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With the first elimination day on hand, dreams remain alive for those advancing while those knocked out dealt with the heartbreak of seeing their national championship aspirations leave with it. Desperation mode was kicking in and it brought out the best in those competing. Below, we highlight our Day 2 All Red Hat Team by featuring our 10 favorite players of the day. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 2 ALL RED HAT TEAM     Jessica Costlow OH Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Costlow spent all last season playing out of position as a middle. With added roster depth this season, she’s been able to shift to the outside. She’s a perfect for a the All Red Hat Team. She’s a bit undersized but she’s an absolute gamer and doesn’t back down. She’s also a smart hitter with lots of shots in her bag. Bellamie Beus OH ID Crush 16 Bower: Beus – a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2026 – is another outside who really caught our attention with the way she gets after it. She’s a feisty competitor with huge upside with her jumping and swinging ability. She’s an explosive attacker who gets off the floor well and hammers balls off blocks or down around them. Shelby Ignash MB Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Ignash was a new addition at the beginning of the season and she’s turned into a staple of the offensive attack by season’s end. She’s a physical middle who hits with lots of power. She can get out on the slide too and crush balls. And defenses need to be prepared because Mich Elite will run her often when in system. Addison Makun MB Adidas KiVA 16 Red: Makun – a 4-star recruit – is a major presence in the middle with her size and length. She continues to improve and can impact the rally on both sides of it with her hitting and blocking. She can make gaps disappear in a hurry with her long reach. And with it, she can go right over blockers and send balls down at or near the 10-foot line. Stella Dillon RS Coast 16-1: Dillon joined Coast late last year and since has been a regular in the starting lineup. She’s a contributor on the right side with both her blocking and hitting. She has decent size and she definitely opens up the attack as defenses need to keep note of her. Coast will go to her consistently. She has a solid arm and was doing well tooling blocks. Maddie Mitchell S/RS MAVS 16-1: We love Mitchell and what she brings to the lineup. She’s in a tough spot with 5-star Logan Parks playing the same role but MAVS isn’t the same team without Mitchell on the court. She’s a bit undersized but she knows what is needed to win. She plays under control, both as a setter and a hitter. She does well dishing and moving the ball around. As a hitter, she isn’t going to deliver the biggest kill in the gym but hitting hard doesn’t count for extra points. Trust us, she knows how to score consistently against bigger blocks. Billie Reiter S MKE Sting 16 Gold: We really enjoy watching these next two setters a lot! Reiter can run a 5-1 like she did in Sting’s victory over Circle City 16 Purple. Or she can set back row as part of 6-2 package as she did in the match after. Either way, she gets after it and is a steadying presence on the court. She has a soft touch and locates well while connecting with all her hitters. Malorie Boesiger S Nebraska One 16 Synergy: You would have no idea watching Boesiger that she is actually playing up not one but two age groups! That’s right, it makes her part of the Class of 2027. She’s a bit undersized but she is a spot-on disher who plays without any fear or trepidation. Avery Freeman L Circle City 16 Purple: From our perspective, there might be higher-rated liberos than Freeman but when it comes down to having to win, we’d gladly take her as our starting libero. She flat-out competes and gets after on the defensive end and it’s fun to watch. She’s not a demonstrative libero who plays with a lot of outward emotion. She’s more reserved with determination and tenacity that is easy to see with the effort she plays out. Izzy Mahaffey L Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Mahaffey was a wall when we were watching. And on top of that, she was making it look easy. She has that type of game. She’s also a fiery libero who plays with lots of emotion and passion.

If the results from Day 1 of 17 Open are any indication, then there’s little clue as to what is going to happen the rest of the way. One result was Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite upsetting No. 3 overall seed Drive Nation 17 Red. KC Power 17 Black – which received a generous No. 4 overall seed – fell to Metro 17 Travel in its final outing of the day to sit at 2-1. TAV 17 Black wasn’t safe either. The No. 4 overall seed was stunned by Seal Beach 17 Black and is 2-1. However, perhaps the biggest surprise is NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami going 1-2 on Day 1. The No. 6 overall seed fell to both Miami Hype 17 Emilio and Coast 17-1 with a victory over AJV 17 Adidas wedged in between. As for Miami Hype, it received one of two at-larges into the 17 Open field and started off 3-0, with the clutch victory over NKYVC. City 17 Gold was the other at-large recipient and went 1-2 on Day 1. City lost to 1st Alliance 17 Gold and KC Power before salvaging a victory against Boiler Jrs 17 Gold. *** By Chris Tobolski and Christine Phillips 17s DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Lauren Harden OH Rev 17-1 Raptors: Harden – a 5-star Florida recruit – carries a giant portion of the offense on her shoulders. She’s a long outside who can power kills front and back row. She’s a big reason why Rev qualified for Open originally. Taylor Williams OH Vision 17 Gold: Williams – a 4-star Duke recruit – is another outside with height who can extend and really connect. She was providing reliable offense with her ability to hit through or around blocks. McKenna Brand L Skyline 17 Royal: Brand – a 4-star UCONN commit – was under serious consideration for our Day 1 All Red Hat Team but there wasn’t enough space. Still, she’s super fun to watch because she’s an unassuming libero who just makes play after play all over the court. Maya Witherspoon OH Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite: Witherspoon – a 4-star Class of 2025 recruit – was bringing it on the both pins. She has a lively arm and was letting loose with it in giving her team plenty of points. Savannah Skopal S AJV 17 Adidas: Skopal – a 4-star Rice commit – is a high-level, take-charge setter who is in total command of the show. She has a great touch and release and puts the ball in a hittable window consistently. Rachel Resta S TAV 17 Blue: Resta, a 3-star recruit, dishes beautifully and consistently.  Marin Collins OH Niagara Frontier 17 Navy: Collins, a recent Penn State commit, commanded a presence on the court. She is someone to watch as she continues to grow in the sport. She is impressive on the court.  Jordan Smart S CHAVC 17 Black: Smart, a James Madison commit and 3-star recruit, quarterbacks her team well. She runs a 5-1 and connects with her hitters everywhere on the court.  Milani Lee RS FORZA1 NORTH 17ONE Franko: Lee, a 2025 athlete, had moments where she was ripping the ball and providing key production from the right side. Elizabeth Andrew  MB ATHENA VB 17-1 Gold: Andrew, a 5-star recruit, is legit. She owns the net offensively and defensively. She’s tons of fun to watch. And her jump serve isn’t too shabby either.  Meghan Kagehiro L RAGE 17 GREG: Kagehiro has a knack for touching a ton of balls on the court. She wasn’t afraid to get dirty.   Mia Gladden S SoCal VBC 17-Sola: Gladden caught my attention when I was walking by and she literally did a one-handed dig was beyond impressive. She sets a clean ball too.  Payton Petersen  OH Six Pack 17:  Petersen, a 3-star recruit committed to Louisville, was aggressive, attacking and really challenging the block in all six rotations.   Alivia Keegan S/RS Mission 17 Elite: Keegan, a 3-star recruit, impressed me on the court. She has great hands and finds her hitters well. AND she can bounce balls in the front roll.  Georgia Watson RS Mission 17 Elite: Watson, a 3-star 2025 recruit playing up, was cranking on the pins. She hits a heavy ball. Carys Fouser MB Abq Juniors 17-1 Jordan: Fouser is part of a 1-2 punch in the middle for her squad. She brings a punch to the middle.  Alyssa Carlisle  MB Abq Juniors 17-1 Jordan: Carlisle, the other half of the middle blocking duo, is a wall at the net. She seals the net well.   Shannon Sheehy S AZ REV 17 Premier: Sheehy, a San Francisco commit, has great hands and pushes well from pin to pin.  Miliana Sylvester MB 417 Juniors 17 Nat Black: Sylvester, a 3-star recruit committed to Hawaii,   was making plays on both sides of the ball, disrupting attackers while giving her squad a reliable point scorer in the middle.  Madison Swehla  OH Rockwood Thunder 17 Navy: Swehla is an undersized outside who jumps fast and quick. She can beat blocks with her quickness.  Jazmine Gaston OH Texas Fury 17 Legacy: Gaston, a Louisiana commit, is an athletic force on the court who jumps well on the outside.   Maya Collins L OVA 17 Black: Collins  was passing consistently out of serve receive and was constantly making  great plays.  Caroline Tredwell MB Skyline 17 Black: Tredwell, a UTSA commit and 3-star recruit, is an explosive middle who moves well laterally and gets off the ground quickly.

The results were all over the place as the 16 Open competition began four days of play at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. That’s not unusual given the high-caliber clubs in attendance, all of which are vying for a gold medal. The only way to make that happen is to break the first round of pool play. While not all of the top teams made it through the opening day unscathed, none appear in trouble barring the unexpected on Day 2. At the same time, a couple of lower-seeded teams made noise and are in position to advance. One of which is Madfrog 16 Green, which went 3-0 as the No. 25 overall seed. Madfrog, which is ranked No. 27 in our Top 50 National Rankings, not only went undefeated on the first day, it didn’t even drop a set in sweeping Legacy 16-1 Adidas, Wave 16 Kevin and OT 16 JP. All three opponents are higher up in our national rankings, so it was truly an impressive effort. Madfrog didn’t earn its bid until late, picking it up at the Far Western national qualifier and avoiding the stress of the at-large process. Another team coming out of the gates strong was AVC Cle 16 Red, which is the No. 28 overall seed and also ranked No. 28 in the nation. AVC opened up with a sweep over AAU 16 Open silver medalist and an at-large recipient here in Mich Elite 16 Mizuno. AVC then outlasted OT 16 Roberto in three before falling to Nebraska One 16 Synergy and ending up 2-1. Two of the pools were more topsy-turvy than the rest. One was Pool 2, where Surfside 16 PV Legends, the No. 2 overall seed, lost to Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal and is 2-1. Tribe, meanwhile, had a great start in going 3-0. Not only did Tribe upend Surfside, Tribe also took down AAU 16 Open gold medalist Adidas KiVA 16 Red, as well as MAVS KC 16-1. KiVA, Surfside and Austin Skyline 16 Royal are all tied at 2-1 heading into the second day of play. MAVS and Triangle 16 Black are both 0-3 and have lots of work to do to make it out ahead of any of those four. Pool 4, which featured AVC, was wild as well, where No. 4 overall Hou Skyline 16 Royal lost to Mich Elite and is in a four-way tie at 2-1 with Nebraska One, Mich Elite and AVC. After falling to AVC, Mich Elite responded emphatically with huge victories over Nebraska One and Hou Skyline. It figured the one match Mich Elite needed to win on Day 1 was against AVC and after falling to AVC was in serious trouble. Yet, Mich Elite came alive to help create the havoc. Teams yet to lose include 1st Alliance 16 Gold, Madfrog, Tribe, Drive Nation 16 Red, Circle City 16 Purple, HJV 16 Elite, A5 16 Gabe and Arizona Storm 16 Thunder. *** By Christine Phillips The air in the gym was palpable with anticipation as the last wave of the USAV National Championships kicked off Monday. It was a day brimming with electric energy and anticipation, as athletes from across the nation gathered to battle it out on the court. From the very first serve the competition was fierce. And true to the nature of any sports event, the day was not without its fair share of unexpected upsets. It was an absolute delight to witness standout performances from athletes like Sydni Vice from MJVA 16 Elite and Marin Collins, a recently committed athlete to Penn State, from Niagara Frontier 17 Navy. These formidable outside hitters displayed an incredible level of skill, power and finesse as they unleashed thunderous attacks and sent balls soaring across the court. Their relentless determination and unwavering focus captivated spectators, making for an exhilarating viewing experience. Additionally, Payton Petersen, a Louisville commit, showcased her exceptional talent on the outside with her powerful hits everywhere on the court. Another standout athlete was Elizabeth Andrew from ATHENA VB 17-1 Gold, whose undeniable prowess and command of the game made her an absolute force to be reckoned with. Her ability to dominate the court with her exceptional skills and unwavering confidence was fun to watch. The convention center was filled with a multitude of talented athletes who contributed to the electrifying atmosphere, making it an unforgettable and thrilling experience for all who had the pleasure of watching. *** By Chris Tobolski and Christine Phillips 16s DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Zoey Matias L Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal: Matias – a 4-star recruit – is a thrill to watch. She’s totally under control and seemingly always positioned in the right spot. She’s a lights-out passer and plays all-out in her defensive efforts. Olivia Moffett S CoJrs 16Kaleena: Moffett is a hard working and intense setter with a clean release and soft touch. She also adds a sizable wall at the net defensively.   Karsyn Fetzer OH NORCO 16 Black: Fetzer, an undersized outside, jumps well and has a quick arm that helps her beat the block.   Sydni Vice OH MJVA 16 Elite: A 4-star recruit, Vice takes huge swings everywhere on the court. She has a high contact which makes it hard for defenses to control.   Amanda Naipo OH Hawaiian Style 16-Black: Naipo is smart, scrappy and has a wicked snap when she is attacking.   Cali Eastling OH Wisconsin Ice 16 National: Eastling is an undersized six-rotation outside who is incredibly smart. She knows how to collect points with shots or swings.  Ava Dickerson MB Blue Ridge 16 Blue: Dickerson, an undersized middle, was active in her role and was working hard to make herself available. She is also a defensive weapon at the net.  Ada McCoy OH Blue Ridge 16 Blue: McCoy is a hard-swinging outside who jumps well and can bring the heat. Kaytlin Johnson OH TK 16 Soar: Johnson can swing with authority on the pins and brings incredible fire to the court.  Camille Schiralli OH SOSVBC 16 National: Schiralli brings an energy

Everyone is on the home stretch here at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. One of the last divisions to compete is the 17s, which began play Monday and runs through Thursday, July 6. The vballrecruiter.com team continues on with our coverage, after spending Day 1 scouring the courts and taking notes on the players who were our favorite and/or impressed us more than the norm. It leads us to the first of four All Red Hat Teams, which features our favorite players from Day 1. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 1 ALL RED HAT TEAM Paityn Chapman OH Co Jrs 17 Kevin: Chapman stood out for a variety of reasons. One, she was bringing big-time offense and helping power the attack along. She was taking aggressive swings front and back row. The Tennessee commit has the height to be an impactful hitter and she did well finding the open space. Isabel Clark OH Momentous 17 Dan: Clark – a 4-star San Diego recruit – can crush balls with ease. She’s a free-swinging outside with hops who when she gets up and connects, it’s best to duck for cover. She’s a featured part of the attack and is called upon to score points in clutch moments. Julia Hunt MB NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami: The way Hunt – a 4-star Washington commit – gets after it makes her fun to watch. She’s an outgoing, energetic middle who makes plays on both sides of the ball. She moves very well and gets out on the slide with no trouble. She has a lively arm and can rip balls down without issue. The way she moves also allows her to interfere with shots with touches, blocks or forcing hitters to go to another spot. Mackenzie Parsons MB Coast 17-1: Parsons – a Cornell commit – plays with high-energy and really gets after in the middle. She’s a workhorse with a big arm and she is able to change Coast’s offense when she checks in with her scoring ability. Defenses need to honor her or else pay the price because Coast will set her and she knows what to do with it. Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 17 Gold: Whitlock – 4-star Ball State commit – can get up on the right side and extend on the attack to put balls away corner to corner. She also puts up a big block to help slow attackers. She’s a bit more even-keeled and doesn’t get too high or low as she plays with a steady, consistent demeanor. Makenna Crosson RS NorCal 17-1 Black: Crosson is a name to know. She’s a 2026 graduate who is playing up two divisions and contributing in a major way. Obviously, she has a lot of room for growth and development but that she’s performing as well as she is against 17 Open talent is saying something. She has a strong arm that is only going to keep getting better and better. Charlie Fuerbringer S Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar: Fuerbringer – a 5-star Wisconsin recruit – is worth the price of admission to watch run the show. She’s a bubbly setter with all the tools, traits and intangibles that help make her one of the top setters in the nation. She’s extremely fluid and silky-smooth with her movements and delivery. And she can also hit on the right side with smarts and high IQ. Hannah Pattie S AVC Cle 17 Red: Pattie exemplifies what the All Red Hat Team is about. She’s a bit undersized, but the Campbell recruit can sling it around and is super fun to watch. She has a great release, can run tempo and puts the ball in the window for hitters to do the rest. Faith Frame L Premier Nebraska 17 Gold: Frame – a Cincinnati commit – is definitely one of our favorites defenders to watch get after it. She does not miss many plays and when she does you can see the frustration she has with herself. She’s a lockdown defender and lights-out passer who is capable of making highlight-worthy saves. Alice Volpe L HJV 17 Elite: Volpe – a 4-star TCU recruit – is too smooth. She’s not a super fiery libero or very demonstrative on the court. She’s more on the stoic side and makes plays all over the court. She’s a sharp passer who doesn’t get challenged much in serve receive. She reads and anticipates well too and is also able to make big-time ups.

One of the next-up divisions in the madness that is the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago is 16s. It kicked off Monday with the opening round of pool play, with the championship match set for July 6. With very little margin for error, the athletes came ready to compete and fight. Below, we highlight our Day 1 All Red Hat Team. The goal is to highlight a daily team consisting of two players from each position – outside, middle, right side, setter and libero who – were our absolute favorite players of the day. Favorite doesn’t mean only a 5-star recruit or a familiar name. These are players who stood out to us for a variety of reasons, from amazing play to great energy or attitude or making key hustle plays. These are daily all-stars who really stood out the most to us for one reason or another. DAY 1 ALL RED HAT TEAM Hannah Leftridge OH HPSTL 16 Royal: Leftridge is a perfect fit for the All Red Hat Team. Always among are favorites players are outsides who may be a bit undersized but have heart and determination to make it happen regardless. That’s Leftridge, who is a six-rotation outside who passes well out of serve receive and is a heady attacker who knows how to score with a variety of shots. And she just keeps coming at you. Anna Jelinek OH Nebraska One 16 Synergy: Truthfully, we were pondering putting the entire Nebraska One team on the All Red Hat Team because they all personify exactly what we are looking for. We selected Jelinek because she too is a bit undersized but a tremendous player who passes, defends and scores well.   Bayleigh Minor MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal: We try not to focus on 5-star recruits but it was impossible to ignore Minor’s play and contributions in the middle. She hit an outright indefensible shot that left spectators in awe as she went straight up then straight down with the ball at the 10-foot line. Few players can get up and hit directly over the block and still bounce balls like that! Olivia Wayne MB Madfrog 16 Green: Wayne was strong in the middle during while we were watching. She was getting out on the slide and scoring effectively and providing a real threat. She’s a solid blocker too and brings fire to the position. Taryn Morris RS Drive Nation 16 Red: Morris was a big-time scorer during our time observing. Drive Nation was in system and feeding her the ball. She rewarded her team by blasting balls down and off blocks with authority. Isabela Haggard S/RS Adidas KiVA 16 Red: Haggard brings her passion, competitiveness and will to win to the floor. She’s a bit undersized but she’s a tough cover on the right side when she’s coming at defenders. She’s absolutely fearless and can really connect when she catches one. She’s also a solid setter who has a nice touch and locates consistently. Annabelle Groomes S/RS AVC Cle 16 Red: Groomes – a 5-star San Diego commit – is among the most versatile players we have witnessed all season. Not all of that was on display on Day 1, as she was in her typical role of setting and hitting. But we have seen her play outside and pass out of serve receive at times, so she can do it all. She’s a high-caliber setter with great hands and accuracy. She also is a strong hitter capable of unloading huge kills. Charlotte Glass S Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal: Glass – a 5-star recruit – is a smooth-dishing setter who plays under control and does a great job directing the attack. She too has a great touch and release and she’s rarely off with her location. Rya Borer L Premier Nebraska 16 Gold: Borer is a feisty libero who leaves is it all on the court with her flat-out hustle. She’s solid on first ball contact too and plays tons of energy and emotion. McKenna Garr L Northern Lights 16-1: We love the way Garr takes care of the back row. She’s a steady libero who is a money-passer and defender. She does a fine job of picking up cross court shots and covering tips.

There was so much to digest – including a fanatical Day 4 four finish – from the 15 Open division at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. It saw Skyline 15 Royal narrowly sweep Mintonette Sports m.51 in the championship showdown in a rematch from the AAU 15 Open featuring our top two teams in the country. Picking vballrecruiter.com’s All-Tournament Team is the last item of business in terms of our immediate coverage of the age group. This is not to be confused with the honors awarded by USAV itself at the conclusion of the championship match. These picks are made from our observations and our observations alone. It would be easy to add more to each position or even include honorable mentions, but that’s something we do at the end of the year with our Club All-Americans. As for the All-Tournament Team selections, they are meant to be limited and difficult to make given all the talented players. To narrow the selections, we honored players from the Top 16 finishers, or the teams which advanced as far as the challenge rounds. We want to keep a team element to the award and making the challenge round is a strong indicator of team success. The process does leave amazing players off, even some of the best in the field! But if we were to pick solely based on talent, we could pick the team ahead of time as we know in advance who many of the talented players are competing. Congrats to those named to this year’s vballrecruiter.com 15 Open All-Tournament Team. OUTSIDES Halle Thompson Hou Skyline 15 Royal Layla Hoying Mintonnete Sports m.51 Audrey Flanagan SCVC 15 Roxy Grace Martin Pohaku 15-1 Finley Krystkowiak Wave 15 Brennan Gabby Divita Legacy 15-1 Adidas MIDDLES Keoni Williams Skyline 15 Royal LeVariya Pinder Skyline 15 Royal Lacy Tinnell Hou Skyline 15 Royal Jaycee Mack Wave 15 Brennan Kayla Nwabueze Legacy 15-1 Adidas Brooke Harwood Arizona Storm 15 Thunder RIGHT SIDES Abby Zimmerman SCVC 15 Roxy Taylor Clarke Skyline 15 Royal Bella Lopez Madfrog 15 Green Danielle Whitmire TAV 15 Black (S/RS) SETTERS Sophia Gisslen Team Pineapple 15 Black Blair Thiebaud Hou Skyline 15 Royal Genevieve Harris Academy 15 Diamond Milly McGee SCVC 15 Roxy LIBEROS Emma Cugino Mintonette Sports m.51 Cala Haffner Team Pineapple 15 Black Gabi Rodriguez Madfrog 15 Green Henlee Moszkowicz Hou Skyline 15 Royal

Below, we are happy to present vballrecruiter.com’s 14 Open All-Tournament Team from the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. Covering the division over four days left us with difficult decisions to make when putting together the team. This is not to be confused with the honors awarded by USAV itself at the conclusion of the championship match. These picks are made from our observations and our observations alone. It would be easy to add more to each position or even include honorable mentions, but that’s something we do at the end of the year with our Club All-Americans. As for the All-Tournament Team selections, they are meant to be limited and difficult to make given all the talented players. To narrow the selections, we honored players from the Top 16 finishers, or the teams which advanced as far as the challenge rounds. We want to keep a team element to the award and making the challenge round is a strong indicator of team success. The process does leave amazing players off, even some of the best in the field! But if we were to pick solely based on talent, we could pick the team ahead of time as we know in advance who many of the talented players are competing. Congrats to those named to this year’s vballrecruiter.com 14 Open All-Tournament Team. OUTSIDES Ella Olson Tstreet 14 Carson Janiah Burrage Forza1 14 One Naomi Livings TAV 14 Black Ryan Spencer Skyline 14 Royal Ava Burgess Club V 14 Ren Silver Hanna McGinest Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar MIDDLES Kendall Omoruyi Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Mariah Akinsola TAV 14 Black Megan Hodges Tstreet 14 Carson Cynthia Ockerman Legacy 14-1 Adidas Sitoafa Tausinga Club V 14 Ren Silver Mackenzie Ratcliff Madfrog 14 Green RIGHT SIDES Blake Cussen Absolute 14 Black Simrin Adams Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar Brynn Stephens TAV 14 Black (S/RS) Sophee Peterson TAV 14 Black (S/RS) SETTERS Emmeline Sandgren Absolute 14 Black Ally Fausett Tstreet 14 Carson Sophia Dostic OT 14 Laura Marlie Smith Legacy 14-1 Adidas LIBEROS Cedra Talaga Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar Nafanua Alofipo Club V 14 Ren Silver Pulelehua Laikona Arizona Storm 14 Thunder Dakota Huynh Skyline 14 Royal  

There was no room for teams to let up as Day 4 represented gold bracket time in 15 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago. With the top teams in the nation going toe-to-toe for a spot on the medal stand there was no way the action could disappoint. However, there was only room for one on top and that honor went to Skyline 15 Royal, which defeated Mintonette Sports m.51 in the final in a clash between our top two ranked teams in the nation. Below, we highlight our Day 4 Show Stoppers. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Finley Krystkowiak OH Wave 15 Brennan: Wave had a great run to the quarterfinals, in part fueled by Krystkowiak’s play on the outside. The 6-2 attacker helped Wave almost complete an upset of Mintonette in the quarterfinals with the way she was blasting balls from sideline to sideline. Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports m.51: Snowbarger is a key ingredient in Mintonette’s success with her six-rotation contributions. She can swing front and back row and hits at a high contact point with a lively arm. Mallory Matheny S Mintonette Sports m.51: Matheny was a standout running the offense. She does a great job of connecting well with all her hitters and spreading the ball around. Alia Schoonover MB Mintonette Sports m.51: Schoonover brings an offensive identity to the middle. She can get up on the quick or out on the slide and connect well. Lily Rolfes S Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Rolfes was playing on a bum foot but still had enough grit and determination to help guide her team to a bronze medal. She did well running the offense and getting all her hitters involved. Brooke Harwood MB Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Harwood brings a punch to the middle. She’s long and runs the slide effectively. Kalli Lipo L Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Lipo took care of the defensive end. She’s an upbeat, energetic libero who passing well out of serve receive and making a few highlight digs. Madisyn Crnjac OH Arizona Storm 15 Thunder: Crnjac has a heavy arm and can go through blocks. She’s a key part of the attack and a reliable option. Blair Thiebaud S Hou Skyline 15 Royal: Thiebaud is fun to watch direct the attack, especially because of all the weapons around her. She’s a smooth disher with great hands and seldom misses her spots. Jayden Robinson OH Hou Skyline 15 Royal: Robinson is one of those weapons Thiebaud gets to utilize. Robinson jumps out of the gym and has a big arm. Her future is very, very bright. Gabi Divita OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Divita is among the standout outsides in the division. She’s lanky and has a whippy arm. She gets up well too and can hit with ease from sideline to sideline. Meredith Martin L Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Martin always brings the defensive intensity and tenacity to the back row. She’s tough to get a ball down on and doesn’t miss her target too often when passing. Layla Austin OH Skyline 15 Royal: Austin has a lively arm and watch out when she connects. The balls shoots off her arm like being launched out of a cannon. Skylar Jackson OH Skyline 15 Royal: Jackson does well on the attack too. She also has the ability to catch one and send it hurtling down to the floor in a hurry.

It was a whirlwind of a day, as the 14 Open division at the USAV Girls Junior Championships crowned anointed a new gold medalist in TAV 14 Black. We wrote about TAV’s dominant performance, including sweeping Arizona Storm 14 Thunder in the final, here. Below, we highlight our Show Stoppers from the final day of action in the division. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Naomi Livings OH TAV 14 Black: Livings and her huge arm was delivering booming kills. She’s a walking highlight reel. Mariah Akinsola MB TAV 14 Black: Akinsola was performing at a high level and giving TAV much needed presence in that spot with Nyla Livings sidelined with an injury. She’s a physical hitter and blocker who uses her strength to her advantage. Gentry Barker OH TAV 14 Black: Barker is a six-rotation contributor who plays a key role in the team’s success. She’s a bit undersized but is a fearless outside who can bring the heat. Tessa Larkin OH Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Larkin was shining in her role as a six-rotation outside. She shoulders a lot of the offense. She’s a strong attacker with a whippy arm. Nylah Bibby OH Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Bibby also did well in her role as a six-rotation outside. She’s a solid passer and knows how to score against bigger blockers. Pulelehua Laikona L Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Laikona was among the standout liberos. She’s in command of the back row and hustles around the court making plays. London Merchant OH Madfrog 14 Green: Merchant is an athletic outside with lots of upside and potential. She has a nice arm and was helping power the attack along. Mackenzie Ratcliff MB Madfrog 14 Green: Ratcliff brings a certain dynamic to the front row when she checks in. Defenses must keep track of her as Madfrog will go to her. She gets up well and has a fluid swing. Vanessa Glenn OH Madfrog 14 Green: Glenn is also a six-rotation outside who does a solid job passing and hitting. She’s a bit undersized but can jump and swing well enough to score consistently. Ryan Spencer OH Skyline 14 Royal: Spencer was once more shouldering a load and taking care of business as a six-rotation outside. She’s a strong attacker who hits with pace from corner to corner. Lexi Martin OH Drive Nation 14 Red: Martin is another outside with plenty of upside. She has good size and length and extends well to hit at a high contact point. Hanna McGinest OH Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar: McGinest was a bright spot all tournament for Long Beach and her talents were on display again too. She’s an athletic outside who jumps and swings with ease. Cedra Talaga L Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar: Talaga is that defender who know is going to leave everything she has on the court. That’s exactly what you want from a libero and she also brings a lot of energy and passion. Emma Kingston MB Tstreet 14 Carson: Kingston made herself known in the middle with her blocking and scoring. She’s a strong blocker who forces hitters to change their shots up. She also provides reliable offense. Ally Fausett S Tstreet 14 Carson: Fausett – part of the Class of 2026 – does well directing the attack and moving the ball around. She’s also has height to be an impact at the net with her blocking.