Premium Content

(Editor’s note: We have to release our Player of the Years differently than planned because of scheduling issues. Therefore, we are releasing our Junior and Sophomore Player of the Years on Wed. and Thu. respectively as planned. Senior POY will be released next week. Freshman is TBD.) It didn’t take long to see what type of impact Cari Spears could make for her new Prestonwood Christian team. The 6-3 outside moved back to Texas from Virginia for her sophomore year and right from the start was a difference maker. In fact, she didn’t arrive back in Texas until late on a Friday night. Prestonwood had scrimmages scheduled for Saturday and though Coach Ryan Mitchell knew she wouldn’t be playing in them, he invited Spears to come meet the team and watch from the bench. ““That was the first time I met her in person,” Mitchell said. “She’s sitting with her teammates and when the scrimmages start she’s cheering for everyone. She’s asking me questions about what we are doing. She was breaking down the game from Day 1. The first scrimmage she was matching me in intensity. She’s wired differently. She’s just special. She’s going to get a lot of accolades.” In a season-opening victory against Grapevine Spears delivered 15 kills and hit .737. The next day Prestonwood defeated both Highland Park and Prosper in five sets. Spears dropped 20 kills against each while hitting .400 and .486 respectively. This on a roster that didn’t necessarily need the offensive help. As sophomores a season ago, Jadyn Livings and Mikala Young each had over 500 kills. It’s one thing to come in and lead a new team in three of the first four contests like Spears did but a whole other level to do it on a team like this one. She finished the season with a team-high 544 kills, averaging 4.9 per set and hitting .477. It included a season-high 23 kills in the TAPPS 5A state championship match, a sweep over Bishop Lynch in which Spears hit .588. “It was a great team,” Spears said. “They were so welcoming. They made me feel right at home.” Put it all together and it makes for Spears being vballrecruiter.com’s 2022 High School Sophomore Player of the Year. Spears was among 13 finalists. The cases for others were strong and in most seasons one of them would have been enough to earn the award. Yet, this fall Spears rose above all others, starring for a Prestonwood Christian squad which proved itself as one of the top programs in the country. “She’s very deserving,” Mitchell said. “She’s a great kid. I think her physicality jumps off the page. When you first watch her you can see she’s tall, she’s athletic, she’s strong. Even if you don’t know anything about volleyball I think you can see that when she plays. “What you don’t see is the coachability and her willingness to learn. Her goal is to play in the Olympics. A lot of girls say that but rarely do they have the work ethic and attention to detail that Cari has.” Not all would handle transitioning to a new team and being an underclassman the way Spears did. It did help she was in familiar territory, having attended Prestonwood before moving to Virginia and knowing some of her teammates already. Another adjustment was learning a role that was still undefined at first but she did know she had to be prepared to play both pins. “Coming in Coach Mitchell talked about how all the pins need to play both the way we were going to run our system,” Spears said. “I was excited about getting to work on both pins. I need the work so I can be well-rounded and versatile.” While it remained to be seen where Spears would line up on the court, she was aware of the circumstances she was stepping into. After all, she was a new player on a successful team which finished runner up in the state championships last fall. Would she feel comfortable exerting her dominance or feel like she needed to take more of a secondary role? “The beginning of the season I was kind of sitting back and trying to see how the team was,” Spears said. “I was learning each player and how each player responds in different ways. They were all wanting to step into the role coach wanted them to. He really talked to me about being a leader and wanting the role to be filled. It wasn’t me thinking about being a sophomore or who’s a junior. It was me thinking about being a leader.” For Mitchell, he knew what he had with Spears from an Xs and Os standpoint. He calls Spears a “scouting nightmare” and planned on using her accordingly.  “Naturally, she’s an outside who plays six rotations, has great touch on the ball, is an above average defender and a plus passer,” Mitchell said. “She makes sense as a six-rotation outside but the great thing about her is she’s a utility belt. She’s a hybrid who brings so many mismatches on the court. As a coach, you are putting your greatest athlete in your best matchup. She hit left side, right side. She would come through the middle. There were times I would slide her in the middle just to block and create different looks. Cari understands the game. She would slide in and do her job and she loved it.” At the same time Mitchell was working with Spears on expanding her leadership abilities. While her play spoke for itself, he was wanting her to have more of a voice and vocal role too.   “It’s no easy task,” Mitchell said. “She made something that is really hard look easy. It was really neat to see that. Obviously, it helps that all the girls want to win and are high competitors who want to be on the best team possible. But, they recognize what she brings

(Editor’s note: We have to release our Player of the Years differently than planned because of scheduling issues. Therefore, we are releasing our Junior and Sophomore Player of the Years on Wed. and Thu. respectively as planned. Senior POY will be released next week. Freshman is TBD.) It wasn’t long ago in 2016 when Mother McAuley went 40-1 and finished the high school season as national champions. The lone loss that season? It came against St. Joseph’s Academy MO on Day 2 of the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament. The Macs went on to capture the Asics Challenge title – a tournament they host – and the Illinois 4A state championship to complete a memorable season. Imagine the excitement and possibilities that started building this September when the Macs captured the LIVT trophy. Not only was it the first time Mother McAuley achieved that feat, the school also remained undefeated at the time. It elevated Mother McAuley into the national championship picture once more as the chance of a perfect season was still in tack. The hope of a fairytale season didn’t last long however, as the Macs were topped by rival Marist less than two weeks later. Mother McAuley would lose twice more after that. Once to Assumption – which the Macs defeated in the final of the LIVT – and once to Barrington in tournament play. While the losses knocked Mother McAuley from the national championship picture, it was hardly a deterrent from winning the Asics Challenge once more and bringing home another 4A state championship – avenging a loss to Marist along the way. It was one of the best seasons in program history – with Mother McAuley finishing No. 9 in our final Top 50 national rankings – and at the center of it all was junior outside Ellie White. The 4-star recruit committed to Michigan as a setter but has spent her time in high school hitting. Her stats are easy to comprehend. She led her team with 542 kills, averaging 5.9 per set and hitting .348. She was also third in digs with 289, averaging 3.1 per set, and third in blocks with 103, averaging 1.1 per set. What’s harder to understand is the manner in which the 6-0 White does it. For those who were fortunate to witness White play this fall, you know the power and ferocity she attacks with. To say White was a dominating force is an understatement. It’s all reason why White is vballrecruiter.com’s 2022 High School Junior Player of the Year. “She’s a humble person,” Mother McAuley coach Jen DeJarld said. “So many people admire her and really aspire to be like her. I’m always using her as an example. Usually I use former players like Kayla Caffey or Charlie Niego as examples. It’s not often I use current players still in the program as examples. I don’t like to put Ellie on the spot but it’s hard not to give her all the accolades and praise she deserves.” White checks off all the tangibles when it comes to selecting a Player of the Year. She’s a high-caliber player who had a tremendous impact on a state championship-winning team. Even against a talented field of finalists, White stood out in clear fashion. She also possesses the intangibles that puts her in a special category. “She loves to pushed and loves to be challenged,” DeJarld said. “If I don’t hold the best player to the highest level than who am I as a coach? She has to be better than others in the gym and ‘Okay’ is all she ever says and she just goes and does it. “She’s the most humbled player and she could not be happier for other people. She takes everything in stride. She’s one of the few players who doesn’t get impacted by outside stresses and outside anxiety. It might creep in but she doesn’t really stress much. She keeps playing and stays in the moment.” “It comes natural to me,” White said. “In those tight situations where it’s point for point I don’t tighten up. I tend to take a step back and take it all in. I try to stay calm and live in the moment.” Though White played outside during the shortened spring season in 2020, she blossomed on the left during her sophomore campaign. It was challenging taking on a new role, one that not everyone would thrive in like White has. “Playing outside is a totally different position,” White said. “I was a little nervous but it was a new opportunity. It was a new way to get better. Taking on a new position gave me a different look at the game. It’s a whole different side of it. Having the versatility of playing both positions increases my court awareness. It’s super fun.” One example White said is hitting has helped her learn to read the block better when setting. Another is having a better understanding of giving her hitters better balls in the right spots. “Both ways impact each other,” White said. “I think it’s super fun. I love it. Even playing defense and serve receive is so much fun.” It’s just one more thing to marvel at. The focal point of White’s development has been on setting. It hasn’t been centered on the intricacies of playing outside. “Skill wise, she has spent so much time setting and getting extra training sessions that she never passed and trains in that,” DeJarld said. “Still, she’s an elite passer who understands angles. I think she could be a six-rotation outside on any Big Ten team.” Last season the Macs had senior Caroline Macander setting. This fall they used seniors Tess Hayes and Olivia Klapp as backrow setters. Because of that DeJarld said there was never a question of having White set. “Never do I think about her setting,” DeJarld said. “She’s an amazing outside to me. Honestly, her back row attack is probably stronger than her front row. There were

The 16 and 18s age groups began regional play as the SCVA kicked off its schedule this past weekend at Momentous in Irvine. There was a lot of what one would expect from the first outing of a long season. While it was clear the players were excited to be starting up their club season and there was lots of energy in the gym, the volleyball was a bit hit and miss as teams looked to get their footing. We’ll check in on the teams we saw in action from both age groups as well as spotlight the teams which have the best chance at qualifying from the region for Open. 18s COAST 18-Ozhan: This group features 11 returning players who captured the 17 Open bronze medal this past summer. Coast opened in fine form, going 7-0. It included downing Sunshine 18 LA in the final, as well as picking up a pair of victories over Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar and one against rival Wave 18 Juliana. Among those back is 4-star BYU recruit and outside Claire Little and 4-star UCLA recruit and middle Brooklyn Briscoe, as well as 4-star Oregon recruit and right side Noemie Glover. One of the strengths of Coast is its depth. Coast added setter Nikki Quinn and middle/right side Ryleigh Patterson. Coast has the options of running a 5-1 with either Quinn or returner Zoe Rachow or letting them run a 6-2. Patterson adds to the mix as a fourth middle or a third right side, or even someone who can fill in at outside. Catherine Schnell and Milan Bayless are also options on the left, while Bianka Lulic and Irleynd Lorenzen are the other middles. Back defensively is the strong duo of Sydney Bold and Brooklyn Yelland. This is certainly a top team in the 18s and one capable of contending for the top prize. SUNSHINE 18 LA: As a 17s team, Sunshine took 21st in 17 Open at Junior Nationals. Sunshine opened this year going 5-2, with setbacks against Long Beach and Coast and a victory over Wave. There are a lot of familiar faces with one key addition in setter Lauren Brooker. She mostly ran a 5-1 for nationally-ranked Marymount this high school season and at 6-1 gives Sunshine options it didn’t have last season. The big arms are back in 5-star Pitt recruits in Olivia Babcock and Torrey Stafford. Sunshine will look for middle Dior Charles and pins Avery Jones, Grace Thrower and Ava-Marie Lange to fill in around them. Drew Wright is also back. She moved to libero late last season and excelled. She played outside for nationally-ranked Mira Costa this fall but was back in the libero jersey this weekend anchoring the defense. WAVE 18 JULIANA: Wave was a victory away from reaching the top eight in 17 Open this past summer. It’s mostly the same group, one that went 4-2 over the weekend. Wave won its first four matches but fell to Coast and Sunshine to end the weekend. The core is back and includes 5-star Stanford recruit and outside Julia Blyashov. She’s one of three players on the roster that was part of Cathedral Catholic’s national championship run during the high school season. Coach Juliana Conn also coached Cathedral while middle Mia Compass and L/DS Katerina Lutz were also on the Dons’ roster. Back along with Blyashov are middles Eva Rohrbach and Cayla Payne, outside Lily Dwinell, right side Auburn Tomkinson, L/DS Koko Kirsch and setter Shanelle Puetz. All played key roles last spring. Blyashov missed the final four matches of the high school season with a sprained ankle but was suited up and playing. MIZUNO LONG BEACH 18 ROCKSTAR: Long Beach didn’t qualify Open as a 17s group last season. There’s optimism that’ll change this coming spring as it’s a different roster overall than a season ago. One example is outside and 4-star Oklahoma recruit Mele Corral Blagojevich. She was part of the 18s last year and was not part of the 17s until AAUs. Another key addition is outside Eva Travis. The high-flying UCSB recruit adds much-needed offense. Also new this season is setter/right side Tanon Rosenthal. She moved from Texas and was part of Mira Costa’s high school team. With returning setter Fatimah Hall part of the roster, Beach can run a 5-1 or 6-2, as both Rosenthal and Hall can hit too. The Rest: Those are the four teams with the best shot of qualifying for 18 Open. Legacy 18 Elite technically qualified for 17 Open last summer but turned down the bid and instead attended AAUs, where it won 17 Premier. However, the roster lost two key contributors in outsides Addison Benson and Kylie Tengberg. Back is S/RS Madison Maxwell and 4-star Baylor recruit and middle Victoria Davis, as well as S/RS Milani Lee. A4 Volley 18 Joaco joined Legacy and the four other clubs we mentioned – Coast, Sunshine, Long Beach and Wave – in the power division’s top six. A4 looked to qualify open last season and attended AAUs – where it finished 21st in 17 Open – after missing out. A4 went 3-3 this weekend, beating Balboa Bay 18 Blue, Seal Beach 18 Black and Legacy while falling to Coast, Wave and Sunshine. A few of the returning players include outsides Ashlyn Beebe and Paige Buzzerio, libero Makena Lim, and setter Reese Torticill. *** 16s COAST 16-LUIS: Coast turned it on at Junior Nationals last season, making the top eight in 15 Open after struggling some during the season. It’s changed the perspective on this season as Coast has gone to a bubble Open team to one expected to qualify. The group went 5-1 over the weekend. Coast beat Wave 16 Kevin but fell to Surfside 16 PV Legends on Day 2. There are lots of returning players, including outside Ava Poinsett, setter Jolyna Salas and middles Jenny Li and Savannah Simpson. Also part of the group is Stella Dillon, who joined Coast late last season after

Last week we presented our Freshman Player of the Candidates. This week, we give you our Freshman Player of the Year Finalists. The award winner is set to be announced the following week. We began with roughly 70 candidates and it should make sense that field gets much more defined as we narrowed it down to roughly about 15 finalists. Here’s what we are looking for in selecting our finalists and ultimately Player of the Year award. It contains three parts that are subjective by nature. One part measures the overall talent of a player. The next part takes into consideration the player’s overall impact on their team. The third part centers around the team’s overall success. In terms of Player of the Year finalists, it’s not impossible to make the list unless the player’s team won a state championship but it certainly helps. It’s a big country with lots of talented players and at the same time we wanted to introduce a factor that includes the team element. Winning a state title is prestigious accomplishment that is the pinnacle of every program around the country. A player’s impact on their team can be subjective but it’s a big bonus if a player led their team in their respective category – i.e. assists for setters, kills for setters or blocks for middles. It’s difficult to do as a freshman. Lastly, when it comes to a player’s overall talent, while it’s subjective as well, most can agree on who the top players are. Add all three together and these are what we are looking for in our Player of the Year winner. At last, we present our Freshman Player of the Year Finalists. Anna Flores FR MB Keller TX: Flores is a great story, as she wasn’t even on any radar when the season started. That’s because Flores’ main position is setting and with senior Taylor Polivka on the roster there didn’t seem to be much of a role for Flores. However, that changed when she was asked to fill in at middle blocker. All she did was finish second in kills with 298, averaging 2.3 per set. On top of that, she led the team in blocks! She posted a team-high 77. Now consider Keller made the 6A state semifinals and while she might not be a leading finalist she’s certainly worthy of making the cut. Aubree Deshetsky FR OH North Branch MI: The Broncos (53-7) captured Michigan’s Division 2 state championship. There’s no doubt Deshetsky played a vital role in that, as she chipped in across the board. She had 281 kills, averaging 1.8 per set. She was third in digs with 352, averaging 2.3 per set. She finished second in assists with 71; fourth in blocks with 52; and second in aces with 69. Ayanna Watson FR OH Bishop Gorman NV: Watson missed a bit of time – she played in 93 of the team’s 113 sets – but not enough to keep her from making the final cut. The 6-2 outside was a big-time factor in the Gaels reaching the 5A state semifinals. She had a big year, delivering 317 kills and averaging 3.4 per set. She also hit .387 and was third in digs with 324, averaging 3.5 per set. She was also third in blocks (64) and aces (48). Catherine Palmi FR OH Osceola FL: Palmi put together an incredible year and has to be considered among the top finalists. Her case is that strong. Osceola (26-5) reached Florida’s 7A state semifinals riding the arm of their freshman talent. Palmi was instrumental, carrying the offense with a team-high 591 kills. She averaged 5.6 per set and she hit .340. She was also second in digs with 302 and led the team in aces with 58. D’aira Whitner FR MB Gilmour Academy OH: Gilmour Academy (21-9) was the Ohio Division 2 state runner up and what a year Whitner put together for the Lancers. The freshman middle finished third in kills with 247, but was only less than 40 kills from being the leader. She averaged 2.6 per set. She made an even bigger impact on the other side of the ball. She posted a team-leading 79 blocks, averaging 0.8 per set. She was also fourth in aces with 37. Elena Hoecke FR MB Centennial MN: Hoecke – a 6-2, 3-star recruit – definitely left her mark on the season as Centennial reached Minnesota’s Class 4A state quarterfinals. She was close to be the kill leader, finishing second with 283. She averaged 3.0 kills per set and was second in hitting percentage at .296. She was even better defensively, racking up a team-high 79 blocks. If that wasn’t enough, she was also the ace leader with 62. Elena Ruble FR S St. Pius MO: The Lancers (23-5) made a run to the Missouri Class 4 state quarterfinals with a young roster that included Ruble – a 3-star recruit who moves and dishes well – running the offense. She piled up 839 assists and averaged 9.5 per set. Ella Florez FR S/RS Mill Valley KS: Florez deserves to be in the finalist conversation with the season she turned in for Mill Valley, which made the Kansas 6A state semifinals. She played a dual role for the Jaguars. She led the team in assists with 450, averaging 4.8 per set. She also carried a load on offense, chipping in with 210 kills and averaging 2.3 per set. Both were second on the team. She was also second in digs with 236 and third in blocks with 72. Her 34 aces were second on the roster, showing her contributions came in every facet. Erin Clark FR L Corona del Sol AZ: It’s rare for a freshman to play such a key role on such a successful team as Clark did for the Aztecs this fall. Corona del Sol captured Arizona’s 6A state championship. It was Clark taking a leadership role on the defensive side, as she earned the

Last week we released our Sophomore Player of the Candidates. This week, we present our Sophomore Player of the Year Finalists. The award winner is set to be announced the following week. We began with roughly 70 candidates and it should make sense that field gets much more defined as we narrowed it down to roughly about 15 finalists. Here’s what we are looking for in selecting our finalists and ultimately Player of the Year award. It contains three parts that are subjective by nature. One part measures the overall talent of a player. The next part takes into consideration the player’s overall impact on their team. The third part centers around the team’s overall success. In terms of Player of the Year finalists, it’s not impossible to make the list unless the player’s team won a state championship but it certainly helps. It’s a big country with lots of talented players and at the same time we wanted to introduce a factor that includes the team element. Winning a state title is prestigious accomplishment that is the pinnacle of every program around the country. A player’s impact on their team can be subjective. A player leading their team in their respective category – i.e. assists for setters, kills for setters or blocks for middles – is one type of impact and/or a key role they filled is another. Lastly, when it comes to a player’s overall talent, while it’s subjective as well, most can agree on who the top players are. Add all three together and these are what we are looking for. For example, Campbell Flynn of Mercy is an incredible 5-star recruit who had a tremendous impact on her team but Mercy didn’t advance far enough in our estimation for her to make the cut as a finalist. At last, we present our Sophomore Player of the Year Finalists. Cari Spears SO OH Prestonwood Christian TX: The Lions (40-1) – who only lost to Cornerstone Christian in the final of Volleypalooza and captured the TAPPS 5A state championship – without doubt proved they were one of the top teams in the country this fall. The addition of Spears – who moved back to Texas from Virginia – helped elevate Prestonwood to an elite level. The 6-3, 5-star recruit is a dynamic attacker, an instant game-changing pin with scary next-level potential and ability. On a team not lacking offense, she was the bonafide go-to hitter. She racked up a team-high 544 kills, averaging 4.9 per set while hitting a mind-blowing .477. On top of that, she was second in both blocks and aces and fourth in digs. Put it all together and Spears is among the leading finalists for POY. Charlotte Vinson SO OH Yorktown IN: What a season it was for Yorktown (34-3) and Vinson. The Tigers finished runner up in Indiana’s Class 4A state final, falling to Hamilton Southeastern in the championship. Vinson was a key piece this fall. The 6-1, 4-star recruit totaled a team-leading 466 kills. She averaged 4.3 per set, also tops on the team. She also made an impact from the service line, leading the roster with 64 aces. Given Vinson’s contributions and Yorktown’s overall season, Vinson is certainly a well-deserved finalist. Chloe Elarton SO S Valor Christian CO: The Eagles (29-0) went undefeated this fall and claimed Colorado’s 5A state championship. Elarton ran a well-balanced offense as four players finished between 253 and 165 kills. Elarton averaged 9.3 assists per set and finished the year with 784. She also chipped in with 59 aces – second on the team – and 205 digs, which was third. Ella Craggs SO S Northville MI: Though the Mustangs (47-4) finished runner up to Marian in Michigan’s Division 1 state final it was still an impressive fall. Northville was the only team to defeat Marian during the year and showed they were one of the top two teams in the state. Guiding the attack was Craggs, who tallied 1,180 assists and averaged 8.9 per set. She also averaged 2.2 digs. Though it would be somewhat of an upset for Craggs to win our POY award, she’s certainly deserving of being among the finalists and in the conversation as she had an amazing year. Izzy Busignani SO OH Marian MI: Busignani is another sophomore from Michigan in the mix for POY. She put together a great case for winning the award with a tremendous season. Marian (49-1) captured the Division 1 state title and Busignani played a key role in it. She led the team with 531 kills, averaging 4.4 per set and hitting .303. She also had 331 digs, averaging 2.7 per set. Lauren Hurst SO OH Cleveland TN: Given the year produced by Hurst, she has to be considered among the leading finalists for the award. The Blue Raiders (49-5) were the best in the state this fall, capturing Tennessee’s Division 1 3A state championship. Hurst had as big an impact as anyone. The 6-1, 4-star outside finished with a team-leading 649 kills. She averaged 4.4 per set. She was also second in digs with 354, averaging 2.4 per set. Moreover, she led the team in blocks with 61 and was second in both aces (94) and assists (73). Logan Parks SO S/RS Blue Valley North KS: Parks faces an uphill climb in the race as a finalist. She’s a rare finalist whose team didn’t make the state final. Blue Valley North finished third in the Kansas 6A state playoffs. Still, the 5-star recruit’s contributions couldn’t be overlooked as she contributed in a variety of ways. She was the go-to attacker, leading the way with 409 kills and averaging 4.8 per set. She also had 274 assists, averaging 3.2 per set. She also tied for the team lead in aces with 37 and was fourth in both digs (184) and blocks (47). Madison Quest SO OH DSHA WI: Quest – a 6-3, 4-star recruit – absolutely played her way into being a leading

Last week we released our Junior Player of the Candidates. This week, we present our Junior Player of the Year Finalists. The award winner is set to be announced the following week. We began with roughly 70 candidates and it should make sense that field gets much more defined as we narrowed it down to roughly about 15 finalists. Here’s what we are looking for in selecting our finalists and ultimately Player of the Year award. It contains three parts that are subjective by nature. One part measures the overall talent of a player. The next part takes into consideration the player’s overall impact on their team. The third part centers around the team’s overall success. In terms of Player of the Year finalists, it’s not impossible to make the list unless the player’s team won a state championship but it certainly helps. It’s a big country with lots of talented players and at the same time we wanted to introduce a factor that includes the team element. Winning a state title is prestigious accomplishment that is the pinnacle of every program around the country. A player’s impact on their team can be subjective but if a player didn’t lead their team in their respective category – i.e. assists for setters, kills for setters or blocks for middles – then it’s reasonable to suggest their contributions weren’t as impactful as someone else’s on the team. Though it’s not absolute, it certainly helps in this regard. Lastly, when it comes to a player’s overall talent, while it’s subjective as well, most can agree on who the top players are. Add all three together and these are what we are looking for. For example, despite being one of the best junior setters in the country, you won’t find Mira Costa’s Charlie Fuerbringer as a finalist. Likewise, Carlie Cisneros of Liberty North. Both are amazing players and their teams had strong seasons but they would not have won the Player of the Year award and thus didn’t make the cut as finalists. Some might view that as unfair but it’s the standard we’ve devised and we look to celebrate and highlight our junior players who did make it as a finalist. Alex Acevedo JR OH Skyview ID: The Hawks (22-5) captured Idaho’s 4A state championship that was part of challenging schedule. Included in the adventures this fall were matches against Utah’s eventual 5A runner-up Mountain View and eventual 6A state champ Lone Peak, as well as participating in the Durango Fall Classic and the Geico Invitational, where Skyview played eventual Nebraska Class A state champ Papillion-LaVista South. The Oregon commit Acevedo brought a terminal hitter to the lineup as she powered the offense by averaging 4.7 kills per set and hitting .421. Alex Bower JR S Skyview ID: Bower – a BYU commit – turned in an impressive season as well in helping Skyview achieve the success it did. Bower is a high-IQ setter with the ability to make tough sets out of position and it’s difficult envisioning the Hawks having the year they did without her. She averaged 9.3 assists per set. Amanda Saeger JR S Cathedral Catholic CA: By now everyone probably knows about the dominant season the Dons had, finishing undefeated and only losing one set all season as they finished on top of our national rankings. Saeger – a DePaul commit – was a key figure, connecting well with a variety of hitters as the Dons utilized multiple lineups within matches. When senior outside Julia Blyashov missed the state playoffs with a sprained ankle, the Dons didn’t skip a beat in part due to the adjustments made by Saeger and running a different style offense more reliant on the right side attack with Noemie Glover. Ellie White JR OH Mother McAuley IL: White is committed to Michigan as a 4-star setter but she’s an outside in high school and helped carry the Mighty Macs to an amazing season. Mother McAuley (39-3) plays in the biggest division in state plus participates in two of the most challenging tournaments in the country in the Louisville Invitational Volleyball Tournament and Asics Challenge, which the Macs host. Mother McAuley captured both tournament titles in the same season for the first time in program history, as well as took home the 4A state championship. That White was so critical to the success and played at such a high level makes her one of the leading finalists. She finished with 542 kills, averaging 5.9 per set. She also averaged 3.1 digs and 1.1 blocks per set. Jadyn Livings JR OH Prestonwood Christian TX: The Lions went 40-1 this fall, with their only loss to Cornerstone Christian in the final of Volleypalooza. The successful year included the TAPPS 5A state championship. Livings – USC commit – left her imprint to the tune of averaging 3.5 kills per set and hitting .348. She was also second in digs with 324, averaging 2.9 per set, and third in blocks with 55. Kenslee McGowan JR S Cleveland TN: The season started off remarkably well for the Blue Raiders (43-5). Despite a couple bumps along the way they still fought their way to the Tennessee Division 1 3A state championship. McGowan was certainly a key ingredient in the season’s recipe. She directed an attack that hit .281 overall on the season as she totaled 1,256 assists, averaging 8.5 per set. She was also the team leader in aces with 131 and averaged 1.8 digs per set. Kiarrah Horne JR OH Millbrook NC: Millbrook lost a mid-September match to Middle Creek and that was it as the Wildcats went 29-1 in 2022. It was capped by winning the 4A state championship. To say Horne had an impact would be a tremendous understatement. She was unstoppable, putting up a team-leading 522 kills and averaging 5.7 per set. She also hit an unbelievable .455. The 4-star recruit was also second in aces with 44, second in digs with 220 and third in

Last week we released our Senior Player of the Candidates. This week, we present our Senior Player of the Year Finalists. The award winner is set to be announced the following week. We began with roughly 120 candidates and it should make sense the field gets much more defined as we narrowed it down to under 20 finalists. Here’s what we are looking for in selecting our finalists and ultimately Player of the Year award. It contains three parts that are subjective by nature. One part measures the overall talent of a player. The next part takes into consideration the player’s overall impact on their team. The third part centers around the team’s overall success. In terms of Player of the Year finalists, it’s virtually impossible to make the list unless the player’s team won a state championship. It’s a big country with lots of talented players and at the same time we wanted to introduce a factor that includes the team element. Winning a state title is prestigious accomplishment that is the pinnacle of every program around the country. A player’s impact on their team can be subjective but if a player didn’t lead their team in their respective category – i.e. assists for setters, kills for setters or blocks for middles – then it’s reasonable to suggest their contributions weren’t as impactful as someone else’s on the team. Lastly, when it comes to a player’s overall talent, while it’s subjective as well, most can agree on who the top players are. Add all three together and these are what we are looking for. For example, let’s look at Chloe Chicoine from McCutcheon. No one is questioning Chicoine as a player. She’s a clear-cut 5-star recruit heading to Purdue. Her talent and her impact on the team was enough to get her on our candidates list. However, that McCutcheon lost in the quarterfinals of the Indiana state playoffs is the reason she’s not listed as a finalist. Some might argue she should still be considered as a finalist because she’s that good. While that is understood, we know based on our metrics she would not win our Player of the Year award so we truly tried to limit our finalists to players who could actually win the award. It’s also the reason you won’t see a player like Harper Murray (Skyline MI) or Jordyn Harvey (Bountiful UT) on the list. They are two more top-tier, 5-star recruits who were candidates but not finalists. Finally, we introduce our 2022 High School Senior of the Year Finalists (in alphabetical order). Ava Sarafa SR S Marian MI: The 4-star Kentucky signee was a huge reason Marian was part of the national championship conversation when the season kicked off. The Mustangs certainly had the ingredients for a spectacular season, one in which Marian came up one victory shy of going undefeated as they finished 49-1 after capturing the Michigan Division 1 state championship. Sarafa is a deceptive setter with the ability to dish from pin-to-pin effortlessly and she racked up 1,359 assists on the year, averaging 11.0 per set. With Marian finishing No. 5 in our final Top 50 national rankings, Sarafa is a clear-cut finalist who has definite case for winning Player of the Year, as she’s a fantastic player who had a tremendous impact on a really successful team. Avery Hobson SR OH Hamilton Southeastern IN: Much like Marian, the Royals were among the early-season contenders for the national championship as they boasted a talented roster that included Hobson, a 3-star Duquesne recruit. HSE had a successful season, going 34-1 and claiming the Indiana Class 4A state championship. The Royals avenged their only loss of the year by beating McCutcheon in the quarterfinals. Hobson left her mark to the tune of a team-high 446 kills, averaging 4.1 per set. She was also second in hitting percentage at .349 and second in digs with 278. No question Hobson’s contributions combined with overall success has her in the running for Player of the Year. Betsy Goodenow SR RS Aquinas KS: The Kansas 5A state champs went 40-3 overall. The Saints lost twice to 6A champs Washburn Rural and once to Liberty North MO. They also own victories over Missouri Class 5 champ Lafayette and Nebraska Class B champ Skutt Catholic. Goodenow – a Yale commit – was an impactful presence, leading the team in kills (386) and kills per set (3.7), as well as finishing second in hitting percentage at .352 and third in blocks. Brook Bultema SR MB Ursuline Academy OH: The 5-star Kentucky commit without a doubt left her mark on the Lions’ season. It was a successful one as Ursuline (25-3) captured the Ohio Division 1 state championship. Bultema was a force both offensively and defensively. She powered the offense with a team-high 376 kills, averaging 4.2 per set. On the other side, Bultema led the roster with 107 blocks, averaging 1.2 per set. Given Ursuline’s overall season and Bultema’s contributions, she’s a well-deserved finalist. Brooklyn DeLeye SR OH Washburn Rural KS: What a dominant season for the Blues, who took home the Kansas 6A state championship and finishing the season 45-1. The lone setback came against eventual 5A runner-up St. James Academy in the second match of the season. It was also the most victories in program history. DeLeye – another 4-star Kentucky commit – was a big-time outside who gave the Blues a reliable and consistent scoring threat. Caroline Jurevicius SR OH Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin OH: Jurevicius is in a different position than our other finalists so far in that her team was not nationally ranked. However, the Lions did capture the Ohio Division 2 state championship and we all know the caliber of player the 5-star Nebraska commit is. Though she’s not one of the favorites, she still qualified as a finalist because of a state title and dominant year, one in which she recorded 445 kills and averaged 4.9 per set while hitting .360. She

The vballrecruiter.com team spent the weekend in the Dallas area hosting the Elite ID Camp at the Fieldhouse Volleyball Club in Northlake, Texas. Friday night’s event presented an opportunity for athletes from 14-18s to be evaluated by their individual skills and to be considered for vballrecruiter.com’s National Player Rankings, watchlists, Player of the Week program, be featured on our social media accounts and have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with Vballrecruiter. Participants also received next generation recruiting tips on how to utilize social media in their recruiting process to increase visibility and exposure. Credit to all the athletes involved. They definitely brought high energy as they went through the on-court drills and play. Below is the list of participants who caught our attention the most. Emily Capangpangan FR S Arete 15 Navy Ethos: Capangpangan has nice hands and runs tempo sets well. She’s young with potential and one to keep an eye on as she moves up age groups. Cadie Cantu SO OH 512 16U Orange: Cantu – at 6-1 – was a standout attacker. She has a good arm and can generate pace. Brooklyn Bailey FR MB/RS TAV 15 Black: A 3-star recruit, Bailey is a bit undersized at middle but has long arms and a ton of speed moving laterally. Additionally, she jumps and hits well in the middle. Trinity Richey SO S Madfrog 16 Black: Richey is a fiery competitor. It’s easy to see she competes hard on the court with lots of upside. Madison Scrivner JR S/RS Fieldhouse 17 Ikaika-Annette: A developing setter with upside, Scrivner works hard and gets after it on the court. Ryea Jackson FR MB Drive Nation 15 Red: Jackson showed she is a presence in the middle with her strong blocking due to great timing and reading. Kimaya Webb JR MB Tejas 17 Black: Webb was one of the top 2024s in attendance. She moves well laterally and was solid on the attack. Delaney Galligan SO OH Excel 16N White: Galligan was terminating solidly and showed a wide variety of shots attacking. Kareena Natarajan FR S/RS Drive Nation 15 Red: A rising talent, Natarajan is an athletic setter with a soft touch. She moves well around the court and sets in a consistent window for her hitters. Bella Ocampo SO OH Skyline 16 Royal: A 4-star recruit, Ocampo is an all-around baller. She showed great ball control and swings well from anywhere on the court. Makayla Thomas FR MB Fieldhouse 15 Ikaika Emily: Thomas is still a bit raw but showed good amount of upside with her play. She’ll continue to develop and improve with time and is one to keep an eye on down the road. Katelyn Pritchard FR S/RS Texas Fierce 15U: Pritchard is young and because of that she’s one to watch as she continues developing and improving. She delivers a very solid set for her age. Reagan Hamm JR S/RS Drive Nation 17 Black: Hamm displayed a nice setting touch and ran her side of the court very well. Zaria Jones JR OH Drive Nation 17 Black: Jones was definitely one of the best pin hitters as she showed off her arm. Madison Victoriano FR S Skyline 15 Royal: Victoriano is another who needs a bit of time but you can see the potential. Based on her skill set she could develop into a really sound setter. Chloe Blue JR OH/RS Fieldhouse 17 Ikaika-Annette: Blue has the pieces to be developed and could improve in a hurry. Lexi Anderson FR OH Drive Nation 15 Red: A 3-star recruit, Anderson has a big wingspan when swinging from the pins. Brooke Lacewell FR OH/RS Drive Nation 15 Red: Lacewell was another one who made her presence known. She blocked and swung with ferocity. Sloane Paugh SO OH Alamo 15 Premier: Paugh was one of the better attackers and showed her skill set hitting on the pin. Sifa Olang JR MB Fieldhouse 17 Ikaika-Annette: Olang is another junior in attendance who showed upside and whose skill set could be developed. Lauren Scheiden FR L/DS Drive Nation 15 Red: Scheiden – a 3-star recruit – is a scrappy and quick libero. She seemingly touches everything. Katelyn Vo FR L/DS Madfrog 15 Green: Vo was another standout defender. She showed sound ability to hold down the backcourt and make plays. Karsyn Rogers 8th S Drive Nation 14 Red: Rogers is an athletic setter who connected well with all her hitters. She had no problem moving the ball both directions at any time. Kiana Babaei SO S TAV 16 Platinum: A 6-2 setter, Babaei is a smooth disher and is deceptive with her delivery. Olivia Branum FR S OP2 15-1: Branum showed great hands setting. She also doubles as a strong hitter on the pin. Adyson DeJesus JR L/DS Fieldhouse 17 Ikaika-Annette: DeJesus had great composure and was making plays all evening long. She was a very smooth in the backcourt. Laven Blumoff 8th L/DS Austin Skyline 14 Royal: Blumoff is a lights-out defender who commands the backrow and has great ball control skills. Gentry Barker 8th OH TAV 14 Black: Barker is an all-around athlete who attacks incredibly well along with making some great plays in the backcourt. On top of that, she’s an explosive hitter. Britton Finley SO OH Madfrog 16 Green: Finley is another attack with good size who hits with authority on the pins. Tori Garrett SO OH Skyline 16 Royal: Add Garrett to the all-around player category. She is a sound hitter who is reliable and consistent scorer with a good arm. Katie Rakoski SO RS/OH TAV 16 Platinum: Rakoski is a lefty who brings the heat in the front row and is capable of putting up a big block.