Premium Content

With matches starting late Friday evening and ending late Saturday afternoon, all the action at the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament takes place in under 24 hours. vballrecruiter.com was on hand covering both days of the short but intense action-packed tourney. The two-day event ended with Assumption KY downing previously-undefeated Notre Dame Academy KY in three sets, 25-14, 21-25, 25-16, in the championship to bring home the title. We also released our Day 2 Show Stoppers. Below, you can find The All Red Hat Team from the LIVT. It’s our version of an All-Tournament team, featuring our favorite players selected from schools which reached either the gold or silver brackets. THE ALL RED HAT TEAM OUTSIDESCharlotte Moriarty SR Assumption KYEmma Barnett JR Assumption KYAva Tilden JR Notre Dame Academy KYGrace Portwood SO Notre Dame Academy KYAnna Powell JR Sacred Heart Academy KYBridget Egan JR Sacred Heart Academy KYEllie White SR Mother McAuley ILSydney Buchanan JR Mother McAuley ILAddy Brus SR St. Ursula Academy OHClaire Morrissey SR OH St. Joseph Academy MOZoe Baliva JR OH St. Joseph Academy MOTaylor Bedinghaus SR Clearwater Central Catholic FLIsabella Pereira JR Clearwater Central Catholic FLLauren Hurst JR Cleveland TNKiernan Stamey SR Maryville TNLucy Trapp JR Ryle KYCara Richter SO Mount Notre Dame OHAlivia Skidmore SR St. Henry KY MIDDLE BLOCKERSBailey Blair JR Assumption KYAudrey Dyas SO Notre Dame Academy KYElise Hart JR MB Sacred Heart Academy KYEllery Rees SR Mother McAuley ILNia Jones JR St. Ursula Academy OHKatie Noschang SR Mount Notre Dame OHSydney Geselbracht SO Mount Notre Dame OH RIGHT SIDESChloe Smith SR Assumption KYRiley McCloskey JR Notre Dame Academy KYGabby Semona SO St. Ursula Academy OHDelany Gash SR Dunbar KYEmily Helmers SO St. Henry KYMalia Brinkman JR Mount Notre Dame OH SETTER/RIGHT SIDESKaeley Walz SR Sacred Heart Academy KYAnnabelle Groomes JR St. Joseph OH SETTERSEmilee Fuller JR Assumption KYPeyton Heatherly FR Mother McAuley ILEmsley Venard JR St. Ursula Academy OHJosephine Hensley JR Clearwater Central Catholic FLMacy Lentz SR St. Henry KYKinslee McGowan SR Cleveland TNIsabela Haggard JR Dunbar KYMorgan Heater SO Ryle KYKendall Hubbard FR Mount Notre Dame OH LIBEROSKristen Simon JR Assumption KYJulia Grace JR Notre Dame Academy KYJulia Frederick SR Sacred Heart Academy KYSamantha Falk SR Mother McAuley ILEmma Frietch SO St. Ursula Academy OHElizabeth Tabeling SR St. Henry KYKenzie Cogan SR Mount Notre Dame OH

Below, we present Part 2 of our Day 2 Show Stoppers from the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament. You can find Part 1 here. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Kristen Simon JR L Assumption KY: Simon – a 5-star Wisconsin commit – led a strong group of defenders who were doing their thing. She’s a vocal leader with a commanding backrow presence. She reads and reacts well and is a on-point passer. Charlotte Moriarty SR OH Assumption KY: A 3-star Xavier commit, Moriarty played well throughout the day but was especially on fire during her semifinal. She has a strong arm and was scoring equally well from both pins as she was tooling blocks left and right. Bailey Blair JR MB Assumption KY: Blair – a 3-star recruit – has a big, strong arm and can pound balls at times. She’s effective on 1s or getting out and running the slide and helps balance out the attack because of it. Emilee Fuller JR S Assumption KY: A 3-star setter, Fuller is a steadying presence at the position. She doesn’t get too high or low and does a nice job of putting her hitters in winnable match ups. Chloe Smith SR RS Assumption KY: Smith – a 3-star Wofford commit – is a lanky outside who can play on either pin and score equally well. She extends well and has a nice swing. She was tough for opponents to contain as she’s an aggressive hitter who doesn’t let up. Emma Barnett JR OH Assumption KY: Barnett is another hitter who can bring it whether playing on the left or right. She’s a physical hitter with a really strong arm who isn’t afraid to challenge bigger blockers. Ava Tilden JR OH Notre Dame Academy KY: A 4-star Xavier commit, Tilden is a long outside who can really extend and let loose. She’s a key part of the attack and carries her fair share of offensive duties. Gracie Portwood SO OH Notre Dame Academy KY: Portwood – a 3-star recruit – is a six-rotation contributor. She’s a consistent passer out of serve receive. When attacking, she’s a smart, aggressive hitter who knows when to challenge the block or go off speed to catch the defense off guard. Julia Grace JR L Notre Dame Academy KY: Another Xavier commit, Grace is a 3-star libero who did a great job patrolling the back court and making key digs. Audrey Dyas SO MB Notre Dame Academy KY: A 4-star recruit, Dyas makes plays on both sides of the ball. She puts up a strong block to give hitters something to think about, as well as being able to deliver when called upon. *** Riley McCloskey JR RS Notre Dame Academy KY: McCloseky – a 4-star recruit – has a strong arm and can bring it on the right side. She takes aggressive swings consistently and helps spread out the attack. Elise Hart JR MB Sacred Heart Academy KY: Hart – a 3-star Denver commit – is a scoring machine. She’s tough to cover with her ability to not only move her shots around but mix them up, including running a slide attack. Anna Powell JR OH Sacred Heart Academy KY: A 3-star Georgia Southern commit, Powell has a whippy arm and can let it fly. She too provides a lot of offense and does well staying aggressive and keeping pressure on defenders. Bridget Egan JR OH Sacred Heart Academy KY: Egan – a 3-star recruit – fills her role very well on the outside. She’s another smart hitter who does well providing a scoring lift when she checks in across the front row. Kaeley Walz SR S/RS Sacred Heart Academy KY: Walz – a Kennesaw State commit – played an instrumental role in Sacred Heart’s success. She’s a strong leader who doesn’t come off the court as a setter and hitter. She does a great job dishing and distributing to her various hitters. Julia Frederick SR L Sacred Heart Academy KY: The defense being played on Day 2 was high, with Frederick contributing to the mix. She showed up well in serve receive as well as defending shots coming her way. Samantha Falk SR L Mother McAuley IL: A 3-star Loyola-Chicago commit, Falk was holding it down in the back row. She faced a slew of big hitters and was hanging in and getting balls up. Ellie White SR OH Mother McAuley IL: White – a 4-star Michigan commit – is the key cog in the lineup for the Macs. She’s the go-to hitter and is always a threat whether front or back row. She has a lively arm and can blast balls from sideline to sideline. Sydney Buchanan JR OH Mother McAuley IL: Buchanan – a 3-star recruit – can get up and deliver on the outside. She keeps the offense going on the left when she checks in and helps provide a strong 1-2 punch for the Macs. Ellery Rees SR MB Mother McAuley IL: A 3-star Alabama commit, Rees brings size and length to the front row. It makes her impactful on both sides of the ball as she was giving her side a big block as well as a legit offensive threat. *** Peyton Heatherly FR S Mother McAuley IL: Heatherly – a 3-star recruit – doesn’t play like a rookie. The freshman set and hit in club but has been asked to run a 5-1 for the Macs. She did well running a variety of plays and mixing up her sets. Emma Frietch SO L/DS St. Ursula Academy OH: Frietch – a 3-star recruit – was playing both libero and DS in her role. She’s a quick defender who moves well and does a great job getting balls up. Addy Brus SR OH St. Ursula Academy OH: Brus – a 3-star Saint Louis commit – is a bit undersized but more than makes up for it with the way she explodes off the floor and unloads on the attack. Emsley Venard JR

After an opening day setting up Saturday’s bracket play, the top teams finally faced off against each other as the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament came to a close. It was Assumption KY handing Notre Dame Academy KY its first loss of the season as the Rockets prevailed in three, 25-14, 21-25, 25-16, in the championship match. Below, we highlight the standout players we witnessed from both the gold and silver brackets. DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Nia Jones JR MB St. Ursula Academy OH: Jones is a real threat out of the middle and changes the dynamic of the attack when she’s in the front row. She’s a strong hitter and a reliable scorer. Gabby Semona SO RS St. Ursula Academy OH: Semona – 3-star recruit – provides a real presence on the right side. She puts up a solid block and is also a reliable scorer who does well finding the open spaces in the defense. Claire Morrissey SR OH St. Joseph Academy MO: A 3-star Missouri commit, Morrissey packs a punch on the outside. She carries a big arm and can boom balls down with the best of them in the tournament. Zoe Baliva JR OH St. Joseph Academy MO: Baliva – a 3-star Florida State beach commit – fills out a strong 1-2 punch on the left for St. Joseph. She has nice extension and can send balls with a bang when the opportunity presents itself. Isabella Pereira JR OH Clearwater Central Catholic FL: A 3-star recruit, Pereira is a six-rotation outside who is a solid passer and heady attacker. She’s a bit undersized but has a good arm and hits with pace. Taylor Bedinghaus SR OH Clearwater Central Catholic FL: Bedinghaus – a 3-star recruit – is a six-rotation mainstay who brings stability to the lineup. She’s solid out of serve receive and is a smart hitter who can score swinging or going off speed. *** Josephine Hensley JR S Clearwater Central Catholic FL: Hensley runs a 5-1 and sets with consistent location. She has a clean release too. Elizabeth Tabeling SR L St. Henry KY: Tabeling – a 4-star Ball State commit – can make difficult plays look effortless. She’s quick and reacts well, which leads to her getting balls up others would struggle with. Macy Lentz SR S St. Henry KY: Lentz – a 3-star recruit – did well dishing and running the attack. She puts up a hittable ball and is consistent with her location. Alivia Skidmore SR OH St. Henry KY: A 3-star Western Kentucky commit, Skidmore is the go-to hitter who provides electrifying kills at times. She gets off the ground well and has a fluid swing to bounce balls with. Simone Searles SO RS Walton GA: Searles had to fill a role on the right side due to a starter being out this weekend. She flies under the radar some but she has a strong arm and can even run the slide effectively. Annabelle Groomes JR S/RS St. Joseph OH: Groomes – a 5-star San Diego commit – was showcasing her versatility with her setting and hitting. It’s hard to say which she excels at more. She has great hands and dishes well. She also has a powerful arm and can crush balls on the right side. Kinslee McGowan SR S Cleveland TN: A 3-star North Alabama commit, McGowan was among the standout setters who was running a 5-1. She has nice hands and can move the ball around well to get all her hitters involved. Lauren Hurst JR OH Cleveland TN: Hurst – a 4-star recruit – is an athletic outside with a good arm. She can get up and hammer balls in leading the attack. Kiernan Stamey SR OH Maryville TN: Stamey – a 4-star Kennesaw State commit – is a lanky outside with the ability to unleash when the chance present itself. She can extend nicely and hit at a high point, sending balls down with it. Isabela Haggard JR S Dunbar KY: Haggard – a 3-star Indiana commit – can set and hit as she does in club but runs a 5-1 for her high school squad. She has a smooth release and isn’t off her mark too often. *** Delaney Gash SR OH Dunbar KY: A 3-star Akron commit, Gash is a physical attacker with a really strong arm. She’s also aggressive and has no problem challenging blockers and going off their hands. Morgan Heater SO S Ryle KY: Heater – a 3-star recruit – is an up-and-coming setter. She plays under control and has a clean, consistent release. Cara Richter SO OH Mount Notre Dame OH: A 3-star recruit, Richter is one of the main offensive weapons for her side. She has a solid arm and can hit with power or finesse. Kenzie Cogan SR L Mount Notre Dame OH: Cogan – a 3-star Illinois commit – brings a presence to the defensive side with her energy and hustle. She does a solid job of keeping balls in play and extending rallies for her side. Sydney Geselbracht SO MB Mount Notre Dame OH: A 4-star recruit, Geselbracht adds length and size to the front row. She does well scoring and finding gaps in the defense. She also moves well and gets her share of touches at the net. Kendall Hubbard FR S Mount Notre Dame OH: Hubbard – a 3-star recruit – was one of the standout freshmen in the field showcasing her skills. She sets and hits in club but directs a 5-1 and does a fine job. She has nice hands and is able to move the ball around too. Malia Brinkman JR RS Mount Notre Dame OH: A six-rotation right side, Brinkman passes out of serve receive at times. She also provides valuable offense too. Katie Noschang SR MB Mount Notre Dame OH: Noschang is a bit undersized in the middle but provides valuable offense. She can line up and hit on the left and can unload out of the middle

We’ll get to Assumption KY capturing the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament in a moment. First, let’s skip ahead to the Durango Fall Classic in two weeks in Las Vegas. And why are we talking about that given Assumption’s victory at the LIVT? It’s because Assumption finishing on top of the 24-team field in Louisville makes for a remarkable storyline and sets up a tournament-championship of sorts at Durango. Mira Costa CA – the Ann Kang Invitational champion; Mater Dei CA – the Volleypalooza champion; Cornerstone Christian TX – the Nike TOC champion; and Assumption – the LIVT champ – are all participating at Durango. Since we can’t help but always getting way ahead of ourselves, what type of potential ramifications are on the line when that 64-team event takes place? For starters, a possible national championship. Mira Costa is currently our top-ranked team in the nation. After fending off Torrey Pines CA in five sets this past Friday, the Mustangs will remain there in our next update this week. Should Mira Costa finish first at Durango – without losing in between – no doubt it’ll keep its stranglehold on the top spot. It gets a bit dicey after that. What would happen if Mater Dei were to win? Who knows, given the Monarchs have a loss to Mira Costa and then dropped their second match of the season with a loss to Cathedral Catholic CA in Saturday’s Dave Mohs final. Mater Dei did defeat Cathedral Catholic at Volleypalooza, where Mater Dei downed Prestonwood Christian TX in the final. Prestonwood Christian presents a monkey-wrench of sorts, given the Texas school is also set to play at Durango and is certainly talented enough to beat everyone there and take home the title. We don’t even want to think what that would do to the rankings given Prestonwood has three losses on its slate to date. As for Cornerstone Christian, the Warriors certainly could be playing to take over No. 1 at Durango. The Warriors’ only loss on the season remains falling to Mira Costa in the final of the Ann Kang Invitational – or else there would be no debate as to who is No. 1 right now. Should Cornerstone capture the Durango championship, the school would have a serious argument to jump to No. 1 in the country. Then there is Assumption. The Rockets have already lost once this season, to Sacred Heart Academy KY in five sets. A quick note on Sacred Heart, which came into the LIVT with three losses already but did defeat previously unbeaten Mother McAuley IL on Thursday ahead of the tournament. Mother McAuely – which lost to Assumption in Saturday’s semifinals – extracted a measure of revenge by beating Sacred Heart in Saturday’s third-place match. Sacred Heart going down to Notre Dame Academy KY in Saturday’s semifinals prevented a rematch between Assumption and Sacred Heart in the championship match. As it turned out, Assumption outlasted Notre Dame in the final, 25-14, 21-25, 25-16. So the Rockets currently sit with one loss. No doubt Assumption will climb back up in our latest Top-50 rankings, but what happens to the Rockets should they prove the team to beat at Durango? They too could have a case for becoming the top team in the country. The good news – or bad depending on the havoc it causes – is it’ll all play out soon enough in Vegas, which this year is proving the home of the champions. As for the LIVT, a bit of the thunder was taken out of the weekend with results taking place before Friday. As we noted in our Day 1 recap, there were three teams which started the week undefeated and that could have set up a thrilling LIVT. The tournament still produced like it always does, it’s just the storylines changed quickly. That’s because previously undefeated St. Ursula Academy OH fell to Seton OH on Tuesday for its first loss. As stated above, Mother McAuley lost to Sacred Heart on Thursday. That left Notre Dame as the only unbeaten team in the field. But obviously Notre Dame is no longer undefeated having fallen to Assumption in the championship. And like Assumption, now sit with one loss on its schedule. Assumption fought past St. Ursula, 23-25, 25-15, 25-16, in the quarterfinals. St. Ursula finished in fifth place after sweeping past Clearwater Central Catholic FL, 25-14, 25-18. Notre Dame had its hands full in both the quarters and semis. First, Notre Dame edged St. Henry KY, 25-21, 19-25, 25-19, before getting past Sacred Heart, 26-24, 19-25, 25-20.

More than anything, the opening day of the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament was one of what-ifs rather than any real upsets taking place. All top eight seeds advanced to Saturday’s quarterfinals, but it could have been a much different story had the two big what-ifs played out. Both top-seeded Mother McAuley IL and fourth-seeded Assumption KY dropped the opening sets of their final pool-play matches. It could have created huge waves on Day 1 but instead both rallied to win the final two sets and move on. It was St. Joseph OH pushing Mother McAuley to a decisive set, while Cleveland TN had Assumption temporarily on the ropes. Mother McAuley defeated Assumption in last year’s championship match, winning the LIVT title for the first time in school history. Mother McAuley was one of three schools participating in this weekend’s tournament which started the week undefeated. However, Mother McAuley, along with St. Ursula OH, both suffered their first losses prior to the start of the LIVT. Mother McAuley was edged in five sets by Sacred Heart Academy KY in a showdown Thursday. Meanwhile, St. Ursula was also upset by Seton OH in a five-set loss Tuesday. That left Notre Dame Academy KY as the only undefeated team in the field. The remaining top seeds, including Notre Dame, Sacred Heart and St. Ursula, didn’t drop a set Friday. The others to sweep both matches were No. 6 Clearwater Central FL, No. 7 St. Henry KY and No. 8 St. Joseph’s MO. Here’s how the quarterfinals stack up for Saturday:   *** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Isabela Haggard JR S Dunbar KY: A 3-star Indiana commit, Haggard is a smooth disher who was running a 5-1. She locates the ball well and has a clean, consistent release. Aleicea Watson SR MB Manual KY: Watson was a factor across the front row. She spiced up the attack with her scoring ability. She was effective running the slide and let loose on a few impressive kills. Ellie Melton SR L Manual KY: Melton is a hard-working defender who hustles around the court and did well keeping rallies alive. Julia Frederick SR L Sacred Heart KY: Frederick is part of a strong roster and held it down in her defensive role. She was passing soundly and helping keep her team in system. Anna Powell JR OH Sacred Heart KY: Powell – a 3-star Georgia Southern commit – was a reliable scorer. She has a solid arm and hits with plenty of pace. Elise Hart JR MB Sacred Heart KY: Hart – 3-star Denver commit – helped balance out the attack when she checked in. She runs a nice slide and has a fluid swing. Kaeley Walz SR S/RS Sacred Heart KY: Walz was a key component of Sacred Heart’s success. She set across the back and hit in the front. She did well moving the ball around and getting her hitters involved. Bridget Egan JR OH Sacred Heart KY: A 3-star recruit, Egan was yet another piece to the attack opponents had to worry about. She too has a lively arm and helps give Sacred Heart a solid 1-2 punch on the outside. Morgan Heater SO S Ryle KY: Heater — a 3-star recruit — showed up well in her role running a 5-1. She’s an under-control setter with nice hands and consistent location. Lucy Trapp JR OH Ryle KY: Trapp is a bit of undersized outside but she’s relentless on the attack. She’s an aggressive attacker who held it down on the leftside and did well dropping in off-speed shots. *** Addy Brus SR OH St. Ursula OH: Brus – a 3-star Saint Louis commit – can get off the ground quickly and unleash with a fury. She’s a smart hitter who can blast balls off the block and was the go-to outside. Nia Jones JR MB St. Ursula OH: Jones was a scoring machine out of the middle. She has a strong arm and was going off blocks or around them and gave her team a reliable option and threat who defenses had to be mindful of. Emsley Venard JR S St. Ursula OH: Venard – a 3-star West Virginia commit – has good command of the offense. She did well moving the ball around and getting all her hitters going. Gabby Semona SO RS St. Ursula OH: Semona – a 3-star recruit as well – held it down with authority on the right side. She’s a big presence on both sides of the ball. She puts up a strong block and can turn around and pound it down on offense. Julia Grace JR L Notre Dame KY: A 3-star Xavier commit, Grace was among the standout defenders. She was strong out of serve receive and brought a defensive edge to the lineup. Riley McCloskey JR RS Notre Dame KY: McCloskey – a 4-star recruit – made herself known on the right side. She has a solid arm and was providing an offense boost when called upon. Audrey Dyas SO MB Notre Dame KY: A 4-star recruit, Dyas was among the standout middles with the way she was scoring and getting touches on the ball defensively. Ava Tilden JR OH Notre Dame KY: Tilden – a 4-star Xavier commit – is lanky and showed nice extension when attacking. She was scoring consistently and sending balls down the floor. Josephine Henley JR S Clearwater Central FL: Henley has the ability to set and hit but was running a 5-1. She was effective in locating her sets and connecting with her hitters. Taylor Bedinghaus SR OH Clearwater Central FL: A 3-star recruit, Bedinghaus is a six-rotation, go-to outside. She’s a smart attacker who can score in a variety of ways. *** Kiernan Stamey SR OH Maryville TN: Stamey, a Kennesaw State commit, has the ability to connect when the opportunity presents itself. And watch out when she does because she can let it fly. Elizabeth Tabeling SR L St. Henry KY: Tabeling – a 4-star

The first month of the high school season is behind us. With the calendar turning to September we are in full swing with major states like Florida, Kansas and Arizona getting their schedules underway. We recently released our updated Top 50 National HS Rankings. Below, we check in on a handful of teams from the Top 50 who have impressed so far. GRAND OAKS TX – The Houston-area school has started the season 30-1, with its lone loss to Prestonwood Christian TX in the semifinals of the Volleypalooza tournament last month. The roster is loaded with future Division 1 talent, including a trio of 5-star recruits in senior middle Jaela Auguste (Florida), junior outside Samara Coleman (Pitt) and sophomore outside Halle Thompson. The lineup also features Caelyn Emmerling, a senior 3-star Texas State commit. Grand Oaks lost in the Area playoffs to Bridgeland TX a season ago, but is among the 6A favorites this fall. Grand Oaks is currently ranked No. 11. BELLMONT IN – The Braves have been an early-season surprise, posting a 14-1 mark as of this writing. The only setback came to Hamilton Southeastern IN, which remains undefeated. It has Bellmont currently sitting at No. 19 in our latest national rankings. Helping leading the way so far is sophomore outside MaryKate Scheumann and senior outside Delaney Lawson, a 3-star Utah State commit. The pair has combined for over 300 kills to date. Senior Jackie Sutter and sophomore middle Alyssa Gumbel have also made key contributions on offense. Senior setter Hailey Cole and senior libero Sami Christen have also played vital roles in the team’s success so far. The highest class in Indiana is 4A, but Bellmont plays in 3A, making the Braves a true state contender. O’CONNOR AZ – O’Connor shot up to No. 20 in our latest Top 50 rankings based on its 11-0 start. The Eagles improved to 12-0 with a key victory Tuesday evening over previously unbeaten Corona del Sol, winning in straight sets. Junior outside Devyn Wiest – a 4-star Utah commit – currently leads the team in kills. The team has plenty of options behind her. Senior Katie Lambeth, senior Iana Loera, freshman Kristen Sheehy, sophomore Leylah Duran, junior Addison France and senior Piper Rama have all made contributions to the attack. France also sets, along with senior Shannon Sheehy while senior Kinsley Singleton leads the team in digs. O’Connor plays in Arizona’s highest division — 6A. LAKE CATHOLIC OH – The Cougars have impressed so far, starting the year 7-0 and landing at No. 35 in our latest Top 50 rankings. The squad is especially strong at the setting position with senior Hannah Pattie — a 3-star Campbell commit — and libero with junior Julia Oster — a 3-star Colgate commit. Offensively, it’s been senior outside Katie Sowko, junior Natalya Bergant and junior middle Ava Budrys Rini powering the attack. Among the team’s best victories to date have been ones over St. Joseph Academy, Gilmour Academy and St. Ursula Academy. LONE PEAK UT – The Knights are a team to watch out for and have shown as much by starting the season 5-0. They cracked the Top 50 and are currently No. 36. Among the team’s standouts is 5-star Kansas commit Zoey Burgess. Backing her is 6-3 senior pin hitter Cami Christiansen, 3-star junior outside Mckynzee Beddes and 4-star freshman pin hitter Ava Burgess. Junior Sam Pope and sophomore Nevaeh Tien have directed the attack while senior Trinidy Tien has taken care of the libero duties. Lone Peak is attending the Durango Fall Classic later this month in Las Vegas. VALOR CHRISTIAN CO – The defending 5A champions went undefeated last season and have started where they left off. The Eagles have opened the year 9-0, led by junior setter and 3-star Georgia commit Chloe Elarton. She has a strong quartet of hitters to power the attack in senior outside Delaney Russell (Montana), 6-2 senior Grace Langer, 6-2 junior pin hitter Kenzey McGatlin (LSU beach) and 6-0 senior pin Farrah Eike (Navy). Bergen Waitman, a 5-10 sophomore, has been holding it down defensively at libero. SKYRIDGE UT – The Falcons cracked the Top 50, coming in at No. 49 with their 13-0 start. One reason for the hot start is 6-1 sophomore Kylie Buttars. She leads the team to date in kills. Also helping offensively has been 6-1 senior middle Cala Cooper and senior outside Neriah Perez. Directing the attack is 6-0 senior setter Myka Christensen while junior Mary Nahinu is suiting up at libero. Skyridge and Lone Peak are set to play twice during the regular season.

Since releasing our initial Top 50 National HS Rankings in early August, it’s been a whirlwind of action. Though some schools are just getting under way and have only played a few matches, many more have been going at it for weeks. The biggest story to start the season is whether or not we would see Prestonwood Christian TX pull off a repeat of sorts accomplished by Cathedral Catholic CA last season in going wire-to-wire and winning the mythical national championship after putting together an impressive undefeated season. It didn’t take long to get an answer to that question. Prestonwood lost for the first time in its fifth outing of the season – falling to Boyd TX. Prestonwood has since lost twice more, once to Mater Dei CA in the final of the Volleypalooza tournament and to Decatur TX after that. Prestonwood did hand Grand Oaks TX its only loss on the season so far in the semifinals of Volleypalooza. Prestonwood was scheduled to travel to the Nike TOC Southeast tournament this past weekend but wasn’t able to make the trip because of the hurricane. Instead, it was Cornerstone Christian TX walking away with the tournament title. Cornerstone’s only loss on the season came to Mira Costa CA in the final of the Ann Kang Invitational in Hawaii. Mira Costa lost its first match of the season and tournament in falling to Punahou HI before coming back to capture the title. It helped land Mira Costa at the top spot in our updated Top 50. Despite the loss, it’s hard to argue against the quality of victories Mira Costa has put together so far. Not only did the Mustangs top recent Nike TOC Southeast champion Cornerstone, but Mira Costa also swept Volleypalooza champion Mater Dei, plus has victories over Sierra Canyon CA and Marymount CA. With Mira Costa returning to the Durango Fall Classic this year, the Mustangs will have a chance to show they are indeed the best team in the country when the two-day event takes place in three weeks in Las Vegas. In other happenings, both Mother McAuley IL and Notre Dame Academy KY started this week undefeated and will be participating in this weekend’s Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament. Other teams off to strong starts as expected are Hamilton Southeastern IN and Divine Savior Holy Angels WI. One surprise so far this season was Archbishop Mitty CA taking down St. Francis/Mountain View CA to break into the Top 50 and land at No. 10 in our latest update. Check out the full Top 50 below. vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL HS RANKINGS 1. Mira Costa CA (4 – previous ranking) 2. Mother McAuley IL (3) 3. Notre Dame Academy KY (5) 4. Papillion-La Vista South NE (9) 5. Cornerstone Christian TX (8) 6. Mater Dei CA (2) 7. St. James Academy KS (6) 8. Torrey Pines CA (26) 9. Prestonwood Christian TX (1) 10. Archbishop Mitty CA (n/r) *** 11. Grand Oaks TX (n/r) 12. Hamilton Southeastern IN (11) 13. Cathedral Catholic CA (7) 14. Divine Savior Holy Angels WI (13) 15. St. Thomas Aquinas KS (14) 16. Carrollwood Day FL (n/r) 17. Wayzata MN (20) 18. Dripping Springs TX (19) 19. Bellmont IN (n/r) 20. O’Connor AZ (n/r) *** 21. St. Francis/Mountain View CA (12) 22. Oconomowoc WI (27) 23. Marist IL (37) 24. Sierra Canyon CA (17) 25. Viera FL (n/r) 26. Corona del Sol AZ (30) 27. Calvary Christian FL (n/r) 28. Redondo Union CA (n/r) 29. Berkeley Prep FL (n/r) 30. Assumption KY (16) *** 31. St. Ursula Academy OH (n/r) 32. Pace Academy GA (n/r) 33. Lafayette MO (34) 34. Marymount CA (18) 35. Lake Catholic OH (n/r) 36. Lone Peak UT (n/r) 37. Pope GA (n/r) 38. Sacred Heart KY (n/r) 39. Los Alamitos CA (n/r) 40. Liberty North MO (32) *** 41. Horizon AZ (37) 42. Byron Nelson TX (38) 43. Punahou HI (n/r) 44. Clearwater Central Catholic FL (42) 45. Millennium AZ (45) 46. Liberty MO (47) 47. Valor Christian CO (n/r) 48. Glenbard West IL (n/r) 49. Skyridge UT (n/r) 50. Mercy McAuley OH (n/r) *** ON THE CUSP Mount St. Mary OK Northville MI Maple Mountain UT Flint Hill VA Plant FL Hagerty FL Colleyville Heritage TX Westminster Christian FL Yorktown IN Washburn Rural KS Prosper TX Benet Academy IL Brighton MI Marian MI Millbrook NC Green Level NC Middle Creek NC Cardinal Gibbons NC Green Hope NC Lovejoy TX Keller TX Bishop Gorman NV Oviedo FL Venice FL Ursuline Academy OH Mount Notre Dame OH Lake Highland Prep FL Huntington Beach CA Perry AZ

The Nike TOC Southeast tournament wrapped up Saturday at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel with top-seeded Cornerstone Christian TX holding court and capturing the championship after sweeping Carrollwood Day FL in the final. A team from vballrecruiter.com was on hand both days and we conclude our coverage with our All Red Hat Team. This differs from any awards given by tournament officials. The All Red Hat Team features our favorite plays from the weekend selected from teams which reached the top 16 of the National Division. ALL RED HAT TEAM OUTSIDESHannah Hankerson JR Berkeley Prep FLAyanna Watson SO Bishop Gorman NVLeilia Toailoa SR Bishop Gorman NVMegan Fitch JR Cornerstone Christian TXAniya Hall JR Cornerstone Christian TXJenness Orcutt SO Hagerty FLReagan Sharp SR Keller TXSam Bowron SR Lake Brantley FLAmina N’diaye JR Lake Brantley FLRylee Yarborough JR Oviedo FLMaggie Dostic JR Plant FLAddison West SO Skutt Catholic NESummer Kohler JR Venice FLGigi Artiles SO Westminster Christian FLFallon Stewart SR Winter Park FLAmelia Mancino SO Winter Park FL MIDDLESConnore Siler-Nixon JR Calvary Christian FLSarah Dibbs-Frantz JR Carrollwood Day FLElly Stewart JR Cornerstone Christian TXAnna Boatner SR Keller TXLayla Dunn FR Mount Paran Christian GAHilary Hupp SR Venice FLIsabel Incinelli FR Winter Park FL RIGHT SIDESOlivia Burns SO Calvary Christian FLLydia Chinchar FR Carrollwood Day FLGrace Carroll SR Cornerstone Christian TXAmaya Tolentino JR Cornerstone Christian TXCarley Wright JR Keller TXHaley Beigh JR Viera FLEmily Forness JR Winter Park FL SETTER/RIGHT SIDESIzzy Starck SR Viera FL SETTERSIzzy Mogridge JR Berkeley Prep FLTaylor Parks SR Calvary Christian FLNoami Chinchar SR Carrollwood Day FLNatalia Jackson SR S Cornerstone Christian TXKaia Thiele JR S Cornerstone Christian TXAnna Flores SO Keller TXTyler Peluso JR Winter Park FL LIBEROSLily Hayes JR Berkeley Prep FLMattea Casale JR Carrollwood Day FLMayte Camacho SR Hagerty FLRyan Jomo SO Lake Brantley FLBella Lee SR Plant FLPaisley Douglas SR Skutt Catholic NEAmelia Talbott SR Viera FLZoey Matias JR Westminster Christian FLEmma Ortiz SR Winter Park FL