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14s: Top 50 National Rankings (May 12)

We conclude our week-long Club National Rankings updates with the 14s division. Like the 15s division, the top three teams remained the same in the Top 50 with TAV 14 Black, Arizona Storm 14 Thunder and Tstreet 14 Carson. The way we saw it the results didn’t justify any movement and we’ll let it be settled at Junior Nationals, as those three have proven themselves the top contenders by far. Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar continues its climb up the rankings, moving inside the Top 5 for the first time, while another So Cal club in Forza1 North 14 One made a move inside the Top 10. MAVS KC 14-1 also joined Forza North in the Top 10, while a pair of Nor Cal clubs in Vision 14 Gold and Absolute 14 Black appear in the Top 50 for the first time. vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. TAV 14 Black (TX) (1 – previous ranking) 2. Arizona Storm 14 Thunder (AZ) (2) 3. Tstreet 14 Carson (CA) (3) 4. Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar (CA) (8) 5. Madfrog 14 Green (TX) (4) 6. Skyline 14 Royal (TX) (5) 7. Forza1 North 14 One (CA) (17) 8. OT 14 Laura (FL) (7) 9. MAVS KC 14-1 (KS) (12) 10. Drive Nation 14 Red (TX) (9) *** 11. Adidas KiVA 14 Red (KY) (10) 12. Elevation 14 Molly (OH) (11) 13. A5 14 Helen (GA) (15) 14. Hou Skyline 14 Royal (TX) (13) 15. HPSTL 14 Royal (MO) (19) 16. Munciana 14 Chipmunks (IN) (21) 17. AP 14 Adidas (TX) (6) 18. AZ Rev 14 Premier (AZ (16) 19. AZ Sky 14G (AZ) (29) 20. Vision 14 Gold (CA) (n/r) *** 21. Absolute 14 Black (CA) (n/r) 22. PVA 14 Elite (KS) (42) 23. Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal (FL) (32) 24. Forza1 14 One (CA) (14) 25. Wave 14 Tammy (CA) (18) 26. Excel 14 National Red (TX) (23) 27. Legacy 14-1 Adidas (MI) (20) 28. SAS 14-1 (HI) (22) 29. Club V 14 Ren Silver (UT) (30) 30. GP 14 Rox (FL) (27) *** 31. VCNebraska 14 Elite (NE) (24) 32. Mauloa 14 Green (HI) (28) 33. Tri-State Elite 14 Blue (OH) (31) 34. Top Select 14 Elite (FL) (34) 35. Lions 14-1 (IL) (n/r) 36. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami (KY) (41) 37. Mintonette Sports m.41 (OH) (39) 38. Austin Skyline 14 Royal (TX) (35) 39. Premier Nebraska 14 Gold (NE) (33) 40. Rage 14 Garren (CA) (n/r) *** 41. Far Out 14 Black (MI) (25) 42. Northern Lights 14-1 (MN) (36) 43. Academy 14 Diamond (NC) (45) 44. WPVC 14 Armour Black (FL) (26) 45. KC Power 14 Black (KS) (38) 46. HJV 14 Elite (TX) (37) 47. Rockwood Thunder 14 Elite (MO) (43) 48. MKE Sting 14 Gold (WI) (46) 49. Metro 14 Travel (DC) (47) 50. Kairos 14 Alpha (SD) (44) ON THE CUSP City 14 Gold (CA) ID Crush 14 Bower (ID) Paramount VBC 14s (VA) Triangle 14 Black (NC) Coast 14-1 (CA) Alliance 14 Ren (TN) Wildfire 14 Albert (FL) Surfside 14 Loriann (CA) 1United 14N (TX)

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15s: Top 50 National Rankings (May 11)

vballrecruiter.com’s May Club National Rankings updates continues on with the 15s division. Skyline 15 Royal’s grip on No. 1 remains. The North Texas Region club has put together an impressive season so far, one that will see it carry the top ranking into Junior Nationals. Mintonette Sports m.51 and Boiler Jrs 15 Gold stayed put at Nos. 2 and 3 respectively, while the shifting and changing begins after that. Hou Skyline 15 Royal moved up to a season-high No. 4, while NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami moved to the Top 10. There was quite a bit of movement overall, as teams moved up and down the rankings based on their latest qualifier results. vballrecruiter.com TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Skyline 15 Royal (TX) (1 – previous ranking) 2. Mintonette Sports m.51 (OH) (2) 3. Boiler Jrs 15 Gold (IN) (3) 4. Hou Skyline 15 Royal (TX) (13) 5. AZ Sky 15G (AZ) (6) 6. Madfrog 15 Green (TX) (4) 7. TAV 15 Black (TX) (5) 8. Legacy 15-1 Adidas (MI) (8) 9. Austin Skyline 16 Royal (TX) (7) 10. NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami (KY) (12) *** 11. AP 15 Adidas (TX) (11) 12. Arizona Storm 15 Thunder (AZ) (16) 13. Forza1 North 15 One (CA) (15) 14. SCVC 15 Roxy (CA) (9) 15. Wave 15 Brennan (CA) (14) 16. Elevation 15 Tony (OH) (21) 17. Alamo 15 Premier (TX) (10) 18. Pohaku 15-1 (KS) (20) 19. Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal (FL) (26) 20. Dynasty 15 Black (KS) (18) *** 21. GP 15 Rox (FL) (32) 22. Aspire 15 Premier (AZ) (24)          23. HJV 15 Elite (TX) (19) 24. Michio 15 National (IL) (34) 25. Tri-State Elite 15 Blue (OH) (27) 26. Far Out 15 Black (MI) (17) 27. Club V 15 Ren Reed (UT) (40) 28. WPVC 15 Armour Black (FL) (36) 29. Team Pineapple 15 Black (IN) (37) 30. Jupiter Elite 15 Elite (FL) (43) *** 31. AVC Cle 15 Red (OH) (22) 32. Triangle 15 Black (NC) (33) 33. Top Select 15 Elite (FL) (23) 34. Academy 15 Diamond (NC) (31) 35. Drive Nation 15 Red (TX) (25) 36. A5 15 Bob (GA) (29) 37. Vision 15 Gold (CA) (n/r) 38. SG Elite 15 Rosh (CA) (30) 39. MKE Sting 15 Gold (WI) (44) 40. TVC 15 Black (OH) (48) *** 41. High Tide 15 Elite (FL) (45) 42. Northern Lights 15-1 (MN) (49) 43. Premier Nebraska 15 Gold (NE) (n/r) 44. 1st Alliance 15 Gold (IL) (n/r) 45. Tstreet 15 Curtis (CA) (35) 46. OP2 15-1 (OK) (n/r) 47. Academy HP 15 Danielle (CA) (n/r) 48. TAV Houston 15 Adidas (TX) (28) 49. MAVS 816 15-1 (KS) (46) 50. SynergyForce 15 Lisa (CA) (n/r) ON THE CUSP Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar (CA) AZ Rev 15 Premier (AZ) Actyve 15 Black (CA) HPSTL 15 Royal (MO) Coast 15-1 (CA) Sunshine 15 Westside (CA) Metro 15 Travel (DC) Excel 15 National Red (TX) Co Jrs 15 Sherri (CO) Iowa Rockets 15R (IO) Rev 15-1 Fuego (IN) Circle City 15 Purple (IN) Wildfire 15 Ore (FL) NorCal 15-1 Black (CA) Illini Elite 15 Cardinal (IL) NE Elite 15 Phoenix (NE) Kairos 15 Alpha (SD) Club One AZ 15 Platinum (AZ) Arete 15 Navy Telos (TX) MN Select 15-1 (MN) Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite (MO) Stars 15 Bing (SC)

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16s: Top 50 National Rankings (May 10)

With the 18s wrapping up their season, we saw plenty of movement in the latest update. We also saw a new No. 1 take over the top spot in the most recent 17s rankings update. However, there is no change at the top when it comes to the 16s division. The No. 1 position remains occupied by 1st Alliance 16 Gold, which recently added the Lone Star Classic gold medal to its collection. Drive Nation 16 Red and Surfside 16 PV Legends remain Nos. 2 and 3 behind 1st Alliance, while Hou Skyline 16 Royal climbed one spot and HJV 16 Elite leapfrogged Arizona Storm 16 Thunder to round out the Top 5. While the powerhouses have been clear to identify, the 16s division has shown a large amount of parity when it comes to filling out the Top 50. There are around 25-30 teams which could fill out the final 10 spots and that’s something to watch for as the season nears its conclusion. vballrecruiter.com TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. 1st Alliance 16 Gold (IL) (1 – previous ranking) 2. Drive Nation 16 Red (TX) (2) 3. Surfside 16 PV Legends (CA) (3) 4. Hou Skyline 16 Royal (TX) (5) 5. HJV 16 Elite (TX) (7) 6. Arizona Storm 16 Thunder (AZ) (4) 7. Nebraska One 16 Synergy (NE) (6) 8. A5 16 Gabe (GA) (14) 9. Circle City 16 Purple (IN) (10) 10. OT 16 JP (FL) (8) *** 11. TAV 16 Black (TX) (9) 12. MKE Sting 16 Gold (WI) (11) 13. SPVB 16 Elite (IL) (16) 14. Adidas KiVA 16 Red (KY) (13) 15. HPSTL 16 Royal (MO) (23) 16. Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal (FL) (15) 17. Austin Skyline 16 Royal (TX (18) 18. Legacy 16 Adidas (MI) (19) 19. Mich Elite 16 Mizuno (MI) (12) 20. Coast 16 Luis (CA) (21) *** 21. Wave 16 Kevin (CA) (20) 22. Northern Lights 16-1 (MN) (26) 23. ID Crush 16 Bower (ID) (29) 24. Tri-State Elite 16 Blue (OH) (17) 25. GP 16 Rox (FL) (24) 26. MAVS KC 16-1 (KS) (44) 27. Madfrog 16 Green (TX) (33) 28. AVC Cle 16 Red (OH) (22) 29. Dynasty 16 Black (KS (30) 30. Munciana 16 Blaze (IN) (25) *** 31. NorCal 16-1 Black (CA) (40) 32. Skyline 16 Royal (TX) (31) 33. Alamo 16 Premier (TX) (39) 34. No Name 16 Sarah (FL) (45) 35. AVA TX 16 Adidas (TX) (32) 36. AJV 16 Adidas (TX) (35) 37. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold (NE) (27) 38. Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar (CA) (n/r) 39. OT 16 Roberto (FL) (28) 40. Team Pineapple 16 Black (IN) (34) *** 41. Co Jrs Shannon (CO) (43) 42. CUVC 16 Beast (NC) (n/r) 43. AZ Sky 16G (AZ) (n/r) 44. Vision 16 Gold (CA) (n/r) 45. Triangle 16 Black (NC) (n/r) 46. Club Ignite Select 16 Blue (IA) (n/r) 47. Kairos 16 Alpha (SD) (n/r) 48. Top Select 16 Elite (46) 49. Pitt Elite 16 Elite (PA) (n/r) 50. FC Elite 16 Navy (WI) (42) ON THE CUSP NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami (KY) Excel National 16 Red (TX) Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite (MO) NE Elite 16 Maverick (NE) AZ Rev 16 Premier (AZ) Elevation 16 Goller (OH) Illini Elite 16 Cardinal (IL) Oaks 16 Gold (CA) Absolute 16 Black (CA) Viper 16 Costa (CA) Forza1 North 16 One (CA) ARVC 16 Adidas (NM) Norco 16 Black (CO) SASVBC 16-1 (HI) Boiler Jrs 16 Gold (IN) OT 16 Will (FL) Wildfire 16 Corey (FL) WF Florida Waves 16 (FL) Vegas Aces 16 UA (NV)

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17s: Top 50 National Rankings (May 9)

When it comes to the latest 17s National Rankings update, we are back where we started. At least in terms of the top team in the country. That honor goes to Dynasty 17 Black, which started off the year as the top-ranked team but was replaced by A5 17 Jing. A5 was then displaced by Co Jrs 17 Kevin, which is now being replaced at the top by Dynasty once more. Dynasty recently captured the Lone Star Classic and that helped the club retake the No. 1 spot. There was quite a bit of shifting within the Top 10, though only one team moved in while another moved out. That was Wave 17 Juliana falling out of the Top 10 and Premier Nebraska 17 Gold moving in. All of the Top 10 teams so far have shown a high-level of consistency and thus it’s no surprise they occupy those spots. You can view the full rankings below. vballrecruiter.com TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Dynasty 17 Black (KS) (2 – previous ranking) 2. TAV 17 Black (TX) (4) 3. Triangle 17 Black (NC) (7) 4. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (KY) (9) 5. A5 17 Jing (GA) (5) 6. Drive Nation 17 Red (TX) (3) 7. 1st Alliance 17 Gold (IL) (8) 8. Co Jrs 17 Kevin (CO) (1) 9. OT 17 Aaron (FL) (6) 10. Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (NE) (13) *** 11. HJV 17 Elite (TX) (22) 12. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite (MO) (12) 13. KC Power 17-1 (KS) (19) 14. Momentous 17 Dan (CA) (18) 15. Wave 17 Juliana (CA) (10) 16. SCVC 17 Roxy (CA) (14) 17. Hou Skyline 17 Royal (TX) (11) 18. Coast 17-1 (CA) (15) 19. SG Elite 17 Rosh (CA) (17) 20. Vision 17 Gold (CA) (21) ***21. Club V 17 Ren Matthew (UT) (23) 22. Tri-State Elite 17 Blue (OH) (26) 23. OT Felix (FL) (20) 24. Skyline 17 Royal (TX) (30) 25. VCNebraska 17 Elite (NE) (31) 26. Academy 17 Tsunami (IN) (24) 27. Boiler Jrs 17 Gold (IN) (35) 28. MKE Sting 17 Gold (WI) (34) 29. Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar (CA) (46) 30. Pohaku 17-1 (KS) (16) *** 31. Madfrog 17 Green (TX) (27) 32. Metro 17 Travel (DC) (28) 33. AJV 17 Adidas (TX) (37) 34. AVC Cle 17 Red (OH) (39) 35. Seal Beach 17 Black (CA) (n/r) 36. NorCal 17-1 Black (CA) (n/r) 37. City 17 Gold (CA) (38) 38. Ku’Ikahi 17 RSB Wahine (HI) (32) 39. Top Select 17 Elite (FL) (41) 40. Adidas KiVA 17 Red (KY) (33) *** 41. Six Pack 17-1 (IA) (n/r) 42. Elevation 17 Ulland (OH) (40) 43. Rock City 17-1 (OH) n/r) 44. Stars 17 HP (SC) (n/r) 45. Academy 17 Diamond (NC) (50) 46. Miami Hype 17 Emilio (FL) (36) 47. Shockwave 17 Black (KS) (44) 48. Northern Lights 17-1 (MN) (49) 49. Mintonette Sports m.71 (OH) (45) 50. Memphis VBAcademy 17 Red (TN) (n/r) ON THE CUSP Rev 17-1 Raptors (IN) AZ Sky 17G (AZ) MAVS KC 17-1 (KS) 417 Juniors National (MO) IowaPowerPlex 17 Black (IA) Circle City 17 Purple (IN) Arizona Storm 17 Thunder (AZ) DaKine Warriors 17 Surf (WA) Rage 17 Greg (CA) OT 17 John (FL) SynergyForce 17 Patrick (CA) TAV Houston 17 Adidas (TX) AZ Rev 17 Premier (AZ) Team Pineapple 17 Black (IN) Absolute 17 Black (CA) Norco 17 Black (CO) CHAVC 17 Black (CR) Alamo 17 Premier (TX) Legacy 17-1 Adidas (MI) MN Select 17-1 (MN)

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18s: Top 50 National Rankings (May 8)

Welcome to the (almost) final national rankings! We can’t quite call this the last version of the 18s Top 50, not with the AAU National Championships still ahead in June. While there isn’t a scenario that will change the top spot in the rankings – occupied by USAV National Champion Wave 18 Juliana – we won’t put the final stamp on it yet. There’s a slight chance of some movement elsewhere, but without doubt Wave earned the No. 1 ranking. Drive Nation 18 Red was the undisputed top team throughout qualifying season. An early loss to AJV 18 Adidas was the lone blemish for Drive Nation entering JN’s in Columbus. However, Drive Nation’s hopes of finishing off a dream season was interrupted when it ran into Wave in the semifinals and lost in a tight sweep. That brings us to the one hard-fast rule when it comes to national championships and vballrecruiter.com’s national rankings. While rankings are subjective, one thing that is not is the way we rank teams when it comes to winning/losing in an elimination match with a gold medal on the line. Teams build their seasons toward that moment and if Team A eliminates Team B in a challenge match or gold-bracket match, Team A is always going to be ranked higher than Team B no mater what. Period. There’s a compelling argument with all results being equal that would lead to a team like Coast 18-1 being ranked ahead of Premier Nebraska 18 Gold. Yet, it was Premier Nebraska which kept Coast from advancing in the gold bracket and thus Premier Nebraska is ranked ahead of Coast. You’ll find the consistency of that applied throughout the latest set of rankings and as a result there was big movement from a handful of teams. vballrecruiter.com TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Wave 18 Juliana (CA) (10 – previous ranking) 2. Drive Nation 18 Red (TX) (1) 3. Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (NE) (6) 4. Coast 18-1 (CA) (2) 5. Munciana 18 Samurai (IN) (3) 6. 1st Alliance 18 Gold (IL) (5) 7. Sunshine 18 LA (CA) (7) 8. AZ Rev 18 Premier (AZ) (15) 9. Circle City 18 Purple (IN) (13) 10. NPJ 18 Forefront (OR) (20) *** 11. Elevation 18 Spinney (OH) (12) 12. Paramount VBC 18s (VA) (31) 13. Club V 18 Ren Reed (UT) (11) 14. OT 18 John (FL) (19) 15. Skyline 18 Royal (TX) (14) 16. HJV 18 Elite (TX) (23) 17. Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar (CA) (39) 18. Metro 18 Travel (DC) (16) 19. Legacy 18-1 Adidas (MI) (22) 20. Triangle 18 Black (NC) (32) *** 21. MAVS KC 18-1 (KS) (4) 22. A5 18 Marc (GA) (8) 23. SPVB 18 Elite (IL) (n/r) 24. Adidas KiVA 18 Red (KY) (17) 25. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue (OH) (27) 26. MKE Sting 18 Gold (WI) (26) 27. Arizona Storm 18 Thunder (AZ) (21) 28. Mintonette Sports m.81 (OH) (9) 29. MN Select 18-1 (MN) (34) 30. Northern Lights 18-1 (MN) (42) *** 31. FC Elite 18 Elite (WI) (29) 32. Gainesville Jrs 18/17 (FL) (25) 33. Absolute 18 Black (CA) (n/r) 34. Ocala Power 17/18 (FL) (n/r) 35. Excel 18 National Red (TX) (45) 36. Rage Westside 18 Michelle (CA) (n/r) 37. Hou Skyline 18 Royal (TX) (24) 38. Far Out 18 Black (MI) (28) 39. Ku’Ikahi 18 Wahine RSB (HI) (30) 40. CUVC 18 Titan (NC) (37) *** 41. AVC Cle 18 Red (OH) (18) 42. OJVA 18-1 Gold (OR) (50) 43. TAV 18 Black (TX) (35) 44. AJV 18 Adidas (TX) (43) 45. Madfrog 18 Green (TX) (33) 46. VC United 18 Elite (IL) (41) 47. KC Power 18 Black (KS) (44) 48. Kairos 18 Alpha (SD) (n/r) 49. Tstreet 18 Chandler (CA) (48) 50. Topeka Impact 18-1 (KS) (46) ON THE CUSP AZ EVJ 18 Elite (AZ) (49) Adversity 18 Adidas (IL) EC Power 18 Royal (PA) Tribe 18 Elite Cardinal (FL) A4 Volley 18 Joaco (CA) (38) SynergyForce 18 Shasta (CA) Alamo 18 Premier (TX) VCNebraska 18 Elite (NE) (36) NOVA Juniors 18 Navy (OH) NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (KY) (40) 608 Jrs 18s (WI) OP2 18-1 (OK) GP 18 Rox (FL) PVA 18 Elite (KS) Co Jrs 18 Doug (CO) ID Crush 18 Bower (ID) Rev 18-1 Avengers (IN) Vegas Aces 18 UA (NV) Actyve 18 Black (CA)

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Elite ID Clinic Colorado Invites And Standouts

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)

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

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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14s: Top 50 National Rankings (May 12)

We conclude our week-long Club National Rankings updates with the 14s division. Like the 15s division, the top three teams remained the same in the Top 50 with TAV 14 Black, Arizona Storm 14 Thunder and Tstreet 14 Carson. The way we saw it the results didn’t justify any movement and we’ll let it be settled at Junior Nationals, as those three have proven themselves the top contenders by far. Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar continues its climb up the rankings, moving inside the Top 5 for the first time, while another So Cal club in Forza1 North 14 One made a move inside the Top 10. MAVS KC 14-1 also joined Forza North in the Top 10, while a pair of Nor Cal clubs in Vision 14 Gold and Absolute 14 Black appear in the Top 50 for the first time. vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. TAV 14 Black (TX) (1 – previous ranking) 2. Arizona Storm 14 Thunder (AZ) (2) 3. Tstreet 14 Carson (CA) (3) 4. Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar (CA) (8) 5. Madfrog 14 Green (TX) (4) 6. Skyline 14 Royal (TX) (5) 7. Forza1 North 14 One (CA) (17) 8. OT 14 Laura (FL) (7) 9. MAVS KC 14-1 (KS) (12) 10. Drive Nation 14 Red (TX) (9) *** 11. Adidas KiVA 14 Red (KY) (10) 12. Elevation 14 Molly (OH) (11) 13. A5 14 Helen (GA) (15) 14. Hou Skyline 14 Royal (TX) (13) 15. HPSTL 14 Royal (MO) (19) 16. Munciana 14 Chipmunks (IN) (21) 17. AP 14 Adidas (TX) (6) 18. AZ Rev 14 Premier (AZ (16) 19. AZ Sky 14G (AZ) (29) 20. Vision 14 Gold (CA) (n/r) *** 21. Absolute 14 Black (CA) (n/r) 22. PVA 14 Elite (KS) (42) 23. Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal (FL) (32) 24. Forza1 14 One (CA) (14) 25. Wave 14 Tammy (CA) (18) 26. Excel 14 National Red (TX) (23) 27. Legacy 14-1 Adidas (MI) (20) 28. SAS 14-1 (HI) (22) 29. Club V 14 Ren Silver (UT) (30) 30. GP 14 Rox (FL) (27) *** 31. VCNebraska 14 Elite (NE) (24) 32. Mauloa 14 Green (HI) (28) 33. Tri-State Elite 14 Blue (OH) (31) 34. Top Select 14 Elite (FL) (34) 35. Lions 14-1 (IL) (n/r) 36. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami (KY) (41) 37. Mintonette Sports m.41 (OH) (39) 38. Austin Skyline 14 Royal (TX) (35) 39. Premier Nebraska 14 Gold (NE) (33) 40. Rage 14 Garren (CA) (n/r) *** 41. Far Out 14 Black (MI) (25) 42. Northern Lights 14-1 (MN) (36) 43. Academy 14 Diamond (NC) (45) 44. WPVC 14 Armour Black (FL) (26) 45. KC Power 14 Black (KS) (38) 46. HJV 14 Elite (TX) (37) 47. Rockwood Thunder 14 Elite (MO) (43) 48. MKE Sting 14 Gold (WI) (46) 49. Metro 14 Travel (DC) (47) 50. Kairos 14 Alpha (SD) (44) ON THE CUSP City 14 Gold (CA) ID Crush 14 Bower (ID) Paramount VBC 14s (VA) Triangle 14 Black (NC) Coast 14-1 (CA) Alliance 14 Ren (TN) Wildfire 14 Albert (FL) Surfside 14 Loriann (CA) 1United 14N (TX)

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15s: Top 50 National Rankings (May 11)

vballrecruiter.com’s May Club National Rankings updates continues on with the 15s division. Skyline 15 Royal’s grip on No. 1 remains. The North Texas Region club has put together an impressive season so far, one that will see it carry the top ranking into Junior Nationals. Mintonette Sports m.51 and Boiler Jrs 15 Gold stayed put at Nos. 2 and 3 respectively, while the shifting and changing begins after that. Hou Skyline 15 Royal moved up to a season-high No. 4, while NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami moved to the Top 10. There was quite a bit of movement overall, as teams moved up and down the rankings based on their latest qualifier results. vballrecruiter.com TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Skyline 15 Royal (TX) (1 – previous ranking) 2. Mintonette Sports m.51 (OH) (2) 3. Boiler Jrs 15 Gold (IN) (3) 4. Hou Skyline 15 Royal (TX) (13) 5. AZ Sky 15G (AZ) (6) 6. Madfrog 15 Green (TX) (4) 7. TAV 15 Black (TX) (5) 8. Legacy 15-1 Adidas (MI) (8) 9. Austin Skyline 16 Royal (TX) (7) 10. NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami (KY) (12) *** 11. AP 15 Adidas (TX) (11) 12. Arizona Storm 15 Thunder (AZ) (16) 13. Forza1 North 15 One (CA) (15) 14. SCVC 15 Roxy (CA) (9) 15. Wave 15 Brennan (CA) (14) 16. Elevation 15 Tony (OH) (21) 17. Alamo 15 Premier (TX) (10) 18. Pohaku 15-1 (KS) (20) 19. Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal (FL) (26) 20. Dynasty 15 Black (KS) (18) *** 21. GP 15 Rox (FL) (32) 22. Aspire 15 Premier (AZ) (24)          23. HJV 15 Elite (TX) (19) 24. Michio 15 National (IL) (34) 25. Tri-State Elite 15 Blue (OH) (27) 26. Far Out 15 Black (MI) (17) 27. Club V 15 Ren Reed (UT) (40) 28. WPVC 15 Armour Black (FL) (36) 29. Team Pineapple 15 Black (IN) (37) 30. Jupiter Elite 15 Elite (FL) (43) *** 31. AVC Cle 15 Red (OH) (22) 32. Triangle 15 Black (NC) (33) 33. Top Select 15 Elite (FL) (23) 34. Academy 15 Diamond (NC) (31) 35. Drive Nation 15 Red (TX) (25) 36. A5 15 Bob (GA) (29) 37. Vision 15 Gold (CA) (n/r) 38. SG Elite 15 Rosh (CA) (30) 39. MKE Sting 15 Gold (WI) (44) 40. TVC 15 Black (OH) (48) *** 41. High Tide 15 Elite (FL) (45) 42. Northern Lights 15-1 (MN) (49) 43. Premier Nebraska 15 Gold (NE) (n/r) 44. 1st Alliance 15 Gold (IL) (n/r) 45. Tstreet 15 Curtis (CA) (35) 46. OP2 15-1 (OK) (n/r) 47. Academy HP 15 Danielle (CA) (n/r) 48. TAV Houston 15 Adidas (TX) (28) 49. MAVS 816 15-1 (KS) (46) 50. SynergyForce 15 Lisa (CA) (n/r) ON THE CUSP Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar (CA) AZ Rev 15 Premier (AZ) Actyve 15 Black (CA) HPSTL 15 Royal (MO) Coast 15-1 (CA) Sunshine 15 Westside (CA) Metro 15 Travel (DC) Excel 15 National Red (TX) Co Jrs 15 Sherri (CO) Iowa Rockets 15R (IO) Rev 15-1 Fuego (IN) Circle City 15 Purple (IN) Wildfire 15 Ore (FL) NorCal 15-1 Black (CA) Illini Elite 15 Cardinal (IL) NE Elite 15 Phoenix (NE) Kairos 15 Alpha (SD) Club One AZ 15 Platinum (AZ) Arete 15 Navy Telos (TX) MN Select 15-1 (MN) Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite (MO) Stars 15 Bing (SC)

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16s: Top 50 National Rankings (May 10)

With the 18s wrapping up their season, we saw plenty of movement in the latest update. We also saw a new No. 1 take over the top spot in the most recent 17s rankings update. However, there is no change at the top when it comes to the 16s division. The No. 1 position remains occupied by 1st Alliance 16 Gold, which recently added the Lone Star Classic gold medal to its collection. Drive Nation 16 Red and Surfside 16 PV Legends remain Nos. 2 and 3 behind 1st Alliance, while Hou Skyline 16 Royal climbed one spot and HJV 16 Elite leapfrogged Arizona Storm 16 Thunder to round out the Top 5. While the powerhouses have been clear to identify, the 16s division has shown a large amount of parity when it comes to filling out the Top 50. There are around 25-30 teams which could fill out the final 10 spots and that’s something to watch for as the season nears its conclusion. vballrecruiter.com TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. 1st Alliance 16 Gold (IL) (1 – previous ranking) 2. Drive Nation 16 Red (TX) (2) 3. Surfside 16 PV Legends (CA) (3) 4. Hou Skyline 16 Royal (TX) (5) 5. HJV 16 Elite (TX) (7) 6. Arizona Storm 16 Thunder (AZ) (4) 7. Nebraska One 16 Synergy (NE) (6) 8. A5 16 Gabe (GA) (14) 9. Circle City 16 Purple (IN) (10) 10. OT 16 JP (FL) (8) *** 11. TAV 16 Black (TX) (9) 12. MKE Sting 16 Gold (WI) (11) 13. SPVB 16 Elite (IL) (16) 14. Adidas KiVA 16 Red (KY) (13) 15. HPSTL 16 Royal (MO) (23) 16. Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal (FL) (15) 17. Austin Skyline 16 Royal (TX (18) 18. Legacy 16 Adidas (MI) (19) 19. Mich Elite 16 Mizuno (MI) (12) 20. Coast 16 Luis (CA) (21) *** 21. Wave 16 Kevin (CA) (20) 22. Northern Lights 16-1 (MN) (26) 23. ID Crush 16 Bower (ID) (29) 24. Tri-State Elite 16 Blue (OH) (17) 25. GP 16 Rox (FL) (24) 26. MAVS KC 16-1 (KS) (44) 27. Madfrog 16 Green (TX) (33) 28. AVC Cle 16 Red (OH) (22) 29. Dynasty 16 Black (KS (30) 30. Munciana 16 Blaze (IN) (25) *** 31. NorCal 16-1 Black (CA) (40) 32. Skyline 16 Royal (TX) (31) 33. Alamo 16 Premier (TX) (39) 34. No Name 16 Sarah (FL) (45) 35. AVA TX 16 Adidas (TX) (32) 36. AJV 16 Adidas (TX) (35) 37. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold (NE) (27) 38. Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar (CA) (n/r) 39. OT 16 Roberto (FL) (28) 40. Team Pineapple 16 Black (IN) (34) *** 41. Co Jrs Shannon (CO) (43) 42. CUVC 16 Beast (NC) (n/r) 43. AZ Sky 16G (AZ) (n/r) 44. Vision 16 Gold (CA) (n/r) 45. Triangle 16 Black (NC) (n/r) 46. Club Ignite Select 16 Blue (IA) (n/r) 47. Kairos 16 Alpha (SD) (n/r) 48. Top Select 16 Elite (46) 49. Pitt Elite 16 Elite (PA) (n/r) 50. FC Elite 16 Navy (WI) (42) ON THE CUSP NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami (KY) Excel National 16 Red (TX) Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite (MO) NE Elite 16 Maverick (NE) AZ Rev 16 Premier (AZ) Elevation 16 Goller (OH) Illini Elite 16 Cardinal (IL) Oaks 16 Gold (CA) Absolute 16 Black (CA) Viper 16 Costa (CA) Forza1 North 16 One (CA) ARVC 16 Adidas (NM) Norco 16 Black (CO) SASVBC 16-1 (HI) Boiler Jrs 16 Gold (IN) OT 16 Will (FL) Wildfire 16 Corey (FL) WF Florida Waves 16 (FL) Vegas Aces 16 UA (NV)

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17s: Top 50 National Rankings (May 9)

When it comes to the latest 17s National Rankings update, we are back where we started. At least in terms of the top team in the country. That honor goes to Dynasty 17 Black, which started off the year as the top-ranked team but was replaced by A5 17 Jing. A5 was then displaced by Co Jrs 17 Kevin, which is now being replaced at the top by Dynasty once more. Dynasty recently captured the Lone Star Classic and that helped the club retake the No. 1 spot. There was quite a bit of shifting within the Top 10, though only one team moved in while another moved out. That was Wave 17 Juliana falling out of the Top 10 and Premier Nebraska 17 Gold moving in. All of the Top 10 teams so far have shown a high-level of consistency and thus it’s no surprise they occupy those spots. You can view the full rankings below. vballrecruiter.com TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Dynasty 17 Black (KS) (2 – previous ranking) 2. TAV 17 Black (TX) (4) 3. Triangle 17 Black (NC) (7) 4. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (KY) (9) 5. A5 17 Jing (GA) (5) 6. Drive Nation 17 Red (TX) (3) 7. 1st Alliance 17 Gold (IL) (8) 8. Co Jrs 17 Kevin (CO) (1) 9. OT 17 Aaron (FL) (6) 10. Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (NE) (13) *** 11. HJV 17 Elite (TX) (22) 12. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite (MO) (12) 13. KC Power 17-1 (KS) (19) 14. Momentous 17 Dan (CA) (18) 15. Wave 17 Juliana (CA) (10) 16. SCVC 17 Roxy (CA) (14) 17. Hou Skyline 17 Royal (TX) (11) 18. Coast 17-1 (CA) (15) 19. SG Elite 17 Rosh (CA) (17) 20. Vision 17 Gold (CA) (21) ***21. Club V 17 Ren Matthew (UT) (23) 22. Tri-State Elite 17 Blue (OH) (26) 23. OT Felix (FL) (20) 24. Skyline 17 Royal (TX) (30) 25. VCNebraska 17 Elite (NE) (31) 26. Academy 17 Tsunami (IN) (24) 27. Boiler Jrs 17 Gold (IN) (35) 28. MKE Sting 17 Gold (WI) (34) 29. Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar (CA) (46) 30. Pohaku 17-1 (KS) (16) *** 31. Madfrog 17 Green (TX) (27) 32. Metro 17 Travel (DC) (28) 33. AJV 17 Adidas (TX) (37) 34. AVC Cle 17 Red (OH) (39) 35. Seal Beach 17 Black (CA) (n/r) 36. NorCal 17-1 Black (CA) (n/r) 37. City 17 Gold (CA) (38) 38. Ku’Ikahi 17 RSB Wahine (HI) (32) 39. Top Select 17 Elite (FL) (41) 40. Adidas KiVA 17 Red (KY) (33) *** 41. Six Pack 17-1 (IA) (n/r) 42. Elevation 17 Ulland (OH) (40) 43. Rock City 17-1 (OH) n/r) 44. Stars 17 HP (SC) (n/r) 45. Academy 17 Diamond (NC) (50) 46. Miami Hype 17 Emilio (FL) (36) 47. Shockwave 17 Black (KS) (44) 48. Northern Lights 17-1 (MN) (49) 49. Mintonette Sports m.71 (OH) (45) 50. Memphis VBAcademy 17 Red (TN) (n/r) ON THE CUSP Rev 17-1 Raptors (IN) AZ Sky 17G (AZ) MAVS KC 17-1 (KS) 417 Juniors National (MO) IowaPowerPlex 17 Black (IA) Circle City 17 Purple (IN) Arizona Storm 17 Thunder (AZ) DaKine Warriors 17 Surf (WA) Rage 17 Greg (CA) OT 17 John (FL) SynergyForce 17 Patrick (CA) TAV Houston 17 Adidas (TX) AZ Rev 17 Premier (AZ) Team Pineapple 17 Black (IN) Absolute 17 Black (CA) Norco 17 Black (CO) CHAVC 17 Black (CR) Alamo 17 Premier (TX) Legacy 17-1 Adidas (MI) MN Select 17-1 (MN)

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18s: Top 50 National Rankings (May 8)

Welcome to the (almost) final national rankings! We can’t quite call this the last version of the 18s Top 50, not with the AAU National Championships still ahead in June. While there isn’t a scenario that will change the top spot in the rankings – occupied by USAV National Champion Wave 18 Juliana – we won’t put the final stamp on it yet. There’s a slight chance of some movement elsewhere, but without doubt Wave earned the No. 1 ranking. Drive Nation 18 Red was the undisputed top team throughout qualifying season. An early loss to AJV 18 Adidas was the lone blemish for Drive Nation entering JN’s in Columbus. However, Drive Nation’s hopes of finishing off a dream season was interrupted when it ran into Wave in the semifinals and lost in a tight sweep. That brings us to the one hard-fast rule when it comes to national championships and vballrecruiter.com’s national rankings. While rankings are subjective, one thing that is not is the way we rank teams when it comes to winning/losing in an elimination match with a gold medal on the line. Teams build their seasons toward that moment and if Team A eliminates Team B in a challenge match or gold-bracket match, Team A is always going to be ranked higher than Team B no mater what. Period. There’s a compelling argument with all results being equal that would lead to a team like Coast 18-1 being ranked ahead of Premier Nebraska 18 Gold. Yet, it was Premier Nebraska which kept Coast from advancing in the gold bracket and thus Premier Nebraska is ranked ahead of Coast. You’ll find the consistency of that applied throughout the latest set of rankings and as a result there was big movement from a handful of teams. vballrecruiter.com TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Wave 18 Juliana (CA) (10 – previous ranking) 2. Drive Nation 18 Red (TX) (1) 3. Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (NE) (6) 4. Coast 18-1 (CA) (2) 5. Munciana 18 Samurai (IN) (3) 6. 1st Alliance 18 Gold (IL) (5) 7. Sunshine 18 LA (CA) (7) 8. AZ Rev 18 Premier (AZ) (15) 9. Circle City 18 Purple (IN) (13) 10. NPJ 18 Forefront (OR) (20) *** 11. Elevation 18 Spinney (OH) (12) 12. Paramount VBC 18s (VA) (31) 13. Club V 18 Ren Reed (UT) (11) 14. OT 18 John (FL) (19) 15. Skyline 18 Royal (TX) (14) 16. HJV 18 Elite (TX) (23) 17. Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar (CA) (39) 18. Metro 18 Travel (DC) (16) 19. Legacy 18-1 Adidas (MI) (22) 20. Triangle 18 Black (NC) (32) *** 21. MAVS KC 18-1 (KS) (4) 22. A5 18 Marc (GA) (8) 23. SPVB 18 Elite (IL) (n/r) 24. Adidas KiVA 18 Red (KY) (17) 25. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue (OH) (27) 26. MKE Sting 18 Gold (WI) (26) 27. Arizona Storm 18 Thunder (AZ) (21) 28. Mintonette Sports m.81 (OH) (9) 29. MN Select 18-1 (MN) (34) 30. Northern Lights 18-1 (MN) (42) *** 31. FC Elite 18 Elite (WI) (29) 32. Gainesville Jrs 18/17 (FL) (25) 33. Absolute 18 Black (CA) (n/r) 34. Ocala Power 17/18 (FL) (n/r) 35. Excel 18 National Red (TX) (45) 36. Rage Westside 18 Michelle (CA) (n/r) 37. Hou Skyline 18 Royal (TX) (24) 38. Far Out 18 Black (MI) (28) 39. Ku’Ikahi 18 Wahine RSB (HI) (30) 40. CUVC 18 Titan (NC) (37) *** 41. AVC Cle 18 Red (OH) (18) 42. OJVA 18-1 Gold (OR) (50) 43. TAV 18 Black (TX) (35) 44. AJV 18 Adidas (TX) (43) 45. Madfrog 18 Green (TX) (33) 46. VC United 18 Elite (IL) (41) 47. KC Power 18 Black (KS) (44) 48. Kairos 18 Alpha (SD) (n/r) 49. Tstreet 18 Chandler (CA) (48) 50. Topeka Impact 18-1 (KS) (46) ON THE CUSP AZ EVJ 18 Elite (AZ) (49) Adversity 18 Adidas (IL) EC Power 18 Royal (PA) Tribe 18 Elite Cardinal (FL) A4 Volley 18 Joaco (CA) (38) SynergyForce 18 Shasta (CA) Alamo 18 Premier (TX) VCNebraska 18 Elite (NE) (36) NOVA Juniors 18 Navy (OH) NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (KY) (40) 608 Jrs 18s (WI) OP2 18-1 (OK) GP 18 Rox (FL) PVA 18 Elite (KS) Co Jrs 18 Doug (CO) ID Crush 18 Bower (ID) Rev 18-1 Avengers (IN) Vegas Aces 18 UA (NV) Actyve 18 Black (CA)

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Elite ID Clinic Colorado Invites And Standouts

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)

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

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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