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AAU 15 Open: Gold Medal Rundown

The wait? Worth it! It might have taken three days to get to the point where we were at Wednesday but the final day of competition in 15 Open at the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando is what dreams are made of! And I’m not even talking about this year’s national champion in Mintonette Sports m.51, which fended off the No. 1 team in the country in Skyline 15 Royal in three sets, 22-25, 25-23, 15-9, in the gold-medal match to end the tournament a perfect 11-0. There isn’t anyone who could have written a more entertaining, a more exciting script than the one that played out on Day 4 at the State Farm building on the campus on ESPN Wide World of Sports. Except for the fans of the 11 other competitors which did not get the golden ending produced by Mintonette, which is ranked No. 2 behind Skyline in our Top 50 National Rankings. That’s right. The championship match was a heavyweight bout between the top-two ranked teams in the country. And that wasn’t all! When the 15 Open division opened played four days ago, there were 15 teams from our Top 50 in contention. As for Wednesday’s 12-team gold bracket, 11 were from our Top 50 with Rev 15-1 Fuego the only unranked team of the bunch. There was that, and also the fact that of the 11 ranked teams, they were among the 13 highest-ranked teams in the field to start with. The two to miss out were No. 11 AP 15 Adidas and No. 30 Jupiter Elite 15E. The rest of the top teams were all on hand to begin the last day of play, which included previously-mentioned Skyline, Mintonette, No. 3 Boiler Jrs 15 Gold, No. 8 Legacy 15-1 Adidas, No. 19 Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal, No. 21 GP 15 Rox, No. 25 Tri-State Elite 15 Blue, No. 26 Far Out 15 Black, No. 28 WPVC 15 Armour Black, No. 33 Top Select 15 Elite and No. 36 A5 15 Bob. It took until the quarterfinals to finally see two of those squads lined up on different sides of the net from one another, as the lack of upsets kept most of the ranked teams apart the first three days. Mintonette did advance to the gold bracket in part by beating No. 11 AP on Day 3, but that was about it. The mega quarterfinal match Wednesday featured Boiler Jrs taking on Tribe. Boiler was pushed early on the round before by Tri-State Elite, which made Boiler work extra time before winning in three, 23-25, 25-13, 15-3. It was really at this point a trend developed, as Boiler-Tribe was the last of the quarterfinals to wrap up and produced another three-setter, the same as both semis and the final in what was a fairytale ending from a fan’s perspective. Boiler Jrs and Tribe was that match where you didn’t know what was going to happen, with the way each side could go on mini-spurts to change the momentum and score. Tribe led 21-15, 23-19 and 24-22 in the opening set but that didn’t prevent Boiler from tying it at 24 all before Tribe hung on. The second set was the reverse, with Boiler going ahead 24-20 before Tribe reeled off four straight points and was positioned for a sweep. But Tribe was called out of rotation on set point and a it was on to a third set, with Boiler closing it out, 24-26, 26-24, 15-9. The semifinal clashes both had their background stories. For Mintonette and Legacy, it was a trilogy meeting with both teams winning and losing once against each other so far this season. Mintonette took it to Legacy at Windy City only for Legacy to get revenge earlier this month at the JVA Summerfest. The third meeting delivered the set of the tournament! And it was the only reason Mintonette even was still around, having held off two match points in an epic overscore before eventually prevailing, 16-25, 36-34, 15-12. Mintonette had eight – yes eight! – chances to put Legacy down in set two before Legacy had its first look at victory leading 32-31. Legacy earned one more opportunity to put itself in the final and a chance to win 15 Open for the second consecutive season here in Orlando. However, Mintonette went back in front 34-33 before winning on a Legacy hitting error three points later. You know what they say, if at first your don’t succeed, try 10 more times. It worked for Mintonette in Game 2. The other semifinal was about payback. Back in February when Skyline captured the 15s championship at the Triple Crown NIT there was one team it lost to. Can you guess who that might have been? You got it! Boiler Jrs! Don’t’ think for a second that either side had forgotten what took place five months ago. We certainly didn’t. When Boiler let a lead slip away in Game 1 it looked like perhaps they were gassed from their victory over Tribe, but that was not it. Boiler Jrs settled down and played a strong second set, forcing a third and putting themselves that much closer to defending their 14 Open gold medal they took home a year ago here. Yet, Skyline was not having any of it in the final set, building an early lead and maintaining before ending it, 25-22, 19-25, 15-7. That brings us to the showdown between the top two teams in the country. It wasn’t a tricky match to figure out from an Xs and Os standpoint. If Mintonette didn’t serve tough and keep Skyline off the net it was going to be a short outing. With Mintonette struggling with its own ball control, it was not a close opening set. But as Mintonette settled and the passing picked up, so did its chances at winning the match. Skyline played behind for much of Game 2 but couldn’t quite catch Mintonette at the

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AAU 15 Open: Day 3 Show Stoppers And More

And finally!! The one drawback of the AAU format is unless there are big-time upsets in pool play, we have to wait until the fourth and final day for the top teams to actually be on the same court together. Of the 12 teams remaining in gold-medal contention in 15 Open, four are ranked in our Top 10 in No. 1 Skyline 15 Royal, No. 2 Mintonette Sports m.51, No. 3 Boiler Jrs 15 Gold and No. 8 Legacy 15-1 Adidas. The quartet combined to go 12-0 without dropping a set Tuesday. The highest-ranked team eliminated was No. 11 AP 15 Adidas, which fell to both Mintonette and Top Select 15 Elite to finish 1-2. Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal, ranked No. 19, overcame an upset loss to MN Select 15-1 to still win its pool. Tribe downed WPVC 15 Armour Black head-to-head to win the pool outright. There was a lot of drama behind top-seeded Skyline in Pool 1. NE Elite 15 Phoenix, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue and SPVB 15 Elite ended in a three-way tie at 1-2. It was Tri-State catching the break and taking second. Tri-State Elite is ranked No. 25 in our Top 50 and avoided being the second-highest ranked team to not make the gold bracket. Instead, it was No. 30 Jupiter Elite 15E finishing in third in its pool and failing to advance. Here’s how the modified 12-team gold bracket looks for Wednesday:   The way the bracket is set up could lead to an epic chase for gold. If we could see the four teams ranked in the Top 10 all make the semifinals and go from there, that is the best-case scenario from a fan’s perspective. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Emmi Merhi MB Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Merhi fills her role well, providing offense when called upon and doing a fine job of getting her hands on balls. With the outside threat so dangerous, the is opportunity for Tribe to take advantage in the middle and that’s what they do with Merhi. Ashlyn Cobb RS Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Cobb is another who helps spread out the Tribe attack or at the very least gives another threat to think about on the pin. She has a good arm and is an aggressive attacker who pressures the defense by not tipping too much. Macy McAmis L/DS Jupiter Elite 15 E: McAmis goes all out in the back row and is all over the court in efforts to make plays and keep rallies going. She’s a steady passer who moves well. Bre Morgan MB Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: We featured the middle duos from Legacy and Skyline on Day 2 and this go around it’s the pair from Boiler Jrs. They are similar in how the handle the position. Morgan is a strong hitter who hits with authority and puts up a solid block. Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Resmer assures the middle spot never slows, as she’s another force at the net with her attacking and blocking. She moves well and hits with nice extension. She has a whippy arm and crushes balls. Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Shondell sets with such smarts and IQ is fun to watch. She has hitters all around her and when in system it is game on! She has a great hands and can locate any set she needs to deliver. She does a great job of getting her hitters one-on-one looks or even confusing defenders to the point no block is up. Sofia Guerrero-Wilson MB A5 15 Bob: Middle is a position of strength in 15 Open and Guerrero-Wilson has to be included in the reason why. She has unbelievable potential. She’s tall at 6-2 and has a cannon for an arm. Taylor Clarke RS Skyline 15 Royal: Clarke – part of the Class of 2025 – is like a cheat code. She hits at such crazy angles and has so much range defenses can’t cover it all. She closed out Skyline’s first victory of the day with back-to-back aces as well. Kiley Brooks L/DS Skyline 15 Royal: There is so much firepower on Skyline that the defensive side can get overlooked. But Brooks handles business in the back row with consistent passing. Gabi DiVita OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Legacy rolled on Day 3 in part with the attacking of DiVita. She’s a wirey outside who gets off the ground and lets it go with her fluid swing. Combined with her range of shots, she’s one of the top offensive options in the division. *** Brooklynne Brass OH SPVB 15 Elite: Sports Performance’s run ended but Brass did her part in trying to extend it. She’s a bit undersized but gets up and doesn’t hold back. She stays aggressive and doesn’t back down. Elle Mottola S WPVC 15 Armour Black: Mottola is among the top setters here. She’s smooth and dishes a clean ball consistently. She locates well with her soft hands and does well getting her hitters different looks. Sophia Stallworth MB WPVC 15 Armour Black: We featured Stallworth on Day 1 and could feature her every time we see her. She has a huge impact across the front row. She’s quick with a great arm and it makes her such a tough cover. Isabella Umpierre RS WPVC 15 Armour Black: Umpierre is a little undersized on the right side but the lefty is fearless. She has a really nice arm and jumps well. It leads to big kills at times. Amelia Mancino OH WPVC 15 Armour Black: Mancino is also a bit undersize but is a smart attacker who hits from various spots, including running combos. Kaela Jenkins MB Black Swamp 151: Jenkins plays a valuable role for Black Swamp. She changes the dynamic of the attack when she checks in. She hits hard and is someone defenses need to be ready for when in system. Alana Whitfield OH Illini Elite 15 Cardinal: Whitfield was another outside shouldering a

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AAU 15 Open: Day 3 All Red Hat Team

Why do we do this to ourselves? Picking an All Red Hat Team with the type of talent, passion and determination we see on a daily basis from the players and teams we are covering doesn’t make it easy to narrow the list down to only 10 players. Still, we made the tough decisions and choices to bring our All Red Hat Team from Day 3 of 15 Open at AAUs in Orlando. 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 3 ALL RED HAT TEAM Ryan Sadler OH A5 15 Bob: Sadler is a walking highlight reel! The outside is listed at 5-11, but that might as well be her vertical the way she jumps. She gets up with ease and floats before unloading with her lively arm. It’s next-level talent and brings plenty of reaction from the sidelines of those watching. Henley Anderson OH AP 15 Adidas: We try hard not to only highlight 5-star recruits on the All Red Hat Team but it’s impossible to ignore Anderson, vballrecruiter.com’s National HS Freshman of the Year. The 6-3 outside is in her own category. The way she extends, the height she hits at, combined with the wrist snap and ability to crush balls with spin down deep in the court is so difficult to cover, especially in 15 Open. She’s hitting shots no one else here is and we know from our time talking with her she has an amazing attitude and outlook. Katie Rowe MB VCNebraska 15 Elite: It was a tough day team-wise, as VCNebraska went 0-3. However, Rowe is exactly the type of player we love to have on the All Red Hat Team. She was working hard in the middle and playing with lots of passion and fire. She flashed nice potential as well as she has a solid arm and was blowing up blocks. Jenna Hunt MB NorCal 15-1 Black: NorCal was also eliminated after going 1-2, but Hunt is another under-the-radar middle who stood out to us with her play and attitude. She’s a physical presence in the middle, one who can power down balls with her big arm and put up a strong block. She’s also showed great passion and competitiveness. Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Ward is a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2027 and much like Anderson, she does things no one else is doing. She’s an athletic marvel, with her length and jumping ability. She skies, extends and unloads and there’s nothing smaller blockers can do but hope she messes up. That doesn’t happen very often. Lyla Stewart RS Mintonette Sports m.51: We love the way Stewart just comes with it. She has a whippy arm and can really let it loose when she catches one. Not only does she help open up the court, she has a great on-court demeanor and always seems upbeat. Jasmine Daniels S Rev 15-1 Fuego: Rev did well in going 2-1 and staying in the hunt. Daniels was running a 5-1 and doing it very well. She’s a bit undersized compared to other setters but she’s a gamer and competitor. She moves very well and gets to the ball and can fling it around to all of her hitters, including running tempo sets. Mallory Matheny S Mintonette Sports m.51: Depending what Mintonette wants to do, Matheny can run a 5-1 or just set in the back row. Either way, she’s one of the smoother setters in the division. She dishes the ball with ease with soft hands and spot-on location. Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Hepler is in total control of the back row. She brings a ton of energy to the defensive side and sees plays ahead of time. She’s a sharp passer and defender who doesn’t miss many plays in front of her. Mallory Johnson L/DS Far Out 15 Black: We loved what Johnson was doing. As a libero, she’s more on the stoic side who doesn’t have the big reactions of others. But that doesn’t matter at all as she’s a smooth operator who plays under control and passes dimes all over the court. She also covers well and like Hepler doesn’t miss very many plays. It’s part of the reason why Far Out went 3-0 on Day 3.

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vballrecruiter.com’s Player of the Week: Milly McGee (FREE)

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Milly McGee. *** Being immersed in a sport at an early age can lead to being pulled in and falling in love for life or being pushed away and seeking another interest. When it comes to volleyball, Milly McGee – a 6-0, 4-star setter from the Class of 2026 – is a lifer. She’s been around the sport as long as she can remember and no matter what else she’s tried “volleyball has always been my favorite,” said McGee, who plays for SCVC 15 Roxy in Southern California. McGee’s father, Chris ‘Geeter’ McGee, was the longtime emcee for the AVP tour. Growing up in Manhattan Beach and being around the sport from such an early age, it was a natural step into for volleyball for her, both indoor and on the beach. McGee’s been juggling both for a long time and recently she decided to prioritize focusing on indoor she said. “I never really knew what I liked more,” McGee said. “It was more after Covid when I missed indoor a lot because we weren’t playing and that’s when I really fell in love. Plus, I love setting so that’s why I chose indoor.” McGee has loved running the show since she began setting back in third grade. She would hit too back then but always enjoyed being able to touch the ball on every play setting and picking the plays to run. “I like to have a lot of fun on the court,” she said. “I like the pressure. I like encouraging my teammates and just having lots of energy. That’s the main thing for me.” We’ll next see McGee on the court when SCVC participates in 15 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships at the end of June in Chicago. It’s been a strong season for SCVC, which finished second at Triple Crown in February and captured first at the Salt Lake Showdown in April. SCVC arrives in Chicago ranked No. 14 in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 National Rankings. “Our team has been together since we were 12,” McGee said. “We are finally to the point where we are really connecting with each other and are going hard. We have some new players who are helping us too. It’s been really fun being one of the top teams and being in all the big tournaments. I’m super excited (for nationals). I just got over a concussion that happened in Reno. It was a setback but I’m super excited for it. I just started practicing with the team again. I feel like we are ready. We are going hard preparing for this moment.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with McGee about volleyball and more. Who is your role model or icon you look up to? McGee: Always a favorite player of mine was Kerri Walsh Jennings. Also, I knew her and she is such a nice person. She really got me into loving volleyball also. But outside volleyball, Kobe. My family is really big Lakers fans and he was always someone I loved and inspire to work like. What is your favorite food(s)? McGee: This is tough because I’m a picky eater. It’s really hard, but probably french fries and pasta. I’m really more of a dessert person. What is your favorite tournament of the season? McGee: So far Triple Crown has been my favorite. It was really unexpected that we did so well. We started off 0-2 and we were missing a key player on our team. We weren’t expecting that type of outcome. It made it really fun. It was so exciting playing top level teams and finishing like that. What is your favorite team bonding event? McGee: Every travel tournament we do an escape room. I think it’s a really fun way for team bonding. We split up into two teams to see who finishes first then we get ice cream. What is your favorite quote? McGee: I don’t know, I don’t really have one. I like to go as hard as I can while also having fun with it. Volleyball is such a fun sport. It’s about working hard and having fun. What is your go to song to warm up to? McGee: Our team has a group SCVC playlist that we all get hype on playing on a big speaker. I think right now our favorite is Pon de Replay the remix. If you could have any super power what would it be and why? McGee: I would probably want to fly or read minds. I think it would so cool to fly and see everything or to be able to fly off somewhere to go get ice cream. If you could have dinner with anyone past or present, who would it be and why? McGee: It would be cool to have dinner with Taylor Swift. She was one of the first concerts I ever went to and I have loved her albums throughout the years. It would be fun to learn about her process she goes through writing her songs and performing. What do you like to do outside of volleyball? McGee: I live by the beach so I love going to the beach and swimming in the ocean. Probably one of my favorite things is being with all my friends at the beach together. I also love to surf. Surfing is one of my favorite things. What’s your favorite number and why? McGee: Number 8 is my favorite. It’s been my number since third grade when I visited Texas. Cat McCoy was the libero and she was No. 8. She was my favorite player so there was that and also Kobe. Kobe was

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AAU 15 Open: Day 2 All Red Hat Team

We are excited for the All Red Hat Team from Day 2 of 15 Open at AAUs in Orlando. There was a feeling that the competition took a big step forward Monday as only the top two teams in each pool advanced. It led to not only great team play but outstanding individual efforts as well. The goal of the All Red Hat Team 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 Show Stoppers) DAY 2 ALL RED HAT TEAM Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Our first two players share a lot in common in terms of progress and development. Miles – a 4-star outside – is 6-0 with a whip for an arm. She extends and has a high contact point and knows what to do from there. She absolutely unloaded on a couple of balls and slammed them straight to the floor. Miles continues to develop her offensive game in big ways and is part of the reason why Boiler Jrs should challenge for a medal here. Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports m.51: Snowbarger is built in much of the same mold as Miles. She’s another lanky outside with great extension and a high contact point. She also has a very lively arm and can rip balls left and right. She’s also worked hard on her game and is becoming a big-time offensive threat. She’s currently a 3-star recruit who is very likely to climb in our next rankings update after national championship season. LeVariya Pinder MB Skyline 15 Royal: There are lots of players like Pinder, who happens to play middle along with 5-star recruit Keoni Williams. That’s not an easy situation to be in but Pinder does a great job churning out plays across the front row to keep it going in the middle when Williams rotates out. She plays outside in high school. She’s quick on her feet and has a really nice arm and was making plays on both sides as Skyline rolled on Day 2. Alana Bailey MB Far Out 15 Black: Bailey was extremely fun to watch. She’s a high-energy middle who plays with lots of passion. She’s listed at 5-11 but could be pushing 6-0. She’s another quick middle who moves very well at the net. She was closing blocks nicely and touching attacks. She’s also a legit threat on offense and Far Out was looking to get her the ball often. She has a smooth swing and tons of upside as she continues down the road. Brynlee Major RS Northern Lights 15-1: Major was filling her role well. She’s a bit undersized on the right side but she was bringing it on the attack nonetheless. She’s a fearless hitter who jumps well and was staying aggressive in challenging the defense. It paid off as she was coming through and providing offense when called upon. Saylor Parker RS OT 15 Semei: If you are starting to sense an offensive theme here, you aren’t wrong. Parker, part of the Class of 2025, is a 5-11 right side who can also let loose. OT likes to get her the ball a lot as she’s a reliable, consistent scorer who can let it fly. Leilani Ramos S/RS Jupiter Elite 15E: We really like the way Ramos gets after it and competes on the court. She plays with a lot of determination. At 5-9, she’s a two-way player who sets and hits. She moves well and does a nice job of getting to the ball and delivering accurate sets. She’s also a handful on the attack. She jumps well and is a smart hitter who scores in a variety of ways. Eva Long S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Long is coming along well as she continues developing. She runs a smooth offense and connects well with all her hitters. She’s effective at running the middle and also knowing when to go to the pins and always keeping the defense honest when in system. She has great hands and is rarely off her mark with her location. She’s also a fierce competitor. Gracie Miller L Black Swamp 151: Watching these next two play defense is part of the reason we created the All Red Hat Team. We just love ballers and gamers and Miller is certainly that. She’s a feisty defender who passes well out of serve receive. She also does a fine job of taking the ball overhand and placing it on target. Emily Miller DS Black Swamp 151: With both Millers in the back row, the defense shines for Black Swamp. It’s hard to get a ball down and neither one is the best option to challenge in serve receive.

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AAU 15 Open: Day 2 Show Stoppers And More

(Day 2 All Red Hat Team) With the top-two teams in each pool advancing and remaining in gold-medal contention, the top seeds managed to stay safe from elimination on the second day of 15 Open action at the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando. Safe in terms of moving on, but they were not all untouchable. It was also a great day to be the No. 3 team in a pool as half finished in the top two to stay in the hunt, including NE Elite 15 Phoenix which went 3-0 and took first place after upsetting A5 15 Bob. The other No. 3 teams in Illini Elite 15 Cardinal, SPVB 15 Elite, MN Select 15-1, JJVA 15 Teal and NorCal 15-1 Black each went 2-1 and grabbed second in their respective pools as the field was cut from 48 to 24. Only one No. 4 team – Munciana 15 Rise – finished in the top two. Muncie went 2-1, beating Kairos 15 Alpha and Elevate 15 Nike in the process. As for the top teams in each pool, we already mentioned A5 falling to NE Elite. Other top teams in their pools to go down included High Tide 15 Elite and AP 15 Adidas. Meanwhile, the top seven seeds – Skyline 15 Royal, Legacy 15-1 Adidas, Mintonette Sports m.51, Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal, Boiler Jrs 15 Gold, GP 15 Rox and Far Out 15 Black – went a combined 21-0 with only Far Out and Mintonette dropping a set. There are six, four-team pool set for Day 3. The top-two teams once again advance into Day 4’s 12-team gold bracket. With the field shrinking, it pushed GP and Far Out into the same pool, along with High Tide and VCNebraska 15 Elite. And with AP losing, AP faces Mintonette in the first match in that pool. Mintonette is ranked No. 2 in our current Top 50 National Rankings, while AP is No. 11. Top Select 15 Elite, at No. 33, is also in the pool.   *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Legacy has a wicked middle attack, with Nwabueze one half of the riddle defenses struggle to solve. She’s an athletic middle who puts up a big block and is a tough cover offensively with the way she gets up and delivers. Ella Andrews MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Andrews is the other reason why defenses have headaches from this duo. She also puts up a huge block and is a physical attacker who pounds kills down to the floor. Meredith Martin L/DS Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Martin commands the back row in every way. She’s in total control. She’s a sharp passer and gets around the court making plays all over. Keoni Williams MB Skyline 15 Royal: Skyline is another team with a strong middle combo, anchored by Williams in the middle. The 6-4 middle is near an impossible cover with her size and reach. She just makes blocks disappear. On the flip side, she takes up a good stretch at teh net and makes it difficult on attackers who try challenging her. Henley Anderson OH AP 15 Adidas: vballrecruiter.com’s National HS Freshman Player of the Year recipient is arguably the top-rated outside in the Class of 2026. At 6-3, she’s long and has a high IQ. It’s a lethal combination as she simply tees off at times and leaves defenses helpless. Grace Lee OH High Tide 15 Elite: Lee is a key part of the offense. She has nice length and a fluid arm. She was putting balls away off blocks and cross court on the regular. Riley McCaughey S High Tide 15 Elite: We really liked the way McCaughey was doing her thing. She has a nice touch and was spotting the ball well. Kennedy Hale L/DS Elevate 15 Nike: Hale was not afraid to hit the floor in hopes of keeping the ball alive. She was displaying lots of hustling and going all out in trying to keep her side in the rally. Catherine Palmi OH GP 15 Rox: Palmi has a heavy arm. She can crush it no matter what, whether with her powerful jump serve or her hard-swinging on the outside. When she gets one, you can feel the thunder. Ella Thorson S Kokoro 15-1: Thorson is among the setters in the division with nice size. She’s 5-10 and has a consistent release. *** Kailey Gieske L/DS Kokoro 15-1: Gieske was showing her scrappiness in the back row. She was covering and picking up balls well and passing soundly out of serve receive. Courtney Peters OH Kokoro 15-1: Peters shoulders a load on offense. She’s someone who gets set front and back row. She has a strong arm and the size to make an impact. Megan Ingersoll OH Alabama Performance 15 Toukon: Ingersoll doesn’t hold back. She has a big arm and swings with authority. She was powering balls through and around blocks as the go-to hitter. Malia Baker MB VVA 15-1: Baker flies under the radar but she’s an effective middle on both sides of the ball. She has the height for the position and she moves and swings well. She also puts up a solid block and makes her share of plays at the net. Caroline Tucker OH Carolina Rogue 15: Tucker is undersized compared to other outsides taking on a big role on offense. Yet, she gets off the ground well and has a good arm. She isn’t afraid of challenging bigger blocks. Alexis Jodie S Carolina Rogue 15: Jodie is a gamer at the setting position. She’s a bit undersized too but she hustles out there and puts up a hittable ball consistently. Ava Castro OH Jupiter Elite 15E: Castro is another outside who is a bit undersized but comes with it. She’s a springy, heady attacker who knows how to place her shots and frustrate blockers and defenders. Emma Adkins OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Adkins is one of the more versatile

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AAU 17 Open: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

As national championship season continues on, next in line at AAUs in Orlando is 17 Open from June 22-25. This year’s field features 13 teams ranked in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 National Rankings, including two from the Top 10 in No. 5 A5 17 Jing and No. 9 OT 17 Aaron. It promises to be a hard-fought struggle to the finish line for gold. Our breakdown is below, including our predicted winner. 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 62 vballrecruiter.com National Rankings (13):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Prediction: Going off of our rankings, there’s no doubt A5 and OT are big-time favorites and could very well meet in the finals for gold. However, very, very seldom does it ever play out like that. Tri-State Elite and OT Felix have played competitive schedules and will be ready to show what they can do. A team like VCNebraska just missed out on qualifying for Open and is a strong contender as well who can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the country. Boiler Jrs has been steadily improving all season and has gone from losing tight matches early on to pulling them out lately. That makes Boiler Jrs some to watch. Miami Hype has some huge victories this season, including beating national No. 1 Dynasty, and could certainly shake up the draw at any point. In the end, teams are fighting to make the 12-team gold bracket on Day 4. The final four comes down to A5, OT Aaron, VCNebraska and Boiler Jrs. The pick is VCNebraska topping A5 in the final.

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USAV 11-13s: Gold Medal Rundown Plus Show Stoppers

The final day of the USAV Girls Junior National Championship was an incredible culmination of the tournament, featuring thrilling displays of passion, heart and athleticism. Although there were moments of heartbreak, each team gave it their all and left everything out on the court.  In the 13 Open final, Legacy 13-1 Adidas faced off against Elevation 13 SJ, with Legacy ultimately emerging victorious in three sets, 23-25, 25-10, 15-12. The match was tense in the first and third sets with a back-and-forth that kept spectators on the edge of their seats. Both teams showed incredible skill and determination. In the end, however, Legacy prevailed securing a well-deserved victory. The 12 National finals were eagerly anticipated, and the match between A5 12-LA and  EXCEL 12 National Red did not disappoint. A5 emerged victorious, winning the match in two, 25-23, 25-15. One thing that struck me about this national championship was the sheer amount of talent on display. Many players showcased exceptional skills and athleticism that will undoubtedly make them future stars of the sport. It was truly thrilling to watch such a high level of play and witness the emergence of so many young talents. The 12 USA finals between Drive Nation 12 Red and GVA/MIZUNO 12U DARK BLUE was an electrifying match. Ultimately, Drive Nation emerged as the winner, securing a hard-fought sweep, 25-16 25-19. The match showcased the incredible skill and determination of both teams, featuring some standout performances from Puerto Rican players renowned for their powerful swings. However, Drive Nation prevailed thanks to their tenacious defense, superb serving and formidable blocking at the net.  There were several other thrilling final results across the divisions. In the 13 National division, Alamo 13 Premier faced off against ARVC 13N1 Adidas and emerged victorious in three, 18-25, 25-23, 15-3. In the 13 USA division, OP2 13-1 claimed a well-deserved win over United 13 Susie in two, 26-24, 25-17. Meanwhile, in the 13 Liberty division, WAVE 13-Reily defeated SF Tremors 13 Wolverines in a nail-biting three-set match that kept fans on the edge of their seats, 17-25, 25-14, 19-17. The 13 American division saw AVA TX 13 Adidas triumph over SA Xtreme 13U in two, 25-18 25-19, while in the 13 Patriot division, Iowa Power Plex 13u Black secured a hard-fought victory over Rancho Valley 13Premier, 25-27, 25-18, 15-8. Finally, in the 12 American division, LV 12 Team Rox defeated Iowa Select 12 Mizuno in a a two-set match, 25-14 25-13.  So much talent and athleticism coming up through the ranks. It was an honor to witness and cover such an incredible event, and to support the growth of the sport we love. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Olivia Kitur OH EMV 13 National Black: Kitur is huge on the outside, literally. She is a six-rotation hitter who swings with no fear anywhere.  Peyton Smith-Johnson MB/OH EMV 13 National Black: Smith-Johnson is an upcomer to watch. Another scoring weapon for her squad, she doubles as a wall defensively.  Aubrey Waters OH Gainesville Jrs 13-1: Waters was very reliable with her attacks, getting key kills but rarely making any mistakes. Ana Sofia Garcia-Cruz MB SF Tremors 13 Wolverines: Garcia-Cruz was undersized in her position but between her athleticism and fire she was blocking and attacking with the best of them.  Kylie Moy MB SF Tremors 13 Wolverines: Moy is quick and moves well side to side. When she connects in the middle she brings the heat.  Quinn Nelson OH Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Nelson was taking smart swings, either tooling the block or exploiting the seam well.  Lexi Coleman OH Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Coleman has a big, strong arm and can hammer kills on the regular. Ashlyn Pelon L Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Pelon is a defensive force. She makes everything she does look easy and smooth, from passing in serve receive to showing great range in coverage.  Kelsey Green S Elevation 13 S J: A 5-1 setter, Green handled the setting duties efficiently, seemingly making all the right sets at the right time. Avery Brannon MB/RS Elevation 13 S J: Brannon is a real imposing presence at the net both in the middle on the pin when needed. Kaedyn Blotzer OH WAVE 13-Reily: Blotzer is a scrappy and undersized outside. She has a knack for hitting the line shot well.  Natalie Rynard S WAVE 13-Reily: Rynard has a great touch and consistently sets a clean ball. Rylee Hartwell OH UNITED 13’s Susie: Hartwell is an undersized hitter who you knows has to play beach with the shots she was pulling and hops that rivaled any outside hitter out there. Tons of fun to watch.  Cienna Enriquez  OH UNITED 13’s Susie: Enriquez is a savvy hitter who had no problem going against the block and continually found the open spots for kills. Madison Goodrich L UNITED 13’s Susie: Goodrich was passing out of serve receive was sharp and on point. She was also picking up touches and tips well too. Sloane Rattay OH OP2 13-1: Rattay was tough to slow down. She was displaying nice extension on her swings and hitting at a high contact point.  Jentri Denwalt S/RS OP2 13-1: Denwalt, a 2030, showed a nice touch and consistent release along with being a very reliable scoring option, Olivia Carter MB OP2 13-1: Carter contributes on both sides of the ball. When in system, she’s always a viable scoring threat. She can also be a menace with her blocking. Madison McGuire S AVA TX 13 Adidas: McGuire does well guiding the attack. She has a nice release and sets a hittable ball consistently. Charlie Marsico L AVA TX 13 Adidas: Marsico is a sound passer and a scrappy defender. Abigail Ibarra MB SA Xtreme 13U: Ibarra is a factor in the middle with her ability to score and block balls. She also moves well laterally.  Sara Gonzalez L Alamo 13 Premier: Gonzalez is a scrappy, energetic libero who goes all out in the back row. She is a lot of fun to watch make plays.  Sydney Whisenton OH/S Alamo 13 Premier: Whisenton brings value with her versatility. She’s a solid setter with lots of upside and

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AAU 15 Open: Day 1 Show Stoppers And More

(Day 1 All Red Hat Team) All that is needed to advance on the first day of 15 Open at AAU in Orlando is avoiding finishing in fourth place. Everyone else advances, including all three teams from all three, three-team pools. Of the 13 four-team pools, the No. 4 team failed to advance in seven of them. The highest-finishing No. 4 team was CVH Select 15u out of Puerto Rico, which finished in a three-way tie at 1-2 with Wildfire 15 Ore and Summit 15 Blue Elite and took second. Summit finished in fourth based on tiebreakers and was eliminated as the No. 3 team. Wildfire wasn’t the highest-seeded team bumped from contention Sunday. Two No. 2 teams were relegated to Group 2 starting Monday in EliteZ 15 White and K2 15 Adidas. Both went 0-3 in their respective pools. As expected, the No. 1 teams in their respective pools did very well. The 16 teams combined to go 41-4 overall, with none finishing lower than second place. The lowest-seeded team to fare the best was High Tide 15 Elite. It was a bit shocking to see how low High Tide was placed to begin. We have High Tide ranked No. 41 in our Top 50 National Rankings, yet High Tide began the tournament seeded No. 40! Let that sink in. High Tide went 3-0 as the No. 3 team in its pool and moved up to the No. 8 overall seed to begin play Monday. High Tide downed Illini Elite 15 Cardinal, AVA TX 15 Adidas and EliteZ. *** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Eva Swenson S MN Select 15-1: Swenson, a 6-3 setter, was running the show well as she continues getting better and better. She was locating well and putting up a big block on the right side. Abby Conklin MB MN Select 15-1: Conklin is a lanky middle with a really nice arm. She hits at a high contact point and can be a tough cover. Marlee Schumacher MB No Name 15 Erin: Schumacher was another middle who was owning the net at times. She’s a physical presence who puts up a strong block and has a powerful arm. Ryan Sadler OH A5 15 Bob: Sadler was swinging away on the outside. She gets up and was letting balls fly left and right as she delivered her share of highlights. Gabriella Brodner OH Jupiter Elite 15E: Count Brodner among the many prospects doing their thing on Day 1. At 6-1, she’s lengthy with a fluid swing and smarts to back it up. She can really extend and connect and it makes her tough to cover. Jessica Smallwood OH EVA 15 Blue: At 6-5, Smallwood towers over just about everyone in the division. She has a huge impact at the net because of it. Attackers trying to tip balls too low found out the hard way. She’s also had no issue going over blocks and putting balls down. Gigi Artiles OH Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: This is a name fans will be hearing for years. At 6-2, is one of the top attackers in the division. She’s more than a handful at the net, where she powers ball after ball with her heavy arm. Ava Flores S Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Flores is an undersized setter but she does a nice job getting to the ball and putting her hitters in great positions to score. Cosette Bartling OH NE Elite 15 Phoenix: Bartling is another outside who is a bit undersized but has springs in her legs and can really get up and crush. She was a featured part of the attack and delivered a few eye-popping winners. Camden Rahn S/RS OT 15 Will: Rahn was a strong two-way player. The 6-1 setter/right side flashed tons of potential in both areas. She was OT’s second-best offensive threat and was helping to open up the attack on the right side. She’s also an above-average setter with a smooth release who spots well. *** Isabela Lopez OH OT 15 Will: Lopez was a big-time offensive weapon for OT. She’s another outside who jumps very well and unloads. Norah Busch MB Club Integrity 15-1: Busch was among the taller middles in the division and is a game-changer across the front row for Club Integrity. She changes both dynamics of blocking and attacking with her length and helped Club Intregity to an upset of NorCal 15-1 Black. Taytum Nelson MB Elevate 15 Nike: Nelson is even taller than Busch and also has a lot of potential. She had zero issue going over the block and scoring. Madison Anspaugh OH VC United 15 Elite: Anspaugh was impressive in shouldering part of the offensive load. At 6-1, she can hit high and she has a big arm. She gets the ball both front and back row and can send it flying equally well. Darby Felts OH K2 15 Adidas: Felts is a fun one to watch swing away. She jumps out of the gym and has a very lively arm. She lets it rip from the front and back row in style. Colbie McKenna OH EC Power KOP 15 True: McKenna was definitely among the standout outsides. She was another taller hitter who was trouble from both the front and back. She extends well and hits with lots of pace. Ellie Stiernagle S SPVB 15 Elite: Stiernagle has nice height for a setter and solid hands. She did well mixing up her sets and getting her hitters involved. Abigail Knight OH SPVB 15 Elite: Knight was taking big swings and sending balls down. She hits with a lot of power. Jordin Southall OH GP 15 Rox: Southall is an athletic outside who explodes up and has a whippy arm to deliver with. She had highlight moments that showed what she can be in the future at the next level. Sarahbelle Jameson OH JJVA 15 Teal: Jameson needs to be included among the taller outsides in the division. She’s a six-rotations anchor and has

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AAU 15 Open: Gold Medal Rundown

The wait? Worth it! It might have taken three days to get to the point where we were at Wednesday but the final day of competition in 15 Open at the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando is what dreams are made of! And I’m not even talking about this year’s national champion in Mintonette Sports m.51, which fended off the No. 1 team in the country in Skyline 15 Royal in three sets, 22-25, 25-23, 15-9, in the gold-medal match to end the tournament a perfect 11-0. There isn’t anyone who could have written a more entertaining, a more exciting script than the one that played out on Day 4 at the State Farm building on the campus on ESPN Wide World of Sports. Except for the fans of the 11 other competitors which did not get the golden ending produced by Mintonette, which is ranked No. 2 behind Skyline in our Top 50 National Rankings. That’s right. The championship match was a heavyweight bout between the top-two ranked teams in the country. And that wasn’t all! When the 15 Open division opened played four days ago, there were 15 teams from our Top 50 in contention. As for Wednesday’s 12-team gold bracket, 11 were from our Top 50 with Rev 15-1 Fuego the only unranked team of the bunch. There was that, and also the fact that of the 11 ranked teams, they were among the 13 highest-ranked teams in the field to start with. The two to miss out were No. 11 AP 15 Adidas and No. 30 Jupiter Elite 15E. The rest of the top teams were all on hand to begin the last day of play, which included previously-mentioned Skyline, Mintonette, No. 3 Boiler Jrs 15 Gold, No. 8 Legacy 15-1 Adidas, No. 19 Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal, No. 21 GP 15 Rox, No. 25 Tri-State Elite 15 Blue, No. 26 Far Out 15 Black, No. 28 WPVC 15 Armour Black, No. 33 Top Select 15 Elite and No. 36 A5 15 Bob. It took until the quarterfinals to finally see two of those squads lined up on different sides of the net from one another, as the lack of upsets kept most of the ranked teams apart the first three days. Mintonette did advance to the gold bracket in part by beating No. 11 AP on Day 3, but that was about it. The mega quarterfinal match Wednesday featured Boiler Jrs taking on Tribe. Boiler was pushed early on the round before by Tri-State Elite, which made Boiler work extra time before winning in three, 23-25, 25-13, 15-3. It was really at this point a trend developed, as Boiler-Tribe was the last of the quarterfinals to wrap up and produced another three-setter, the same as both semis and the final in what was a fairytale ending from a fan’s perspective. Boiler Jrs and Tribe was that match where you didn’t know what was going to happen, with the way each side could go on mini-spurts to change the momentum and score. Tribe led 21-15, 23-19 and 24-22 in the opening set but that didn’t prevent Boiler from tying it at 24 all before Tribe hung on. The second set was the reverse, with Boiler going ahead 24-20 before Tribe reeled off four straight points and was positioned for a sweep. But Tribe was called out of rotation on set point and a it was on to a third set, with Boiler closing it out, 24-26, 26-24, 15-9. The semifinal clashes both had their background stories. For Mintonette and Legacy, it was a trilogy meeting with both teams winning and losing once against each other so far this season. Mintonette took it to Legacy at Windy City only for Legacy to get revenge earlier this month at the JVA Summerfest. The third meeting delivered the set of the tournament! And it was the only reason Mintonette even was still around, having held off two match points in an epic overscore before eventually prevailing, 16-25, 36-34, 15-12. Mintonette had eight – yes eight! – chances to put Legacy down in set two before Legacy had its first look at victory leading 32-31. Legacy earned one more opportunity to put itself in the final and a chance to win 15 Open for the second consecutive season here in Orlando. However, Mintonette went back in front 34-33 before winning on a Legacy hitting error three points later. You know what they say, if at first your don’t succeed, try 10 more times. It worked for Mintonette in Game 2. The other semifinal was about payback. Back in February when Skyline captured the 15s championship at the Triple Crown NIT there was one team it lost to. Can you guess who that might have been? You got it! Boiler Jrs! Don’t’ think for a second that either side had forgotten what took place five months ago. We certainly didn’t. When Boiler let a lead slip away in Game 1 it looked like perhaps they were gassed from their victory over Tribe, but that was not it. Boiler Jrs settled down and played a strong second set, forcing a third and putting themselves that much closer to defending their 14 Open gold medal they took home a year ago here. Yet, Skyline was not having any of it in the final set, building an early lead and maintaining before ending it, 25-22, 19-25, 15-7. That brings us to the showdown between the top two teams in the country. It wasn’t a tricky match to figure out from an Xs and Os standpoint. If Mintonette didn’t serve tough and keep Skyline off the net it was going to be a short outing. With Mintonette struggling with its own ball control, it was not a close opening set. But as Mintonette settled and the passing picked up, so did its chances at winning the match. Skyline played behind for much of Game 2 but couldn’t quite catch Mintonette at the

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AAU 15 Open: Day 3 Show Stoppers And More

And finally!! The one drawback of the AAU format is unless there are big-time upsets in pool play, we have to wait until the fourth and final day for the top teams to actually be on the same court together. Of the 12 teams remaining in gold-medal contention in 15 Open, four are ranked in our Top 10 in No. 1 Skyline 15 Royal, No. 2 Mintonette Sports m.51, No. 3 Boiler Jrs 15 Gold and No. 8 Legacy 15-1 Adidas. The quartet combined to go 12-0 without dropping a set Tuesday. The highest-ranked team eliminated was No. 11 AP 15 Adidas, which fell to both Mintonette and Top Select 15 Elite to finish 1-2. Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal, ranked No. 19, overcame an upset loss to MN Select 15-1 to still win its pool. Tribe downed WPVC 15 Armour Black head-to-head to win the pool outright. There was a lot of drama behind top-seeded Skyline in Pool 1. NE Elite 15 Phoenix, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue and SPVB 15 Elite ended in a three-way tie at 1-2. It was Tri-State catching the break and taking second. Tri-State Elite is ranked No. 25 in our Top 50 and avoided being the second-highest ranked team to not make the gold bracket. Instead, it was No. 30 Jupiter Elite 15E finishing in third in its pool and failing to advance. Here’s how the modified 12-team gold bracket looks for Wednesday:   The way the bracket is set up could lead to an epic chase for gold. If we could see the four teams ranked in the Top 10 all make the semifinals and go from there, that is the best-case scenario from a fan’s perspective. *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Emmi Merhi MB Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Merhi fills her role well, providing offense when called upon and doing a fine job of getting her hands on balls. With the outside threat so dangerous, the is opportunity for Tribe to take advantage in the middle and that’s what they do with Merhi. Ashlyn Cobb RS Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Cobb is another who helps spread out the Tribe attack or at the very least gives another threat to think about on the pin. She has a good arm and is an aggressive attacker who pressures the defense by not tipping too much. Macy McAmis L/DS Jupiter Elite 15 E: McAmis goes all out in the back row and is all over the court in efforts to make plays and keep rallies going. She’s a steady passer who moves well. Bre Morgan MB Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: We featured the middle duos from Legacy and Skyline on Day 2 and this go around it’s the pair from Boiler Jrs. They are similar in how the handle the position. Morgan is a strong hitter who hits with authority and puts up a solid block. Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Resmer assures the middle spot never slows, as she’s another force at the net with her attacking and blocking. She moves well and hits with nice extension. She has a whippy arm and crushes balls. Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Shondell sets with such smarts and IQ is fun to watch. She has hitters all around her and when in system it is game on! She has a great hands and can locate any set she needs to deliver. She does a great job of getting her hitters one-on-one looks or even confusing defenders to the point no block is up. Sofia Guerrero-Wilson MB A5 15 Bob: Middle is a position of strength in 15 Open and Guerrero-Wilson has to be included in the reason why. She has unbelievable potential. She’s tall at 6-2 and has a cannon for an arm. Taylor Clarke RS Skyline 15 Royal: Clarke – part of the Class of 2025 – is like a cheat code. She hits at such crazy angles and has so much range defenses can’t cover it all. She closed out Skyline’s first victory of the day with back-to-back aces as well. Kiley Brooks L/DS Skyline 15 Royal: There is so much firepower on Skyline that the defensive side can get overlooked. But Brooks handles business in the back row with consistent passing. Gabi DiVita OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Legacy rolled on Day 3 in part with the attacking of DiVita. She’s a wirey outside who gets off the ground and lets it go with her fluid swing. Combined with her range of shots, she’s one of the top offensive options in the division. *** Brooklynne Brass OH SPVB 15 Elite: Sports Performance’s run ended but Brass did her part in trying to extend it. She’s a bit undersized but gets up and doesn’t hold back. She stays aggressive and doesn’t back down. Elle Mottola S WPVC 15 Armour Black: Mottola is among the top setters here. She’s smooth and dishes a clean ball consistently. She locates well with her soft hands and does well getting her hitters different looks. Sophia Stallworth MB WPVC 15 Armour Black: We featured Stallworth on Day 1 and could feature her every time we see her. She has a huge impact across the front row. She’s quick with a great arm and it makes her such a tough cover. Isabella Umpierre RS WPVC 15 Armour Black: Umpierre is a little undersized on the right side but the lefty is fearless. She has a really nice arm and jumps well. It leads to big kills at times. Amelia Mancino OH WPVC 15 Armour Black: Mancino is also a bit undersize but is a smart attacker who hits from various spots, including running combos. Kaela Jenkins MB Black Swamp 151: Jenkins plays a valuable role for Black Swamp. She changes the dynamic of the attack when she checks in. She hits hard and is someone defenses need to be ready for when in system. Alana Whitfield OH Illini Elite 15 Cardinal: Whitfield was another outside shouldering a

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AAU 15 Open: Day 3 All Red Hat Team

Why do we do this to ourselves? Picking an All Red Hat Team with the type of talent, passion and determination we see on a daily basis from the players and teams we are covering doesn’t make it easy to narrow the list down to only 10 players. Still, we made the tough decisions and choices to bring our All Red Hat Team from Day 3 of 15 Open at AAUs in Orlando. 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 3 ALL RED HAT TEAM Ryan Sadler OH A5 15 Bob: Sadler is a walking highlight reel! The outside is listed at 5-11, but that might as well be her vertical the way she jumps. She gets up with ease and floats before unloading with her lively arm. It’s next-level talent and brings plenty of reaction from the sidelines of those watching. Henley Anderson OH AP 15 Adidas: We try hard not to only highlight 5-star recruits on the All Red Hat Team but it’s impossible to ignore Anderson, vballrecruiter.com’s National HS Freshman of the Year. The 6-3 outside is in her own category. The way she extends, the height she hits at, combined with the wrist snap and ability to crush balls with spin down deep in the court is so difficult to cover, especially in 15 Open. She’s hitting shots no one else here is and we know from our time talking with her she has an amazing attitude and outlook. Katie Rowe MB VCNebraska 15 Elite: It was a tough day team-wise, as VCNebraska went 0-3. However, Rowe is exactly the type of player we love to have on the All Red Hat Team. She was working hard in the middle and playing with lots of passion and fire. She flashed nice potential as well as she has a solid arm and was blowing up blocks. Jenna Hunt MB NorCal 15-1 Black: NorCal was also eliminated after going 1-2, but Hunt is another under-the-radar middle who stood out to us with her play and attitude. She’s a physical presence in the middle, one who can power down balls with her big arm and put up a strong block. She’s also showed great passion and competitiveness. Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Ward is a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2027 and much like Anderson, she does things no one else is doing. She’s an athletic marvel, with her length and jumping ability. She skies, extends and unloads and there’s nothing smaller blockers can do but hope she messes up. That doesn’t happen very often. Lyla Stewart RS Mintonette Sports m.51: We love the way Stewart just comes with it. She has a whippy arm and can really let it loose when she catches one. Not only does she help open up the court, she has a great on-court demeanor and always seems upbeat. Jasmine Daniels S Rev 15-1 Fuego: Rev did well in going 2-1 and staying in the hunt. Daniels was running a 5-1 and doing it very well. She’s a bit undersized compared to other setters but she’s a gamer and competitor. She moves very well and gets to the ball and can fling it around to all of her hitters, including running tempo sets. Mallory Matheny S Mintonette Sports m.51: Depending what Mintonette wants to do, Matheny can run a 5-1 or just set in the back row. Either way, she’s one of the smoother setters in the division. She dishes the ball with ease with soft hands and spot-on location. Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Hepler is in total control of the back row. She brings a ton of energy to the defensive side and sees plays ahead of time. She’s a sharp passer and defender who doesn’t miss many plays in front of her. Mallory Johnson L/DS Far Out 15 Black: We loved what Johnson was doing. As a libero, she’s more on the stoic side who doesn’t have the big reactions of others. But that doesn’t matter at all as she’s a smooth operator who plays under control and passes dimes all over the court. She also covers well and like Hepler doesn’t miss very many plays. It’s part of the reason why Far Out went 3-0 on Day 3.

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vballrecruiter.com’s Player of the Week: Milly McGee (FREE)

We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Milly McGee. *** Being immersed in a sport at an early age can lead to being pulled in and falling in love for life or being pushed away and seeking another interest. When it comes to volleyball, Milly McGee – a 6-0, 4-star setter from the Class of 2026 – is a lifer. She’s been around the sport as long as she can remember and no matter what else she’s tried “volleyball has always been my favorite,” said McGee, who plays for SCVC 15 Roxy in Southern California. McGee’s father, Chris ‘Geeter’ McGee, was the longtime emcee for the AVP tour. Growing up in Manhattan Beach and being around the sport from such an early age, it was a natural step into for volleyball for her, both indoor and on the beach. McGee’s been juggling both for a long time and recently she decided to prioritize focusing on indoor she said. “I never really knew what I liked more,” McGee said. “It was more after Covid when I missed indoor a lot because we weren’t playing and that’s when I really fell in love. Plus, I love setting so that’s why I chose indoor.” McGee has loved running the show since she began setting back in third grade. She would hit too back then but always enjoyed being able to touch the ball on every play setting and picking the plays to run. “I like to have a lot of fun on the court,” she said. “I like the pressure. I like encouraging my teammates and just having lots of energy. That’s the main thing for me.” We’ll next see McGee on the court when SCVC participates in 15 Open at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships at the end of June in Chicago. It’s been a strong season for SCVC, which finished second at Triple Crown in February and captured first at the Salt Lake Showdown in April. SCVC arrives in Chicago ranked No. 14 in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 National Rankings. “Our team has been together since we were 12,” McGee said. “We are finally to the point where we are really connecting with each other and are going hard. We have some new players who are helping us too. It’s been really fun being one of the top teams and being in all the big tournaments. I’m super excited (for nationals). I just got over a concussion that happened in Reno. It was a setback but I’m super excited for it. I just started practicing with the team again. I feel like we are ready. We are going hard preparing for this moment.” As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with McGee about volleyball and more. Who is your role model or icon you look up to? McGee: Always a favorite player of mine was Kerri Walsh Jennings. Also, I knew her and she is such a nice person. She really got me into loving volleyball also. But outside volleyball, Kobe. My family is really big Lakers fans and he was always someone I loved and inspire to work like. What is your favorite food(s)? McGee: This is tough because I’m a picky eater. It’s really hard, but probably french fries and pasta. I’m really more of a dessert person. What is your favorite tournament of the season? McGee: So far Triple Crown has been my favorite. It was really unexpected that we did so well. We started off 0-2 and we were missing a key player on our team. We weren’t expecting that type of outcome. It made it really fun. It was so exciting playing top level teams and finishing like that. What is your favorite team bonding event? McGee: Every travel tournament we do an escape room. I think it’s a really fun way for team bonding. We split up into two teams to see who finishes first then we get ice cream. What is your favorite quote? McGee: I don’t know, I don’t really have one. I like to go as hard as I can while also having fun with it. Volleyball is such a fun sport. It’s about working hard and having fun. What is your go to song to warm up to? McGee: Our team has a group SCVC playlist that we all get hype on playing on a big speaker. I think right now our favorite is Pon de Replay the remix. If you could have any super power what would it be and why? McGee: I would probably want to fly or read minds. I think it would so cool to fly and see everything or to be able to fly off somewhere to go get ice cream. If you could have dinner with anyone past or present, who would it be and why? McGee: It would be cool to have dinner with Taylor Swift. She was one of the first concerts I ever went to and I have loved her albums throughout the years. It would be fun to learn about her process she goes through writing her songs and performing. What do you like to do outside of volleyball? McGee: I live by the beach so I love going to the beach and swimming in the ocean. Probably one of my favorite things is being with all my friends at the beach together. I also love to surf. Surfing is one of my favorite things. What’s your favorite number and why? McGee: Number 8 is my favorite. It’s been my number since third grade when I visited Texas. Cat McCoy was the libero and she was No. 8. She was my favorite player so there was that and also Kobe. Kobe was

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AAU 15 Open: Day 2 All Red Hat Team

We are excited for the All Red Hat Team from Day 2 of 15 Open at AAUs in Orlando. There was a feeling that the competition took a big step forward Monday as only the top two teams in each pool advanced. It led to not only great team play but outstanding individual efforts as well. The goal of the All Red Hat Team 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 Show Stoppers) DAY 2 ALL RED HAT TEAM Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold: Our first two players share a lot in common in terms of progress and development. Miles – a 4-star outside – is 6-0 with a whip for an arm. She extends and has a high contact point and knows what to do from there. She absolutely unloaded on a couple of balls and slammed them straight to the floor. Miles continues to develop her offensive game in big ways and is part of the reason why Boiler Jrs should challenge for a medal here. Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports m.51: Snowbarger is built in much of the same mold as Miles. She’s another lanky outside with great extension and a high contact point. She also has a very lively arm and can rip balls left and right. She’s also worked hard on her game and is becoming a big-time offensive threat. She’s currently a 3-star recruit who is very likely to climb in our next rankings update after national championship season. LeVariya Pinder MB Skyline 15 Royal: There are lots of players like Pinder, who happens to play middle along with 5-star recruit Keoni Williams. That’s not an easy situation to be in but Pinder does a great job churning out plays across the front row to keep it going in the middle when Williams rotates out. She plays outside in high school. She’s quick on her feet and has a really nice arm and was making plays on both sides as Skyline rolled on Day 2. Alana Bailey MB Far Out 15 Black: Bailey was extremely fun to watch. She’s a high-energy middle who plays with lots of passion. She’s listed at 5-11 but could be pushing 6-0. She’s another quick middle who moves very well at the net. She was closing blocks nicely and touching attacks. She’s also a legit threat on offense and Far Out was looking to get her the ball often. She has a smooth swing and tons of upside as she continues down the road. Brynlee Major RS Northern Lights 15-1: Major was filling her role well. She’s a bit undersized on the right side but she was bringing it on the attack nonetheless. She’s a fearless hitter who jumps well and was staying aggressive in challenging the defense. It paid off as she was coming through and providing offense when called upon. Saylor Parker RS OT 15 Semei: If you are starting to sense an offensive theme here, you aren’t wrong. Parker, part of the Class of 2025, is a 5-11 right side who can also let loose. OT likes to get her the ball a lot as she’s a reliable, consistent scorer who can let it fly. Leilani Ramos S/RS Jupiter Elite 15E: We really like the way Ramos gets after it and competes on the court. She plays with a lot of determination. At 5-9, she’s a two-way player who sets and hits. She moves well and does a nice job of getting to the ball and delivering accurate sets. She’s also a handful on the attack. She jumps well and is a smart hitter who scores in a variety of ways. Eva Long S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Long is coming along well as she continues developing. She runs a smooth offense and connects well with all her hitters. She’s effective at running the middle and also knowing when to go to the pins and always keeping the defense honest when in system. She has great hands and is rarely off her mark with her location. She’s also a fierce competitor. Gracie Miller L Black Swamp 151: Watching these next two play defense is part of the reason we created the All Red Hat Team. We just love ballers and gamers and Miller is certainly that. She’s a feisty defender who passes well out of serve receive. She also does a fine job of taking the ball overhand and placing it on target. Emily Miller DS Black Swamp 151: With both Millers in the back row, the defense shines for Black Swamp. It’s hard to get a ball down and neither one is the best option to challenge in serve receive.

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AAU 15 Open: Day 2 Show Stoppers And More

(Day 2 All Red Hat Team) With the top-two teams in each pool advancing and remaining in gold-medal contention, the top seeds managed to stay safe from elimination on the second day of 15 Open action at the AAU Girls Junior National Championships in Orlando. Safe in terms of moving on, but they were not all untouchable. It was also a great day to be the No. 3 team in a pool as half finished in the top two to stay in the hunt, including NE Elite 15 Phoenix which went 3-0 and took first place after upsetting A5 15 Bob. The other No. 3 teams in Illini Elite 15 Cardinal, SPVB 15 Elite, MN Select 15-1, JJVA 15 Teal and NorCal 15-1 Black each went 2-1 and grabbed second in their respective pools as the field was cut from 48 to 24. Only one No. 4 team – Munciana 15 Rise – finished in the top two. Muncie went 2-1, beating Kairos 15 Alpha and Elevate 15 Nike in the process. As for the top teams in each pool, we already mentioned A5 falling to NE Elite. Other top teams in their pools to go down included High Tide 15 Elite and AP 15 Adidas. Meanwhile, the top seven seeds – Skyline 15 Royal, Legacy 15-1 Adidas, Mintonette Sports m.51, Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal, Boiler Jrs 15 Gold, GP 15 Rox and Far Out 15 Black – went a combined 21-0 with only Far Out and Mintonette dropping a set. There are six, four-team pool set for Day 3. The top-two teams once again advance into Day 4’s 12-team gold bracket. With the field shrinking, it pushed GP and Far Out into the same pool, along with High Tide and VCNebraska 15 Elite. And with AP losing, AP faces Mintonette in the first match in that pool. Mintonette is ranked No. 2 in our current Top 50 National Rankings, while AP is No. 11. Top Select 15 Elite, at No. 33, is also in the pool.   *** DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Legacy has a wicked middle attack, with Nwabueze one half of the riddle defenses struggle to solve. She’s an athletic middle who puts up a big block and is a tough cover offensively with the way she gets up and delivers. Ella Andrews MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Andrews is the other reason why defenses have headaches from this duo. She also puts up a huge block and is a physical attacker who pounds kills down to the floor. Meredith Martin L/DS Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Martin commands the back row in every way. She’s in total control. She’s a sharp passer and gets around the court making plays all over. Keoni Williams MB Skyline 15 Royal: Skyline is another team with a strong middle combo, anchored by Williams in the middle. The 6-4 middle is near an impossible cover with her size and reach. She just makes blocks disappear. On the flip side, she takes up a good stretch at teh net and makes it difficult on attackers who try challenging her. Henley Anderson OH AP 15 Adidas: vballrecruiter.com’s National HS Freshman Player of the Year recipient is arguably the top-rated outside in the Class of 2026. At 6-3, she’s long and has a high IQ. It’s a lethal combination as she simply tees off at times and leaves defenses helpless. Grace Lee OH High Tide 15 Elite: Lee is a key part of the offense. She has nice length and a fluid arm. She was putting balls away off blocks and cross court on the regular. Riley McCaughey S High Tide 15 Elite: We really liked the way McCaughey was doing her thing. She has a nice touch and was spotting the ball well. Kennedy Hale L/DS Elevate 15 Nike: Hale was not afraid to hit the floor in hopes of keeping the ball alive. She was displaying lots of hustling and going all out in trying to keep her side in the rally. Catherine Palmi OH GP 15 Rox: Palmi has a heavy arm. She can crush it no matter what, whether with her powerful jump serve or her hard-swinging on the outside. When she gets one, you can feel the thunder. Ella Thorson S Kokoro 15-1: Thorson is among the setters in the division with nice size. She’s 5-10 and has a consistent release. *** Kailey Gieske L/DS Kokoro 15-1: Gieske was showing her scrappiness in the back row. She was covering and picking up balls well and passing soundly out of serve receive. Courtney Peters OH Kokoro 15-1: Peters shoulders a load on offense. She’s someone who gets set front and back row. She has a strong arm and the size to make an impact. Megan Ingersoll OH Alabama Performance 15 Toukon: Ingersoll doesn’t hold back. She has a big arm and swings with authority. She was powering balls through and around blocks as the go-to hitter. Malia Baker MB VVA 15-1: Baker flies under the radar but she’s an effective middle on both sides of the ball. She has the height for the position and she moves and swings well. She also puts up a solid block and makes her share of plays at the net. Caroline Tucker OH Carolina Rogue 15: Tucker is undersized compared to other outsides taking on a big role on offense. Yet, she gets off the ground well and has a good arm. She isn’t afraid of challenging bigger blocks. Alexis Jodie S Carolina Rogue 15: Jodie is a gamer at the setting position. She’s a bit undersized too but she hustles out there and puts up a hittable ball consistently. Ava Castro OH Jupiter Elite 15E: Castro is another outside who is a bit undersized but comes with it. She’s a springy, heady attacker who knows how to place her shots and frustrate blockers and defenders. Emma Adkins OH Tri-State Elite 15 Blue: Adkins is one of the more versatile

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AAU 17 Open: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

As national championship season continues on, next in line at AAUs in Orlando is 17 Open from June 22-25. This year’s field features 13 teams ranked in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 National Rankings, including two from the Top 10 in No. 5 A5 17 Jing and No. 9 OT 17 Aaron. It promises to be a hard-fought struggle to the finish line for gold. Our breakdown is below, including our predicted winner. 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 62 vballrecruiter.com National Rankings (13):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Prediction: Going off of our rankings, there’s no doubt A5 and OT are big-time favorites and could very well meet in the finals for gold. However, very, very seldom does it ever play out like that. Tri-State Elite and OT Felix have played competitive schedules and will be ready to show what they can do. A team like VCNebraska just missed out on qualifying for Open and is a strong contender as well who can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the country. Boiler Jrs has been steadily improving all season and has gone from losing tight matches early on to pulling them out lately. That makes Boiler Jrs some to watch. Miami Hype has some huge victories this season, including beating national No. 1 Dynasty, and could certainly shake up the draw at any point. In the end, teams are fighting to make the 12-team gold bracket on Day 4. The final four comes down to A5, OT Aaron, VCNebraska and Boiler Jrs. The pick is VCNebraska topping A5 in the final.

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USAV 11-13s: Gold Medal Rundown Plus Show Stoppers

The final day of the USAV Girls Junior National Championship was an incredible culmination of the tournament, featuring thrilling displays of passion, heart and athleticism. Although there were moments of heartbreak, each team gave it their all and left everything out on the court.  In the 13 Open final, Legacy 13-1 Adidas faced off against Elevation 13 SJ, with Legacy ultimately emerging victorious in three sets, 23-25, 25-10, 15-12. The match was tense in the first and third sets with a back-and-forth that kept spectators on the edge of their seats. Both teams showed incredible skill and determination. In the end, however, Legacy prevailed securing a well-deserved victory. The 12 National finals were eagerly anticipated, and the match between A5 12-LA and  EXCEL 12 National Red did not disappoint. A5 emerged victorious, winning the match in two, 25-23, 25-15. One thing that struck me about this national championship was the sheer amount of talent on display. Many players showcased exceptional skills and athleticism that will undoubtedly make them future stars of the sport. It was truly thrilling to watch such a high level of play and witness the emergence of so many young talents. The 12 USA finals between Drive Nation 12 Red and GVA/MIZUNO 12U DARK BLUE was an electrifying match. Ultimately, Drive Nation emerged as the winner, securing a hard-fought sweep, 25-16 25-19. The match showcased the incredible skill and determination of both teams, featuring some standout performances from Puerto Rican players renowned for their powerful swings. However, Drive Nation prevailed thanks to their tenacious defense, superb serving and formidable blocking at the net.  There were several other thrilling final results across the divisions. In the 13 National division, Alamo 13 Premier faced off against ARVC 13N1 Adidas and emerged victorious in three, 18-25, 25-23, 15-3. In the 13 USA division, OP2 13-1 claimed a well-deserved win over United 13 Susie in two, 26-24, 25-17. Meanwhile, in the 13 Liberty division, WAVE 13-Reily defeated SF Tremors 13 Wolverines in a nail-biting three-set match that kept fans on the edge of their seats, 17-25, 25-14, 19-17. The 13 American division saw AVA TX 13 Adidas triumph over SA Xtreme 13U in two, 25-18 25-19, while in the 13 Patriot division, Iowa Power Plex 13u Black secured a hard-fought victory over Rancho Valley 13Premier, 25-27, 25-18, 15-8. Finally, in the 12 American division, LV 12 Team Rox defeated Iowa Select 12 Mizuno in a a two-set match, 25-14 25-13.  So much talent and athleticism coming up through the ranks. It was an honor to witness and cover such an incredible event, and to support the growth of the sport we love. DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS Olivia Kitur OH EMV 13 National Black: Kitur is huge on the outside, literally. She is a six-rotation hitter who swings with no fear anywhere.  Peyton Smith-Johnson MB/OH EMV 13 National Black: Smith-Johnson is an upcomer to watch. Another scoring weapon for her squad, she doubles as a wall defensively.  Aubrey Waters OH Gainesville Jrs 13-1: Waters was very reliable with her attacks, getting key kills but rarely making any mistakes. Ana Sofia Garcia-Cruz MB SF Tremors 13 Wolverines: Garcia-Cruz was undersized in her position but between her athleticism and fire she was blocking and attacking with the best of them.  Kylie Moy MB SF Tremors 13 Wolverines: Moy is quick and moves well side to side. When she connects in the middle she brings the heat.  Quinn Nelson OH Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Nelson was taking smart swings, either tooling the block or exploiting the seam well.  Lexi Coleman OH Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Coleman has a big, strong arm and can hammer kills on the regular. Ashlyn Pelon L Legacy 13-1 ADIDAS: Pelon is a defensive force. She makes everything she does look easy and smooth, from passing in serve receive to showing great range in coverage.  Kelsey Green S Elevation 13 S J: A 5-1 setter, Green handled the setting duties efficiently, seemingly making all the right sets at the right time. Avery Brannon MB/RS Elevation 13 S J: Brannon is a real imposing presence at the net both in the middle on the pin when needed. Kaedyn Blotzer OH WAVE 13-Reily: Blotzer is a scrappy and undersized outside. She has a knack for hitting the line shot well.  Natalie Rynard S WAVE 13-Reily: Rynard has a great touch and consistently sets a clean ball. Rylee Hartwell OH UNITED 13’s Susie: Hartwell is an undersized hitter who you knows has to play beach with the shots she was pulling and hops that rivaled any outside hitter out there. Tons of fun to watch.  Cienna Enriquez  OH UNITED 13’s Susie: Enriquez is a savvy hitter who had no problem going against the block and continually found the open spots for kills. Madison Goodrich L UNITED 13’s Susie: Goodrich was passing out of serve receive was sharp and on point. She was also picking up touches and tips well too. Sloane Rattay OH OP2 13-1: Rattay was tough to slow down. She was displaying nice extension on her swings and hitting at a high contact point.  Jentri Denwalt S/RS OP2 13-1: Denwalt, a 2030, showed a nice touch and consistent release along with being a very reliable scoring option, Olivia Carter MB OP2 13-1: Carter contributes on both sides of the ball. When in system, she’s always a viable scoring threat. She can also be a menace with her blocking. Madison McGuire S AVA TX 13 Adidas: McGuire does well guiding the attack. She has a nice release and sets a hittable ball consistently. Charlie Marsico L AVA TX 13 Adidas: Marsico is a sound passer and a scrappy defender. Abigail Ibarra MB SA Xtreme 13U: Ibarra is a factor in the middle with her ability to score and block balls. She also moves well laterally.  Sara Gonzalez L Alamo 13 Premier: Gonzalez is a scrappy, energetic libero who goes all out in the back row. She is a lot of fun to watch make plays.  Sydney Whisenton OH/S Alamo 13 Premier: Whisenton brings value with her versatility. She’s a solid setter with lots of upside and

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AAU 15 Open: Day 1 Show Stoppers And More

(Day 1 All Red Hat Team) All that is needed to advance on the first day of 15 Open at AAU in Orlando is avoiding finishing in fourth place. Everyone else advances, including all three teams from all three, three-team pools. Of the 13 four-team pools, the No. 4 team failed to advance in seven of them. The highest-finishing No. 4 team was CVH Select 15u out of Puerto Rico, which finished in a three-way tie at 1-2 with Wildfire 15 Ore and Summit 15 Blue Elite and took second. Summit finished in fourth based on tiebreakers and was eliminated as the No. 3 team. Wildfire wasn’t the highest-seeded team bumped from contention Sunday. Two No. 2 teams were relegated to Group 2 starting Monday in EliteZ 15 White and K2 15 Adidas. Both went 0-3 in their respective pools. As expected, the No. 1 teams in their respective pools did very well. The 16 teams combined to go 41-4 overall, with none finishing lower than second place. The lowest-seeded team to fare the best was High Tide 15 Elite. It was a bit shocking to see how low High Tide was placed to begin. We have High Tide ranked No. 41 in our Top 50 National Rankings, yet High Tide began the tournament seeded No. 40! Let that sink in. High Tide went 3-0 as the No. 3 team in its pool and moved up to the No. 8 overall seed to begin play Monday. High Tide downed Illini Elite 15 Cardinal, AVA TX 15 Adidas and EliteZ. *** DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Eva Swenson S MN Select 15-1: Swenson, a 6-3 setter, was running the show well as she continues getting better and better. She was locating well and putting up a big block on the right side. Abby Conklin MB MN Select 15-1: Conklin is a lanky middle with a really nice arm. She hits at a high contact point and can be a tough cover. Marlee Schumacher MB No Name 15 Erin: Schumacher was another middle who was owning the net at times. She’s a physical presence who puts up a strong block and has a powerful arm. Ryan Sadler OH A5 15 Bob: Sadler was swinging away on the outside. She gets up and was letting balls fly left and right as she delivered her share of highlights. Gabriella Brodner OH Jupiter Elite 15E: Count Brodner among the many prospects doing their thing on Day 1. At 6-1, she’s lengthy with a fluid swing and smarts to back it up. She can really extend and connect and it makes her tough to cover. Jessica Smallwood OH EVA 15 Blue: At 6-5, Smallwood towers over just about everyone in the division. She has a huge impact at the net because of it. Attackers trying to tip balls too low found out the hard way. She’s also had no issue going over blocks and putting balls down. Gigi Artiles OH Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: This is a name fans will be hearing for years. At 6-2, is one of the top attackers in the division. She’s more than a handful at the net, where she powers ball after ball with her heavy arm. Ava Flores S Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Flores is an undersized setter but she does a nice job getting to the ball and putting her hitters in great positions to score. Cosette Bartling OH NE Elite 15 Phoenix: Bartling is another outside who is a bit undersized but has springs in her legs and can really get up and crush. She was a featured part of the attack and delivered a few eye-popping winners. Camden Rahn S/RS OT 15 Will: Rahn was a strong two-way player. The 6-1 setter/right side flashed tons of potential in both areas. She was OT’s second-best offensive threat and was helping to open up the attack on the right side. She’s also an above-average setter with a smooth release who spots well. *** Isabela Lopez OH OT 15 Will: Lopez was a big-time offensive weapon for OT. She’s another outside who jumps very well and unloads. Norah Busch MB Club Integrity 15-1: Busch was among the taller middles in the division and is a game-changer across the front row for Club Integrity. She changes both dynamics of blocking and attacking with her length and helped Club Intregity to an upset of NorCal 15-1 Black. Taytum Nelson MB Elevate 15 Nike: Nelson is even taller than Busch and also has a lot of potential. She had zero issue going over the block and scoring. Madison Anspaugh OH VC United 15 Elite: Anspaugh was impressive in shouldering part of the offensive load. At 6-1, she can hit high and she has a big arm. She gets the ball both front and back row and can send it flying equally well. Darby Felts OH K2 15 Adidas: Felts is a fun one to watch swing away. She jumps out of the gym and has a very lively arm. She lets it rip from the front and back row in style. Colbie McKenna OH EC Power KOP 15 True: McKenna was definitely among the standout outsides. She was another taller hitter who was trouble from both the front and back. She extends well and hits with lots of pace. Ellie Stiernagle S SPVB 15 Elite: Stiernagle has nice height for a setter and solid hands. She did well mixing up her sets and getting her hitters involved. Abigail Knight OH SPVB 15 Elite: Knight was taking big swings and sending balls down. She hits with a lot of power. Jordin Southall OH GP 15 Rox: Southall is an athletic outside who explodes up and has a whippy arm to deliver with. She had highlight moments that showed what she can be in the future at the next level. Sarahbelle Jameson OH JJVA 15 Teal: Jameson needs to be included among the taller outsides in the division. She’s a six-rotations anchor and has

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