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We are heading into the fourth weekend of 18s qualifying. Up next is the Ohio Valley Qualifier taking place at the Columbus Convention Center. Below, we look for the teams to watch for when it comes to qualifying, 4 and 5-star recruits in the field as well as our predictions for the weekend. OHIO VALLEY 18s Number of Teams: 21 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (2): Mintonette Sports m.81; OT 18 O Roberto vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (8): 3. NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami KY 11. Coast 18-1 CA 20. AVC Cle 18 Red OH 24. Academy 18 Elite Rage IN 26. OT 18 Roberto FL 32. Metro 18 Travel DC 40. Legacy 18-1 Adidas MI 43. Elevation 18 Toth OH   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players in the Field: Lauren Harden OH Academy 18 Elite Rage (Florida)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players in the Field: Fallon Stewart OH OT 18 Roberto (Cincinnati) Juleigh Urbina S OT 18 Roberto (Georgetown) Erin Debiec S Metro 18 Travel (Colorado State) Elizabeth Tabeling L/DS NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (Ball State) Julia Hunt MB NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (Washington) Alexis Haury S NPJ 18 Forefront (Washington)   Outlook: Fresh off of qualifying at the Florida Fest with a third-place showing, Mintonette starts off as the top seed and is one of two teams that could create a possible trickle-down scenario. The other club is OT Roberto, which is already playing in its third qualifier of the season after taking second at Lone Star and fifth last weekend. In terms of earning bids, there are a handful of teams to pay attention to. At the top of the list is both NKYVC and Coast. Coast finished sixth at Lone Star and stands a good chance of coming through this weekend with one of the bids. The same goes for NKYVC, which starts as the No. 5 overall seed behind No. 3 Coast. In between is fourth-seeded Metro, which is also playing in its third qualifier. Metro has been in contention for bids and this could be the weekend when the club breaks through. AVC, Academy and Elevation are more clubs to keep a watch out for as any one of the trio could find itself in position to qualify. NPJ is another contender and rounds out our teams to keep an eye on. Prediction: Let’s get to the picks for this weekend. NKYVC is our choice to win it all, beating OT in the final. The final two bids go to Coast and NPJ.

The latest stop for the Vballrecruiter All Eyes on Me Elite ID Clinic brought the team to Legacy VBC in Michigan. There was palpable energy and excitement in the gym with the girls from the Classes of 2024-2030 represented. Below, we highlight the players who caught our attention. Class of 2025 Ashlyn Andrzejewski L/DS Legacy 17 Elite East: A real talkative and outgoing defender, Andrzejewski showed her quickness in running down loose balls and played with lots of energy. Ava Trevino L/DS Legacy 17 Elite West: Trevino was another spirited defender who was very vocal. She’s a high-octane player who brought lots of hustle. *** Class of 2026 Jayla Zayti MB Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Zayti was connecting well out of the middle. She has a solid arm and is also effective running the slide. Meredith Martin L/DS Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Martin was a standout defender who brought a real presence to the court. She’s a smooth passer who owns the back row. Eva Long S Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Long’s setting ability was on full display. She moves the ball around with ease and has a really clean, consistent release. Madeline Dettling OH Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Dettling was an impactful pin who displayed a strong arm and the ability to score consistently. Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Nwabueze was thundering balls out of the middle. She’s a quick, athletic middle who can get up and pound balls as well as get out on the slide attack and crush there as well. Aubree Deshetsky OH Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Deshetsky was not holding back on the attack. She was taking aggressive, hard swings and really going for it. *** Class of 2027 Lindsey Schwegman S High Performance 15-2: Schwegman has a lot of potential and room for development. She has a soft touch and can go behind her consistently. Josie Seets OH/RS Legacy 15-2: Seets is another player who flashed real potential to grow and improve. She has a solid arm and was taking aggressive swings. Olivia Berishaj OH/RS Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Berishaj was taking nice cuts and connecting on a few balls that hinted at what she’s capable of. She also goes hard and gives a lot. Micah Harris L/DS Team Detroit: Harris moves well and covers a lot of territory. She passed solidly and played under control. Avery Kapeller OH High Performance 15 Nike: Kapeller is a lanky outside who was swinging away and scoring. Megan Baibak OH Legacy 15 Elite South: Baibak is a quick outside who puts up a solid block. She’s also upbeat and besides hitting showed she could set too. *** Class of 2028 Taylor Wilson L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: There was lots of defense being played with Wilson among those who stood out with her passing and ball control. Lauren Sheldon OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Sheldon has a lively arm and was among the standout attackers. She was letting it fly on a regular basis and proved tough to slow down. Payton Woodruff S Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Woodruff has a clean release and puts up a nice ball for her hitters. Ashlyn Pelon L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Pelon showed a lot of skill with her passing and defending and ability to make plays. Kaitlyn Koceski L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Koceski did well handling defensive duties and was going all out. *** Class of 2029 Jillian Daitch OH Legacy 13-1: Daitch had her moments coming up with heady plays and showing she can score in a variety of ways. Stella Smith L/DS Legacy 13-1 Adidas: Smith plays with a ton of energy and goes all out on the court. *** Class of 2030 Juliet Berishaj MB Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Berishaj was working really hard in the middle to get up on blocks and get her hands on shots. Londyn Cottrill OH Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Cottrill has a really solid arm for her age and was a real standout on the attack with the way she was able to score over and over. Valerie Carr OH Pitt Elite 12 Black: Carr was among the younger players who kept giving it her all and showing off her smarts with heads-up plays at the net. Colbie Lantz L/DS Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Lantz brought a ton of scrappiness and hustle on the defensive side and did well getting balls up. Collins Lantz L/DS Legacy 13-1 Adidas: Lantz also did a very nice job of making plays and keeping rallies going with her court coverage. Molly Hickey S Legacy 12-1 Adidas: Hickey has a nice, consistent touch when setting. She also brings a lot of energy to the court.

The Northern Lights qualifier takes on a slightly new look this season. While the 17s age group was added a couple of seasons ago to go with the 18s, this year features the 15s age group bundled in for the first time. That provides the younger age group an early chance to qualify, which is a big change from years past. Below, we look at the 15, 17 and 18 Open divisions and offer our predictions, as well as nationally-ranked teams competing, 4 and 5-star players in the field and a brief outlook. NORTHERN LIGHTS 18s Number of Teams: 27 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (2): KC Power 18 Black; Premier Nebraska 18 Gold vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (8): 10. KC Power 18 Black 14. Pohaku 18-1 16. Premier Nebraska 18 Gold 19. A5 18 Marc 35. MKE Sting 18 Gold 37. FC Elite 18 Elite 42. VCNebraska 18 Elite 44. Drive Nation 18 Red   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players to Watch: Lauren Medeck OH Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (South Dakota) Faith Frame L/DS Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Cincinnati) Hannah Benjamin OH A5 18 Marc (Kentucky)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players to Watch: Malayah Long S VCNebraska 18 Elite (Marquette) Paisley Douglas L/DS VCNebraska 18 Elite (USC) Mia Tvrdy MB Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Oregon) Janelle Green S KC Power 18 Black (Cincinnati) Claire Luoma L/DS MKE Sting 18 Gold (Clemson) Anna Bjork MB MKE Sting 18 Gold (Notre Dame) Lilly Wagner S MKE Sting 18 Gold (Maryland) Ella Demetrician OH FC Elite 18 Elite (Michigan) Carly Gilk RS MN Select 18-1 (2025, Minnesota)   Outlook: Like Florida Fest that is also happening this weekend, Northern Lights is also the first weekend that trickle down could play a role in qualifying with KC Power and Premier Nebraska already owning bids. Both qualified at the KC MLK two weekends ago. They start off as the top two seeds and there’s a strong likelihood they will help create some level of trickle down, which could extend out to fifth place. It makes for a good opportunity for the remaining teams. It’s just a matter of which ones are going to take advantage? MKE Sting and FC Elite were both at Windy City, taking seventh and 11th respectively. MN Select, Pohaku, VCNebraska, A5 and Kairos were all together at the KC MLK event, along with KC Power and Premier. That makes for familiarity among many of the participants. Teams are ultimately fighting to make the four-team gold pool. That’s where KC Power and Premier Nebraska come into play. Should both make the gold pool, the other two teams would qualify. That would leave the final bid to go to the winner of the four-team silver pool. If only one of the two between KC Power and Premier Nebraska make the gold pool, the remaining three teams will earn bids before playing a match on Sunday. Prediction: We like KC Power to come out with its second qualifier victory of the season. As for the teams earning bids, those picks are MN Select, Pohaku and MKE Sting. **** NORTHERN LIGHTS 17s Number of Teams: 36 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (17): 3. 1st Alliance 17 Gold 4. Hou Skyline 17 Royal 6. MKE Sting 17 Gold 7. Mich Elite 17 Mizuno 8. Surfside 17 Legends 9. Nebraska One 17 Synergy 12. ID Crush 17 Bower 14. HJV 17 Elite 17. Dynasty 17 Black 19. Northern Lights 17-1 23. GP 17 Rox 29. Drive Nation 17 Red 31. OT 17 O Felix 37. VCNebraska 17 Elite 40. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami 43. KC Power 17 Black 48. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players to Watch: Addy Horner S/RS 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Abby Vander Wal OH 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Texas) Natalie Wardlow MB Nebraska One 17 Synergy (Wisconsin) Amina N’Diaye OH OT 17 O Felix (Miami) Bailey Warren OH Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Wake Forest) Kassidy O’Brien S Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Kentucky) Bayleigh Minor MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal Kaci Demaria OH Surfside 17 Legends Jordan Taylor MB HJV 17 Elite (Minnesota) Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 17 Gold (Wisconsin) Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black (USC) Abigail Mullen RS Dynasty 17 Black (USC)   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players to Watch: Gabriella Pitcel MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Illinois) Olivia Durst L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Michigan State) Emma Koceja OH MKE Sting 17 Gold Keri Leimbach L/DS Nebraska One 17 Synergy (Nebraska) Elena Maynulet OH GP 17 Rox (Columbia) KK Green S/RS GP 17 Rox (Holy Cross) Tenesyn Frye S ID Crush 17 Bower (Houston) Ava Tilden OH NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Xavier) Riley McCloskey OH/RS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Memphis) Rebekah Pfefferkorn RS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Florida International) Taylor Porter OH Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Vaderbilt) Morgan Madison L/DS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Baylor) Sydney Bryant OH HJV 17 Elite (Vanderbilt) Aaliyah Smith OH HJV 17 Elite (Rice) Mesaiya Bettis OH Northern Lights 17-1 (Iowa State) Hannah Beauford S Drive Nation 17 Red (Cal) Reese Jackson MB Drive Nation 17 Red Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (Cincinnati) Kalyssa Blackshear MB Surfside 17 Legends (Louisville) Malorie Boesiger S Nebraska One 17 Synergy (2027)   Outlook: This could turn out being the toughest qualifier of the season. It’s a large field with 36 teams and not only is there no trickle down in play, almost half the field is ranked in our Top 50 rankings. To say the field is loaded is a gross understatement. That only three teams can earn bids here is going to make for plenty of unsatisfied teams who thought they could get the job done and punch an early bid. 1st Alliance, Nebraska One and Hou Skyline are powerhouse teams. Surfside, HJV and MKE Sting are other big-time players. Mich Elite, GP and Idaho Crush are also major factors. Then there’s Dynasty, which is offering a new look this season and could easily play a role when it’s all said and done.

We’ve been off to a flying start with our predictions for the 18s. The hot start continued last week by picking TAV 18 Black to win the Lone Star Classic, as well as calling Hou Skyline 18 Royal to qualify as well. The only miss came with Madfrog 18 Green. Instead, it was OT 18 Roberto taking home one of the three bids. OT actually beat Madfrog on Day 2 and created a three-way tie at 2-1. Madfrog ended third in the pool and failed to advance. It was Madfrog’s only loss on the weekend. Madfrog is back in action at this weekend’s Florida Fest. Below, you can find our predictions for this weekend, as well as nationally-ranked teams, 4 and 5-star players in the field and a brief outlook. FLORIDA FEST 18s Number of Teams: 28Number of Bids: 3Previously-Qualified Teams (2): Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite; OT 18 O Robertovballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (9):   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players to Watch:   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players to Watch:   Outlook: With 28 teams, this is the biggest field to date for 18 Open. It’s also the first weekend we have the possibility of trickle down in play as there are two qualified teams in Rockwood Thunder and OT Roberto. Rockwood Thunder qualified by taking second at the KC MLK two weeks ago, while OT grabbed second place last weekend at Lone Star. Leading the pack this weekend is Triangle, which is playing in its first qualifier of the season and is among the top contenders. Another team to watch out for is Metro, which tied for fifth at Windy City and is fully capable of earning a bid this weekend. Then there is Madfrog, which is also a real contender to qualify. Prediction: The call is Madfrog beating Triangle in the final, as both pick up bids. With OT and Rockwood in the mix, we expect trickle down to play a part, with Tribe taking advantage and earning the final bid.

The 17s age group took to the courts this past weekend for the SCVA Event 1. The top division featured nationally-ranked clubs in No. 8 Surfside 17 Legends, No. 25 Coast 17 Rodrigo, No. 28 Wave 17 Juliana, No. 30 Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar and No. 44 Forza1 North 17 One. True to form, Surfside powered through the weekend and finished first with a 6-0 mark. Surfside swept Wave – which was coming off its appearance last weekend at the Tour of Texas – in the final. Long Beach went 5-1, with its only loss coming to Surfside in pool play, to finish third. vballrecruiter.com spent Day 2 witnessing the competition and below we highlight the players who caught our attention the most with our Show Stoppers. SHOW STOPPERS Olivia Foye L/DS Surfside 17 Legends: Part of Surfside’s dominance included Foye handling the defensive side. She’s a skillful passer and defender who reads and reacts well and frustrates opponents with her ability to scoop up would-be kills. Kaci Demaria OH Surfside 17 Legends: Demaria is a disruptive force on the outside. Her size and power makes her difficult to slow down, especially when she’s able to fully extend and not hold back. Kalyssa Blackshear MB Surfside 17 Legends: Blackshear length in the middle was another bright spot for Surfside. She can make space disappear in a hurry as she turns back attackers. She’s also a must-cover on offense as she can hit from high up and create tough to cover angles. Addy Benefield RS Surfside 17 Legends: A new addition to the roster, Benefield adds athleticism and an improved scoring punch on the right side. She’s a quick jumper with a fast arm who can send balls straight down. Olivia Durr MB Wave 17 Juliana: Defenses needed to be aware of Durr when she checked in. She provided a sound scoring boost to the attack with her variety of ways to earn points for her side. Alexis Richards S Wave 17 Juliana: Richards was a fun setter to watch dish the rock. She does well getting to the ball and delivering accurate sets and connecting with all her hitters. Quinn Loper OH Wave 17 Juliana: Loper presents problems for opponents when she has it going. She can hit over or through blocks with the way she extends and connects. Layli Ostovar OH Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar: Ostovar – a Class of 2026 recruit – can bring it on the attack. She has a lively arm and she was ripping loud kills straight down to end rallies. Brianna Brewer OH Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar: Brewer is a newcomer to the lineup this season and she helps deepen the attack for Beach. She can hit front and back row and she also can rise up. Brooklyn Drumwright OH A4 17 Tyler: Drumwright has the biggest arm among the A4 attackers. She carries her share of the offense and gets set plenty because of it. *** Reese Weinert MB A4 17 Tyler: Weinert did well making herself available and scoring when called upon. She showed she could find multiple ways to score from well-placed tips to swinging to the open space. Ava Poinsett OH Coast 17 Rodrigo: Another outside who was an integral part of the offense was Poinsett. She’s a physical hitter with a strong arm who can tool blocks or power right through them. Savannah Simpson MB Coast 17 Rodrigo: Simpson is a lanky middle with the ability to get out and run the slide. Coast likes to get her the ball when in system to keep defenses honest. Lauren Farris OH Tstreet 17 Predney: Farris has a solid arm and was swinging equally well on the left or right. Sarah Shaw MB Sports Academy 17-1: Shaw is part of a tough 1-2 punch in the middle. She’s long and makes an impact on both sides of the ball. She has a loose arm and can deliver on a consistent basis. Manaia Ogbechie MB Sports Academy 17-1: Ogbechie is problematic in the middle. She’s a physical presence with both her blocking and attacking. She can fly and hammer balls down in impressive fashion. Maya Banks RS Forza1 North 17 One: Banks is an athletic right side with a springy jump and fast arm. She comes at defenders in a hurry and proved tough to slow down. Keonaahi’ilani Solaita OH Forza1 North 17 One: Solaita is a bit undersized but packs a serious punch. She’s fearless and stays aggressive. It leads to big-time kills that fires up her teammates. Hannah Brady L/DS Sunshine 17 Pacific: Brady was among the better defenders taking care of the back row. She’s solid in both serve receive and defending and making ups. Miley Thunstrom OH Forza1 17 One: Thunstrom is a lanky outside who can extend and rip balls on the left. *** Olivia Ip RS City 17 Gold: Ip is a solid right side attacker who defenses need to keep in mind. When in system City will utilize her and get her involved as much as possible. Ashby Zubchevich OH City 17 Gold: Zubchevich showed up as one of the top outsides. She is the featured part of the attack and for good reason. She was unloaded time and time again and scoring from sideline to sideline.