shown poise and maturity as a leader. Adonia plays the entire game and affects it in many ways. More importantly, the value that we’ve seen Adonia put into her family and relationships are such coveted traits in young athletes today. We expect her to immediately contribute to our program.” “Gala is an extremely polished player that has clearly been around the game for a long time,” Keller said. “She has great touch with her platform and shows impressive instincts in all areas of the game.” It does remain to be seen the immediate impact this class will have however. USC added four transfers in outside Skylar Fields, middles Lindsey Miller and Kalyah Williams and libero Kelli Barry. Of the incoming class, Middleton seems most likely to see the court first. *** 2. Florida Incoming Class: Alexis Stucky, S, Norco Jrs, (5-star) Carly Hendrickson, OH, Elevation (5-star) Amaya Thomas, MB, OTVA (5-star) Emily Canaan, L/DS Skyline, (4-star) Emerson Hoyle, L/DS Xcel, (3-star) Notes: With three, 5-star recruits, Florida definitely deserved a spot in the Top 5. Propelling the Gators to No. 2 is landing the top-rated setter in the class in 6-foot-2 Stucky. She has a very high volleyball IQ and is ultra-competitive. She’s expected to compete for a starting role in the fall. Help making up the class are two more 5-star recruits in Hendrickson at outside and Thomas in the middle. Hendrickson might be able to crack the lineup but the outside position is going to be tough as Florida added three transfers at that spot in AC Fitzpatrick, Rhett Robinson and Marina Markova. As for Thomas, she’ll be competing with three middles already on the roster in junior Nnedi Okammor and sophomores Gabrielle Essix and Bre Kelly. Also, part of Florida’s class are backrow specialists in Canaan and Hoyle. Canaan could see time as a defensive specialist given junior libero Elli McKissock is back. “When we are able to announce the entire class, we will celebrate the collection of elite talent that makes up the Class of ’22. We cannot wait to have them compete for us in the fall,” Florida coach Mary Wise said of the November signing day. *** 3. Nebraska Incoming Class: Bekka Allick, MB, VCNebraska (5-star) Hayden Kubik, OH, Club Ignit (5-star) Maggie Mendelson, MB, Hive (5-star) Maisie Boesiger, S/DS, Premier Neb (3-star) Notes: Like the other teams in the Top 4, Nebraska is bringing in three, 5-star recruits. Two of them are middles Bekka Allick and Maggie Mendelson, who is planning on playing basketball for Nebraska as well. Along with grad transfer Kaitlyn Hord from Penn State it’ll help shore up a position of need for Nebraska. “Being at the top of her position and one of the top recruits overall in this class, Bekka provides us some much-needed depth at the middle blocker position, and we expect her to make a big impact on our team from the day she steps on campus,” Nebraska coach John Cook said. “When recruiting opened back up after a year and a half, Maggie’s club tournament in Salt Lake City was the first place I went,” Cook said. “Maggie is a special talent, an elite competitor and a multi-sport athlete, which we love here at Nebraska. Coach Williams and I presented a great plan for her to succeed in both sports, and that’s one of the reasons she decided to come here.” Rounding out the 5-star recruits is outside Hayden Kubik, whose older sister, Madi, is a standout already for the Huskers. The younger Kubik could be challenged to see the court in her first year. She’s competing with her older sister, plus returns Ally Batenhorst and Lindsay Krause. “We’ve recruited Hayden for a very long time, due to the fact that she is Madi’s sister as well as one of the best players in this recruiting class,” Cook said. “Being rated one of the top six-rotation outside hitters in this class, we made her our first phone call back on June 15, 2020 to make sure she knew we wanted her to be a Husker.” Back row specialist Maisie Boesiger completes the incoming class. “Small-town Nebraska girls have always been very important to us, and Maisie embodies that,” Cook said. “She

Number of Teams: 59 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (11): 7. OT 15 Randy 8. Legacy 15-1 Adidas 25. Munciana 15 Lorax 26. Adidas KiVA 15 Red 27. Mich Elite 15 Mizuno 34. ID Crush 15 Bower 36. A5 Mizuno 15 Bob 37. Boiler Jrs 15 Gold 40. Northern Lights 15-1 42. GP 15 Rox 46. OT 15 Meg 49. Top Select 15 Elite vballrecruiter.com 5-star recruits (1): Charlotte Glass, S, Tribe 15 Elite vballrecruiter.com 4-star recruits (7): Mesaiya Bettis, OH/RS, Northern Lights 15-1 Campbell Flynn, S, Legacy 15-1 Adidas Lauren Coyne, RS, SPVB 15 Elite Navea Gauthier, OH, Far Out 15 Black Abbigail Pickard, S, Far Out 15 Black Abigail Li, S, A5 Mizuno 15 Bob Izzy Mogridge, S, OT 15 Randy Outlook: The top four seeds are also the four teams ranked the highest in our national rankings. The difference is Munciana 15 Lorax seeded No. 2 ahead of Legacy 15-1 Adidas, which is the No. 3 seed and ranked 17 spots higher in our rankings. OT 15 Randy earns the top seed, while Adidas KiVA 15 Red checks in at No. 4. The rest of the top eight seeds looks like No. 5 Mizuno Northern Lights 15-1, No. 6 GP 15 Rox, No. 7 OT 15 Meg and No. 8 SPVB 15 Elite. OT Meg did well in reaching the semifinals of 15 Open at the JVA West Coast Cup earlier this month but might be seeded a little high. Mich Elite 15 Mizuno, which is ranked No. 27 in our rankings, begins as the No. 11 overall seed. Like the 17s in 17 Open, ID Crush 15 Bower might be under-seeded in 15 Open, opening as the No. 17 overall seed. The field has plenty of teams capable of making noise and delivering upsets. A5 Mizuno 15 Bob, Boiler Jrs 15 Gold, Team Pineapple 15 Black, Far Out 15 Black, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue and Tribe 15 Elite Dean all fit that bill. Still, OT Randy and Legacy have separated themselves from the rest of the pack with their play throughout the season. Munciana certainly has the ability to compete and beat either, as does KiVA. It’s difficult seeing the national champion coming from outside the top four seeds. But maybe someone can break it up and earn at least a bronze medal? Prediction: We like the scrap and grit of OT Randy. We like the fact Legacy knows how to win. That’s why the pick is for the two to meet up in the final. Legacy squeaks by in three. Munciana and Tri-State Elite bring home the bronzes.

Number of Teams: 75 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (14): 3. A5 Mizuno 17 Jing 10. Legacy 17-1 Adidas 13. MN Select 17-1 17. OT 17 John 28. ID Crush 17 Bower 30. Top Select 17 Elite 32. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno 35. AVC Cle Rox 17 Red 37. Aspire 17 Premier 38. NE Elite 17 Vici 41. Academy 17 Diamond 44. Rev Raptors 17-1 48. Northern Lights 17-1 50. No Name 17 Doug vballrecruiter.com 5-star recruits (8): Sydney Schnichels, RS, MN Select 17-1 (Minnesota) Laney Choboy, L, Academy 17 Diamond (Minnesota) Nya Bunton, MB, Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Texas) Jordyn Byrd, OH, No Name 17 Doug (Texas) Harper Murray, OH, Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Nebraska) Alex Acevedo, OH, ID Crush 17 Bower (2024) Stella Swenson, S, MN Select 17-1 (2024) Alex Bower, S, ID Crush 17 Bower (2024) vballrecruiter.com 4-star recruits (10): Laurece Abraham, MB, Legacy 17-1 (Yale) Sarah Vellucci, L, Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Long Beach State) Arya Jue, L, A5 Mizuno 17 Jing (Yale) Kierstyn Barton, RS, Aspire 17 Premier (Washington) Erin Kline, S, Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Miss State) Sydney Helmers, OH, Adidas KiVA 17 Red (Texas) Kenna Wollard, OH, Illini Elite 17 Cardinal (Purdue) Neomi Beach, OH, Aspire 17 Premier (San Diego) Kaia Caffee, MB, MN Select 17-1 (2024) Olivia Swenson, OH, MN Select 17-1 (2024) Outlook: The favorites are certainly seeded atop the field. Legacy 17-1 Adidas – ranked No. 10 in our national rankings – opens at No. 1 followed by No. 2 A5 Mizuno 17 Jing. Rounding out the Top 8 seeds are No. 3 MN Select 17-1, No. 4 OT 17 John, No. 5 Top Select 17 Elite, No. 6 Adidas KiVA 17 Red, No. 7 Rev 17-1 and No. 8 Academy 17 Diamond. The team that could be under-seeded some is Idaho Crush 17 Bower at No. 20. This group is good enough to finish in the Top 10. NE Elite 17 Vici, seeded No. 23, and A4 Volley 17 Joaco, seeded at No. 24, are two more teams who could finish much higher than their initial seedings. AVC Cle Rox 17 Red is coming off a third-place showing at JVA SummerFest and if it can keep it up can play a spoiler role. Aspire 17 Premier, starting as the No. 12 seed, is a team to keep an eye on. Aspire played a strong schedule and wasn’t far off from qualifying for 17 Open for USAV. The same goes for Mizuno Northern Lights 17-1 at No. 11. Ultimately though, the likely gold medalist is going to emerge from one of the top six seeds unless someone else can spring an upset. Prediction: Legacy and A5 have proven to be the two most consistent teams in the field throughout the year. However, we are not going with either to win it all. The pick is OT John prevailing in a mild surprise, beating MN Select in the final. Legacy and A5 take bronzes.

Number of Teams: 43 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (12): No. 8 Boiler Jrs 14 Gold No. 11 GP 14 Rox No. 19 Dynasty 14 Black No. 24 A5 Mizuno 14 Helen No. 30 Legacy 14 Adidas No. 31 Rev 14-1 Fuego No. 34 Top Select 14 Elite No. 38 Kairos 14 Adidas No. 39 WPVC Armour Black No. 40 OT 14 Cristobal No. 49 Adidas KiVA 14 Red No. 50 Munciana 14 Chipmunks Outlook: Six clubs are doubling up by competing in 14 Open at both AAUs and USAV. They are top-seeded Boiler Jrs 14 Gold, GP 14 Rox, Dynasty 14 Black, A5 Mizuno 14 Helen, Rev 14-1 Fuego and WPVC Armour Black. Boiler Jrs is coming off its victory at the JVA SummerFest in Columbus. Legacy 14-1 Adidas, Adidas KiVA 14 Red and Rev also participated in the event. Boiler Jrs and GP are the two highest-ranked teams in the field and the seeding matches up with that, as they open at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. It changes up from there, as No. 38 Kairos 14 Adidas starts as the No. 3 seed overall. The remaining top eight seeds are No. 4 Dynasty, No. 5 Legacy, No. 6 Rev, No. 7 WPVC and No. 8 Top Select 14 Elite. A5, ranked No. 24 nationally, is seeded No. 9 overall. Another team to watch for is No. 11 seeded Madfrog 14 Black. The 2s team has some quality wins this season and is capable of pulling a surprise or two. This age group could be full of surprises as teams deal with the challenge of trying to play four days of consistent volleyball. The only teams eliminated on Day 1 are teams finishing in fourth place in pool. After that, Days 2 and 3 teams must finish in first or second place to move on, with the exception of a couple crossover matches on Day 3 that allows a team finishing third in pool to still advance by winning that match.  Prediction: We are going with the local flavor. The pick to win it all is Game Point, which tops Legacy for the gold. Boiler Jrs and Dynasty take home bronzes.