Premium Content

With both previously-qualified OT 15 Randy and HPSTL 15 Royal making the four-team gold bracket in 15 Open, it not only awarded bids to Mich Elite 15 Mizuno and Top Select 15 Elite but also set up a dramatic finish for the final bid. OT went on to defeat HPSTL in the final and Mich Elite and Top Select earned bids by virtue of making the gold bracket. However, the four-team silver bracket was a winner-take-all affair for the lone remaining bid. AZ Sky 15 Gold came through in the clutch, defeating A5 Mizuno 15 Bob in what amounted to the fifth-place match to join the Open qualified field for Indy. Here’s how their weekends played out. OT 15 RANDY (FIRST, 9-0) Day 1: d EliteVBTC 15 Black 25-21, 18-25, 17-15; d LUV 15 Adidas 22-25, 25-17, 15-8; d Waves 15 Elite Rox 25-21, 25-6 Day 2: d Triangle 15 Black 25-17, 25-15; d Top Select 15 Elite 18-25, 25-20, 15-10 Day 3: d AZ Sky 15 Gold 26-28, 25-13, 15-9; d BVA 15 Mizuno 25-6, 25-16; d Top Select 15 Elite 25-13, 25-22; d HPSTL 15 Royal 25-22, 14-25, 15-12   Seeded No. 1 overall to begin with, OT held its spot throughout the weekend and finished on top at 9-0 after outlasting HPSTL in three games in the final. It was one of five times OT went the distance at Big South, including losing the first set in three of those contests. There were early signs that OT was going to have to grind its way through the field if it was going to hold seed and capture the division. It started Day 1 by winning in three in its first two outings. It finished off Day 2 with another three-set victory. “It was a spectacular team effort,” OT coach Randy Thomas said. “We grinded out those hard, high-pressure scenarios. The fight, the grit, the togetherness they put it all together. It was awesome.” OT also needed to rally past AZ Sky in its first gold pool matchup before sweeping BVA 15 Mizuno to reach the gold bracket. There, OT swept Top Select in the semis after needing three sets to beat Top Select on Day 2. For all of its work though, OT was pushed by HPSTL in the title match and was in danger of not closing its weekend out on top and undefeated. But OT held firm and walked away with the Big South crown. “We’ve seen a lot of improvement with execution and not playing high-error volleyball,” Thomas said. “We’ve cleaned up our game a lot. We’ve seen smarter, higher IQ, and consistent play. Also, there’s been a genuine togetherness with the players. They are really helping each other out and making it happen.” Setters Izzy Mogridge – a four-star recruit – and Josephine Hensley are part of a 6-2 package for OT. Hensley can stay and hit across the front row, while Amalyah Long or Charley Goberville can also play on the right. OT has a balanced attack that also features outsides Isabella Pereira and Maggie Dostic plus middles Connore Siler-Nixon and Kaylee Peper – another three-star recruit. The back row was anchored by libero Lily Hayes and DS Aaliyah Harlow. “Winning a qualifier is an amazing accomplishment in itself,” Thomas said. “I’m proud of the team coming together and getting it done. It’s what you want to see as a coach.” *** HPSTL 15 ROYAL (SECOND, 7-2) Day 1: d IVBA 15 Open 25-14, 25-18; d CUVC 15 Premier 27-25, 25-19; d GP 15 Rox 25-17, 25-16 Day 2: d Jax Skyline 15 Royal 25-18, 25-15; l Mich Elite 15 Mizuno 23-25, 25-21, 19-17 Day 3: d Academy 15 Diamond 25-20, 25-11; d Waves 15 Elite Rox 25-14, 25-18; d Mich Elite 15 Mizuno 21-25, 25-22, 15-8; l OT 15 Randy 25-22, 14-25, 15-12   It figured HPSTL’s time in Atlanta was going to go one of two ways. Either the Gateway Region club would continue on with the way it played the prior weekend when it earned its bid at Show Me or there would be a letdown coming off the high of qualifying. The ride carried on as HPSTL kept at it and posted a second-place finish after falling to OT in the 15 Open championship match. HPSTL earned its bid at Show Me in dramatic fashion by beating Mich Elite in the final gold pool match to capture the last qualifying position. As fate would have it, the two sides ran into each other twice more at Big South, though neither carried the significance of the meeting in Kansas City. The first encounter came on Day 2, when Mich Elite pulled out a thrilling victory in three sets to win the pool. The second clash came after both finished on top of their gold pools and met in the semifinals. HPSTL prevailed in that one in three games. HPSTL also managed to gain a victory over previously-qualified GP 15 Rox on Day 1 to win its pool. HPSTL was still playing without outside hitter Zoe Baliva and used much of the same lineup it did at Show Me. Hannah Leftridge and Hannah Taylor were on the left, with Tara Greenbury and Lainey Waser in the middle. Setters Ella Keeven and Katelyn Diani were running a 6-2, while Harper Highfill and Ally Fuchs played dual liberos. *** MICH ELITE 15 MIZUNO (T-THIRD, 5-2) Day 1: d NVA 15 Black 25-18, 25-18, 25-21; l CJV 15 Anna 25-23, 22-25, 25-16 Day 2: d Jax Skyline 15 Royal 25-17, 20-25, 15-12; d HPSTL 15 Royal 23-25, 25-21, 19-17 Day 3: d No Name 15-1 25-11, 25-16; d A5 Mizuno 15 Bob 18-25, 28-26, 15-9; l HPSTL 15 Royal 21-25, 25-22, 15-8   Big South represented Mich Elite’s last chance at qualifying for Open. It was only the weekend before Mich Elite put itself in position to do so but lost a must-win contest against HPSTL which would have awarded Mich Elite

As we wrote in our Day 3 recap, even though the bids were known in 16 Open before gold pool action began Saturday evening at Big South, the division still managed to produce an exciting conclusion in which Triangle 16 Black capped an undefeated weekend by beating Wave 16 Brennan in the championship match. Both Triangle and Wave needed three sets to close out respective pools and meet up in the final. Triangle rallied against A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe while Wave fought back to top OT 16 Jason. All four of those teams already had bids, as did Top Select 16 Elite. When those five squads made the gold pools it helped award bids to Gainesville 16 Black, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite and OT 16 Will, as they were also in the gold pools and were guaranteed qualifying spots based on any possible trickle down scenarios. Below, we breakdown Triangle’s weekend, plus the three bid winners as well. TRIANGLE 16 BLACK (FIRST, 10-0)   Did Triangle announce itself as a 16 Open title contender after its performance this past weekend at Big South? It’s a legitimate question after seeing Triangle defeating Red Rock Rave champion Wave in the final and finishing its three days in Atlanta with a perfect 10-0 mark. That came after Triangle downed A5 in three sets in the semifinals. Anyone capable of topping two teams of that caliber in back-to-back outings is certainly worthy of being in the conversation of top candidates to win it all later this summer. “The girls have been working hard for six months,” Triangle coach Michael Frank said. “They have worked harder than any team I’ve had work. That’s why they do it was for that.” Triangle already had its bid when it qualified at the Sunshine Classic earlier this month. The Carolina Region club finished in a three-way tie at 1-2 with Metro 16 Travel and OT 16 Jason in gold pools there and wound up taking third place based on tiebreakers. That put Triangle in the top six and through trickle down Triangle earned its bid. “We had a bid so a lot of the pressure was off,” Frank said. “We had to have a goal and they wanted to medal. Now they have a gold one.” It’s a redesigned roster from a season ago. Setter Emily Bobbitt, middle Ashlyn Philpot, outside Asia Thigpen and libero/DS Sophia Grace Stevens are the only returning members. Among the newcomers include L/DS Coley Shiflet, outside Kiarrah Horne and right side Alayna Smith. Others include S/DS Avery Scoggins, OH/DS Avery Booker and middle Lillian Slaymaker. To see the group qualify during its first try then come out and win a qualifier like Big South has been incredible. “I think the mental toughness came together,” Frank said. “Up or down it doesn’t matter. We can be up five points or down five points and they just keep going.” *** GAINESVILLE 16 BLACK (T-FIFTH, 6-3)   Gainesville had been on the cusp of working its way into qualifying position with top-10 showings at both the Salt Lake City Showdown and Sunshine Classic. The Florida club ran into some bad luck at those qualifiers but finally broke through at Big South to secure its Open bid. Gainesville benefitted from trickle down and knew it had qualified before even playing a gold pool match in Atlanta. It won its Day 1 pool and finished second to A5 on Day 2 to advance to the top eight. In gold pool, Gainesville fell to OT and Wave before closing out its weekend by sweeping Rockwood Thunder. It was welcomed relief as Gainesville was able to catch a break for once. At Salt Lake City to open qualifying season, Gainesville lost on Day 2 to both Co Jrs 16 Sherri and Club V 16 Ren Wayne. Those two squads just happened to go on and meet in the final the following day. At Sunshine, Gainesville made it all the way to gold pools, but landed in the same pool with previously-qualified 1st Alliance 16 Gold, as well as Top Select and Flyers 16 Dylan. Gainesville pushed all three opponents to three sets but finished 0-3 and out of the running for a bid. Meanwhile, both Top Select and Flyers went on to clinch bids. Gainesville has one of the best outside hitters and a go-to on the left in three-star recruit Brooklyn Tealer. Libero Ro’Miya Thomas was another standout. *** OT 16 WILL (T-SEVENTH, 4-5)   OT opened its qualifying season in strong fashion by making the gold pools at the Salt Lake City Showdown. An 0-3 showing though kept OT from be able to qualify. Then at its next qualifier – the Sunshine Classic – a 1-2 effort on Day 2 kept OT from making the gold pools altogether. It came to Big South with one last shot at punching its ticket to Nationals. Even though OT lost on Day 1 to eventual champion Triangle it was still through to Round 2. There, OT had to put in some work to get out and into gold pools. It opened with a victory against HPSTL 16 Royal before going down to OT Jason. That set up a meeting with Tribe 16 Elite. OT wasn’t necessarily in a must-win position, but a loss would’ve created a three-way tie at 1-2. Whereas a victory put OT into the gold pools for sure. OT swept and with it claimed its bid based on the trickle-down situation in 16 Open. *** ROCKWOOD THUNDER 16 ELITE (T-SEVENTH, 4-5)   The first goal at Big South for Rockwood Thunder was surviving Day 1. That hadn’t been the case at the team’s first two qualifiers in Salt Lake City and at MEQ, where both times RT was knocked from contention after the first round of pool play. When RT opened up Big South winning its first two matches, at the very least it guaranteed itself meaningful matches on Day 2. It was Saturday that really proved

Watching 17 Open play out at Big South was the latest reminder of why predicting results can be so difficult. Who would have guessed that Wave 17 Juliana would have gone on a perfect streak and left Atlanta without a set loss after sweeping past A5 Mizuno 17 Jing in the final? While a team like OT 17 John – which finished third – was expected to do well, all the eventual Open qualifiers surprised in their own way too. Neither CUVC 17 Premier nor Mich Elite 17 Mizuno had reached a gold pool yet in any previous qualifier but busted through at Big South. Then there was CHAVC 17 Black, which is perhaps the smallest team to qualify for Open so far this season, coming up clutch and getting the job done. Below, we tell the tales of the weekend from the top six finishers. WAVE 17 JULIANA (FIRST, 10-0) Day 1: d Triangle 17 Black 25-14, 25-20; d GP 17 Rox 25-19, 25-9; d High Tide 17 Elite 25-23, 25-16 Day 2: d TCVA 17 HKH 25-14, 25-7; d OT 17 Aaron 25-13, 25-13; d OT 17 John 25-22, 30-28; d CUVC 17 Premier 25-12, 27-25 Day 3: d Mich Elite 17 Mizuno 25-23, 25-17; d No Name 17-1 25-21, 25-22; d A5 Mizuno 17 Jing 25-17, 25-16   Earlier this month Wave was rolling through its competition at the Red Rock Rave in Las Vegas, producing all sweeps – including in the first round of gold pool play. Yet, its tournament ended with consecutive losses to Coast 17-1 and Club V 17 Ren Reed. Wave finished with its bid through an unusual process when Legacy Girls 17 Pyramid declined its Open bid and it wound up trickling down to Wave. At Big South this past weekend, Wave once more was on a roll. It delivered nothing but sweeps through the first two days, once again winning its opening round of gold pool play. As Day 3 kicked off Wave was seeking a stronger finish to close out its second and final qualifier of the season. After securing victories over Mich Elite and No Name 17-1, Wave was flawless in sweeping A5 in the final and completing a perfect weekend in which it went 10-0 and 20-0 in sets. “We hadn’t seen A5 but we didn’t want to change anything,” Wave coach Juliana Conn said. “It was another good team we were playing. It was super fun to watch. We blocked and served them really well. We served well the whole weekend. Teams have served us well but we hadn’t been able to turn it around and do it back to other teams. Everything was clicking.” Even though Wave had its bid prior to Big South, it did appear the So Cal club came to Atlanta with an edge. In Vegas, Wave received a fortunate break but wanted to take matters into its own hands this time around. “We didn’t get the bid the way we wanted to in Vegas,” Conn said. “It wasn’t just luck. There were a lot of good teams there and it’s really hard to get a bid. We put ourselves in a good position and it trickled down. I told the girls they earned it. Every team had a shot at it. Knowing the girls though they wanted to get it themselves.” When on, Wave can come at opponents from all over. Of course, there is five-star recruit Julia Blyashov and her talents that Wave can always rely on on the outside. Lily Dwinell is another lanky outside who has the smarts to score on a regular basis. Wave also has another long hitter in right side Auburn Tomkinson. Still, Wave doesn’t get to unleash its full potential without its middles getting involved. Setter Shanelle Puetz has a trio to work with in Cayla Payne, Eva Rohrbach and Ryleigh Patterson. Then there’s the strong defensive play of a back row featuring libero Koko Kirsch and Katerina Lutz. “Every tournament in the 17s is good,” Conn said. “We went there knowing we would find really good competition and that was the case. Every day we faced really good teams. We couldn’t really take a break. Our mindset was just to go hard and just play hard every time.” *** A5 MIZUNO 17 JING (SECOND, 9-1) Day 1: d Emerald Coast 17 National 25-20, 25-21; d Wizard 17-1 25-14, 25-15; d TCVA 17 HKH 25-10, 25-18 Day 2: d Mich Elite 17 Mizuno 25-13, 25-21; d IVBA 17 Open 25-17, 25-15; d High Tide 17 Elite 25-16, 25-22; d Top Select 17 Elite 25-14, 25-20 Day 3: d OT 17 John 25-18, 26-24; d CHAVC 17 Black 25-15, 25-9; l Wave 25-17, 25-16   Something had to give when A5 and Wave clashed in the 17 Open final. Neither had dropped a set let alone a match and it had all the makings of a classic encounter. Yet, Wave came out hot and A5 was never able to cool the So Cal club off and therefore settled for second at its home qualifier. There were some moments of gratitude though. A5 was able to defeat OT and Top Select, clubs that had beat A5 at previous qualifiers. A5 has certainly faced some challenges since putting a target on its back by going undefeated at Triple Crown in February. Earning an Open bid seemed like a mere formality after that but A5 actually came up short during its first attempt at NEQ where it finished tied for fifth. There, A5 fell to Dynasty 17 Black on Day 2 and then OT in gold pool to miss out on the bid. A5 did wrap up its bid at its next qualifier – the Sunshine Classic earlier this month. But it was not without some bumps along the way. A5 was upset by PVA 17 Elite on Day 2, then lost its opening gold pool match to Top Select. A5 still managed to make the final, where

Another year, another Big South Qualifier in the books. What a time it was in Atlanta.  vballrecruiter.com was on hand throughout the three-day weekend watching and observing as many teams and players as we possibly could. Below are the outside hitters who caught our eyes the most. (Top Right Sides) (Top Setters) (Top Liberos) (Top Middle Blockers) 15 Open Victoria Hill, GP 15 Rox – The biggest threat in the GP offense is Hill. They look for her a bunch and for a good reason. She’s a 5-9 outside who jumps high and hits hard. She pounded down a fair share of swings. Georgi Stein, AZ Sky 15 Gold – Wilson was a consistent scoring option for AZ Sky, which was able to wrap up its Open bid. She has a strong arm and is able to challenge blocks. Kelly Kinney, BVA 15 Mizuno – What a talent Kinney is! She’s a 6-1 five-star recruit who jumps very well and carries a powerful arm. You’ll be hearing a lot about her for years to come. Asia Harvey, A5 15 Mizuno Bob – There’s so much potential with Harvey it’s scary. She’s a 6-0 five-star recruit is who almost touching 10-0. She can get up and let it loose. It’ll be fun watching her progress through the ranks. Elena Maynulet, Next Level 15-1 – Though Next Level is out of Puerto Rico it would not be surprising in the least to see Maynulet land at D1 school for college. She’s lanky and budding star. She has a very nice arm and can hit a wide variety of shots. Isabella Pereira, OT 15 Randy – An undersized outside with strong passing and ball control skills, Pereira could be a libero at the next level. But she’s an aggressive attacker with smarts and knows how to score against bigger blocks. Allison Barrick, Elevation 15 Crofton – Barrick is a 5-11 three-star recruit. She explodes off the ground and gets in the air quickly. She has a fluid swing and can rip the ball. Amaria King, Jax Skyline 15 Royal – King was definitely one of the most impressive outsides in the division. She’s a bit of a freaky athlete, as she’s 5-10 and touches 10-2. She can absolutely blast balls and hits as hard as anyone we saw in the division all weekend! Isabelle Busignani, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno – This lanky 6-1 outside is a three-star recruit who will be able to add more and more power as she gets stronger. She already has a nice swing and can hit with pace. *** 16 Open Alec Rothe, Elite VBTC 16 Black – Rothe is listed as middle but is learning to play the outside position. Her ceiling is really high. She’s 6-2 and a five-star recruit. She has a lively arm and high contact point and it makes her a very difficult hitter to block. Allison Risley, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite – A 5-10 three-star recruit, Risley played a key role in RT getting its Open bid. She has a loose arm and is a reliable and consistent scorer on the left. Lameen Mambu, Paramount 16-1 – If Mambu played for a bigger club like say A5, everyone would know about her. But she’s definitely going to make an impact at the next level and everyone will know about her soon enough. She’s 6-0 and touches 10-3 and hammers the ball like few do. She’s a five-star recruit. Connor Rahn, OT 16 Will – Rahn is a three-star recruit who plays a nice role in the OT attack. She’s 6-0 outside who finds ways to score and comes up with some clutch kills. Samantha Blackett, Club V 16 Ren Wayne – At 6-0 and touching 10-1, Blackett can be electric at times. This three-star recruit is quick and has a very lively arm that can produces some eye-opening winners. Brooklyn Tealer, Gainesville 16 Black – A three-star recruit, Tealer is one of the more entertaining outsides in the division. She’s 6-0 and can crush balls front or back row and is almost impossible to stop when she gets on a roll. Dionna Mitchell, Top Select 16 Elite – Mitchell is a three-star recruit and part of an excellent outside duo for Top Select. She’s 5-10 and touching 10-1, so she gets up well and with her swing generates plenty of pace. Samantha Bowron, Top Select 16 Elite – Bowron and Mitchell are stunningly similar. Bowron – a three-star recruit – is 6-0 and also touches 10-1. She’s an easy and free swinger with the ability to put the ball on defenses in a hurry. Hannah Benjamin, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe – This 6-1 outside touches 10-3 and has shown tremendous improvement since last season when she was on A5 2s team. She’s steady and consistent, passes well and can attack with the best of them. She’s a five-star recruit. Sofia Williams, Wave 16 Brennan – A 5-10 six-rotation player who is strong in serve receive, Williams is an integral part of what Wave does. She’s a smart attacker with a fluid swing who can score in multiple ways from tools to tips. Kiarrah Horne, Triangle 16 Black – Horne is an incredible athlete that screams next level. She’s 6-1 and touching 10-5. She has a very strong arm that can power through blocks. *** 17 Open Sarah Gooch, Top Select 17 Elite – Gooch carries a load on offense for Top Select. She’s 6-1 with a nice swing who’s asked to score in the clutch. Madelyn Peterson, OT 17 John – At 6-0, Peterson is a physical attacker. She hits a heavy ball and takes powerful swings. Lakin Laurendine, Infinity VBA 17 Open – Laurendine is 6-2 and a three-star recruit committed to Auburn. She’s another hard-hitting outside who can get up and over blocks. Jurnee Robinson, A5 Mizuno 17 Jing – Robinson is on another level athletically. She’s 6-0 and five-star recruit committed to LSU. She has pogo sticks for

We enjoyed our time in Atlanta at the Big South Qualifier. There was tons of action to take in and vballrecruiter.com was on hand throughout the three-day weekend watching and observing as many teams and players as we possibly could. Below are the right sides who caught our eyes the most. (Top Setters) (Top Liberos) (Top Middle Blockers) (Top Outside Hitters) 15 Open Gabriella Kucinski, AZ Sky 15 Gold – Kucinski, a 5-11 lefty, can really get up! She touches 10-1 and has a lively arm to go at defenses with. Camila Soto, Next Level 15-1 – Soto was another member of Next Level who impressed. She’s a big undersized but she jumps well, has a quick swing and is effective at finding the corners. BreAnna McMillan, S/RS, Triangle 15 Black – McMillan looks to be a rising stud in the sport. She’s 5-9 and sets and hits. She can run a nice tempo to her hitters. She also flies and has a big arm. She’s going to make her impact felt in the years to come! Lydia Chinchar, No Name 15-1 – Chinchar is the featured hitter in the No Name attack. She plays six rotations and passes out of serve receive. She’s a strong hitter who has power behind her swing. Erynn Gotsch, Top Select 15 Elite – Don’t underestimate this 5-7 right side! Gotsch is an aggressive attacker who can deliver some surprisingly hard kills. *** 16 Open Eva Dittmar, Elite VBTC 16 Black – At 6-1, Dittmar is a wirey. She has a quick swing and isn’t afraid to go at and challenge the block. Ryan Hunter, CJV 16 Zoe – Hunter is a freshman playing up and is immensely talented. She’s a four-star recruit. A 6-1 lefty, she skies and can deliver some big-time kills. She also is used in serve receive. Sarah Schnell, Miami Hype 16 Emilio – Schnell is going to get her share of sets as she’s a key component of Hype’s attack. She’s a tall lefty with the ability to hit down on the ball and score a ton of points. Bailey Higgins, OT 16 Jason – A 5-11 three-star recruit, this lefty is on the up and up. She gets in the air quick and can unleash with a fury. Jordan Smith, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite – This 6-3 four-star recruit is only a freshman! She’s already hitting with decent power and is only going to add to it. She’s a name to get to know. *** 17 Open Carissa Michel, Top Select 17 Elite – Michel isn’t the biggest right side at 5-10, but she attacks with a passion. She gets up well, has a quick arm and lets it rip. Claire Mrukowski, Elite VBTC 17 Black – The 6-1 lefty is someone Elite looks to often to help carry the offense. She hits with good pace and nice angles. Allison Cavanaugh, OT 17 John – A 6-3 three-star recruit, Cavanaugh is a big part of OT’s offense. She’s long and can hit over blocks with her strong arm. Kumara Flanagain, Emerald Coast 17 National – Flanagain was proving a good option for Emerald Coast on the right side. She’s 6-2 and very physical. She gets on defenses with her power. Sarah Brodner, High Tide 17 Elite – This 6-5 sophomore could be a sleeper! She hits at a high contact point and knows how to use the block. Her ceiling is very high! Ella Schomer, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno – Schomer is a 6-1 three-star recruit committed to Wofford. She’s a real gamer who plays with intensity. She has a quick swing and gets after it aggressively.

The Big South Qualifier never seems to disappoint and this year delivered talented athletes everywhere we looked. vballrecruiter.com was on hand throughout the three-day weekend watching and observing as many teams and players as we possibly could. Below are the setters who caught our eyes the most. (Top Right Sides) (Top Liberos) (Top Middle Blockers) (Top Outside Hitters) 15 Open Abigail Li, A5 Mizuno 15 Bob – At 6-0, Li is a four-star recruit with good hands. She sets a clean ball with very consistent location and knows how to spread it around. Izzy Mogridge, OT 15 Randy – There’s plenty to like about Mogridge – a four-star recruit. She has a high IQ and can run tempo sets. She’s very steady and plays with a confidence about her. Ava Brovet, Triangle 15 Black – Brovet can be part of a 6-2 at times. She puts the ball in a nice window for her hitters and can run some tempo sets as well. Sydney Marshall, S/RS, Top Select 15 Elite – Marshall is versatile for Top Select. She can run a 6-2 and hit in the front row or she can run a 5-1. She hasn’t been setting for very long so she has plenty of upside as she continues to develop and grow. *** 16 Open Natalie Depaula, S/RS, Tribe 16 Sebastian – Depaula is a gamer and you can see the competitiveness she plays with. She’s a capable setter with a nice touch and though she’s 5-9 she can really bring it as a hitter. Amanda Saeger, Wave 16 Brennan – A four-star recruit, Saeger directs the offense well. She’s very good at getting her middles involved. She also sets with a good enough tempo to get her outsides plenty of one-on-one looks. Emily Bobbitt, Triangle 16 Black – Bobbitt has plenty of options to work with and this 5-11 setter gets them all involved. She’s steady and consistent and doesn’t try to overdo it. Taylor Parks, OT 16 Jason – A three-star recruit, Parks is smooth with it and rarely misses her mark. She delivers with tempo, setting her hitters up well to be successful. *** 17 Open Nayellis Cabello, S/RS, Top Select 17 Elite – Cabello is just a sophomore with a bright future to her. She’s 6-0 and a three-star recruit with potential to move up the rankings. She’s a fluid and reliable setter with strong hands. She also can get up and hit with authority on the right side. Chloe Wilmot, Paramount 17-1 – What we saw of Wilmot we liked. She’s capable of running a fast tempo and hitting her spots which gets her hitters good matchups. Jordan Smart, CHAVC 17 Black – It was a great weekend for CHAVC, which qualified Open for the first time. Smart, a 5-7 Class of 2024 recruit, was efficient in going against the flow and setting behind her on slides to the middle or using the middle as a decoy and getting her right side hitter one-on-one looks. Shanelle Puetz, Wave 17 Juliana – We’ve seen Puetz plenty and with the way Wave was passing the ball this weekend, it allowed her to have full options to work with. While she has a big outside to work with in Julia Blyashov, she was superb at running the slide and getting her middles great looks. Cristin Cline, CUVC 17 Premier – CUVC doesn’t have the size like its opponents. Cline – who is committed to Oregon – was doing a good job with her tempo sets and connecting with her hitters before the block was able to fully establish itself.

vballrecruiter.com was on hand throughout the three-day weekend watching and observing as many teams and players as we possibly could. We wish we could write about everyone but we had to settle for the middle blockers who caught our eyes the most below. (Top Right Sides) (Top Setters) (Top Liberos) (Top Outside Hitters) 15 Open Ellis Crawford, A5 Mizuno 15 Bob – Crawford has a fluid swing and when connects, opponents can feel it. She’s 6-2 and a three-star recruit with plenty of room to get better and turn heads! Gigi Smith, A5 Mizuno 15 Bob – This 6-0 middle is also a three-star recruit. She’s physical with a strong arm and can run the slide. She comes with lots of upside! Connore Siler-Nixon, OT 15 Randy – Siler-Nixon is not the tallest middle as she stands 5-10. Yet, she can flat out be electric at times with jumping ability and quick arm swing. She gets up and smacks it down in exciting fashion! Kaylee Peper, OT 15 Randy – Peper is not as flashy as her teammate Siler-Nixon is but the more you watch Peper the more you see how much of an effective scorer she is. She has a good arm and is smart with her shot selection. She’s a 5-10 three-star recruit with a bright future! Tara Greenberry, HPSTL 15 Royal – We wrote about Greenberry last week after her performance at Show Me. She was even more impressive at Big South. She’s 6-2 with a big, powerful arm. She’s going to cause defenses headaches for years to come! Jessica Costlow, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno – This 5-10 three-star recruit is really an outside hitter playing the middle position. She plays six rotations and passes well out of serve receive. Though she’s somewhat undersized in the middle she’s a heady attacker who finds ways to score consistently.   Lindley Miller, Triangle 15 Black – There’s all sorts of potential with Miller! She’s a 6-3 eighth-grader playing up with huge upside. She already puts up a big block and hits with pretty good power. *** 16 Open Chelsea Sutton, OT 16 Will – This 6-3 three-star recruit is a handful in the middle. She makes her presence knowing on both sides with her blocking and attacking and can single-handily sway matches when she gets in. Christina Greene, SC Midlands 16 National – Greene is undersized but that doesn’t keep her from making an impact. She’s super quick and jumps very well. That allows her to get up and she has the capability to put it straight down. Izabela Molina, Miami Hype 16 Emilio – Molina is in her fourth year of playing volleyball and has nice upside with the physicality she brings. She’s 6-3 and hits with lots of power. Zoey Burgess, Club V 16 Ren Wayne – As a five-star recruit, Burgess is on all the big colleges’ radar. At 6-2 and touching 10-4 already, she has next level written all over her. She can hit from the left, middle and right as she makes her way across the front row and she’s physical on top of the. Logan Wiley, A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe – It’s easy to see why Wiley is rated as a four-star recruit. She’s 6-3 and touching 10-1. She has a quick jump with a good arm. It makes her a difficult cover in the middle! Jenna Hanes, Wave 16 Brennan – A 6-2, three-star recruit, Hanes has a strong feel for blocking and gets in the way of plenty of attacks. She’s also a reliable scorer who Wave looks to get involved often. Camden Bolane, Wave 16 Brennan – This 6-1 middle is a four-star recruit. She’s a two-way contributor with her blocking and effective scoring with an ability to vary her shots. Ashlyn Philpot, Triangle 16 Black – Philpot isn’t a flashy middle. But at 6-4, she definitely makes her presence felt. She’s strong and is more than capable of hitting powerfully down on balls. *** 17 Open Jordyn Dailey, CHAVC 17 Black – We saw Dailey playing right side at MEQ, but our opinion is she’s much more effective in the middle where she was playing at Big South. She’s a 6-2 four-star recruit committed to Kentucky. She gets way up and hits down at a sharp angle. She can run quicks or the slide equally well. Zeta Washington, OT 17 John – Washington is a 6-2 three-star recruit who is committed to Cincinnati. She has the ability to play on the right side as well. She’s athletic with a strong jump and arm. She changes the game for OT when she checks in as they look for her as much as possible to boost the offense. Eva Rohrbach, Wave 17 Juliana – This 6-2 middle is a four-star recruit committed to Maryland. She was part of a middle duo that absolutely hammered A5 on the slide attack in the 17 Open final. Cayla Payne, Wave 17 Juliana – Payne is a 6-4 middle committed to Colorado. She makes a huge impact with her blocking and also proved to be tough to stop when feed the ball.

What a weekend it was as we spent three days watching incredible volleyball at the Big South Qualifier in Atlanta. vballrecruiter.com was on hand watching and observing as many teams and players as we possibly could. Below are the liberos who caught our eyes the most. (Top Right Sides) (Top Setters) (Top Middle Blockers) (Top Outside Hitters) 15 Open Jarielys Giraud, GP 15 Rox – There’s an enjoyable spirit that Giraud brings to the court. She’s a Class of 2024 playing down an age group. Her serve receive was very consistent and keeping Game Point in system when she was challenged. Claudia Rivera, Next Level 15-1 – Though Next Level is from Puerto Rico and we won’t be seeing much of them, it was hard not to add a few players from their squad. Rivera was one of them with her high-energy and enthusiasm. Plus, she’s really scrappy and plays with lots of heart. Katie Raymer, Triangle 15 Black – It was something with which the ease Raymer plays with. And she’s part of the Class of 2026 playing up! She was nailing passes out of serve receive right to the setter and picking up cross court shots with no issues. We love her upside! Ariel Ross, Jax Skyline 15 Royal – Ross is fast! She covers ground in a hurry. She plays really hard too. *** 16 Open Olivia Hasbrook, Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite – It was a rocky qualifying season before RT broke through at Big South. Hasbrook is vocal and can be seen constantly communication. She was making plenty of digs as well! Orian Drore, Tribe 16 Sebastian – Drore has some athleticism to her and can cover ground. She plays with good energy to her and was getting some nice ups to extend rallies. Ro’Miya Thomas, Gainesville 16 Black – A junior playing down an age group, Thomas played a key part in Gainesville gaining its Open bid. Her speed allows her to track down balls others wouldn’t get to. Mayte Camacho, Top Select 16 Elite – A three-star recruit, this was our first time seeing Camacho this season and she was impressive. She’s quick and she was making ups consistently. She was also strong out of serve receive. Maya Evens, Wave 16 Brennan – Another three-star recruit, we’ve seen a lot of Evens this season. She’s smooth and steady and anchors a very good defensive Wave team. Coley Shiflet, Triangle 16 Black – Triangle has weapons it can throw at defenses but Shiflet adds defensive prowess to Triangle’s side of the net. She’s smart and gets to the right spots more often than not. *** 17 Open Taylor McNear, CHAVC 17 Black – When McNear is on she’s tough to get a ball down on. She’s very quick and can fly around the court making play after play. Olivia Fenstermaker, Elite VBTC 17 Black – This three-star recruit is already committed to Jacksonville State. She was doing it all. She was passing well in serve receive. She was defending and making digs. And she was covering and picking up blocked shots. Arya Jue, A5 Mizuno 17 Jing – Jue is a four-star recruit who is committed to Yale. She’s going to be one of the top liberos in the Ivy League when she gets there but for now she gets to showcase her skills for A5. She plays with a calming presence and can make some spectacular saves at time. Koko Kirsch, Wave 17 Juliana – Watching Kirsch play she puts in work! She’s not to be tested in serve receive as she’s steady and consistent in keeping Wave in system. She’s also not afraid to hit the deck to keep a ball alive.

Without doubt the most exciting bid chase took place in 15 Open as the Big South Qualifier wrapped Sunday in Atlanta. Top Select 15 Elite, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno and AZ Sky 15 Gold were the fortunate trio taking home bids. OT 15 Randy – which opened as the No. 1 seed – held firm and finished ahead of everyone after defeating HPSTL 15 Royal in the 15 Open final. It was a strong back-to-back performance for HPSTL, which earned its bid last weekend at Show Me before finishing runner up at Big South. As we mentioned in our Day 2 recap all three bids were already known in 16 Open entering the last day as OT 16 Will, Gainesville 16 Black and Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite punched tickets to Nationals by making the gold pools. Triangle 16 Black wound up on top of the field Sunday, sweeping past Wave 16 Brennan in the championship match. In 17 Open, Wave 17 Juliana swept A5 Mizuno 17 Jing for the trophy. The qualifying spots were known before the conclusion of those gold pools with bids going to CHAVC 17-1, CUVC 17 Premier and Mich Elite 17 Mizuno. As for 15 Open, with four, three-team gold pools playing out on Day 3 previously-qualified OT and HPSTL helped create trickle down to fifth place. Both took first in their respective pools to make the four-team gold bracket. Mich Elite topped A5 Mizuno 15 Bob in three sets to claim its pool, making the top four and locking up its bid. The last pool was full of drama as GP 15 Rox – which already had its bid – Top Select and Next Level 15-1 tied at 1-1. They also shared the same set percentage, so we saw rare one-game playoffs take place between the three teams. Should GP have prevailed and made the gold bracket, trickle down would have extended to sixth place. That meant the four teams in the silver bracket could clinch a bid by winning their semifinal contests. That would have been too simple though and so GP obliged in the dramatics and went down to Top Select in the first sprint to 15. Next Level was waiting, with the winner getting its bid. And with GP out of the silver bracket as well now, the loser would join three others in the must-win-it-all silver bracket for the final bid. Top Select topped Next Level to earn its bid and set the stage for a four-team playoff between A5, AZ Sky, Next Level and Waves 15 Elite Rox. A5 downed Waves while AZ Sky outlasted Next Level in three to make the silver final. There, AZ Sky swept A5 to complete a long day of volleyball that was well worth the wait as the bid race was finally concluded. There was almost a set of one-game playoffs in 17 Open but almost was as close as we got. Top Select 17 Elite lost a key three-setter to CHAVC earlier in Pool 1 and that victory set CHAVC up nicely for a bid. But before CHAVC could fully celebrate it needed OT 17 John to defeat Top Select. Top Select still had a couple of options to bid at that point. It could have swept OT John to pick up a bid that way – assuming A5 beat CHAVC. Or if Top Select could beat OT in three, and A5 could sweep CHAVC, there would be a three-way tie at 1-2. In that scenario, Top Select, OT and CHAVC also would have tied in set percentages and that would have led to a couple of one-game playoffs. There’s a lot of ifs here, to be sure, but if that would have happened and OT would have finished fourth in the pool, it would have brought the fifth-place match into play for the final bid. All that created some tense moments as OT and Top Select started the third set of their contest. OT came out on top, which eliminated Top Select from qualifying and awarded CHAVC its bid. And with it, no one-game playoffs. Pool 2 wasn’t nearly as exciting, though Mich Elite – which finished in third place – was also hoping OT could pull through to keep things simple. When OT won, Mich Elite had its bid. CUVC also had its bid by taking second behind Wave. No Name 17-1 was the fourth-place finisher in that pool. Though the bids were already decided in 16 Open before play began, there was fun in watching the championship fight play out. Wave needed three sets to get past OT 16 Jason in their final pool match to reach the final. A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe was not as fortunate, as it dropped a three-setter to Triangle that helped shaped the title match. We’ll have more from the weekend in the next few days, including our standout players list as well as more from the champions and bid winners.