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Sunshine Classic : Day 2 Show Stoppers (Week 2)

March 4, 2023

Another day of action brought more heat across the gym. For the most part seeded teams held their own. But you have to love a good upset, right?!  For the most part I have seen most of the top Open level teams play this season already. Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal was one of the clubs I have not been able to personally see as of yet. Tribe features a ton of South Florida stars who I was able to watch this past high school season. One is 5-star recruit Charlotte Glass is “quarterbacking” the team. Add in 5-star recruit outside Kelly Kinney, 4-star recruit libero Zoey Matias, 3-star recruit outside Tekoa Barnes and right side Mija Bendziute and watch out. They will be a lot of fun to watch this season.  Sunday means Championship Day!  The 17 Open Gold Pools are set. See below.  GMPP1 Triangle 17 Black HPSTL 17 Royal Legacy 17-1 ADIDAS   GMPP2 A5 17-Jing Mintonette Sports – m.71 CUVC 17 Arete   GMPP3 TAV 17 Black OT 17 O Felix Top Select 17 Elite   GMPP4 OT 17 T Aaron Skyline 17 Royal MKE Sting 17 Gold   The 16 Open Gold Pools: GMPP1 H Skyline 16 Royal  Top Select 16 Elite  OT 16 O Roberto   GMPP2 A5 16-Gabe Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite HPSTL 16 Royal    GMPP3 OT 16 T JP GP 16 Rox DYNASTY 16 Black   GMPP4 Legacy 16-1 ADIDAS Austin Skyline 16 Royal Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal    DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Emily Bobbitt S Triangle 17 Black: Bobbitt, a 3-star Iowa State commit, is a gamer with pin-point accuracy who shows strong command of running the show. Taylor Pagan OH High Voltage 1517 College Pre: Pagan hits a heavy ball and is high on the energy scale on the court.  Becca Wight Opp Mintonette Sports – m.71: A 6-4 3-star Virginia commit, Wight is a physical presence on the court both offensively and defensively.  Samantha Bowron OH Top Select 17 Elite: A 4-star Coastal Carolina commit, Bowron is a fearless attacker who aggressively goes at bigger blockers on the reg.  Macaria Spears OH TAV 17 Black: Spears, a 5-star recruit, was literally cracking on balls. She was absolutely tormenting defenses with her scoring ability. Megan Morello L H Skyline 16 Royal: Morello was as holding it down defensively, coming up with saves all over the court.  Camryn Jeffery Opp A5 16 Gabe: Jeffery, a 4-star recruit, adds a physical presence to the attack. She had huge swings and big blocks. Chichi Nnaji Opp Skyline 16 Royal: Chichi is making her presence known these days. She hits a heavy ball consistently.  Campbell Flynn S Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Flynn, a 5-star recruit, runs a good offense. She has good connections with her middles and is consistent with her locations from anywhere on the court.  Amina N’diaye OH OT 16 O Roberto: A 5-star recruit, N’diaye takes a lot of swings. She’s one of the mainstays in the attack and consistently finds ways to score. Tekoa Barnes OH Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal: Barnes, a 3-star recruit, was ripping balls through and around the block all day. She is a very explosive hitter. Ella Florez S/Opp Dynasty 16 Black: Flores, a 5-star recruit, plays a vital role hitting and setting. She has good hands and can dish anywhere effectively.  Kayden Green S/Opp GP 16 Rox: A 4-star recruit, Green did a nice job dishing and running the attack. Elissa Baez OH GP 12 Rox: There’s no backing down with Baez. She kept digging and challenging defenses. She’s a crafty hitter too. Brooklyn Howard L A5 12-LA: Howard is a nice anchor in the backcourt. She made some strong plays and has good, consistent energy. Mikayla Matuszko OH Tribe 12 Elite Cardinal: Matuszko displayed her skills all around. She passed well out of the backrow. She also was swinging well and providing offense.

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Sunshine Classic: Day 1 Show Stoppers (Week 2)

March 4, 2023

The start of the second weekend of the 2023 Sunshine Volleyball Classic definitely started off in an interesting way. One, kudos to all the coaches, parents and athletes who stepped up for missing members being stranded from weather issues while traveling. Secondly, there is nothing like a 20-min convention center blackout! After that passed it was back to non-stop high flying and hard-hitting action! Never a dull moment at the Sun! DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Favor Anyanwu MB TAV 17 Black: Anyanwu, a 5-star recruit committed to USC, is a beast at the net both defensively and offensively.  Victoria Harris L SC Midlands 17 National R: Harris is a scrapper who is wicked fast on the court.  Niyah Lester MB ROCKC 17-1: Lester is a strong presence in the middle who moves side to side well and gets up on the block to cause problems for attackers.  Izabela Molina MB Miami Hype 17N Emilio: Molina is a big presence at the net. Her physicality keeps defenses on their toes.  Nayelis Cabello S Top Select 17 Elite: A 5-star recruit and Louisville commit, Cabello has a great touch and a good arm to beat defense. Kassidy O’Brien S H Skyline 17 Royal: O’Brien, a 5-star recruit, was dishing with the best them. She’s super smooth and can keep defenses guessing with her ability to set from anywhere on the court. Addison Gaido Austin Skyline 16 Royal: The 6-5 Gaido, a 4-star recruit, was hitting with great extension and power.  Charlotte Glass S Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal: Glass, a 5-star recruit, has great hands and knows how to run an offense well.   Shylah Swope S VA Elite 16’s: Swope has a great touch and puts her hitters in favorable positions many more times than not. Ella Moore OH NYC Juniors 16 National: Moore is an undersized six-rotation outside scrapper who has no fear on the court.  Amirra Bailey MB SKEVA 16 Blue: Bailey is HUGE at the net with a gigantic upside both defensively and offensively.  Isabella Mogridge S OT 16 T JP: A 4-star recruit, Mogridge runs a smooth offense. She smart, athletic, and has a great touch.  Addison Walker OH BVA 17 Elite: Walker is a 6-2 six-rotation powerhouse who is one of BVA’’s  most consistent scorers with her ability to go over and around blocks on the regular. Emory Miskovsky L OP2 12-1: Miskovsky is an smooth libero who communicates and controls the back row well. Roxy Rigo S Mintonette Sports – m.21: Rigo is an athletic 5-1 setter with strong hands.  Peyton Robinson OH A5 12 LA: Robinson did a double duty role to. When I first saw her she was swinging well on the outside. By the end of the pool she had the libero jersey. She was fun to watch the switch up.

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14s: Top 50 National Rankings (March 3)

March 3, 2023

The last of the rankings update goes to the 14s division. Even though we are into March, the 14s haven’t traveled much outside a few tournaments and of course Triple Crown. The next two months are going to be fun to follow and track as teams trek through qualifying season. For now, here are the 14s Top 50. vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. TAV 14 Black (TX) 2. Arizona Storm 14 Thunder (AZ) 3. Tstreet 14 Carson (CA) 4. Madfrog 14 Green (TX) 5. Skyline 14 Royal (TX) 6. AP 14 Adidas (TX) 7. OT 14 Laura (FL) 8. Drive Nation 14 Red (TX) 9. A5 14 Helen (GA) 10. MAVS KC 14-1 (KS) *** 11. Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar (CA) 12. Elevation 14 Molly (OH) 13. Adidas KiVA 14 Red (KY) 14. Forza1 14 One (CA) 15. Wave 14 Tammy (CA) 16. AZ Rev 14 Premier (AZ) 17. Legacy 14 Adidas (MI) 18. Munciana 14 Chipmunks (IN) 19. Forza1 North 14 One (CA) 20. Excel 14 National Red (TX) *** 21. HPSTL 14 Royal (MO) 22. AZ Sky 14G (AZ) 23. WPVC 14 Armour Black (FL) 24. GP 14 Rox (FL) 25. Club V 14 Ren Silver (UT) 26. Tri-State 14 Blue (OH) 27. Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal (FL) 28. Far Out 14 Black (MI) 29. Top Select 14 Elite (FL) 30. Austin Skyline 14 Royal (TX) *** 31. Hou Skyline 14 Royal (TX) 32. SAS 14-1 (HI) 33. HJV 14 Elite (TX) 34. Northern Lights 14-1 (MN) 35. Mintonette Sports m.41 (OH) 36. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami (KY) 37. Rockwood Thunder 14 Elite (MO) 38. Metro 14 Travel (DC) 39. Premier Nebraska 14 Gold (NE) 40. City 14 Gold (CA) *** 41. Kairos 14 Alpha (SD) 42. MKE Sting 14 Gold (WI) 43. PVA 14 Elite (KS) 44. ID Crush 14 Bower (ID) 45. KC Power 14 Black (KS) 46. Academy 14 Diamond (NC) 47. Coast 14-1 (CA) 48. MAVS 816 14-1 (KS) 49. Miami Hype 14 Nekane (FL) 50. Triangle 14 Black (NC) ON THE CUSP Iowa Rockets 14R (IO) Surfside 14 Loriann (CA) Wildfire 14 Albert (FL) Topeka Saints 14-1 (KS) Lions 14-1 (IL) MN Select 14-1 (MN) VCNebraska 14 Elite (NE) Alliance 14 Ren (TN) Kokoro Volleyball 14-1 (MN) 1United 14 (TX)

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Red Rock Rave: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

March 2, 2023

It’s an earlier trip to Las Vegas than usual for those making their way to the Red Rock Rave taking place Saturday-Monday at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The qualifier usually falls in April but is among the first to be held this season. This coming weekend is the first of back-to-back weekends and it features the younger ages vying for their bids. Below, we run through the 14 and 15 Open divisions to see how they might play out. 15 Open Number of Teams: 38 Number of Bids Available: 3 Previously-Qualified Club: n/a vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (22): 1. Skyline 15 Royal 4. Madfrog 15 Green 5. TAV 15 Black 7. Arizona Storm 15 Thunder 10. SCVC 15 Roxy 12. Alamo 15 Premier 13. AZ Sky 15G 14. Hou Skyline 15 Royal 15. Wave 15 Brennan 18. Dynasty 15 Black 19. Forza1 North 15 One 21. HJV 15 Elite 23. Drive Nation 15 Red 29. SG Elite 15 Rosh 32. Actyve 15 Black 33. GP 15 Rox 34. Tstreet 15 Curtis 38. AZ Rev 15 Premier 39. Coast 15-1 41. Aspire 15 Premier 42. Club V 15 Ren Reed 46. MAVS 816 15-1   5-star Athletes To Watch Layla Austin OH Skyline 15 Royal Keoni Williams MB Skyline 15 Royal Kinsley Young MB TAV 15 Black Brooke Harwood RS Arizona Storm 15 Thunder Finley Krystkowiak OH Wave 15 Brennan Danielle Whitmire S/RS TAV 15 Black Audrey Flanagan OH SCVC 15 Roxy   4-star Athletes To Watch Erin Clark L/DS/S Aspire 15 Premier Anna Flores S TAV 15 Black Ava McBride S/RS Actyve 15 Black Paisley Pavliska OH Alamo 15 Premier Emmerson Champagne MB/RS Tstreet 15 Curtis Milly McGee S SCVC 15 Roxy Gabi Rodriguez L/DS Madfrog 15 Green Caroline Huseman OH TAV 15 Black Kylie Kleckner OH TAV 15 Black   Outlook/Prediction: With 20 teams in the field featured in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 it makes for a loaded field. With the only path to qualifying coming with a top-three finish, there are going to be plenty of unhappy teams heading home. On the flip side, for the fortunate few who are able to secure bids there is no doubt it will be well deserved. Skyline 15 Royal enters fresh off of winning Triple Crown and looking to keep the momentum going. Triple Crown runner-up SCVC 15 Roxy is also searching for a bid and will carry the confidence of its performance in KC with them to Vegas. Madfrog 15 Green, TAV 15 Black, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder, Alamo 15 Premier and AZ Sky 15G all fared well at Triple Crown too and any of them could walk away with a bid. A team like SG Elite 15 Rosh is ranked No. 29 but can’t be overlooked. SG was close to knocking off Boiler Jrs 15 Gold at Triple Crown. It’s that type of field where the one thing for sure is plenty of unexpected results are going to take place. The final comes down to Alamo knocking off Wave. Skyline takes the final bid.   *** 14 Open Number of Teams: 26 Number of Bids Available: 3 Previously-Qualified Club: n/a vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (14): 2. Arizona Storm 14 Thunder 3. Tstreet 14 Carson 4. Madfrog 14 Green 5. Skyline 14 Royal 10. MAVS KC 14-1 11. Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar 14. Forza1 14 One 15. Wave 14 Tammy 16. AZ Rev 14 Premier 19. Forza1 North 14 One 22. AZ Sky 14G 25. Club V 14 Ren Silver 33. HJV 14 Elite 47. Coast 14-1   Outlook/Prediction: Much like 15 Open, it’s going to take a special effort to come through with one of the three bids in play. There is no trickle down, so teams must place in the top three. That leaves very little if any wiggle room. Lots of eyes will be on the favorites like Arizona Storm 14 Thunder, Tstreet 14 Carson, Madfrog 14 Green and Skyline 15 Royal. All showed strong at Triple Crown and it’s hard envisioning not one in the group earning a bid. It’s possible three of the four get bids. Still, it’s volleyball. Wave 14 Tammy was close to upsetting Arizona Storm in KC and could surprise. Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar is likely hungry to finish higher than it did at Triple Crown and get its bid out of the way. MAVS 14-1 can’t be forgotten about and certainly has what it takes to get the bid. It’s a tough field to predict, but the call goes to Tstreet beating Storm in the final. MAVS takes the third bid.

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Bluegrass Tournament: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

March 2, 2023

When the club schedule reaches March, it’s qualifying season to be sure. Still, not every tournament in March and April is centered on earning a bid for Junior Nationals. Take the Adidas Bluegrass Tournament for example. The two-day event takes place Saturday and Sunday in Louisville and is hosted by KiVA. That’s where I’m headed this weekend and will be on hand providing coverage. Given that, let’s take a look at what we might expect. Below, is a preview and prediction for the 14-18 Open age groups. 18 Open Number of Teams: 31 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (8): 3. Munciana 18 Samurai 15. Circle City 18 Purple 20. Adidas KiVA 18 Red 23. Tri-State 18 Elite 30. Elevation 18 Spinney 33. NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami 41. Far Out 18 Black 45. Union 18-1 UA   5-star Athletes To Watch Ramsey Gary L/DS Munciana 18 Samurai (Indiana) Lola Schumacher L/DS Munciana 18 Samurai (Wisconsin, 2024) Brooke Bultema MB Elevation 18 Spinney (Kentucky) Nya Bunton OH/MB Adidas KiVA 18 Red (Texas) Navea Gauthier OH Far Out 18 Black (2025)   4-star Athletes To Watch Gabby Dean MB Adidas KiVA 18 Red (Illinois) Charlotte Vinson OH/RS Munciana 18 Samurai (2025) Abbigail Pickard S Far Out 18 Black (2025)   Outlook/Prediction: Munciana 18 Samurai is the team to beat after taking bronze at Triple Crown. Munciana should run into familiar opponents in Tri-State Elite 18 Blue and Adidas KiVA 18 Red. All three are part of the Mideast Power League. Thrown into the mix in this tournament is SPVB 18 Elite, which will be seeing its stiffest competition of the season to date. Circle City 18 Purple just recently punched its ticket to 18 Open in Columbus after qualifying at Music City and is going to be among the top contenders. When the dust settles, look for Munciana lifting the trophy over SPVB. *** 17 Open Number of Teams: 38 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (7): 9. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami 21. Academy 17 Tsunami 23. Tri-State 17 Blue 37. Elevation 17 Ulland 40. Adidas KiVA 17 Red 41. Boiler Jrs 17 Gold 50. Team Pineapple 17 Black   5-star Athletes To Watch Morgan Gaerte OH Team Pineapple 17 Black (Notre Dame) Allie Shondell S Boiler Jrs 17 Gold (Purdue)   4-star Athletes To Watch Kiana Dinn S/RS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue (Pitt) Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 17 Gold Mya Ball S Team Pineapple 17 Black (Central Florida) Julia Hunt MB NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Washington) Elizabeth Tabeling L/DS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Ball State) Alaleh Tolliver OH Academy 17 Tsunami Alec Rothe OH/MB EliteVBTC 17 Black (Florida)   Outlook/Prediction: Triple Crown champ NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami is the highlight of the field but is not the top seed. That honor goes to Academy 17 Tsunami followed by NKYVC at No. 2. Academy defeated NKYVC at Central Zone when NKYVC was playing shorthanded. No doubt NKYVC would like pay back and is going to be seeking that this weekend. We’ll see if anyone can turn it on and surprise, but the contenders should be the usual suspects. In addition to Academy and NKYVC, Tri-State Elite 17 Blue, Boiler Jrs 17 Gold and Adidas KiVA 17 Red are factors as well. We are sticking with the collision course, with NKYVC downing Academy in the final. *** 16 Open Number of Teams: 40 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (8): 11. Circle City 16 Purple 19. AVC Cle 16 Red 23. Adidas KiVA 16 Red 24. Tri-State Elite 16 Blue 25. Munciana 16 Blaze 29. Team Pineapple 16 Black 40. NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami 50. Pitt Elite 16-1   5-star Athletes To Watch Addison Tindall OH Team Pineapple 16 Black Annabelle Groomes S/RS AVC Cle 16 Red   4-star Athletes To Watch Bella Bullington OH SPVB 16 Elite Ava Tilden OH NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Reese Dunkle MB Circle City 16 Purple Kristen Simon L/DS Adidas KiVA 16 Red Logan Bell OH Circle City 16 Purple Katie Gielas RS Elevation 16 Goller Julia Grace NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Lauren Coyne RS SPVB 16 Elite Riley McCloskey OH NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Addison Makun MB Adidas KiVA 16 Red Ava Harris S Team Pineapple 16 Black   Outlook/Prediction: The 16s division might be the most competitive of the bunch. Circle City 16 Purple is playing its toughest tournament since Central Zone, when it finished runner-up to 1st Alliance 16 Gold. Circle City might be the team to beat here but is hardly a lock. AVC Cle 16 Red showed solidly in Kansas City. AVC has shown to be competitive against other top teams and hasn’t had a bad loss yet. The MEPL group of Adidas KiVA 16 Red, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue and Munciana 16 Blaze are going to be in the mix. I think Munciana gained a lot of confidence from its time at Triple Crown and could be on the rise. The pick comes down to Circle City beating Tri-State Elite for gold. *** 15 Open Number of Teams: vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (8): 3. Boiler Jrs 15 Gold 8. NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami 17. Elevation 15 Tony 20. Far Out 15 Black 22. AVC Cle 15 Red 24. Tri-State Elite 15 Blue 35. Team Pineapple 15 Black 48. TVC 15 Black   5-star Athlete To Watch Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold (2027)   4-star Athletes To Watch Cala Haffner L/DS Team Pineapple 15 Black Sienna Fry RS Summit 15 Blue Elite Sydney Geselbracht MB Elevation 15 Tony Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold Sidney Sprada OH Elevation 15 Tony Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 15 Gold Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold Ella Grimes L/DS Elevation 15 Tony Addison Haberthy S Circle City 15 Purple   Outlook/Prediction: On paper, this division looks to be all Boiler Jrs 15 Gold. The question is can anyone stop Boiler Jrs from taking gold? It’s not the deepest 15s field and that means it is a great opportunity for an unexpected club to grad the spotlight. NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami having success wouldn’t

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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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Sunshine Classic : Day 2 Show Stoppers (Week 2)

March 4, 2023

Another day of action brought more heat across the gym. For the most part seeded teams held their own. But you have to love a good upset, right?!  For the most part I have seen most of the top Open level teams play this season already. Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal was one of the clubs I have not been able to personally see as of yet. Tribe features a ton of South Florida stars who I was able to watch this past high school season. One is 5-star recruit Charlotte Glass is “quarterbacking” the team. Add in 5-star recruit outside Kelly Kinney, 4-star recruit libero Zoey Matias, 3-star recruit outside Tekoa Barnes and right side Mija Bendziute and watch out. They will be a lot of fun to watch this season.  Sunday means Championship Day!  The 17 Open Gold Pools are set. See below.  GMPP1 Triangle 17 Black HPSTL 17 Royal Legacy 17-1 ADIDAS   GMPP2 A5 17-Jing Mintonette Sports – m.71 CUVC 17 Arete   GMPP3 TAV 17 Black OT 17 O Felix Top Select 17 Elite   GMPP4 OT 17 T Aaron Skyline 17 Royal MKE Sting 17 Gold   The 16 Open Gold Pools: GMPP1 H Skyline 16 Royal  Top Select 16 Elite  OT 16 O Roberto   GMPP2 A5 16-Gabe Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite HPSTL 16 Royal    GMPP3 OT 16 T JP GP 16 Rox DYNASTY 16 Black   GMPP4 Legacy 16-1 ADIDAS Austin Skyline 16 Royal Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal    DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS Emily Bobbitt S Triangle 17 Black: Bobbitt, a 3-star Iowa State commit, is a gamer with pin-point accuracy who shows strong command of running the show. Taylor Pagan OH High Voltage 1517 College Pre: Pagan hits a heavy ball and is high on the energy scale on the court.  Becca Wight Opp Mintonette Sports – m.71: A 6-4 3-star Virginia commit, Wight is a physical presence on the court both offensively and defensively.  Samantha Bowron OH Top Select 17 Elite: A 4-star Coastal Carolina commit, Bowron is a fearless attacker who aggressively goes at bigger blockers on the reg.  Macaria Spears OH TAV 17 Black: Spears, a 5-star recruit, was literally cracking on balls. She was absolutely tormenting defenses with her scoring ability. Megan Morello L H Skyline 16 Royal: Morello was as holding it down defensively, coming up with saves all over the court.  Camryn Jeffery Opp A5 16 Gabe: Jeffery, a 4-star recruit, adds a physical presence to the attack. She had huge swings and big blocks. Chichi Nnaji Opp Skyline 16 Royal: Chichi is making her presence known these days. She hits a heavy ball consistently.  Campbell Flynn S Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Flynn, a 5-star recruit, runs a good offense. She has good connections with her middles and is consistent with her locations from anywhere on the court.  Amina N’diaye OH OT 16 O Roberto: A 5-star recruit, N’diaye takes a lot of swings. She’s one of the mainstays in the attack and consistently finds ways to score. Tekoa Barnes OH Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal: Barnes, a 3-star recruit, was ripping balls through and around the block all day. She is a very explosive hitter. Ella Florez S/Opp Dynasty 16 Black: Flores, a 5-star recruit, plays a vital role hitting and setting. She has good hands and can dish anywhere effectively.  Kayden Green S/Opp GP 16 Rox: A 4-star recruit, Green did a nice job dishing and running the attack. Elissa Baez OH GP 12 Rox: There’s no backing down with Baez. She kept digging and challenging defenses. She’s a crafty hitter too. Brooklyn Howard L A5 12-LA: Howard is a nice anchor in the backcourt. She made some strong plays and has good, consistent energy. Mikayla Matuszko OH Tribe 12 Elite Cardinal: Matuszko displayed her skills all around. She passed well out of the backrow. She also was swinging well and providing offense.

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Sunshine Classic: Day 1 Show Stoppers (Week 2)

March 4, 2023

The start of the second weekend of the 2023 Sunshine Volleyball Classic definitely started off in an interesting way. One, kudos to all the coaches, parents and athletes who stepped up for missing members being stranded from weather issues while traveling. Secondly, there is nothing like a 20-min convention center blackout! After that passed it was back to non-stop high flying and hard-hitting action! Never a dull moment at the Sun! DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Favor Anyanwu MB TAV 17 Black: Anyanwu, a 5-star recruit committed to USC, is a beast at the net both defensively and offensively.  Victoria Harris L SC Midlands 17 National R: Harris is a scrapper who is wicked fast on the court.  Niyah Lester MB ROCKC 17-1: Lester is a strong presence in the middle who moves side to side well and gets up on the block to cause problems for attackers.  Izabela Molina MB Miami Hype 17N Emilio: Molina is a big presence at the net. Her physicality keeps defenses on their toes.  Nayelis Cabello S Top Select 17 Elite: A 5-star recruit and Louisville commit, Cabello has a great touch and a good arm to beat defense. Kassidy O’Brien S H Skyline 17 Royal: O’Brien, a 5-star recruit, was dishing with the best them. She’s super smooth and can keep defenses guessing with her ability to set from anywhere on the court. Addison Gaido Austin Skyline 16 Royal: The 6-5 Gaido, a 4-star recruit, was hitting with great extension and power.  Charlotte Glass S Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal: Glass, a 5-star recruit, has great hands and knows how to run an offense well.   Shylah Swope S VA Elite 16’s: Swope has a great touch and puts her hitters in favorable positions many more times than not. Ella Moore OH NYC Juniors 16 National: Moore is an undersized six-rotation outside scrapper who has no fear on the court.  Amirra Bailey MB SKEVA 16 Blue: Bailey is HUGE at the net with a gigantic upside both defensively and offensively.  Isabella Mogridge S OT 16 T JP: A 4-star recruit, Mogridge runs a smooth offense. She smart, athletic, and has a great touch.  Addison Walker OH BVA 17 Elite: Walker is a 6-2 six-rotation powerhouse who is one of BVA’’s  most consistent scorers with her ability to go over and around blocks on the regular. Emory Miskovsky L OP2 12-1: Miskovsky is an smooth libero who communicates and controls the back row well. Roxy Rigo S Mintonette Sports – m.21: Rigo is an athletic 5-1 setter with strong hands.  Peyton Robinson OH A5 12 LA: Robinson did a double duty role to. When I first saw her she was swinging well on the outside. By the end of the pool she had the libero jersey. She was fun to watch the switch up.

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14s: Top 50 National Rankings (March 3)

March 3, 2023

The last of the rankings update goes to the 14s division. Even though we are into March, the 14s haven’t traveled much outside a few tournaments and of course Triple Crown. The next two months are going to be fun to follow and track as teams trek through qualifying season. For now, here are the 14s Top 50. vballrecruiter.com’S TOP 50 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1. TAV 14 Black (TX) 2. Arizona Storm 14 Thunder (AZ) 3. Tstreet 14 Carson (CA) 4. Madfrog 14 Green (TX) 5. Skyline 14 Royal (TX) 6. AP 14 Adidas (TX) 7. OT 14 Laura (FL) 8. Drive Nation 14 Red (TX) 9. A5 14 Helen (GA) 10. MAVS KC 14-1 (KS) *** 11. Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar (CA) 12. Elevation 14 Molly (OH) 13. Adidas KiVA 14 Red (KY) 14. Forza1 14 One (CA) 15. Wave 14 Tammy (CA) 16. AZ Rev 14 Premier (AZ) 17. Legacy 14 Adidas (MI) 18. Munciana 14 Chipmunks (IN) 19. Forza1 North 14 One (CA) 20. Excel 14 National Red (TX) *** 21. HPSTL 14 Royal (MO) 22. AZ Sky 14G (AZ) 23. WPVC 14 Armour Black (FL) 24. GP 14 Rox (FL) 25. Club V 14 Ren Silver (UT) 26. Tri-State 14 Blue (OH) 27. Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal (FL) 28. Far Out 14 Black (MI) 29. Top Select 14 Elite (FL) 30. Austin Skyline 14 Royal (TX) *** 31. Hou Skyline 14 Royal (TX) 32. SAS 14-1 (HI) 33. HJV 14 Elite (TX) 34. Northern Lights 14-1 (MN) 35. Mintonette Sports m.41 (OH) 36. NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami (KY) 37. Rockwood Thunder 14 Elite (MO) 38. Metro 14 Travel (DC) 39. Premier Nebraska 14 Gold (NE) 40. City 14 Gold (CA) *** 41. Kairos 14 Alpha (SD) 42. MKE Sting 14 Gold (WI) 43. PVA 14 Elite (KS) 44. ID Crush 14 Bower (ID) 45. KC Power 14 Black (KS) 46. Academy 14 Diamond (NC) 47. Coast 14-1 (CA) 48. MAVS 816 14-1 (KS) 49. Miami Hype 14 Nekane (FL) 50. Triangle 14 Black (NC) ON THE CUSP Iowa Rockets 14R (IO) Surfside 14 Loriann (CA) Wildfire 14 Albert (FL) Topeka Saints 14-1 (KS) Lions 14-1 (IL) MN Select 14-1 (MN) VCNebraska 14 Elite (NE) Alliance 14 Ren (TN) Kokoro Volleyball 14-1 (MN) 1United 14 (TX)

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Red Rock Rave: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

March 2, 2023

It’s an earlier trip to Las Vegas than usual for those making their way to the Red Rock Rave taking place Saturday-Monday at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The qualifier usually falls in April but is among the first to be held this season. This coming weekend is the first of back-to-back weekends and it features the younger ages vying for their bids. Below, we run through the 14 and 15 Open divisions to see how they might play out. 15 Open Number of Teams: 38 Number of Bids Available: 3 Previously-Qualified Club: n/a vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (22): 1. Skyline 15 Royal 4. Madfrog 15 Green 5. TAV 15 Black 7. Arizona Storm 15 Thunder 10. SCVC 15 Roxy 12. Alamo 15 Premier 13. AZ Sky 15G 14. Hou Skyline 15 Royal 15. Wave 15 Brennan 18. Dynasty 15 Black 19. Forza1 North 15 One 21. HJV 15 Elite 23. Drive Nation 15 Red 29. SG Elite 15 Rosh 32. Actyve 15 Black 33. GP 15 Rox 34. Tstreet 15 Curtis 38. AZ Rev 15 Premier 39. Coast 15-1 41. Aspire 15 Premier 42. Club V 15 Ren Reed 46. MAVS 816 15-1   5-star Athletes To Watch Layla Austin OH Skyline 15 Royal Keoni Williams MB Skyline 15 Royal Kinsley Young MB TAV 15 Black Brooke Harwood RS Arizona Storm 15 Thunder Finley Krystkowiak OH Wave 15 Brennan Danielle Whitmire S/RS TAV 15 Black Audrey Flanagan OH SCVC 15 Roxy   4-star Athletes To Watch Erin Clark L/DS/S Aspire 15 Premier Anna Flores S TAV 15 Black Ava McBride S/RS Actyve 15 Black Paisley Pavliska OH Alamo 15 Premier Emmerson Champagne MB/RS Tstreet 15 Curtis Milly McGee S SCVC 15 Roxy Gabi Rodriguez L/DS Madfrog 15 Green Caroline Huseman OH TAV 15 Black Kylie Kleckner OH TAV 15 Black   Outlook/Prediction: With 20 teams in the field featured in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 it makes for a loaded field. With the only path to qualifying coming with a top-three finish, there are going to be plenty of unhappy teams heading home. On the flip side, for the fortunate few who are able to secure bids there is no doubt it will be well deserved. Skyline 15 Royal enters fresh off of winning Triple Crown and looking to keep the momentum going. Triple Crown runner-up SCVC 15 Roxy is also searching for a bid and will carry the confidence of its performance in KC with them to Vegas. Madfrog 15 Green, TAV 15 Black, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder, Alamo 15 Premier and AZ Sky 15G all fared well at Triple Crown too and any of them could walk away with a bid. A team like SG Elite 15 Rosh is ranked No. 29 but can’t be overlooked. SG was close to knocking off Boiler Jrs 15 Gold at Triple Crown. It’s that type of field where the one thing for sure is plenty of unexpected results are going to take place. The final comes down to Alamo knocking off Wave. Skyline takes the final bid.   *** 14 Open Number of Teams: 26 Number of Bids Available: 3 Previously-Qualified Club: n/a vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (14): 2. Arizona Storm 14 Thunder 3. Tstreet 14 Carson 4. Madfrog 14 Green 5. Skyline 14 Royal 10. MAVS KC 14-1 11. Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar 14. Forza1 14 One 15. Wave 14 Tammy 16. AZ Rev 14 Premier 19. Forza1 North 14 One 22. AZ Sky 14G 25. Club V 14 Ren Silver 33. HJV 14 Elite 47. Coast 14-1   Outlook/Prediction: Much like 15 Open, it’s going to take a special effort to come through with one of the three bids in play. There is no trickle down, so teams must place in the top three. That leaves very little if any wiggle room. Lots of eyes will be on the favorites like Arizona Storm 14 Thunder, Tstreet 14 Carson, Madfrog 14 Green and Skyline 15 Royal. All showed strong at Triple Crown and it’s hard envisioning not one in the group earning a bid. It’s possible three of the four get bids. Still, it’s volleyball. Wave 14 Tammy was close to upsetting Arizona Storm in KC and could surprise. Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar is likely hungry to finish higher than it did at Triple Crown and get its bid out of the way. MAVS 14-1 can’t be forgotten about and certainly has what it takes to get the bid. It’s a tough field to predict, but the call goes to Tstreet beating Storm in the final. MAVS takes the third bid.

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Bluegrass Tournament: Preview and Predictions (FREE)

March 2, 2023

When the club schedule reaches March, it’s qualifying season to be sure. Still, not every tournament in March and April is centered on earning a bid for Junior Nationals. Take the Adidas Bluegrass Tournament for example. The two-day event takes place Saturday and Sunday in Louisville and is hosted by KiVA. That’s where I’m headed this weekend and will be on hand providing coverage. Given that, let’s take a look at what we might expect. Below, is a preview and prediction for the 14-18 Open age groups. 18 Open Number of Teams: 31 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (8): 3. Munciana 18 Samurai 15. Circle City 18 Purple 20. Adidas KiVA 18 Red 23. Tri-State 18 Elite 30. Elevation 18 Spinney 33. NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami 41. Far Out 18 Black 45. Union 18-1 UA   5-star Athletes To Watch Ramsey Gary L/DS Munciana 18 Samurai (Indiana) Lola Schumacher L/DS Munciana 18 Samurai (Wisconsin, 2024) Brooke Bultema MB Elevation 18 Spinney (Kentucky) Nya Bunton OH/MB Adidas KiVA 18 Red (Texas) Navea Gauthier OH Far Out 18 Black (2025)   4-star Athletes To Watch Gabby Dean MB Adidas KiVA 18 Red (Illinois) Charlotte Vinson OH/RS Munciana 18 Samurai (2025) Abbigail Pickard S Far Out 18 Black (2025)   Outlook/Prediction: Munciana 18 Samurai is the team to beat after taking bronze at Triple Crown. Munciana should run into familiar opponents in Tri-State Elite 18 Blue and Adidas KiVA 18 Red. All three are part of the Mideast Power League. Thrown into the mix in this tournament is SPVB 18 Elite, which will be seeing its stiffest competition of the season to date. Circle City 18 Purple just recently punched its ticket to 18 Open in Columbus after qualifying at Music City and is going to be among the top contenders. When the dust settles, look for Munciana lifting the trophy over SPVB. *** 17 Open Number of Teams: 38 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (7): 9. NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami 21. Academy 17 Tsunami 23. Tri-State 17 Blue 37. Elevation 17 Ulland 40. Adidas KiVA 17 Red 41. Boiler Jrs 17 Gold 50. Team Pineapple 17 Black   5-star Athletes To Watch Morgan Gaerte OH Team Pineapple 17 Black (Notre Dame) Allie Shondell S Boiler Jrs 17 Gold (Purdue)   4-star Athletes To Watch Kiana Dinn S/RS Tri-State Elite 17 Blue (Pitt) Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 17 Gold Mya Ball S Team Pineapple 17 Black (Central Florida) Julia Hunt MB NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Washington) Elizabeth Tabeling L/DS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Ball State) Alaleh Tolliver OH Academy 17 Tsunami Alec Rothe OH/MB EliteVBTC 17 Black (Florida)   Outlook/Prediction: Triple Crown champ NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami is the highlight of the field but is not the top seed. That honor goes to Academy 17 Tsunami followed by NKYVC at No. 2. Academy defeated NKYVC at Central Zone when NKYVC was playing shorthanded. No doubt NKYVC would like pay back and is going to be seeking that this weekend. We’ll see if anyone can turn it on and surprise, but the contenders should be the usual suspects. In addition to Academy and NKYVC, Tri-State Elite 17 Blue, Boiler Jrs 17 Gold and Adidas KiVA 17 Red are factors as well. We are sticking with the collision course, with NKYVC downing Academy in the final. *** 16 Open Number of Teams: 40 vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (8): 11. Circle City 16 Purple 19. AVC Cle 16 Red 23. Adidas KiVA 16 Red 24. Tri-State Elite 16 Blue 25. Munciana 16 Blaze 29. Team Pineapple 16 Black 40. NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami 50. Pitt Elite 16-1   5-star Athletes To Watch Addison Tindall OH Team Pineapple 16 Black Annabelle Groomes S/RS AVC Cle 16 Red   4-star Athletes To Watch Bella Bullington OH SPVB 16 Elite Ava Tilden OH NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Reese Dunkle MB Circle City 16 Purple Kristen Simon L/DS Adidas KiVA 16 Red Logan Bell OH Circle City 16 Purple Katie Gielas RS Elevation 16 Goller Julia Grace NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Lauren Coyne RS SPVB 16 Elite Riley McCloskey OH NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami Addison Makun MB Adidas KiVA 16 Red Ava Harris S Team Pineapple 16 Black   Outlook/Prediction: The 16s division might be the most competitive of the bunch. Circle City 16 Purple is playing its toughest tournament since Central Zone, when it finished runner-up to 1st Alliance 16 Gold. Circle City might be the team to beat here but is hardly a lock. AVC Cle 16 Red showed solidly in Kansas City. AVC has shown to be competitive against other top teams and hasn’t had a bad loss yet. The MEPL group of Adidas KiVA 16 Red, Tri-State Elite 16 Blue and Munciana 16 Blaze are going to be in the mix. I think Munciana gained a lot of confidence from its time at Triple Crown and could be on the rise. The pick comes down to Circle City beating Tri-State Elite for gold. *** 15 Open Number of Teams: vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Teams (8): 3. Boiler Jrs 15 Gold 8. NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami 17. Elevation 15 Tony 20. Far Out 15 Black 22. AVC Cle 15 Red 24. Tri-State Elite 15 Blue 35. Team Pineapple 15 Black 48. TVC 15 Black   5-star Athlete To Watch Caroline Ward RS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold (2027)   4-star Athletes To Watch Cala Haffner L/DS Team Pineapple 15 Black Sienna Fry RS Summit 15 Blue Elite Sydney Geselbracht MB Elevation 15 Tony Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold Sidney Sprada OH Elevation 15 Tony Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 15 Gold Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold Ella Grimes L/DS Elevation 15 Tony Addison Haberthy S Circle City 15 Purple   Outlook/Prediction: On paper, this division looks to be all Boiler Jrs 15 Gold. The question is can anyone stop Boiler Jrs from taking gold? It’s not the deepest 15s field and that means it is a great opportunity for an unexpected club to grad the spotlight. NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami having success wouldn’t

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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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