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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.

We began naming our High School Player of the Year this week. You can find the list of seniors, juniors and sophomores by clicking the links. The freshmen our below. First, let’s take a look at the process and what you can expect. The next step after announcing our candidates is to narrow the list to our Player of the Year finalists, beginning next week in which we’ll have more depth on each player and why they are a finalist. From there, we will name and award the Player of the Year for each class. I’ve been handing out awards in some capacity for nearly 20 years. There is always a cutoff point and therefore there is always excitement and disappointment depending which side of that cutoff a player was on. This is a relative selective list that is of course subjective. There’s no way to make a list like this all-inclusive and we acknowledge that in a country as large as ours there are so many talented players who fly under the radar and may never receive press. At the same time, we set forth to honor those we feel qualify for Player of the Year candidates. Again, making a list like this is subjective. Here’s what we are ultimately looking for in our Player of the Year winners. It involves looking at three parts – the athlete, their impact on their team and the team’s overall success. In terms of team success, it’s relative but we are looking for a deep run in the state playoffs. Take Highland Park of Texas for example. The Scots had a tremendous regular season – including beating eventual 6A champion Dripping Springs in the finale – but was upset by Guyer in the regional quarterfinals. That meant Highland Park didn’t make a deep run in the state playoffs and as a result a player like senior outside Sydney Breon – who could have been a Player of the Year candidate – is not featured. As for the impact an athlete had on their team, for a top player like Chloe Chicoine of McCutcheon (Indiana) is quite obvious. She had an enormous impact and it’s just as obvious the Mavericks would not have had the season they did without her. This holds true of all the top talented players like Chicoine. It’s much different to gauge with someone like Kyndal Stowers of Guyer. She missed more than half the season but clearly her presence made a difference in the upset of Highland Park. Still, Stowers played less than half her team’s sets this fall and therefore she also wasn’t featured. Then there’s the matter of the player, which we gave a few examples of above. Both Chicoine and Stowers are top-tier, 5-star players and that alone would have them in consideration. But add the other two factors and you can see how a player like Chicoine is on the list and Stowers is not. An example specific to the junior class is with 5-star Nebraska recruit Skyler Pierce. We all know her amazing talents but Olathe Northwest did not make the final eight of the state playoffs for Kansas and thus she is not part of the Player of the Year Candidates for her class. The same goes for Pierce’s club teammate Abigail Mullen of Liberty in the sophomore class. Despite her amazing talents her team also didn’t advance far enough to make the cut. Finally, we present our Freshmen Player of the Year Candidates. Addison West FR OH Skutt Catholic NE Amira Bailey FR MB Bowling Green KY Anna Flores FR OH Keller TX Aubree Deshetsky FR S/OH North Branch MI Ayanna Watson FR OH Bishop Gorman NV Bellamie Beus FR OH Skyview ID Bennett Raterman FR MB St. Pius X MO Cali Foster FR OH Benton Central IN Catherine Palmi FR OH Osceola FL D’aira Whitner FR MB Gilmour Academy OH *** Elena Hoecke FR MB Centennial MN Elena Ruble FR S St. Pius MO Ella Florez FR S/OH Mill Valley KS Ella Grimes FR OH Ursuline Academy OH Ella Warrick FR OH Linton-Stockton IN Erin Clark FR L Corona del Sol AZ Finley Krystkowiak FR OH Torrey Pines CA Gabby Divita FR OH Grosse Pointe South MI Gabi Zacharisen FR OH Harrisburg SD Genevieve Harris FR S Cardinal Gibbons NC *** Haley Robinson FR OH Bayside Academy AL Halle Dolliver FR OH Malcolm NE Henley Anderson FR OH Dripping Springs TX Jenness Orcutt FR RS Hagerty FL Jordyn Gray FR OH Cox Mill NC Kalyssa Taggart FR S/RS Lambert GA Kendal Roberson FR MB Brentwood Christian TX Keoni Williams FR MB Boswell TX Kinnady Boothe FR OH East Forsyth NC Kylie Kleckner Fr OH Bryon Nelson TX *** Laura Eichert FR OH Lake Stevens WA Liv Hosford FR MB Rockford MI Madi Crowe FR OH Lewis Palmer CO Mikayla Haner FR Hamilton AZ Myah Favre FR MB Our Lady Academy MS Paisley Pavliska FR OH Floresville TX Sarah Wood FR OH Garnet Valley PA Vivian Hickman FR OH Xavier Prep AZ

Next up in are holiday season awards release is our Sophomore Player of the Year Candidates! Over the next few weeks we’ll be selecting and naming our Player of the Year for the senior, junior, sophomore and freshman classes. First, let’s take a look at the process and what you can expect. We begin this week by naming our Player of the Year candidates, starting with the senior class Tuesday, juniors Wednesday, sophomores Thursday and freshmen Friday. The next step after announcing our candidates is to narrow the list to our Player of the Year finalists, beginning next week in which we’ll have more depth on each player and why they are a finalist. From there, we will name and award the Player of the Year for each class. I’ve been handing out awards in some capacity for nearly 20 years. There is always a cutoff point and therefore there is always excitement and disappointment depending which side of that cutoff a player was on. This is a relative selective list that is of course subjective. There’s no way to make a list like this all-inclusive and we acknowledge that in a country as large as ours there are so many talented players who fly under the radar and may never receive press. At the same time, we set forth to honor those we feel qualify for Player of the Year candidates. Again, making a list like this is subjective. Here’s what we are ultimately looking for in our Player of the Year winners. It involves looking at three parts – the athlete, their impact on their team and the team’s overall success. In terms of team success, it’s relative but we are looking for a deep run in the state playoffs. Take Highland Park of Texas for example. The Scots had a tremendous regular season – including beating eventual 6A champion Dripping Springs in the finale – but was upset by Guyer in the regional quarterfinals. That meant Highland Park didn’t make a deep run in the state playoffs and as a result a player like senior outside Sydney Breon – who could have been a Player of the Year candidate – is not featured. As for the impact an athlete had on their team, for a top player like Chloe Chicoine of McCutcheon (Indiana) is quite obvious. She had an enormous impact and it’s just as obvious the Mavericks would not have had the season they did without her. This holds true of all the top talented players like Chicoine. It’s much different to gauge with someone like Kyndal Stowers of Guyer. She missed more than half the season but clearly her presence made a difference in the upset of Highland Park. Still, Stowers played less than half her team’s sets this fall and therefore she also wasn’t featured. Then there’s the matter of the player, which we gave a few examples of above. Both Chicoine and Stowers are top-tier, 5-star players and that alone would have them in consideration. But add the other two factors and you can see how a player like Chicoine is on the list and Stowers is not. An example specific to the junior class is with 5-star Nebraska recruit Skyler Pierce. We all know her amazing talents but Olathe Northwest did not make the final eight of the state playoffs for Kansas and thus she is not part of the Player of the Year Candidates for her class. The same goes for Pierce’s club teammate Abigail Mullen of Liberty. Despite her amazing talents her team also didn’t advance far enough to make the cut below for sophomores. Finally, we present our Sophomore Player of the Year Candidates. Abigail Li SO S Walton GA Ada McCoy SO OH Musselman WV Addy Horner SO MB St. Francis IL Addy Tindall SO OH Homestead IN Alani Taliloa SO OH Mt. Rainier WA Alivia Eikenberg SO OH Rock Canyon CO Alyssa Aguayo SO OH Corona del Sol AZ Anna Jelenik SO OH Norris NE Anya Schmidt SO S/RS Rogers MN Ashlyn Tafoya SO S Thompson Valley CO *** Asta Hildebrand SO S Iowa City Liberty IO Ava Poinsett SO OH Francis Parker CA Avery Gibbs SO OH Thompson Valley CO Bailey Warren SO OH Fulshear TX Bayleigh Minor SO MB Fort Bend Christian TX BreAnna McMillan SO S/RS Millbrook NC Campbell Flynn SO S Mercy MI Cari Spears SO OH Prestonwood Christian TX Carly Fonda SO S Floyd Central IN Cassie Jenema SO S Cadillac MI *** Charlotte Vinson SO OH Yorktown IN Chloe Elarton SO S Valor Christian CO Claire Payne SO MB NorthWood IN Elena Fischer SO OH Branson CA Ella Craggs SO S Northville MI Ella Lewis SO OH The Woodlands TX Elle Heckenlively SO MB Gretna NE Evan Polsgrove SO OH Brookland AR Haedyn Crumbley SO OH Morgan County GA Hannah Leftridge SO OH St. Pius X MO Izzy Busignani SO OH Marian MI *** Jackie Carle SO S Jesuit OR Jaeden Pratt SO MB Ankeny Centennial IO Jaidyn Jager SO OH La Costa Canyon CA Josephine Hensley SO S Clearwater Central Catholic FL Kaci Demaria SO OH Palos Verdes CA Karyna Werley SO S La Cueva NM Kassidy O’Brien SO S Cinco Ranch TX Kennedy Vaugh SO OH Bob Jones AL Keri Leimbach SO L Lincoln Lutheran NE Kirra Musgrove SO S/RS Lutheran South Academy TX *** Lauren Hurst SO OH Cleveland TN Lauren Lopez SO OH Bishop Miege KS Libby Fandel SO OH Xavier IO Logan Parks SO S/RS Blue Valley North KS Lydia Pitts SO MB Southside AR Madison Quest SO OH DSHA WI Maggie Dostic SO OH Plant FL Maria Nix SO OH Cannon NC Marie Laurio SO OH Saline MI Marlie Davis SO OH Gilmour Academy OH *** Maya Witherspoon SO OH Lafayette MO Megan Fitch SO OH Cornerstone Christian TX Misty Kate Smith SO OH Baysida Academy AL Navea Gauthier SO OH Shelby MI Raegan Durbin SO OH Western Boone IN Reese Messer SO S

We are in holiday season which also means we are in award season for our national players of the year. Over the next few weeks we’ll be selecting and naming our Player of the Year for the senior, junior, sophomore and freshman classes. First, let’s take a look at the process and what you can expect. We begin this week by naming our Player of the Year candidates, starting with the senior class Tuesday, juniors Wednesday, sophomore Thursday and freshmen Friday. The next step after announcing our candidates is to narrow the list to our Player of the Year finalists, beginning next week in which we’ll have more depth on each player and why they are a finalist. From there, we will name and award the Player of the Year for each class. I’ve been handing out awards in some capacity for nearly 20 years. There is always a cutoff point and therefore there is always excitement and disappointment depending which side of that cutoff a player was on. This is a relative selective list that is of course subjective. There’s no way to make a list like this all-inclusive and we acknowledge that in a country as large as ours there are so many talented players who fly under the radar and may never receive press. At the same time, we set forth to honor those we feel qualify for Player of the Year candidates. Again, making a list like this is subjective. Here’s what we are ultimately looking for in our Player of the Year winners. It involves looking at three parts – the athlete, their impact on their team and the team’s overall success. In terms of team success, it’s relative but we are looking for a deep run in the state playoffs. Take Highland Park of Texas for example. The Scots had a tremendous regular season – including beating eventual 6A champion Dripping Springs in the finale – but was upset by Guyer in the regional quarterfinals. That meant Highland Park didn’t make a deep run in the state playoffs and as a result a player like senior outside Sydney Breon – who could have been a Player of the Year candidate – is not featured. As for the impact an athlete had on their team, for a top player like Chloe Chicoine of McCutcheon (Indiana) is quite obvious. She had an enormous impact and it’s just as obvious the Mavericks would not have had the season they did without her. This holds true of all the top talented players like Chicoine. It’s much different to gauge with someone like Kyndal Stowers of Guyer. She missed more than half the season but clearly her presence made a difference in the upset of Highland Park. Still, Stowers played less than half her team’s sets this fall and therefore she also wasn’t featured. Then there’s the matter of the player, which we gave a few examples of above. Both Chicoine and Stowers are top-tier, 5-star players and that alone would have them in consideration. But add the other two factors and you can see how a player like Chicoine is on the list and Stowers is not. An example specific to the junior class is with 5-star Nebraska recruit Skyler Pierce. We all know her amazing talents but Olathe Northwest did not make the final eight of the state playoffs for Kansas and thus she is not part of the Player of the Year Candidates below. Finally, we present our Junior Player of the Year Candidates. Abigail Paulson JR OH Coronado NV Addie Waller JR S Rock Canyon CO Alayna Pierce JR OH Genoa-Kingston IL Alex Acevedo JR OH Skyview ID Alex Bower JR S Skyview ID Allie Shondell JR S McCutcheon IN Aly Cox JR OH Timberline ID Alyssa Nelson JR S Lafayette MO Amanda Saeger JR S Cathedral Catholic CA Aubrey Goodere JR MB Estrella Foothills AZ *** Aubrey Hatch JR OH Colgan VA Avery Scoggins JR S Middle Creek NC Bella Faria JR OH Kickapoo MO Carlie Cisneros JR OH Liberty North MO Carly O’Brien JR OH Dorman SC Charlie Fuerbringer JR S Mira Costa CA Charlotte Moriarty JR OH Assumption KY Clara Gyomory JR OH North Branch MI Delaney Bub JR OH Eagle ID Delaney Gash JR OH Dunbar KY *** Delaney Lawson JR OH Bellmont IN Ella Demetrician JR OH Appleton North WI Ellie White JR OH Mother McAuley IL Emerson Deferme JR OH Grandview CO Emily Pruitt JR OH Sunrise Mountain AZ Emma Levingston JR OH Brandon MS Evan Hendrix JR OH Notre Dame Prep AZ Fallon Stewart JR OH Winter Park FL Grace Agolli JR S/OH Pace Academy GA *** Hannah Parant JR S Mountain Brook AL Izzy Starck JR S/RS Rampart CO Izzy Swiercz JR OH Hudsonville MI Jadyn Livings JR OH Prestonwood Christian TX Jordan Smart JR S Reagan NC Jordan Vander Veen JR OH Ripon Christian CA Julia Bohlinger JR OH Windsor CO Kate Schneeberg JR S Bishop Kelley OK Kayla Robertson JR OH St. Dominic MO Kenslee McGowan JR S Cleveland TN *** Kiarrah Horne JR OH Millbrook NC Kiera Brady JR OH Chaminade CA Kiley Gennerman JR OH Lewis Palmer CO Kinnari Atluru JR OH University CA Lauren Harden JR OH HSE IN Lauren Medeck JR OH Papillion-LaVista South NE Lauren Salata JR OH Nazareth Academy IL Leilia Toailoa JR OH Bishop Gorman NV Lilly Wagner JR S Oconomowoc WI Livi Schneider JR OH Snowflake AZ *** Logan Tusher JR S Branson CA Maela Honma JR OH Kamehameha/Hawaii HI Malayah Long JR S Lincoln Southwest NE Mamie Fromdahl JR S McGill-Toolen AL Maren Johnson JR OH Jenks OK Mayte Camacho JR L Hagerty FL Mia Tvrdy JR MB Papillion-LaVista NE Molly Kate Patten JR MB Lambert GA Morgan Glaser JR OH Papillion-LaVista NE Natalie Depaula JR OH Boca Raton FL *** Olivia Mauch JR L Bennington NE Paisley Douglas JR L Skutt Catholic NE Payton Petersen JR OH Dike-New Hartford IO Rachel VanGorp JR OH

vballrecruiter.com’s first season of high school coverage had us witnessing a dominant run by Cathedral Catholic of California, which dropped just one set in going undefeated and landing in the top spot of our final National HS Top 50 Rankings. It doesn’t get any easier or more straight-forward when it comes to anointing the mythical national champion than it did with Cathedral Catholic this fall. If only our postseason awards were as easy! We are in holiday season which also means we are in award season for our national players of the year. Over the next few weeks we’ll be selecting and naming our Player of the Year for the senior, junior, sophomore and freshman classes. First, let’s take a look at the process and what you can expect. We begin this week by naming our Player of the Year candidates, starting with the senior class Tuesday, juniors Wednesday, sophomores Thursday and freshmen Friday. The list is senior-heavy, as seniors typically are the ones leading their respective teams. For example, we have roughly 120 seniors listed below compared to roughly 40 freshmen who will be named. The next step after announcing our candidates is to narrow the list to our Player of the Year finalists, beginning next week in which we’ll have more depth on each player and why they are a finalist. From there, we will name and award the Player of the Year for each class. I’ve been handing out awards in some capacity for nearly 20 years. There is always a cutoff point and therefore there is always excitement and disappointment depending which side of that cutoff a player is on. This is a relative selective list that is of course subjective. There’s no way to make a list like this all-inclusive and we acknowledge that in a country as large as ours there are so many talented players who fly under the radar and may never receive press. At the same time, we set forth to honor those we feel qualify for Player of the Year candidates. Again, making a list like this is subjective. Here’s what we are ultimately looking for in our Player of the Year winners. It involves looking at three parts – the athlete, their impact on their team and the team’s overall success. In terms of team success, it’s relative but we are looking for a deep run in the state playoffs. Take Highland Park of Texas for example. The Scots had a tremendous regular season – including beating eventual 6A champion Dripping Springs in the finale – but was upset by Guyer in the regional quarterfinals. By our definition that meant Highland Park didn’t make a deep enough run and as a result a player like senior outside Sydney Breon – who could have been a Player of the Year candidate – is not featured. As for the impact an athlete had on their team, for a top player like Chloe Chicoine of McCutcheon (Indiana) it is quite obvious. She had an enormous impact and it’s just as obvious the Mavericks would not have had the season they did without her. This holds true of most all the top talented players like Chicoine. It’s much different to gauge with someone like Kyndal Stowers of Guyer. She missed more than half the season with injury but clearly her presence made a difference in the upset of Highland Park. Still, Stowers played less than half her team’s sets this fall and therefore she also won’t be featured below. Then there’s the matter of the player, which we gave a few examples of above. Both Chicoine and Stowers are top-tier, 5-star players and that alone would have them in consideration if we looked at nothing else. But add the other two factors and you can see how a player like Chicoine is on the list and Stowers is not. The list, however, is not reserved just for players of that caliber. We took into consideration lower divisions and levels as well. Finally, we present our Senior Player of the Year Candidates. Aaliyah Mitchell SR OH Sun Valley NC Abby Reck SR OH Northville MI Abby Wachal SR OH Lincoln Lutheran NE Abigail Lagemann SR OH Benton AR Addison Hurst SR OH Cleveland TN Alanna Bankston SR OH Millard West NE Alexa Gobel SR OH Lincoln Southwest NE Alexis Massey SR S/RS Las Cruces NM Allie Hazelwood SR S Madison Central MS Ally Cavanaugh SR OH Bishop Kenny FL *** Amaya Hall SR S Sun Valley NC Amber Keen SR MB Reno NV Anna Claire Froehlich SR OH St. Thomas More LA Anna Grace Sparks SR OH McGill-Toolen AL Ashley Reynolds SR S Venice FL Ashley Sturzoiu SR OH Buford GA Ava Blascziek SR S Lakeville North MN Ava Hoying SR OH Bishop Watterson OH Ava Jackson SR OH Dunbar KY Ava Sarafa SR S Marian MI *** Avah Armour SR OH Rampart CO Avery Burks SR OH Perry AZ Avery Hobson SR OH HSE IN Avery Van Hook SR S Marion IO Betsy Goodenow SR RS Aquinas KS Bre Mahoney SR OH Aiken SC Brielle Kemavor SR MB Colgan VA Brooke Bultema SR MB Ursuline Academy OH Brooke Green SR MB Clearwater Central Catholic FL Brooke Rockwell SR OH Fayetteville AR *** Brooke Stephens SR OH Hagerty FL Brooklyn DeLeye SR OH Washburn Rural KS Caitlyn Little SR OH Lafayette MO Calli Tanielu SR OH Westminster Christian AL Camryn Chatellier SR OH Dominican LA Camryn Wise SR OH Wapahani IN Caroline Jurevicius SR OH Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin OH Cassidy Hartman SR OH Iowa City Liberty IO Chloe Chicoine SR OH McCutcheon IN Cindy Tchouangwa SR OH Tompkins TX *** Claire Dewine SR S/RS The Woodlands TX Claire Little SR OH Vista Murrieta CA Destiny Ndam-Simpson SR OH Omaha Westside NE Drew Wright SR OH Mira Costa CA Ella Sanders SR OH La Cueva NM Ella Swindle SR S Rock Bridge MO Ellie Schneider SR MB Metairie Park Country Day LA Elsa Snipes

With Cathedral Catholic finishing off its undefeated season and winning vballrecruiter.com’s mythical national championship in the process, the San Diego school was the overwhelming highlight this past weekend at the California state championships at Santiago Canyon College in Orange. While Cathedral Catholic captured the Open Division title, five more were awarded as well between Divisions 1-5. Here are those results:   Below, we highlight the Show Stoppers from the weekend. SHOW STOPPERS Noemie Glover SR RS Cathedral Catholic – The high-flying, hard-hitting antics delivered by Glover in the Open Division is the pure definition of being a show stopper. She drilled 13 kills on 20 swing and hit .550 and provided a huge spark with her authoritative hitting. Jenna Hanes JR MB Cathedral Catholic – Hanes recorded a team-high 14 kills on 27 swings, hitting .370. She also had three of the team’s nine blocks. With Hanes on like she was, it forced the St. Francis blockers to stay home and not cheat toward the pin. Milan Bayless SR OH Cathedral Catholic – Cathedral Catholic coach Juliana Conn called Bayless the most improved player on the team. With star outside Julia Blyashov sidelined with an ankle injury, Bayless took fearless swings as she more than filled her role. She wound up with nine kills on 22 swings, hitting .318. Amanda Saeger JR S Cathedral Catholic – For Cathedral Catholic to get 60 swings from its middles and right side shows how well the offense was clicking, starting with the first ball. Saeger took it from there, spreading the ball around and putting her hitters in favorable spots. She did a fine job running the offense, posting 36 assists. Maya Evens SO L Cathedral Catholic – The defensive play was high in the Open Division final, with Evens doing her thing for the Dons. She was the only teammate in double-digit digs with 16 as she passed and defended marvelously. Havannah Hoeft SR S St. Francis – Hoeft has a smooth release and seldom misses her mark. She had the St. Francis offense going but the Dons’ defense was up for the challenge. Hoeft put up 30 assists and 13 digs. Whitney Wallace JR L St. Francis – Lancers coach Lake Merchen called Wallace “a force” for her effort against Cathedral. She tied Evens with a match-high 16 digs. She often kept rallies going and did a good job covering at the net.   Keira Brady JR OH Chaminade – There’s no doubt the Eagles were riding the arm of Brady, who powered down 21 of the team’s 47 kills. Brady took 54 swings and also had four aces. Whenever Chaminade needed a point to stay close or keep a slim lead, it was Brady coming through. Kristin Alvandian SR L Chaminade – It was difficult to get a ball down on Alvandian. She gave Chaminade the defensive edge it needed, racking up a match-high 17 digs while also passing consistently well out of serve receive. Kyra Miller SR S Clovis North – Miller – who had 39 assists – did a great job of distributing the ball evenly. Five hitters took between 19-28 swings each, so the balance was excellent. Miller was especially efficient connecting with the middles and right side. Cayla Sutton SO RS Clovis North – Sutton was unstoppable. She damaged Chaminade to the tune of eight kills on 19 swings while hitting .368. The lefty definitely provided a key piece of offense. Kennedy Lingenfelter SO MB Clovis North – Another sophomore who had a terrific performance, Lingenfelter tied for a team-high 10 kills on 22 swings and hitting .364. Peyton Bitter SR OH Clovis North – Bitter’s was a steadying presence as she carried a big load on offense. She took a team-high 28 swings and finished tied for the team lead with 10 kills. She also had nine digs and two aces. Sophia Wolfson JR MB Buckley – An athletic middle, Wolfson was part of a strong offensive effort even though Buckley came up a couple points short in the fifth. She was one of three teammates to reach double-digit kills. She had 11 and hit .320. Tate Drageset SO OH Buckley – Drageset was a busy body as she took 60 of her team’s 124 attempts. She recorded 23 kills, hitting .283 to go with 10 digs and three aces. Though a bit undersized, Drageset is springy and gets off the ground quickly and routinely punished Archie Williams down the line. Adonia Anene JR OH Buckley – Anene showed her skills, registering 11 kills and hitting .333. She was also a big part of serve receive and her steady passing helped keep the attack clicking. Charlotte Reff JR S Buckley – Running the show was Reff, who did a great job giving her hitters looks and keeping the offense in rhythm. She finished with 42 assists. Elsa Snipes SR OH Archie Williams – Snipes’ double-double of 25 kills and 12 digs was a key piece of the team’s success. She took a team-high 55 swings and hit .291. Her ability to find the open spot on the floor or tool the block caused fits for Buckley. Reese Fraser JR S Archie Williams – Fraser – who had 48 assists – had the Falcons going. For the match, Archie Williams hit .341. It included Fraser getting involved herself, as she had nine kills. Another part of her performance included Archie Williams hitting .606 in the second set. It was a great display of offense from Fraser and teammates. Lindsey Jones JR OH Archie Williams – Like everyone else, Jones was efficient and effective with her attacking. She had 15 kills on 33 swings, hitting .303. Lauren Barnwell SR RS Archie Williams – Barnwell could’ve been the MVP of the match. She had 12 kills and hit .429 with 13 digs. She was also a huge part of serve receive, passing dimes consistently. Jordan Vander Veen JR OH Ripon Christian – Vander Veen handled her responsibility