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Any tournament is unpredictable, but the opening day of the Nike TOC Southwest in Phoenix featured more than the average twists and turns as the unexpected ruled. Being the No. 1 team in a pool came with little safety, as top-seeded teams struggled. While a team like Cornerstone Christian TX – seeded No. 2 overall – managed to still hold seed despite losing, others were not so fortunate. Top-seeded Sierra Canyon CA, No. 3 Xavier Prep AZ and No. 4 St. Francis/Mountain View CA were the only No. 1 teams in their respective pools to go 3-0. It was chaos elsewhere. Fifth-seeded Sacred Heart Academy KY finished 1-2 and wound up in fourth place. It was among the most surprising results given the Valkyries own victories over both Assumption KY and Mother McAuley IL this season. However, those results meant nothing to Friday’s opponents, starting with Pinnacle AZ. Sacred Heart held a 22-20 advantage in the opening set but the Pioneers held firm and ended up sweeping, 25-23, 25-9. Sacred Heart’s chances of making the top two and advancing were spoiled by another upset loss. This time it was at the hands of Coronado NV. The Cougars have had a wild nine days. Last Thursday, Coronado upset nationally-ranked Lone Peak UT ahead of the Durango Fall Classic. Lone Peak went onto to finish in 10th place while Coronado came in 50th out of 64 teams. But the Cougars produced another big upset by beating Sacred Heart and then advanced to the top 16 after knocking off Pinnacle. Millennium AZ won the pool at 2-1, falling to Sacred Heart but already had first place clinched prior to the contest. Two more top seeds joined Sacred Heart in not advancing in No. 6 Corona del Sol AZ and No. 7 Lake Highland Prep FL. CdS was surprised in its opener by Sunrise Mountain AZ, which prevailed in three, 25-16, 19-25, 15-10. The Mustangs kept it up and finished 3-0 as the No. 3 team in the pool. CdS still had a shot at advancing but needed to win the 1 v 2 showdown against La Cueva NM. But it was La Cueva which had the upperhand, also winning in three, 20-25, 21-25, 15-9. Meanwhile, Lake Highland Prep was in a similar position after being upset in its first match of the day by Notre Dame Prep AZ. After taking the first set, Lake Highland was up 19-14 in the second set before the Saints rallied for the three-set victory, 22-25, 25-22, 15-10. After that one, it was Oak Ridge CA upsetting Queen Creek AZ in straight sets to create plenty of havoc in the pool. It eventually led to Lake Highland and Queen Creek squaring off to join Notre Dame Prep in advancing. Queen Creek swept, 25-21, 27-25, and wound up winning the pool based on its head-to-head victory over Notre Dame Prep, 25-17, 23-25, 15-12. Cornerstone Christian – which finished first at the Nike TOC Southeast tournament and is the defending champion here – overcame a close call after being upset by the No. 4 team in the pool in Horizon AZ, 29-27, 25-20. However, the Warriors were still able to hang onto first place after sweeping Sunnyslope AZ, 25-23, 25-20, to close out the pool. That’s because the Warriors finished in a two-way tie with Sacred Heart Prep CA at 2-1 but swept their meeting, 25-18, 25-12. As far as Pool 8 went, it came down to a clash between eighth-seeded Marymount CA and No. 9 Liberty AZ. Liberty finished first in the pool after a nail-biting victory, 25-20, 18-25, 15-13, but both teams advanced to the top 16. Here’s how the top 16 stacks up Saturday:   DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Kamille Scott SO RS Casteel AZ: Scott is a bit undersized but the lefty can get up. She also has a quick arm those two things combined made her a big part of the attack as the Colts went 2-1 and moved on. DyBorrah Johnson JR MB Casteel AZ: Johnson is another high-flyer the Colts lean on to produce. She gets off the ground in a hurry and the way she elevates is a problem for opponents as she can swing straight down. Mia Radeff SR OH Sacred Heart Prep CA: Radeff is part of the reason the Gators went 2-1 as the No. 3 team. She’s an aggressive attacker who can really bring it at times. Isabelle Marco SR S/OH Sacred Heart Prep CA: Marco – a 3-star Utah commit – is a gamer. She both sets and hits for the Gators. She’s a smooth disher who locates well. She’s also a heady attacker who provides her share of offense. Kendall Omoruyi FR MB Sunnyslope AZ: Omoruyi – a 5-star recruit – is a presence in the middle, even as a freshman. Her length and size are problematic on both sides of the ball and she can disrupt attackers with her blocking and in return send balls down over the block. Georgi Stein JR OH Sunnyslope AZ: Stein is a pivotal part of the attack. The 3-star Northern Arizona commit shoulders a load on offense. She’s a reliable scorer who can move the ball from sideline to sideline. Megan Fitch JR OH Cornerstone Christian TX: Fitch – a 5-star Texas AM commit – is among the top outsides in the field. She’s physical and the go-to on the left. Teraya Sigler JR OH Horizon AZ: Sigler – a 5-star Nebraska commit – was sensational in Horizon’s upset over Cornerstone Christian. She’s a big swinging, hard-hitting outside who can power balls past, through or off the block whether front or back row. Vivian Hickman SO OH Xavier Prep AZ: A 3-star recruit, Hickman was adjusting to a different role because Xavier was playing short-handed due to an injury. She normally sets and hits but was just doing the latter on Day 1. She keyed the offense as a six-rotation outside and helped the Gators go 3-0. Kaelyn

With the Durango Fall Classic results in, we were assured of a rankings shake up this week. The only question was how much? We now have our answer and with it a new national No. 1 in Mater Dei CA, which topped previous No. 1 Mira Costa CA in the championship match Saturday in Las Vegas. You can read all about how it played out on Day 2 at Durango here. There were other ramifications as well, with Cathedral Catholic CA topping Prestonwood Christian TX and climbing up to No. 4. With Sierra Canyon CA and Prestonwood both defeating previous one-loss Cornerstone Christian TX, the Warriors dropped from No. 2 to No. 6. With it, Sierra Canyon jumped from No. 23 to No. 9. Besides the shake up, another storyline from the Top 50 is the number of schools still undefeated on the season. The list includes Hamilton Southeastern IN, Divine Savior Holy Angels WI, Blue Valley North KS, Wayzata MN, Seton OH, Angola IN, Skyridge UT, Lake Catholic OH, Valor Christian CO and Lewis Palmer CO. All are in this week’s Top 50. You can view the complete rankings below. vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL HS RANKINGS 1. Mater Dei CA (6 – previous ranking) 2. Mira Costa CA (1) 3. Papillion-La Vista South NE (3) 4. Cathedral Catholic CA (9) 5. Prestonwood Christian TX (7) 6. Cornerstone Christian TX (2) 7. Grand Oaks TX (8) 8. Assumption KY (5) 9. Sierra Canyon CA (23) 10. Hamilton Southeastern IN (11) *** 11. Divine Savior Holy Angels WI (12) 12. Notre Dame Academy KY (10) 13. Blue Valley North KS (13) 14. Wayzata MN (14) 15. Seton OH (15) 16. Angola IN (19) 17. Boyd TX (n/r) 18. Benet Academy IL (26) 19. Xavier Prep AZ (25) 20. Archbishop Mitty CA (4) *** 21. St. Francis/Mountain View CA (22) 22. Marist IL (30) 23. Skyridge UT (31) 24. Dripping Springs TX (18) 25. Carrollwood Day FL (17) 26. Mother McAuley IL (21) 27. Branson CA (n/r) 28. Maize South KS (n/r) 29. Oconomowoc WI (24) 30. Viera FL (27) *** 31. Bellmont IN (29) 32. Punahou HI (42) 33. Calvary Christian FL (32) 34. Lake Catholic OH (33) 35. Winter Park FL (35) 36. O’Connor AZ (37) 37. Huntington Beach CA (43) 38. Lone Peak UT (40) 39. Berkeley Prep FL (41) 40. Bishop Alemany CA (n/r) *** 41. Mercy McAuley OH (n/r) 42. Torrey Pines CA (16) 43. Valor Christian CO (44) 44. Sacred Heart Academy KY (28) 45. St. James Academy KS (38) 46. St. Thomas Aquinas KS (20) 47. Lafayette MO (36) 48. Los Alamitos CA (47) 49. Northville MI (n/r) 50. Lewis Palmer CO (n/r) ON THE CUSPBingham UTRedondo Union CACorona del Sol AZMillennium AZPace Academy GAMarymount CABishop Gorman NVKamehameha HINotre Dame Prep AZDorman SCNorth Myrtle Beach SCNixa MOPope GAAlpharetta GABob Jones ALHudsonville MIByron Nelson TXSt. Ursula Academy OHMount Notre Dame OHLiberty North MOCorner Canyon UTPleasant Grove UTFlint Hill VAPlant FLHagerty FLVenice FLWestminster Christian FLColleyville Heritage TXCypress Ranch TXHarlan TXRoncalli INYorktown INWashburn Rural KSProsper TXGlenbard West ILBrighton ILQueen Creek AZJenks OKMount St. Mary OKMiddle Creek NCLake Highland Prep FL

It was an unbelievable two days in the desert, with the Durango Fall Classic taking center stage of the high school volleyball scene in Las Vegas. It ended with Mater Dei CA winning the tournament title for the first time since 2001 and avenging a previous loss to Mira Costa CA in the championship match. While we highlighted the standouts from Day 2 with our Show Stoppers, we conclude our coverage by naming the players selected to our All Red Hat Team. This is different from the All-Tournament awarded by tournament officials. It features our favorite players from the championship qualifying rounds, as well as the gold and silver brackets. ALL RED HAT TEAM OUTSIDESIsabel Clark SR Mater Dei CAAudrey Flanagan SO Mira Costa CASimone Roslon SO Mira Coast CADanica Rach SR Sierra Canyon CAChloe Smith SR Assumption KYHalie McGinest SR Sierra Canyon CACharlotte Moriarty SR Assumption KYTessa Larkin FR Xavier Prep AZCari Spears JR Prestonwood Christian TXMikala Young SR Prestonwood Christian TXAva Burgess FR Lone Peak UTMegan Fitch JR Cornerstone Christian TXAddison Williams SO Huntington Beach CAElena Fisher JR Branson CASadie Snipes JR Branson CATaylor Williams SR St. Francis/Mountain View CAMakenna Crosson SO Archbishop Mitty CALayli Ostovar SO Mater Dei CAFinley Krystkowiak SO Torrey Pines CA MIDDLESRachel Moglia SR Mira Costa CABryn Shankle SR Mira Costa CAMadeline Way SR Sierra Canyon CABailey Blair JR Assumption KYJenna Hanes SR Cathedral Catholic CAZoey Burgess SR Lone Peak UTHavyn Rolle SR Bishop Alemany CAElla Zimmerman SR Redondo Union CAEmma Kingston FR Mater Dei CANyla Livings FR Prestonwood Christian TX RIGHT SIDESNora Williams SR Mira CostaTiana Owens SR Cathedral Catholic CAJadyn Livings SR Prestonwood Christian TXGrace Carroll SR Cornerstone Christian TXAlanah Clemente JR Bishop Alemany CACymarah Gordon SR Mater Dei CAKiara Edwards SR Torrey Pines CATaylor Clarke JR Prestonwood Christian TX SETTERSCharlie Fuerbringer SR Mira Costa CASade Ilawole SR S Sierra Canyon CAVivian Hickman SO Xavier Prep AZSam Pope JR Lone Peak UTAbby Zimmerman SO Redondo Union CAKaia Thiele JR Cornerstone Christian TXLogan Tusher SR Branson CAHannah Maguire SR St. Francis/Mountain View CAMaya Baker JR Archbishop Mitty CAJulia Kakkis SR Mater Dei CAAmanda Saeger SR Cathedral Catholic CAKale’a Lee FR Cathedral Catholic CACamille Edwards SR Prestonwood Christian TXTaylor Cook JR Prestonwood Christian TX LIBEROSTaylor Deckert JR Mira Costa CALauren Lynch JR Sierra Canyon CAKristen Simon JR Assumption KYMaya Evens JR Cathedral Catholic CAGillian Pitts JR Prestonwood Christian TXOlivia Foye JR Huntington Beach CALauren Dignan JR Branson CAWhitney Wallace SR St. Francis/Mountain View CAMalyssa Cawa SR Mater Dei CA

The Durango Fall Classic never disappoints and 2023 was definitely not going to be an exception. With Mater Dei CA topping Mira Costa CA for the championship combined with other results, it will no doubt shake up the national rankings. Beyond that, the individual play was mind-blowing, as the field featured top players from around the country showcasing their skills. Below, we highlight the standouts with our Day 2 Show Stoppers. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Charlie Fuerbringer SR S Mira Costa CA: A 5-star Wisconsin commit, Fuerbringer is a dynamic player who brings so much to the lineup. She’s a high IQ setter with accurate location and the ability to turn off balls into hittable sets. She typically runs a 5-1 but with her hitting ability Costa can switch to a 6-2 at times for more offense. Taylor Deckert JR L Mira Costa CA: With Fuerbringer setting and Deckert taking the first ball, you can argue no team in the country has a better 1-2 touch than Costa. The 5-star USC commit is silky smooth and plays with tons of composure. Audrey Flanagan SO Mira Costa CA: Flanagan is yet another 5-star recruit in the Mustangs lineup. She’s a handful to try and slow down on the attack. She’s a lanky outside with a whip for an arm and the way she can extend and let loose makes her a difficult cover. Rachel Moglia SR MB Mira Costa CA: Moglia is a bit undersized in the middle but she knows how to score. She does well finding gaps and open spaces on the floor and she’s fearless on top of that. Nora Williams SR RS Mira Costa: Williams brings her strong blocking and solid arm to the front row. She comes up with timely kills and blocks to help contribute. Danica Rach SR OH Sierra Canyon CA: Rach – a 3-star Boston College commit – helps make up a solid 1-2 attack on the outside. She has a lively arm and is a threat front and back row, so teams always need to be aware of her. Halie McGinest SR OH Sierra Canyon CA: A 3-star recruit, McGinest is the other half of the outside duo the Trailblazers rely on. She has a strong arm and she too can swing from both the front and back row, so they pair puts a lot of pressure on defenses. Lauren Lynch JR L Sierra Canyon CA: Lynch – a 4-star San Diego commit – was another libero who was playing great and standing out on defense. She too plays under control and is a sharp passer and defender, as she doesn’t ever blink or get rattled. Madeline Way SR MB Sierra Canyon CA: Way – a 3-star Hawaii commit – was great in the middle. She was an offensive weapon who defenses needed to matchup with. She has a strong arm and can unload on balls on the regular. Kristen Simon JR L Assumption KY: Simon – a 5-star Wisconsin commit – was part of an outstanding libero group competing on Day 2 at Durango. She has great command of the back row and it’s difficult to get a ball down on her or past her. *** Chloe Smith SR OH Assumption KY: Smith – a 3-star Wofford commit – is part of a versatile offense that can attack from all over. She’s another who is able to extend and hit from high angles and she delivers with plenty of pace. Bailey Blair JR MB Assumption KY: A 3-star recruit, Blair brings power to the attack. She can crush balls out of the middle. She also runs an effective slide and can boom balls out there as well. Charlotte Moriarty SR OH Assumption KY: Moriarty – a 3-star Xavier commit – hits hard and passes well out of serve receive. She’s one of the glue pieces in the lineup as she brings leadership and stability. Tessa Larkin FR OH Xavier Prep AZ: Larkin – a 4-star recruit – was among a few freshmen standouts who were doing their thing. She’s a wirey hitter with a loose arm who can let it fly from corner to corner. Vivian Hickman SO S/OH Xavier Prep AZ: A 3-star recruit, Hickman is valuable because of her versatility. She’s a smooth disher who is capable of running a 5-1 but her arm is needed in the attack so hits too. Maya Evens JR L Cathedral Catholic CA: Evens – a 4-star Maryland commit – is rarely off her game and has the ability to take it to a different level as she did Saturday. She was lights-out and making amazing digs all over the court. Jenna Hanes SR MB Cathedral Catholic CA: Hanes is a featured part of the attack and changes the look of the offense when she’s front row. The 4-star Michigan commit is a scoring machine who can torch defenses even when everyone knows she’s getting the ball. Tiana Owens SR RS Cathedral Catholic CA: Owens’ ability to score on the right side is huge. She helps balance out the attack and provides valuable offense. Cari Spears JR OH Prestonwood Christian TX: A 5-star recruit, you won’t find anyone who hits harder than Spears. She has a heavy arm and can blast balls from sideline to sideline whether she’s front or back row. Jadyn Livings SR RS Prestonwood Christian TX: Livings – a 5-star USC commit – can deliver on both sides of the ball. She puts up a strong block and can fire up her team with big stuffs. She also has a powerful arm and can rip winners. *** Gillian Pitts JR L Prestonwood Christian TX: A 5-star Houston commit, Pitts is an athletic libero who moves well and passes dimes. She brings a ton of energy to the defensive side as well. Sam Pope JR S/RS Lone Peak UT: Pope is part of the reason Lone Peak put up a 10th-place finish in such a competitive field. Her ability to

It was a throwback-to-the-past championship clash Saturday as the Durango Fall Classic neared its ending in Las Vegas and the drama was thick. Top-seeded and vballrecruiter.com’s top team in the country in Mira Costa CA lineup up across third-seeded and No. 6 Mater Dei CA. Not only had both schools captured national tournament titles already this season – with Mira Costa wining the Ann Kang Invitational in Hawaii and Mater Dei capturing the Volleypalooza crown in Texas – they had already met once before with Mira Costa sweeping the showdown between the top two teams in the country at the time. In the background of their latest meeting was the Durango success both schools once enjoyed in their storied histories. Mira Costa, which didn’t attend the event last year, owned the Durango mantle three times in a four-year span. The Mustangs last finished on top in 2007 to go with titles in 2006 and 2004. Mater Dei’s Durango drought was even longer, as the Monarchs went more than 20 years without finishing in the position they did Saturday. Mater Dei last raised the Durango trophy in 2001, to go with victories in 1997 and 1995. Both the sport and the Durango Fall Classic have changed plenty in that time, including the once 16-team field expanding to 48 and once again to its current number of 64. Getting back on top of the most prestigious high school tournament is satisfying in itself. Then add on to it the way Mater Dei clawed through the competition before finishing with a redemption victory over Mira Costa, 18-25, 25-20, 25-21, as the Mustangs were only one of two teams to defeat Mater Dei so far this season. The other – Cathedral Catholic CA – tied for third with Sierra Canyon CA. Cathedral Catholic and Mater Dei have split a pair of matches to date, with Mater Dei defeating Cathedral Catholic in the semifinals at Volleypalooza and Cathedral returning the favor by downing Mater Dei in the final of the Dave Mohs tournament earlier this month. Given Mater Dei has captured two major tournament titles and carries victories over both teams which have also beat Mater Dei, the Monarchs are the favorite to take over the top spot in the country in our updated Top 50 National HS Rankings released this week. On top of that, Mira Costa’s only previous loss came to Punahou HI in the Mustangs’ first match of the season. Mira Costa responded by going on to win the Ann Kang tournament, which was significant given the Mustangs were playing without 5-star Wisconsin commit Charlie Fuerbringer. That means Mater Dei is the first school to beat Mira Costa with Fuerbringer playing. The latest meeting started off much like the first time Mater Dei and Mira Costa faced off. Mater Dei was coming off its Volleypalooza championship and two days later visited the Mustangs, which were ranked No. 1 at the time ahead of then-undefeated Mater Dei, which was sitting at No. 2. The highly-anticipated showdown didn’t materialize into anything special, except for the fact how much Mira Costa dominated the meeting in sweeping, 25-21, 25-21, 25-19. That match featured Mira Costa going on big runs in each set to secure the victory, including overcoming a 17-9 deficit in the final frame. And that’s exactly how the opening set played out Saturday in the championship match. Mater Dei pushed ahead to a 12-8 advantage only to watch Mira Costa catch fire and close the set on a 17-7 run. Yet, Mater Dei, like they had most of the day Saturday, recovered and found its way to victory. Other than sweeping Xavier Prep AZ – and handing the Gators their first loss of the season – in the qualifying round, Mater Dei had to overcome a first-set loss in its next three outings. It included coming back on national No. 5 Assumption KY, 22-25, 25-23, 25-20, in the quarterfinals and national No. 23 Sierra Canyon, 20-25, 25-22, 25-11, in the semifinals. Mira Costa, meanwhile, had its own struggles early Saturday and needed three sets before getting past unranked Bishop Alemany CA, 25-6, 27-29, 25-17, in qualifying play to kick of Day 2 action. Mira Costa settled, having no issues in sweeping Huntington Beach CA, 25-17, 25-20, in the quarters and Cathedral Catholic, 25-17, 25-19, in the semis to reach the final. There was recent history between Mira Costa and Cathedral Catholic, which was last year’s undefeated national champion and lost its only set all season to Mira Costa in the semifinals of the state playoffs. As for Mater Dei and Mira Costa splitting two meetings so far, it’s likely not all has been written between them this season. The two programs could potentially meet twice more, with plenty more at stake. The first could come in the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs, as both should be the top-two seeds. After that, another meeting could be on the horizon in the CIF Open Division state playoffs. There’s also a high probability that either Mater Dei or Mira Costa, or both, could run into Cathedral Catholic once more in the state playoffs. Cathedral Catholic – despite losing eight contributing seniors including Stanford’s Julia Blyashov and Oregon’s Noemie Glover – is proving itself as one of the top teams in the country in 2023. The Dons have three losses – to Grand Oaks TX, Mater Dei and Mira Costa. On Saturday, they scored a huge victory over Prestonwood Christian TX in the quarterfinals, sweeping, 26-24, 25-18. Prestonwood is the only school to beat Grand Oaks so far, the team Cathedral lost to in the third-place match at Volleypalooza. Cathedral Catholic and Prestonwood are set to meet once more, however, as part of the ESPN Volleyball Showcase next month. The event is set for Oct. 6 at Prestonwood. Cornerstone Christian TX and St. James Academy KS are playing the match before, with Prestonwood and Cathedral following and to be aired live on ESPNEWS. Cornerstone was in

There were two minor upsets that prevented all of the Top 16 seeds from advancing to the championship qualifying rounds Saturday morning at Durango High. Nevertheless, this year’s edition of the Durango Fall Classic has everyone dripping with anticipation to how it is all going to play out. On paper, the biggest upset was No. 20 seed Lone Peak UT downing Marymount CA – the No. 13 seed – in three sets, 25-23, 23-25, 25-11. Lone Peak arrived to Las Vegas early to play Coronado NV on Thursday ahead of the tournament and ended up dropping that one in five sets. That didn’t necessarily bode well for the Knights when it came to this weekend’s competition, but they showed they were ready when it counted. While it was the biggest upset on paper, it wasn’t really a major shocker based on vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 National HS Rankings. Marymount started the week ranked No. 39, with Lone Peak right behind at No. 40. It just so happened the two got paired in the same pool Friday to open the two-day event. The other result to go against seeding was Bishop Alemany CA knocking off Kamehameha/Kapalama HI in straight sets. Kamehameha was seeded No. 16. Alemany was placed at No. 17 to start, so that was as small as an upset that could’ve taken place based on the seedings for Day 1. However, Kamehameha was No. 45 in our Top 50, with Alemany coming into the week unranked. Other than Marymount and Kamehameha, the other 14 teams which were No. 1 in their respective pools all advanced. Not all breezed through however. Mater Dei CA – the No. 3 overall seed and No. 6 in our Top 50 – went three sets with Palo Verde NV in the 1 v 4 match to close out that pool. With Palo Verde surprising and winning its first two contests, the winner of that one was set to advance to the top 16. It was the same scenario for St. Francis/Mountain View CA. The Lancers went three with South/Torrance CA in a must-win 1 v 4 showdown in order to make the top 16. Assumption, the No. 6 overall seed and ranked No. 5 in our Top 50, opened the day with a three-set victory over The Hockaday School TX. Archbishop Mitty CA – the No. 7 seed and ranked No. 4 in our Top 50 – did the same. The Monarchs needed three in their opener before fending off Mercy KY and eventually advancing. Of course we will have plenty more once Day 2 action is complete. But looking ahead, here is how the top 16 measures up to start Saturday’s competition: *** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Alauna Hooiman JR OH Silverado NV – Hooiman was providing an offensive lift and showed great range in her attacking. She also puts up a solid block on the defensive side. Megan Fitch JR OH Cornerstone Christian TX – A 5-star Texas AM commit, Fitch has showed up big all season long and was once more an offensive menace with her dynamic attacking. She’s relentless and just keeps coming at the defense. Maria Avendano SR L Cornerstone Christian TX – Avendano was solid out of serve receive. She was also doing a great job keeping rallies alive. Grace Carroll SR RS Cornerstone Christian TX – Carroll carries a big, powerful arm and when she has it going finishes points as well as anyone in the field. The 4-star Baylor commit showed her terminal attacking in a big way on Day 1. Avery Jackson SR OH Hockaday TX – A 5-star recruit who committed to Stanford beach, Jackson is a springy hitter with a lively arm. As a six-rotation outside, she’s not only a key offensive weapon but a steadying presence as well. Olivia Wayne JR OH Hockaday TX – Wayne – a 3-star Duke commit – plays in the middle or on the right side in club but has moved to the left side for high school. She has a strong arm and makes herself felt at the net on both sides of the ball. Ai-vy Ho SO S Hockaday TX – Ho did well guiding the attack. She dished with consistent location and does a nice job connecting with all her hitters. Vivian Hickman SO S Xavier Prep AZ – Hickman – a 3-star recruit – is so smooth setting and running the offense. She gets all her hitters involved and plays strong defense as well. Elle McCreery JR MB Xavier Prep AZ – McCreery showed up well in the middle for the Gators. She was a scoring presence and was putting away balls on the regular when called upon. Tessa Larkin FR OH Xavier Prep AZ – A 4-star recruit, Larkin has made a big impact so far this season as a rookie and showed how much trouble she’s going to be for the next four seasons. She’s a smart, physical attacker who torments defenses with her various shots. *** Finley Krystkowiak SO OH Torrey Pines CA – Krystkowiak – a 5-star recruit – is the featured part of the attack. She’s long and extends very well. She has a strong arm too and can power balls down at tough angles to defend. Kiara Edwards SR RS Torrey Pines CA – Edwards was among the top right sides we saw. She plays all the way around and has to be tracked when she’s across the front row. The Falcons like to get her the ball because she can deliver. Taly Cloyd SR RS Faith Lutheran NV – Cloyd put down a few big-time kills. Watch out when she connects, because she’s very capable of sending the ball down in impressive fashion. Bianca Richardson SR OH Faith Lutheran NV – Richardson was part of solid pin play by Faith Lutheran. She’s a six-rotation outside who brings consistency to the lineup. Ella Swinn SR OH Faith Lutheran NV – Swinn is another six-rotation outside who is