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Elite ID Clinic Colorado Invites And Standouts

May 8, 2023

The recent vballrecruiter.com Elite ID Clinic brought the team to Englewood, Colorado and was hosted by Elevation last Friday. Girls from Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Missouri and even Massachusetts lit up the court with fast-paced and energetic play. The two-and-a-half-hour session flew by and when it was all over it was time to announce all the invites to the upcoming Red Hat Games in December in Dallas. There were a high number of invites with a total of 16 receiving them, plus two were recognized as previous invites. Here’s the list of players invited: *previously invited In addition to the invites, there were more players who stood out to us as we continue evaluating players for the Red Hat Games. Here’s a rundown of players who caught our eye the most. Sofia Posada 7th L Elevation: Posada showed no fear and an eagerness to get on the court no matter what. She might have been undersized in the middle but she still managed to score. De’Ja Lewis 7th OH Elevation 14 Peak: Lewis has a lively arm and was letting loose with it over and over. Her athleticism is going to be tough to deal with as she adds more and more power to her game. Elena Paz 8th L Elevation 14 Peak: Paz was a workhorse in the back row. She put out a lot of effort and was making hustle plays. Maliyah Bui 8th OH Elevation 15 Timberlin: Bui was performing in her role as a six-rotation outside. When the chance was there, she was really connecting incredibly well. Piper McFadden 8th S Elevation 14 Peak: McFadden was a smart-dishing setter with nice height. She takes the ball high and connects well with her hitters. Riley Hake 8th OH Elevation 14 Peak: Hake is an outside who not only jumps well, but she is physically strong and is able to hit with power. Riley Riggs 8th OH/MB MAVS KC 14-1: Riggs hit a heavy ball on the pins and in the middle. She is one to watch as she continues to mature in the game. Gia Ireland 8th S/Opp NORCO 15 Black: Ireland is a next-level talent to be sure. Her ability to both set and hit was on display and she was doing both at an above-average level. Jaylyn Lynch FR OH NORCO 15 Black: Lynch, an undersized outside, was aggressive with her attacking and was coming hard with it! Madeline Smith FR OH/Opp NORCO 15 Black: Smith was aggressive attacking throughout the entire clinic. When she connects, she hits a heavy ball. Kate Schroetlin FR L NORCO 15 Black: Schroetlin displayed plenty of poise with a side of no fear. She was a wall on defense, getting almost everything upcoming her way and covering the court incredibly well. Jenna Baller FR L Elevation 15 Peak: Baller played well everywhere in the back row. A defensive gem for sure. Chloe Crider FR OH/L Rocky Elite 15 National: Crider is a six-rotation outside who has great court presence and is a smart attacker. Aubrey Blake FR S 303 Volleyball Academy 15 Alpha: Blake was a scrapper on the court. There was not a single attacked ball that she could not get up. She showed no fear. Margaux Manthe FR S Colorado Juniors 15 Sherri: Manthe was steady and consistent in her delivery and location. Tegan Beuhler FR MB/Pin Colorado Juniors 15 Sherri: Beuhler hits a heavy ball and stood out attacking. Sutton Sales SO OH Arete 16-1: Sales was an attacker who was simply bringing it every time she swung wherever she was on the court. Watch out when she connects! Jessica Eldridge SO L Arete 16-1: Eldridge has great reactions and was very steady defending. Anne Haley SO S Arete 16-1: Haley is a bit undersized but don’t let that fool you. She has great hands and her athleticism shows in every set she dishes. Brianna Hazak SO OH/DS Front Range 16-1: Hazak is another next-level talent who really stood out with her attacking skills. She hammered the very first ball of the day and only kept it up from there, showing her lively arm and ability to put balls away. Piper DeRuiter SO MB/Opp Elevation 16 Peak: DeRuiter was hitting out of both the middle and right side during drills and was swinging equally well. She’s also puts up a good block. Maya Flemister SO MB Elevation 16 Peak: Flemister is a presence in the middle. She has everything it takes to be a next-level middle. Lily Markwell SO L Elevation 16 Peak: Marwell was holding it down on the court with sound defense. Her first touches were consistent and on point. Lauren Jacobson SO OH Rocky Elite 16 National: Jacobson moves and swings well on the court. She is a baller with high energy. Ashlyn Tafoya SO S Rocky Elite 17 National: Tafoya has a great release. She moves and connects with her hitters well on the court. Petra Fritz SO OH/S DCVA 17 Hong: Fritz is powerful on the pins. She is also a powerful setter who moves well. Aly Dolan SO S/Opp Colorado Momentum 15-Elsa: Dolan is a double threat. She has great hands and hits incredibly well on the pins. Marcela Calderon JR L Five Star VBC: Calderon’s vocal leadership was on display. She was both talkative and encouraging. She is also a great out of system setter.

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Far Western: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

April 27, 2023

The last qualifying weekend is upon us and there is plenty at stake for both participating and observing. The only way into the Open field after this weekend’s Far Western Qualifier in Reno is through the at-large process, where nothing is guaranteed. Many teams are already in that position and that’s why they are anxiously awaiting to see how this weekend plays out. Any at-large candidate which is able to qualify in Reno removes itself from the at-large pool and helps those in need of one, so there are plenty of interested parties. Below, we look at 15-17 Open and see how it might all play out. 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 29 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (3): Co Jrs 17 Kevin; Vision 17 Gold; NorCal 17-1 Black vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (8):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: It’s exciting (and stressful) times in what should be a fantastic conclusion to the 17 Open qualifying season. With Co Jrs 17 Kevin, Vision 17 Gold and NorCal 17-1 Black having bids, we know all three bids will go out and that trickle down can’t extend past sixth place. NorCal hasn’t shown quite as consistently as Co Jrs and Vision have. It makes it difficult to believe Co Jrs and Vision won’t play a part in trickle down. There’s a pack of five I’m watching for in Pokahu 17-1, Madfrog 17 Green, City 17 Gold, Arizona Storm 17 Thunder and Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar. I think all three bids come from this group. What’s interesting is Pohaku, Storm and Beach have all been one victory away from qualifying already. Pohaku had a chance at MEQ but fell to Boiler Jrs 17 Gold in the fifth-place match. Storm had two shots at Red Rock. First, in a semifinal match against Coast 17-1 and then in a third-place showdown against Wave 17 Juliana. Long Beach recently lost to NorCal in a bid match in Salt Lake. City was also in Salt Lake, where it fought against Beach and NorCal in gold pool action. Meanwhile, Madfrog had a solid ninth-place finish at Lone Star recently and looks poised to get a bid. It’s going to be an intense race for the qualifying spots. It comes down to Co Jrs topping Madfrog in the final. Pohaku and Storm also qualify. *** 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 30 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (2): ID Crush 16 Bower; Oaks 16 Gold vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (8):   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: With just ID Crush 16 Bower and Oaks 16 Gold owning bids, we know all three qualifying spots will be taken. ID Crush is seeking its third qualifier victory of the season after earning gold medals at both PNQ and Salt Lake. There are only two at-larges available and the favorites to receive those are not in attendance here. That means that teams needing bids like Skyline 16 Royal and NorCal 16-1 Black are down to their last chance in all likelihood. Madfrog 16 Green has a case for an at-large bid perhaps but is basically in the same boat in needing to qualify in Reno. Co Jrs 16 Shannon has been near qualifying previously and could find itself breaking through this weekend. Of course, a qualifier could come from outside our Top 50. Spike and Serve 16-1 is one to watch for in that regard, as are ARVC 16 Adidas, KC Power 16 Black and Absolute 16 Black. *** 15 OPEN Number of Teams: 28 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (9): SCVC 15 Roxy; Hou Skyline 15 Royal; Club V 15 Ren Reed; AZ Storm 15 Thunder; AP 15 Adidas; Aspire 15 Premier; Academy 15 Diamond; Vision 15 Gold; Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (11):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: This division has the biggest X factor because of nine qualified teams in the field. Who knows if any bids will go out? If you are a team not attending Far Western and in need of an at-large bid – there are four available – you are certainly rooting for the top eight spots to be filled up by teams with bids. That would expand the at-large field to seven and greatly increase team’s chances of earning one. I don’t think that’ll be the case. There are teams good enough to crack the top eight or better and qualify. Forza1 North 15 One is one. Tstreet 15 Curtis, Coast 15 Luis and AZ Rev 15 Premier are three more. I wouldn’t be surprised to see all three bids still go out. I would expect SCVC 15 Roxy, Hou Skyline 15 Royal, AP 15 Adidas and Arizona Storm 15 Thunder all to factor into the top eight but after that it opens up. In the end, Hou Skyline takes home gold after beating AP in the final. Forza North, Tstreet and AZ Rev all take home bids.

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14 Open At-Large Update

April 26, 2023

The 14s qualifying season wrapped last weekend with both Forza1 14 One and PVA 14 Elite securing Open bids at the Far Western qualifier in Reno. The results further helped shape the at-large picture for the division. There are eight spots still to be filled to complete the field of 36 for this summer in Chicago. Forza and PVA were certainly among the pack of at-large candidates and both had arguments to be selected. With both earning bids in Reno and neither needing an at-large, it opens the door for others who might not have gotten in had Forza and PVA needed at-larges. After updating a few results from last week’s look, we take another glance at the top candidates to receive at-larges based on qualifier results and head-to-head results against the Open field. — Northern Lights 14-1 (4-4) (6th Show Me; 17th NL) W: Academy Diamond (3x); MAVS L: Premier Nebraska (2x); Club V; PVA — GP 14 Rox (6-11) (14th NL; T5th Big South) W: AZ Sky; MAVS; Academy; Excel; A5; Absolute L: Hou Skyline; Top Select; A5 (2x); AP (2x); Drive Nation; AZ Sky; Vision; Wave; PVA — Forza1 14 One (7-15) (5th NL; T7th RRR; 9th Far Western) W: Wave (3x); Premier Nebraska; MAVS KC; Club V; PVA L: Tstreet (4x); Long Beach (3x); Hou Skyline; TAV; Madfrog; Wave; AZ Storm; Forza North; Vision; Absolute — VCNebraska 14 Elite (4-8) (4th NL; 4th Show Me) W: AP; Premier Nebraska (3x) L: Drive Nation (2x); TAV; Hou Skyline; Academy Diamond; MAVS (2x); PVA — AZ Rev 14 Premier (5-11) (13th RRR; 11th Far Western) W: AZ Sky (2x); Wave; Premier Nebraska; Vision L: AZ Storm (3x); Drive Nation (2x); TAV; Tstreet; Long Beach; Skyline; AZ Sky; Absolute — Legacy 14-1 Adidas (4-11) (5th Sunshine; 5th Windy City; 7th NL) W: A5; Elevation (2x); PVA L: Drive Nation; AP (2x); AZ Storm; Skyline; TAV; Tstreet; A5; HPSTL (2x); Lions — Mintonette Sports m.41 (4-9) (7th Windy City; 13th Sunshine; 5th MEQ) W: Premier Nebraska; Academy Diamond; Tribe; PVA L: AZ Sky; AP; Top Select; MAVS; OT Laura (2x); Skyline; Elevation; Tribe — Rockwood Thunder 14 Elite (3-7) (11th NL; 11th Sunshine; 10th MEQ; 14th SLC) W: Academy; A5; PVA L: AP; TAV (2x); Elevation; OT Laura; Skyline; PVA — Austin Skyline 14 Royal (3-21) (17th Sunshine; 9th MEQ; 11th SLC; 9th Lone Star) W: Hou Skyline; Elevation; SA Jrs L: TAV (2x); Drive Nation (2x); Skyline; A5; AZ Sky; Wave (2x); Academy; Excel; HPSTL (2x); OT Laura; Top Select; Elevation; MAVS; AP; Hou Skyline; Madfrog; Absolute — NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami (2-8) (4th Big South; 21st MEQ) W: Premier Nebraska; PVA L: AZ Sky; A5 (2x); Top Select; Long Beach; TAV; HPSTL; Lions — KC Power 14 Black (1-8) (3rd Show Me; 13th MEQ; 13th NL) W: MAVS L: Hou Skyline; TAV; Hou Skyline; OT Laura; SA Jrs; MAVS; Premier Nebraska (2x) — MKE Sting 14 Gold (1-9) (10th Windy City; 15th MEQ) W: Lions L: Premier Nebraska (2x); Skyline; Wave; HPSTL; MAVS; Lions; OT Laura; Drive Nation — HJV 14 Elite (1-12) (25th MEQ; 18th RRR) W: SA Jrs L: AP (2x); Premier Nebraska; Drive Nation; Hou Skyline; SA Jrs; AZ Storm (2x); Club V; Lions; MAVS; Long Beach

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USAV 18 Open: Preview And Predictions (FREE)

April 26, 2023

The USAV Girls 18s Junior National Championship is slated for Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Columbus. The 48-team Open field is highlighted by top-ranked and top-seeded Drive Nation 18 Red, which has just one loss entering this weekend’s competition. The lone setback came against AJV 18 Adidas back in January at the Lone Star Classic 18s qualifier. Drive Nation still managed to finish first there, like it has everywhere else. Drive Nation also owns first-place finishes at Triple Crown, Florida Fest and Boston Festival. It clearly makes Drive Nation the favorite, much like Sunshine 18 LA was a season ago in Phoenix. Another top contender is Coast 18-1, which lost to Drive Nation in the final of Triple Crown and spent this past Saturday tuning up with a scrimmage against Club V 18 Ren Reed. Club V made the visit from Utah to So Cal and spent Friday scrimmaging with Tstreet 18 Chandler and Sunshine 18 LA before heading to San Diego to face Coast in a friendly match Saturday. Coast won the tune up in four sets and look to be among the few teams capable of beating Drive Nation. Below, we take a look players to know, the pools and our predictions for how it might all play out. The 48 teams in Open are divided into eight pools of six. The top three advance to challenge rounds. The first-place teams get a bye while the second and third-place teams play crossover matches to make the top 16. The crossover winners then play the pool winners for a spot in the quarterfinals. It all happens very quickly, as virtually every team wakes up on Day 2 with a chance to still break pool but only eight will remain in contention by day’s end. 5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know: *** PREDICTIONS We make our pool-by-pool predictions as to which teams are going to advance. We listed the teams in seeded order with vballrecruiter.com’s national ranking indicated in front. POOL 1   Prediction: Drive Nation 5-0; FC Elite 4-1; AVC Cle 3-2; Long Beach 2-3; CUVC 1-4; SynergyForce 0-5 *** POOL 2   Prediction: Coast 4-1; Elevation 4-1; Arizona Storm 4-1; Madfrog 2-3; MKE Sting 1-4; OPU 0-5 *** POOL 3   Prediction: Wave 5-0; Gainesville 4-1; AZ Rev 3-2; AJV 2-3; MN Select 1-4; EC Power 0-5 *** POOL 4   Prediction: MAVS 4-1; Skyline 4-1; Metro 4-1; Triangle 2-3; Adversity 1-4; A4 0-5 *** POOL 5   Prediction: Sunshine 4-1; A5 4-1; OT 3-2; TAV 2-3; VC United 1-4; OJVA 1-4 *** POOL 6   Prediction: Circle City 5-0; NPJ 4-1; Legacy 3-2; Alamo 2-3; Excel 1-4; Absolute 0-5 *** POOL 7   Prediction: 1st Alliance 4-1; Club V 4-1; HJV 3-2; Rage Westside 2-3; Tribe 1-4; AZ EVJ 1-4 *** POOL 8   Prediction: Mintonette 4-1; Premier Nebraska 4-1; Hou Skyline 4-1; Paramount 1-4; Tstreet 1-4; Northern Lights 1-4 Challenge Rounds: 1 – AZ Rev d Elevation; Drive Nation d AZ Rev 2 – FC Elite d Metro; Coast d Metro 3 – Skyline d AVC Cle; Skyline d Wave 4 – Arizona Storm d Gainesville Jrs; MAVS d Arizona Storm 5 – HJV d NPJ; Sunshine d HJV 6 – A5 d Hou Skyline; A5 d Circle City 7 – Premier Nebraska d OT; 1st Alliance d Premier Nebraska 8 – Club V d Legacy; Club V d Mintonette Quarterfinals: Drive Nation d Club V Coast d 1st Alliance A5 d Skyline MAVS d Sunshine Semifinals: Drive Nation d Sunshine Coast d A5 Final: Coast d Drive Nation

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SCVA 17s Team Spotlights

April 25, 2023

Of the 11 teams competing in the top pool of the SCVA Power League 3 event last Saturday at Momentous in Irvine, at least five are slated to participate in 17 Open come this summer in Chicago. Two more in City 17 Gold and Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar are headed to Far Western this coming weekend in Reno where they could add to the region’s total or if not there possibly earn one through the at-large process. Let’s take a look at the group with our Team Spotlights: MOMENTOUS 17 DAN: Momentous came out on top of the latest power league round after beating SCVC 17 Roxy, 25-18, 25-17. Momentous earned its bid at the beginning of the month at the Big South Qualifier in intense fashion. First, Momentous pulled out a must-win match against highly-ranked and previously-qualified Triangle 17 Black on Day 2 to break pool then needed to take down highly-ranked and previously-qualified Wave 17 Juliana on Day 3 to break gold pool and keep its bid hopes alive. Momentous finally clinched after outlasting Alamo 17 Premier for the final bid. Momentous barely missed out on qualifying last season as a 16s group by one match, then lost out on the only at-large bid available. This year Momentous has proven it’s capable of finishing in the upper half of the field. The lineup is a strong offensively with outside Isabel Clark leading the way. Cymarah Gordon is another big arm on the right side, along with setter/right side Julia Kakkis. They are backed by outsides Camryn Hayek and Makayla Gates and middles Tatum Johnson, Megan Rice and Taylor Walsh. Helping fill the lineup out is setter Madeline Brown and liberos/DSs Annah Legaspi and Malyssa Cawa. SCVC 17 ROXY: After pool victories over Actyve 17 Black and Coast 17 Rafael, SCVC downed recently-qualified Seal Beach 17 Black before running into Momentous in the final. It kept up a string of strong performances for the club and featured similar lineups to what we’ve seen. Kendall Beshear and Malina Young were taking care of the outside with Rachel Moglia and Jade Dudley-Epps in the middle. Part of the 6-2 package SCVC was running were setters Hayden Lim and Althea Morris and right sides Kalia Debeer and Chloe Hynes. Defensively, Taylor Deckert was suited up at libero. The squad’s first shot at a bid came at the Red Rock Rave, where SCVC fell to Wave 17 Juliana on Day 3 and finished tied for fifth in one of the tougher fields of the season. SCVC punched its ticket at its next outing, coming in third at PNQ. There, SCVC pulled out a must-win contest over SG Elite 17 Rosh in the third-place match to seal the last remaining bid. It was a clutch victory as it was SCVC’s last qualifier.   SEAL BEACH 17 BLACK: Seal Beach opened the latest power league by taking down Wave then followed that by sweeping Actyve. Seal Beach’s day ended with a setback to SCVC as it went 2-1. Seal Beach can count itself among the Open teams thanks to its time in Salt Lake City recently. Seal Beach stayed alive with key victories over previously-qualified Club V 17 Ren Matthew and City 17 Gold on Day 2. Seal Beach took advantage of its situation and with victories against DaKine Warriors 17 Surf and Tx Performance 17s earned its bid. Seal Beach has a flexible roster that offers options. Kaia Herweg, Ashley Repetti and Chloe Pravednikov are options at outside. Seal Beach typically uses Sydney May as a setter/right side, with Delaney Hughes setting across the back row and Addison Collum coming in to hit across the front. Anna Sanzaro and Kylie Leopard are mainstays in the middle, as is Tessa Hurley at libero. WAVE 17 JULIANA: Wave was playing without standout middle Jenna Hanes, which obviously impacted its lineup options. Wave split its pool matches with Sunshine 17 Westside and Seal Beach before downing Coast 17-1 in a match for fourth place. Wave and Coast were the first of the So Cal clubs to clinch Open bids when both qualified at Red Rock. Wave defeated Seal Beach and previously-qualified Hou Skyline 17 Royal in gold pool action to reach the gold bracket. There, Wave fell to Drive Nation 17 Red before beating Arizona Storm 17 Thunder for the third place and last bid. Wave also finished tied for ninth at Big South. Wave, like most teams Saturday, was using lots of players. With Hanes out, Grace Flanagan and Camden Bolane were the lone middles. Wave also used both setters in Amanda Saeger and Kiki Remensperger, as well as two liberos in Maya Evens and Kiana Olalia. Fallyn Blotzer, Ayva Moi, Nikole Egan and Sofia Williams were holding down the pins. COAST 17-1: Coast finished 1-2 with losses to City and Wave and a victory against Vegas Aces 17 UA. Like Wave and SCVC, Coast attended just two qualifiers. After qualifying in Vegas with a second-place showing, Coast tied for seventh at PNQ. That’s been it for Coast, which was relying on familiar faces in outsides Jaidyn Jager and Madison Triplett and middle Mackenzie Parsons. Tiana Owens was taking care of the right side with Sophia Meyer at libero. CITY 17 GOLD: The next two squads were using last weekend to prep for Far Western, where both City and Long Beach are attempting to bid for the last time before needing to rely on at-large luck. City and Beach happened to be paired together to open play Saturday, with Beach prevailing in three. City bounced back to beat Coast then downed Actyve to close out its day. City tied for seventh recently in Salt Lake City, where it competed without outside Danica Rach, who remains out. City has been using Kimi Watanabe-Mayhew and Mila Mijailovic to pair with Jenna Garner on the outside. Havyn Rolle and Maggie Lima were solid in the middle, with Kennedy Osunsanmi getting more and more comfortable on the right

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17 Open At-Large Features Many Scenarios

April 25, 2023

The 17 Open at-large race is shaping up to be a fascinating conclusion to the qualifying year. The last chance to qualify outright is this coming weekend at Far Western in Reno, where all three available bids are set to go out. There are four teams accepted in 17 Open with bids in Club V 17 Matthew, Co Jrs 17 Kevin, NorCal 17-1 Black and Vision 17 Gold, so one way or another all three bids will be awarded and the at-large pool will remain at two. There are 28 teams from vballrecruiter.com’s 17s Top 50 National Rankings and three unranked ones with bids already. Here’s the full list: *unranked There are six more teams from the Top 50 without bids which are participating in Reno. That list includes: The at-large race is very tight, so this coming weekend is huge for those teams still chasing bids. Pohaku 17-1, City 17 Gold and Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar are in the top pack of at-large candidates. There’s a chance that if none qualify in Reno, two of the three would receive the at-larges. Of course, if all three were to qualify in Reno, that totally changes the at-large picture. Madfrog 17 Green and Arizona Storm 17 Thunder are also teams playing in Reno. Their at-large cases aren’t as strong as Pohaku, Long Beach and City’s, so this weekend is big for them. Qualifying is their best shot obviously, but if teams like Pohaku, Beach and City get bids, it helps a team like Madfrog. Here’s a rundown of ranked teams that would have to rely on an at-large bid: As you’ll see below, it’s critical for teams in Reno to clinch bids this weekend. It’s a packed bunch of teams that will be seeking one of the two at-larges. City, Long Beach and Pohaku are positioned well, but so too are clubs like Elevation 17 Ulland, VCNebraska 17 Elite and MKE Sting 17 Gold. That trio is right in the mix as well. One way or another, there are tough, tough decisions to be made! — City 17 Gold (6-11) (5th PNQ; 5th Salt Lake) W: Coast (2x); NorCal; SCVC; OT Felix; Club V L: SG Elite (2x); SCVC; Wave (2x); AJV; Dynasty; TAV; NorCal; Seal Beach; Vision — Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar (6-12) (21st PNQ; 8th NEQ; 7th Salt Lake) W: Coast; MAVS; AVC; Rev; Vision (2x) L: Momentous (2x); Wave (2x); Coast; SCVC; Seal Beach; Vision; 1st Alliance; AVC; Metro; NorCal — Elevation 17 Ulland (5-10) (14th Windy City; 7th MEQ)W: Rev; Triangle; Metro; Skyline; MAVS L: AVC Cle; Vision (2x); SG Elite; KC Power; Boiler Jrs (2x); Co Jrs; Dynasty; NKYVC — Madfrog 17 Green (5-13) (5th PNQ; 9th Lone Star) W: Drive Nation; Skyline; Hou Skyline; NorCal; Coast L: A5 (2x); Hou Skyline; HJV; Skyline; TAV (2x); NKYVC; OT Aaron; Drive Nation; Vision; SCVC; AVC — Pohaku 17-1 (4-7) (6th MEQ; 11th Show Me; 14th Northern Lights) W: KC Power; Metro; NKYVC; Rockwood Thunder L: Club V; SCVC; 1st Alliance (2x); Boiler Jrs; Drive Nation; KC Power — VCNebraska 17 Elite (4-13) (8th Northern Lights; 5th Show Me; 9th Lone Star) W: Boiler Jrs; Premier Nebraska (2x); Metro L: Rockwood Thunder; Premier Nebraska; 1st Alliance; Drive Nation; SCVC; Skyline (2x); KC Power (2x); Dynasty; Hou Skyline; TAV; Triangle — MKE Sting 17 Gold (4-12) (9th Northern Lights; 9th Sunshine; 9th Windy City; 9th Lone Star) W: Hou Skyline; Dynasty; HJV; AVC Cle L: 1st Alliance; A5; Premier Nebraska; Co Jrs; OT Aaron (2x); Skyline (3x); Triangle; Boiler Jrs; MAVS — Academy 17 Tsunami (6-10) (9th MEQ) W: Boiler Jrs (4x); NKYVC; SCVC L: Boiler Jrs (2x); OT Aaron; Co Jrs; Hou Skyline; Momentous; Triangle (2x); Rockwood Thunder; NKYVC — AZ Sky 17G (3-4) (15th Red Rock) W: Club V; Momentous; Wave L: Drive Nation; Hou Skyline; Club V; NKYVC — Top Select 17 Elite (3-9) (14th Big South; 9th Sunshine) W: Club V; AJV; Boiler Jrs L: Co Jrs; AVC Cle; OT Aaron; Drive Nation; KC Power; Vision; A5; OT Felix; TAV — Arizona Storm 17 Thunder (2-7) (4th Red Rock; 15th Lone Star) W: Hou Skyline; Vision L: SG Elite; Coast; Wave; AJV; Dynasty; A5; Skyline

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16 Open At-Larges A Tight Race

April 24, 2023

vballrecruiter.com continues looking at the at-larges pictures, moving on with the 16s division. There are two at-large bids available and with all three bids set to go out at Far Western this coming weekend, that’s all there will be. That narrows it down significantly compared to having eight in 14s and four in 15s. Currently, 27 teams from vballrecruiter.com’s 16s Top 50 National Rankings have qualified in Open. Another four unranked teams also have secured bids. Here’s the full qualified list: *unranked What’s interesting is a handful of ranked teams which are at Far Western still in search of their bids. That includes: Madfrog 16 Green was playing well recently at Lone Star and could be one of the three teams leaving town qualified. NorCal 16-1 Black has been close at both PNQ and Salt Lake, while Skyline 16 Royal and AVA TX 16 Adidas have also been in the mix elsewhere. Once you factor in the other teams in Reno also chasing bids like ARVC 16-1 Adidas, AZ Rev 16 Premier, Absolute 16 Black, Forza1 North 16 One, Norco 16-1 Black, Vision 16 Gold and SAS 16-1 it should make for an exciting conclusion to qualifying season. Here’s the full list of remaining ranked teams without a bid who will have to enter the at-large pool: Below, we take a look at the top contenders. With only two bids available, it’s a short list. That’s why Far Western this coming weekend is important if a team like Skyline or Madfrog or both could earn their spots. Legacy 16-1 Adidas and Mich Elite 16 Mizuno appear to be front runners in the at-large scenario. Madfrog is in the hunt but like anyone else in Reno would likely need to get it done this weekend to make the field. — Legacy 16-1 Adidas (11-12) (5th Sunshine; 5th MEQ; 9th Windy City; 17th Lone Star) W: AVC; Drive Nation; ID Crush; Long Beach; OT JP; Wave; OT Roberto; Triangle; Tribe (2x); GP L: KiVA (2x); Circle City; 1st Alliance (2x); OT JP; TAV; Austin Skyline (2x); MKE Sting; HJV; Hou Skyline — Mich Elite 16 Mizuno (7-9) (9th Big South; 9th NEQ; 13th Sunshine; 5th MEQ) W: Triangle; Coast; Wave; A5; KiVA; Alamo; Surfside L: Circle City (2x); OT JP (3x); 1st Alliance; AZ Storm; MKE Sting; Triangle — Madfrog 16 Green (4-9) (9th Lone Star; 13th Red Rock) W: TAV; Alamo; Circle City; Oaks L: Drive Nation (3x); Austin Skyline; HJV; KiVA; ID Crush; TAV; AZ Storm — AVA TX 16 Adidas (4-9) (9th Red Rock; 13th Big South; 7th Salt Lake; 14th Lone Star) W: HJV; Alamo; KiVA; GP L: AZ Storm; Drive Nation (2x); HJV; Skyline; TAV; OT Roberto; Vegas Aces; MAVS — Dynasty 16 Black (3-9) (9th Sunshine; 15th MEQ; 9th Show Me; 13th Lone Star) W: Alamo; HJV; Austin Skyline L: TAV; A5; GP; OT JP; Nebraska One (2x); MAVS; AZ Storm; HJV — AJV 16 Mizuno (3-12) (7th PNQ; 7th Show Me; 17th Lone Star) W: Austin Skyline; Premier Nebraska (2x) L: Austin Skyline (3x); A5; HJV; 1st Alliance; MAVS (2x); Northern Lights; Circle City; Oaks; Coast — Skyline 16 Royal (1-10) (15th Sunshine; 5th Show Me; 15th Lone Star) W: Alamo L: Austin Skyline (2x); Drive Nation; MKE Sting; Nebraska One (2x); Surfside; A5; TAV (2x)

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Elite ID Clinic Colorado Invites And Standouts

May 8, 2023

The recent vballrecruiter.com Elite ID Clinic brought the team to Englewood, Colorado and was hosted by Elevation last Friday. Girls from Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Missouri and even Massachusetts lit up the court with fast-paced and energetic play. The two-and-a-half-hour session flew by and when it was all over it was time to announce all the invites to the upcoming Red Hat Games in December in Dallas. There were a high number of invites with a total of 16 receiving them, plus two were recognized as previous invites. Here’s the list of players invited: *previously invited In addition to the invites, there were more players who stood out to us as we continue evaluating players for the Red Hat Games. Here’s a rundown of players who caught our eye the most. Sofia Posada 7th L Elevation: Posada showed no fear and an eagerness to get on the court no matter what. She might have been undersized in the middle but she still managed to score. De’Ja Lewis 7th OH Elevation 14 Peak: Lewis has a lively arm and was letting loose with it over and over. Her athleticism is going to be tough to deal with as she adds more and more power to her game. Elena Paz 8th L Elevation 14 Peak: Paz was a workhorse in the back row. She put out a lot of effort and was making hustle plays. Maliyah Bui 8th OH Elevation 15 Timberlin: Bui was performing in her role as a six-rotation outside. When the chance was there, she was really connecting incredibly well. Piper McFadden 8th S Elevation 14 Peak: McFadden was a smart-dishing setter with nice height. She takes the ball high and connects well with her hitters. Riley Hake 8th OH Elevation 14 Peak: Hake is an outside who not only jumps well, but she is physically strong and is able to hit with power. Riley Riggs 8th OH/MB MAVS KC 14-1: Riggs hit a heavy ball on the pins and in the middle. She is one to watch as she continues to mature in the game. Gia Ireland 8th S/Opp NORCO 15 Black: Ireland is a next-level talent to be sure. Her ability to both set and hit was on display and she was doing both at an above-average level. Jaylyn Lynch FR OH NORCO 15 Black: Lynch, an undersized outside, was aggressive with her attacking and was coming hard with it! Madeline Smith FR OH/Opp NORCO 15 Black: Smith was aggressive attacking throughout the entire clinic. When she connects, she hits a heavy ball. Kate Schroetlin FR L NORCO 15 Black: Schroetlin displayed plenty of poise with a side of no fear. She was a wall on defense, getting almost everything upcoming her way and covering the court incredibly well. Jenna Baller FR L Elevation 15 Peak: Baller played well everywhere in the back row. A defensive gem for sure. Chloe Crider FR OH/L Rocky Elite 15 National: Crider is a six-rotation outside who has great court presence and is a smart attacker. Aubrey Blake FR S 303 Volleyball Academy 15 Alpha: Blake was a scrapper on the court. There was not a single attacked ball that she could not get up. She showed no fear. Margaux Manthe FR S Colorado Juniors 15 Sherri: Manthe was steady and consistent in her delivery and location. Tegan Beuhler FR MB/Pin Colorado Juniors 15 Sherri: Beuhler hits a heavy ball and stood out attacking. Sutton Sales SO OH Arete 16-1: Sales was an attacker who was simply bringing it every time she swung wherever she was on the court. Watch out when she connects! Jessica Eldridge SO L Arete 16-1: Eldridge has great reactions and was very steady defending. Anne Haley SO S Arete 16-1: Haley is a bit undersized but don’t let that fool you. She has great hands and her athleticism shows in every set she dishes. Brianna Hazak SO OH/DS Front Range 16-1: Hazak is another next-level talent who really stood out with her attacking skills. She hammered the very first ball of the day and only kept it up from there, showing her lively arm and ability to put balls away. Piper DeRuiter SO MB/Opp Elevation 16 Peak: DeRuiter was hitting out of both the middle and right side during drills and was swinging equally well. She’s also puts up a good block. Maya Flemister SO MB Elevation 16 Peak: Flemister is a presence in the middle. She has everything it takes to be a next-level middle. Lily Markwell SO L Elevation 16 Peak: Marwell was holding it down on the court with sound defense. Her first touches were consistent and on point. Lauren Jacobson SO OH Rocky Elite 16 National: Jacobson moves and swings well on the court. She is a baller with high energy. Ashlyn Tafoya SO S Rocky Elite 17 National: Tafoya has a great release. She moves and connects with her hitters well on the court. Petra Fritz SO OH/S DCVA 17 Hong: Fritz is powerful on the pins. She is also a powerful setter who moves well. Aly Dolan SO S/Opp Colorado Momentum 15-Elsa: Dolan is a double threat. She has great hands and hits incredibly well on the pins. Marcela Calderon JR L Five Star VBC: Calderon’s vocal leadership was on display. She was both talkative and encouraging. She is also a great out of system setter.

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Far Western: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

April 27, 2023

The last qualifying weekend is upon us and there is plenty at stake for both participating and observing. The only way into the Open field after this weekend’s Far Western Qualifier in Reno is through the at-large process, where nothing is guaranteed. Many teams are already in that position and that’s why they are anxiously awaiting to see how this weekend plays out. Any at-large candidate which is able to qualify in Reno removes itself from the at-large pool and helps those in need of one, so there are plenty of interested parties. Below, we look at 15-17 Open and see how it might all play out. 17 OPEN Number of Teams: 29 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (3): Co Jrs 17 Kevin; Vision 17 Gold; NorCal 17-1 Black vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (8):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: It’s exciting (and stressful) times in what should be a fantastic conclusion to the 17 Open qualifying season. With Co Jrs 17 Kevin, Vision 17 Gold and NorCal 17-1 Black having bids, we know all three bids will go out and that trickle down can’t extend past sixth place. NorCal hasn’t shown quite as consistently as Co Jrs and Vision have. It makes it difficult to believe Co Jrs and Vision won’t play a part in trickle down. There’s a pack of five I’m watching for in Pokahu 17-1, Madfrog 17 Green, City 17 Gold, Arizona Storm 17 Thunder and Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar. I think all three bids come from this group. What’s interesting is Pohaku, Storm and Beach have all been one victory away from qualifying already. Pohaku had a chance at MEQ but fell to Boiler Jrs 17 Gold in the fifth-place match. Storm had two shots at Red Rock. First, in a semifinal match against Coast 17-1 and then in a third-place showdown against Wave 17 Juliana. Long Beach recently lost to NorCal in a bid match in Salt Lake. City was also in Salt Lake, where it fought against Beach and NorCal in gold pool action. Meanwhile, Madfrog had a solid ninth-place finish at Lone Star recently and looks poised to get a bid. It’s going to be an intense race for the qualifying spots. It comes down to Co Jrs topping Madfrog in the final. Pohaku and Storm also qualify. *** 16 OPEN Number of Teams: 30 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (2): ID Crush 16 Bower; Oaks 16 Gold vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (8):   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: With just ID Crush 16 Bower and Oaks 16 Gold owning bids, we know all three qualifying spots will be taken. ID Crush is seeking its third qualifier victory of the season after earning gold medals at both PNQ and Salt Lake. There are only two at-larges available and the favorites to receive those are not in attendance here. That means that teams needing bids like Skyline 16 Royal and NorCal 16-1 Black are down to their last chance in all likelihood. Madfrog 16 Green has a case for an at-large bid perhaps but is basically in the same boat in needing to qualify in Reno. Co Jrs 16 Shannon has been near qualifying previously and could find itself breaking through this weekend. Of course, a qualifier could come from outside our Top 50. Spike and Serve 16-1 is one to watch for in that regard, as are ARVC 16 Adidas, KC Power 16 Black and Absolute 16 Black. *** 15 OPEN Number of Teams: 28 Number of Bids: 3 Previously-Qualified Teams (9): SCVC 15 Roxy; Hou Skyline 15 Royal; Club V 15 Ren Reed; AZ Storm 15 Thunder; AP 15 Adidas; Aspire 15 Premier; Academy 15 Diamond; Vision 15 Gold; Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (11):   5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know:   Outlook/Prediction: This division has the biggest X factor because of nine qualified teams in the field. Who knows if any bids will go out? If you are a team not attending Far Western and in need of an at-large bid – there are four available – you are certainly rooting for the top eight spots to be filled up by teams with bids. That would expand the at-large field to seven and greatly increase team’s chances of earning one. I don’t think that’ll be the case. There are teams good enough to crack the top eight or better and qualify. Forza1 North 15 One is one. Tstreet 15 Curtis, Coast 15 Luis and AZ Rev 15 Premier are three more. I wouldn’t be surprised to see all three bids still go out. I would expect SCVC 15 Roxy, Hou Skyline 15 Royal, AP 15 Adidas and Arizona Storm 15 Thunder all to factor into the top eight but after that it opens up. In the end, Hou Skyline takes home gold after beating AP in the final. Forza North, Tstreet and AZ Rev all take home bids.

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14 Open At-Large Update

April 26, 2023

The 14s qualifying season wrapped last weekend with both Forza1 14 One and PVA 14 Elite securing Open bids at the Far Western qualifier in Reno. The results further helped shape the at-large picture for the division. There are eight spots still to be filled to complete the field of 36 for this summer in Chicago. Forza and PVA were certainly among the pack of at-large candidates and both had arguments to be selected. With both earning bids in Reno and neither needing an at-large, it opens the door for others who might not have gotten in had Forza and PVA needed at-larges. After updating a few results from last week’s look, we take another glance at the top candidates to receive at-larges based on qualifier results and head-to-head results against the Open field. — Northern Lights 14-1 (4-4) (6th Show Me; 17th NL) W: Academy Diamond (3x); MAVS L: Premier Nebraska (2x); Club V; PVA — GP 14 Rox (6-11) (14th NL; T5th Big South) W: AZ Sky; MAVS; Academy; Excel; A5; Absolute L: Hou Skyline; Top Select; A5 (2x); AP (2x); Drive Nation; AZ Sky; Vision; Wave; PVA — Forza1 14 One (7-15) (5th NL; T7th RRR; 9th Far Western) W: Wave (3x); Premier Nebraska; MAVS KC; Club V; PVA L: Tstreet (4x); Long Beach (3x); Hou Skyline; TAV; Madfrog; Wave; AZ Storm; Forza North; Vision; Absolute — VCNebraska 14 Elite (4-8) (4th NL; 4th Show Me) W: AP; Premier Nebraska (3x) L: Drive Nation (2x); TAV; Hou Skyline; Academy Diamond; MAVS (2x); PVA — AZ Rev 14 Premier (5-11) (13th RRR; 11th Far Western) W: AZ Sky (2x); Wave; Premier Nebraska; Vision L: AZ Storm (3x); Drive Nation (2x); TAV; Tstreet; Long Beach; Skyline; AZ Sky; Absolute — Legacy 14-1 Adidas (4-11) (5th Sunshine; 5th Windy City; 7th NL) W: A5; Elevation (2x); PVA L: Drive Nation; AP (2x); AZ Storm; Skyline; TAV; Tstreet; A5; HPSTL (2x); Lions — Mintonette Sports m.41 (4-9) (7th Windy City; 13th Sunshine; 5th MEQ) W: Premier Nebraska; Academy Diamond; Tribe; PVA L: AZ Sky; AP; Top Select; MAVS; OT Laura (2x); Skyline; Elevation; Tribe — Rockwood Thunder 14 Elite (3-7) (11th NL; 11th Sunshine; 10th MEQ; 14th SLC) W: Academy; A5; PVA L: AP; TAV (2x); Elevation; OT Laura; Skyline; PVA — Austin Skyline 14 Royal (3-21) (17th Sunshine; 9th MEQ; 11th SLC; 9th Lone Star) W: Hou Skyline; Elevation; SA Jrs L: TAV (2x); Drive Nation (2x); Skyline; A5; AZ Sky; Wave (2x); Academy; Excel; HPSTL (2x); OT Laura; Top Select; Elevation; MAVS; AP; Hou Skyline; Madfrog; Absolute — NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami (2-8) (4th Big South; 21st MEQ) W: Premier Nebraska; PVA L: AZ Sky; A5 (2x); Top Select; Long Beach; TAV; HPSTL; Lions — KC Power 14 Black (1-8) (3rd Show Me; 13th MEQ; 13th NL) W: MAVS L: Hou Skyline; TAV; Hou Skyline; OT Laura; SA Jrs; MAVS; Premier Nebraska (2x) — MKE Sting 14 Gold (1-9) (10th Windy City; 15th MEQ) W: Lions L: Premier Nebraska (2x); Skyline; Wave; HPSTL; MAVS; Lions; OT Laura; Drive Nation — HJV 14 Elite (1-12) (25th MEQ; 18th RRR) W: SA Jrs L: AP (2x); Premier Nebraska; Drive Nation; Hou Skyline; SA Jrs; AZ Storm (2x); Club V; Lions; MAVS; Long Beach

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USAV 18 Open: Preview And Predictions (FREE)

April 26, 2023

The USAV Girls 18s Junior National Championship is slated for Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Columbus. The 48-team Open field is highlighted by top-ranked and top-seeded Drive Nation 18 Red, which has just one loss entering this weekend’s competition. The lone setback came against AJV 18 Adidas back in January at the Lone Star Classic 18s qualifier. Drive Nation still managed to finish first there, like it has everywhere else. Drive Nation also owns first-place finishes at Triple Crown, Florida Fest and Boston Festival. It clearly makes Drive Nation the favorite, much like Sunshine 18 LA was a season ago in Phoenix. Another top contender is Coast 18-1, which lost to Drive Nation in the final of Triple Crown and spent this past Saturday tuning up with a scrimmage against Club V 18 Ren Reed. Club V made the visit from Utah to So Cal and spent Friday scrimmaging with Tstreet 18 Chandler and Sunshine 18 LA before heading to San Diego to face Coast in a friendly match Saturday. Coast won the tune up in four sets and look to be among the few teams capable of beating Drive Nation. Below, we take a look players to know, the pools and our predictions for how it might all play out. The 48 teams in Open are divided into eight pools of six. The top three advance to challenge rounds. The first-place teams get a bye while the second and third-place teams play crossover matches to make the top 16. The crossover winners then play the pool winners for a spot in the quarterfinals. It all happens very quickly, as virtually every team wakes up on Day 2 with a chance to still break pool but only eight will remain in contention by day’s end. 5-Star Athletes to Know:   4-Star Athletes to Know: *** PREDICTIONS We make our pool-by-pool predictions as to which teams are going to advance. We listed the teams in seeded order with vballrecruiter.com’s national ranking indicated in front. POOL 1   Prediction: Drive Nation 5-0; FC Elite 4-1; AVC Cle 3-2; Long Beach 2-3; CUVC 1-4; SynergyForce 0-5 *** POOL 2   Prediction: Coast 4-1; Elevation 4-1; Arizona Storm 4-1; Madfrog 2-3; MKE Sting 1-4; OPU 0-5 *** POOL 3   Prediction: Wave 5-0; Gainesville 4-1; AZ Rev 3-2; AJV 2-3; MN Select 1-4; EC Power 0-5 *** POOL 4   Prediction: MAVS 4-1; Skyline 4-1; Metro 4-1; Triangle 2-3; Adversity 1-4; A4 0-5 *** POOL 5   Prediction: Sunshine 4-1; A5 4-1; OT 3-2; TAV 2-3; VC United 1-4; OJVA 1-4 *** POOL 6   Prediction: Circle City 5-0; NPJ 4-1; Legacy 3-2; Alamo 2-3; Excel 1-4; Absolute 0-5 *** POOL 7   Prediction: 1st Alliance 4-1; Club V 4-1; HJV 3-2; Rage Westside 2-3; Tribe 1-4; AZ EVJ 1-4 *** POOL 8   Prediction: Mintonette 4-1; Premier Nebraska 4-1; Hou Skyline 4-1; Paramount 1-4; Tstreet 1-4; Northern Lights 1-4 Challenge Rounds: 1 – AZ Rev d Elevation; Drive Nation d AZ Rev 2 – FC Elite d Metro; Coast d Metro 3 – Skyline d AVC Cle; Skyline d Wave 4 – Arizona Storm d Gainesville Jrs; MAVS d Arizona Storm 5 – HJV d NPJ; Sunshine d HJV 6 – A5 d Hou Skyline; A5 d Circle City 7 – Premier Nebraska d OT; 1st Alliance d Premier Nebraska 8 – Club V d Legacy; Club V d Mintonette Quarterfinals: Drive Nation d Club V Coast d 1st Alliance A5 d Skyline MAVS d Sunshine Semifinals: Drive Nation d Sunshine Coast d A5 Final: Coast d Drive Nation

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SCVA 17s Team Spotlights

April 25, 2023

Of the 11 teams competing in the top pool of the SCVA Power League 3 event last Saturday at Momentous in Irvine, at least five are slated to participate in 17 Open come this summer in Chicago. Two more in City 17 Gold and Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar are headed to Far Western this coming weekend in Reno where they could add to the region’s total or if not there possibly earn one through the at-large process. Let’s take a look at the group with our Team Spotlights: MOMENTOUS 17 DAN: Momentous came out on top of the latest power league round after beating SCVC 17 Roxy, 25-18, 25-17. Momentous earned its bid at the beginning of the month at the Big South Qualifier in intense fashion. First, Momentous pulled out a must-win match against highly-ranked and previously-qualified Triangle 17 Black on Day 2 to break pool then needed to take down highly-ranked and previously-qualified Wave 17 Juliana on Day 3 to break gold pool and keep its bid hopes alive. Momentous finally clinched after outlasting Alamo 17 Premier for the final bid. Momentous barely missed out on qualifying last season as a 16s group by one match, then lost out on the only at-large bid available. This year Momentous has proven it’s capable of finishing in the upper half of the field. The lineup is a strong offensively with outside Isabel Clark leading the way. Cymarah Gordon is another big arm on the right side, along with setter/right side Julia Kakkis. They are backed by outsides Camryn Hayek and Makayla Gates and middles Tatum Johnson, Megan Rice and Taylor Walsh. Helping fill the lineup out is setter Madeline Brown and liberos/DSs Annah Legaspi and Malyssa Cawa. SCVC 17 ROXY: After pool victories over Actyve 17 Black and Coast 17 Rafael, SCVC downed recently-qualified Seal Beach 17 Black before running into Momentous in the final. It kept up a string of strong performances for the club and featured similar lineups to what we’ve seen. Kendall Beshear and Malina Young were taking care of the outside with Rachel Moglia and Jade Dudley-Epps in the middle. Part of the 6-2 package SCVC was running were setters Hayden Lim and Althea Morris and right sides Kalia Debeer and Chloe Hynes. Defensively, Taylor Deckert was suited up at libero. The squad’s first shot at a bid came at the Red Rock Rave, where SCVC fell to Wave 17 Juliana on Day 3 and finished tied for fifth in one of the tougher fields of the season. SCVC punched its ticket at its next outing, coming in third at PNQ. There, SCVC pulled out a must-win contest over SG Elite 17 Rosh in the third-place match to seal the last remaining bid. It was a clutch victory as it was SCVC’s last qualifier.   SEAL BEACH 17 BLACK: Seal Beach opened the latest power league by taking down Wave then followed that by sweeping Actyve. Seal Beach’s day ended with a setback to SCVC as it went 2-1. Seal Beach can count itself among the Open teams thanks to its time in Salt Lake City recently. Seal Beach stayed alive with key victories over previously-qualified Club V 17 Ren Matthew and City 17 Gold on Day 2. Seal Beach took advantage of its situation and with victories against DaKine Warriors 17 Surf and Tx Performance 17s earned its bid. Seal Beach has a flexible roster that offers options. Kaia Herweg, Ashley Repetti and Chloe Pravednikov are options at outside. Seal Beach typically uses Sydney May as a setter/right side, with Delaney Hughes setting across the back row and Addison Collum coming in to hit across the front. Anna Sanzaro and Kylie Leopard are mainstays in the middle, as is Tessa Hurley at libero. WAVE 17 JULIANA: Wave was playing without standout middle Jenna Hanes, which obviously impacted its lineup options. Wave split its pool matches with Sunshine 17 Westside and Seal Beach before downing Coast 17-1 in a match for fourth place. Wave and Coast were the first of the So Cal clubs to clinch Open bids when both qualified at Red Rock. Wave defeated Seal Beach and previously-qualified Hou Skyline 17 Royal in gold pool action to reach the gold bracket. There, Wave fell to Drive Nation 17 Red before beating Arizona Storm 17 Thunder for the third place and last bid. Wave also finished tied for ninth at Big South. Wave, like most teams Saturday, was using lots of players. With Hanes out, Grace Flanagan and Camden Bolane were the lone middles. Wave also used both setters in Amanda Saeger and Kiki Remensperger, as well as two liberos in Maya Evens and Kiana Olalia. Fallyn Blotzer, Ayva Moi, Nikole Egan and Sofia Williams were holding down the pins. COAST 17-1: Coast finished 1-2 with losses to City and Wave and a victory against Vegas Aces 17 UA. Like Wave and SCVC, Coast attended just two qualifiers. After qualifying in Vegas with a second-place showing, Coast tied for seventh at PNQ. That’s been it for Coast, which was relying on familiar faces in outsides Jaidyn Jager and Madison Triplett and middle Mackenzie Parsons. Tiana Owens was taking care of the right side with Sophia Meyer at libero. CITY 17 GOLD: The next two squads were using last weekend to prep for Far Western, where both City and Long Beach are attempting to bid for the last time before needing to rely on at-large luck. City and Beach happened to be paired together to open play Saturday, with Beach prevailing in three. City bounced back to beat Coast then downed Actyve to close out its day. City tied for seventh recently in Salt Lake City, where it competed without outside Danica Rach, who remains out. City has been using Kimi Watanabe-Mayhew and Mila Mijailovic to pair with Jenna Garner on the outside. Havyn Rolle and Maggie Lima were solid in the middle, with Kennedy Osunsanmi getting more and more comfortable on the right

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17 Open At-Large Features Many Scenarios

April 25, 2023

The 17 Open at-large race is shaping up to be a fascinating conclusion to the qualifying year. The last chance to qualify outright is this coming weekend at Far Western in Reno, where all three available bids are set to go out. There are four teams accepted in 17 Open with bids in Club V 17 Matthew, Co Jrs 17 Kevin, NorCal 17-1 Black and Vision 17 Gold, so one way or another all three bids will be awarded and the at-large pool will remain at two. There are 28 teams from vballrecruiter.com’s 17s Top 50 National Rankings and three unranked ones with bids already. Here’s the full list: *unranked There are six more teams from the Top 50 without bids which are participating in Reno. That list includes: The at-large race is very tight, so this coming weekend is huge for those teams still chasing bids. Pohaku 17-1, City 17 Gold and Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar are in the top pack of at-large candidates. There’s a chance that if none qualify in Reno, two of the three would receive the at-larges. Of course, if all three were to qualify in Reno, that totally changes the at-large picture. Madfrog 17 Green and Arizona Storm 17 Thunder are also teams playing in Reno. Their at-large cases aren’t as strong as Pohaku, Long Beach and City’s, so this weekend is big for them. Qualifying is their best shot obviously, but if teams like Pohaku, Beach and City get bids, it helps a team like Madfrog. Here’s a rundown of ranked teams that would have to rely on an at-large bid: As you’ll see below, it’s critical for teams in Reno to clinch bids this weekend. It’s a packed bunch of teams that will be seeking one of the two at-larges. City, Long Beach and Pohaku are positioned well, but so too are clubs like Elevation 17 Ulland, VCNebraska 17 Elite and MKE Sting 17 Gold. That trio is right in the mix as well. One way or another, there are tough, tough decisions to be made! — City 17 Gold (6-11) (5th PNQ; 5th Salt Lake) W: Coast (2x); NorCal; SCVC; OT Felix; Club V L: SG Elite (2x); SCVC; Wave (2x); AJV; Dynasty; TAV; NorCal; Seal Beach; Vision — Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar (6-12) (21st PNQ; 8th NEQ; 7th Salt Lake) W: Coast; MAVS; AVC; Rev; Vision (2x) L: Momentous (2x); Wave (2x); Coast; SCVC; Seal Beach; Vision; 1st Alliance; AVC; Metro; NorCal — Elevation 17 Ulland (5-10) (14th Windy City; 7th MEQ)W: Rev; Triangle; Metro; Skyline; MAVS L: AVC Cle; Vision (2x); SG Elite; KC Power; Boiler Jrs (2x); Co Jrs; Dynasty; NKYVC — Madfrog 17 Green (5-13) (5th PNQ; 9th Lone Star) W: Drive Nation; Skyline; Hou Skyline; NorCal; Coast L: A5 (2x); Hou Skyline; HJV; Skyline; TAV (2x); NKYVC; OT Aaron; Drive Nation; Vision; SCVC; AVC — Pohaku 17-1 (4-7) (6th MEQ; 11th Show Me; 14th Northern Lights) W: KC Power; Metro; NKYVC; Rockwood Thunder L: Club V; SCVC; 1st Alliance (2x); Boiler Jrs; Drive Nation; KC Power — VCNebraska 17 Elite (4-13) (8th Northern Lights; 5th Show Me; 9th Lone Star) W: Boiler Jrs; Premier Nebraska (2x); Metro L: Rockwood Thunder; Premier Nebraska; 1st Alliance; Drive Nation; SCVC; Skyline (2x); KC Power (2x); Dynasty; Hou Skyline; TAV; Triangle — MKE Sting 17 Gold (4-12) (9th Northern Lights; 9th Sunshine; 9th Windy City; 9th Lone Star) W: Hou Skyline; Dynasty; HJV; AVC Cle L: 1st Alliance; A5; Premier Nebraska; Co Jrs; OT Aaron (2x); Skyline (3x); Triangle; Boiler Jrs; MAVS — Academy 17 Tsunami (6-10) (9th MEQ) W: Boiler Jrs (4x); NKYVC; SCVC L: Boiler Jrs (2x); OT Aaron; Co Jrs; Hou Skyline; Momentous; Triangle (2x); Rockwood Thunder; NKYVC — AZ Sky 17G (3-4) (15th Red Rock) W: Club V; Momentous; Wave L: Drive Nation; Hou Skyline; Club V; NKYVC — Top Select 17 Elite (3-9) (14th Big South; 9th Sunshine) W: Club V; AJV; Boiler Jrs L: Co Jrs; AVC Cle; OT Aaron; Drive Nation; KC Power; Vision; A5; OT Felix; TAV — Arizona Storm 17 Thunder (2-7) (4th Red Rock; 15th Lone Star) W: Hou Skyline; Vision L: SG Elite; Coast; Wave; AJV; Dynasty; A5; Skyline

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16 Open At-Larges A Tight Race

April 24, 2023

vballrecruiter.com continues looking at the at-larges pictures, moving on with the 16s division. There are two at-large bids available and with all three bids set to go out at Far Western this coming weekend, that’s all there will be. That narrows it down significantly compared to having eight in 14s and four in 15s. Currently, 27 teams from vballrecruiter.com’s 16s Top 50 National Rankings have qualified in Open. Another four unranked teams also have secured bids. Here’s the full qualified list: *unranked What’s interesting is a handful of ranked teams which are at Far Western still in search of their bids. That includes: Madfrog 16 Green was playing well recently at Lone Star and could be one of the three teams leaving town qualified. NorCal 16-1 Black has been close at both PNQ and Salt Lake, while Skyline 16 Royal and AVA TX 16 Adidas have also been in the mix elsewhere. Once you factor in the other teams in Reno also chasing bids like ARVC 16-1 Adidas, AZ Rev 16 Premier, Absolute 16 Black, Forza1 North 16 One, Norco 16-1 Black, Vision 16 Gold and SAS 16-1 it should make for an exciting conclusion to qualifying season. Here’s the full list of remaining ranked teams without a bid who will have to enter the at-large pool: Below, we take a look at the top contenders. With only two bids available, it’s a short list. That’s why Far Western this coming weekend is important if a team like Skyline or Madfrog or both could earn their spots. Legacy 16-1 Adidas and Mich Elite 16 Mizuno appear to be front runners in the at-large scenario. Madfrog is in the hunt but like anyone else in Reno would likely need to get it done this weekend to make the field. — Legacy 16-1 Adidas (11-12) (5th Sunshine; 5th MEQ; 9th Windy City; 17th Lone Star) W: AVC; Drive Nation; ID Crush; Long Beach; OT JP; Wave; OT Roberto; Triangle; Tribe (2x); GP L: KiVA (2x); Circle City; 1st Alliance (2x); OT JP; TAV; Austin Skyline (2x); MKE Sting; HJV; Hou Skyline — Mich Elite 16 Mizuno (7-9) (9th Big South; 9th NEQ; 13th Sunshine; 5th MEQ) W: Triangle; Coast; Wave; A5; KiVA; Alamo; Surfside L: Circle City (2x); OT JP (3x); 1st Alliance; AZ Storm; MKE Sting; Triangle — Madfrog 16 Green (4-9) (9th Lone Star; 13th Red Rock) W: TAV; Alamo; Circle City; Oaks L: Drive Nation (3x); Austin Skyline; HJV; KiVA; ID Crush; TAV; AZ Storm — AVA TX 16 Adidas (4-9) (9th Red Rock; 13th Big South; 7th Salt Lake; 14th Lone Star) W: HJV; Alamo; KiVA; GP L: AZ Storm; Drive Nation (2x); HJV; Skyline; TAV; OT Roberto; Vegas Aces; MAVS — Dynasty 16 Black (3-9) (9th Sunshine; 15th MEQ; 9th Show Me; 13th Lone Star) W: Alamo; HJV; Austin Skyline L: TAV; A5; GP; OT JP; Nebraska One (2x); MAVS; AZ Storm; HJV — AJV 16 Mizuno (3-12) (7th PNQ; 7th Show Me; 17th Lone Star) W: Austin Skyline; Premier Nebraska (2x) L: Austin Skyline (3x); A5; HJV; 1st Alliance; MAVS (2x); Northern Lights; Circle City; Oaks; Coast — Skyline 16 Royal (1-10) (15th Sunshine; 5th Show Me; 15th Lone Star) W: Alamo L: Austin Skyline (2x); Drive Nation; MKE Sting; Nebraska One (2x); Surfside; A5; TAV (2x)

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