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The surprise of the weekend was AZ Rev 15 Premier taking home the championship in 15 Open. It also gave AZ Rev the Open bid it coveted. Previously-qualified teams in Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar, NorCal 15-1 Black and NE Elite 16 Matrix all finished in the top four. The two remaining bids went out to Coast 15-1 and ID Crush 15 Bower. Here’s how their weekends played out at Far Western in Reno. AZ REV 15 PREMIER (FIRST, 8-1) Seeded No. 16 to begin with, AZ Rev was not viewed as a bid favorite let alone a club that could come to Reno and win it all. There was the big upset on Day 1, as AZ Rev swept past top-seeded and previously-qualified Absolute Black 15-1. But then there was the loss to previously-qualified NE Elite 15 Matrix to open Day 2. At that moment it was difficult gauging where AZ Rev stood. Was the victory over Absolute the anomaly and the loss to NE Elite closer to the norm? Or was the loss to NE Elite the anomaly and the win against Absolute closer to the norm? It took five more matches before we fully had our answer. And once we did there was no denying where AZ Rev stood. On top of the 15 Open division after fending off Long Beach in three in the championship match. “Every single one of them wanted it so bad,” AZ Rev coach Nicole Peterson said. “They played with their hearts. That’s all we can ask. You don’t have to be perfect. They were wanting to play and wanting to win.” How close it was to being a different tale. AZ Rev went to three sets five times, including in its final four contests. The one to kick off that streak was the most important one of the weekend. It was AZ Rev’s final Day 2 pool contest against Vision 15 Gold. The teams were tied at 1-1 with a bid awaiting the winner. NE Elite, NorCal 15-1 Black and Long Beach had already positioned themselves to be in the six-team gold pools. That meant the other three joining them would clinch bids before even playing a match on Day 3. AZ Rev grinded to a victory in that one to complete its task. “We had a National bid from our region,” Peterson said. “While we did have that our goal has always been to get the Open bid.” The final day was one of those magical days that only a few teams get to experience during qualifying season. AZ Rev simply wasn’t going to be denied, fighting and clawing its way to the title. It beat NorCal, ID Crush and Long Beach all in three. The victories over NorCal and Long Beach were decided by two points in the third set. “We focus a lot on serve and pass,” Peterson said. “We executed our serving assignments as well as passing. It kept the offense in rhythm and kept the other teams on their toes. Those were the big things we executed well this weekend.” Setter/right side Tristen Raymond played well enough she could have easily been named the tournament MVP. Her setting was consistent throughout and she helped carry the offensive load across the front row. Bailey Reed shared in the setting duties. Lexi Mallonee and Marielle Ramos were reliable on the pins with right side Payton Whalen getting in on the action as well. Libby Monson, Rory Tower and Jordyn Quinn all spent time in the middle while libero Ava Lambert helped hold it down defensively. “Every point matters,” Peterson said. “Anyone can beat us. When we’re not giving it our all we’ll lose. We can’t take any plays off. That was the lesson learned in Vegas. Every point matters and that was the game changer for this tournament.” *** MIZUNO LONG BEACH 15 ROCKSTAR (SECOND, 7-2) After a second-place showing in Reno, Long Beach has now triple-qualified. The performance at Far Western followed a runner-up finish at Salt Lake City and a third-place effort at PNQ. That’s a lot of winning as Beach has positioned itself to compete for qualifier titles like few have this season. The next step come Junior Nationals is going to be learning to finish once in that position. “It’s a great group of girls,” Long Beach coach Carlos Briceno said. “We just need to get over that hump.” Reno was not without its challenges. Cruising through its first two matches, Beach was pushed to the brink by Rage Westside 15 Jen before prevailing in three to close out Day 1. Beach was then upset by ID Crush to end Day 2. Day 3 opened with a convincing victory over NE Elite before the match of the tournament broke out between Beach and Coast. Beach barely escaped the thriller, winning in three, 29-31, 33-31, 17-15, to reach the final. There, Beach fell in a close one to AZ Rev. Beach has rolled out a consistent lineup throughout the season and nothing changed in that regard in Reno. Setters Isabella Jones and Ayva Ostovar were running a 6-2 like normal. Their targets were the same in outsides Simone Roslon and Kiana Greer, middles Kalyssa Blackshear and Emma Rowell, and a trio of right sides Beach can utilize in Layli Ostovar, Preslie Saunders and Sunni Skipps. Sydney Raszewski and Kayla Ostovar formed the libero duo. “We are getting better,” Briceno said. “It’s just decision making. I think we practice really hard. I don’t have a single complaint about how hard we practice.” *** NORCAL 15-1 BLACK (THIRD, 8-1) The final qualifier of the season wasn’t about getting a bid or not for NorCal. That had already been accomplished in March at PNQ, where it finished runner up to Absolute Black 15-1. If Far Western was about maximizing its time in Reno, Nor Cal hit its goal. It played a lot of volleyball! Nor Cal – which finished third overall after beating NE Elite in the

One previously-qualified team was gone after Day 1. Another was done after Day 2. That left Vision 16 Gold as the only team with a bid still in contention come Day 3. That also set the stage for an exciting conclusion to the bid chase as seven teams were still in the hunt on the last day of Far Western in Reno. While Vision went on to capture the championship by beating Hou Skyline 16 Royal and SG Elite 16 Rosh knew its bid was secured, it was a wild ride for the last bid winner in OJVA 16-1 Gold. Below, we share the details of their weekends. VISION 16 GOLD (FIRST, 10-0)   Having already qualified in early April at the Red Rock Rave in Las Vegas, there wasn’t much on the line as Vision wrapped up its qualifying schedule this past weekend at Far Western in Reno. It didn’t keep the NCVA club from playing like the stakes were high however. Vision posted a perfect 10-0 mark and dropped just one set on its way to earning the 16 Open championship. The run ended with a sweep of Hou Skyline in the final. “The girls played well,” Vision coach Ron Whitmill said. “Winning a qualifier, some of it is luck and some of it is playing well at the right times. We got into a groove and played well. We switched the lineup a little bit after getting a bid. We thought we needed some work on it and that it would be better for us. That lineup came together.” In between Vegas and Reno, Vision ventured to Lone Star in Dallas. It was a learning lesson for Vision, which lost two of three on Day 1 and didn’t break pool. “I think it really helped us,” Whitmill said. “We didn’t play poorly. We just had one bad match and it happened to be the first match of the tournament. That cost us in terms of being able to move forward. That was definitely the message. We need to learn to show up and that we can’t take Day 1 for granted.” Vision showed up all three days in Reno. It swept its first eight outings before needing three sets to fend off SG Elite in its final gold pool match. That propelled Vision into the final where it was able to remain unbeaten for the weekend. Freshman setter Maya Baker was her usual standout self. Whitmill praised her ability to command the offense and get the most out of it. One of the changes was moving Cleo Hardin opposite of Baker and playing Katelyn Cook at outside instead of right side. Taylor Williams remained at outside and had a strong weekend too. Amiya Kucibhotia and Briley Lackey were part of the middle attack while Michael Torkaman was her usual steady self at libero. “We’re probably not the favorite but I think we can beat any of the teams out there,” Whitmill said. “I think we are the furthest away from our ceiling. We are just scratching the surface. We could be really dangerous. “I’m pleased with the team how much they have improved at a national level. We double-qualified this year. That hasn’t happened often out of our region recently. It’s been a long journey to get to this point. Things haven’t come easy for this group. It’s been hard.” *** HOU SKYLINE 16 ROYAL (SECOND, 7-4)   Needing to qualify in Reno, Hou Skyline was off to a rocky start. The Lone Star Region club ended in a three-way tie at 1-1 in its opening pool. It took third and was forced into a must-win crossover just to remain in contention. While Hou Skyline prevailed in that one, it lost its next two matches and was sitting at 2-3 overall before finding its stride. By finishing the rest of the weekend winning five of its next six contests, Hou Skyline not only secured its bid it ended runner up to Vision with a second-place showing. “I thought it went well,” Hou Skyline coach Ashley Williams said of the weekend. “We’ve been focusing a lot in practice on our serving and serve receive. I thought we did a good job staying consistent. We like to call them our three littles in Keely McNeill, Mykayla McMillian and Macy McPartland, they really held it down throughout the weekend and we were able to run our offense through our setter Cayley Hanson. Reese Animashaun and Morgan Warren were our big terminators and we stayed in system a lot.” After Day 1 ended with a loss to OJVA and Day 2 opened with a setback to SG Elite, Hou Skyline didn’t lose again until facing Vision in the final. The team turned in a strong Day 3 performance in gold pool to clinch its bid. It featured victories over Rocky 16 National, Absolute Black 16-1 and payback against OJVA. The last two triumphs came in three sets and the team definitely knew the stakes of playing OJVA once more. “Match three of Day 3, we were about to play OJVA and we knew if we won we would for sure have our bid,” Williams said. “If we lost, we could’ve ended up in a tie. We wanted to control our own destiny and not leave it up to chance.” It appeared Hou Skyline took a big step forward two weeks ago when it finished in the top 10 at Lone Star. It provided a boost of confidence that led to the team feeling good about its chances of getting it done this past weekend in Reno. “We talked about qualifying pretty extensively,” Williams said. “We’ve been on an uptick. We’ve been getting a lot stronger.” *** SAN GABRIEL ELITE 16 ROSH (THIRD, 9-1)   San Gabriel headed to Reno without an insurance policy. The choice was made to forgo the SCVA Regional bid tournament the same weekend in hopes of earning an Open bid at Far Western. In an all

The final qualifier of the season did not pass without players making a name for themselves. Some we had already seen before. Others we learned about over the course of the three days in Reno. Below, vballrecruiter.com presents the top outside hitters we watched at Far Western. 15 OPEN Lucy Chertock, NorCal 15-1 Black – A six-rotation outside for NorCal, Chertock has good upside that we’ll see come to fruition as she continues to develop. She’s 6-1 and possess a solid swing. There are times she really connects. Abigail Krause, NorCal 15-1 Black – At 5-9, Krause is undersized but definitely has her moments. She’s an aggressive attacker who can deliver some bigger-than-expected kills when she gets into one. Simone Roslon, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar – It’s hard to tell that Roslon is an eighth-grader playing up. She’s a big part of Beach’s identity. She’s a smooth passer and a heady attacker who knows how to beat bigger blocks.   Maija Howse, ID Crush 15 Bower – This a name to know! At 6-2, this outside has tremendous potential and is going to be a thorn in opponents’ sides for years to come. She’s already capable of hitting with pace and with her length is a difficult cover for smaller blockers. Elena Fisher, Absolute Black 15-1 – A bit undersized, you can see Fisher’s beach skills in her indoor play. This three-star recruit is a consistent passer out of serve receive and can track down balls on defense. She also has a good jump to her and has a variety of shots she can throw at defenders. Ava Poinsett, Coast 15-1 – Poinsett has made our top players list before and is likely to keep doing so. She’s a 5-11 outside who is a vital part of the offense. She’s a smart attacker who can score by blasting the ball or using her off-speed shots to catch defenses off guard. Lexi Mallonee, AZ Rev 15 Premier – At 5-10, Mallonee is a bit undersized but doesn’t ever back down. She’s an aggressive attacker knows how to challenge and tool blocks for points and carries a good portion of the attack on her shoulders. 16 OPEN Jenna Garner, City Volleyball 16 Gold – A three-star, six-rotation outside, Garner brings a lot to the fold for City. She’s a mainstay in the offense. She’s 6-0, has a quick arm swing and can blast balls to beat opponents with. Taylor Williams, Vision 16 Gold – At 6-2, Williams is a consistent and reliable option. She can get on top of the ball and hit hard cross court. She’s one who is on the rise! Haumea Marumoto, SAS VBC 16 – The offense would not look the same without Marumoto. She’s 6-1 with a fluid swing and is capable of outsmarting the defense with her various shots. Tia Kapihe, SAS VBC 16 – At 5-11, Kapihe is just a bit undersized but she carries a whippy arm. She uses it to challenge blockers but can also go off speed to keep them guessing. Reese Animashaun, Hou Skyline 16 Royal – Animashaun is a fun one to watch do her thing! She’s 5-10 but play much higher than that with her effortless jump that gets her well above the block. She’s a four-star recruit and is one to keep tabs on. Riley Murphy, A4 Volley 16 Purple – Murphy epitomizes what A4 is about. She’s an undersized outside but plays with a scrappiness and feistiness about her. She’s a fearless attacker who takes aggressive swings. Lauryn Lambert, Skyline 16 Royal – A 5-9 three-star recruit, Lambert is a featured part of the offense. She gets up well, almost touching 10-0 and plays with lots of fire and passion. Abby Jones, Temecula Viper 16 Mauro – Jones is a 6-0 six-rotation standout for Viper. She brings a lot to the lineup with her passing, defending and attacking abilities. Stella Norman, Temecula Viper 16 Mauro – It’s easy to notice the power this 5-9 outside attacks with. She hits a heavy, heavy ball and can overwhelm defenders when she connects. Elle Weaver, SynergyForce 16 James – A 6-0 three-star recruit, Weaver has a high ceiling. She plays with high energy. She can also rip it cross court. Abby Hoybjerg, SynergyForce 16 James – Speaking of potential, Hoybjerg has it in groves. She’s a 6-2 four-star recruit with a loose, fluid arm to go at opponents with. Katelyn Cook, Vision 16 Gold – Cook has an unassuming demeanor about her but she shouldn’t be underestimated. She’s 5-10 and can really lay into kills with her lively swing. Helena Foord, SG Elite 16 Rosh – Foord is a similar type of player as Cook. She’s also 5-10 and has a deception about her game. She can produce some loud kills when she connects well. Sydney Dreves, OJVA 16-1 Gold – A key contributor on a team that earned its Open bid, Dreves has a bright future ahead of her. She’s a 5-10 freshman playing up and carries a big load on offense. Isabel Clark, Momentous 16 Dan – Clark is someone we’ve noted before. She’s a 6-2 four-star recruit. She’s a strong attacker with a booming arm. She produced some of the most impressive kills we saw all weekend in the age group. 17 OPEN Brooke Bentke, Hou Skyline 17 Royal – Bentke is a three-star recruit who is committed toTexas State. At 6-2, she’s long with a very good arm and the ability to let loose when she gets a hold of one. Courtney O’Brien, Hou Skyline 17 Royal – O’Brien is part of a strong outside duo for Hou Skyline. She’s a smart hitter who has a variety of shots to beat defenses with, from scoring cross court to finding space down the line. Sydney Dunning, Co Jrs 17 Kevin – A three-star recruit committed to Cal State Bakersfield, this 6-0 outside is a key cog in the lineup. She’s a consistent passer out of

Far Western offered no shortage of talent to sort through as we spent three days in Reno roaming the courts catching as much as we could take in. After going through the notebook, here are top right sides who stood out to us the most. Kaydence Bispo, Rage 15 Greg – Bispo is a 6-1 sophomore playing down. She does have upside to her with her size. She’s strong and hits with good pace. Layli Ostovar, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar – Watching Ostovar play you wouldn’t believe she’s a member of the Class of 2026! She would likely excel playing in the 16s. She does a lot for Beach, from being a reliable option on the right side to passing in serve receive. She plays well above her age. Nicole Steiner, Vision 15 Gold – Steiner looks to be an up and comer. She’s 6-0 with a smooth swing. When she gets a hold of one, you can tell! She’ll continue to develop and is a good one to keep an eye on. Ashlyn Paymal, NE Elite 15 Matrix – Paymal definitely has next-level potential! She’s a 6-3 three-star recruit and is arguably NE Elite best offensive weapon. She can hit from all over the front row and knows how to score.   Ellie Hunt, NorCal 15-1 Black – Keep a watch out for Hunt. This 6-0 right side certainly had her moments. She’s a solid scoring option who helps balance out of the offense and will get better as she develops. Kate Hayhurst, ID Crush 15 Bower – It wouldn’t be surprising to see Hayhurst part of our player rankings in the near future. This 6-2 lefty has lots of potential. She’s long and can go over blocks as well as deliver them. Nora Wurtz, NE Elite 16 Lohaki – At 6-4 and touching 10-0, this sophomore brings a lot to the lineup. She has a big, heavy arm and hits with power. She also puts up a big block at the net. We can definitely see Wurtz making contributions at the next level! Cleo Hardin, Vision 16 Gold – This 6-2 pin hitter is undoubtedly a rising talent! She’s lengthy with a high contact point and a key part of the Vision offense. She lined up opposite the setter but can switch in the front row and hit from the left side. Cymarah Gordon, Momentous 16 Dan – We’ve written about this 6-0 three-star recruit before. For good reason too, as Gordon has untapped potential and tremendous upside. She is a physical attacker who can overpower blockers and defenders. And she can put up a huge block too! Haley Clark, SG Elite 16 Rosh – Another three-star recruit we’ve mentioned before, Clark is a 5-11 lefty with an electric arm. SG definitely looks to get her involved and going when she checks in and she adds a whole other dynamic to the offense with her power. Mary Healy, Absolute Black 17-1 – At 6-2, Healy is part of a tall roster. She brings the heat on the right side with a lively arm! Sarah Wadsworth, AZ Storm 17 Elite – Wadsworth is a 5-11 and committed to Marshall. She helps open the offense by being a scoring threat on the right side. She has a strong arm and can bury some balls. Carly Sciborski, Academy 17 Diamond – Sciborski should make an impact at the next level playing for American, where she is committed. She’s a 6-4 lefty who with her height can go straight over blocks and hit at high angles. Olivia Ruy, Club V 17 Ren Reed – This 6-2 pin hitter is a three-star recruit who is committed to Arkansas. She’s a physical hitter who possess a big arm and adds another power piece to the attack.

The closing weekend of qualifying season was filled with excitement at Far Western in Reno. vballrecruiter.com was on hand, viewing as much of it as we could get to in three days. We took note of the players who made us take notice. Below, we bring you the top middle blockers we witnessed. Charlotte Kelly, NorCal 15-1 Black – Kelly is one to get to know about! She’s 6-3 with tremendous potential. She has an easy swing and can crush it when she connects with one. She’s also effective on the slide and was getting her share of touches at the net. Kalyssa Blackshear, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar – Blackshear is a 6-4 four-star recruit. She’s lanky and is a tough cover for defenses with her ability to see over the block and attack accordingly. With her length, she also puts up a imposing block. Poema Ueligitone, Rage Westside 15 Jen – An eighth-grader playing up, Ueligitone is a bit undersized but can be relentless. She has some physicality to her and can hit with power. Brooklyn Hardy, ID Crush 15 Bower – Watching Hardy, it’s hard to believe she’s part of the Class of 2026! She’s wirey with a quick swing, moves well and is a great option on the slide. We’ll be hearing plenty about her in years to come! Bella Ehrlich, Absolute Black 15-1 – Ehrlich is a 6-2 three-star recruit. She has lots of upside to her. She sees the court well and can vary her attack to keep defenses off balanced. Ada Awagu, SA Juniors 15 Adidas – A 6-2 three-star recruit, Awagu is still raw and figuring things out but she has a very high ceiling. She’s athletic and long and is someone to keep an eye on as she continues to improve. Sophia Vella, NorCal 15-1 Black – Vella, at 6-0, is a hard worker and can also run the slide well. She gets her money worth on the attack, taking aggressive cuts and going at the defense. Rory Tower, AZ Rev 15 Premier – Tower is fiery at times, especially after delivering a timely block. She’s 5-11 and was providing Rev stability in the middle being both a scoring threat and solid blocker. Madeline Way, City Volleyball 16 Gold – A 6-1 three-star recruit, Way has the ability to make impacts on both side of the ball. She has a quick jump, which helps her be both a reliable scorer and effective blocker. Tatum Sharp, Rocky 16 National – Rocky National had a nice run, putting itself in bid position on Day 3. Sharp was an integral part of that. She’s a freshman playing up and brings aggressiveness to the front row. She can line up and hit from the left, middle or right side.   Havannah Vogel, Temecula Viper 16 Mauro – Temecula is so much better when it’s getting Vogel involved. She’s 6-1 with a smooth swing and ability to score consistently. Evie Hendrix, OMNI 16 John – Hendrix moves well for her height. With her length she puts up a solid block and gets plenty of touches. Caroline Foraker, SynergyForce 16 James – At 6-2, Foraker can make an impact across the front row. She has a quick arm and adds an offensive dimension to the attack. Briley Lackey, Vision 16 Gold – Lackey should be on the rise with her potential! She takes up plenty of space with her 6-4 frame. She has a fluid swing, runs the slide well and brings Vision up a notch when she’s getting involved. Morgan Warren, Hou Skyline 16 Royal – A 5-10 middle, Warren adds a different dynamic to the lineup. She jumps well and can beat defenses with well-placed tips or hitting around the block. Ingrid Zahn, SG Elite 16 Rosh – A three-star recruit, the 5-11 Zahn is a bit undersized but that doesn’t keep her from making herself known. She reads well and has great timing with her blocking. She shut down plenty of would-be attacks. Zoey Burgess, Club V 16 Ren Wayne – A five-star recruit, Burgess is 6-2 and can play outside hitter as well as middle blocker. We’ve written plenty about her this season and she never disappoints. She has a powerful swing and hits at a high contact point. It makes her one of the more difficult middles to defend. Preslie Yates, Absolute Black 16-1 – We like the upside this 6-1 middle has! Yates adds some physicality to the mix. She’s strong and has a powerful arm.   Mia Clayton, Absolute Black 16-1 – There were moments when Clayton provided a huge spark. She brings good energy, has a solid arm and was showing a knack for making timely blocks. Hailey Heytvelt, OJVA 16-1 Gold – When Heytvelt has it going, it really elevates the OJVA attack. She has nice size at 6-1 and knows how to use the block, as well as being a great option on the slide. Sophia Garza, OMNI 17 Rick – It’s a different game for OMNI when Garza is front row. She’s a 6-1 middle who moves well, runs a great slide attack and has a quick swing. Alexandra Chandler, SynergyForce 17 Jeff – Synergy will go to Chandler when she’s checked in. She has a strong arm that generates good pace and she gets up pretty well too. Mia Lee, Club V 17 Ren Reed – Lee should star at BYU, where she’s committed. She’s 6-0 but touches an incredible 10-7. Needless to say, she brings plenty of athleticism to the court. She can be a force offensively with her ability to sky and swing down. Rachel Grier, NorCal 17-1 Black – Grier is a 6-4 middle committed to New Hampshire. She adds great size to the position and gives NorCal a big target in the middle to throw at defenses. Taylor Harvey, Club V 17 Ren Reed – There’s no telling the heights this five-star recruit is going to reach! She’s a member

Far Western brought three days of intense action to the city of Reno. There were plenty of teams and players to sort through and vballrecruiter.com spent time searching and watching for those who impressed the most. Here are the top setters who caught our attention. Tristen Raymond, S/RS, AZ Rev 15 Premier – Raymond had an argument for being 15 Open MVP with the level she displayed over the weekend! She plays a huge role with her setting and hitting abilities. She’s game-changer on offense across the row, really opening the attack with her whippy arm and decent jump to go after opponents with. Claire Sun, S/RS, Rage Westside 15 Jen – Another two-way player who is a major contributor, Sun jumps extremely well and though she’s a bit undersized can go against bigger blocks because of it. She also has good hands and spots the ball well. Tenesyn Frye, ID Crush 15 Bower – At 6-0, Frye has good height for a setter and looks to have plenty of upside as she continues to develop. She has a good touch and knows how to move the ball around. Julia Waller, Absolute Black 15-1 – Waller is a fluid setter who plays with lots of energy and hustle. She has a knack for keeping defenses guessing with her ability to go against the flow or getting her middles involved. Peyton Meyer, NE Elite 15 Matrix – A 5-11 three-star recruit, Meyer has good hands with consistent location. She’s also adept at reversing it and catching defenses off guard. Jolyna Salas, Coast 15-1 – Injuries throughout the season led to Coast going to a 5-1 with Salas. She’s a bit undersized but does well getting her hitters good looks. Plus, she’s scrappy and gets after it on defense. Ashlyn Tafoya, Rocky 16 National – This freshman setter is a bit undersized but she is integral to the offense. She has nice hands and sets a clean ball. She’s also spot on with her location, including a good connection with her middles. Logan Tusher, Absolute Black 16-1 – A 5-11 setter, Tusher definitely displays her skillset! Her hands are soft and she hits her spots with great consistency. She’s able to reverse the flow while on the move and can also run tempo sets. Maya Baker, Vision 16 Gold – Another freshman who is playing up, Baker has a very bright future! She has a soft touch, rarely misses her window and has great command of the offense. She also carries herself with a calm and steady demeanor. Kate Duffey, S/RS, City Volleyball 16 Gold – At 6-0, Duffey both sets and hits. She’s solid at both, with nice accuracy when dishing and the ability to blow up blocks and be a reliable scoring option across the front row. Molly Romano, NE Elite 16 Lohaki – A three-star recruit, this 5-10 setter helped get NE Elite in bid contention. She has a good touch and puts the ball in a consistent window for her hitters. Adrianna Arquette, S/RS, SAS VBC 16 – Arquette also is a two-way contributor. She’s 5-10 with nice hands and a smooth delivery. She’s also a heady attack who can beat defenses with her variety of shots. Cayley Hanson, S/OH, Hou Skyline 16 Royal – A 6-2 three-star recruit, Hanson does a lot by both setting and hitting. At times she can run a 5-1 but was mostly part of a 6-2 and lining up on the left to hit. She carries a big arm and can hit with pace and power. Carter Fouche, Skyline 16 Royal – Though a bit undersized at 5-8, Fouche is very active and brings strong energy. She can also run tempo to her help beat the defense. Katie Salonga, NorCal 16-1 Black – Another setter who is a bit undersized at 5-7, we really loved the passion and spirit Salonga brings to the lineup. She’s upbeat, is undeterred and sets a nice ball. Elisabeth Levick, OJVA 16-1 Gold – There’s definite upside to this 6-1 setter. She’s going to keep improving and dialing in her craft. She already has good hands and solid location and does well trying to get her hitters involved. Julia Kakkis, S/RS, Momentous 16 Dan – We’ve mentioned Kakkis before. At 6-1, she is a key part of the lineup with her contributions setting and hitting. She’s another who defenses need to watch out for across the front row. She has a powerful arm and can pound some loud winners. Presley Powell, Hou Skyline 17 Royal – Powell should excel at the next level playing for Colorado School of Mines. She sets a smooth ball and is very consistent with her location. Annika Sokol, S/RS, Co Jrs 17 Kevin – This 5-10 setter/right side is a total gamer! She’s a feisty competitor who is a strong, accurate setter. She’s also a smart attacker who can hit from various spots across the front row and knows how to beat bigger blocks. Morgan Burke, NE Elite 17 Vici – A 6-0 Michigan recruit, Burke can also hit but was running a 5-1. She’s capable at moving the ball around and getting her attackers involved when in system.   Samantha Riter, Absolute Black 17-1 – Riter was making some great plays defensively as well as serving tough with a flat, driving ball that was eating up passers. She also has nice hands and delivers the ball with a soft touch. Brynn Covell, Academy 17 Diamond – A 6-0 Texas AM recruit, Covell has a strong hands and can run a nice tempo. She has the ability to push the ball to the outside from far off when out of system.

The final weekend of qualifier season brought vballrecruiter.com to Far Western in Reno. There was definitely a sense of urgency as teams fought for the last available bids remaining. We walked the courts for three days watching and observing as much action as we could. Here are the top liberos we saw. Elizabeth Bower, ID Crush 15 Bower – ID Crush has produced some strong liberos in recent years and Bower is next line to carry that flag. She’s an eighth-grader playing up. She’s smooth and has the ability to make tough saves look effortless and easy. She’s a name to know! Isabel Junior, NE Elite 15 Matrix – Junior is part of a scrappy group. She did well extending rallies and giving NE Elite extra chances to score. Brooklyn Bowman, Coast 15-1 – Coast is not the biggest team and needs to find ways to make up points where it can. Bowman gives them that chance with her defensive prowess. She can take away kills with her strong digging abilities and keep Coast in the rally. Sydney Raszewski, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar – Raszewski had a particularly strong Sunday as Beach contending for the 15 Open crown. She was flying around the court making plays and her passing out of serve receive was solid. Allison Cook, NorCal 15-1 Black – Cook is part of a NorCal squad that plays hard and isn’t afraid to compete. She was picking off some hard hit cross court shots and covering well. Ava Lambert, AZ Rev 15 Premier – As a unit, AZ Rev was playing some of the scrappiest defense in the division. Lambert was showcasing her skills by making some big-time digs and was passing fairly solid out of serve receive. Lauren Lynch, SG Elite 16 Rosh – A four-star recruit playing up an age group, we’ve written about Lynch before this season. She continues to impress with her unflappable play, sound passing and ability to erase would-be kills. Meghan Kagehiro, Rage 16 Garren – Kagehiro was a standout for Rage while we were observing! She was covering the court and making digs all over. She was also consistent in serve receive and keeping Rage in system. Elina Wheeler, SF Elite 16 Saga – This was a fun libero to watch. Wheeler definitely brings passion to the position. She’s fiery and really celebrates with her teammates. She’s also active and very talkative. Sarah Galligan, NE Elite 16 Lohaki – Galligan has a calm energy about her and doesn’t seem to get rattled. She wasn’t challenged much in serve receive but when she was she was passing accurately. Jacqueline Smith, OMNI 16 John – There were some big shots coming at Smith and she stood in there and took them! She’s a scrappy one and was running around making nice covers at the net. Michael Torkaman, Vision 16 Gold – Torkaman seems to read the court well and position herself to make play after play. She has a quiet intensity about her and she’s tough to breakdown in serve receive. Annah Legaspi, Momentous 16 Dan – We’ve written about this three-star recruit a couple times prior. She continues to be a defensive stalwart. She’s quick and can cover ground. She’s also very consistent when targeted in serve receive. Kambree Rodriguez, Club V 17 Ren Reed – We caught Rodriguez in action on Day 2 and Day 3. The Utah State commit was on fire Saturday against NE Elite. She could hardly do wrong, from passing dimes to making saves, she was on point! Kaieva Johnson, Club V 17 Ren Matthew – Johnson is another we really enjoyed watching! She is quick. She can track down balls in a hurry and brings lots of energy to the court. Laney Choboy, Academy 17 Diamond – A five-star recruit committed to Minnesota, many coaches consider Choboy the top libero in the Class of 2023. She’s extremely passionate and boisterous with her high-octane motor. She’s certainly not afraid of laying out to make plays and always seems to have one spectacular play she makes out of nowhere. Molly Tuozzo, Hou Skyline 17 Royal – Tuozzo is a three-star recruit committed to Kentucky. She has the capability of making wow saves. She stands in against hard struck balls flying at her cross court and has no issues picking them off. Tehani Ulufatu, Absolute Black 17-1 – A Baylor commit, Ulufatu was – pardon the pun – absolute nails in the back row as the NCVA club secured its Open bid. She was especially effective in serve receive, passing more than half the court in a two-person formation. Mckenzie Schoenhardt, Arizona Storm 17 Thunder – Schoenhardt, who is a three-star recruit, flies under the radar a bit but was a key piece to the puzzle as Storm wrapped up its Open bid. She can make plays where you think the point is over but she’ll keep it going where others wouldn’t be able to.

There was no chance the final day of qualifying season was going to be basic, was there? I mean, we already knew the teams receiving the three bids in 15 Open before play kicked off Sunday. So why couldn’t the bid races in 16 and 17 Open be as cut-and-dry? Because that would be boring and we all know volleyball at this level is not boring! For almost 30 minutes Sunday afternoon, there was tons of suspense and confusion as the final bid was getting sorted out in 16 Open. Hou Skyline 16 Royal already clinched a bid by reaching the final, where Hou Skyline eventually fell to previously-qualified Vision 16 Gold. It capped a perfect 10-0 weekend for Vision. San Gabriel Elite 16 Rosh had earned a spot in the third-place match, also clinching a bid and joining Hou Skyline. However, figuring out who SG was going to play and thus which team was going to receive the last qualifying spot turned into the craziest moments yet of the season at a qualifier. While Hou Skyline won its pool at 3-0, OJVA 16-1 Gold, Absolute Black 16-1 and Rocky 16 National all tied at 1-2. OJVA and Absolute were tied on set percentage. Rocky was below both in set percentage.   Normally, that seems like an easy tiebreaker situation to sort through. Rocky would be eliminated, leaving OJVA and Absolute tied on set percentage. Since OJVA won the head-to-head contest, OJVA would take second in the pool and with it the last bid. But it was not normal times! Not with a bid in the balance. OJVA began warming up, believing it had the spot in the third-place match against SG, which was also warming up. Meanwhile, Absolute players were sitting around on the court and the benches while their coaches were meeting with the tournament directors at the tournament desk. Personally, I thought it was clear that OJVA would be playing SG for third place. So did other coaches who had gathered around and were sharing their opinions. But that’s not how the tiebreaker rules go when a bid is on the line. This from the USAV manual: If a team would be eliminated from advancing to the Gold at BJNC/GJNCs or earning a Bid to BJNC/GJNCs, the remaining teams that are tied in match percentage and set percentage have Playoff Tie Breaker Set(s) played as defined in step 3. Step 3 states: If there is 1 pool position available for a team to advance to play for a bid position, all teams participate in the Tie Breaker Sets. The sequence of play offsets is structured so that the teams with the highest point percentages have the fewest number of Tie Breaker Sets to play. That was the news the Absolute coaches delivered upon returning to the court. Set percentage, point ratios, none of that mattered in this case because a bid was in the balance, so the only way to settle it was through one-game playoffs! I feel like free popcorn should have been handed out for all involved. Because no one could write a script for something like this. Of course, the Absolute players were ecstatic to learn they still had a shot at qualifying. Rocky National was essentially getting ready to head to the airport believing its tournament was over and so of course Rocky National was pumped up to still be in it as well. Then there was OJVA, which was a bit deflated thinking it already had a bid but now had to win two, one-game playoffs to 15. It wasn’t enough to deter OJVA though. Up first was Rocky National, which beat OJVA in pool play. OJVA survived the first playoff, 15-12, to set up a showdown with Absolute. That meant one game to 15 for the last bid. If you are a fan of drama, it doesn’t get any more dramatic than that! OJVA, which swept Absolute, 25-23, 25-23, in a close result in pool play, jumped out to a 6-0 lead. It shrank to 9-6 at one point, but OJVA went on a 6-3 run from there to win 15-9 and earn its bid. SG had been sitting around waiting for all this to play out. It finally had an opponent and went on to sweep OJVA, 25-14, 25-12, to finish in third. What a day! While the one-game playoffs were being played in 16 Open, the final bid in 17 Open remained up in the air. That was to be settled in a fifth-place meeting between Absolute Black 17-1 and NorCal 17-1 Black scheduled for 4pm. Club V 17 Ren Reed defeated Hou Skyline 17 Royal for the 17 Open crown. Both were already qualified. SynergyForce 17 Jeff and Arizona Storm Elite 17 Thunder earned the first two bids by virtue of making the third-place match. That left the final bid between Absolute and NorCal. It went down to the wire – of course! – with Absolute escaping in three, 23-25, 25-15, 15-13, to close out the bid race in exciting fashion. The bid chases in 16 and 17 Open were so unbelievable and entertaining, it overshadowed one of the biggest surprises of the qualifier season when AZ Rev 15 Premier beat Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar to capture the 15 Open championship. It was an amazing run for AZ Rev, which already knew it had its bid by virtue of making the top six heading into Sunday’s action. NorCal 15-1 Black and NE Elite 15 Matrix were in the top six as well and had prior bids along with Long Beach so it took the drama of qualifying out of the picture on Day 3. NorCal defeated NE Elite in the third-place match. Coast 15-1 and ID Crush 15 Bower tied for fifth but went home with bids. We’ll have more on each division’s champion and bid winners in the next couple of days, as well as our top players list from the weekend.

The bid chases continued to develop Saturday and will play out in 16 and 17 Open on Day 3 at Far Western in Reno. As for 15 Open, the qualifying process is a wrap. On Day 2 we learned which clubs picked up the three available bids. Before getting to that, a reminder vballrecruiter.com will have post-tournament coverage that includes our substantial standout players list. Among those we took note of Saturday are ONMI 17 Rick middle blocker Sophia Garza, Absolute Black 17-1 right side Mary Healy, ID Crush 15 Bower middle blocker Brooklyn Hardy, AZ Rev 15 Premier S/RS Tristen Raymond and NorCal 15-1 Black outside Lucy Chertock.   SEE YOU IN INDY Congrats to Coast 15-1, AZ Rev 15 Premier and ID Crush 15 Bower on earning bids Saturday! There’s no need to see how 15 Open plays out Sunday to know which teams are leaving Reno happy. Six teams are left in contention and half are already qualified in Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar, NorCal Black 15-1 and NE Elite 15 Matrix. That creates trickle down to sixth place if need be. Missing from the top six is the other qualified team in the field in Absolute Black 15-1, which went 1-2 in Pool 2 and as a result will miss out on the gold pools. Instead, Coast took second in that pool behind NorCal. It’s a big deal because had Absolute made the gold pools and made for four teams with bids, it would have brought the silver bracket into play. Now, all that is left is to see how the final pecking order sorts itself to determine the Far Western champion. AZ Rev started off as the No. 16 overall seed and sprang a big upset on Day 1 when it uprooted Absolute. Rev was involved in all sorts of fun Saturday in Pool 1. It lost its opening match to NE Elite in three before bouncing back by beating Rage Westside 15 Jen. At one point, the whole pool – which also featured Vision 15 Gold – was 1-1. NE Elite crushed Rage Westside’s hopes of qualifying with a sweep to finish 2-1 and reach gold pools. Up next was a showdown for a bid between Rev and Vision. NorCal, Long Beach and NE Elite already had clinched spots in the gold pools, so it was well known the winner of Vision-Rev would be receiving its bid. The match did not disappoint. Rev took the opening set and almost staged a furious rally in Game 2 before fending off Vision in three, 25-16, 23-25, 15-12. The Rev players, coaches and parents celebrated accordingly knowing what the victory meant. ID Crush, meanwhile, was on a mission Saturday. It went 3-0 in Pool 3, including outlasting Long Beach in three games, 25-21, 20-25 15-9. That is Crush’s best victory of the season. While Crush already had its bid essentially clinched before facing Beach, there was zero letdown after Crush opened the day with victories over SA Jrs 15 Adidas and Club V 15 Ren Adam. Coast also picked up its biggest victory so far when it downed Absolute in three sets, 25-16, 15-25, 15-8. That was the second match of Pool 2, so it was still too early in the day to know the exact consequences of that result but there’s no doubt it made Coast’s path to a bid much easier. Coast then topped Rage 15 Greg to move to 2-0 before ending the day with a three-set loss to NorCal. NorCal’s victory over Absolute, 17-25, 25-21, 16-14, in the 1 v 4 contest also went a long way in shaping the results of Pool 2. *** WHERE DID TRICKLE DOWN GO? Friday, it was previously-qualified Club V 16 Ren Wayne getting knocked out of contention. Saturday, it was another team with a bid in Skyline 16 Royal not advancing. That leaves one. As in one club with a bid left in 16 Open. That would be Vision 16 Gold. There won’t be a need for any fifth-place match Sunday. Trickle down can only extend to fourth place and that’s only if Vision finishes in the top four. Should Vision finish third or fourth in its gold pool, that means the third-place match will be used to determine the final bid. That also means there are seven teams in the running to qualify. Rocky 16 National, Absolute Black 16-1, Hou Skyline 16 Royal and OJVA 16-1 Gold make up Pool 1. Vision is in Pool 2 with SG Elite 16 Rosh, Momentous 16 Dan and NE Elite 16 Lohaki. Most of the time, four-team gold pools begin play the evening of Day 2. That’s not the case here in Reno. The pools begin at 8am Sunday. It’s going to make for a wildly fantastic conclusion to 16 Open as so much is still at stake on Day 3. Rocky National continued its amazing run. The Colorado club started off as the No. 25 overall seed. Only three clubs were seeded lower than Rocky National! Yet, after going 3-0 in Pool 1 on Day 2, Rock National assumes the top spot in Pool 1 on Day 3. That’s remarkable! NE Elite advanced out of Pool 1 along with Rocky National. Vision didn’t drop a set in Pool 2 in going 3-0. However, OJVA, SynergyForce 16 James and AZ Epic 16 Mike all tied at 1-2. It was OJVA getting the second-place nod on set percentage. SG Elite went 3-0 without losing a set in Pool 3. Hou Skyline beat A4 Volley 16 Purple for the second time in two days to take second at 2-1 and move on. In Pool 4, Absolute closed out Momentous in straight sets to end 3-0 and drop Momentous to 2-1. Both were assured of advancing before facing off. *** MUSICAL CHAIR TIME One team is in for a heartbreaking Day 3 in 17 Open. Six teams make up the two gold pools, with Hou Skyline 17 Royal and Club

You never know how the opening day of a qualifier is going to play out. A lot of times, only a few items of note take place. But every once in a while we get a whirlwind Day 1 where things are happening everywhere. The latter was how Friday played out at Far Western in Reno. Before getting to the action of the day, vballrecruiter.com will also have post-tournament coverage that will include our substantial top standouts list by position. Among the standouts Friday you’ll see featured include Rocky 16 National freshman setter Ashlyn Tafoya, City Volleyball 16 Gold outside hitter Jenna Garner, Absolute Black 16-1 setter Logan Tusher, SG Elite 16 Rosh freshman libero Lauren Lynch and Nebraska Elite 16 Lohaki right side Nora Wurtz. Here’s a rundown. 16 OPEN TOP SEEDS UPSET Volleyball is secondary this weekend for Skyline 16 Royal. The club was dealt a tragic blow earlier in the week when Sawyer Mulkey – a member of Skyline 16 Black – passed away after being in a car accident. Skyline 16 Royal – which is the top seed in 16 Open and is already qualified – honored Mulkey by wearing yellow ribbons and writing the No. 3 on their left shoulders Friday. It’s going to be a difficult weekend for the players regardless of the results. The team then learned its first opponent of the weekend in Paramount VBC 16s was no longer in the tournament. That created a three-team Pool 1 and a later than expected start for Skyline as tournament officials worked on the new format. Skyline beat both OMNI 16 John and NNJ 16 Nate in pool play but was upended by NE Elite 16 Lohaki in its crossover match. While Skyline was guaranteed to advance no matter what, it did make things more interesting for Day 2 as Skyline landed in Pool 4 with Momentous 16 Dan, Absolute 16 Black and Club V 16 Matt. NE Elite took over the top seed and went to a presumably easier Pool 1 with Spike and Serve 16-1, Rocky 16 National and SF Elite 16 Saga. To borrow the word, the saga of the day caught up to No. 3 overall seed Club V 16 Wayne. Club V Wayne owned a bid already and could’ve been part of trickle down but won’t be now. Not after ending in a three-way tie at 1-2 and taking fourth. Club V Wayne was upset by Rage 16 Garren in the opening match and also fell to Temecula Viper 16 Mauro, which won the pool at 3-0 as the No. 2 team. That’s how SF Elite escaped, as it was the No. 4 team in the pool but earned the second-place tiebreaker. That right there is normally plenty of excitement for a Day 1, but we aren’t done! Lots more happened if you can believe it? Two three-team pools in Pool 6 and Pool 7 both finished with three-way ties at 1-1. Sixth-seed Hou Skyline 16 Royal actually took third in Pool 6 but since it was a three-team pool there were still crossovers waiting. While the first-place teams were safe, the second and third-place teams needed to win the crossover to remain alive. Hou Skyline downed NNJ 16 Nate to stay in the hunt. A4 Volley 16 Purple and SynergyForce 16 James were in the same pool as Hou Skyline. A4 grabbed first on tiebreakers. SynergyForce meanwhile beat OMNI in its crossover to move on. Absolute Black 16-1, NE Elite and Spike and Serve finished in the three-way tie in Pool 7. Spike and Serve took first. NE Elite was the second-place team and went on to beat Skyline but only after getting past NCVC 16-1 Blue in its first crossover. Absolute rebounded to eliminate City Volleyball 16 Gold in its first challenge then downed A4. Another note was Rocky 16 National advancing as the No. 4 team from Pool 5. It pushed No. 5 overall seed SG Elite 16 Rosh to three on its way to finishing 2-1. With Club V Wayne getting knocked out it means we head to Day 2 with only two teams still in contention with bids in Skyline and Vision 16 Gold. That means the lowest trickle down can go now is to fifth place. *** TOP SEED UPSET IN 15 OPEN We didn’t exactly call this one but we did mention No. 16 AZ Rev 15 Premier as a potential sleeper in 15 Open in our Preview and Predictions released Thursday. All AZ Rev did Friday was upset top-seeded and previously-qualified Absolute Black 15-1 in the final match of Pool 1. That gives AZ Rev the top seed to begin Day 2. It wasn’t the first time this season we’ve seen Absolute struggle on Day 1 as the top seed. Absolute also lost on Day 1 as the No. 1 seed at the Salt Lake City Showdown in early March. There, Absolute was knocked out on Day 2. But the Nor Cal club responded by winning PNQ and getting its bid. We’ll see how Absolute bounces back Saturday. It certainly shook up the pools, that’s for sure! Absolute is now the No. 4 team in Pool 2. That’s not exactly what you wanted to see if you are the other three teams in NorCal 15-1 Black, Coast 15-1 Luis and Rage 15 Greg. At least NorCal already has its bid. But that now means Coast and Rage have their work cut out for them, because they are going to need to beat at least one team that’s already qualified. AZ Rev is in Pool 1 now with Vision 15 Gold, NE Elite 15 Matrix and Rage Westside 15 Jen. NE Elite is already qualified but the No. 4 seed to begin was upset by No. 9 ID Crush 15 Bower on Friday. NE Elite then needed to beat NCVC 15-1 Blue to remain in the top half. It’s interesting how that worked out, because had Absolute held seed Pool 1