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There is so much fierce competition at the Triple Crown NIT that no matter what it’s impossible to get to all of it. However, the Vballrecruiter.com did our best to get to as much as the action as we could. It meant catching play from the 12-18s divisions. Below, we highlight 27 athletes who stood out the most to us with Part 2 of our Day 1 Show Stoppers. Part 1 DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS (Part 2) Piper Coady OH Tstreet 14 Tara: Coady showcased her talents and the bright future in front of her. She’s a lanky outside who hits at high angles and stretches out defenses. Bethany Benjamin L/DS A5 14-1 Helen: Benjamin was a standout outside a season ago but has made the move to the back row this season. She’s a lights-out passer and defender who reads and reacts very well. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski is a dynamic player who adds versatility with her ability to set and hit. She has nice size and uses it to her advantage well when attacking. She’s also a steady setter who locates well. Sarah Floyd RS TAV 14 Black: Floyd is a real menace and a nightmare for opponents to deal with. She’s very long with a fluid swing and can unleash from all over the court. Tessa Larkin OH Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: One thing about Larkin, if there’s an opportunity to tee off she’s going to make the most of it. She has a whip for an arm and can rips balls down with ease. Cedra Talaga L/DS Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar: Talaga plays with so much fire and energy that she’s a real sparkplug on defense. She flies around the court and brings a never-back-down attitude to the lineup. Marissa Jones S A5 15-1 Kelly: A next-level sensation, Jones can dazzle in ways others can’t at the setting position. Her size gives her a big advantage at the net, and her delivery is clean and smooth. Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Ockerman is a physical middle who can overpower blockers and crush balls at defenders. Presley Thompson L/DS Wave 16 Scott: Thompson is a sound defender who doesn’t rattle and is always making plays to keep her team in the point. Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 16 Gold: Resmer was coming up with kill after kill. She’s an explosive hitter with a strong arm and defenders weren’t able to come up with an answer to slow her down. *** Audrey Dyas MB NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami: Dyas’ presence in the middle is a game-changer. She’s a strong attacker who can lineup and score from the left, middle or right with equal effectiveness. Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.61: Cugino missed Central Zone but she’s back for Triple Crown and showing why she is one of the best liberos in her class. She sees plays ahead of time and is rarely out of position. Tenesyn Frye S ID Crush 17 Bower: Frye continues to improve. It doesn’t hurt that she’s a long setter but she also shows great touch and ability to put her hitters in position to make a play. Teraya Sigler OH Arizona Storm 17 Thunder: Sigler’s all-around game is on another level. She’s also such a physical hitter who can overpower blockers by going off or through blocks. Layli Ostovar OH Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar: Ostovar, part of the Class of 2026, is the go-to outside for Beach. She’s a smart attacker with a lively arm who can beat defenses in multiple ways. McKenzie Jones RS Madfrog 17 Green: Jones’ athleticism is a real weapon. She’s a springy attacker who elevates in a hurry and can get balls past blockers before they are set up. Izzy Mogridge S OT 17 Aaron: Mogridge is an energetic setter who moves very well. She does a nice job getting her feet to the ball and locating consistently. Jada Johnson OH NPJ Salem 16 National: Johnson brings infectious enthusiasm when she steps on the court. She jumps really well and is getting high over the block when hitting. Eden Tardy OH Paramount VBC 16-1: Tardy is very explosive when attacking and sees the court really well. She has a great platform on serve receive and sets up her team really well to run various plays. Petra Fritz OH/S E3 18-1: Fritz is an extremely versatile player, she can do it all. She has an aggressive arm swing, runs a versatile offense and can pass well on serve receive. *** Ella Swinn OH Vegas Aces UA 18s: Swinn has a high arm swing and finds all the open spots on the court. She anticipates the set well and moves on and off the net quickly. She is a force to be reckoned with at the net. Abby Dolle MB KIVA 12 Red: Dolle displayed good timing along the net both defensively and offensively. Londyn Cottrill OH Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Cottrill does a bit of everything for her team, including providing a big arm to be relied on plenty offensively. Mary-Christine (MC) Crutcher OH Excel 13 Red: Crutcher has a limitless ceiling. She can attack from anywhere and has a smooth swing with pace. Brylie Milo OH KC Power 13 Black: Milo is a key feature of the offense. She gets up well and takes hard, aggressive swings. She’s relentless on the attack and doesn’t let up. Nariah Johnson OH Coast 13-1: Johnson is a consistent passer out of serve receive and can track down balls on defense. She also jumps well and has a variety of shots she can throw at defenders. Sade Bello OH Houston Juniors 14 Elite: Bello is an instrumental part of the offense for her squad. She’s a physical hitter who’s more than capable of putting down balls and carrying the load offensively.

The opening day of the Triple Crown NIT never disappoints! The action is intense from the opening serve and doesn’t let up until the final one. We at Vballrecruiter.com were on hand for both the morning and afternoon waves taking in as much of the competition as we could get to. Below, you can find Part 1 of our Day 1 Show Stoppers, featuring 27 standout players who caught our attention the most. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS (Part 1) Sarah Albers RS HPSTL 14 Royal: A force on the right side, Albers is a game-changing presence. Her size and length, especially at this age, make her difficult to slow with the way she can extend and hit over blocks. Leilani Lamar OH OT 14 Laura: Another top prospect from the Class of 2028, has a ton of potential. She’s not only long but a free-swinger who can also elevate and make blocks disappear. Maya Ogbogu OH Madfrog 14 Green: The way Ogbogu gets up in the air is not fair for opponents who have to try and stop her. She’s a legit high-flyer with a booming arm who can blast winners from corner to corner. Baylee Wilson OH Coast 14-1: A standout beach player and part of the Class of 2029, Wilson is a fun player to watch get after it. She has a lively arm and can beat defenses with both pace and off-speed shots. Carsyn Comer MB Munciana 15 Blue: Comer is so physical in the middle. She has a huge arm and adds tons of power to the attack. Lauren Forelli OH AZ Rev 15 Premier: Speaking of big arms, Forelli fits in that category. She can really let it fly at times and send the ball down in a flash. Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 15 Alpha: A member of the Class of 2028, Samuels is silky-smooth in the setting position. She has a tremendous touch and high IQ. It leads to getting her hitters favorable looks. Candice Holloway MB OT 15 Randy: Holloway is someone to keep tabs on. She has unbelievable upside with her length and ability to make impact plays at the net on both sides of the ball. Audrey Flanagan OH SCVC 16 Roxy: Flanagan’s lively arm and offensive prowess was on full display. She has a quick arm and can really extend. Those two things together lead to impressive kills. Brooke Harwood MB Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Harwood puts up a huge block in the middle. She is a dominating force on the court, getting on top of the ball when attacking and has great court vision to put the ball down. She shows up in big ways for her team. *** Halle Thompson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal: A high-flying outside with a whip of an arm, Thompson is next-level material. She hits shots others simply cannot and because of it puts tremendous strain on defenses. Henley Anderson OH Austin Skyline 16 Royal: Anderson is another next-level talent whose size and power make for a lethal combination. She is a legit threat whether front or back row and drills shots to the deep corner with ease. Addy Horner S/RS 1st Alliance 17 Gold: Horner’s length and versatility are big factors in what she brings to the court. She’s a solid setter with consistent location. She’s also contributor on offense as she does well finding space and gaps. Macie Potter RS Drive Nation 17 Red: Potter is an explosive attacker and has great timing on her blocks. Campbell Flynn S Legacy 17-1 Adidas: There are few players who can impact a match at the setting position like Flynn. She’s so touch to get a beat on and is consistently getting her hitters one-on-one looks. Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black: Messer is another game-changing setter who is in total control of the offense. Her command of the offense is unquestionable and she slings it was total ease and confident. Delainy Williams S Athena 18-1 Gold: Williams has a quick release, moves her feet well to the ball and her setter-middle connection is superb. Allie Davison S Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Davison moves quickly and has positive energy on the court. She does a great job on defense and covers the ball well. Jillian Ferrill RS Legacy 16-2 Adidas: Ferrill puts up a strong block and follows the ball well. She shows great tenacity as well having a high arm reach. Abbi Sells RS Legacy 16-2 Adidas: Sells demonstrates exceptional agility on the court while making great digs and finding her hitters during out of system plays. She plays with a fire under her and has great communication. *** Izzie McCarthy RS Excel 12 Red: McCarthy is a good attacker with a quick arm swing, which allows her to beat blockers and defenders to their spots. Emma Harter S Munciana 12 Peppers: Harter, a 5-1 setter, possesses nice, consistent hands and location. It makes her sets super hittable. Rosalee Johnson OH Dynasty 13 Black: Johnson brings a physicality to her attacking anywhere on the court. Sahmone Wadsworth OH Arizona Storm 13 Thunder: Wadsworth is an athlete who has a quick swing and is fearless on the attack. Danaya Petkova OH Rockwood 13 Thunder: Petkova is long and she lights it up when she unleashes on the outside. Mya Lee OH KC Power 14 Black: Lee connected so well on the outside we had to stop to watch. She can crank on the pins. Jensen Kubik OH Dynasty 14 Black: Kubik is a steady six-rotation outside for squad. She covers well in the back row and attacks well up the middle.

There are many things that make the Triple Crown NIT a one-of-a-kind tournament. The three-day event, taking place this coming weekend at the Kansas City Convention Center, unquestionably draws and attracts the best clubs from all around the country, whether those clubs play a USAV or JVA schedule, or attend USAV or AAU nationals. It can result in being the only place certain clubs can ever bump into one another and go head-to-head. Something else that makes the event unique is the absence of multiple divisions. There is no such thing as Open, National, USA, etc. It’s very simple and straight forward. There is 18-and-under all the way down to 12-and-under. It means any team entered into its age group has an opportunity to walk away with the title regardless of starting position. The power-pool format also contributes to the excitement and entertainment surrounding the tournament. While not every team is placed in a power pool, the fact that the top teams entered get to square off on Day 1 with no threat of being eliminated creates for high-level volleyball from the very first serve of the weekend. If you are not familiar with Triple Crown, you may not know that after the opening day, the format switches to a single-elimination contest. That is very different from the standard tournament format that continues on with pool play on Day 2. It’s another part of what elevates the intensity and makes it an anything goes race to the finish line. At the same time, it remains an early-season tournament and so much can transpire between now and nationals that it’s easy to jump to conclusions based on the results this weekend. But most of the teams approach this weekend as a way to gauge and prep for the remainder of the season, not as a destination. Winning Triple Crown doesn’t guarantee any sort of success later on. Though it could serve as foreshadowing, we just don’t know. Let’s take last year for an example. Drive Nation 18 Red brought home the 18s title, however, finished third at nationals. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami was the 17s champion, yet took 11th in Chicago. Surfside 16 PV Legends reigned supreme in the 16s but was a distant 26th at nationals. The younger age groups that we focus on found more success though in Skyline 15 Royal and TAV 14 Black. Both finished on top of their respective age groups a season ago at Triple Crown and both went on to grab the gold medal at nationals. Enough about all of that, let’s get to our preview and predictions, which you can find below. ***** 18 OPEN   Number of Teams: 104 Power Pool A • TAV 18 Black • Hou Skyline 18 Royal • Coast 18-1 • Madfrog 18 Green • KC Power 18 Black • Munciana 18 Samurai • Triangle 18 Black • 1st Alliance 18 Gold Power Pool B • Mintonette Sports m.81 • Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite • OT 18 Roberto • Vision 18 Gold • Wave 18 Brennan • Skyline 18 Royal • SCVC 18 Roxy • A5 18 Marc Power Pool C • MKE Sting 18 Gold • Academy 18 Rage • NPJ 18 Forefront • Tri-State Elite 18 Blue • City 18 Gold • Club V 18 Ren Reed • Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar • Premier Nebraska 18 Gold Power Pool D • SPVB 18 Elite • MN Select 18-1 • NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami • FC Elite 18 Elite • HJV 18 Elite • OT 18 Tony • Tstreet 18 Chandler • Six Pack 18 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (45): 1. TAV 18 Black TX 2. 1st Alliance 18 Gold IL 3. Triangle 18 Black NC 4. Madfrog 18 Green TX 5. KC Power 18 Black KS 6. Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite MO 7. Hou Skyline 18 Royal TX 8. Munciana 18 Samurai IN 9. Coast 18 Ozhan CA 10. OT 18 O Roberto FL 11. Wave 18 Brennan CA 12. Premier Nebraska 18 Gold NE 13. SCVC 18 Roxy CA 14. Mintonette Sports m.81 OH 15. Skyline 18 Royal TX 16. HJV 18 Elite TX 17. Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar CA 18. Six Pack 18 IA 19. Vision 18 Gold CA 20. City 18 Gold CA 21. A5 18 Marc GA 22. MN Select 18-1 MN 23. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue OH 25. Club V 18 Ren Reed UT 26. MKE Sting 18 Gold WI 27. NPJ 18 Forefront OR 28. Academy 18 Elite Rage IN 29. FC Elite 18 Elite WI 30. SPVB 18 Elite IL 31. MAVS KC 18-1 KS 32. Pohaku 18-1 KS 33. NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami KY 34. Tstreet 18 Chandler CA 35. Momentous 18 Dan CA 36. OT 18 T Tony FL 37. Far Out 18 Black MI 39. KiVA 18 Red KY 40. Team Pineapple 18 Black IN 42. AVA TX 18 Adidas 43. Actyve 18 Black CA 44. VCNebraska 18 Elite NE 46. Sky High Adidas 18 Elite IL 47. Tribe 18 Elite Cardinal FL 48. Legacy 18-1 Adidas MI 49. Boiler Jrs 18 Gold IN 5-Star Players in the Field: Lauren Medeck OH Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (South Dakota) Morgan Gaerte OH Team Pineapple Black (Notre Dame) Faith Frame L/DS Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Cincinnati) Lauren Harden OH Academy 18 Rage (Florida) Charlie Fuerbringer S Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar (Wisconsin) Favor Anyanwu MB TAV 18 Black (USC) Jadyn Livings RS TAV 18 Black (USC) Camille Edwards S TAV 18 Black (Michigan) Jaela Auguste MB Hou Skyline 18 Royal (Florida) Elizabeth Andrew MB Athena 18 Gold (Stanford) Hannah Benjamin OH A5 18 Marc (Kentucky) Taylor Yu S SG Elite 18 Rosh (Stanford) Taylor Deckert L/DS SCVC 18 Roxy (2025, USC) Cari Spears OH TAV 18 Black (2025, Texas) Gillian Pitts L/DS TAV 18 Black (2025, Houston) Suli Davis OH TAV 18 Black (2025, BYU) Ryan Hunter RS Triangle 18 Black (2025, Nebraska) Navea Gauthier OH Far Out 18 Black (2025, Ohio State) Taylor Harvey MB Club V 18