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With Christmas and New Year’s in the rearview, the first weekend of 2023 meant one thing. Volleyball action! One of the many events taking place was the SCVA Power League Event 1 for the 16 and 18s age groups. That’s where I spent the weekend, splitting time between CLAVA and Momentous. Below, you can find the Show Stoppers from the weekend. Kayden Croy OH Rancho Valley 18 Premier – Rancho Valley had an uphill climb facing the other top teams in the SCVA 18s Power League this weekend but Croy was a bright spot with her play. She showed off a solid arm, hitting with pace and placement. She also was staying aggressive going against bigger blocks. AnnaMaria Ramos OH Vegas Aces 18 UA – Ramos, who is headed to Air Force, is a workhorse on the left for Vegas Aces. She’s a six-rotation player and a key contributor. Even against bigger and better teams, she was able to score with consistency. She has a nice arm with a loose swing. Sarah Wilson OH Temecula 18 Viper – Wilson is fearless on the attack. Temecula doesn’t have the punch of say a Wave or Coast but Wilson doesn’t back down from the challenge. She has a lively arm and isn’t afraid to let it loose and challenge blockers. Ellie Nichols RS Temecula 18 Viper – At 6-1, Nichols is a presence across the front row. She has a physical aspect to her on both sides of the ball. She can take up space on the right side and can make it tough on attackers to find space. She also hits a heavy ball and is someone who can add to the offense when she’s in. Tate Drageset OH Actyve 18 Black – We caught Drageset leading Buckley to the CA Div. 3 state runner up this past fall. Suiting up for Actyve, not much has changed except the uniform. Drageset has a slight frame that defies expectations when she goes on the attack. Don’t be fooled, she can rip it. She’s the main offensive weapon for Actyve and she’s a threat both front and back row. Carly Greskovics L Actyve 18 Black – Greskovics, a Michigan recruit, comes over from Sunshine. She’s used to playing at a high-level in club and she was solid in the back for Actyve when we caught her. Actyve is not a big team by 18s standards and Greskovics adds a ball-control presence to help keep Actyve in system. Nikki Hughes RS Actyve 18 Black – A 6-0 lefty right side, Hughes joined Actyve after playing for SG Elite last season. She’s committed to UC Riverside and she was showing what she can do at the next level during Saturday’s action. Hughes has a nice arm and she can definitely score in system. She seems to have a good court sense and knack for finding the open space. Sydney Bold L Coast 18 Ozhan – Coast finished two days of play undefeated, coming out on top of the 18s. One of the big strengths of this team is its physicality but it’s backed by great defensive play, with Bold – a 3-star Princeton recruit – leading the charge. Bold is business-like at the position. She gets the job done with steady, consistent play. Claire Little OH Coast 18 Ozhan – Little gives Coast its big arm on the left that top 18s teams need. Her play Saturday was representative of what we’ve come to appreciate about her game. The 4-star BYU recruit  is a competitor but will show her lighter side on the court at times, releasing a sly smile or laugh. She’s a threat no matter where she is and just being on the court she opens up the dynamic of the Coast attack. Tanon Rosenthal S/RS Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar – Rosenthal is a new member of Beach’s roster this season, having come from Texas and playing at Mira Costa for high school. She’s a natural fit on this team with her ability to both set and hit. Rosenthal, who is committed to Arizona for beach, is also a player who doesn’t draw a lot of attention to herself, just going about her play without much fanfare but Beach wouldn’t have had the weekend it did without her. Mele Corral-Blagojevich OH Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar – We’ve been writing this about Blagojevich – a 4-star Oklahoma recruit – for years. Her power always stands out, whether she’s going for a kill or ripping a jump serve. She hits the ball hard! She’s also a heady player who sees the court well and understands the game at a high level. Olivia Babcock OH/RS Sunshine 18 LA – Babcock was used a lot in serve receive as the Sunshine staff continues to develop Babcock’s all-around game. One thing remains the same though and that’s the 5-star Pitt recruit’s ability to simply score. She’s long and lengthy and she gets up. She’s able to attack at angles that others aren’t and it puts extra stress on the defense to try and cover it all. Ava-Marie Lange OH Sunshine 18 LA – A 4-star Harvard recruit, we loved the way Lange was playing. There’s no doubt that Babcock and Torrey Stafford carry much of the offense for Sunshine. But Lange – who was part of Sunshine’s 18 Open gold medal roster last spring – is a capable scorer who can help take a load off of those two. She put away a couple of really big swings. She could play a key role filling in on both the left and right. Cayla Payne MB Wave 18 Juliana – Payne was a force at the net. The 4-star Colorado recruit was very active across the front row. Her blocking was disruptive as she covered pin-to-pin. She also made spectators take note offensively. One thing Wave does well is run the slide and Payne can certainly connect on it. Eva Rohrbach MB Wave 18 Juliana –

vballrecruiter.com is in the process of releasing its 2023 Club Preseason All-Americans. We kicked it off by naming the 22 members of the 18s Preseason All-American team. Next in line is the 17s, followed by the 16 and 15s next week. We present vballrecruiter.com’s 2023 17s Preseason All-American team, featuring 22 of the top athletes from the division. OH – Cari Spears TAV 17 Black OH – Skyler Pierce Dynasty 17 Black OH – Carlie Cisneros Dynasty 17 Black OH – Hannah Benjamin A5 17 Jing OH – Jadyn Livings TAV 17 Black OH – Emerson Sellman Metro 17 Travel MB – Favor Anyanwu TAV 17 Black MB – Ayden Ames Drive Nation 17 Red MB – Zoey Burgess Club V 17 Ren MB – Mia Hood A5 17 Jing RS – Abigail Mullen Dynasty 17 Black RS – Molly Kate Patten A5 17 Jing RS – Grace Carroll Drive Nation 17 Red RS – Ryan Hunter Triangle 17 Black S – Reese Messer Dynasty 17 Black S – Charlie Fuerbringer Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar S – Izzy Starck Co Jrs 17 Kevin S – Nayelis Cabello Top Select 17 Elite L – Ryan McAleer Dynasty 17 Black L – Gillan Pitts TAV 17 Black L – Gabriela Cornier A5 17 Jing L – Faith Frame Premier Nebraska 17 Gold

January’s excitement level is a tough one to top. It’s when the new club season begins to really get into gear as teams start traveling the country to compete. Optimism and hope are high. Everyone is looking to better themselves and improve on the season before. We are excited here at vballrecruiter.com because we get to experience it together for the first time. We didn’t officially launch the website until April of last season, so we missed one of the most exciting months of the year! It’s okay, as we are here from the beginning for the 2023 club season. You can check out our club articles so far, as we checked on teams from the 15, 16, 17 and 18s division. We also highlighted 19 top players who have new clubs for upcoming season. And soon, we’ll be releasing our National Rankings as well. Now, we present you with vballrecruiter.com’s 2023 18s Preseason All-American team, featuring 22 of the top athletes from the oldest division. OH – Jurnee Robinson A5 18 Marc OH – Julia Blyashov Wave 18 Juliana OH – Torrey Stafford Sunshine 18 LA OH – Jordyn Harvey Club V 18 OH – Blaire Bayless Madfrog 18 Green OH – Mele Corral-Blagojevich Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar MB – Reese Robins Drive Nation 18 Red MB – Brooke Bultema Elevation 18 Spinney MB – Eloise Brandewie Mintonette Sports m.81 MB – Nya Bunton KiVA 18 Red RS – Grace Heaney Premier Nebraska 18 Gold RS – Olivia Babcock Sunshine 18 LA RS – Noemie Glover Coast 18 Ozhan RS – Sam Hoppes Drive Nation 18 Red S – Lily Nicholson Drive Nation 18 Red S – Audrey Clark TAV 18 Black S – Stella Swenson MN Select 18-1 S – Kennedy Phelan Ozark Jrs 18 National L – Alyssa Manitzas Alamo 18 Premier L – Ramsey Gary Munciana 18 Samurai L – Gigi Navarrete 1st Alliance 18 Gold L – Olivia Mauch Premier Nebraska 18 Gold

Over the past two weeks we’ve checked in on teams from the 15, 16, 17 and 18s divisions as we started diving into the club season. In doing so, we’ve already noted a few players who have switched clubs for the new year. That led us to compiling a list of 4 and 5-star athletes who are representing different teams and who figure to make tremendous impacts doing so. 5 STARS Alex Acevedo SR OH NPJ 18 Forefront (Oregon): Acevedo leaving Idaho Crush and moving to NPJ instantly boosted her new team. With 48 teams qualifying for 18 Open, NPJ could have found its way into the field regardless. However, their chances greatly increase with Acevedo. She gives NPJ a high-level outside who is going to be the go-to hitter and able to carry a big load offensively.   Ayden Ames JR MB/OH Drive Nation 17 Red (Nebraska): Ames leaving TAV to join Drive Nation is obviously one of the biggest club changes this season. Ames’ height and length allows her to really extend and contact the ball at a high point. She’s a game-changing presence across the front row. She also brings versatility to the roster. She played both right side and middle last year in club and spent this past high school season hitting on the outside. Ryan Hunter SO RS Triangle 17 Black: This could be a major move! Hunter going from CJV to Triangle is one switch we are definitely keeping tabs on. Triangle was very competitive in 16 Open last year, winning the Big South Qualifier and finishing tied for 13th at Junior Nationals. The main cast of characters is back for Triangle, so adding a player like Hunter naturally brings high hopes and excitement. She also seems like a perfect fit because Triangle is strong on the left with 4-star outsides Kiarrah Horne and Asia Thigpen. What they didn’t have is a consistent, threatening right side attack. Hunter, at 6-1 and a high flyer, brings that instantly. She can hit out of the back row too and it’s going to be really fun seeing setter Emily Bobbitt utilizing Hunter’s talents this year. Not sure Hunter’s arrival elevates Triangle into the best-of-the-best conversation but it might! Cari Spears SO OH TAV 17 Black: Spears – who was the vballrecruiter.com 2022 High School Sophomore Player of the Year after a dominating season at Prestonwood Christian – comes to TAV after playing for Metro last season. Spears, the top hitting prospect in her class, is playing up a year but that won’t keep her from making a huge impact. She’s 6-3 with a powerful arm and capable of scoring from all over. She’ll be playing with a few of her high school teammates as well, so she figures to fit right in. TAV wasn’t lacking for an offensive punch already having 5-star athletes Jadyn Livings and Favor Anyanwu on the roster. Now with Spears also factored in, opposing defenses are going to face an unrelenting attack. Good luck! Lameen Mambu SO OH Metro 17 Travel: The what ifs of this one are fun. Like, what if Spears stayed at Metro and would have been teamed with Mambu this season, either on the 16s or on the 17s if both played up? We won’t know the answer to that but we’ll soon find out how much Mambu coming from Paramount to Metro will help her new squad. Mambu is crazy athletic and jumps really well. Metro was in the top half of Open as a 16s team. Metro essentially lost Spears but gained Mambu. It should keep Metro in the mix again. Kirra Musgrove SO S/RS Houston Skyline 17 Royal: Part of Hou Skyline beefing up its roster this season is adding Musgrove, who comes over from HJV. Musgrove played her age group last year in the 15s, but will jump to 17s with her new club. Musgrove’s next-level talent is easy to see. She’s tall, smooth and has smarts. She set and hit last year with HJV so she also brings versatility to the lineup. Looking at Hou Skyline’s roster, it seems likely they’ll be running a 6-2 this season with Musgrove clearly a part of it. Hou Skyline qualified for Open last year but wasn’t a medal contender. Adding Musgrove plus others might not boost Hou Skyline to that level but this squad should be more competitive. Samara Coleman SO OH Houston Skyline 17 Royal: Coleman is another new member to Hou Skyline. The high-flying 6-1 outside who jumps 30 inches comes over from TAV Houston. She’s also going to be playing up an age group in the 17s. Adding Coleman certainly brings more pop to the attack. Hou Skyline was thin in that area last season and by adding Coleman Hou Skyline should definitely have more firepower to throw at opponents. Kelly Kinney SO OH Tribe 16 Elite: Playing with Boomers last year, Kinney flew under the radar. She’s a remarkable talent with her length and scoring ability. Joining Tribe should help both sides. For starters, Kinney joins a roster that already includes 5-star setter Charlotte Glass. Glass to Kinney already seems like one of the best connections in the division and it could be the reason Tribe is able to make the move and qualify for Open this season. Tribe already had the high-flying Tekoa Barnes on the left, so Glass working with both Barnes and Kinney should be exciting! Keoni Williams FR MB Skyline 15 Royal: Any team Williams winds up on is going to make that team better. She left Frisco Flyers for Skyline this season but because of lots of roster turnover it remains to be seen where this Skyline version stands. Only two players are back from last year’s 14s that tied for 23rd in 14 Open, but that doesn’t mean anything with such a new look. Still, with the 6-4 Williams in the middle Skyline knows it has a force in the front row anytime she checks in.

If you have been following along, you know by now the plan is to start releasing our Club National Rankings in the next couple of weeks. We’ve been gearing up for that task by checking in on a few teams while we do our digging in each age division. We’ve made it through the 18s, 17s and 16s. Now, it’s time for the 15s! We preview 10 teams, among them top contenders, teams on the rise and a team looking to crack Open this spring. MINTONETTE SPORTS M.51: It was Mintonette coming on and capturing the 14 Open gold medal in Indy last summer. It wasn’t a shocker but a surprise nevertheless. It’s a competitive age group, so does Mintonette have enough pieces back to repeat? The short answer is yes, though obviously it’s going to be a very difficult task with all the top teams in the hunt. One of Mintonette’s advantages last season came on the pins with 3-star outsides Sara Snowbarger and Layla Hoying and both return. That’s a great start. Also back is 3-star setter Mallory Matheny and 4-star L/DS Emma Cugino. Among the additions is 6-1 outside Mackenzie Palumbo, who’ll add depth on the pins. ELEVATION 15 TONY: It was an all-Ohio Valley Region showdown last summer in the 14 Open semifinals, as Elevation fell to Mintonette and finished with the bronze medal. Similarly, there was not much roster movement for Elevation, which will once more look to make a deep run this coming summer. Key contributors back include 3-star setter Makenna Kirlin, 3-star middle Sydney Geselbracht, 3-star L/DS Ella Grimes and 3-star outsides Cara Richter and Sidney Sprada. The only newcomers are middles Kendall Northern and Grace Herzog. MADFROG 15 GREEN: Madfrog entered JNs as the top seed after a remarkable regular season and ended tying for fifth in 14 Open in Indy. Unlike Mintonette and Elevation, the changes to Madfrog’s roster were more extensive. Six players return from last year – 4-star L/DS Gabi Rodriguez, 3-star right side Dawn Moore, 3-star setter Jaidyn Hartsfield and 3-star OH/DS Balire Bowers, as well as outside Simone Heard and middle Katelyn Lindsay. Joining the team for this season is 3-star outside Kennedy Crayton and 3-star middle Hannah Lee. It remains to be seen if Madfrog can contend for a national championship like last season but there’s plenty of talent on the team to be in the upper half of Open. LEGACY 15-1 ADIDAS: As 14s last year, Legacy didn’t qualify for Open though the club did take bronze in 14 Open at AAUs. However, there’s plenty of reason to believe an Open bid will come the club’s way as 15s this season. With six of the 10 players returning plus the key additions, Legacy could be among the top teams in the country once things begin clicking. The big news comes with 5-star outside Gabi Divita. She played up on the 15s last season as an eighth-grader and will remain on the 15s as a freshman. She was one of the top outsides in the division last season and figures to be even better this year. On top of that, 3-star recruit and 6-3 middle Ella Andrews is part of the returning group. Andrews was hurt on the 14s last year and missed the second half of the season. Legacy will have the arms with Divita and Andrews combining with 5-star recruit Kayla Nwabueze. The 6-0 middle was also on the 14s last year, along with 3-star setter Eva Long and 4-star L/DS Meredith Martin. Among the players added are outside Aubree Deshetsky and 6-1 middle Gina Fedrigo. TAV 15 BLACK: Last season TAV was among the top contending clubs throughout the year and proved as much with a fifth-place showing at JNs. While the roster did feature some turnover, many key parts are back and that should keep TAV among the upper echelon of teams. Included in the returning players is 5-star S/RS Danielle Whitmire and 5-star middle Kinsley Young, as well as 3-star outside Kylie Kleckner and 3-star middle Jayla Jackson. Included in the players coming over to TAV is 3-star outside Sophia Davila, 3-star OH Kennedy Simon and 3-star middle Brooklyn Bailey. SG ELITE 15 ROSH: San Gabriel made a surprise run to the 14 Open semis, leaving Indy with a bronze medal after upsetting Madfrog in the quarterfinals. Any success that comes SG’s way in 2023 will happen with essentially the same roster. Just two spots changed, with just about everyone coming back. That includes 4-star outside Kylie Parker, 3-star outside Aberdeen Callaway, 3-star L/DS Tatawan Vongfak and 3-star setter Ellie Chu. MKE STING 15 GOLD: Sting showed how competitive of a group it was during a season in which it finished tied for 11th in 14 Open at JNs. With minimal roster change, Sting figures to be a challenging matchup for opponents once more. The biggest switch is middle Allie Beers moving up to the 16s. Returning for Sting though is 4-star middle Margaret Czajka, 3-star L/DS Cassie Bruns, 3-star outside Natalie Surges, 3-star outside Marlee Sivak and 3-star setter Brooke Baldwin. HOU SKYLINE 15 ROYAL: Hou Skyline turned in a solid performance in 14 Open last year in Indy, going 7-3 and tying for ninth. However, it’s a reworked lineup, though one that should still be in the top half of Open teams. Among those returning are 3-star outside Halle Thompson and 3-star middle Lacy Tinnell, as well as L/DSs Victoria Shupe and Lauryn Wiley. Key additions are 3-star outside Nadi’ya Shelby and outside Jayden Robinson. Both are 6-1 and should add more to the attack. TOP SELECT 15 ELITE: This is one club we’ll be keeping tabs on to see if Top Select can make the leap into Open this spring. Last in 14s, Top Select finished tied for fifth in 14 Open at AAUs and captured the 14 National gold medal at JNs. That shows they were right on the cusp of breaking through, something they’ll hope

Happy New Year! Welcome to our first article of 2023. We are into January and the official start of the club season. We’ll be releasing our preseason rankings in the next couple of weeks. Until then, we’ve been testing the waters to see where teams might stack up. We’ve checked in on some 18s and 17s squads and now below we take a look at some 16s teams. We’ve highlighted a few top contenders, some teams on the rise or looking to rise and a team looking to crack Open this coming spring. ARIZONA STORM 16 THUNDER: Gold medalists two years ago in 14 Open and silver medalist last season in 15 Open, Storm remains largely intact and that points toward another go around as one of the nation’s top teams led by 5-star outside Teraya Sigler. She’s a big-hitter who can overpower defenses and leads a cast of returners that also features setter Avery Lim (2026), 3-star right side Reagan Richardson, 3-star outside Devyn Wiest and 3-star L/DS Izabella Mahaffey. Back and providing height in the middle is 4-star recruit Kenna Cogill and 3-star recruit Kiana Landers, two other stalwarts from last year’s rotation. One change comes with adding depth on the pins. Storm brought aboard 3-star recruit Alyssa Aguayo and SaMya Dorsey. It should help keep players fresher over the course of a weekend tournament. DRIVE NATION 16 RED: What a story Drive Nation was in 15 Open in Indy this past summer. After a so-so qualifying season, Drive Nation surprised mightily and rose to a bronze-medal showing with a short-handed roster. The roster has been reworked for the 2023 campaign. For one, 5-star outside Suli Davis and 5-star middle Zoe Gillen-Malveaux played up an age group on Drive Nation 16 Red last year and will remain on the 16s this season. That instantly changes the dynamic of the team, as Davis is a terminal hitter with lots of power and Gillen-Malveaux is one of the top prospects at her position in the nation. Among the newcomers to the roster ares 4-star outsides Sophia Thornburg and Alex Richter and 4-star RS/MB Taryn Morris. Richter and Thornburg add much-needed height on the pin and Morris brings physicality along the net. The team also beefed up defensively adding 3-star L/DS Blue Anderson with returning 4-star L/DS Sarah Mendoza. Mendoza joins 4-star S/RS Hannah Beauford and 3-star middle Keirstyn Carlton as the only members back from last year’s JN’s roster. TAV 16 BLACK: We stay in the state of Texas to look at another expected medal contender in TAV. Coming off a bronze in 15 Open in Indy, this group has been retooled and will look different as it gives it a go this spring. Kennedy Washington – a 4-star middle from the Class of 2024 – is among the returning players which also includes 4-star pin Sydnee Peterson, 4-star setter Hannah Pfiffner and 4-star middle Reese Jackson. Libero/DS Sophia Armstrong is the only other member back from last year’s team. Among the key additions is 3-star outside Lauryn Mack and setter Jordan Turner (2026). HOU SKYLINE 16 ROYAL: We move from the North Texas Region to the Lone Star Region to check in on Hou Skyline, which was in medal contention and finished tied for fifth in 15 Open in Indy. The core of the team returns, including 5-star outside Bailey Warren, 5-star middle Bayleigh Minor and 5-star setter Kassidy O’Brien. All are 6-0 or taller and are joined by another returner in 4-star and 6-2 middle Rebekah Pfefferkorn, as well as newcomers and 6-2 middle Carly Paugh and 6-1 outside Haley Herndon. Taylor Porter and Ella Lewis are returning players who add versatility with their ability to play on the pins or in the back row. Defensively, 4-star L/DS Morgan Madison returns, as does L/DS Megan Morello. SURFSIDE 16 PV LEGENDS: We watched the top So Cal teams in action a few weeks ago and wrote about them here. It included Surfside, as well as Coast 16-1 and Wave 16 Kevin. MI ELITE 16 MIZUNO: This bunch was a victory away from making the 15 Open quarterfinals in Indy and took home bronze in 15 Open at AAUs. While the roster will look different many of the key components are back as MI Elite looks to keep progressing upward in 2023. Part of that is 3-star outside Izzy Busignani, who is coming off a terrific high school season with Marian MI and was among our Player of the Year candidates. Joining her in returning is 3-star setter Ella Craggs, 3-star L/DS McKenna Payne, 3-star middle Jessica Costlow and 3-star right side Gabriella Babinski. MI Elite added to the middle by bringing on 6-2 Kennedi Miller, 6-1 Lauren Johnson and 6-0 Shelby Ignash. NORTHERN LIGHTS 16-1: When 15s teams finish off the season really strong, it creates intrigue for the 16s year. That’s the case with Northern Lights, which came on at the end by finishing ninth at AAUs and tied for 13th at JNs. The roster shrunk by one, with Northern Lights carrying nine players. Six were part of last year’s team, including 4-star pin hitter Mesaiya Bettis, 3-star middle Keira Schmidt, 3-star outside Ava Ball and 3-star L/DS McKenna Garr. Among the newcomers is S/OH Katherine Holthaus and 6-1 middle Carly Susser. AZ SKY 16 GOLD: Sky flew under the radar much of the season but shined during 15 Open in Indy, where the club came in tied for ninth. It was an impressive showing as Sky went 7-3. What’s in store for 2023? We are about to find out but the roster is mostly the same. Among those back are pins Laney Wilson, Georgi Stein and Gabriella Kucinski, as well as setter Tlame Dsamou and S/RS Addison France.  LEGACY 16-1 ADIDAS: We are in wait and see mode with this group. As a 15s team, Legacy finished the year winning 15 Open at AAU and tying for ninth at JNs after falling in challenge play. The

As we approach the New Year, we are beginning to get into our club coverage for the new season. Earlier in the week, we released our 18s Team Spotlights highlighting some of the top contenders in the division. Below, we highlight 17s teams, some of which are top contenders and some of which are on the rise from our perspective. MADFROG 17 GREEN: Madfrog was an incredible story last club season, rising up and capturing the 16 Open gold medal in a totally unexpected conclusion to the year. The thing is, after returning just four players from that roster, Madfrog will likely be in a position to surprise once more this summer as the team isn’t going to start among the favorites. Among those back is 4-star outside Lainee Pyles (LSU). She was named 16 Open MVP in Indy. Back with Pyles is setter Cate Hatefield, L/DS Akunna Cos-Okpalla and MB/RS Katherine Mansfield. Part of the new additions is 3-star outside Reagan Sharp. A5 17-1 JING: One of the biggest factors for this group is dealing with expectations because they are definitely high! A5 returns the core of the team which finished runner up in 16 Open this summer. There are few if any holes on roster that features 5-star outside Hannah Benjamin (Kentucky), 4-star middle Mia Hood (Michigan State) and 4-star right side Molly Kate Patten (Georgia). The deep roster also includes 4-star middle Logan Wiley (Georgia Tech), 4-star L/DS Gabriela Cornier (Florida) and outside Gracie Rose. DYNASTY 17 BLACK: Dynasty joins A5 has the standard in which other teams will judge themselves by in 17 Open this season. No team had a more consistent year than Dynasty in 16 Open and with a few minor changes one would expect that to remain the same moving up an age group. There is no better combination in the division than 5-star outsides Skyler Pierce (Nebraska) and Carlie Cisneros (Arizona) teaming up with 5-star setter Reese Messer. Dynasty also has a big, powerful arm on the right side in 5-star recruit Abigail Mullen. In the middle, there’s the combo of 5-star recruit Cy Rae Campbell (Wake Forest), 4-star recruit Jada Ingram (UNLV) and Piper Newton. Defensively, Dynasty is anchored by 4-star L/DS Ryan McAleer (Purdue) and helps round out a well-balanced lineup. TAV 17 BLACK: Another top contender is TAV, which features a game-changing addition to the roster. vballrecruiter.com’s High School Sophomore Player of the Year Cari Spears is playing up a year again – she played on Metro 16 Travel last season – and brings an immediate offensive advantage to an attack that already has 5-star outside Jadyn Livings (USC) and 5-star middle Favor Anyanwu (USC), as well as 4-star pin hitter Mikala Young (TCU). Also on the roster is 3-star middle Ashby Daniel (Alabama), 4-star middle Anna Boatner and 3-star middle Ava Shankle. Setting is 5-star Michigan commit Camille Edwards and Harper Hall. Joining Spears by playing up an age division is 4-star L/DS Gillian Pitts.   DRIVE NATION 17 RED: While the teams above are considered to be the favorites, Drive Nation falls under the category of a team expected to make a jump up the standings. But after finishing 26th in 16 Open this summer, it would be surprising not to see Drive Nation finish higher in 17 Open with the changes that were made. It’s not entirely a new team but there are enough new players that it’s essentially a brand-new team. Among those coming over to the club include 5-star MB/RS/OH Ayden Ames (Nebraska), 4-star right side Grace Carroll (Baylor), 4-star outside Lolo Lambert (Arkansas), 4-star middle Lillian Croshaw, 4-star setter Bethanie Wu (Yale) and middle Shelby Burriss. Two players who played up an age group on Drive Nation 16 Red this past season in Suli Davis and Zoe Gillen-Malveaux are not on the 17s. Both stayed on the 16s this season to play with their own age group and solidify that lineup. One key returner though is 4-star L/DS Caleigh King. CO JRS 17 KEVIN: Co Jrs could be a little up-and-down last year but still wound up finishing tied for 5th in 16 Open. With the lineup largely the same, Co Jrs should be on everyone’s radar with its talent and height on the roster, one highlighted by 5-star S/RS Izzy Starck (Penn State). She’s joined by 4-star pin hitter and 6-6 Avah Armour (Central Florida, 2023), 3-star right side and 6-5 Addie Kanouff and 4-star outside and 6-3 Paityn Chapman (Tennessee). Recent Florida commit and 3-star L/DS Ella Vogel is back as well. TRIANGLE 17 BLACK: Triangle doesn’t likely fit the description of a top contender, but the group that finished tied for 13th in 16 Open this summer could be knocking on the door. One of the biggest switches this club season involves this group and the addition of 5-star right side Ryan Hunter (2025). Hunter is a high-flying, hard-hitting banger who brings a whole new dynamic to the attack. Triangle’s attack was already in good hands with 4-star outsides Asia Thigpen (Kentucky) and Kiki Horne and 3-star setter Emily Bobbitt (Iowa State). Back along with that trio is 4-star middle Ashlyn Philpot (Illinois) and Laynie Smith (Illinois). The middle depth is filled out by newcomer Mallory Jenkins. ROCKWOOD THUNDER 17 ELITE: Rockwood finished tied for 27th in 16 Open in Indy. However, there is reason to believe the Gateway Region club can finish higher this summer in Chicago. As a 16s bunch, RT had a rough start to last season as it was knocked out of Open qualifiers twice on Day 1. RT steadily improved and was playing well toward the end of the season. That key pieces are back plus a key newcomer brings optimism for the new season. Joining this edition of the roster is 4-star pin hitter Claire Morrissey (Missouri). She played up on the 17s last year and was a big part of that team. She adds a lot of punch to the lineup that

As we turn toward the club season, we’ll start releasing our Club National Rankings in January. For now though, we want to dip our toes in the water a bit by checking in on some 18s teams from around the country to get an idea of where things may stand and where they might stack up. 1ST ALLIANCE 18 GOLD: Last season’s 17 Open gold medalists look poised to be among the nation’s best once more. Seven core players return, including 4-star libero Gigi Navarrete (Northwestern), 4-star outside Kennedy Wagner (Clemson), 4-star middle Kamryn Lee-Caracci (Georgetown) and 3-star setter Jordan Heatherly (Memphis). The squad is set to play three qualifiers – Winter Championships (Chicago), Ft. Lauderdale and MEQ (Indianapolis) – as well as Triple Crown (Kansas City) and the JVA World Challenge (Louisville). COAST 18-OZHAN: We wrote about Coast after the team’s opening weekend of SCVA play. You can read about Coast and other top So Cal teams including Wave 18 Juliana here. MN SELECT 18-1: No one denied the potential of last year’s 17s group. The question is whether MN Select could put it all together at the end? Finishing second in 17 Open and earning a silver medal answered that question. Many are back but if MN Select is to reach the podium once more it will have to do so without 5-star right side Sydney Schnichels (Minnesota). However, her future collegiate teammates in 5-star setter Stella Swenson and 4-star outside Olivia Swenson are back as the juniors continue to play up an age group. Also fitting that description is 4-star middle Kaia Caffee (Ohio State). She’s another returning player and junior playing up. Others back include 4-star L/DS Kate Thibault (Oregon) and 4-star middle Kate Simington (Clemson). Among the events on the team’s schedule are the KC MLK, Northern Lights and MEQ qualifiers, as well as Triple Crown. PREMIER NEBRASKA 18 GOLD: Premier produced high-finishing results last year wherever it played in 17 Open and returns essentially intact. The only difference on the roster is setter Reese Booth stayed on the 17s for this season. Other than that, everyone else is back as Premier starts among the favorites. Among the pieces on this year’s roster is 5-star RS/S Grace Heaney (Purdue), 5-star junior L/DS Olivia Mauch (Nebraska), 4-star pin hitter Alanna Bankston and 4-star outside Destiny Ndam-Simpson (Creighton). A5 18-MARC: A5 is likely to be motivated by the way last season concluded. After one of the strongest regular seasons among the 17s teams, A5 didn’t reach the Top 8 at AAUs and then finished 18th at JNs. There are 11 players back who will have A5 looking to finish higher in Columbus this spring. Among them is 5-star outside Jurnee Robinson (LSU), 4-star L/DS Arya Jue (Yale), setters Rebecca Watkins (James Madison) and Taylor Pecht, L/DS Mary Neal (Mississippi State) and right side Sydney Bray, as well as middles Sydney Austin, Iyanna Garvin and MIlana Thornton (Florida AM). A5 added three outsides to the mix in Abby Jones (Portland State), Brooke Crummel and Christiana Greene. LEGACY 18-1 ADIDAS: Last year’s AAU 17 Open national champions will definitely look different this go around with the absence of 5-star outside Harper Murray (Nebraska). Legacy also is playing without last year’s other starting outside in 3-star recruit Nina Horning (Cincinnati). With that, Legacy added two new outsides in Kennedy Louisell (UNC Greensboro) and Reagan Sass (Dension), as well as right side Ella Schomer (Wofford). Another change comes defensively, with Sarah Vellucci no longer on the roster. Alexis Smith (Oakland) and Kailtyn Hoffman (Ohio State) return in defensive roles, joined by newcomer Ella Shields (Stony Brook). Familiar faces also back include 4-star middle Laurece Abraham (Yale), 4-star setter Erin Kline (Mississippi State), 3-star middle Olivia Gardner (Loyola-Chicago) and outside Abby Reck (Northeastern). CIRCLE CITY 18 PURPLE: With 5-star outside Chloe Chicoine (Purdue) leading the charge last year, Circle City was a top contender. However, with no Chicoine this season it remains to be seen where Circle City will fall. Returning on the pins is Quinci Thomas (Xavier) and Ava Smith (FGCU). They are joined by newcomer Avery Hobson. The 3-star Duquesne commit was among our Senior Player of the Year Finalists. Josie Noble is another new addition on the pin, while middle Lillian Merk (Valparaiso) is the only other new player on the roster. Returning players include setter Macy Hinshaw (Santa Clara) and 3-star L/DS Molly Urban (Louisville). DRIVE NATION 18 RED: After a really strong season, finishing tied for 19th in 17 Open at JN’s wasn’t what Drive Nation was expecting a season ago. There were a few changes but a lot of key pieces return. Among them are 4-star setters in Lily Nicholson (TCU) and Callie Kieffer (Alabama), as well as 5-star middles Reese Robins (Louisville) and Leah Ford (USC). Defenders Kea Whillock and Landry McEachern also are back, as are 4-star pin hitters Samantha Hoppes (Boston College) and Halle Schroder (Boston College). One key change is on the outside with 4-star recruit Sydney Breon (UCLA) who joins Drive Nation from TAV. TAV 18 BLACK: TAV was a top contender with 5-star outside Kyndal Stowers (Baylor) in the lineup but struggled to a 25th-place finish at JN’s without her due to injury. Stowers isn’t playing club this year so TAV will have to figure it out without her but at least they have the season and talent to do it. Among those back is 4-star setter Audrey Clark (Creighton) and 3-star defenders Zoe Winford (Georgia Tech) and Mckenna Gildon (Clemson). As for hitters, there are familiar names as well which include 3-star outside Kamille Gibson (Tennessee), 3-star middle Stephanie Gutierrez (Rice) and 4-star middle Hannah Pfiffner (Oklahoma). NPJ 18 FOREFRONT: This group fits the dark horse category. NPJ did qualify for 18 Open a season ago and has a few players from that Junior Nationals roster back. It includes junior and 4-star setter Alexis Haury (Washington) and 3-star junior middle Lauryn Johnson (ASU), as well as senior outside