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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

Bracket play in 17 Open at AAU in Orlando essentially started Day 3, with eight late afternoon/early evening challenge matches deciding the eight-team gold bracket for Day 4. There was an unexpected twist that we wrote about in yesterday’s recap when original top-seeded Legacy 17-1 Adidas squared off against No. 2 A5 Mizuno 17 Jing after Legacy was upset by Rev 17-1 in pool play. With Legacy and A5 not only being the two highest-seeds teams but the two highest-ranked teams from our National Rankings, no doubt one was going to be severely disappointed not to be playing for a gold medal on the final day of competition. After suffering the setback to Rev, Legacy hit its stride, beginning with A5 and ending with a rematch against Rev in the 17 Open gold medal match. Legacy swept the revenge outing, 25-20, 25-19, to hoist the championship trophy for the second consecutive season after finishing on top of the 16 Open field a summer ago. “Obviously, coming into a tournament as the defending champs and the No. 1 seed there is a lot of pressure on you immediately,” Legacy coach Jen Cottrill said. “They are phenomenal athletes but they are also 16 and 17-years-old. I felt like we played really heavy the first half of the tournament. When we lost to Rev we were able to work on our mental focus and getting rid some of the pressure and we never looked back.” Rev pulled out its upset over Legacy in three games on Day 3 but couldn’t maintain the same play in the final. Legacy took command early in each set and made Rev play from behind the rest of the way. It was only fitting that Harper Murray skied for the final point and delivered an emphatic kill to clinch it. “We focus on our serve and pass all the time and being disciplined defensively,” Cottrill said. “With a player like Harper who can terminate she draws a lot of attention. Earlier in the day we were able to use our middles and other players to score with her drawing all the attention. In the final she was just unbelievable so it was just feed her the ball.” Before getting an opportunity to get even with Rev, Legacy had another chance to extract revenge in the quarterfinals. Top Select 17 Elite upset Legacy on Day 1 of the JVA SummerFest in Columbus earlier this month before Legacy went on to capture that title. When Top Select grabbed the first set it looked like it could be a repeat performance from the Florida club. But Legacy grabbed control midway through the second set and took it from there. Murray put an end to it with a kill for the victory, 20-25, 25-16, 15-6. Up next in the semis was OT 17 John, which was coming off a nail-biter in the quarterfinals. OT snuck past MN Select 17-1 in three, 20-25, 25-15, 15-13. OT was up 10-6 in the final frame before Select tied it up at 12 all. That was all the drama on the day for OT though, as Legacy swept OT, 25-20, 25-21, to reach the final. Rev and Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB both swept their quarterfinal contests before producing a tight affair in the semis. A kill off the block from Elie Patterson finally put a cap on that one for Rev in three, 25-22, 16-25, 15-13. Legacy, Top Select, OT and MN Select, as well as A5, are in 17 Open at the USAV GJNC in Indy starting July 1. Rev is in 17 National and is a team to watch out for in that division. “It’s nice, we get almost a week,” Cottrill said. “Last year we had like two days (in between). We’ll go home and practice a little bit and try and take this confidence into Indy.” *** Finishing off with some final thoughts on 17 Open. Whereas the rides in 14 Open and 15 Open – where Legacy 15-1 Adidas brought home gold as well for the club – were more straight-forward, I didn’t feel like that was the case in 17 Open. And where our National Rankings held up well in 14 and 15 Open, they took more of a hit in 17 Open. Only eight of the 14 teams in the field appearing in our National Rankings made it to challenge play, which featured 16 teams. Three of the four top teams in our rankings did make the gold bracket in No. 10 Legacy, No. 13 MN Select and No. 17 OT John. It would have been the top four making it except for what happened with No. 3 A5 having to play Legacy. Legacy winning was something most thought possible when the tournament started. Most probably figured to see an A5-Legacy final. But it’s likely very few if anyone not associated with the club saw Rev making it all the way to the final. It can hardly be called a fluke either. Rev defeated A5 on Day 2 and Legacy on Day 3. That’s legit. Rev also handed Ku’Ikahi its only loss of the tournament. Ku’Ikahi didn’t have enough results to make our Top 50 put out in May. But the Hawaiian club showed it belongs in our final rankings coming out in July to be sure. Rev – sitting at No. 44 – could very well move up quite a few spots as well. Another surprise was High Tide 17 Elite. Rev swept High Tide in the quarterfinals. Academy 17 Diamond was the only other team to beat High Tide, which actually beat Rev in pool play on Day 1. AVC Cle Rox 17 Red – which finished tied for fifth – had a shaky loss to Miami Elite 17 in pool play on Day 3, when it also lost to Academy Diamond. But AVC defeated Kokoro Volleyball to make the challenge rounds and delivered a big upset in knocking out original No. 6 seed Adidas KiVA

Ten of the original top 13 seeds were still in the hunt for the 15 Open gold medal in the modified 12-team gold bracket Wednesday. It featured the top three seeds in OT 15 Randy, Asics Munciana 15 Lorax and Legacy 15-1 Adidas. The three just happened to be the highest-ranked teams in the field from our National Rankings too, with OT at No. 7, Legacy at No. 8 and Munciana at No. 25. Along with Mich Elite 15 Mizuno – which opened as the No. 11 seed and was the fifth-highest ranked team in the field from our National Rankings at No. 27 – all walked away with medals. Tops among everyone was Legacy, which edged out OT in three games, 23-25, 25-21, 15-12, for the gold medal. Mich Elite and Munciana, which met on Day 3 in pool play, tied for the bronze. “I’ll tell you what, we’ve won a couple of national championships in the past but you never really know if you’ll ever get back and play for another one,” Legacy coach Ricky Cottrill said. “The way the last couple of matches started off I didn’t know what it was going to be like. We had a rough set against Munciana then another rough set to start in the championship game. Our girls were resilient and battled. They played their hearts out and when you do that good things seem to happen.” Overall, the gold bracket produced entertaining volleyball as seven of the 11 contests went the distance, including both semifinals. Legacy barely made it past Munciana, 17-25, 26-24, 17-15. The same went for OT, which clipped Mich Elite, 25-21, 26-28, 15-13. Legacy – which finished 11-0 for the week – hadn’t faced either Munciana or OT Randy yet this season. Before getting to either of those teams, Legacy extracted a measure of revenge in the quarterfinals by sweeping past Far Out 15 Black. Far Out defeated Legacy earlier this month at the JVA SummerFest but Legacy had the answer in Orlando. Munciana was a different beast. Cottrill said Muncie was the best passing team Legacy has dueled with all season. Munciana’s only prior setback came to Mich Elite to end pool play on Day 3. But Muncie still earned first place in the pool and retained the No. 2 overall seed. Legacy was ahead 11-9 in the final set but Muncie pulled even at 12 all. The teams played side out volleyball until setter Campbell Flynn delivered a match-clinching block to end the drama. OT was pushed all day long, starting with the quarterfinal clash against Kairos 15 Adidas. OT moved on in three, 25-17, 20-25, 15-11. Then in the semis, OT had to deal with a key injury. Libero Lily Hayes went down midway through the second set and OT had to play the rest of the frame without her and was unable to replace her until the third set with Aaliyah Harlow. Hayes was wearing a sling on her right arm as she watched from the sidelines in the final. Her status for next week’s USAV GJNC is unknown. OT almost rallied back in the second set against Mich Elite despite trailing 19-13. OT actually held match point at 24-23 after Maggie Dostic’s ace. Mich Elite held on before OT finally finished it in Game 3 on Kaylee Peper’s quick attack. “I’m super happy and excited,” OT coach Randy Thomas said. “We overcame a couple of big third games. We battled and powered through. We are doing something right. We just came up a little short. We mis-executed when we needed it those last couple of points to seal the deal. I’m stoked for the team. It’s exciting. It’s not easy to make a final of Open. We were right there.” The championship match was there for the taking for both sides. Tied at 10 all in Game 3, Legacy used a 4-1 run to lead 14-11. Two points later Gabriella Divita ripped down her second big kill in three points to close it out as Legacy hit the floor in celebration. Both Legacy and OT are headed to Indy for 15 Open, which begins Monday. “You know what was working well, we passed pretty darn well,” Cottrill said. “We passed better than we have the last couple of tournaments and that’s the key for us. When we pass well we can run our offense. We have good attackers we can take advantage of and an aggressive setter who we can give opportunities in the front row. That was our biggest key this week our ability to pass and our ability to scrap on defense.” *** Getting to some more thoughts on 15 Open, I’m going to shamelessly plug the 15s National Rankings produced last month. In 14 Open, four of our top five ranked teams in the field found their way to the podium. It was the same scenario in 15 Open. We had OT Randy at No. 7 (silver medal); Legacy at No. 8 (gold); Munciana at No. 25 (bronze) and Mich Elite at No. 27 (bronze). Adidas KiVA 15 Red – at No. 26 – didn’t make the gold bracket. National Rankings can be a bit of crap shoot so it’s nice when they hold up at national championships. One thing is for sure, Munciana is going to finish higher than No. 25 in our final rankings released in July. Munciana can be a hard team to rank because it plays a limited schedule but the Indiana club showed it’s among the best in the nation. I confidently feel this team would place Top 10 in 15 Open in Indy next week if it were competing there. Far Out is like Munciana in that the club doesn’t do qualifiers. Far Out is listed in the On The Cusp section in our National Rankings. Far Out beat three ranked teams in Indy – A5 Mizuno 15 Bob, GP (in gold bracket action) and Top Select 15 Elite and is likely