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Sunshine Classic: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

March 2, 2023

The second half of the Sunshine Classic takes place Friday-Sunday in Orlando. Last weekend, the youngers punched their tickets to Junior Nationals in Chicago this summer. Who is going to join them by earning bids this weekend? Below, we take a look at the 16 and 17 Open divisions and make the guess as to who is going to win it all as well as gain the bids. 17 Open Number of Teams: 39 Number of Bids Available: 3 Previously-Qualified Club (1): A5 17 Jing vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (10): 1. A5 17 Jing 4. TAV 17 Black 5. Triangle 17 Black 10. OT 17 Aaron 24. OT 17 Felix 25. Miami Hype 17 Emilio 27. Skyline 17 Royal 30. MKE Sting 17 Gold 33. Top Select 17 Elite 43. Rock City 17-1   5-star Athletes To Watch Nayelis Cabello S/RS Top Select 17 Elite (Louisville) Favor Anyanwu MB TAV 17 Black (USC) Jadyn Livings OH TAV 17 Black (USC) Cari Spears OH TAV 17 Black (2025) Ryan Hunter RS Triangle 17 Black (2025) Hannah Benjamin OH A5 17 Jing (Kentucky) Camille Edwards S TAV 17 Black (Michigan) Gillian Pitts L/DS TAV 17 Black (2025)   4-star Athletes To Watch Fallon Stewart OH OT 17 Felix (Cincinnati) Taylor Parks S OT 17 Aaron (Florida) Sarah Brodner OH/RS Jupiter 17 Elite (Virginia) Asia Thigpen OH Triangle 17 Black (Kentucky) Kiarrah Horne OH Triangle 17 Black Ashlyn Philpot MB Triangle 17 Black (Illinois) Samantha Bowron OH Top Select 17 Elite (Coastal Carolina) Mia Hood MB A5 17 Jing (Michigan State) Molly Kate Patten RS A5 17 Jing (Georgia) Mallory Bohl MB Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Notre Dame) Logan Wiley MB A5 17 Jing (Georgia Tech) Chelsea Sutton MB OT 17 John (Tennessee) Claire Luoma L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Clemson) Anna Bjork MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Notre Dame) Mikala Young OH TAV 17 Black (TCU) Anna Boatner MB TAV 17 Black   Outlook/Prediction: I’m excited to see what the 17s bring in Orlando. Triple Crown was wild in that division with big-time upsets rocking the final standings. I’m looking for A5 17 Jing and TAV 17 Black to re-establish themselves after finishing out of the running in Kansas City. For TAV, that means earning an Open bid. A5 doesn’t have that concern, as it’s the only club in the field with an Open bid after qualifying at Northern Lights in January. Everyone else, including TAV, is chasing one of the three available bids. It can’t trickle down past fourth place, that’s if A5 finishes in the top three. Triangle 17 Black showed strong at Triple Crown and is a team to pay attention to. Miami Hype 17 Emilio is an intriguing team, having beat Dynasty 17 Black in KC. And of course OT 17 Aaron earned the silver in KC, so that club is going to be feeling confident about bidding this weekend. As for the picks, I think A5 tops Triangle in the final. Triangle gets its bid, as does TAV and OT Aaron. *** 16 Open Number of Teams: 40 Number of Bids Available: 3 Previously-Qualified Club: n/a vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (16): 5. Hou Skyline 16 Royal 8. A5 16 Gabe 9. OT 16 JP 12. Mich Elite 16 Mizuno 15. Dynasty 16 Black 16. Legacy 16-1 Adidas 17. Austin Skyline 16 Royal 18. Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal 20. Skyline 16 Royal 22. OT 16 Roberto 30. HPSTL 16 Royal 39. MAVS KC 16-1 41. Top Select 16 Elite 42. Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite 43. No Name 16 Sarah 44. GP 16 Rox   5-star Athletes To Watch Logan Parks S/RS MAVS KC 16-1 Kelly Kinney OH Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Amina N’diaye OH OT 16 Roberto Kassidy O’Brien S Hou Skyline 16 Royal Bayleigh Minor MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal Campbell Flynn S Legacy 16-1 Adidas Charlotte Glass S Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Asia Harvey OH A5 16 Gabe Bailey Warren OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal   4-star Athletes To Watch Zoey Matias L/DS Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Lily Dee Davis OH Austin Skyline 16 Royal Callie Krueger L/DS Austin Skyline 16 Royal Kayden Green S/RS GP 16 Rox Rebekah Pfefferkorn MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal Ella Lewis OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal Taylor Porter OH/RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Morgan Madison L/DS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Taylor Cook S Skyline 16 Royal Leni Stanton-Parker OH Metro 16 Travel Bella Ocampo OH Skyline 16 Royal Francesca Popescu L/DS A5 16 Gabe Camryn Jeffery RS A5 16 Gabe Addison Gaido OH/RS Austin Skylin 16 Royal Abigail Li S A5 16 Gabe Izzy Mogridge S OT 16 JP Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 16 Mizuno   Outlook/Prediction: This is the first qualifier of the season for the 16s, so teams must finish in the top three to earn one of the three Open bids. It’s going to make for an exciting weekend. The favorite without question is Hou Skyline 16 Royal, which is both the highest seeded and ranked team in the field and is coming off a silver medal at Triple Crown. It would be shocking if Hou Skyline doesn’t earn a bid here. A5 16 Gabe is looking to keep its good play going. After struggling at Central Zone, A5 did very well with a bronze at Triple Crown. If A5 can keep with that type of consistency this weekend, it’ll bid for sure. OT 16 JP, OT Roberto, Austin Skyline 16 Royal and Mich Elite 16 Mizuno are other teams to watch for in terms of bidding, as well as Dynasty 16 Black. MAVS KC 16-1, Legacy 16-1 Adidas, Skyline 16 Royal and HPSTL 16 Royal could bid as well but are longer shots to do so. In the end, Hou Skyline tops Mich Elite for gold. Both qualify, with A5 beating Austin Skyline for the final bid.

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15s: Top 50 National Rankings (March 2)

March 2, 2023

We continue our week-long National Rankings release with the 15s division. While the 17s and 16s presented their own challenges in sorting through the muddy waters, the 15s was a bit easier to navigate. We all know these rankings are going to change as we enter qualifying season. For now, Skyline 15 Royal takes over the top spot in the rankings. It wasn’t just about winning Triple Crown, it was about Skyline’s overall results to date. Skyline, I feel, has the best argument to be No. 1 based on that. Skyline has just three losses – Madfrog 15 Green, Hou Skyline 15 Royal and Boiler Jrs 15 Gold. Skyline has defeated Madfrog twice and Hou Skyline, plus has beaten a really good Austin Skyline 15 Royal group three times and TAV twice. Skyline also has victories over Mintonette Sports m.51 and SCVC 15 Roxy. Mintonette finished 17th at Triple Crown but only dropped one spot to from being previously No. 1 to No. 2. Mintonette lost to Austin Skyline in Kansas City but avenged that loss in winning the Sunshine Classic this past weekend, where Mintonette went undefeated. That helped keep Mintonette near the top of the rankings for now. There were also a few big moves, as Arizona Storm 15 Thunder climbed way up into the Top 10, while AP 15 Adidas jumped from No. 37 to No. 16. vballrecruiter.com TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Skyline 15 Royal (TX) (3) 2. Mintonette Sports m.51 (OH) (1) 3. Boiler Jrs 15 Gold (IN) (2) 4. Madfrog 15 Green (TX) (5) 5. TAV 15 Black (TX) (7) 6. Austin Skyline 15 Royal (TX) (13) 7. Arizona Storm 15 Thunder (AZ) (31) 8. NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami (KY) (6) 9. Legacy 15-1 Adidas (MI) (12) 10. SCVC 15 Roxy (CA) (16) *** 11. Pohaku 15-1 (KS) (20) 12. Alamo 15 Premier (TX) (11) 13. AZ Sky 15G (AZ) (17) 14. Hou Skyline 15 Royal (TX) (4) 15. Wave 15 Brennan (CA) (9) 16. AP 15 Adidas (TX) (37) 17. Elevation 15 Tony (OH) (8) 18. Dynasty 15 Black (KS) (27) 19. Forza1 North 15 One (CA) (14) 20. Far Out 15 Black (MI) (29) *** 21. HJV 15 Elite (TX) (25) 22. AVC Cle 15 Red (OH) (18) 23. Drive Nation 15 Red (TX) (38) 24. Tri-State Elite 15 Blue (IN) (22) 25. Top Select 15 Elite (FL) (47) 26. Tribe 15 Elite (FL) (50) 27. TAV Houston 15 Adidas (TX) (10) 28. A5 15 Bob (GA) (39) 29. SG Elite 15 Rosh (CA) (36) 30. Academy 15 Diamond (NC) (n/r) *** 31. WPVC 15 Armour Black (FL) (41) 32. Actyve 15 Black (CA) (30) 33. GP 15 Rox (FL) (19) 34. Tstreet 15 Curtis (CA) (21) 35. Team Pineapple 15 Black (IN) (32) 36. Sunshine 15 Westside (CA) (n/r) 37. Jupiter Elite (FL) (33) 38. AZ Rev 15 Premier (AZ) (23) 39. Coast 15-1 (CA) (n/r) 40. MKE Sting 15 Gold (WI (15) *** 41. Aspire 15 Premier (AZ) (n/r) 42. Club V 15 Ren Reed (UT) (n/r) 43. High Tide 15 Elite (FL) (35) 44. Michio 15 National (IL) (45) 45. Triangle 15 Black (NC) (44) 46. MAVS 816 15-1 (KS) (n/r) 47. Excel 15 National Red (TX) (n/r) 48. TVC 15 Black (OH) (40) 49. HPSTL 15 Royal (MO) (26) 50. Northern Lights 15-1 (MN) (28) ON THE CUSP Co Jrs 15 Sherri (CO) (42) Iowa Rockets 15R (IO) (43) Rev 15-1 Fuego (IN) (34) Circle City 15 Purple (IN) Metro 15 Travel (DC) (48) 1st Alliance 15 Gold (IL) (49) Wildfire 15 Ore (FL) NorCal 15-1 Black (CA) Illini Elite 15 Cardinal (IL)

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16s: Top 50 National Rankings (March 1)

March 1, 2023

One thing is for sure with the 16s division this season. While the rankings are all over the place after a recent wild Triple Crown weekend, this age group is much more competitive and deeper than it was a season ago. I felt we entered last summer in Indy with Arizona Storm and Hou Skyline as the teams to beat before Alamo surprised and won it all and Drive Nation upset Hou Skyline in the quarters. But after seeing what took place in Kansas City, this division is deeper and right now there is no real favorite. There are teams that have played more consistent than others and teams which have played more than others, but not the one or two teams that everyone else is coming for. After winning Triple Crown, Surfside ascends to the very top of the rankings. Looking at Surfside’s overall results, I felt Surfside deserves to be No. 1. We have qualifying season coming up and that will deliver a greater sample size as which to try and decipher from. Nebraska One hasn’t played many matches yet, but its only loss has come to Surfside. The next set of teams in Drive Nation, 1st Alliance, Hou Skyline, Arizona Storm, HJV and A5 have shown they are Top-10 teams – in some order. And I think the depth of the division starts to show when a team like TAV is bordering on the Top 10, as is Circle City, Mich Elite, Coast and MKE Sting. vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Surfside 16 PV Legends (CA) (11) 2. Nebraska One 16 Synergy (NE) (12) 3. Drive Nation 16 Red (TX) (4) 4. 1st Alliance 16 Gold (IL) (3) 5. Hou Skyline 16 Royal (TX) (5) 6. HJV 16 Elite (TX) (2) 7. Arizona Storm 16 Thunder (AZ) (1) 8. A5 16 Gabe (GA) (16) 9. OT 16 JP (FL) (17) 10. TAV 16 Black (TX) (6) *** 11. Circle City 16 Purple (IN) (7) 12. Mich Elite 16 Mizuno (MI) (8) 13. Coast 16-1 (CA) (32) 14. MKE Sting 16 Gold (WI) (9) 15. Dynasty 16 Black (KS) (20) 16. Legacy 16-1 Adidas (MI) (25) 17. Austin Skyline 16 Royal (TX) (10) 18. Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal (FL) (26) 19. AVC Cle 16 Red (OH) (28) 20. Skyline 16 Royal (TX) (27) *** 21. AVA TX 16 Adidas (TX) (n/r) 22. OT 16 Roberto (FL) (33) 23. Adidas KiVA 16 Red (KY) (24) 24. Tri-State Elite 16 Blue (IN) (14) 25. Munciana 16 Blaze (IN) (13) 26. Wave 16 Kevin (CA) (18) 27. ID Crush 16 Bower (ID) (30) 28. Madfrog 16 Green (TX) (21) 29. Team Pineapple 16 Black (IN) (15) 30. HPSTL 16 Royal (MO) (39) *** 31. Alamo 16 Premier (TX) (19) 32. KC Power 16 Black (KS) (n/r) 33. AJV 16 Adidas (TX) (34) 34. Excel 16 National Red (TX) (35) 35. Absolute 16 Black (CA) (22) 36. Northern Lights 16-1 (MN) (n/r) 37. NorCal 16-1 Black (CA) (31) 38. Co Jrs 16 Shannon (CO) (43) 39. MAVS KC 16-1 (KS) (23) 40. NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami (KY) (38) *** 41. Top Select 16 Elite (FL) (36) 42. Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite (MO) (41) 43. No Name 16 Sarah (FL) (n/r) 44. GP 16 Rox (FL) (40) 45. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold (NE) (n/r) 46. Illini Elite 16 Cardinal (IL) (48) 47. SA Juniors 16 Adidas (TX) (n/r) 48. Norco 16 Black (CO) (n/r) 49. AZ Sky 16G (AZ) (n/r) 50. Pitt Elite 16-1 (PA) (n/r) ON THE CUSP SA Magic 16 Elite (TX) PVA 16 Elite (KS) AZ Rev 16 Premier (AZ) (29) Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar (CA) (36) OT 16 Will (FL) (37) Boiler Jrs 16 Gold (IN) (50) CJV 16 Zoe (NC) SASVBC 16-1 (HI) Club One AZ 16 Platinum (AZ) Kairos 16 Alpha (SD) FC Elite 16 Navy (WI) Tstreet 16 Naseri (CA) VCNebraska 16 Elite (NE) Mintonette Sports m.61 (OH) NPJ Seattle 16 National (WA) Tulsa Power 16-1 (OK) Six Pack 16 (IA)

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17s: Top 50 National Rankings (Feb. 28)

February 28, 2023

There are two questions to be asked, though I know I don’t have the answer for either: 1) Who is No. 1? and 2) Who deserves to be No. 1? Maybe the answers are the same. Maybe they are different. I’ve done rankings in some capacity for nearly 20 years and this update on the 17s divisions was spent riding the struggle bus the whole way through! Admittingly, I’m not sure which team is No. 1, deserves to be No. 1 and/or is actually No. 1? I’m not sure anyone knows. Somehow, I ended up with A5 17 Jing remaining at No. 1 in the rankings. Placing NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami at No. 1 after winning Triple Crown wouldn’t necessarily be wrong, I just like to take in the totality of the season and all results, not just results from one weekend. It might be tedious to go through and chart all the results in terms of wins and losses, but how can you even begin to rank teams without using results as a guideline? A tournament like Triple Crown can’t be judged on final finishes alone, because you need to know which teams other teams are beating and which teams they are losing to. While it’s simple to track all the results it doesn’t make it any easier to make sense of any of it. The issue with NKYVC is it has losses to Academy 17 Tsunami and Rock City 17-1 at Central Zone. Yes, NKYVC was playing short-handed and showed what it can do with its full lineup available. And that’s why NKYVC jumped up from No. 28 to No. 9 in our latest rankings. There’s no scenario that makes complete sense. NKYVC did beat A5 head-to-head at Triple Crown and I really struggle with how to deal with that result. But if we step back and look at the whole season, it’s why I kept A5 at No. 1. To me, A5’s overall results have the strongest argument to be No. 1. It might sound odd, but A5 has the best collection of losses. It has fallen to TAV 17 Black, NKYVC, Triangle 17 Black and Wave 17 Juliana. All four of those teams are ranked in the Top 16 of the latest version of the Top 50. In addition, A5 has victories over Dynasty 17 Black, 1st Alliance 17 Gold, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite, Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (twice), Drive Nation 17 Red, TAV, OT 17 Aaron and HJV 17 Elite. Every one of those teams is ranked No. 12 or higher. When it comes down to it, we have to remember it’s all for fun! The fact is these teams are going to spend the next two months traveling the country in hopes of qualifying for Chicago this summer and the results are only going to get more jumbled and more mixed up. That’s why we love it! vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. A5 17 Jing (GA) (1 – previous ranking) 2. Dynasty 17 Black (KS) (2) 3. Drive Nation 17 Red (TX) (13) 4. TAV 17 Black (TX) (3) 5. Triangle 17 Black (NC) (7) 6. HJV 17 Elite (TX) (5) 7. 1st Alliance 17 Gold (IL) (4) 8. Co Jrs 17 Kevin (CO) (6) 9. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (KY) (28) 10. OT 17 Aaron (FL) (23) *** 11. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite (MO) (10) 12. Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (NE) (9) 13. Hou Skyline 17 Royal (TX) (8) 14. AZ Sky 17G (AZ) (35) 15. Momentous 17 Dan (CA) (24) 16. Wave 17 Juliana (CA) (12) 17. KC Power 17 Black (KS) (18) 18. Vision 17 Gold (CA) (14) 19. Metro 17 Travel (DC) (15) 20. Coast 17-1 (CA) (16) *** 21. Academy 17 Tsunami (IN) (34) 22. SCVC 17 Roxy (CA) (n/r) 23. Tri-State Elite 17 Blue (OH) (29) 24. OT 17 Felix (FL) (17) 25. Miami Hype 17 Emilio (FL) (48) 26. 417 Jrs 17 Black (MO) (n/r) 27. Skyline 17 Royal (TX) (19) 28. VCNebraska 17 Elite (NE) (27) 29. Madfrog 17 Green (TX) (11) 30. MKE Sting 17 Gold (WI) (40) *** 31. AVC Cle 17 Red (OH) (21) 32. Club V 17 Ren Matthew (UT) (22) 33. Top Select 17 Elite (FL) (26) 34. AJV 17 Adidas (TX) (20) 35. SG Elite 17 Rosh (CA) (25) 36. City 17 Gold (CA) (39) 37. Elevation 17 Ulland (OH) (30) 38. Circle City 17 Purple (IN) (31) 39. Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB (HI) (n/r) 40. Adidas KiVA 17 Red (KY) (32) *** 41. Boiler Jrs 17 Gold (IN) (37) 42. Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar (CA) (38) 43. Rock City 17-1 (OH) (40) 44. Shockwave 17 Black (KS) (49) 45. Northern Lights 17-1 (MN) (44) 46. AZ Rev 17 Premier (AZ) (41) 47. Iowa PowerPlex 17U Black (IO) (n/r) 48. Pohaku 17-1 (KS) (n/r) 49. Arizona Storm 17 Thunder (AZ) (42) 50. Team Pineapple 17 Black (IN) (33) ON THE CUSP Absolute 17 Black (CA) (43) MAVS KC 17-1 (KS) (36) Rev 17-1 Raptors (IN) (45) Norco 17 Black (CO) (47) Seal Beach 17 Black (CA) Mintonette Sports m.71 (OH) Alamo 17 Premier (TX) FC Elite 17 Navy (WI) CHAVC 17 Black (NC) Arete 17 Navy Telos (TX) NorCal 17-Black (CA) A5 17-AG (GA) Academy 17 Diamond (NC) Legacy 17-1 Adidas (MI) (50) Excel 17 National Red (TX) Rocky Elite 17 National (CO) Union 17 UA (IN)

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SCVA 14s Team Spotlights

February 27, 2023

With the sheer size and intensity of the Triple Crown NIT, one would think the volleyball world would take a break the following weekend. Wishing thinking, right?!? Instead, Triple Crown is really the starting line for the qualifying season, because after the three days in Kansas City everything gets cranked up a notch. Part of the vballrecruiter.com team is in Orlando covering the younger divisions of the Sunshine Classic. As for me, I spent a weekend home watching local SCVA Power League action and spotlight teams from it below. TSTREET 14 CARSON: Admittingly, I thought I would be able to write more about Tstreet during its time at Triple Crown. But, after a strong Day 1 Tstreet was upended by AP 14 Adidas on Day 2 and knocked out of contention. Anyway, that was Tstreet’s only loss in KC and went on to finish ninth overall, still collecting victories over Adidas KiVA 14 Red, Madfrog 14 Green, Legacy 14-1 Adidas and A5 14-Helen. Tstreet avoided any letdown this past weekend, going 4-0 on the day by beating Surfside 14 PV Loriann, United 14 Evren, Forza1 14 One and Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar without losing a set. Tstreet was tinkering with its lineup Saturday. One change (or at least something I didn’t see in KC) was running Megan Hodges on the right side and pairing Emma Kingston and Berit Brinkema in the middle. It seems to make a lot of sense. Hodges puts up a big block and Brinkema was ripping balls on the attack. There is certainly roster flexibility, though one mainstay is outside Ella Olson. She hit a wrist-away shot that bounced at the 12-foot line! Insane! Gabriella Souza and Ally Fausett do well setting, while Katherine Jackson and Katherine Nowak also factor into the offense on the pins. On Saturday, Sarah McDonald, Sarah Thorp and Madisen Dolsophon all wore the libero jersey at one point. It was unfortunate not to see Tstreet play TAV 14 Black or Arizona Storm 14 Thunder in KC as Tstreet seems one of the teams that can legitimately compete with those clubs. MIZUNO LONG BEACH 14 ROCKSTAR: Playing short-handed, it was hard to get a gauge on this squad in Kansas City, where Beach finished 21st at Triple Crown. Two of its four losses came to Madfrog, with other setbacks against MAVC KC 14-1 and Elevation 14 Molly, which Beach also defeated. Beach doesn’t have the size of the top teams in the 14s, but that doesn’t automatically rule Beach out. This team has pieces! Hanna McGinest is a playmaker on the left. Beach is also another team with options. Cedra Talaga will suit up at libero or she’ll play outside. When she’s swinging, Beach turns to Lucy Matuszak at libero and was using McKennah Iamaleava at outside. Sienna Castillo was holding down one of the middle spots with Taimane Poe holding the other. Simrin Adams had to adjust and play middle in KC, but was back on the right this past weekend. Marlo Libbey and Leighton Devereux were taking turns at setter. Beach swept both United and City 14 Gold before falling to Tstreet in a crossover match. FORZA1 14 ONE: Unlike Tstreet and Long Beach, Forza did not head to Triple Crown this year. However, it doesn’t mean Forza should be forgotten about. After all, this group finished tied for seventh in 13 Open last summer in Indy and boosts one of the top 7th-graders in the country in right side Janiah Burrage. She’s already taking big swings. Forza defeated ACT 14 Craig and Wave 14 Tammy, which finished 11th at Triple Crown, before losing to Tstreet on Saturday. Middle Evelyn Pool was booming balls when her number was called. Baylee Jones and Ella Johnson were both strong on the left side, while Kiersten Moore showed her smooth setting skills. FORZA1 NORTH 14 ONE: The Forza North group was not at Triple Crown either. Last year, it finished tied for fifth in 13 USA and will certainly be looking to make the jump this season. Forza North went 3-0 on Saturday, earning victoris over Vegas Aces 14 UA, Coast 14 Katie and Wave. Outside Ryah Brock played up on the 14s last year and has stayed with her age group this year. She’ a force on the outside. Marley Robinson is a springy setter/right side who can help carry the offense. Chloe Taylor was setting very well across the back row as well while Lauren Furnald was taking aggressive swings on the outside. Kaleia Zeits was holding down the libero position at the time while Sanal Severloh and Jordan Rall took care of the middle. WAVE 14 TAMMY: As we stated, Wave recently finished 11th at Triple Crown, where it earned a Day 1 victory over eventual silver medalist Drive Nation 14 Red. Wave also pushed AZ Storm to three. Wave beat Vegas Aces on Saturday in regional action but fell to both Forza clubs. We noted the standout play of right side Olivia Greenwood at Triple Crown and she was a big part of the offense once more. Gabrielle Ngo is someone to watch in the middle as she continues her growth. She had nice kills in showing off her arm. Outsides Skylar Beets and Ashley Chuba and libero Kelly Randolph were showing up well too, as was setter Conner Oxberry. CITY 14 GOLD: City finished a respectable 30th at Triple Crown and was also in action Saturday in regional play. City went 2-1 in Anaheim, losing to Long Beach but beating Surfside and Vegas Aces. Like Wave, City also beat Drive Nation on Day 1 at Triple Crown as well as pushing Mintonette Sports m.41 to three before falling. City to pick up a solid victory over Tri-State Elite 14 Blue on Day 3. City struggles to match up size-wise, though middle Evangeline Jeffries brings height to the front row. Miette Moon-Sasik was setting, with Evan Taylor on the right side, Maya Harris and Maya Purdy on

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18s: Top 50 National Rankings (Feb. 27)

February 27, 2023

The latest updated 18s Top 50 National Rankings proved difficult to sort out, especially the lower and lower on the list you go. We’re seeing unranked teams beating teams in the Top 30, if not the Top 20. With so many top players sitting out in the 18s division this season, it has made the division wide open, at least apart from the very, very top where the best-of-the-best still reside. Like Drive Nation 18 Red, which held onto the top spot after winning Triple Crown. Clubs like Coast 18-1, MAVS KC 18-1, Sunshine 18 LA, Premier Nebraska 18 Gold and 1st Alliance 18 Gold remain in the Top 10, with Munciana 18 Samurai and HJV 18 Elite making moves to climb inside the Top 10. On top of that, 10 new clubs join the Top 50 this go around. vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Drive Nation 18 Red (TX) (1 – previous ranking) 2. Coast 18-1 (CA) (5) 3. Munciana 18 Samurai (IN) (25) 4. MAVS KC 18-1 (KS) (8) 5. Sunshine 18 LA (CA) (4) 6. HJV 18 Elite (TX) (20) 7. Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (NE) (3) 8. AVC Cle 18 Red (OH) (19) 9. 1st Alliance 18 Gold (IL) (2) 10. Mintonette Sports m.81 (OH) (13) *** 11. Wave 18 Juliana (CA) (6) 12. Club V 18 Ren Reed (UT) (10) 13. Skyline 18 Royal (TX) (11) 14. A5 18 Marc (GA) (12) 15. Circle City 18 Purple (IN) (14) 16. Metro 18 Travel (DC) (15) 17. NPJ 18 Forefront (OR) (17) 18. AZ Rev 18 Premier (AZ) (24) 19. Legacy 18-1 Adidas (MI) (18) 20. Adidas KiVA 18 Red (KY) (26) *** 21. Hou Skyline 18 Royal (TX) (21) 22. OT 18 John (FL) (37) 23. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue (OH) (27) 24. Paramount 18 VBC (VA) (46) 25. VCNebraska 18 Elite (NE) (n/r) 26. Ku’Ikahi 18 Wahine RSB (HI) (n/r) 27. Arizona Storm 18 Thunder (AZ) (16) 28. Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar (CA) (28) 29. Gainesville 18 Black (FL) (7) 30. Elevation 18 Spinney (OH) (35) *** 31. MN Select 18-1 (MN) (9) 32. Madfrog 18 Green (TX) (23) 33. NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (KY) (34) 34. Northern Lights 18-1 (MN) (29) 35. KC Power 18-1 (KS) (30) 36. Topeka Impact 18-1 (KS) (n/r) 37. MKE Sting 18 Gold (WI) (31) 38. Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite (MO) (32) 39. FC Elite 18 Elite (WI) (40) 40. Triangle 18 Black (NC) (22) *** 41. Far Out 18 Black (MI) (n/r) 42. AJV 18 Adidas (TX) (43) 43. Excel 18 National Red (TX) (44) 44. Legacy Girls 18 Elite (CA) (n/r) 45. Union 18-1 UA (KY) (n/r) 46. Kairos 18 Alpha (SD) (n/r) 47. VC United (IL) (n/r) 48. GP 18 Rox (FL) (n/r) 49. Top Select 18 Elite (FL) (n/r) 50. Tstreet 18 Chandler CA (42) *** ON THE CUSP Iowa Rockets 18 (IO) (33) Dynasty 18 Black (KS) (36) TAV 18 Black (TX) (38) Actyve 18 Black (CA) (39) Alamo 18 Premier (TX) (41) OJVA 18-1 (OR) PVA 18 Elite (KS) NorCal 18-1 Gold (CA) Bama Elite 18 Renegades (AL) South County 18 Daric (ID) ID Crush 18 Bower (ID) Balboa Bay 18 Blue (CA) Vegas Aces 18 UA (NV) Mich Elite 18 Mizuno (MI) Adversity 18 Adidas (IL) Rev 18-1 Avengers (IN)

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Sunshine Classic: Day 2 Show Stoppers

February 26, 2023

Day 2 competition at the Sunshine Volleyball Classic for the 13-15s definitely did not disappoint! Electric action with bids on the line made every match entertaining to say the least. The final day will be fun to see who comes to perform and ultimately to see who punches their tickets for Chicago this summer! But first lets get to Show Stoppers from Day 2.  Day 2 Show Stoppers Leah Stickney OH A5 13 Karen: Stickney has a fearless swing with the power and finesse to score against any block. Bethany Benjamin OH A5 13 Karen: Benjamin puts so much pressure on the block and defense with her ability to swing line or split the block.  Avery Brown S Mintonette Sports m31: Brown has strong hands and a high release point, which allows her to set from anywhere on the court regardless of the pass. Elianiz Rodriquez OH OT 13 O Felix: Rodriquez has a heavy hand and when she connects it is scary.  Jazzlyn Hepburn MB AP 14 Adidas: Hepburn is an undersized middle who jumps well. Combined with a nice swing, it led to some impressive kills when her number was called. Susan Hudgins OH AP 14 Adidas: Hudgins is a HUGE outside hitter who connects incredibly well consistently. Caitlin Crino S Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal: Crino is a calm, yet fierce leader on the court. She also shows consistency with her location when setting. Jordin Southall OH GP 15 Rox: Southall, a 3-star recruit, was hammering balls on the outside today, literally.  Katie Raymer L Triangle 15 Black: Raymer is a flyer in the backcourt. Her game will just keep getting better and better.  Eva Long S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Long, a 3-star recruit, is a 5-1 setter who runs an aggressive offense.  Meredith Martin S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: A 4-star recruit, Martin was solid in the backcourt all day long. From serve receive, to defense, to setting, Martin was smooth and scrappy.  Isabella Johnson RS Top Select 15 Elite: Johnson was a great blocker with a whip off an arm.  Londyn Stone OH AVC CLE 15 Red: Stone caught my attention with her incredible jump serve. She is an undersized outside who isn’t afraid to swing against big blocks.  Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports – m.51: Hoying, a 4-star recruit, was hammering away on the outside.   Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports – m.51: While Hoying might be the OH1 on the court, Snowbarger, a 3-star recruit, did a great job defensively and swinging with aggression.

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Sunshine Classic: Day 1 Show Stoppers And More

February 26, 2023

Hello Orlando! Last weekend it was a bit colder then the mid-80s in Orlando this weekend BUT the heat on the volleyball court is still the same! These are the girls who stepped up on Day 1 of the Sunshine Volleyball Classic for the 13-15s divisions competing this weekend.  Day 1 Show Stoppers Carsyn Chitty L Mintonette Sports m31: Chitty did well in holding it down in serve receive and hustling all over the court to keep balls in play. Isabel Penrose OH OT 13 T Tabitha: Penrose is a firecracker on the outside with her speed and quickness. She also has a whip of an arm.  Jaelyn  Jordan S KC MAVS 13-1: Jordan is quick and gets to the ball well. She also has a great touch and directs her offense well.  Marlie Smith S Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Smith is steady dishing her team. She has a strong group of hitters to work with and she can get all of them involved when in system. Isabel Incinelli MB WPVC 14 Armour Black: Noble brings a level of physicality to the front row. She also delivered a few impressive kills.  Jada Constanza OH HIGHVOLTAGE1415COLLEGEPRE: Constanza helps keep the offense ticking across the front row. She’s also a strong contributor in the back row where she was making nice digs and swinging well from middle back. Leilani Lawrence OH OT 14 T Laura: Lawrence, a 3-star recruit,  is a strong hitter who can unleash big kills at times from the front or back row.  LK Lamonica S A5 15-2 Victor: Lamonica brings fire to the court. She was also delivering with consistent location when setting. Ava Castro OH Jupiter Elite 15 E: Castro is a valuable six-rotation outside. She has strong passing skills and though she’s a bit undersized she was aggressive with her swings. Rylan Miller L OT 15 J Will: A 3-star recruit, Miller is a fiery libero with lots of spirit. She’s also quick and able to cover a lot of court. Julia Schmidt OH Miami Hype 15N Josh: Schmidt is going to be fun to watch moving forward. She has a long frame and swings well on the outside. Her jump serve is no joke either.  Lara Matta OH Tampa North 15 Black: An all-around contributor, Matta is a smart hitter who can tool blocks and consistently put pressure on defenses with her ability to swing away. Destiny Wiggins L Wildfire 15N Ore: Wiggins is a quick libero who makes up ground in a hurry. She was showing her hustle by running down balls all over the court and also doing a good job covering touches. Bennett Raterman MB HPSTL 15 Royal: A 5-star athlete, Raterman is a beast at the net on defense. And let’s just say that saying she is an offensive force is an understatement.  Giavanna Artiles OH Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Artiles is one of the main offensive weapons for Tribe. She was swinging well with her long arm and high contact point. 

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Commitment & Signings Week of Feb 17-23

February 24, 2023

Congrats to all! Corrections? Questions? Additions? Email christi@vballrecruiter.com or DM on Social Media @vballphil   2023 FLORIDA STATE: S Ashley Reynolds (Venetian Bay) WASHINGTON AND LEE: OH Grace Mitchener (Chapel Hill Area) SETON HILL: S/Opp Kate Eden (TAV) UNIVERSITY OF ST THOMAS: MB Brenna Groenemann (Texas Legacy) OKLAHOMA: OH/Opp Ireland McNees (Club V) HOWARD: MB Kaitlynn Robinson (Oklahoma Peak) GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY: OH/Opp Kylie Hoben (Iowa Power VBA) WASHINGTON COLLEGE: OH Izzy Diehl (Austin Skyline) PILANDER SMITH COLLEGE: Opp/MB Kendall Spriggins (Untouchables EPA) PENN STATE HARRISBURG: OH Camryn Wettstone (Avidity VBC) MALONE UNIVERSITY: OH Jaclyn Jundzilo (Club Extreme) COLUMBIA: OH/Opp Kylee Eze (Vision) WESTERN NEW ENGLAND: L Laney Melvin (A5 Gwinnett) TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY: DS Lauren Ware (Nasa VBC) TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY: Opp/S Kayla Coleman (NRG) EAST TEXAS BAPTIST: MB Rachael Spicer (NRG) EAST TEXAS BAPTIST: L Sydney Temple (NRG) STEVENSON UNIVERSITY: DS/OH Claire Thompson (Metro) CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY: Molly Farrel (Metro) CAIRN UNIVERSITY: DS Bridget Dahn (Revolution VBC MD) BOWIE STATE: S Haley Pelham (Chesapeake Elite) BOWIE STATE: MB/Opp Madison Stevens (Chesapeake Elite) WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY: MB/Opp Amanda Redding (San Gabriel Elite) COWLEY COLLEGE: MB Noemi Nyers WEST ALABAMA: MB/Opp Grace Huver (Nasa VBC) PROVIDENCE COLLEGE: OH Megan Weldon (Drive Nation) XAVIER UNIVERSITY LA: OH Amani Mason (Drive Nation) CAL STATE FULLERTON: L Leilani Lopez (Mizuno Long Beach) REGIS COLLEGE: L Emily Hart (Husky VBC) STONEHILL COLLEGE: OH Georgia Murphy (1United) NORFOLK STATE: MB/Opp Jala Dixon (Upward Stars) LAKE-SUMPTER COLLEGE: S Grace King (Jacksonville Skyline) OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN: MB Kayla Kiser (FSC Cougars Volleyball) IMMACULATA: S Christina Lenzo (Princeton VBC) ENDICOTT COLLEGE: Opp/OH Talia Camacho (Sporttime VBC) EVANGEL UNIVERSITY: MB Simone Johnson (Springfield Shock) EVANSVILLE: Opp Carlotta Pascual (Evansville United) WHATCOMM CC: L Olivia Wegner SALT LAKE CC: MB Kiera Cook (Elevate Athletic) WESTERN COLORADO: L Kacee Garcia (Southern Colorado Precision) BEREA COLLEGE: S Brianna Negrón UW STOUT: L Kailey Kline (VC United) STETSON: MB Lily Mueller (VC United)   2024 TEXAS TECH: OH Ava Olsen (Front Range) SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE: L Holland Guilliams (Pursuit VBA) NORTHEASTERN: S/Opp Gabriella Reeves (Alamo) ARMY: S Naomi Chinchar (No Name VBC) FAYETTEVILLE STATE: OH Taylor Wilson (Drive Nation) UTAH STATE: OH Emersyn Robbins (Evansville United)   TRANSFERS NORTH CAROLINA CHARLOTTE: TR L Miyu Tsurumaki (College of Southern Idaho) MORGAN STATE: TR S Erin Carpenter (Western Carolina/A5) MENLO COLLEGE: TR OH Marin Freeland (Central Wyoming College/Hive Volleyball) MENLO COLLEGE: TR OH Jazmyn Tubbs (Cabrillo College/Cal State Dominguez Hills/Rage VBC) ARKANSAS TECH: TR MB Jordan Clouse (Glendale CC/AZ Rev) ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD: GR S Elif Ozge Cakmak (Adams State) TEXAS A&M TEXARKANA: TR L Faith Herrera (Sul Ross State) TEXAS A&M TEXARKANA: TR MB Ja’Kerra Holt (Ranger College) SAN FRANCISCO: TR MB Hayden Goodman (Santa Clara/CLub V) COLORADO STATE: GR L Anna Porter (William & Mary/Tsunami) SMU: GR OH Sinalauli’i Uluave (Wichita State/Toledo/Rainbows) SMU: GR OH Lauren Ohlinger (Boise State/Arizona Storm) MOUNT MERCY: TR MB Madisyn Havermann (Iowa Western) SOUTHERN UTAH: TR L Arianna Rossi (Florida Southwestern) SOUTHERN UTAH: GR MB Hana Makoňová (Cal State Bakersfield)   BEACH   2023 CATAWBA COLLEGE: Anasty Faavesi (Queen City VBA) OREGON: Macy Furtwangler (Dakine VBC)   2024 TULANE: Lily Tucker (Elite Beach)  

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Triple Crown: Final Thoughts

February 23, 2023

There is no tournament like the Triple Crown NIT. Most everybody can agree on that, with the collection of USAV and JVA teams coming all together in one respective age division plus the format making for a unique event. It’s different from the national championships, but the national championships still carry the highest stakes. Both tournaments are highly competitive, but what does make Triple Crown stand on its own is the format. I touched on it briefly in the preview, but after Day 1 it’s an elimination tournament for everybody involved. That doesn’t happen elsewhere and it’s why we saw such crazy results in the 17s Division, when the three top-ranked team in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 all dropped out of contention before the quarterfinals. In a normal pool format, A5 17 Jing, Dynasty 17 Black and TAV 17 Black on losing on Day 2 would make headlines regardless, but all would likely still be in the tournament come Day 3 because they would still advance from pool. It would jumble up the seedings for the final day, but none would have been eliminated. That wasn’t the case on Day 2 in Kansas City, when all three were upset. I already wrote enough about that here. You can catch up on all the Triple Crown coverage here. I’ll start by checking in on the final results of the 17s. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami was definitely a surprise in taking home the gold medal, getting past one of the big three when it upset A5 in the Round of 16 on Day 2. I mean, NKYVC was a competitive bunch last year, winning the Show Me Qualifier and tying for fifth in 16 Open in Indy, so it’s never surprising to see this team competing with the top squads and finishing high in the standings. But considering NKYVC tied for fifth at Central Zone three weeks ago playing without Julia Hunt and losing to Academy 17 Tsunami and Rock City 17-1, it was hard gauging how NKYVC would fare with teams like A5, Dynasty and Premier Nebraska 17 Gold already qualified from Northern Lights plus other clubs who did well there too in the field in KC. With that, NKYVC started off in Power Pool C. Additionally, after its Central Zone performance, NKYVC fell from No. 12 to No. 28 in our Top 50 rankings. Meanwhile, OT 17 Aaron did start off in Power Pool A and was a huge surprise. I personally would not have place OT Aaron in Power Pool A but OT won a big match against Drive Nation 17 Red in the semis. OT Aaron went 0-3 on Day 1 with losses to TAV, A5 and Drive Nation but picked up solid victories over both Madfrog 17 Green and Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite on Day 2 to stay alive. AZ Sky 17G tying for bronze with Drive Nation was out of the blue. Drive Nation sits at No. 13 in our Top 50, while AZ Sky is No. 35 nationally and didn’t even begin the tournament in one of the four power pools! That’s unbelievable. Here is a rundown of the Top 16 finishers, where they currently sit in our Top 50 and what power pool they began in: 1. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (28 – national ranking, C – power pool) 2. OT 17 Aaron (23, A) 3. Drive Nation 17 Red (13, A) 3. AZ Sky 17G (35, n/a) 5. Momentous 17 Dan (24, B) 5. Co Jrs 17 Kevin (6, B) 7. Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (9, A) 7. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite (10, C) 9. Triangle 17 Black (7, D) 10. Miami Hype 17 Emilio (48, n/a) 11. 1st Alliance 17 Gold (4, B) 11. A5 17 Jing (1, A) 13. Academy 17 Tsunami (34, B) 13. Madfrog 17 Green (11, C) 13. TAV 17 Black (3, A) 13. VCNebraska 17 Elite (27, C)   There were definitely intriguing results, with Momentous 17 Dan and Miami Hype 17 Emilio finishing highly. Academy 17 Tsunami went undefeated in 17 Open at Central Zone and backed that up with a strong outing in KC. Some teams I thought we might see in the Top 16 that weren’t is of course Dynasty, followed by clubs like HJV 17 Elite, Top Select 17 Elite, Wave 17 Juliana and Coast 17-1. The 16s division was calmer in terms of upsets, but if what we saw at Triple Crown in this division holds true for the rest of the season we are in for a treat. Surfside 16 PV Legends coming out ahead of the field would have been difficult to predict. Even though I was expecting Surfside to take a step forward this season with the roster changes it made, winning Triple Crown early on is a major development. Kaci Demari is a 5-star recruit who was the big arm on the 15s last year who has new faces surrounding her on the 16s. Middle Kalyssa Blackshear, L/DS Olivia Foye, outside Simone Roslon, right side Preslie Saunders and setter Isabella Jones all played key roles this weekend who weren’t on the roster a year ago. Beyond Surfside, many of the top contenders were in the mix on Day 3, setting up an intense conclusion to the 16s. It was a serious slugfest between national No. 5 Hou Skyline 16 Royal and top-ranked Arizona Storm 16 Thunder in the semifinals, with Hou Skyline getting the upper hand. Surfside held off A5 16 Gabe, which has had an up-and-down season but performed very well in KC, in the other semi. A5 turned in big victories over Hou Skyline 16 Royal and TAV 16 Black at the Tour of Texas but had tough losses to Team Pineapple 16 Black and Tri-State Elite 16 Blue at Central Zone. When A5 opened up Day 1 in KC losing to AZ Sky 16G it looked like it could be a long weekend for A5. Yet, that was before A5 reeled off six consecutive victories. A5 ruined

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Sunshine Classic: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

March 2, 2023

The second half of the Sunshine Classic takes place Friday-Sunday in Orlando. Last weekend, the youngers punched their tickets to Junior Nationals in Chicago this summer. Who is going to join them by earning bids this weekend? Below, we take a look at the 16 and 17 Open divisions and make the guess as to who is going to win it all as well as gain the bids. 17 Open Number of Teams: 39 Number of Bids Available: 3 Previously-Qualified Club (1): A5 17 Jing vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (10): 1. A5 17 Jing 4. TAV 17 Black 5. Triangle 17 Black 10. OT 17 Aaron 24. OT 17 Felix 25. Miami Hype 17 Emilio 27. Skyline 17 Royal 30. MKE Sting 17 Gold 33. Top Select 17 Elite 43. Rock City 17-1   5-star Athletes To Watch Nayelis Cabello S/RS Top Select 17 Elite (Louisville) Favor Anyanwu MB TAV 17 Black (USC) Jadyn Livings OH TAV 17 Black (USC) Cari Spears OH TAV 17 Black (2025) Ryan Hunter RS Triangle 17 Black (2025) Hannah Benjamin OH A5 17 Jing (Kentucky) Camille Edwards S TAV 17 Black (Michigan) Gillian Pitts L/DS TAV 17 Black (2025)   4-star Athletes To Watch Fallon Stewart OH OT 17 Felix (Cincinnati) Taylor Parks S OT 17 Aaron (Florida) Sarah Brodner OH/RS Jupiter 17 Elite (Virginia) Asia Thigpen OH Triangle 17 Black (Kentucky) Kiarrah Horne OH Triangle 17 Black Ashlyn Philpot MB Triangle 17 Black (Illinois) Samantha Bowron OH Top Select 17 Elite (Coastal Carolina) Mia Hood MB A5 17 Jing (Michigan State) Molly Kate Patten RS A5 17 Jing (Georgia) Mallory Bohl MB Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Notre Dame) Logan Wiley MB A5 17 Jing (Georgia Tech) Chelsea Sutton MB OT 17 John (Tennessee) Claire Luoma L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Clemson) Anna Bjork MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Notre Dame) Mikala Young OH TAV 17 Black (TCU) Anna Boatner MB TAV 17 Black   Outlook/Prediction: I’m excited to see what the 17s bring in Orlando. Triple Crown was wild in that division with big-time upsets rocking the final standings. I’m looking for A5 17 Jing and TAV 17 Black to re-establish themselves after finishing out of the running in Kansas City. For TAV, that means earning an Open bid. A5 doesn’t have that concern, as it’s the only club in the field with an Open bid after qualifying at Northern Lights in January. Everyone else, including TAV, is chasing one of the three available bids. It can’t trickle down past fourth place, that’s if A5 finishes in the top three. Triangle 17 Black showed strong at Triple Crown and is a team to pay attention to. Miami Hype 17 Emilio is an intriguing team, having beat Dynasty 17 Black in KC. And of course OT 17 Aaron earned the silver in KC, so that club is going to be feeling confident about bidding this weekend. As for the picks, I think A5 tops Triangle in the final. Triangle gets its bid, as does TAV and OT Aaron. *** 16 Open Number of Teams: 40 Number of Bids Available: 3 Previously-Qualified Club: n/a vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (16): 5. Hou Skyline 16 Royal 8. A5 16 Gabe 9. OT 16 JP 12. Mich Elite 16 Mizuno 15. Dynasty 16 Black 16. Legacy 16-1 Adidas 17. Austin Skyline 16 Royal 18. Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal 20. Skyline 16 Royal 22. OT 16 Roberto 30. HPSTL 16 Royal 39. MAVS KC 16-1 41. Top Select 16 Elite 42. Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite 43. No Name 16 Sarah 44. GP 16 Rox   5-star Athletes To Watch Logan Parks S/RS MAVS KC 16-1 Kelly Kinney OH Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Amina N’diaye OH OT 16 Roberto Kassidy O’Brien S Hou Skyline 16 Royal Bayleigh Minor MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal Campbell Flynn S Legacy 16-1 Adidas Charlotte Glass S Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Asia Harvey OH A5 16 Gabe Bailey Warren OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal   4-star Athletes To Watch Zoey Matias L/DS Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal Lily Dee Davis OH Austin Skyline 16 Royal Callie Krueger L/DS Austin Skyline 16 Royal Kayden Green S/RS GP 16 Rox Rebekah Pfefferkorn MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal Ella Lewis OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal Taylor Porter OH/RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Morgan Madison L/DS Hou Skyline 16 Royal Taylor Cook S Skyline 16 Royal Leni Stanton-Parker OH Metro 16 Travel Bella Ocampo OH Skyline 16 Royal Francesca Popescu L/DS A5 16 Gabe Camryn Jeffery RS A5 16 Gabe Addison Gaido OH/RS Austin Skylin 16 Royal Abigail Li S A5 16 Gabe Izzy Mogridge S OT 16 JP Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 16 Mizuno   Outlook/Prediction: This is the first qualifier of the season for the 16s, so teams must finish in the top three to earn one of the three Open bids. It’s going to make for an exciting weekend. The favorite without question is Hou Skyline 16 Royal, which is both the highest seeded and ranked team in the field and is coming off a silver medal at Triple Crown. It would be shocking if Hou Skyline doesn’t earn a bid here. A5 16 Gabe is looking to keep its good play going. After struggling at Central Zone, A5 did very well with a bronze at Triple Crown. If A5 can keep with that type of consistency this weekend, it’ll bid for sure. OT 16 JP, OT Roberto, Austin Skyline 16 Royal and Mich Elite 16 Mizuno are other teams to watch for in terms of bidding, as well as Dynasty 16 Black. MAVS KC 16-1, Legacy 16-1 Adidas, Skyline 16 Royal and HPSTL 16 Royal could bid as well but are longer shots to do so. In the end, Hou Skyline tops Mich Elite for gold. Both qualify, with A5 beating Austin Skyline for the final bid.

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15s: Top 50 National Rankings (March 2)

March 2, 2023

We continue our week-long National Rankings release with the 15s division. While the 17s and 16s presented their own challenges in sorting through the muddy waters, the 15s was a bit easier to navigate. We all know these rankings are going to change as we enter qualifying season. For now, Skyline 15 Royal takes over the top spot in the rankings. It wasn’t just about winning Triple Crown, it was about Skyline’s overall results to date. Skyline, I feel, has the best argument to be No. 1 based on that. Skyline has just three losses – Madfrog 15 Green, Hou Skyline 15 Royal and Boiler Jrs 15 Gold. Skyline has defeated Madfrog twice and Hou Skyline, plus has beaten a really good Austin Skyline 15 Royal group three times and TAV twice. Skyline also has victories over Mintonette Sports m.51 and SCVC 15 Roxy. Mintonette finished 17th at Triple Crown but only dropped one spot to from being previously No. 1 to No. 2. Mintonette lost to Austin Skyline in Kansas City but avenged that loss in winning the Sunshine Classic this past weekend, where Mintonette went undefeated. That helped keep Mintonette near the top of the rankings for now. There were also a few big moves, as Arizona Storm 15 Thunder climbed way up into the Top 10, while AP 15 Adidas jumped from No. 37 to No. 16. vballrecruiter.com TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Skyline 15 Royal (TX) (3) 2. Mintonette Sports m.51 (OH) (1) 3. Boiler Jrs 15 Gold (IN) (2) 4. Madfrog 15 Green (TX) (5) 5. TAV 15 Black (TX) (7) 6. Austin Skyline 15 Royal (TX) (13) 7. Arizona Storm 15 Thunder (AZ) (31) 8. NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami (KY) (6) 9. Legacy 15-1 Adidas (MI) (12) 10. SCVC 15 Roxy (CA) (16) *** 11. Pohaku 15-1 (KS) (20) 12. Alamo 15 Premier (TX) (11) 13. AZ Sky 15G (AZ) (17) 14. Hou Skyline 15 Royal (TX) (4) 15. Wave 15 Brennan (CA) (9) 16. AP 15 Adidas (TX) (37) 17. Elevation 15 Tony (OH) (8) 18. Dynasty 15 Black (KS) (27) 19. Forza1 North 15 One (CA) (14) 20. Far Out 15 Black (MI) (29) *** 21. HJV 15 Elite (TX) (25) 22. AVC Cle 15 Red (OH) (18) 23. Drive Nation 15 Red (TX) (38) 24. Tri-State Elite 15 Blue (IN) (22) 25. Top Select 15 Elite (FL) (47) 26. Tribe 15 Elite (FL) (50) 27. TAV Houston 15 Adidas (TX) (10) 28. A5 15 Bob (GA) (39) 29. SG Elite 15 Rosh (CA) (36) 30. Academy 15 Diamond (NC) (n/r) *** 31. WPVC 15 Armour Black (FL) (41) 32. Actyve 15 Black (CA) (30) 33. GP 15 Rox (FL) (19) 34. Tstreet 15 Curtis (CA) (21) 35. Team Pineapple 15 Black (IN) (32) 36. Sunshine 15 Westside (CA) (n/r) 37. Jupiter Elite (FL) (33) 38. AZ Rev 15 Premier (AZ) (23) 39. Coast 15-1 (CA) (n/r) 40. MKE Sting 15 Gold (WI (15) *** 41. Aspire 15 Premier (AZ) (n/r) 42. Club V 15 Ren Reed (UT) (n/r) 43. High Tide 15 Elite (FL) (35) 44. Michio 15 National (IL) (45) 45. Triangle 15 Black (NC) (44) 46. MAVS 816 15-1 (KS) (n/r) 47. Excel 15 National Red (TX) (n/r) 48. TVC 15 Black (OH) (40) 49. HPSTL 15 Royal (MO) (26) 50. Northern Lights 15-1 (MN) (28) ON THE CUSP Co Jrs 15 Sherri (CO) (42) Iowa Rockets 15R (IO) (43) Rev 15-1 Fuego (IN) (34) Circle City 15 Purple (IN) Metro 15 Travel (DC) (48) 1st Alliance 15 Gold (IL) (49) Wildfire 15 Ore (FL) NorCal 15-1 Black (CA) Illini Elite 15 Cardinal (IL)

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16s: Top 50 National Rankings (March 1)

March 1, 2023

One thing is for sure with the 16s division this season. While the rankings are all over the place after a recent wild Triple Crown weekend, this age group is much more competitive and deeper than it was a season ago. I felt we entered last summer in Indy with Arizona Storm and Hou Skyline as the teams to beat before Alamo surprised and won it all and Drive Nation upset Hou Skyline in the quarters. But after seeing what took place in Kansas City, this division is deeper and right now there is no real favorite. There are teams that have played more consistent than others and teams which have played more than others, but not the one or two teams that everyone else is coming for. After winning Triple Crown, Surfside ascends to the very top of the rankings. Looking at Surfside’s overall results, I felt Surfside deserves to be No. 1. We have qualifying season coming up and that will deliver a greater sample size as which to try and decipher from. Nebraska One hasn’t played many matches yet, but its only loss has come to Surfside. The next set of teams in Drive Nation, 1st Alliance, Hou Skyline, Arizona Storm, HJV and A5 have shown they are Top-10 teams – in some order. And I think the depth of the division starts to show when a team like TAV is bordering on the Top 10, as is Circle City, Mich Elite, Coast and MKE Sting. vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Surfside 16 PV Legends (CA) (11) 2. Nebraska One 16 Synergy (NE) (12) 3. Drive Nation 16 Red (TX) (4) 4. 1st Alliance 16 Gold (IL) (3) 5. Hou Skyline 16 Royal (TX) (5) 6. HJV 16 Elite (TX) (2) 7. Arizona Storm 16 Thunder (AZ) (1) 8. A5 16 Gabe (GA) (16) 9. OT 16 JP (FL) (17) 10. TAV 16 Black (TX) (6) *** 11. Circle City 16 Purple (IN) (7) 12. Mich Elite 16 Mizuno (MI) (8) 13. Coast 16-1 (CA) (32) 14. MKE Sting 16 Gold (WI) (9) 15. Dynasty 16 Black (KS) (20) 16. Legacy 16-1 Adidas (MI) (25) 17. Austin Skyline 16 Royal (TX) (10) 18. Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal (FL) (26) 19. AVC Cle 16 Red (OH) (28) 20. Skyline 16 Royal (TX) (27) *** 21. AVA TX 16 Adidas (TX) (n/r) 22. OT 16 Roberto (FL) (33) 23. Adidas KiVA 16 Red (KY) (24) 24. Tri-State Elite 16 Blue (IN) (14) 25. Munciana 16 Blaze (IN) (13) 26. Wave 16 Kevin (CA) (18) 27. ID Crush 16 Bower (ID) (30) 28. Madfrog 16 Green (TX) (21) 29. Team Pineapple 16 Black (IN) (15) 30. HPSTL 16 Royal (MO) (39) *** 31. Alamo 16 Premier (TX) (19) 32. KC Power 16 Black (KS) (n/r) 33. AJV 16 Adidas (TX) (34) 34. Excel 16 National Red (TX) (35) 35. Absolute 16 Black (CA) (22) 36. Northern Lights 16-1 (MN) (n/r) 37. NorCal 16-1 Black (CA) (31) 38. Co Jrs 16 Shannon (CO) (43) 39. MAVS KC 16-1 (KS) (23) 40. NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami (KY) (38) *** 41. Top Select 16 Elite (FL) (36) 42. Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite (MO) (41) 43. No Name 16 Sarah (FL) (n/r) 44. GP 16 Rox (FL) (40) 45. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold (NE) (n/r) 46. Illini Elite 16 Cardinal (IL) (48) 47. SA Juniors 16 Adidas (TX) (n/r) 48. Norco 16 Black (CO) (n/r) 49. AZ Sky 16G (AZ) (n/r) 50. Pitt Elite 16-1 (PA) (n/r) ON THE CUSP SA Magic 16 Elite (TX) PVA 16 Elite (KS) AZ Rev 16 Premier (AZ) (29) Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar (CA) (36) OT 16 Will (FL) (37) Boiler Jrs 16 Gold (IN) (50) CJV 16 Zoe (NC) SASVBC 16-1 (HI) Club One AZ 16 Platinum (AZ) Kairos 16 Alpha (SD) FC Elite 16 Navy (WI) Tstreet 16 Naseri (CA) VCNebraska 16 Elite (NE) Mintonette Sports m.61 (OH) NPJ Seattle 16 National (WA) Tulsa Power 16-1 (OK) Six Pack 16 (IA)

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17s: Top 50 National Rankings (Feb. 28)

February 28, 2023

There are two questions to be asked, though I know I don’t have the answer for either: 1) Who is No. 1? and 2) Who deserves to be No. 1? Maybe the answers are the same. Maybe they are different. I’ve done rankings in some capacity for nearly 20 years and this update on the 17s divisions was spent riding the struggle bus the whole way through! Admittingly, I’m not sure which team is No. 1, deserves to be No. 1 and/or is actually No. 1? I’m not sure anyone knows. Somehow, I ended up with A5 17 Jing remaining at No. 1 in the rankings. Placing NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami at No. 1 after winning Triple Crown wouldn’t necessarily be wrong, I just like to take in the totality of the season and all results, not just results from one weekend. It might be tedious to go through and chart all the results in terms of wins and losses, but how can you even begin to rank teams without using results as a guideline? A tournament like Triple Crown can’t be judged on final finishes alone, because you need to know which teams other teams are beating and which teams they are losing to. While it’s simple to track all the results it doesn’t make it any easier to make sense of any of it. The issue with NKYVC is it has losses to Academy 17 Tsunami and Rock City 17-1 at Central Zone. Yes, NKYVC was playing short-handed and showed what it can do with its full lineup available. And that’s why NKYVC jumped up from No. 28 to No. 9 in our latest rankings. There’s no scenario that makes complete sense. NKYVC did beat A5 head-to-head at Triple Crown and I really struggle with how to deal with that result. But if we step back and look at the whole season, it’s why I kept A5 at No. 1. To me, A5’s overall results have the strongest argument to be No. 1. It might sound odd, but A5 has the best collection of losses. It has fallen to TAV 17 Black, NKYVC, Triangle 17 Black and Wave 17 Juliana. All four of those teams are ranked in the Top 16 of the latest version of the Top 50. In addition, A5 has victories over Dynasty 17 Black, 1st Alliance 17 Gold, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite, Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (twice), Drive Nation 17 Red, TAV, OT 17 Aaron and HJV 17 Elite. Every one of those teams is ranked No. 12 or higher. When it comes down to it, we have to remember it’s all for fun! The fact is these teams are going to spend the next two months traveling the country in hopes of qualifying for Chicago this summer and the results are only going to get more jumbled and more mixed up. That’s why we love it! vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. A5 17 Jing (GA) (1 – previous ranking) 2. Dynasty 17 Black (KS) (2) 3. Drive Nation 17 Red (TX) (13) 4. TAV 17 Black (TX) (3) 5. Triangle 17 Black (NC) (7) 6. HJV 17 Elite (TX) (5) 7. 1st Alliance 17 Gold (IL) (4) 8. Co Jrs 17 Kevin (CO) (6) 9. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (KY) (28) 10. OT 17 Aaron (FL) (23) *** 11. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite (MO) (10) 12. Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (NE) (9) 13. Hou Skyline 17 Royal (TX) (8) 14. AZ Sky 17G (AZ) (35) 15. Momentous 17 Dan (CA) (24) 16. Wave 17 Juliana (CA) (12) 17. KC Power 17 Black (KS) (18) 18. Vision 17 Gold (CA) (14) 19. Metro 17 Travel (DC) (15) 20. Coast 17-1 (CA) (16) *** 21. Academy 17 Tsunami (IN) (34) 22. SCVC 17 Roxy (CA) (n/r) 23. Tri-State Elite 17 Blue (OH) (29) 24. OT 17 Felix (FL) (17) 25. Miami Hype 17 Emilio (FL) (48) 26. 417 Jrs 17 Black (MO) (n/r) 27. Skyline 17 Royal (TX) (19) 28. VCNebraska 17 Elite (NE) (27) 29. Madfrog 17 Green (TX) (11) 30. MKE Sting 17 Gold (WI) (40) *** 31. AVC Cle 17 Red (OH) (21) 32. Club V 17 Ren Matthew (UT) (22) 33. Top Select 17 Elite (FL) (26) 34. AJV 17 Adidas (TX) (20) 35. SG Elite 17 Rosh (CA) (25) 36. City 17 Gold (CA) (39) 37. Elevation 17 Ulland (OH) (30) 38. Circle City 17 Purple (IN) (31) 39. Ku’Ikahi 17 Wahine RSB (HI) (n/r) 40. Adidas KiVA 17 Red (KY) (32) *** 41. Boiler Jrs 17 Gold (IN) (37) 42. Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar (CA) (38) 43. Rock City 17-1 (OH) (40) 44. Shockwave 17 Black (KS) (49) 45. Northern Lights 17-1 (MN) (44) 46. AZ Rev 17 Premier (AZ) (41) 47. Iowa PowerPlex 17U Black (IO) (n/r) 48. Pohaku 17-1 (KS) (n/r) 49. Arizona Storm 17 Thunder (AZ) (42) 50. Team Pineapple 17 Black (IN) (33) ON THE CUSP Absolute 17 Black (CA) (43) MAVS KC 17-1 (KS) (36) Rev 17-1 Raptors (IN) (45) Norco 17 Black (CO) (47) Seal Beach 17 Black (CA) Mintonette Sports m.71 (OH) Alamo 17 Premier (TX) FC Elite 17 Navy (WI) CHAVC 17 Black (NC) Arete 17 Navy Telos (TX) NorCal 17-Black (CA) A5 17-AG (GA) Academy 17 Diamond (NC) Legacy 17-1 Adidas (MI) (50) Excel 17 National Red (TX) Rocky Elite 17 National (CO) Union 17 UA (IN)

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SCVA 14s Team Spotlights

February 27, 2023

With the sheer size and intensity of the Triple Crown NIT, one would think the volleyball world would take a break the following weekend. Wishing thinking, right?!? Instead, Triple Crown is really the starting line for the qualifying season, because after the three days in Kansas City everything gets cranked up a notch. Part of the vballrecruiter.com team is in Orlando covering the younger divisions of the Sunshine Classic. As for me, I spent a weekend home watching local SCVA Power League action and spotlight teams from it below. TSTREET 14 CARSON: Admittingly, I thought I would be able to write more about Tstreet during its time at Triple Crown. But, after a strong Day 1 Tstreet was upended by AP 14 Adidas on Day 2 and knocked out of contention. Anyway, that was Tstreet’s only loss in KC and went on to finish ninth overall, still collecting victories over Adidas KiVA 14 Red, Madfrog 14 Green, Legacy 14-1 Adidas and A5 14-Helen. Tstreet avoided any letdown this past weekend, going 4-0 on the day by beating Surfside 14 PV Loriann, United 14 Evren, Forza1 14 One and Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar without losing a set. Tstreet was tinkering with its lineup Saturday. One change (or at least something I didn’t see in KC) was running Megan Hodges on the right side and pairing Emma Kingston and Berit Brinkema in the middle. It seems to make a lot of sense. Hodges puts up a big block and Brinkema was ripping balls on the attack. There is certainly roster flexibility, though one mainstay is outside Ella Olson. She hit a wrist-away shot that bounced at the 12-foot line! Insane! Gabriella Souza and Ally Fausett do well setting, while Katherine Jackson and Katherine Nowak also factor into the offense on the pins. On Saturday, Sarah McDonald, Sarah Thorp and Madisen Dolsophon all wore the libero jersey at one point. It was unfortunate not to see Tstreet play TAV 14 Black or Arizona Storm 14 Thunder in KC as Tstreet seems one of the teams that can legitimately compete with those clubs. MIZUNO LONG BEACH 14 ROCKSTAR: Playing short-handed, it was hard to get a gauge on this squad in Kansas City, where Beach finished 21st at Triple Crown. Two of its four losses came to Madfrog, with other setbacks against MAVC KC 14-1 and Elevation 14 Molly, which Beach also defeated. Beach doesn’t have the size of the top teams in the 14s, but that doesn’t automatically rule Beach out. This team has pieces! Hanna McGinest is a playmaker on the left. Beach is also another team with options. Cedra Talaga will suit up at libero or she’ll play outside. When she’s swinging, Beach turns to Lucy Matuszak at libero and was using McKennah Iamaleava at outside. Sienna Castillo was holding down one of the middle spots with Taimane Poe holding the other. Simrin Adams had to adjust and play middle in KC, but was back on the right this past weekend. Marlo Libbey and Leighton Devereux were taking turns at setter. Beach swept both United and City 14 Gold before falling to Tstreet in a crossover match. FORZA1 14 ONE: Unlike Tstreet and Long Beach, Forza did not head to Triple Crown this year. However, it doesn’t mean Forza should be forgotten about. After all, this group finished tied for seventh in 13 Open last summer in Indy and boosts one of the top 7th-graders in the country in right side Janiah Burrage. She’s already taking big swings. Forza defeated ACT 14 Craig and Wave 14 Tammy, which finished 11th at Triple Crown, before losing to Tstreet on Saturday. Middle Evelyn Pool was booming balls when her number was called. Baylee Jones and Ella Johnson were both strong on the left side, while Kiersten Moore showed her smooth setting skills. FORZA1 NORTH 14 ONE: The Forza North group was not at Triple Crown either. Last year, it finished tied for fifth in 13 USA and will certainly be looking to make the jump this season. Forza North went 3-0 on Saturday, earning victoris over Vegas Aces 14 UA, Coast 14 Katie and Wave. Outside Ryah Brock played up on the 14s last year and has stayed with her age group this year. She’ a force on the outside. Marley Robinson is a springy setter/right side who can help carry the offense. Chloe Taylor was setting very well across the back row as well while Lauren Furnald was taking aggressive swings on the outside. Kaleia Zeits was holding down the libero position at the time while Sanal Severloh and Jordan Rall took care of the middle. WAVE 14 TAMMY: As we stated, Wave recently finished 11th at Triple Crown, where it earned a Day 1 victory over eventual silver medalist Drive Nation 14 Red. Wave also pushed AZ Storm to three. Wave beat Vegas Aces on Saturday in regional action but fell to both Forza clubs. We noted the standout play of right side Olivia Greenwood at Triple Crown and she was a big part of the offense once more. Gabrielle Ngo is someone to watch in the middle as she continues her growth. She had nice kills in showing off her arm. Outsides Skylar Beets and Ashley Chuba and libero Kelly Randolph were showing up well too, as was setter Conner Oxberry. CITY 14 GOLD: City finished a respectable 30th at Triple Crown and was also in action Saturday in regional play. City went 2-1 in Anaheim, losing to Long Beach but beating Surfside and Vegas Aces. Like Wave, City also beat Drive Nation on Day 1 at Triple Crown as well as pushing Mintonette Sports m.41 to three before falling. City to pick up a solid victory over Tri-State Elite 14 Blue on Day 3. City struggles to match up size-wise, though middle Evangeline Jeffries brings height to the front row. Miette Moon-Sasik was setting, with Evan Taylor on the right side, Maya Harris and Maya Purdy on

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18s: Top 50 National Rankings (Feb. 27)

February 27, 2023

The latest updated 18s Top 50 National Rankings proved difficult to sort out, especially the lower and lower on the list you go. We’re seeing unranked teams beating teams in the Top 30, if not the Top 20. With so many top players sitting out in the 18s division this season, it has made the division wide open, at least apart from the very, very top where the best-of-the-best still reside. Like Drive Nation 18 Red, which held onto the top spot after winning Triple Crown. Clubs like Coast 18-1, MAVS KC 18-1, Sunshine 18 LA, Premier Nebraska 18 Gold and 1st Alliance 18 Gold remain in the Top 10, with Munciana 18 Samurai and HJV 18 Elite making moves to climb inside the Top 10. On top of that, 10 new clubs join the Top 50 this go around. vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. Drive Nation 18 Red (TX) (1 – previous ranking) 2. Coast 18-1 (CA) (5) 3. Munciana 18 Samurai (IN) (25) 4. MAVS KC 18-1 (KS) (8) 5. Sunshine 18 LA (CA) (4) 6. HJV 18 Elite (TX) (20) 7. Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (NE) (3) 8. AVC Cle 18 Red (OH) (19) 9. 1st Alliance 18 Gold (IL) (2) 10. Mintonette Sports m.81 (OH) (13) *** 11. Wave 18 Juliana (CA) (6) 12. Club V 18 Ren Reed (UT) (10) 13. Skyline 18 Royal (TX) (11) 14. A5 18 Marc (GA) (12) 15. Circle City 18 Purple (IN) (14) 16. Metro 18 Travel (DC) (15) 17. NPJ 18 Forefront (OR) (17) 18. AZ Rev 18 Premier (AZ) (24) 19. Legacy 18-1 Adidas (MI) (18) 20. Adidas KiVA 18 Red (KY) (26) *** 21. Hou Skyline 18 Royal (TX) (21) 22. OT 18 John (FL) (37) 23. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue (OH) (27) 24. Paramount 18 VBC (VA) (46) 25. VCNebraska 18 Elite (NE) (n/r) 26. Ku’Ikahi 18 Wahine RSB (HI) (n/r) 27. Arizona Storm 18 Thunder (AZ) (16) 28. Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar (CA) (28) 29. Gainesville 18 Black (FL) (7) 30. Elevation 18 Spinney (OH) (35) *** 31. MN Select 18-1 (MN) (9) 32. Madfrog 18 Green (TX) (23) 33. NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami (KY) (34) 34. Northern Lights 18-1 (MN) (29) 35. KC Power 18-1 (KS) (30) 36. Topeka Impact 18-1 (KS) (n/r) 37. MKE Sting 18 Gold (WI) (31) 38. Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite (MO) (32) 39. FC Elite 18 Elite (WI) (40) 40. Triangle 18 Black (NC) (22) *** 41. Far Out 18 Black (MI) (n/r) 42. AJV 18 Adidas (TX) (43) 43. Excel 18 National Red (TX) (44) 44. Legacy Girls 18 Elite (CA) (n/r) 45. Union 18-1 UA (KY) (n/r) 46. Kairos 18 Alpha (SD) (n/r) 47. VC United (IL) (n/r) 48. GP 18 Rox (FL) (n/r) 49. Top Select 18 Elite (FL) (n/r) 50. Tstreet 18 Chandler CA (42) *** ON THE CUSP Iowa Rockets 18 (IO) (33) Dynasty 18 Black (KS) (36) TAV 18 Black (TX) (38) Actyve 18 Black (CA) (39) Alamo 18 Premier (TX) (41) OJVA 18-1 (OR) PVA 18 Elite (KS) NorCal 18-1 Gold (CA) Bama Elite 18 Renegades (AL) South County 18 Daric (ID) ID Crush 18 Bower (ID) Balboa Bay 18 Blue (CA) Vegas Aces 18 UA (NV) Mich Elite 18 Mizuno (MI) Adversity 18 Adidas (IL) Rev 18-1 Avengers (IN)

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Sunshine Classic: Day 2 Show Stoppers

February 26, 2023

Day 2 competition at the Sunshine Volleyball Classic for the 13-15s definitely did not disappoint! Electric action with bids on the line made every match entertaining to say the least. The final day will be fun to see who comes to perform and ultimately to see who punches their tickets for Chicago this summer! But first lets get to Show Stoppers from Day 2.  Day 2 Show Stoppers Leah Stickney OH A5 13 Karen: Stickney has a fearless swing with the power and finesse to score against any block. Bethany Benjamin OH A5 13 Karen: Benjamin puts so much pressure on the block and defense with her ability to swing line or split the block.  Avery Brown S Mintonette Sports m31: Brown has strong hands and a high release point, which allows her to set from anywhere on the court regardless of the pass. Elianiz Rodriquez OH OT 13 O Felix: Rodriquez has a heavy hand and when she connects it is scary.  Jazzlyn Hepburn MB AP 14 Adidas: Hepburn is an undersized middle who jumps well. Combined with a nice swing, it led to some impressive kills when her number was called. Susan Hudgins OH AP 14 Adidas: Hudgins is a HUGE outside hitter who connects incredibly well consistently. Caitlin Crino S Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal: Crino is a calm, yet fierce leader on the court. She also shows consistency with her location when setting. Jordin Southall OH GP 15 Rox: Southall, a 3-star recruit, was hammering balls on the outside today, literally.  Katie Raymer L Triangle 15 Black: Raymer is a flyer in the backcourt. Her game will just keep getting better and better.  Eva Long S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: Long, a 3-star recruit, is a 5-1 setter who runs an aggressive offense.  Meredith Martin S Legacy 15-1 Adidas: A 4-star recruit, Martin was solid in the backcourt all day long. From serve receive, to defense, to setting, Martin was smooth and scrappy.  Isabella Johnson RS Top Select 15 Elite: Johnson was a great blocker with a whip off an arm.  Londyn Stone OH AVC CLE 15 Red: Stone caught my attention with her incredible jump serve. She is an undersized outside who isn’t afraid to swing against big blocks.  Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports – m.51: Hoying, a 4-star recruit, was hammering away on the outside.   Sara Snowbarger OH Mintonette Sports – m.51: While Hoying might be the OH1 on the court, Snowbarger, a 3-star recruit, did a great job defensively and swinging with aggression.

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Sunshine Classic: Day 1 Show Stoppers And More

February 26, 2023

Hello Orlando! Last weekend it was a bit colder then the mid-80s in Orlando this weekend BUT the heat on the volleyball court is still the same! These are the girls who stepped up on Day 1 of the Sunshine Volleyball Classic for the 13-15s divisions competing this weekend.  Day 1 Show Stoppers Carsyn Chitty L Mintonette Sports m31: Chitty did well in holding it down in serve receive and hustling all over the court to keep balls in play. Isabel Penrose OH OT 13 T Tabitha: Penrose is a firecracker on the outside with her speed and quickness. She also has a whip of an arm.  Jaelyn  Jordan S KC MAVS 13-1: Jordan is quick and gets to the ball well. She also has a great touch and directs her offense well.  Marlie Smith S Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Smith is steady dishing her team. She has a strong group of hitters to work with and she can get all of them involved when in system. Isabel Incinelli MB WPVC 14 Armour Black: Noble brings a level of physicality to the front row. She also delivered a few impressive kills.  Jada Constanza OH HIGHVOLTAGE1415COLLEGEPRE: Constanza helps keep the offense ticking across the front row. She’s also a strong contributor in the back row where she was making nice digs and swinging well from middle back. Leilani Lawrence OH OT 14 T Laura: Lawrence, a 3-star recruit,  is a strong hitter who can unleash big kills at times from the front or back row.  LK Lamonica S A5 15-2 Victor: Lamonica brings fire to the court. She was also delivering with consistent location when setting. Ava Castro OH Jupiter Elite 15 E: Castro is a valuable six-rotation outside. She has strong passing skills and though she’s a bit undersized she was aggressive with her swings. Rylan Miller L OT 15 J Will: A 3-star recruit, Miller is a fiery libero with lots of spirit. She’s also quick and able to cover a lot of court. Julia Schmidt OH Miami Hype 15N Josh: Schmidt is going to be fun to watch moving forward. She has a long frame and swings well on the outside. Her jump serve is no joke either.  Lara Matta OH Tampa North 15 Black: An all-around contributor, Matta is a smart hitter who can tool blocks and consistently put pressure on defenses with her ability to swing away. Destiny Wiggins L Wildfire 15N Ore: Wiggins is a quick libero who makes up ground in a hurry. She was showing her hustle by running down balls all over the court and also doing a good job covering touches. Bennett Raterman MB HPSTL 15 Royal: A 5-star athlete, Raterman is a beast at the net on defense. And let’s just say that saying she is an offensive force is an understatement.  Giavanna Artiles OH Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal: Artiles is one of the main offensive weapons for Tribe. She was swinging well with her long arm and high contact point. 

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Commitment & Signings Week of Feb 17-23

February 24, 2023

Congrats to all! Corrections? Questions? Additions? Email christi@vballrecruiter.com or DM on Social Media @vballphil   2023 FLORIDA STATE: S Ashley Reynolds (Venetian Bay) WASHINGTON AND LEE: OH Grace Mitchener (Chapel Hill Area) SETON HILL: S/Opp Kate Eden (TAV) UNIVERSITY OF ST THOMAS: MB Brenna Groenemann (Texas Legacy) OKLAHOMA: OH/Opp Ireland McNees (Club V) HOWARD: MB Kaitlynn Robinson (Oklahoma Peak) GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY: OH/Opp Kylie Hoben (Iowa Power VBA) WASHINGTON COLLEGE: OH Izzy Diehl (Austin Skyline) PILANDER SMITH COLLEGE: Opp/MB Kendall Spriggins (Untouchables EPA) PENN STATE HARRISBURG: OH Camryn Wettstone (Avidity VBC) MALONE UNIVERSITY: OH Jaclyn Jundzilo (Club Extreme) COLUMBIA: OH/Opp Kylee Eze (Vision) WESTERN NEW ENGLAND: L Laney Melvin (A5 Gwinnett) TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY: DS Lauren Ware (Nasa VBC) TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY: Opp/S Kayla Coleman (NRG) EAST TEXAS BAPTIST: MB Rachael Spicer (NRG) EAST TEXAS BAPTIST: L Sydney Temple (NRG) STEVENSON UNIVERSITY: DS/OH Claire Thompson (Metro) CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY: Molly Farrel (Metro) CAIRN UNIVERSITY: DS Bridget Dahn (Revolution VBC MD) BOWIE STATE: S Haley Pelham (Chesapeake Elite) BOWIE STATE: MB/Opp Madison Stevens (Chesapeake Elite) WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY: MB/Opp Amanda Redding (San Gabriel Elite) COWLEY COLLEGE: MB Noemi Nyers WEST ALABAMA: MB/Opp Grace Huver (Nasa VBC) PROVIDENCE COLLEGE: OH Megan Weldon (Drive Nation) XAVIER UNIVERSITY LA: OH Amani Mason (Drive Nation) CAL STATE FULLERTON: L Leilani Lopez (Mizuno Long Beach) REGIS COLLEGE: L Emily Hart (Husky VBC) STONEHILL COLLEGE: OH Georgia Murphy (1United) NORFOLK STATE: MB/Opp Jala Dixon (Upward Stars) LAKE-SUMPTER COLLEGE: S Grace King (Jacksonville Skyline) OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN: MB Kayla Kiser (FSC Cougars Volleyball) IMMACULATA: S Christina Lenzo (Princeton VBC) ENDICOTT COLLEGE: Opp/OH Talia Camacho (Sporttime VBC) EVANGEL UNIVERSITY: MB Simone Johnson (Springfield Shock) EVANSVILLE: Opp Carlotta Pascual (Evansville United) WHATCOMM CC: L Olivia Wegner SALT LAKE CC: MB Kiera Cook (Elevate Athletic) WESTERN COLORADO: L Kacee Garcia (Southern Colorado Precision) BEREA COLLEGE: S Brianna Negrón UW STOUT: L Kailey Kline (VC United) STETSON: MB Lily Mueller (VC United)   2024 TEXAS TECH: OH Ava Olsen (Front Range) SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE: L Holland Guilliams (Pursuit VBA) NORTHEASTERN: S/Opp Gabriella Reeves (Alamo) ARMY: S Naomi Chinchar (No Name VBC) FAYETTEVILLE STATE: OH Taylor Wilson (Drive Nation) UTAH STATE: OH Emersyn Robbins (Evansville United)   TRANSFERS NORTH CAROLINA CHARLOTTE: TR L Miyu Tsurumaki (College of Southern Idaho) MORGAN STATE: TR S Erin Carpenter (Western Carolina/A5) MENLO COLLEGE: TR OH Marin Freeland (Central Wyoming College/Hive Volleyball) MENLO COLLEGE: TR OH Jazmyn Tubbs (Cabrillo College/Cal State Dominguez Hills/Rage VBC) ARKANSAS TECH: TR MB Jordan Clouse (Glendale CC/AZ Rev) ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD: GR S Elif Ozge Cakmak (Adams State) TEXAS A&M TEXARKANA: TR L Faith Herrera (Sul Ross State) TEXAS A&M TEXARKANA: TR MB Ja’Kerra Holt (Ranger College) SAN FRANCISCO: TR MB Hayden Goodman (Santa Clara/CLub V) COLORADO STATE: GR L Anna Porter (William & Mary/Tsunami) SMU: GR OH Sinalauli’i Uluave (Wichita State/Toledo/Rainbows) SMU: GR OH Lauren Ohlinger (Boise State/Arizona Storm) MOUNT MERCY: TR MB Madisyn Havermann (Iowa Western) SOUTHERN UTAH: TR L Arianna Rossi (Florida Southwestern) SOUTHERN UTAH: GR MB Hana Makoňová (Cal State Bakersfield)   BEACH   2023 CATAWBA COLLEGE: Anasty Faavesi (Queen City VBA) OREGON: Macy Furtwangler (Dakine VBC)   2024 TULANE: Lily Tucker (Elite Beach)  

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Triple Crown: Final Thoughts

February 23, 2023

There is no tournament like the Triple Crown NIT. Most everybody can agree on that, with the collection of USAV and JVA teams coming all together in one respective age division plus the format making for a unique event. It’s different from the national championships, but the national championships still carry the highest stakes. Both tournaments are highly competitive, but what does make Triple Crown stand on its own is the format. I touched on it briefly in the preview, but after Day 1 it’s an elimination tournament for everybody involved. That doesn’t happen elsewhere and it’s why we saw such crazy results in the 17s Division, when the three top-ranked team in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 all dropped out of contention before the quarterfinals. In a normal pool format, A5 17 Jing, Dynasty 17 Black and TAV 17 Black on losing on Day 2 would make headlines regardless, but all would likely still be in the tournament come Day 3 because they would still advance from pool. It would jumble up the seedings for the final day, but none would have been eliminated. That wasn’t the case on Day 2 in Kansas City, when all three were upset. I already wrote enough about that here. You can catch up on all the Triple Crown coverage here. I’ll start by checking in on the final results of the 17s. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami was definitely a surprise in taking home the gold medal, getting past one of the big three when it upset A5 in the Round of 16 on Day 2. I mean, NKYVC was a competitive bunch last year, winning the Show Me Qualifier and tying for fifth in 16 Open in Indy, so it’s never surprising to see this team competing with the top squads and finishing high in the standings. But considering NKYVC tied for fifth at Central Zone three weeks ago playing without Julia Hunt and losing to Academy 17 Tsunami and Rock City 17-1, it was hard gauging how NKYVC would fare with teams like A5, Dynasty and Premier Nebraska 17 Gold already qualified from Northern Lights plus other clubs who did well there too in the field in KC. With that, NKYVC started off in Power Pool C. Additionally, after its Central Zone performance, NKYVC fell from No. 12 to No. 28 in our Top 50 rankings. Meanwhile, OT 17 Aaron did start off in Power Pool A and was a huge surprise. I personally would not have place OT Aaron in Power Pool A but OT won a big match against Drive Nation 17 Red in the semis. OT Aaron went 0-3 on Day 1 with losses to TAV, A5 and Drive Nation but picked up solid victories over both Madfrog 17 Green and Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite on Day 2 to stay alive. AZ Sky 17G tying for bronze with Drive Nation was out of the blue. Drive Nation sits at No. 13 in our Top 50, while AZ Sky is No. 35 nationally and didn’t even begin the tournament in one of the four power pools! That’s unbelievable. Here is a rundown of the Top 16 finishers, where they currently sit in our Top 50 and what power pool they began in: 1. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (28 – national ranking, C – power pool) 2. OT 17 Aaron (23, A) 3. Drive Nation 17 Red (13, A) 3. AZ Sky 17G (35, n/a) 5. Momentous 17 Dan (24, B) 5. Co Jrs 17 Kevin (6, B) 7. Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (9, A) 7. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite (10, C) 9. Triangle 17 Black (7, D) 10. Miami Hype 17 Emilio (48, n/a) 11. 1st Alliance 17 Gold (4, B) 11. A5 17 Jing (1, A) 13. Academy 17 Tsunami (34, B) 13. Madfrog 17 Green (11, C) 13. TAV 17 Black (3, A) 13. VCNebraska 17 Elite (27, C)   There were definitely intriguing results, with Momentous 17 Dan and Miami Hype 17 Emilio finishing highly. Academy 17 Tsunami went undefeated in 17 Open at Central Zone and backed that up with a strong outing in KC. Some teams I thought we might see in the Top 16 that weren’t is of course Dynasty, followed by clubs like HJV 17 Elite, Top Select 17 Elite, Wave 17 Juliana and Coast 17-1. The 16s division was calmer in terms of upsets, but if what we saw at Triple Crown in this division holds true for the rest of the season we are in for a treat. Surfside 16 PV Legends coming out ahead of the field would have been difficult to predict. Even though I was expecting Surfside to take a step forward this season with the roster changes it made, winning Triple Crown early on is a major development. Kaci Demari is a 5-star recruit who was the big arm on the 15s last year who has new faces surrounding her on the 16s. Middle Kalyssa Blackshear, L/DS Olivia Foye, outside Simone Roslon, right side Preslie Saunders and setter Isabella Jones all played key roles this weekend who weren’t on the roster a year ago. Beyond Surfside, many of the top contenders were in the mix on Day 3, setting up an intense conclusion to the 16s. It was a serious slugfest between national No. 5 Hou Skyline 16 Royal and top-ranked Arizona Storm 16 Thunder in the semifinals, with Hou Skyline getting the upper hand. Surfside held off A5 16 Gabe, which has had an up-and-down season but performed very well in KC, in the other semi. A5 turned in big victories over Hou Skyline 16 Royal and TAV 16 Black at the Tour of Texas but had tough losses to Team Pineapple 16 Black and Tri-State Elite 16 Blue at Central Zone. When A5 opened up Day 1 in KC losing to AZ Sky 16G it looked like it could be a long weekend for A5. Yet, that was before A5 reeled off six consecutive victories. A5 ruined

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