Premium Content

Commitments & Signings Week of March 29-April 4

Congrats to all! Corrections? Questions? Additions? Email christi@vballrecruiter.com or DM on Social Media @vballphil   2024 FURMAN: MB/OPP Rebekah Buchholz (Lexington United) ALCORN STATE: OH/DS Erin Mims WASHINGTON STATE: S Italia Bernal (Coast) JACKSONVILLE: OH/DS Ana Tobar (Miami Hype) HAMPTON: OH Brooklynn Patterson (Metro) INCARNATE WORD: OH Alex Beauchamp (Austin Juniors) RADFORD: OH/OPP Aubrey Hatch (Paramount) MCNEESE STATE: S Corynne Hausler (Arizona Sky) PASADENA CC: L Marina Segura (Forza1 North) MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE: L Franzhine Guloy INDIANA UNIVERSITY EAST: MB Amyra Lockett (REV) DELTA COLLEGE: S/DS Paige Taylor (Pulse VBC) DELTA COLLEGE: OH Karlie Spencer (Rage VBC) FRESNO CITY COLLEGE: MB Asia Allen BROOKHAVEN COLLEGE: L Fiona Larsen (TAV) CENTRALIA COLLEGE: OH Paige Miller NOTRE DAME MD: MB Morgan Perzan (Baltimore Elite) NOTRE DAME MD: L Izzy Stewart (Ottawa Fusion) CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS: OPP Fallon Freeman (Rage VBC)   2025 WAYNE STATE: OH Delaney Miller (Iowa Powerplex) SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE: RS Claire Occkiogrosso (TAV) NORTHERN ILLINOIS: OH Delaney Steers (The Academy) OREGON STATE: OH/DS Kamana’o Goldstein (Spike & Serve) EAST TENNESSEE STATE: RS Malia Brinkman (Elevation) EAST TENNESSEE STATE:MB Raegan Waller (Ohio Premier) MIAMI OH: OH Grace Kreutz (Adversity) SAINT LOUIS: OH Ellie Rink (Illini Elite) FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL: S/OPP Kate Kuehn (Houston Skyline) ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM: OH/MB Kennedy Jones (Rockwood Thunder) SEATTLE: S/OPP Evie Morrissette (North Pacific Juniors) TENNESSEE TECH: L Ella Watford (NIVA) NEVADA: S/OPP Audrey Jensen (Colorado Juniors) DEPAUL: OH/OPP Morgan Stewart (FC Elite) GEORGE WASHINGON: OH/OPP Alexis Badu (Metro) USC UPSTATE: OH Summer Kohler (Venetian Bay) CLEVELAND STATE: MB Magaly Lemus (MVA Rise Academy) QUEENS UNIVERSITY CHARLOTTE: S Tyler Peluso (OTVA Orlando) WYOMING: L Lily LaFlesch (Arizona Sky) BRADLEY: OH/MB Ashlee Markert (Club Four) DEFIANCE COLLEGE: L Lydia Christenson (Premier Academy) WABASH VALLEY COLLEGE: S Briauan Fuquay (Evansville United) MISSOURI SOUTHERN STATE: OPP Epi Salamasina (Invasion) RANGER COLLEGE: S Bailey Black (Texas Image) MIDDLE TENNESSEE: OPP Gabby Clinkscale (Rockwood Thunder) BEMIDJI STATE: DS/S Madison Tripp (FC Elite)   TRANSFERS SAN JOSE STATE: TR OH Naima Foster (Seattle/Oregon Juniors ) BOSTON COLLEGE: TR L Morgan Riddle (Colorado/Front Range) DUKE: GR MB Tiffany Paalman (UW Green Bay/FC Elite) UT RGV: TR S Isabella Costantini (Tyler JC/Brazil) CAMERON: TR MB/OH Rhayan Earl (Southeastern Oklahoma/Texas Image) CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS: TR S Carly Kejmar (Rio Hondo College)    

Read More »

Show Me: Day 2 Show Stoppers And More

As for the 15 Open bid chase, all the drama took place on Day 2. That’s because we know the three teams that are leaving Show Me qualified for Open after Sunday’s results. There was plenty of potential for the final day of play to produce a climatic close to the three days of competition. But one large surprise ended that. The second day of action started off with all six previously-qualified teams in contention in 15 Open. However, it ended with only three advancing to the two, three-team gold pools set for Monday. That means the remaining three clubs in the gold pools – PVA 15 Elite, KC Power 15 Black and Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite – already know their fate before hitting the court on Day 3. No matter the results, they’ll earn bids. The shocker came with national No. 3 OT 15 Randy – the No. 2 overall seed – going 1-2 in Pool 2 and not advancing. With TAV 15 Fifer and NE Elite 15 Revolution also not moving on, it took the drama away for Day 3. Had one of that trio advanced, it would have brought the silver bracket into play. I for one was pulling for that scenario to play out, but that’s the thing about qualifiers. There’s always an unexpected twist around the corner and I did not see this one coming. Not sure anyone did with OT falling to both KC Power and PVA. KC Power ended the day at 3-0, followed by PVA at 2-1. Filling out the gold pools are previously-qualified Skyline 15 Royal, VCNebraska 15 Elite and Premier Nebraska 15 Gold. Skyline and Premier Nebraska were in Pool 1 together, along with TAV and NE Elite. All four had bids already and only two could advance. That certainly created an opportunity for others. Rockwood Thunder went 2-1 in Pool 3, finishing tied with VCNebraska and taking first based on the head-to-head tiebreaker. VCNebraska barely pulled through in its last outing against Paramount 15 Nick, winning 25-15, 22-25, 15-13, and ending Paramount’s hopes of qualifying. Had VCNebraska not advanced, that would have brought a bit of drama to the Day 3 gold pools. While the bid chase is over in 15 Open, the scenarios in 16 Open are many. Among the happenings on Day 2 was previously-qualified HJV 16 Elite going 1-2 and finishing third in its pool. However, there were two play-in brackets and HJV prevailed in one of them to make one of the four, three-team gold pools. MJVA 16 Elite survived the other one. As for the gold pools, I’m really looking forward to seeing how they play out on Day 3. That’s because the other big news was OP2 16-1 Elite upsetting previously-qualified Boiler Jrs 16 Gold in pool play to finish first. That knocked Boiler Jrs into Pool 1 as the No. 3 team for Day 3. Also in that pool is top-seeded Skyline 16 Royal and previously-qualified MN Select 16-1. What I’m watching for is if teams which finish in second place in the gold pools will still have a shot to qualify or not. Pool 2 doesn’t feature any qualified teams, while Pool 3 features Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar and Pool 4 contains HJV. There are lots of scenarios that can play out, but if only one qualified team advances to the top four, then the other three teams will earn bids. However, if two or more qualified teams – only three can advance in all – make the final four, teams coming in second place will playoff for the last bid or bids. That could create a fantastic conclusion on Monday. As for 17 Open, both qualified teams in Hou Skyline 17 Royal and MAVS KC 17-1 are in the mix. They are split up between the two, four-team gold pools. Of the remaining six teams, three are going to earn bids. Pool 1 is filled out by Northern Lights 17-1, Dynasty 17 Black and Mich Elite 17 Mizuno. Mich Elite had quite the day after starting off 0-2. However, Mich Elite managed to edge PVA 17 Elite in three, 25-16, 23-25, 21-19, to create a three-way tie at 1-2 with PVA and MN Select. Mich Elite earned second place behind 3-0 GP 17 Rox. GP is part of Pool 2, along with MAVS, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite and HPSTL 17 Royal. HPSTL also finished in a three-way tie at 1-2 with MJVA 17 Elite and Austin Skyline 17 Royal but took second to remain alive. MAVS avoided a three-way tie at 1-2 by beating Dynasty in the last match. Both finished 2-1 with MAVS earning the head-to-head tiebreaker. ***** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Logan Cary S/RS FRVBC 17 Black: Cary – a 2026 recruit playing up – helps make up a solid setter/right side duo for Front Range. She’s skillful at both, able to locate consistently while finding space in the defense when attacking. Audrey Hollis S/RS FRVBC 17 Black: A UC San Diego commit, Hollis fills out the setter/right side combo for Front Range. She’s above average in both categories. She has a nice touch setting and sees the court well when swinging. Sydni Vice OH MJVA 17 Elite: Vice – a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2026 – is really long. She can extend way up in the air and not only can easily go over blocks but has a fluid swing to match. Ella Seeger OH MJVA 17 Elite: A 3-star Wright State commit, Seeger is a strong attacker with a solid arm. She hits with power and provides a definite boost to the attack. Shelby Ignash MB Mich Elite 17 Mizuno: Ignash – a 3-star Texas Tech commit – adds an offensive dynamic when she’s across the front row. Mich Elite looks to get her involved as much as possible and she delivers more times than not. Ella Craggs S Mich Elite 17 Mizuno: A 3-star Illinois State, Craggs does a great job

Read More »

Show Me: Day 1 Show Stoppers And More

There are two main things I typically watch for on the opening day of qualifiers. One is upsets. Two is how those upsets impact the next day’s pairings. The biggest shake up on the first day of Show Me in Kansas City came in 17 Open. The largest came with No. 4 overall seed Adrenaline 17 Ben, which entered ranked No. 25 in the nation in our Top 50 Rankings. However, Adrenaline lost to both unranked Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite and Premier Nebraska 17 Gold and finished 2-1. Instead, both those clubs advanced and remain in contention. Adrenaline was not the only ranked club to get knocked out on Day 1. Both No. 42 Academy 17 Tsunami and No. 48 KC Power 17 Black didn’t move on either from their respective pools. Meanwhile, the top three seeds, as well as our four highest-ranked clubs in Hou Skyline 17 Royal, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno, Dynasty 17 Black, plus Northern Lights 17-1, all went 3-0 without dropping a set. Something to watch for on Day 2 comes out of Pool 1, where previously-qualified Hou Skyline is matched with both No. 37 Austin Skyline 17 Royal and No. 47 HPSTL 17 Royal. It figures to be a tough day for Austin Skyline or HPSTL as it’s unlikely both will advance. The only other qualified team in the field in No. 30 MAVS KC 17-1 is the No. 2 team in Pool 3 with Dynasty. That pool also includes Front Range 17 Black and Premier Nebraska. So one of those two teams is going to need to spring an upset to remain in the hunt. The last ranked team we haven’t mentioned is No. 35 GP 17 Rox. GP lands in Pool 2 with Mich Elite, as well as PVA 17 Elite and MN Select17-1. I would have counted both Mich Elite and GP among the teams I expected to qualify this season in 17 Open, so we’ll see how it plays out with those squads on Day 2. I found it slightly less chaotic in 16 Open. But there were still two big storylines to me. One came with HJV 16 Elite taking second in Pool 4. The Lone Star Region club came in with a bid and was ranked No. 24 in our latest Top 50. Yet, unranked Dynasty 16 Black scored the upset to win the pool. What it really did was create a difficult Pool 5 for Day 2, that also features No. 34 Premier Nebraska 16 Gold and No. 23 Pohaku 16-1. The other storyline was No. 36 TAV Houston 16 Adidas falling to both No. 41 OP2 16-1 Elite and unranked Ozark Juniors 16 Elite and being eliminated. I actually predicted TAV Houston coming through and earning the final bid here this weekend, so their result Saturday definitely caught me off guard. Another top seed being bumped from contention was No. 42 Kairos 16 Alpha. OT 16 Roberto, Temecula 16 Viper and Kairos all tied at 2-1, but Kairos took third in the tiebreakers. As for 15 Open, Pool 1 was the one that intrigued me the most on Day 1. That’s because along with No. 4 Skyline 15 Royal, it featured No. 30 MN Select 15-1 and No. 35 PVA 15 Elite. While Skyline wen 3-0, PVA outlasted MN Select in three sets to advance. That left MN Select eliminated. Like I said in the preview, qualifiers take luck and that was an unlucky pool for the first day. The biggest surprise, though, was unranked Paramount 15 Nick going 3-0 as the No. 3 team in Pool 4. Paramount upset No. 23 KC Power 15 Black, which managed to advance at 2-1. KC Power losing created a local-flavored Pool 2 for Day 2. Along with national No. 3 OT 15 Randy – which has its bid already – the pool contains Heart of America region clubs in PVA, KC Power and No. 41 Dynasty 15 Black. Given OT is in the pool, two of those other hopefuls are unlikely to advance. That’s a tough break as well. Kairos 15 Alpha – at No. 34 – was knocked out. Kairos was in the same pool as Paramount and KC Power and went 1-2. ***** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Molly Bokenkroger L/DS PVA 15 Elite: Bokenkroger is a energetic libero who brings a defensive edge to the lineup. She was passing nails and covering sharply at the net. Presley Kreter MB PVA 15 Elite: Kreter is part of a strong 1-2 punch in the middle for PVA. She can get out on the slide and hammer balls with her big arm. Evelyn Igbenebor MB PVA 15 Elite: Igbenebor is the other half defenses need to worry about. She has a fast swing and moves well. She can get up in a hurry and rip shots down past helpless defenders. Elleora Utecht OH Northern Lights 15-1: A 3-star recruit, Utecht is a smart hitter who can frustrate defenses with her scoring prowess. She has a solid arm and knows how to beat defenses. Kaelyn Bjorklund S/RS Northern Lights 15-1: Bjorklund – a 4-star recruit – plays an integral role setting and hitting. She’s strong at both, locating her sets consistently. She can also bring it on offense with a powerful arm. Peyton Kubik OH Dynasty 15 Black: Kubik – a 5-star recruit – is a lanky outside with a scoring touch. She has a fluid swing and can rocket winners when the chance arises. Bo Bronson OH KC Power 15 Black: A 3-star recruit, Bronson is a springy outside who elevates quickly. Combined with a big arm, she can light it up in a hurry. Anniston Clark MB KC Power 15 Black: Clark was coming through and providing key offense. She has a heavy arm and was booming shots. Taylor Harrington MB Paramount 15 Nick: Harrington – a 3-star recruit – has huge upside with her length and reach across the front row. She not only puts up a

Read More »

Vballrecruiter 15s Club National Rankings (April)

The latest round of our Top 50 National Rankings for the 15s division has plenty of movement. For starters, there’s a new No. 1 team, with Arizona Storm 15 Thunder replacing TAV 15 Black at top. Storm owns a 2-1 overall record against TAV to propel the club to No. 1. It’s likely they’ll meet at least once more before the season ends. There was also shifting beyond that, with AZ Rev 15 Premier, Hou Skyline 15 Royal and Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar joining the Top 10. Excel 15 National Red and Tri-State Elite 15 Blue moved just outside the Top 10, while clubs like Forza1 15 One, HPSTL 15 Royal and City 15 Gold jumped up to the Top 30. You can see the full rankings below. VBALLRECRUITER 15s TOP 50 CLUB NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Arizona Storm 15 Thunder AZ (2 – previous ranking) 2. TAV 15 Black TX (1) 3. OT 15 Randy FL (4) 4. Skyline 15 Royal TX (7) 5. Tstreet 15 Asics CA (8) 6. AZ Rev 15 Premier AZ (13) 7. Hou Skyline 15 Royal TX (11) 8. Wave 15 Brennan CA (9) 9. Club V 15 Ren Kalee UT (3) 10. Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar CA (14) *** 11. Excel 15 National Red TX (16) 12. Tri-State Elite 15 Blue IN (15) 13. Legacy 15-1 Adidas MI (12) 14. Munciana 15 Blue IN (5) 15. A5 15-1 Kelly GA (6) 16. Absolute 15 Black CA (35) 17. Forza1 North 15 One CA (18) 18. Madfrog 15 Green TX (20) 19. VCNebraska 15 Elite NE (22) 20. TAV 15 Fifer TX (33) *** 21. Premier Nebraska 15 Gold NE (21) 22. Forza1 15 One CA (34) 23. KC Power 15 Black KS (10) 24. HPSTL 15 Royal MO (46) 25. NE Elite 15 Revolution NE (24) 26. Madfrog 15 Black TX (26) 27. City 15 Gold CA (38) 28. Vision 15 Gold CA (19) 29. WPVC 15 Armour Black FL (17) 30. MN Select 15-1 MN (25) *** 31. Austin Skyline 15 Royal TX (29) 32. Top Select 15 Elite FL (40) 33. Fieldhouse 15 Ikaika-Andy TX (31) 34. Kairos 15 Alpha SD (28) 35. PVA 15 Elite KS (30) 36. AZ Sky 15G AZ (48) 37. Mintonette Sports m.51 OH (42) 38. Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite MO (47) 39. Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal FL (n/r) 40. GP 15 Rox FL (43) *** 41. Dynasty 15 Black KS (45) 42. SCVC 15 Roxy CA (50) 43. Elevation 15 Tony OH (44) 44. 1United 15 Blue TX (n/r) 45. 1st Alliance 15 Gold IL (23) 46. Adidas KiVA 15 Red KY (36) 47. Peak 15 Black TX (49) 48. Idaho Crush 15 Bower ID (32) 49. STVA 15 Mizuno TX (39) 50. Academy 15 Diamond NC (n/r) *** ON THE CUSP SA Juniors 15 Adidas TX Drive Nation 15 Red TX Miami Hype 15 Nekane FL Metro 15 Travel DC WF Wave 15 Simonelli FL OT 15 Will FL Aspire 15 Premier AZ Coast 15 Rafa CA Circle City 15 Purple IN OK Charge 15 UA OK AVC Cle 15 Red OH Triangle 15 Black NC

Read More »

Show Me: Preview and Predictions

Once the calendar turns to April, the home stretch hits in terms of qualifying season. It’s officially crunch time, as teams without bids need to capitalize this month or else their hopes fall to the at-large process. If there is one. As of now, there are no at-larges in 17 Open. One of the most fun qualifiers of the season is ahead this weekend with Show Me in Kansas City. Below, we take a glance at the 15-17 Open divisions, list players to know, as well as offer up our predictions on the weekend. 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 31 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (2): Hou Skyline 17 Royal; MAVS KC 17-1 Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (11): 3. Hou Skyline 17 Royal TX 11. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno MI 17. Northern Lights 17-1 MN 18. Dynasty 17 Black KS 25. Adrenaline 17 Ben IA 30. MAVS KC 17-1 KS 35. GP 17 Rox FL 37. Austin Skyline 17 Royal TX 42. Academy 17 Tsunami IN 47. HPSTL 17 Royal MO 48. KC Power 17 Black KS   5-Star Players to Know: Logan Parks S/RS MAVS KC 17-1 Amina N’diaye OH OT 17 Felix (Miami) Kassidy O’Brien S Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Kentucky) Bayleigh Minor MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal Bailey Warren OH Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Wake Forest) Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black (USC) Abigail Mullen RS Dynasty 17 Black (USC) Lydia Chinchar RS No Name 17 Sarah (2027)   4-Star Players to Know: Brookelyn Hatton L/DS MAVS KC 17-1 (Arizona) Elena Maynulet OH GP 17 Rox (Columbia) KK Green S/Rs GP 17 Rox (Holy Cross) Taylor Porter RS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Vanderbilt) Morgan Madison L/DS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Baylor) Rebekah Pfefferkorn MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Florida International) Mesaiya Bettis OH Northern Lights 17-1 (Iowa State) Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (Cincinnati) Ashlyn Paymal RS NE Elite 17 Mamba (Creighton)   Outlook: What sticks out is while Hou Skyline is the highest-ranked team in the field, the club already has its bid. After that, the highest-ranked teams in Mich Elite, Northern Lights, Dynasty and Adrenaline don’t have bids yet. All are looking at this weekend like it’s time to make it happen. However, the field has a lot of parity and that is going to make for mix-match results. With it, the seedings and pools are going to get topsy-turvy for Days 2 and 3. Teams are playing to get into one of two, four-team gold pools. The farthest trickle-down can reach is fifth-place. While I fully expect to see Hou Skyline make the top eight, there is no guarantee MAVS will. That could make things interesting in a hurry. The flip side is if both qualified teams make the gold pools, three of the remaining six will earn bids and that’ll make its own thrill of a ride. Prediction: I see Hou Skyline taking care of business and leaving with the gold. Hou Skyline tops Northern Lights in the final. MAVS and Mich Elite tie for three, with Mich Elite earning a bid. Dynasty and KC Power play off for the final bid, with Dynasty prevailing. ****** 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 39 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (4): Boiler Jrs 16 Gold; MN Select 16-1; HJV 16 Elite; Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (11): 4. Skyline 16 Royal TX 8. Boiler Jrs 16 Gold IN 18. MN Select 16-1 MN 23. Pohaku 16-1 KS 24. HJV 16 Elite TX 34. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold NE 36. TAV Houston 16 Adidas TX 39. Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar CA 41. OP2 16-1 Elite OK 42. Kairos 16 Alpha SD 49. OT 16 Roberto FL   5-Star Players to Know: Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1 Elena Hoecke MB MN Select 16-1 Ella Florez S Pohaku 16-1 Bennett Raterman MB HPSTL 16 Royal Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold (2027)   4-Star Players to Know: Elle Vandeweghe MB Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar Taylor Stanley RS Dynasty 16 Black Sarah Hickman RS HJV 16 Elite Katherine Byergo MB HPSTL 16 Royal Sophia Stallworth MB OT 16 Roberto Maddie Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1 Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Eva Swenson S/RS MN Select 16-1 Willow Weninger RS Pohaku 16-1 Addison Haberthy S Circle City 16 Purple   Outlook: For starters, this looks to be the weekend for Skyline. After coming up a victory short at Sunshine, Skyline is the both the top seed and highest-ranked team in the field here. However it plays out, it stands to reason Skyline is going to be one of the three teams earning a bid. After that though, who knows? The next three of the four highest-ranked teams already have bids in Boiler Jrs, MN Select and HJV. Pohaku does not. But even if Pohaku is able to get it done, it still leads the last remaining bid up for grabs. Will it go to Premier Nebraska? Or TAV Houston or OP2 or OT Roberto? Or is an unranked team poised to surprise? The format calls for four, three-team gold pools on the last day of play. With four teams qualified, there are a number of ways this weekend could play out, but almost all of them will deliver plenty of drama. Prediction: While I think Skyline will qualify, I’m picking Boiler Jrs to beat HJV in the final. Skyline and Pohaku tie for third to qualify. The last bid goes to TAV Houston outlasting Premier Nebraska in a winner-take-all meeting. ***** 15 OPEN Number of Teams: 24 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (6): Skyline 15 Royal; OT 15 Randy; VCNebraska 15 Elite; Premier Nebraska 15 Gold; TAV 15 Black Fifer; NE Elite 15 Revolution Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (11): 3. OT 15 Randy FL 4. Skyline 15 Royal TX 19.

Read More »

Red Rock Rave: 15s All Red Hat Team

The last item from our weekend at the Red Rock Rave is getting to the All Red Hat Team for the 15 Open division. It’s our version of the all-tournament team and it features players from clubs which finished in the Top 12. 15s ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Lauren Forelli AZ Rev 15 Premier Ireland Real Wave 15 Brennan Jaycee Mack Wave 15 Brennan Olivia Greenwood Wave 15 Brennan Ella Olson Tstreet 15 Asics Ella Johnson Forza1 15 One Janiah Burrage Forza1 15 One Aspen Brown Hou Skyline 15 Royal Jordon Morrow Hou Skyline 15 Royal Caylee Young Hou Skyline 15 Royal Anaiya Thornton SCVC 15 Roxy Allyn Hilt SCVC 15 Roxy Ava Burgess Club V 15 Ren Kalee Brianna Mitchell Aspire 15 Premier Isabella Stojkovic Aspire 15 Premier Reese Meier ID Crush 15 Bower *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Kristen Sheehy AZ Rev 15 Premier Megan Hodges Tstreet 15 Asics Katherine Nowak Tstreet 15 Asics Evie Pool Forza1 15 One *** SETTERS Makenna Corrie AZ Rev 15 Premier Emery Gonzales Wave 15 Brennan Royal Banducci Tstreet 15 Asics Kiersten Moore Forza1 15 One Tinsley Welker-Brown Hou Skyline 15 Royal Lerin Rosenthal SCVC 15 Roxy Zamari Christensen Club V 15 Ren Kalee *** LIBEROS Camryn Thruston AZ Rev 15 Premier Lila Green Wave 15 Brennan Sarah MacDonald Tstreet 15 Asics Baylee Jones Forza1 15 One Pearson Noone Hou Skyline 15 Royal

Read More »

Red Rock Rave: 16s All Red Hat Team

The Red Rock Rave in Las Vegas is over. With it, the bids are known. We move onto more individual recognition. Below, we highlight our All Red Hat Team from the 16 Open division. It’s our version of the all-tournament team and it features players from clubs which finished in the Top 12. 16s ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Audrey Flanagan SCVC 16 Roxy Abby Zimmerman SCVC 16 Roxy Finley Krystkowiak Wave 16 Scott JoJo Wilson Wave 16 Scott Halle Thompson Hou Skyline 16 Royal Nadiya Shelby Hou Skyline 16 Royal Sadie Snyder AZ Rev 16 Premier Mia Stewart Sunshine 16 LA Clara Schramm AZ Sky 16G Avery Poulton Club V 16 Ren Reed Halle Bills Club V 16 Ren Reed Paisley Pavliska STVA 16 Mizuno *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Taylor Boice SCVC 16 Roxy Haley Shinske AZ Rev 16 Premier Reyna Jones AZ Rev 16 Premier Frankie Jones Sunshine 16 LA Shaelyn Ward 1United 16 Blue Raegan Frazier 1United 16 Blue Anna Williams Aspire 16 Premier *** SETTERS Milly McGee SCVC 16 Roxy Blair Thiebaud Hou Skyline 16 Royal Vivian Hickman AZ Sky 16G Catherine Beadles Wave 16 Scott Soraya Dennis Wave 16 Scott *** LIBEROS Kaitlyn Herweg SCVC 16 Roxy Presley Thompson Wave 16 Scott Jenna Thedford Hou Skyline 16 Royal Kami Milner AZ Rev 16 Premier Marianne Garcia AZ Sky 16G Lauren Scheiden 1United 16 Blue

Read More »

Red Rock Rave: 17s All Red Hat Team

The three days in Las Vegas for the Red Rock Rave qualifier produced remarkable action and dramatic bid chases. It also brough out the best in the players making it all happen. Below, we highlight our All Red Hat Team from the 17 Open division. It’s our version of the all-tournament team and it features players from clubs which finished in the Top 12. 17s ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Quinn Loper Wave 17 Juliana Nia Thompson Wave 17 Juliana Bella Ocampo Skyline 17 Royal Sophia Thornburg OH Skyline 17 Royal Naya Salfiti Skyline 17 Royal Kaci Demaria Surfside 17 Legends Simone Roslon Surfside 17 Legends Ava Poinsett Coast 17 Rodrigo Bellamie Beus ID Crush 17 Bower Isabel Taylor OH Club V 17 Ren Reed Addison Massey Tx Performance 17-1 Kennedi Rogers AVA TX 17 Adidas Cecilia Vance ARVC 17 Adidas *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Zoe Gillen-Malveaux Skyline 17 Royal Kalyssa Blackshear Surfside 17 Legends Ariel Chime Coast 17 Rodrigo Sydney Strenger Excel 17 National Red Kimanni Rugley AVA TX 17 Adidas Sophie Diouf ARVC 17 Adidas *** SETTERS Tenesyn Frye ID Crush 17 Bower Jordyn Moore Excel 17 National Red Caelyn Dumas AVA TX 17 Adidas Audrey Hollis FRVBC 17 Black *** LIBEROS Yuri Park Wave 17 Juliana Maddie Smotherman Skyline 17 Royal Liv Foye Surfside 17 Legends Miliani Villarreal Coast 17 Rodrigo Elizabeth Bower ID Crush 17 Bower Piper Mickenheim Excel 17 National Red

Read More »

Red Rock Rave: Day 3 Show Stoppers

The bid chases played out with lots of drama on the final day of the Red Rock Rave. You can read all about it here. With it, came standout individual efforts and performances. Below, we highlight those who caught our attention the most with our Day 3 Show Stoppers. DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Camryn Thruston L/DS AZ Rev 15 Premier: Thruston helped AZ Rev to a first-place finish in 15 Open with her defensive prowess. She was sound out of serve receive and defended well during rallies. Lauren Forelli OH AZ Rev 15 Premier: Forelli – a 4-star recruit – carries a big-time arm with plenty of power. She can blast shots from sideline to sideline and provides a huge boost to the offense. Kristen Sheehy MB AZ Rev 15 Premier: Sheehy, a 3-star recruit, is a presence in the middle. She’s a strong scoring option who defenses need to track and even then struggle to stop her at times. Makenna Corrie S AZ Rev 15 Premier: Corrie is an energetic setter and is quick-footed. She does well getting to the ball, as well as spreading it around. Emery Gonzales S Wave 15 Brennan: Gonzales is another setter who shows strength in running the attack. She has nice hands and locates consistently. Lila Green L/DS Wave 15 Brennan: Green brought a defensive edge with her ability to extend rallies and pick off hard-hit shots coming her way. Ireland Real OH Wave 15 Brennan: A 4-star recruit, Real’s height is a huge advantage. She’s long and hits from a high angle that allows her to go over blockers without trouble. Ella Olson OH Tstreet 15 Asics: Olson, a 4-star recruit who excels on the beach, is a gamer. She’s fearless with a strong scoring touch, whether it’s finding holes in the block or going off their hands. Megan Hodges MB Tstreet 15 Asics: A 5-star recruit from the Class of 2028, Hodges is a game-changer in the middle. Her size and length is a real problem for defenses. She impacts both sides of the ball because of it and is a definite offensive threat. Royal Banducci S Tstreet 15 Asics: Banducci does well connecting with all her hitters. She puts up a nice ball and doesn’t mix her window very often. *** Sarah MacDonald L/DS Tstreet 15 Asics: MacDonald was hustling and making plays all over the court as she kept her side in the point. Janiah Burrage OH Forza1 15 One: Burrage – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2028 – is the go-to hitter who shoulders a key role. The way she can get up and let loose makes her difficult to slow down. Baylee Jones L/DS Forza1 15 One: Jones was patrolling the back row and passing on target more times than not. Audrey Flanagan OH SCVC 16 Roxy: A 5-star recruit, Flanagan has a whippy arm and can let shots fly in a hurry. She was sending shots down in impressive fashion over and over. Taylor Boice MB SCVC 16 Roxy: Boice missed time earlier this season but she’s back and making plays. She’s a heady scorer who is crafty and can catch defenses slipping. Milly McGee S SCVC 16 Roxy: McGee – a 4-star recruit – has a firm grasp of the offense. She knows when to ride a hot hand as well as when to switch it up and catch defenses off guard. Kaitlyn Herweg L/DS SCVC 16 Roxy: A 4-star recruit from the Class of 2027, is a strong defender who reads and reacts well. She’s not caught out of position too often. Finley Krystkowiak OH Wave 16 Scott: Krystkowiak – a 5-star recruit – is a force offensively. She extends high and swings over the block with power and precision. JoJo Wilson OH Wave 16 Scott: Wilson was on fire in Wave’s clutch sweep over Hou Skyline. From tips and rolls, to aggressive swings, she couldn’t miss and frustrated defenders with it. Blair Thiebaud S Hou Skyline 16 Royal: Thiebaud – a 4-star recruit – is a terrific setter who distributes at a high level. She has a great touch and locates well to go with being able to spread the ball around. *** Halle Thompson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal: A 5-star recruit, Thompson is a high-flying outside with a lively arm. She gets up and lets loose fluidly and with ease. Nadiya Shelby RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal: Shelby – another 5-star recruit – is an impressive right side who gets way up and over the net. She can deliver both huge blocks and kills in wow fashion. Mia Stewart OH Sunshine 16 LA: Stewart helped Sunshine position itself to qualify before coming up just short. She’s a six-rotation outside who provides her share of offense. Vivian Hickman S AZ Sky 16G: Hickman – a 3-star recruit – had AZ Sky in the mix to qualify on the last day. She’s a smooth disher who plays under control and stays calm under pressure. Marianne Garcia L/DS AZ Sky 16G: A 3-star recruit, Garcia is quick defender who flies around the court. She covers ground in a hurry and is a sharp passer. Quinn Loper OH Wave 17 Juliana: Loper – a 4-star USC commit – was part of Wave’s championship performance. The lanky outside has a fluid swing and ability to connect and get after it. Mae Kordas RS Wave 17 Juliana: A 3-star Yale commit, Kordas was a presence on the right side. Her size was a real factor, as she provided a consistent scoring option. Yuri Park L/DS Wave 17 Juliana: Another 3-star Yale commit, Park held it down in the back row. She’s quick and was passing on point. Zoe Gillen-Malveaux MB Skyline 17 Royal: Gillen-Malveaux – a 5-star Duke commit – runs a mean slide. She gets out, up and rips down shots effortlessly. Maddie Smotherman L/DS Skyline 17 Royal: A 3-star defender, Smotherman is scrappy in the back row. She did well extending rallies

Read More »

Red Rock Rave: Gold Medal Rundown

While we headed into the final day of action at the Red Rock Rave knowing the lone bid winner in 18 Open, there were plenty of unknowns and with it loads of anticipation for how the 15-17 Open divisions would play out. True to form, none of those bid races disappointed in the very least. So much so it’s hard determining which one carried the most drama. In 17 Open, four of the eight gold-pool representatives held bids, meaning one of the remaining four would be left out. In 16 Open, none of the eight gold-pool clubs held bids, so only the top three would secure one. And in 15 Open, it was a four-team gold pool with none of those teams qualified yet, so they needed to finish in the top two to qualify. I’ll start with 17 Open, where eventually Wave 17 Juliana finished off a perfect 9-0 weekend by beating previously-qualified Skyline 17 Royal in the championship match. Wave was recently in the mix on the final day at MEQ two weekends ago but a loss to Legacy 17-1 Adidas kept Wave from reaching the final four and qualifying. However, there was no denying the SCVA region club in Las Vegas. Wave – ranked No. 22 in the nation in our Top 50 rankings – beat fourth-ranked Skyline on Sunday in pool play to take over the top seed then once more in the final to punctuate its performance. With Wave going 3-0 in its pool, there was tons of drama between the other three teams as Coast 17 Rodrigo, Excel 17 National Red and Club V 17 Ren Reed all tied at 1-2. Coast earned second based on the tiebreaker, with Excel taking third and Club V fourth. The other gold pool wrapped up with Skyline at 3-0, followed by Surfside 17 Legends (2-1), ID Crush 17 Bower (1-2) and Tx Performance 17-1 (0-3). Surfside and ID Crush held bids already, as did Coast, so that allowed Excel to qualify by tying for fifth. The last bid came down to a showdown between Club V and Tx Performance. It was unranked Club V prevailing in three, 25-22, 15-25, 15-10, to leave town happy. Club V picked up a clutch victory on Day 2 by topping previously-qualified AVA TX 17 Adidas to stay alive and reach the gold pools or else it would have lights out instead. The gold pools in 16 Open opened with a bang Sunday evening before playing out in full Monday. Unranked Sunshine 16 LA upset Wave 16 Scott to throw the pool in flux. However, after a dramatic Day 3 outing, Wave managed to secure its bid after finishing runner-up to SCVC 16 Roxy in the final. Wave was faced with a daunting task in its last gold pool contest, needing to beat No. 10 Hou Skyline 16 Royal in straight sets to advance. All Hou Skyline needed was to win one set and it would have been Sunshine advancing to the final four instead of Wave. The clutch performance not only assured Wave of a bid, it forced Hou Skyline into the third-place match against AZ Rev 16 Premier. AZ Rev had its own drama, needing to beat AZ Sky 16G to play for a bid. The all-Arizona clash went Rev’s way, 27-25, 28-26. However, Rev’s fortune ran out there, as Hou Skyline swept to earn the final bid. Meanwhile, SCVC overcame a slow start Monday, dropping the first set to AZ Rev before prevailing in three. SCVC then swept 1United 16 Blue to reach the final, gaining its bid in the process. SCVC came into the weekend the highest-ranked team in the field at No. 6, followed by No. 10 Hou Skyline and No. 12 Wave. There was only one gold pool in 15 Open, but it didn’t mean half the drama. With the lone qualified team in the field in Hou Skyline 15 Royal out of the top four, it was a race between Wave 15 Brennan, Tstreet 15 Asics, AZ Rev 15 Premier and Forza1 15 One. It started off with AZ Rev, ranked No. 13 nationally, downing No. 9 Wave in two tight sets, 25-22, 29-27. It only heated up from there, with No. 8 Tstreet edging No. 34 Forza, 25-23, 19-25, 18-16. Wave followed by sweeping Forza, then Tstreet snuck out another one, this time clipping AZ Rev, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13. Once AZ Rev swept Forza, it set up an incredible finale between Wave and Tstreet. It was a must-win contest for both sides. Wave would finish 1-2 and in third place with a loss. But, with a win, Wave would force a three-way tie and the way the math was set up, Tstreet would finish third based on tiebreakers no matter what. The one given was AZ Rev was assured a top-two finish and a bid regardless the outcome. Of course, the outing went the distance, with Wave surviving, 28-26, 28-30, 15-9, in dramatic fashion. In 18 Open, TAV 18 Black went a perfect 10-0 to capture the title. It was TAV’s third qualifier victory of the season, to go along with winning Lone Star and Music City. Tstreet 18 Chandler, meanwhile, tied for seventh with SCVC 18 Roxy. Tstreet was the only team in the top eight without a bid and thus qualified through trickle down. AZ Rev 18 Premier took second, with A5 18 Marc beating out Hou Skyline 18 Royal for third.

Read More »

Commitments & Signings Week of March 29-April 4

Congrats to all! Corrections? Questions? Additions? Email christi@vballrecruiter.com or DM on Social Media @vballphil   2024 FURMAN: MB/OPP Rebekah Buchholz (Lexington United) ALCORN STATE: OH/DS Erin Mims WASHINGTON STATE: S Italia Bernal (Coast) JACKSONVILLE: OH/DS Ana Tobar (Miami Hype) HAMPTON: OH Brooklynn Patterson (Metro) INCARNATE WORD: OH Alex Beauchamp (Austin Juniors) RADFORD: OH/OPP Aubrey Hatch (Paramount) MCNEESE STATE: S Corynne Hausler (Arizona Sky) PASADENA CC: L Marina Segura (Forza1 North) MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE: L Franzhine Guloy INDIANA UNIVERSITY EAST: MB Amyra Lockett (REV) DELTA COLLEGE: S/DS Paige Taylor (Pulse VBC) DELTA COLLEGE: OH Karlie Spencer (Rage VBC) FRESNO CITY COLLEGE: MB Asia Allen BROOKHAVEN COLLEGE: L Fiona Larsen (TAV) CENTRALIA COLLEGE: OH Paige Miller NOTRE DAME MD: MB Morgan Perzan (Baltimore Elite) NOTRE DAME MD: L Izzy Stewart (Ottawa Fusion) CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS: OPP Fallon Freeman (Rage VBC)   2025 WAYNE STATE: OH Delaney Miller (Iowa Powerplex) SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE: RS Claire Occkiogrosso (TAV) NORTHERN ILLINOIS: OH Delaney Steers (The Academy) OREGON STATE: OH/DS Kamana’o Goldstein (Spike & Serve) EAST TENNESSEE STATE: RS Malia Brinkman (Elevation) EAST TENNESSEE STATE:MB Raegan Waller (Ohio Premier) MIAMI OH: OH Grace Kreutz (Adversity) SAINT LOUIS: OH Ellie Rink (Illini Elite) FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL: S/OPP Kate Kuehn (Houston Skyline) ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM: OH/MB Kennedy Jones (Rockwood Thunder) SEATTLE: S/OPP Evie Morrissette (North Pacific Juniors) TENNESSEE TECH: L Ella Watford (NIVA) NEVADA: S/OPP Audrey Jensen (Colorado Juniors) DEPAUL: OH/OPP Morgan Stewart (FC Elite) GEORGE WASHINGON: OH/OPP Alexis Badu (Metro) USC UPSTATE: OH Summer Kohler (Venetian Bay) CLEVELAND STATE: MB Magaly Lemus (MVA Rise Academy) QUEENS UNIVERSITY CHARLOTTE: S Tyler Peluso (OTVA Orlando) WYOMING: L Lily LaFlesch (Arizona Sky) BRADLEY: OH/MB Ashlee Markert (Club Four) DEFIANCE COLLEGE: L Lydia Christenson (Premier Academy) WABASH VALLEY COLLEGE: S Briauan Fuquay (Evansville United) MISSOURI SOUTHERN STATE: OPP Epi Salamasina (Invasion) RANGER COLLEGE: S Bailey Black (Texas Image) MIDDLE TENNESSEE: OPP Gabby Clinkscale (Rockwood Thunder) BEMIDJI STATE: DS/S Madison Tripp (FC Elite)   TRANSFERS SAN JOSE STATE: TR OH Naima Foster (Seattle/Oregon Juniors ) BOSTON COLLEGE: TR L Morgan Riddle (Colorado/Front Range) DUKE: GR MB Tiffany Paalman (UW Green Bay/FC Elite) UT RGV: TR S Isabella Costantini (Tyler JC/Brazil) CAMERON: TR MB/OH Rhayan Earl (Southeastern Oklahoma/Texas Image) CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS: TR S Carly Kejmar (Rio Hondo College)    

Read More »

Show Me: Day 2 Show Stoppers And More

As for the 15 Open bid chase, all the drama took place on Day 2. That’s because we know the three teams that are leaving Show Me qualified for Open after Sunday’s results. There was plenty of potential for the final day of play to produce a climatic close to the three days of competition. But one large surprise ended that. The second day of action started off with all six previously-qualified teams in contention in 15 Open. However, it ended with only three advancing to the two, three-team gold pools set for Monday. That means the remaining three clubs in the gold pools – PVA 15 Elite, KC Power 15 Black and Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite – already know their fate before hitting the court on Day 3. No matter the results, they’ll earn bids. The shocker came with national No. 3 OT 15 Randy – the No. 2 overall seed – going 1-2 in Pool 2 and not advancing. With TAV 15 Fifer and NE Elite 15 Revolution also not moving on, it took the drama away for Day 3. Had one of that trio advanced, it would have brought the silver bracket into play. I for one was pulling for that scenario to play out, but that’s the thing about qualifiers. There’s always an unexpected twist around the corner and I did not see this one coming. Not sure anyone did with OT falling to both KC Power and PVA. KC Power ended the day at 3-0, followed by PVA at 2-1. Filling out the gold pools are previously-qualified Skyline 15 Royal, VCNebraska 15 Elite and Premier Nebraska 15 Gold. Skyline and Premier Nebraska were in Pool 1 together, along with TAV and NE Elite. All four had bids already and only two could advance. That certainly created an opportunity for others. Rockwood Thunder went 2-1 in Pool 3, finishing tied with VCNebraska and taking first based on the head-to-head tiebreaker. VCNebraska barely pulled through in its last outing against Paramount 15 Nick, winning 25-15, 22-25, 15-13, and ending Paramount’s hopes of qualifying. Had VCNebraska not advanced, that would have brought a bit of drama to the Day 3 gold pools. While the bid chase is over in 15 Open, the scenarios in 16 Open are many. Among the happenings on Day 2 was previously-qualified HJV 16 Elite going 1-2 and finishing third in its pool. However, there were two play-in brackets and HJV prevailed in one of them to make one of the four, three-team gold pools. MJVA 16 Elite survived the other one. As for the gold pools, I’m really looking forward to seeing how they play out on Day 3. That’s because the other big news was OP2 16-1 Elite upsetting previously-qualified Boiler Jrs 16 Gold in pool play to finish first. That knocked Boiler Jrs into Pool 1 as the No. 3 team for Day 3. Also in that pool is top-seeded Skyline 16 Royal and previously-qualified MN Select 16-1. What I’m watching for is if teams which finish in second place in the gold pools will still have a shot to qualify or not. Pool 2 doesn’t feature any qualified teams, while Pool 3 features Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar and Pool 4 contains HJV. There are lots of scenarios that can play out, but if only one qualified team advances to the top four, then the other three teams will earn bids. However, if two or more qualified teams – only three can advance in all – make the final four, teams coming in second place will playoff for the last bid or bids. That could create a fantastic conclusion on Monday. As for 17 Open, both qualified teams in Hou Skyline 17 Royal and MAVS KC 17-1 are in the mix. They are split up between the two, four-team gold pools. Of the remaining six teams, three are going to earn bids. Pool 1 is filled out by Northern Lights 17-1, Dynasty 17 Black and Mich Elite 17 Mizuno. Mich Elite had quite the day after starting off 0-2. However, Mich Elite managed to edge PVA 17 Elite in three, 25-16, 23-25, 21-19, to create a three-way tie at 1-2 with PVA and MN Select. Mich Elite earned second place behind 3-0 GP 17 Rox. GP is part of Pool 2, along with MAVS, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite and HPSTL 17 Royal. HPSTL also finished in a three-way tie at 1-2 with MJVA 17 Elite and Austin Skyline 17 Royal but took second to remain alive. MAVS avoided a three-way tie at 1-2 by beating Dynasty in the last match. Both finished 2-1 with MAVS earning the head-to-head tiebreaker. ***** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Logan Cary S/RS FRVBC 17 Black: Cary – a 2026 recruit playing up – helps make up a solid setter/right side duo for Front Range. She’s skillful at both, able to locate consistently while finding space in the defense when attacking. Audrey Hollis S/RS FRVBC 17 Black: A UC San Diego commit, Hollis fills out the setter/right side combo for Front Range. She’s above average in both categories. She has a nice touch setting and sees the court well when swinging. Sydni Vice OH MJVA 17 Elite: Vice – a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2026 – is really long. She can extend way up in the air and not only can easily go over blocks but has a fluid swing to match. Ella Seeger OH MJVA 17 Elite: A 3-star Wright State commit, Seeger is a strong attacker with a solid arm. She hits with power and provides a definite boost to the attack. Shelby Ignash MB Mich Elite 17 Mizuno: Ignash – a 3-star Texas Tech commit – adds an offensive dynamic when she’s across the front row. Mich Elite looks to get her involved as much as possible and she delivers more times than not. Ella Craggs S Mich Elite 17 Mizuno: A 3-star Illinois State, Craggs does a great job

Read More »

Show Me: Day 1 Show Stoppers And More

There are two main things I typically watch for on the opening day of qualifiers. One is upsets. Two is how those upsets impact the next day’s pairings. The biggest shake up on the first day of Show Me in Kansas City came in 17 Open. The largest came with No. 4 overall seed Adrenaline 17 Ben, which entered ranked No. 25 in the nation in our Top 50 Rankings. However, Adrenaline lost to both unranked Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite and Premier Nebraska 17 Gold and finished 2-1. Instead, both those clubs advanced and remain in contention. Adrenaline was not the only ranked club to get knocked out on Day 1. Both No. 42 Academy 17 Tsunami and No. 48 KC Power 17 Black didn’t move on either from their respective pools. Meanwhile, the top three seeds, as well as our four highest-ranked clubs in Hou Skyline 17 Royal, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno, Dynasty 17 Black, plus Northern Lights 17-1, all went 3-0 without dropping a set. Something to watch for on Day 2 comes out of Pool 1, where previously-qualified Hou Skyline is matched with both No. 37 Austin Skyline 17 Royal and No. 47 HPSTL 17 Royal. It figures to be a tough day for Austin Skyline or HPSTL as it’s unlikely both will advance. The only other qualified team in the field in No. 30 MAVS KC 17-1 is the No. 2 team in Pool 3 with Dynasty. That pool also includes Front Range 17 Black and Premier Nebraska. So one of those two teams is going to need to spring an upset to remain in the hunt. The last ranked team we haven’t mentioned is No. 35 GP 17 Rox. GP lands in Pool 2 with Mich Elite, as well as PVA 17 Elite and MN Select17-1. I would have counted both Mich Elite and GP among the teams I expected to qualify this season in 17 Open, so we’ll see how it plays out with those squads on Day 2. I found it slightly less chaotic in 16 Open. But there were still two big storylines to me. One came with HJV 16 Elite taking second in Pool 4. The Lone Star Region club came in with a bid and was ranked No. 24 in our latest Top 50. Yet, unranked Dynasty 16 Black scored the upset to win the pool. What it really did was create a difficult Pool 5 for Day 2, that also features No. 34 Premier Nebraska 16 Gold and No. 23 Pohaku 16-1. The other storyline was No. 36 TAV Houston 16 Adidas falling to both No. 41 OP2 16-1 Elite and unranked Ozark Juniors 16 Elite and being eliminated. I actually predicted TAV Houston coming through and earning the final bid here this weekend, so their result Saturday definitely caught me off guard. Another top seed being bumped from contention was No. 42 Kairos 16 Alpha. OT 16 Roberto, Temecula 16 Viper and Kairos all tied at 2-1, but Kairos took third in the tiebreakers. As for 15 Open, Pool 1 was the one that intrigued me the most on Day 1. That’s because along with No. 4 Skyline 15 Royal, it featured No. 30 MN Select 15-1 and No. 35 PVA 15 Elite. While Skyline wen 3-0, PVA outlasted MN Select in three sets to advance. That left MN Select eliminated. Like I said in the preview, qualifiers take luck and that was an unlucky pool for the first day. The biggest surprise, though, was unranked Paramount 15 Nick going 3-0 as the No. 3 team in Pool 4. Paramount upset No. 23 KC Power 15 Black, which managed to advance at 2-1. KC Power losing created a local-flavored Pool 2 for Day 2. Along with national No. 3 OT 15 Randy – which has its bid already – the pool contains Heart of America region clubs in PVA, KC Power and No. 41 Dynasty 15 Black. Given OT is in the pool, two of those other hopefuls are unlikely to advance. That’s a tough break as well. Kairos 15 Alpha – at No. 34 – was knocked out. Kairos was in the same pool as Paramount and KC Power and went 1-2. ***** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Molly Bokenkroger L/DS PVA 15 Elite: Bokenkroger is a energetic libero who brings a defensive edge to the lineup. She was passing nails and covering sharply at the net. Presley Kreter MB PVA 15 Elite: Kreter is part of a strong 1-2 punch in the middle for PVA. She can get out on the slide and hammer balls with her big arm. Evelyn Igbenebor MB PVA 15 Elite: Igbenebor is the other half defenses need to worry about. She has a fast swing and moves well. She can get up in a hurry and rip shots down past helpless defenders. Elleora Utecht OH Northern Lights 15-1: A 3-star recruit, Utecht is a smart hitter who can frustrate defenses with her scoring prowess. She has a solid arm and knows how to beat defenses. Kaelyn Bjorklund S/RS Northern Lights 15-1: Bjorklund – a 4-star recruit – plays an integral role setting and hitting. She’s strong at both, locating her sets consistently. She can also bring it on offense with a powerful arm. Peyton Kubik OH Dynasty 15 Black: Kubik – a 5-star recruit – is a lanky outside with a scoring touch. She has a fluid swing and can rocket winners when the chance arises. Bo Bronson OH KC Power 15 Black: A 3-star recruit, Bronson is a springy outside who elevates quickly. Combined with a big arm, she can light it up in a hurry. Anniston Clark MB KC Power 15 Black: Clark was coming through and providing key offense. She has a heavy arm and was booming shots. Taylor Harrington MB Paramount 15 Nick: Harrington – a 3-star recruit – has huge upside with her length and reach across the front row. She not only puts up a

Read More »

Vballrecruiter 15s Club National Rankings (April)

The latest round of our Top 50 National Rankings for the 15s division has plenty of movement. For starters, there’s a new No. 1 team, with Arizona Storm 15 Thunder replacing TAV 15 Black at top. Storm owns a 2-1 overall record against TAV to propel the club to No. 1. It’s likely they’ll meet at least once more before the season ends. There was also shifting beyond that, with AZ Rev 15 Premier, Hou Skyline 15 Royal and Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar joining the Top 10. Excel 15 National Red and Tri-State Elite 15 Blue moved just outside the Top 10, while clubs like Forza1 15 One, HPSTL 15 Royal and City 15 Gold jumped up to the Top 30. You can see the full rankings below. VBALLRECRUITER 15s TOP 50 CLUB NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Arizona Storm 15 Thunder AZ (2 – previous ranking) 2. TAV 15 Black TX (1) 3. OT 15 Randy FL (4) 4. Skyline 15 Royal TX (7) 5. Tstreet 15 Asics CA (8) 6. AZ Rev 15 Premier AZ (13) 7. Hou Skyline 15 Royal TX (11) 8. Wave 15 Brennan CA (9) 9. Club V 15 Ren Kalee UT (3) 10. Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar CA (14) *** 11. Excel 15 National Red TX (16) 12. Tri-State Elite 15 Blue IN (15) 13. Legacy 15-1 Adidas MI (12) 14. Munciana 15 Blue IN (5) 15. A5 15-1 Kelly GA (6) 16. Absolute 15 Black CA (35) 17. Forza1 North 15 One CA (18) 18. Madfrog 15 Green TX (20) 19. VCNebraska 15 Elite NE (22) 20. TAV 15 Fifer TX (33) *** 21. Premier Nebraska 15 Gold NE (21) 22. Forza1 15 One CA (34) 23. KC Power 15 Black KS (10) 24. HPSTL 15 Royal MO (46) 25. NE Elite 15 Revolution NE (24) 26. Madfrog 15 Black TX (26) 27. City 15 Gold CA (38) 28. Vision 15 Gold CA (19) 29. WPVC 15 Armour Black FL (17) 30. MN Select 15-1 MN (25) *** 31. Austin Skyline 15 Royal TX (29) 32. Top Select 15 Elite FL (40) 33. Fieldhouse 15 Ikaika-Andy TX (31) 34. Kairos 15 Alpha SD (28) 35. PVA 15 Elite KS (30) 36. AZ Sky 15G AZ (48) 37. Mintonette Sports m.51 OH (42) 38. Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite MO (47) 39. Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal FL (n/r) 40. GP 15 Rox FL (43) *** 41. Dynasty 15 Black KS (45) 42. SCVC 15 Roxy CA (50) 43. Elevation 15 Tony OH (44) 44. 1United 15 Blue TX (n/r) 45. 1st Alliance 15 Gold IL (23) 46. Adidas KiVA 15 Red KY (36) 47. Peak 15 Black TX (49) 48. Idaho Crush 15 Bower ID (32) 49. STVA 15 Mizuno TX (39) 50. Academy 15 Diamond NC (n/r) *** ON THE CUSP SA Juniors 15 Adidas TX Drive Nation 15 Red TX Miami Hype 15 Nekane FL Metro 15 Travel DC WF Wave 15 Simonelli FL OT 15 Will FL Aspire 15 Premier AZ Coast 15 Rafa CA Circle City 15 Purple IN OK Charge 15 UA OK AVC Cle 15 Red OH Triangle 15 Black NC

Read More »

Show Me: Preview and Predictions

Once the calendar turns to April, the home stretch hits in terms of qualifying season. It’s officially crunch time, as teams without bids need to capitalize this month or else their hopes fall to the at-large process. If there is one. As of now, there are no at-larges in 17 Open. One of the most fun qualifiers of the season is ahead this weekend with Show Me in Kansas City. Below, we take a glance at the 15-17 Open divisions, list players to know, as well as offer up our predictions on the weekend. 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 31 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (2): Hou Skyline 17 Royal; MAVS KC 17-1 Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (11): 3. Hou Skyline 17 Royal TX 11. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno MI 17. Northern Lights 17-1 MN 18. Dynasty 17 Black KS 25. Adrenaline 17 Ben IA 30. MAVS KC 17-1 KS 35. GP 17 Rox FL 37. Austin Skyline 17 Royal TX 42. Academy 17 Tsunami IN 47. HPSTL 17 Royal MO 48. KC Power 17 Black KS   5-Star Players to Know: Logan Parks S/RS MAVS KC 17-1 Amina N’diaye OH OT 17 Felix (Miami) Kassidy O’Brien S Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Kentucky) Bayleigh Minor MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal Bailey Warren OH Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Wake Forest) Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black (USC) Abigail Mullen RS Dynasty 17 Black (USC) Lydia Chinchar RS No Name 17 Sarah (2027)   4-Star Players to Know: Brookelyn Hatton L/DS MAVS KC 17-1 (Arizona) Elena Maynulet OH GP 17 Rox (Columbia) KK Green S/Rs GP 17 Rox (Holy Cross) Taylor Porter RS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Vanderbilt) Morgan Madison L/DS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Baylor) Rebekah Pfefferkorn MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Florida International) Mesaiya Bettis OH Northern Lights 17-1 (Iowa State) Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (Cincinnati) Ashlyn Paymal RS NE Elite 17 Mamba (Creighton)   Outlook: What sticks out is while Hou Skyline is the highest-ranked team in the field, the club already has its bid. After that, the highest-ranked teams in Mich Elite, Northern Lights, Dynasty and Adrenaline don’t have bids yet. All are looking at this weekend like it’s time to make it happen. However, the field has a lot of parity and that is going to make for mix-match results. With it, the seedings and pools are going to get topsy-turvy for Days 2 and 3. Teams are playing to get into one of two, four-team gold pools. The farthest trickle-down can reach is fifth-place. While I fully expect to see Hou Skyline make the top eight, there is no guarantee MAVS will. That could make things interesting in a hurry. The flip side is if both qualified teams make the gold pools, three of the remaining six will earn bids and that’ll make its own thrill of a ride. Prediction: I see Hou Skyline taking care of business and leaving with the gold. Hou Skyline tops Northern Lights in the final. MAVS and Mich Elite tie for three, with Mich Elite earning a bid. Dynasty and KC Power play off for the final bid, with Dynasty prevailing. ****** 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 39 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (4): Boiler Jrs 16 Gold; MN Select 16-1; HJV 16 Elite; Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (11): 4. Skyline 16 Royal TX 8. Boiler Jrs 16 Gold IN 18. MN Select 16-1 MN 23. Pohaku 16-1 KS 24. HJV 16 Elite TX 34. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold NE 36. TAV Houston 16 Adidas TX 39. Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar CA 41. OP2 16-1 Elite OK 42. Kairos 16 Alpha SD 49. OT 16 Roberto FL   5-Star Players to Know: Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1 Elena Hoecke MB MN Select 16-1 Ella Florez S Pohaku 16-1 Bennett Raterman MB HPSTL 16 Royal Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold (2027)   4-Star Players to Know: Elle Vandeweghe MB Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar Taylor Stanley RS Dynasty 16 Black Sarah Hickman RS HJV 16 Elite Katherine Byergo MB HPSTL 16 Royal Sophia Stallworth MB OT 16 Roberto Maddie Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1 Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 16 Gold Eva Swenson S/RS MN Select 16-1 Willow Weninger RS Pohaku 16-1 Addison Haberthy S Circle City 16 Purple   Outlook: For starters, this looks to be the weekend for Skyline. After coming up a victory short at Sunshine, Skyline is the both the top seed and highest-ranked team in the field here. However it plays out, it stands to reason Skyline is going to be one of the three teams earning a bid. After that though, who knows? The next three of the four highest-ranked teams already have bids in Boiler Jrs, MN Select and HJV. Pohaku does not. But even if Pohaku is able to get it done, it still leads the last remaining bid up for grabs. Will it go to Premier Nebraska? Or TAV Houston or OP2 or OT Roberto? Or is an unranked team poised to surprise? The format calls for four, three-team gold pools on the last day of play. With four teams qualified, there are a number of ways this weekend could play out, but almost all of them will deliver plenty of drama. Prediction: While I think Skyline will qualify, I’m picking Boiler Jrs to beat HJV in the final. Skyline and Pohaku tie for third to qualify. The last bid goes to TAV Houston outlasting Premier Nebraska in a winner-take-all meeting. ***** 15 OPEN Number of Teams: 24 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (6): Skyline 15 Royal; OT 15 Randy; VCNebraska 15 Elite; Premier Nebraska 15 Gold; TAV 15 Black Fifer; NE Elite 15 Revolution Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (11): 3. OT 15 Randy FL 4. Skyline 15 Royal TX 19.

Read More »

Red Rock Rave: 15s All Red Hat Team

The last item from our weekend at the Red Rock Rave is getting to the All Red Hat Team for the 15 Open division. It’s our version of the all-tournament team and it features players from clubs which finished in the Top 12. 15s ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Lauren Forelli AZ Rev 15 Premier Ireland Real Wave 15 Brennan Jaycee Mack Wave 15 Brennan Olivia Greenwood Wave 15 Brennan Ella Olson Tstreet 15 Asics Ella Johnson Forza1 15 One Janiah Burrage Forza1 15 One Aspen Brown Hou Skyline 15 Royal Jordon Morrow Hou Skyline 15 Royal Caylee Young Hou Skyline 15 Royal Anaiya Thornton SCVC 15 Roxy Allyn Hilt SCVC 15 Roxy Ava Burgess Club V 15 Ren Kalee Brianna Mitchell Aspire 15 Premier Isabella Stojkovic Aspire 15 Premier Reese Meier ID Crush 15 Bower *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Kristen Sheehy AZ Rev 15 Premier Megan Hodges Tstreet 15 Asics Katherine Nowak Tstreet 15 Asics Evie Pool Forza1 15 One *** SETTERS Makenna Corrie AZ Rev 15 Premier Emery Gonzales Wave 15 Brennan Royal Banducci Tstreet 15 Asics Kiersten Moore Forza1 15 One Tinsley Welker-Brown Hou Skyline 15 Royal Lerin Rosenthal SCVC 15 Roxy Zamari Christensen Club V 15 Ren Kalee *** LIBEROS Camryn Thruston AZ Rev 15 Premier Lila Green Wave 15 Brennan Sarah MacDonald Tstreet 15 Asics Baylee Jones Forza1 15 One Pearson Noone Hou Skyline 15 Royal

Read More »

Red Rock Rave: 16s All Red Hat Team

The Red Rock Rave in Las Vegas is over. With it, the bids are known. We move onto more individual recognition. Below, we highlight our All Red Hat Team from the 16 Open division. It’s our version of the all-tournament team and it features players from clubs which finished in the Top 12. 16s ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Audrey Flanagan SCVC 16 Roxy Abby Zimmerman SCVC 16 Roxy Finley Krystkowiak Wave 16 Scott JoJo Wilson Wave 16 Scott Halle Thompson Hou Skyline 16 Royal Nadiya Shelby Hou Skyline 16 Royal Sadie Snyder AZ Rev 16 Premier Mia Stewart Sunshine 16 LA Clara Schramm AZ Sky 16G Avery Poulton Club V 16 Ren Reed Halle Bills Club V 16 Ren Reed Paisley Pavliska STVA 16 Mizuno *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Taylor Boice SCVC 16 Roxy Haley Shinske AZ Rev 16 Premier Reyna Jones AZ Rev 16 Premier Frankie Jones Sunshine 16 LA Shaelyn Ward 1United 16 Blue Raegan Frazier 1United 16 Blue Anna Williams Aspire 16 Premier *** SETTERS Milly McGee SCVC 16 Roxy Blair Thiebaud Hou Skyline 16 Royal Vivian Hickman AZ Sky 16G Catherine Beadles Wave 16 Scott Soraya Dennis Wave 16 Scott *** LIBEROS Kaitlyn Herweg SCVC 16 Roxy Presley Thompson Wave 16 Scott Jenna Thedford Hou Skyline 16 Royal Kami Milner AZ Rev 16 Premier Marianne Garcia AZ Sky 16G Lauren Scheiden 1United 16 Blue

Read More »

Red Rock Rave: 17s All Red Hat Team

The three days in Las Vegas for the Red Rock Rave qualifier produced remarkable action and dramatic bid chases. It also brough out the best in the players making it all happen. Below, we highlight our All Red Hat Team from the 17 Open division. It’s our version of the all-tournament team and it features players from clubs which finished in the Top 12. 17s ALL RED HAT TEAM PIN HITTERS Quinn Loper Wave 17 Juliana Nia Thompson Wave 17 Juliana Bella Ocampo Skyline 17 Royal Sophia Thornburg OH Skyline 17 Royal Naya Salfiti Skyline 17 Royal Kaci Demaria Surfside 17 Legends Simone Roslon Surfside 17 Legends Ava Poinsett Coast 17 Rodrigo Bellamie Beus ID Crush 17 Bower Isabel Taylor OH Club V 17 Ren Reed Addison Massey Tx Performance 17-1 Kennedi Rogers AVA TX 17 Adidas Cecilia Vance ARVC 17 Adidas *** MIDDLE BLOCKERS Zoe Gillen-Malveaux Skyline 17 Royal Kalyssa Blackshear Surfside 17 Legends Ariel Chime Coast 17 Rodrigo Sydney Strenger Excel 17 National Red Kimanni Rugley AVA TX 17 Adidas Sophie Diouf ARVC 17 Adidas *** SETTERS Tenesyn Frye ID Crush 17 Bower Jordyn Moore Excel 17 National Red Caelyn Dumas AVA TX 17 Adidas Audrey Hollis FRVBC 17 Black *** LIBEROS Yuri Park Wave 17 Juliana Maddie Smotherman Skyline 17 Royal Liv Foye Surfside 17 Legends Miliani Villarreal Coast 17 Rodrigo Elizabeth Bower ID Crush 17 Bower Piper Mickenheim Excel 17 National Red

Read More »

Red Rock Rave: Day 3 Show Stoppers

The bid chases played out with lots of drama on the final day of the Red Rock Rave. You can read all about it here. With it, came standout individual efforts and performances. Below, we highlight those who caught our attention the most with our Day 3 Show Stoppers. DAY 3 SHOW STOPPERS Camryn Thruston L/DS AZ Rev 15 Premier: Thruston helped AZ Rev to a first-place finish in 15 Open with her defensive prowess. She was sound out of serve receive and defended well during rallies. Lauren Forelli OH AZ Rev 15 Premier: Forelli – a 4-star recruit – carries a big-time arm with plenty of power. She can blast shots from sideline to sideline and provides a huge boost to the offense. Kristen Sheehy MB AZ Rev 15 Premier: Sheehy, a 3-star recruit, is a presence in the middle. She’s a strong scoring option who defenses need to track and even then struggle to stop her at times. Makenna Corrie S AZ Rev 15 Premier: Corrie is an energetic setter and is quick-footed. She does well getting to the ball, as well as spreading it around. Emery Gonzales S Wave 15 Brennan: Gonzales is another setter who shows strength in running the attack. She has nice hands and locates consistently. Lila Green L/DS Wave 15 Brennan: Green brought a defensive edge with her ability to extend rallies and pick off hard-hit shots coming her way. Ireland Real OH Wave 15 Brennan: A 4-star recruit, Real’s height is a huge advantage. She’s long and hits from a high angle that allows her to go over blockers without trouble. Ella Olson OH Tstreet 15 Asics: Olson, a 4-star recruit who excels on the beach, is a gamer. She’s fearless with a strong scoring touch, whether it’s finding holes in the block or going off their hands. Megan Hodges MB Tstreet 15 Asics: A 5-star recruit from the Class of 2028, Hodges is a game-changer in the middle. Her size and length is a real problem for defenses. She impacts both sides of the ball because of it and is a definite offensive threat. Royal Banducci S Tstreet 15 Asics: Banducci does well connecting with all her hitters. She puts up a nice ball and doesn’t mix her window very often. *** Sarah MacDonald L/DS Tstreet 15 Asics: MacDonald was hustling and making plays all over the court as she kept her side in the point. Janiah Burrage OH Forza1 15 One: Burrage – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2028 – is the go-to hitter who shoulders a key role. The way she can get up and let loose makes her difficult to slow down. Baylee Jones L/DS Forza1 15 One: Jones was patrolling the back row and passing on target more times than not. Audrey Flanagan OH SCVC 16 Roxy: A 5-star recruit, Flanagan has a whippy arm and can let shots fly in a hurry. She was sending shots down in impressive fashion over and over. Taylor Boice MB SCVC 16 Roxy: Boice missed time earlier this season but she’s back and making plays. She’s a heady scorer who is crafty and can catch defenses slipping. Milly McGee S SCVC 16 Roxy: McGee – a 4-star recruit – has a firm grasp of the offense. She knows when to ride a hot hand as well as when to switch it up and catch defenses off guard. Kaitlyn Herweg L/DS SCVC 16 Roxy: A 4-star recruit from the Class of 2027, is a strong defender who reads and reacts well. She’s not caught out of position too often. Finley Krystkowiak OH Wave 16 Scott: Krystkowiak – a 5-star recruit – is a force offensively. She extends high and swings over the block with power and precision. JoJo Wilson OH Wave 16 Scott: Wilson was on fire in Wave’s clutch sweep over Hou Skyline. From tips and rolls, to aggressive swings, she couldn’t miss and frustrated defenders with it. Blair Thiebaud S Hou Skyline 16 Royal: Thiebaud – a 4-star recruit – is a terrific setter who distributes at a high level. She has a great touch and locates well to go with being able to spread the ball around. *** Halle Thompson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal: A 5-star recruit, Thompson is a high-flying outside with a lively arm. She gets up and lets loose fluidly and with ease. Nadiya Shelby RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal: Shelby – another 5-star recruit – is an impressive right side who gets way up and over the net. She can deliver both huge blocks and kills in wow fashion. Mia Stewart OH Sunshine 16 LA: Stewart helped Sunshine position itself to qualify before coming up just short. She’s a six-rotation outside who provides her share of offense. Vivian Hickman S AZ Sky 16G: Hickman – a 3-star recruit – had AZ Sky in the mix to qualify on the last day. She’s a smooth disher who plays under control and stays calm under pressure. Marianne Garcia L/DS AZ Sky 16G: A 3-star recruit, Garcia is quick defender who flies around the court. She covers ground in a hurry and is a sharp passer. Quinn Loper OH Wave 17 Juliana: Loper – a 4-star USC commit – was part of Wave’s championship performance. The lanky outside has a fluid swing and ability to connect and get after it. Mae Kordas RS Wave 17 Juliana: A 3-star Yale commit, Kordas was a presence on the right side. Her size was a real factor, as she provided a consistent scoring option. Yuri Park L/DS Wave 17 Juliana: Another 3-star Yale commit, Park held it down in the back row. She’s quick and was passing on point. Zoe Gillen-Malveaux MB Skyline 17 Royal: Gillen-Malveaux – a 5-star Duke commit – runs a mean slide. She gets out, up and rips down shots effortlessly. Maddie Smotherman L/DS Skyline 17 Royal: A 3-star defender, Smotherman is scrappy in the back row. She did well extending rallies

Read More »

Red Rock Rave: Gold Medal Rundown

While we headed into the final day of action at the Red Rock Rave knowing the lone bid winner in 18 Open, there were plenty of unknowns and with it loads of anticipation for how the 15-17 Open divisions would play out. True to form, none of those bid races disappointed in the very least. So much so it’s hard determining which one carried the most drama. In 17 Open, four of the eight gold-pool representatives held bids, meaning one of the remaining four would be left out. In 16 Open, none of the eight gold-pool clubs held bids, so only the top three would secure one. And in 15 Open, it was a four-team gold pool with none of those teams qualified yet, so they needed to finish in the top two to qualify. I’ll start with 17 Open, where eventually Wave 17 Juliana finished off a perfect 9-0 weekend by beating previously-qualified Skyline 17 Royal in the championship match. Wave was recently in the mix on the final day at MEQ two weekends ago but a loss to Legacy 17-1 Adidas kept Wave from reaching the final four and qualifying. However, there was no denying the SCVA region club in Las Vegas. Wave – ranked No. 22 in the nation in our Top 50 rankings – beat fourth-ranked Skyline on Sunday in pool play to take over the top seed then once more in the final to punctuate its performance. With Wave going 3-0 in its pool, there was tons of drama between the other three teams as Coast 17 Rodrigo, Excel 17 National Red and Club V 17 Ren Reed all tied at 1-2. Coast earned second based on the tiebreaker, with Excel taking third and Club V fourth. The other gold pool wrapped up with Skyline at 3-0, followed by Surfside 17 Legends (2-1), ID Crush 17 Bower (1-2) and Tx Performance 17-1 (0-3). Surfside and ID Crush held bids already, as did Coast, so that allowed Excel to qualify by tying for fifth. The last bid came down to a showdown between Club V and Tx Performance. It was unranked Club V prevailing in three, 25-22, 15-25, 15-10, to leave town happy. Club V picked up a clutch victory on Day 2 by topping previously-qualified AVA TX 17 Adidas to stay alive and reach the gold pools or else it would have lights out instead. The gold pools in 16 Open opened with a bang Sunday evening before playing out in full Monday. Unranked Sunshine 16 LA upset Wave 16 Scott to throw the pool in flux. However, after a dramatic Day 3 outing, Wave managed to secure its bid after finishing runner-up to SCVC 16 Roxy in the final. Wave was faced with a daunting task in its last gold pool contest, needing to beat No. 10 Hou Skyline 16 Royal in straight sets to advance. All Hou Skyline needed was to win one set and it would have been Sunshine advancing to the final four instead of Wave. The clutch performance not only assured Wave of a bid, it forced Hou Skyline into the third-place match against AZ Rev 16 Premier. AZ Rev had its own drama, needing to beat AZ Sky 16G to play for a bid. The all-Arizona clash went Rev’s way, 27-25, 28-26. However, Rev’s fortune ran out there, as Hou Skyline swept to earn the final bid. Meanwhile, SCVC overcame a slow start Monday, dropping the first set to AZ Rev before prevailing in three. SCVC then swept 1United 16 Blue to reach the final, gaining its bid in the process. SCVC came into the weekend the highest-ranked team in the field at No. 6, followed by No. 10 Hou Skyline and No. 12 Wave. There was only one gold pool in 15 Open, but it didn’t mean half the drama. With the lone qualified team in the field in Hou Skyline 15 Royal out of the top four, it was a race between Wave 15 Brennan, Tstreet 15 Asics, AZ Rev 15 Premier and Forza1 15 One. It started off with AZ Rev, ranked No. 13 nationally, downing No. 9 Wave in two tight sets, 25-22, 29-27. It only heated up from there, with No. 8 Tstreet edging No. 34 Forza, 25-23, 19-25, 18-16. Wave followed by sweeping Forza, then Tstreet snuck out another one, this time clipping AZ Rev, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13. Once AZ Rev swept Forza, it set up an incredible finale between Wave and Tstreet. It was a must-win contest for both sides. Wave would finish 1-2 and in third place with a loss. But, with a win, Wave would force a three-way tie and the way the math was set up, Tstreet would finish third based on tiebreakers no matter what. The one given was AZ Rev was assured a top-two finish and a bid regardless the outcome. Of course, the outing went the distance, with Wave surviving, 28-26, 28-30, 15-9, in dramatic fashion. In 18 Open, TAV 18 Black went a perfect 10-0 to capture the title. It was TAV’s third qualifier victory of the season, to go along with winning Lone Star and Music City. Tstreet 18 Chandler, meanwhile, tied for seventh with SCVC 18 Roxy. Tstreet was the only team in the top eight without a bid and thus qualified through trickle down. AZ Rev 18 Premier took second, with A5 18 Marc beating out Hou Skyline 18 Royal for third.

Read More »