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Commitment & Signings Week of July 29-Aug 4

Congrats to all! Corrections? Questions? Additions? Email christi@vballrecruiter.com or DM on Social Media @vballphil   2022 GREENSBORO COLLEGE: OH/Opp Payton Shiflet (Triangle) CARDINAL STRITCH: OH Jenny Jensen (Uno VBC) EASTERN WYOMING COLLEGE: L Aliyah Frazier EASTERN WYOMING COLLEGE: OH Casidee Miller EASTERN WYOMING COLLEGE: OH Ana Djurovic COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA: MB Breyana Bosket (XFactor VBC) COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA: DS Lorin Alukonis (Vegas Volley) COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA: MB Lauryn Burist COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA: DS Emma Esqueda CANISIUS: S Shannon Kehoe (Sportime VBC) CANISIUS: OH Rylee McKinney (NKYVC) COLBY COLLEGE: S Sydney Sick (Stingray VBC) COLBY COLLEGE: OH/Opp Mariella Hilyard (Princeton VBC) SYRACUSE: L Melina Brooking (Metro) CENTRAL CC COLUMBUS: MB Chelsea Fisher CARROLL COLLEGE: L Molly O’Connor IDAHO STATE: OH Ece Ozedmir   2023 WINTHROP: Opp/MB Teagan Sychterz (NC Academy) LINFIELD: OH Katelin Sindelar (Norco) HARDIN-SIMMONS: S Keatyn Rodgers (Excel) IUPUI: Opp Kate White (Tri State Elite) OHIO NORTHERN: S Olivia Wood (Fieldhouse) SOUTH CAROLINA: L Emily Contreras (Austin Juniors) ABILENE CHRISTIAN: Opp/OH Alexis Strong (KIVA) ABILENE CHRISTIAN: S Rachel Koss (FC Elite) UT SAN ANTONIO: L Peyton Turner (Sports Performance) NORTH DAKOTA STATE: OH Lauren Jansen (Sports Performance) INDIANA UNIVERSITY PENNSYLVANIA: S Emerson Evans (Munciana) FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE: OH Nicole Russell (A2) ROLLINS COLLEGE: S Sophia Jordan (Mill City VBC) ROLLINS COLLEGE: L Sarah Seabrooke (Jacksonville Juniors) WESLEYAN: MB Katelyn Olin (Absolute) NEW ORLEANS: OH Ryan Williams (Houston Juniors) CENTRAL ARKANSAS: OH Ella Drake (Ultimate Performance) ST. EDWARDS: S Jaiden LaVanway (SA Juniors) ARKANSAS MONTICELLO: OH Tatum Bloom (Summit) UW EAU CLAIRE: OH Isabella Grace (FC Elite) SAMFORD: MB Janie Kate Stinchcomb (A5) LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE: S Madison Fritz (Houston Juniors) NORTHERN STATE: OH Alailah Perry (Iowa PowerPlex) LOUISIANA TECH: OH/MB Megan Cooley (ETA1 Volleyball) CALVIN UNIVERSITY: DS/OH Evelynn Oegema (MiElite) UW RIVER FALLS: OH Ada Schlenkler (MN Select) UM BALTIMORE COUNTY: Opp/MB Helen Frankovich (Paramount VBC) CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT: L Carly Zimmet (Paramount VBC) BUCKNELL: OH Cameron Lloyd (Chapel Hill Area)) NORTHERN MICHIGAN: L Liesl Haugen (MN Select) MISSOURI STATE: MB Neele’ge Sims (MiElite) WASHINGTON COLLEGE: MB Savannah Collings (Victorium VBC) WARTBURG COLLEGE: Opp Jenna Lansing (Club Iowa) IDAHO STATE: OH/Opp Dani Cranford (Colorado Juniors) ITHACA COLLEGE: S Wesley Slavin (Absolute) TAYLOR UNIVERSITY: DS Suzanne Storey (Grant County VBC) SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA: MB Caitlin Isley (501 Volley) UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS: MB Riley Laine (Milwaukee Sting) TEXAS STATE: DS/OH Lana Tello (Austin Performance) CSU FULLERTON: S Ryleigh Garis (Austin Performance) PALM BEACH ATLANTIC: OH/MB Ally Schmidt (MAVS KC) NORTHERN MICHIGAN: L Lauren Cardwell (Uno VBC) XAVIER: L Ellie Czajkowski (Alliance) WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN: OH Alauna Wilson (Twin City) NORTHWESTERN OHIO: L Ashlynn Cruz (Empowered VA) OHIO NORTHERN: L Kate Zellers (Empowered VA) COLUMBIA COLLEGE: MB Kasey Brough (Summit Volleyball) TEXAS A&M COMMERCE: MB Avery Wilks (Houston Stellar) GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS: L Paige Hendricks (Club Iowa) STONEHILL COLLEGE: OH Samantha Franco (Mountain View) MIDDLE TENNESSEE: MB Alli Bedrick (AVC Cleveland) UW OSHKOSH: MB Emmy Wizceb (Wisconsin Juniors) INDIANA WESLEYAN: Opp Allysen Fullenkamp (Munciana) QUINCY UNIVERSITY: MB Erin Matzke (Pohaku) LEE UNIVERSITY: MB Liyah Deveaux (Tribe) DENISON: OH/Opp Lauren Brown (Paramount) PITT STATE: Opp Avery Delong (KC Power) ROCKHURST: MB Ali Olson (KC Power) AMHERST: OH Bailey Reid (NYC Juniors) WITTENBURG: S Jenna van der Biezen (Loudoun Elite) LSU: MB Mackenzie Boyer (Austin Juniors) UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO: S Grace Xu (Alamo) OHIO UNIVERSITY: L Caroline Curran (Revolution) WESTERN COLORADO: MB Alexa Wheeler (Elevate Athletics) CHARLESTON SOUTHERN: MB Brenna Rowland (AZ Sky) COLORADO CHRISTIAN: L Kira Federico (AZ Sky) PURDUE FORT WAYNE: L Becky Barrett (Illini Elite)   2024 PITT: L Orian Drore (Tribe VBC) ARIZONA: OH Carlie Cisneros (Dynasty) UCSB: OH Madison Triplett (Coast) DEPAUL: S Amanda Saeger (Wave) CLEMSON: L Addisen Rains (Munciana) MINNESOTA: OH Olivia Swenson (MN Select) NOTRE DAME: OH Morgan Gaerte (Team Pineapple) CINCINNATI: L Kaleigh Frietch (NKYVC) CENTRAL FLORIDA: S Mya Ball (Team Pineapple) SOUTH DAKOTA: MB Morgan Bode (Premier Nebraska) IOWA STATE: S Emily Bobbitt (Triangle) TENNESSEE: OH Paityn Chapstick (Colorado Juniors) CENTRAL ARKANSAS: L Alexa Carranza (Texas Fierce Elite) CENTRAL ARKANSAS: OH Regan Harp (Ozark Juniors) TRUMAN STATE: MB Hannah Hosty (Michio Chicago) VIRGINIA TECH: L Ella Guilfoy (The Academy) DAYTON: OH Corrie Anderson (Colorado Juniors)   TRANSFERS CANISIUS: TR OH Taylor Baldwin (Coastal Carolina/Ohio Premier) CANISIUS: GR L Stella Johnson (Maryland Eastern Shore/Williamsburg VBC) MISSOURI ST. LOUIS: TR Opp Raina Forstrom (Missouri West Plain)   BEACH   2023 SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA: Emmy Vincent (GCVA Beach Team) SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA: Mia Sauers (GCVA Beach Team) UT EL PASO: Mila Popovic (Team One) LOUISIANA MONROE: Eden Anderson (Top Select)   2024 ARIZONA: Dissy Brinkerhoff (Volley for Life) NORTH FLORIDA: Jada Bishop (Prime Beach Training) ARIZONA STATE: Kylie Alexander (The Sand Club)   BOYS   2022 BETHEL UNIVERSITY: OH Carson Dooley (Vegas United) LEES MCRAE: S Vincent Pradarelli (352 Volleyball) 2023 LEWIS: OH Quin Zilch (Yorktowne) STANFORD: OH Nate Clinton (Bay to Bay)    

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Class of 2025: The Newest 4-Star Recruits

Below, we introduce the newest 4-star recruits from the Class of 2025. It features 17 girls who moved up from 3 to 4-stars in our latest rankings update at the end of July. To give an idea of what a 4-star recruit is, they would be among the Top 100 players in the nation if we did a numbered ranking. Lauren Hurst, OH, Cleveland HS, K2 – If you spent most of the time last season watching the 15s age group you aren’t likely to know about Hurst. She played up on the 17s for K2. She’s a 6-1 outside who displayed lots of potential. She has a good arm and is going to be one to watch as she adds strength and power to her game. Taylor Cook, S, Melissa HS, Skyline – Cook – a 5-11 setter who can also hit on the right – was steady and consistent this past season and directed the offense well for Skyline. She has nice hands and locates well. Reagan Ennist, S, Shenendehowa HS, NYC Juniors – A 5-11 setter, Ennist is another one we felt was worthy of an improved ranking. Like the others on her, she’s shown upside with her game and setting skills. She delivers a clean ball with consistent location.   Kaci Demaria, OH, Palos Verdes HS, Surfside – Demaria should have been included in our 5-star watchlist we released earlier this week. She’s right on the cusp and should end up there before too long. She’s a 6-2 outside with a huge ceiling. Her ability to score consistently was on display this past season and she was the No. 1 option on Surfside. Logan Bell, OH, Roncalli HS, Circle City – Bell is a spring 5-11 outside who possesses a quick arm. She gets off the ground quick and can generate plenty of pace on her attacks. She has a bright future ahead of her. Kenna Cogill, MB, Perry HS, Arizona Storm – A 6-4 middle, Cogill is worth keeping an eye on as she improves. She showed lots of potential this past club season and she became more and more impactful as the season wore on. Her height is obviously a key advantage as she can impact both sides of the ball. Julia Grace, L/DS, Notre Dame Academy, NKYVC – Grace is one of three back row players who were moved up from 3 to 4-stars from the Class of 2025. She’s shown strong command of the back row and was a defensive anchor who was on-point out of serve receive. Naya Salfiti, S/RS, Liberty Christian HS, Madfrog – Salfiti was a valuable piece in the lineup. She showed versatility by being able to step in and set when necessary. She’s a 6-2 lefty who is projected as a right side at the next level. She’s lanky with a good arm and showed ability to score on well-placed angle shots. Bella Ocampo, OH, Highland Park HS, Skyline – Ocampo demonstrated her ability to play all the way around. She’s a sound passer and defender in the back row. She also has a good IQ and showed she was able to score in a wide variety of ways. Francesca Popescu, L/DS, Lambert HS, A5 – Popescu is one of three defenders who moved up one tier in our latest rankings update. She’s a steady back row defender who showed a strong knack for passing out of serve receive and solid court coverage. Asia Harvey, OH, Sandy Creek HS, A5 – A high-flying, 6-1 outside, Harvey oozes potential and could be a stud at the collegiate level. She showed flashes of what she can become delivering a few wow moments during our times watching her this past season. Ashlyn Paymal, RS, Burke HS, NE Elite – Paymal was impressive the times we caught her in action. She’s a 6-3, six-rotation right side. She was the team’s best offensive option with her ability to score all the way around the court. Charlotte Vinson, RS, Yorktown HS, Munciana – Vinson was a key part of the attack. She’s a 6-1 right side who is an option both front and back row. She has a good arm and proved to be a reliable and consistent scorer. Addison Gaido, RS, Georgetown HS, Austin Skyline – We wrote about Gaido earlier this week in our article tracking potential 5-star recruits. Gaido is part of the Class of 2025 players who moved up from 3 to 4-stars. She’s a 6-4 right side with lots of upside. Alex Richter, OH, Highland Park HS, Drive Nation – Richter has the prototypical frame that is screaming with potential. She’s a lanky 6-3 with a strong swing. She’s certainly displayed next-level abilities at times and is a name to know. Addison Makun, MB, Silver Creek HS, KiVA – A 6-3 middle, Makun has lots of raw talent and is one to keep tabs on as she continues developing. She’s long with the ability to go over blocks and she’s shown good strength as well. Maya Evens, L/DS, Cathedral Catholic HS, Wave – Evens shined playing up for Wave 16 Brennan this past club season. She’s absolute nails in the back row. She’s consistently on point in serve receive and she has great range defending and picking off attacks.

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Tracking Potential 5-Star Recruits

During our recent player rankings update, we reviewed every player we had listed to determine whether to keep their ranking the same or move them to the next tier. Earlier this week we wrote about the newest recruits to join the 5-star rank featuring those who moved up. You can view that article here. Below, we highlight athletes from the Classes of 2023-2026 who could be next in line to become 5-star recruits when our next update is released. All the players listed below are currently ranked as 4-star recruits. They are also listed with the club they played for last season. Please email chris@vballrecruiter.com with any changes. 2023 Mia Lee, MB, Mountain View HS, Club V – There are some who already view Lee – a BYU commit – as a 5-star recruit. She’s close and like a lot of the players listed in this article she would be at a 4.5 rating if we awarded half-stars. She’s 5-11 but touches a ridiculous 10-7, putting her in rare company. Noemie Glover, RS, Cathedral Catholic HS, Coast – A 6-1 high-flying lefty who is committed to Oregon, Glover is among those we are keeping a close eye on in seeing if she’ll move up in our next update. She’s capable of hitting crazy sharp angles and is still relatively raw compared to other studs in the Class of 2023. Kennedy Martin, RS, Appleton North HS, FC Elite – A Florida commit, there’s plenty to love about Martin. One aspect is her height of 6-6. She’s clearly a presence on the right side with her ability to hit high combined with her block. Brielle Kemavor, MB, Colgan HS, Metro – Kemavor has something in common with many of our recruits who are already rated at 5-stars. That’s her height. She’s tall at 6-5, which is obviously a valuable tool when it comes to the middle position. She’s commited to BYU. Claire Little, OH, Vista Murrieta HS, Coast – One thing we know for sure is BYU is getting a haul when it comes to the Class of 2023. Little is the third recruit we are writing about here with potential to get to 5-stars. She’s an all-around contributor who can take over matches at times. Kendal Murphy, OH, Horizon HS, AZ Rev – Murphy – a Baylor commit – was one of the MVPs at the recent Under Armour Next Selection Camp stop in So Cal. She’s a high-IQ outside with next-level height at 6-3. She’s a viable scorer whether front or back row. *** 2024 Sarah Brodner, OH/RS, Jupiter HS, High Tide – Brodner’s rating improved this last go around from 3 to 4-stars. There’s a chance she could be in 5-star territory the next time the rankings are updated. She’s definitely one to keep tabs on. Brodner is a 6-5 pin hitter with lots of length and ability to hit over blocks. She has the potential to shine at the collegiate level. Kiylah Presley, MB, Bishop McNamara HS, Paramount (Virginia) – There’s was strong consideration given to moving Presley up to 5-stars in our recent update. She’s very close. She has tremendous upside with her athletic gifts. She’s 6-0 and already touching 10-5. She recently committed to Virginia. Mia Hood, MB, Blessed Trinity HS, A5 – Feedback from certain coaches would already place Hood in the 5-star territory. Nothing is for certain, but odds are she’ll be a 5-star recruit before too long. She has too much going for her not to be. She’s 6-7 and takes up a lot of space at the net. Molly Kate Patten, RS, Lambert HS, A5 – Patten has endless potential and is surely on our radar as someone we are watching closely. She’s a 6-5 lefty who has proven to be a reliable scorer and strong blocker. Logan Wiley, MB, Alpharetta HS, A5 – One of the reasons A5 had such a strong team in the 16s age group this past season is Wiley is the third member from the squad who is in consideration for being a 5-star recruit. She recently committed to Georgia Tech. Wiley is 6-2 and quick. She’s shown strong scoring skills and can impact matches on both sides of the ball. Bailey Higgins, RS, Berkley Prep HS, OTVA – Higgins is an explosive attacker on the right side. She’s a 6-1 lefty with a strong arm. She’s touching 10-1 and could be a menace if she’s able to add a few more inches to her jump. Alec Rothe, OH/MB, Dublin Scioto HS, Elite VBTC – During club Rothe played at both outside and middle. With continued work and development she could be a pin at the next level. She’s 6-2 and moves well for her height. *** 2025 Lauren Coyne, RS, Wheaton-Warrenville South, SPVB – There’s plenty of time before Coyne gets to the next level and we’ll be watching as she progresses. She’s a 6-2 lefty who touches 10-0. As she moves up age divisions and adds to her game, she may be able to make the next tier as a 5-star recruit. Kalyssa Blackshear, MB, Torrance HS, Surfside – Blackshear was also a MVP at the recent Under Armour Next Selection Camp stop in So Cal. She was given strong consideration as a 5-star recruit in our latest update. A 6-4 middle with great court sense, it’s hard not seeing reach the top tier before too long. Addison Gaido, RS, Georgetown HS, Austin Skyline – Gaido certainly has the frame to star at the next level. She’s 6-4 with long arms and has no trouble going over the block. She had a strong club season for Austin Skyline this past spring and is definitely on the 5-star watchlist. Jordan Smith, OH/RS, Howell Central HS, Rockwood Thunder – Smith played up an age group, suiting up for Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite this past club season. She flashed plenty of upside and there’s tons to like about her game. She has certain tangibles too that has

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The Newest 5-Star Recruits

vballrecruiter.com recently updated its player rankings for Classes 2023-2026. You can find out who is on the list for their respective classes by clicking the links: 2023 2024 2025 2026 Below, we highlight those players whose ranking improved from 4 to 5-stars in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 classes. There are eight players featured from the class of 2025; five from 2024; and two from 2023. For the Class of 2026, there are nine players who are 5-star recruits in our initial release for that age group. Players are listed with their clubs from this past season, unless we know of changes already. Please email chris@vballrecruiter.com with any updates. CLASS OF 2025 Lameen (Mimi) Mambu, OH/RS, Chantilly HS, (Paramount) – Mambu was the only member from the Class of 2025 to make the move from 3 to 5-stars. She has unbelievable potential with her 5-11 frame and already touching 10-6. Even if she doesn’t add to her jumping ability moving forward she’s already in an elite class and she is going to add power as well. The sky is the limit and she’s definitely one to keep tabs on as she moves through the age groups. Ryan Hunter, RS, Mallard Creek HS, (Carolina Juniors) – If you aren’t familiar with Hunter she’s a name you need to know and follow. She’s a 6-2 lefty who touches 10-5. She has limitless potential to star on the next level with her athletic abilities. It was a consensus decision moving her from 4 to 5-stars as she’s a rare talent. Campbell Flynn, S, Mercy HS, (Legacy) – The reality is Flynn could have started off as a 5-star recruit but after her performance during the club season where she flashed her undeniable potential she moved up from 4-stars. She’s a 6-1 setter with great hands, touch and the strength to make sets other in her age group aren’t capable of. With her height, she’s also an offensive setter in that you have to account for her dumping on the second touch. She’ll be a highly-sought after recruit come next summer. Kassidy O’Brien, S, Cinco Ranch HS, (Hou Skyline) – With O’Brien upgrading her ranking from 4 to 5-stars, she’s now one of eight setters in the Class of 2025 with a 5-star ranking. That’s a strong setting class overall and at 6-0 with her talent O’Brien fits in well. She locates consistently and sets a clean ball while rarely off her mark. She’s going to make a mark at the next level. Natalie Wardlow, MB, Lincoln Southeast HS, (Nebraska One) – A 6-4 middle, Wardlow was a standout at her position this past club season and has moved from 4 to 5-stars. She flashed remarkable upside and at times was the best player on the court. Her height and extension allow her to hit sharp angles as well as put up a big block. Kirra Musgrove, S/RS, Lutheran South Academy, (Hou Skyline) – There figures to be a few top-notch programs in the mix for Musgrove next summer. This 6-2 setter/right side was a key contributor for HJV 15 Elite this past club season and will suit up for Hou Skyline 17 Royal next year. Her length at the setting position is desirable and she’s a smooth disher. She can also attack well, bringing versatility to any lineup and is part of the reason why she moved from 4 to 5-stars. Addison Tindall, OH, Homestead HS, (Team Pineapple) – We had Tindall as a 4-star recruit but after watching her this club season and seeing her upside she was moved up to the top tier as a 5-star recruit. She’s a 6-2 outside who is long with a high contact point. She’s a threat wherever she is on the court. She’s only going to add strength and as she gets stronger she’s going to become more and more of a force moving forward. Navea Gauthier, OH, Shelby HS, (Far Out) – The final member of the Class of 2025 who moved up from 4 to 5-stars, Gauthier is a 6-1 outside with natural strength. She showcased a wide array of shots when watching her this season and with her powerful arm is always a threat whether front or back row. CLASS OF 2024 Ava Utterback, OH, Plainfield HS (Circle City) – One of the top outside hitters in the Class of 2024, Utterback’s ranking improved from 4 to 5 stars in our recent update. She’s a 6-0 high-flyer with the ability to take over matches with her offensive ability. She has a lively arm and with her jump can go over the top of blocks with ease. Hannah Benjamin, OH, Fideles Christian HS, (A5) – Benjamin was playing on an A5 2s team during her 15s year of club. Now, she’s rated as a 5-star recruit! That’s the level of improvement she’s showed in just two seasons. The 6-1 outside is an all-around contributor with her passing, defending and attacking skills. She has a bright future ahead of her and recently committed to Kentucky. Faith Frame, L/DS, Gretna HS, (Premier Nebraska) – Frame was one of three players to move up from a 3-star ranking to 5 stars after her recent club season playing for Premier Nebraska. This summer she committed to Cincinnati and should star for the Bearcats down the road. She’s a smooth backrow defender who doesn’t rattle and is capable of making highlight reel saves all over the court. Nayelis Cabello, S/RS, East Ridge HS, (Top Select) – Cabello was another member of the Class of 2024 who jumped from 3 to 5-stars after this past club season. A 6-0, two-way player, Cabello recently committed to Louisville. She’s a high-level setter with strong hands and consistent location who can also hit across the front row. It’s likely she’ll be running a 5-1 at the next level but could be part of a 6-2 if necessary. Emerson Sellman, OH, Holy Cross HS, (Metro) – This 6-4 outside hitter is oozing

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AAU Beach: Day 4 Show Stoppers

Welcome back to Hermosa Beach. Sunday marked the final day at AAU Junior Nationals or as AAU calls it “Sandday”. There is a lot on our plate from the day as the Gold bracket for 18U, 16U, 15U, and 14U all played out. There was tons of quality volleyball and action on the courts so without further ado here are the Day 4 Show Stoppers.18UErin Inskeep/Ashley Pater – After coming in second in pool play Day 1, this team won eight straight matches to win the title. They are a solid group who can beat you in so many different ways. Their serving was accurate, combined with two outstanding defenders who read well and can finish the rally with great court vision proved to be a winning combination.Madison Goellner/Grace Hong – This duo had a good run taking second overall. A traditional team with Goellner blocking and Hong defending gave each teammate a specific role and they both excelled at their craft. Goellner covers a lot of court blocking while also being able to score with a heavy swing. Hong has a good feel for positioning in defense as she regularly makes the right read and converts with a good lefty swing.Macey Butler/Jenna Colligan – Colligan was solid on defense. Showing great athleticism, we watched her chase down and dive for balls on consecutive rallies that made it hard for opponents to score. Butler brought swagger with sharp kills and blocks propelled this team to a bronze at AAU.Malia Gementera/Kylie Vaickus – This duo played solidly all tournament and had a great third-place finish. Vaickus was very active at the net. We saw her block and drop multiple times consecutively showing her stamina and strength as an elite blocker. Then Gementera adds her scrappy defense and finishing with an attack that features a high snap that punishes the ball. 16UHaylee Lafontaine/Danielle Sparks – The winners of 16U, it all starts with their ball control. Lafontaine is clean with her touches around the net. As a blocker she punishes overpasses and tight sets, while also showing touch with scramble plays and a good arm capable of putting away any set. Sparks’ defense and serving sets a good tone for her team. Her accuracy in serving and instincts in defense combined with a great touch on offense makes her a scoring machine.Claire Sun/Logan Tusher – Sun serve was on point today. A hard flat serve gave opponents fits all day, giving her opportunities to use her cut shot to score ofter. Tusher was a beast at the net, making great reads blocking leading to big roofs for her team. They had a great run and finished second overall.Sophia Martinez/Demi Wagdy – They were the definition of a team that hustles. Combine that with their athleticism jumping and attacking we saw some great highlight plays. Seeing Martinez dive sideways for a touched ball and getting back up and putting a big swing for a point gave this duo a well-deserved third-place finish.Elise Lenahan/Kiera Tanioka – A steady duo, this team didn’t make too many errors forcing opponents to play a perfect game to beat them. Showing great chemistry by moving around each other and covering the open court they picked up and converted on defense without any hesitation. Lenahan’s big arm combined with Tanioka’s stellar defense solidified their bronze medal. 15UElena Fisher/Kyra Zaengle – The amount of pressure Zaengle produces with her jump serve was stunning. Her ability to snap a ball to a corner with consistency gave her team so much momentum. Add that both her and Fisher were punishing balls with the easy balls coming over gave them a dominating win and gold at AAU.Elena Lam/Zara Stewart – A team that possesses good ball control led the way to their second-place finish at AAU. This group’s passing touch in serve receive and defense gave them so many opportunities on offense. Attacking wise for this duo they had not only court vision but countless shots and wrist aways that completely stretched the defense and left them scrambling.Lily Dee Davis/Aubrey Mcbride – Mcbride’s energy and willingness to dive on defense brings some exciting rallies to her matches. She usually converts with a good court awareness cut shot or booming deep kill. Davis is a perfect complement for Mcbride’s defense with a solid block and ability to transition and finish with big kill for the 6-0 blocker. They teamed up for a good 3rd place finish.Audrey Davis/Samantha Hsu – This team’s third place relied on the arm of Davis. Davis’ swing is textbook example of something repeatable with success. An over-the-top high reaching swing gives her so much range she’s able to hit around most blocks. She gets so many opportunities due to Hsu and her ball control. Her hands delivering sets are strong and coupled with quick feet she gets to most balls and is a beast on defense. 14ULayla Austin/Jordyn Scribner – Austin was on fire. She was getting her feet to the ball and let that big arm produce some impressive kills all day. Scribner provided excellent ball control with not only her sweet sets but also a strong serve that produced long runs resulting in a gold medal for this duo.Ella Olson/Addison Terrell – Watching Terrell go swing for swing with Austin in the finals was fun. Terrell’s jumping abilities along with a great wrist snap allows her hit hard straight ahead or cutting the ball towards the sideline. Olson has great court sense and continuously makes strong reads on defense and converts with cut shots helping this duo to a strong second-place finish.Gentry Barker/Sophee Peterson – This team showed resilience, placing a well-deserved third. After losing 29-31 on Day 1 they bounced back and won six straight sets before losing to the eventual champions. Peterson showed good explosiveness with her block and approach along the net. Combined with strong hands she easily wins joust and scores with her swing. Barker compliments her with a hard serve and quick feet

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AAU Beach: Day 3 Show Stoppers

On a sunny Saturday from Hermosa Beach we attended Day 3 of the AAU beach championships. The 14 and 15U finished pool play for a chance at the gold bracket. The silver brackets for 18 and 16U finished up. Here are the Show Stoppers for Day 3.18U Consolation ChampsAlexa Fernandez/Carys Patton – We were able to see a couple of this team’s matches and they were exciting to watch. Fernandez looked fearless out there. She played with a high defensive intensity going for every ball then converting with big swing after swing. Patton has an effective jump serve tracking towards the sideline and scoring points in bunches. She also possesses good court vision by continuously being able to chip the ball over the block and eluding the defender. 16U Consolation ChampsMadelynn Hokanson/Jordan Patrick – Although we only saw them once we were impressed. Patrick is a good defender and a low-error attacker. She perfectly compliments the 5-11 Hokanson and her big swing. An athletic lefty with a good jump and a high reach on her swing, we saw Hokanson absolutely crush it. We can’t wait to see her return next season with a year to train. The sky’s the limit for her. 14UElla Olson/Addison Terrell – Terrell dominated with her attack today. She can crush a ball, while also mixing in a roll shot made defending her a chore. Olson chipped in with some strong serving and low attack errors in a recipe for success.Sara Moynihan/Simone Roslon – Moynihan is a lefty who can play effectively on both sides and was solid again. She’s active defensively, leading to a powerful transition swing. Combined with Roslon’s ball control and a myriad of offensive shots gives this duo a good chance at a medal.Olga Nikolaeva/Thais Treumann – This duo’s ball control is solid. They were one of the better teams in serve receive that we witnessed. Nikolaeva can defend the best attackers with her reading and passing touch. Treumann is a spark, playing with good energy. It seems her team always goes on a long run with the momentum she gives.Nafanua Alofipo/Janie Mccanna – After watching these two play they can definitely make a run in the gold bracket. Both are plus defenders with good anticipation of where the attacker is looking at. Combined with a good court vision on offense made their day relatively easy. 15UElena Fisher/Kyra Zaengle – The No. 1 seed overall was impressive. Fisher was steady with her digging and offense. Rarely making errors she has a good feel for where the set and block are and made good choices. Zaengle put on a serving clinic. Her jump serve was on point. It blended her intensity with a consistent high velocity serve that scored in bunches.Mikki Carlin/Kiara Edwards – Both of these splits are not only tall but very skillful. Carlin’s moves are athletic and quick, constantly getting to shots usually reserved for smaller defenders. Edwards has a high reaching swing that makes it hard to block, combined with some feel for the block, she has no problem scoring.Lily Dee Davis/Aubrey Mcbride – Davis and McBridge are a well-balanced team. Mcbride covers the defense with her quickness and high conversion rate. Davis plays the net well. Getting good touches and blocks, Davis also shows quickness reading a shot then dropping to defend and getting back up to put down a big kill.Avery Cukjati/Ariana Medchill – We saw this team for the first time and came away impressed. Both possess good ball control making their defense and serve receive solid. Medchill moves well in the back defending and making good reads. Cukjati sees the court well offensively mixing in hard shots with a couple of wrist away swings finding the sand for points.

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AAU Junior Nationals: Day 2 Show Stoppers

Hermosa Beach welcomes the 29th Annual AAU Junior National Beach Volleyball Championships running July 21-24th. We are excited to be here and catch all the action. Day 2 play featured 18, 16, 15 and 14U. 18U and 16U were battling in pool play to make Gold bracket. For 15 and 14U it was Day 1 of their pool play. With all matches at AAU played to one set anything can happen. Here are the teams which impressed us and made our Day 2 Show Stoppers.18UErin Inskeep/Ashley Pater – This team battled through the consolation pool to make the gold bracket. One of the top defending tandems, they can do it all with top tier ball control. Finding more offense can give them a deep run.Bailey Showalter/Madison White – This duo of USC commits dominated play. Showalter’s ability to reach over the net blocking is solid. White puts away balls with a quick and powerful swing, they are playing like the No. 1 seed overall.Ensley Alden/Taylor Hagenah – The power that these two possess is daunting. Both have a heavy swing complimented by excellent ball control. What really stands out watching this group is their on court chemistry. Communication, body language and energy is a big part of this team.Indigo Clarke/Phoenix Clarke – We love watching these two sisters play. Their tempo and style is upbeat, catching many teams scrambling to get into position. Phoenix has a good swing capable of some extreme angels.Malia Gementera/Kylie Vaickus – This team dominated. Gementera has an impressive high reach on her swing, giving her the ability to cut the ball sharply inside the block and score with ease. 16UVictoria Henkel/Stacey Reeves – Reeves continues to impress with her energy and court presence. Playing upbeat and backing it up with big swings sets a strong tone for her team. Henkel adds sound defense and good serves puts this duo in medal contention.Katherine Morley/Julia Waugh – Morley and Waugh are a sound ball control group who doesn’t make too many errors. Morley is very savvy at the net with her ability to mix up her shots confusing defenders. Waugh has an excellent passing touch and places the ball well with her swings.Claire Sun/Logan Tusher – This team has a deep run in them. Both 6-0 splits have good ball control and definitely can put balls away. Tusher has a good touch and controls the ball well. Sun has good court vision combined with a power swings, giving this duo plenty of offense.Haylee Lafontaine/Danielle Sparks – Sparks defense is clean. She reads and covers most shots complimenting Lafontaine’s effectiveness blocking. A good blocker Lafontaine can also hit a good heavy ball, making this a very balanced team. 15UElena Fisher/Kyra Zaengle – This group showed excellent ball control. They both locate their serve well leading to long serving runs. Zaengle is very quick picking up shots and on scramble plays not allowing opponents any easy points.Mikki Carlin/Kiara Edwards – Edwards was a force attacking today. A 6-0 attacker with a nice over the top swing, she see’s the court well. She’s able to not only power the ball cross court but also showed a good wrist away swing that produced good results.Audrey Davis/Samantha Hsu – Davis’ attacks were scoring a lot. Her athleticism shows when she simply overpowered the block with her jump to crush the ball straight down.Jade Curtis/Pyper Nelson – Curtis plays with good energy. She covers the court with her quick defense and proceeds to put balls in play while not making errors to put a lot of pressure on defenses. Nelson plays the net well, showing good athleticism reading the ball and then being able to hit a good ball in transition. 14UElla Olson/Addison Terrell – We enjoyed watching this duo. A smart team that takes advantages open spots on offense either with a variety of cut shots, plus the occasional option play, but also with the power of Terrell. She brings the heat with a good over the top swing peppering the sidelines.Layla Austin/Jordyn Scribner – Austin continues her hot play as of late. Making deep medal runs the last two tournaments her team dominated pool play. Her arm is electric and if she gets on top of it, watch out because that ball is coming in hot!Olga Nikolaeva/Thais Treumann – Olga continued her victory at the BVCA last week with a dominating day in pool play. On defense her fast feet combined with good footwork and powerful makes her conversion points hard to dig.Emma Champagne/Anabelle Redaelli – Champagne is a 6-0 blocker who has a good feel for the ball. She has the ability to block and contend tight sets. Also, she has a good jump and swing putting balls in play with pace.

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Commitment & Signings Week of July 22-28

Congrats to all! Corrections? Questions? Additions? Email christi@vballrecruiter.com or DM on Social Media @vballphil   2022 UW OSHKOSH: OH Brooke Porter (Wisconsin Elite) ST. ANDREWS: MB/OH Xaria Pearson (Ignite Volleyball Club) ST. ANDREWS: OH/DS Samantha Vernati (Wellington Volleyball Academy) GREENSBORO COLLEGE: OH/Opp Kelci Brooks DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY CA: MB/OH Hailey Reynolds (Dynasty) DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY CA: MB/Opp Avery Schneider (Apex NW) CARNEGIE MELLON: MB Kai Herchenroether (Revolution) CARNEGIE MELLON: MB/Opp Katherine Jackson (Wildfire VBA) CARNEGIE MELLON: MB Julianna McFarland (Virginia Elite) CARNEGIE MELLON: Opp/OH Liz Schlemmer (Elevation) CARNEGIE MELLON: Opp Bella Woodard (Houston Juniors) CARNEGIE MELLON: MB Isabella Sierra (Virginia Juniors) ALBANY STATE: MB Mary-Kate Preston (Houston Juniors) ALBANY STATE: MB/Opp Madisyn Smith (NC Academy) ALBANY STATE: MB Khamari Trotter (Tsunami) ALBANY STATE: S Molly Wilson ALBANY STATE: L Fallyn Nobles (Willowbrook) ALBANY STATE: OH Kennadi Wallace ALBANY STATE: L Cierra Keys COLLEGE OF ST. ROSE: S Rachel Hennessey SYRACUSE: OH Ariana Joubert (1st Alliance) WESTERN NEBRASKA CC: Opp Autumn Bennett (Club V) HAVERFORD COLLEGE: S Kayla Chu (SG Elite) SUNY CORTLAND: OH Grace Reed SUNY CORTLAND: OH Emalee Ballou (Niagara Frontier) FOLSOM LAKE COLLEGE: MB/OH Lexi Berry FRESNO CC: OH/DS Mimi Verdone (Pulse Volleyball Club) GRACE COLLEGE: DS/OH Alyssa Thompson GRACE COLLEGE: L Emma Blackford (SoCal Volleyball Club) GRACE COLLEGE: MB Livia Tate (Illini Elite) MISSOURI ST. LOUIS: L Rylee Edson (HPSTL)   2023 WESLEYAN: MB Maddy Andrews (Absolute) PENN STATE: L Jocelyn Nathan (East Coast Power) ARKANSAS STATE: MB/OH Haley Glunz (Colorado Juniors) GEORGE MASON: MB Chelsea Colter (VA Juniors) TEXAS SOUTHERN: S Ava Ray (VA Juniors) TEXAS SOUTHERN: MB Keldri Young (Tallahassee VBA) COLLEGE OF WOOSTER: S Emma Fleck (Dunes) UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND: MB Mia Fedota (OJVA) UC DAVIS: S Mia Starr (OJVA) HANOVER COLLEGE: OH Abbey Mccoy (The Academy) UTAH TECH: OH Mya Laufiso (Club V) UNIVERSITY OF MARY: L Chloe Solheid (M1 Volleyball) WHEELING UNIVERSITY: MB Katie Wilking (Tri-State Elite) INDIANA: S Luca Fickell (Tri-State Elite) TUFTS: OH Becca DePencier Piñero (Sudden Impact) TARLETON: L Carly Lange (Houston Stellar) TARLETON: MB Faith Wilkins (Texas Legacy) DENISON: OH Maeve Perry (The Academy) WAYNE STATE: S Kayla Dulgar (Mintonette Sports) WRIGHT STATE: MB Reilly Zegunis (Far Out) MARINE MARITIME ACADEMY: S Annabel Frieden (ECV) UW LA CROSSE: OH Kayla Sexton (MN Select) UW LA CROSSE: L Madelyn Freiberg (Ultimate VBC) FORT LEWIS COLLEGE: MB Averie Dembickie (SA Elite) HUNTINGTON UNIVERSITY: S Lauren Ross (Summit) HUNTINGTON UNIVERSITY: OH Nigella Reck (Elite Volleyball) SOUTHERN ILLINOIS EDWARDSVILLE: L Megan DePoorter (Iowa Select) UL MONROE: MB Addison Chapman (Houston Juniors) UL MONROE: OH Olivia Sanchez (Excel) FLORIDA GULF COAST: S Shanelle Puetz (Wave) TRUMAN STATE: OH Alina Hajewski (Colorado Juniors) TEXAS TECH: L Abigayle Dickinson (OTVA) PALM BEACH ATLANTIC: Madison Jacobs (Ocala Power) FLORIDA: L Gaby Cornier (A5) NICHOLLS STATE: OH Gracie Campbell (TAV Houston) UT EL PASO: L Ava Martindale (TAV Houston) ST. EDWARDS: OH Landry Baughman (Excel) STEPHEN F AUSTIN: MB Tanishua Joseph (Houston Stellar) SEATTLE PACIFIC: S Sophie Chambers (Tejas) VIRGINIA TECH: OH Hailey Pearce (Carolina Union) APPALACHIAN STATE: MB Ava Leahy (Carolina Union) TRINITY UNIVERSITY: S Kendall De Rivel (LAVA West) UTAH VALLEY: OH/L Madi Standifird (Club V) FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL: L Maile Sugamura (WVBA) CAL POLY: S Samantha Callahan (Norcal) TOLEDO: L Avery Adamski (Toledo VBC) HAVERFORD COLLEGE: S Dasha Igonin (Unified) UT PERMIAN BASIN: OH Kennedi Wright (Skyline) BLACK HILLS STATE: Opp Jade Ridgway (Mountain Peak) UT SAN ANTONIO: S Makenna Wiepert (Athena VBA) TENNESSEE TECH: OH/Opp Ava Schubert (Iowa Select) ST. OLAF: L Karin Fowler (Iowa Select) INCARNATE WORD: S Victoria Hall (Illini Elite) HILLSDALE COLLEGE: MB Molly Kennedy (ClevPRIME)   2024 WAKE FOREST: S Becca Bellows (Sports Performance) MISSISSIPPI STATE: S Cayley Hanson (Houston Skyline) AUBURN: Isabella Humphrey (Boiler Jrs) CLEMSON: L Claire Luoma (MKE Sting) FORDHAM: MB Sophia Kuyn (Alamo) FLORIDA: L Bella Lee (OTVA Tampa) MIDDLE TENNESSEE: S Andi Spies (Captial VBA) SOUTH DAKOTA: OH Lauren Medeck (Premier Nebraska) SOUTH DAKOTA: Opp/OH Carly Ries (Nebraska Elite) VIRGINIA TECH: OH Belle Patrick (NC Academy) MARYLAND: OH Katherine Scherer (Sports Performance) CINCINNATI: L Faith Frame (Premier Nebraska) NORTHWESTERN: OH Ava Pratt (Adversity) IOWA STATE: L Rachel Van Gorp (KC Power) UCSB: S Madilynn Collins (Surfside VBC)   TRANSFERS ALBANY STATE: TR Opp Jenae Thomas (University of Charleston/Dallas Premier) FRANKLIN COLLEGE: TR MB Hannah Thibideau (Kentucky Wesleyan/Union) SUNY CORTLAND: TR OH Allie Sturgess (UAlbany/Long Island Academy) SUNY CORTLAND: GR Opp Zoe Staats (Rhode Island/Downstate) OKLAHOMA: GR MB Adria Oliver (Clemson/Cincinnati/Upward Stars) FORT LEWIS COLLEGE: TR OH Melanie Smith (Bridgepoint/Rocky Elite) SYRACUSE: GR L Alyssa Bert (Colorado State) CAL STATE HUMBOLDT: TR Opp/MB Jessica Baker MISSOURI ST. LOUIS: GR OH/Opp Hailey Flowers (Radford/Illini Elite) MISSOURI ST. LOUIS: TR OH Lauren Minick (Heartland CC)   BEACH   2023 STETSON: Bella Avelar (Elite Beach) UL MONROE: Vivian RoBards (MAVA) ARIZONA STATE: Elsa Snipes (Golden Gate VBC)   2024 TCU: Vivian Johnson (Madsand) LMU: Stacy Reeves (MB Sand)   TRANSFERS SANTA CLARA: TR Katie Kishton (West Valley College)   BOYS   2022 CAROLINA UNIVERSITY: MB Fritz Hall (Triangle)  

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Final 14s Club National Rankings

We spent the week releasing our final Club National Rankings. Last in line is the 14s divisions, which you can find below. You can find the 18s, 17s, 16s and 15s that were already put out by clicking on the links. There are lots of factors to take into consideration when formulating a list like this. It leaves plenty of room for debate as these rankings are ultimately subjective. There are power league results, qualifier results, national tournaments like Triple Crown and of course the USAV Girls Junior Nationals and AAU national championships. All these come into play. We put more weight on what happened at Junior Nationals than a qualifier because the whole season is built toward peaking at JN’s. We also had one steadfast rule we didn’t break no matter the circumstances. That rule was if Team A defeated Team B in a gold challenge match or gold bracket match at JN’s, Team A is always going to be ranked ahead of Team B. That’s because everyone comes to JN’s to win a gold medal and if Team A eliminates Team B from contention, it won at the absolute right time. It can make for some skewed overall rankings as a team might be too high or low overall but what’s the point if the biggest head-to-head matches of the season aren’t the most important ones? The Top 25 teams have comments to hopefully give some insight as to why they are ranked where they are. A select few from 26-50 have comments as well but not all. 1. MINTONETTE M.41 (6 – previous ranking) Going 10-1 overall, Mintonette captured the 14 Open gold medal at Junior Nationals after fedning off Flyers 14 Anthony in the championship match. Mintonette’s only loss came to Forza1 North 14 UA in the second round of pool play. That contest was one of seven consecutive three-setters for Mintonette, which went on to defeat NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami in the challenge round, Wave 14 Brennan in the quarters and Elevation 14 Molly in the semis, all in three as well, before sweeping Flyers. Mintonette beat Flyers in three sets in the first round of pool play as well and finish off the year going 26-11 against Open-qualified teams. Mintonette finished first at Northern Lights and fifth at both MEQ and Windy City, as well as Triple Crown. 2. FRISCO FLYERS 14 ANTHONY (5) Two of the three losses at Junior Nationals – where Flyers took home the silver medal in 14 Open – came to Mintonette. HPSTL 14 Royal was the only other team to top Flyers, coming in the first round of pool play. It was a tremendous year for Flyers, which took second at Lone Star, third at Salt Lake and fourth at Triple Crown. Flyers ends the season with a near identical record as Mintonette against the Open field at 26-12. 3. ELEVATION 14 MOLLY (9) Elevation capped its year with a bronze medal in 14 Open at Junior Nationals, falling to Mintonette in the semis. Elevation outlasted Austin Skyine 14 Royal in challenge play before scoring a big victory over TAV 14 Black in the quarterfinals. The only other loss in Indy came to SG Elite 14 Rosh in the first round of pool play. Elevation finished first at Big South and fourth at MEQ, as well as taking sixth at Triple Crown. Elevation went 24-15 against Open competition. 4. TAV 14 BLACK (3) It was TAV which ended the hopes of Boiler Jrs 14 Gold of ‘doubling up’ when the North Texas Region club took down the 14 Open AAU champion in the challenge round at Junior Nationals. TAV then was stopped in the quarterfinals by Elevation and finished tied for fifth in Indy. TAV ended first at NEQ, fifth at MEQ and 11th at Lone Star. TAV wraps up with a 21-12 mark versus Open teams. 5. BOILER JRS 14 GOLD (8) Though Boiler Jrs wasn’t able to advance to the gold bracket at Junior Nationals, the Hoosier Region club turned in one of the best seasons. Boiler Jrs captured gold in 14 Open at AAU and lost just twice in Indy, to TAV in the challenge round and to Flyers in the second round of pool play. Other results on the season include winning Windy City, taking second at NEQ and third at MEQ. Boiler Jrs also won Bluegrass and the JVA SummerFest and finished 15th at Triple Crown. Boiler Jrs compiled a 30-11 record when facing Open teams, the second-most victories of any team. 6. WAVE 14 BRENNAN (4) A loss to Mintonette in the quarterfinals kept Wave from medaling at Junior Nationals. The only other loss in Indy came to Alamo 14 Premier in the first round of pool pool as Wave finished tied for fifth overall. It was a remarkable season for the So Cal club, which finished first at the Red Rock Rave and fourth at Salt Lake City, as well as second at Triple Crown and winning the JVA West Coast Cup. All that led Wave to a 34-11 mark against Open competition, the most victories of any team against such opponents. 7. SG ELITE 14 ROSH (20) There are always surprises at Junior Nationals and SG was one of the biggest. The So Cal club upset Madfrog 14 Green in the quarterfinals before falling to Flyers in the semis to secure a bronze medal. SG Elite also took out Forza1 North 14 UA in challenge play and together it elevated SG Elite 13 spots in our final rankings. SG Elite – which finished 14th at Triple Crown – took second at the Red Rock Rave and third at PNQ. Its record against Open teams stands at 16-18, with five of those losses coming against Wave. 8. MADFROG 14 GREEN (1) It was a tough ending to an incredible season as Madfrog finished tied for fifth at Junior Nationals. Madfrog came to Indy having lost just once – to Elevation –

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Commitment & Signings Week of July 15-21

Congrats to all! Corrections? Questions? Additions? Email christi@vballrecruiter.com or DM on Social Media @vballphil 2022   2023   2024   TRANSFERS   BEACH 2022   2023   2024   TRANSFERS   BOYS 2022      

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Commitment & Signings Week of July 29-Aug 4

Congrats to all! Corrections? Questions? Additions? Email christi@vballrecruiter.com or DM on Social Media @vballphil   2022 GREENSBORO COLLEGE: OH/Opp Payton Shiflet (Triangle) CARDINAL STRITCH: OH Jenny Jensen (Uno VBC) EASTERN WYOMING COLLEGE: L Aliyah Frazier EASTERN WYOMING COLLEGE: OH Casidee Miller EASTERN WYOMING COLLEGE: OH Ana Djurovic COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA: MB Breyana Bosket (XFactor VBC) COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA: DS Lorin Alukonis (Vegas Volley) COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA: MB Lauryn Burist COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA: DS Emma Esqueda CANISIUS: S Shannon Kehoe (Sportime VBC) CANISIUS: OH Rylee McKinney (NKYVC) COLBY COLLEGE: S Sydney Sick (Stingray VBC) COLBY COLLEGE: OH/Opp Mariella Hilyard (Princeton VBC) SYRACUSE: L Melina Brooking (Metro) CENTRAL CC COLUMBUS: MB Chelsea Fisher CARROLL COLLEGE: L Molly O’Connor IDAHO STATE: OH Ece Ozedmir   2023 WINTHROP: Opp/MB Teagan Sychterz (NC Academy) LINFIELD: OH Katelin Sindelar (Norco) HARDIN-SIMMONS: S Keatyn Rodgers (Excel) IUPUI: Opp Kate White (Tri State Elite) OHIO NORTHERN: S Olivia Wood (Fieldhouse) SOUTH CAROLINA: L Emily Contreras (Austin Juniors) ABILENE CHRISTIAN: Opp/OH Alexis Strong (KIVA) ABILENE CHRISTIAN: S Rachel Koss (FC Elite) UT SAN ANTONIO: L Peyton Turner (Sports Performance) NORTH DAKOTA STATE: OH Lauren Jansen (Sports Performance) INDIANA UNIVERSITY PENNSYLVANIA: S Emerson Evans (Munciana) FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE: OH Nicole Russell (A2) ROLLINS COLLEGE: S Sophia Jordan (Mill City VBC) ROLLINS COLLEGE: L Sarah Seabrooke (Jacksonville Juniors) WESLEYAN: MB Katelyn Olin (Absolute) NEW ORLEANS: OH Ryan Williams (Houston Juniors) CENTRAL ARKANSAS: OH Ella Drake (Ultimate Performance) ST. EDWARDS: S Jaiden LaVanway (SA Juniors) ARKANSAS MONTICELLO: OH Tatum Bloom (Summit) UW EAU CLAIRE: OH Isabella Grace (FC Elite) SAMFORD: MB Janie Kate Stinchcomb (A5) LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE: S Madison Fritz (Houston Juniors) NORTHERN STATE: OH Alailah Perry (Iowa PowerPlex) LOUISIANA TECH: OH/MB Megan Cooley (ETA1 Volleyball) CALVIN UNIVERSITY: DS/OH Evelynn Oegema (MiElite) UW RIVER FALLS: OH Ada Schlenkler (MN Select) UM BALTIMORE COUNTY: Opp/MB Helen Frankovich (Paramount VBC) CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT: L Carly Zimmet (Paramount VBC) BUCKNELL: OH Cameron Lloyd (Chapel Hill Area)) NORTHERN MICHIGAN: L Liesl Haugen (MN Select) MISSOURI STATE: MB Neele’ge Sims (MiElite) WASHINGTON COLLEGE: MB Savannah Collings (Victorium VBC) WARTBURG COLLEGE: Opp Jenna Lansing (Club Iowa) IDAHO STATE: OH/Opp Dani Cranford (Colorado Juniors) ITHACA COLLEGE: S Wesley Slavin (Absolute) TAYLOR UNIVERSITY: DS Suzanne Storey (Grant County VBC) SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA: MB Caitlin Isley (501 Volley) UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS: MB Riley Laine (Milwaukee Sting) TEXAS STATE: DS/OH Lana Tello (Austin Performance) CSU FULLERTON: S Ryleigh Garis (Austin Performance) PALM BEACH ATLANTIC: OH/MB Ally Schmidt (MAVS KC) NORTHERN MICHIGAN: L Lauren Cardwell (Uno VBC) XAVIER: L Ellie Czajkowski (Alliance) WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN: OH Alauna Wilson (Twin City) NORTHWESTERN OHIO: L Ashlynn Cruz (Empowered VA) OHIO NORTHERN: L Kate Zellers (Empowered VA) COLUMBIA COLLEGE: MB Kasey Brough (Summit Volleyball) TEXAS A&M COMMERCE: MB Avery Wilks (Houston Stellar) GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS: L Paige Hendricks (Club Iowa) STONEHILL COLLEGE: OH Samantha Franco (Mountain View) MIDDLE TENNESSEE: MB Alli Bedrick (AVC Cleveland) UW OSHKOSH: MB Emmy Wizceb (Wisconsin Juniors) INDIANA WESLEYAN: Opp Allysen Fullenkamp (Munciana) QUINCY UNIVERSITY: MB Erin Matzke (Pohaku) LEE UNIVERSITY: MB Liyah Deveaux (Tribe) DENISON: OH/Opp Lauren Brown (Paramount) PITT STATE: Opp Avery Delong (KC Power) ROCKHURST: MB Ali Olson (KC Power) AMHERST: OH Bailey Reid (NYC Juniors) WITTENBURG: S Jenna van der Biezen (Loudoun Elite) LSU: MB Mackenzie Boyer (Austin Juniors) UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO: S Grace Xu (Alamo) OHIO UNIVERSITY: L Caroline Curran (Revolution) WESTERN COLORADO: MB Alexa Wheeler (Elevate Athletics) CHARLESTON SOUTHERN: MB Brenna Rowland (AZ Sky) COLORADO CHRISTIAN: L Kira Federico (AZ Sky) PURDUE FORT WAYNE: L Becky Barrett (Illini Elite)   2024 PITT: L Orian Drore (Tribe VBC) ARIZONA: OH Carlie Cisneros (Dynasty) UCSB: OH Madison Triplett (Coast) DEPAUL: S Amanda Saeger (Wave) CLEMSON: L Addisen Rains (Munciana) MINNESOTA: OH Olivia Swenson (MN Select) NOTRE DAME: OH Morgan Gaerte (Team Pineapple) CINCINNATI: L Kaleigh Frietch (NKYVC) CENTRAL FLORIDA: S Mya Ball (Team Pineapple) SOUTH DAKOTA: MB Morgan Bode (Premier Nebraska) IOWA STATE: S Emily Bobbitt (Triangle) TENNESSEE: OH Paityn Chapstick (Colorado Juniors) CENTRAL ARKANSAS: L Alexa Carranza (Texas Fierce Elite) CENTRAL ARKANSAS: OH Regan Harp (Ozark Juniors) TRUMAN STATE: MB Hannah Hosty (Michio Chicago) VIRGINIA TECH: L Ella Guilfoy (The Academy) DAYTON: OH Corrie Anderson (Colorado Juniors)   TRANSFERS CANISIUS: TR OH Taylor Baldwin (Coastal Carolina/Ohio Premier) CANISIUS: GR L Stella Johnson (Maryland Eastern Shore/Williamsburg VBC) MISSOURI ST. LOUIS: TR Opp Raina Forstrom (Missouri West Plain)   BEACH   2023 SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA: Emmy Vincent (GCVA Beach Team) SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA: Mia Sauers (GCVA Beach Team) UT EL PASO: Mila Popovic (Team One) LOUISIANA MONROE: Eden Anderson (Top Select)   2024 ARIZONA: Dissy Brinkerhoff (Volley for Life) NORTH FLORIDA: Jada Bishop (Prime Beach Training) ARIZONA STATE: Kylie Alexander (The Sand Club)   BOYS   2022 BETHEL UNIVERSITY: OH Carson Dooley (Vegas United) LEES MCRAE: S Vincent Pradarelli (352 Volleyball) 2023 LEWIS: OH Quin Zilch (Yorktowne) STANFORD: OH Nate Clinton (Bay to Bay)    

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Class of 2025: The Newest 4-Star Recruits

Below, we introduce the newest 4-star recruits from the Class of 2025. It features 17 girls who moved up from 3 to 4-stars in our latest rankings update at the end of July. To give an idea of what a 4-star recruit is, they would be among the Top 100 players in the nation if we did a numbered ranking. Lauren Hurst, OH, Cleveland HS, K2 – If you spent most of the time last season watching the 15s age group you aren’t likely to know about Hurst. She played up on the 17s for K2. She’s a 6-1 outside who displayed lots of potential. She has a good arm and is going to be one to watch as she adds strength and power to her game. Taylor Cook, S, Melissa HS, Skyline – Cook – a 5-11 setter who can also hit on the right – was steady and consistent this past season and directed the offense well for Skyline. She has nice hands and locates well. Reagan Ennist, S, Shenendehowa HS, NYC Juniors – A 5-11 setter, Ennist is another one we felt was worthy of an improved ranking. Like the others on her, she’s shown upside with her game and setting skills. She delivers a clean ball with consistent location.   Kaci Demaria, OH, Palos Verdes HS, Surfside – Demaria should have been included in our 5-star watchlist we released earlier this week. She’s right on the cusp and should end up there before too long. She’s a 6-2 outside with a huge ceiling. Her ability to score consistently was on display this past season and she was the No. 1 option on Surfside. Logan Bell, OH, Roncalli HS, Circle City – Bell is a spring 5-11 outside who possesses a quick arm. She gets off the ground quick and can generate plenty of pace on her attacks. She has a bright future ahead of her. Kenna Cogill, MB, Perry HS, Arizona Storm – A 6-4 middle, Cogill is worth keeping an eye on as she improves. She showed lots of potential this past club season and she became more and more impactful as the season wore on. Her height is obviously a key advantage as she can impact both sides of the ball. Julia Grace, L/DS, Notre Dame Academy, NKYVC – Grace is one of three back row players who were moved up from 3 to 4-stars from the Class of 2025. She’s shown strong command of the back row and was a defensive anchor who was on-point out of serve receive. Naya Salfiti, S/RS, Liberty Christian HS, Madfrog – Salfiti was a valuable piece in the lineup. She showed versatility by being able to step in and set when necessary. She’s a 6-2 lefty who is projected as a right side at the next level. She’s lanky with a good arm and showed ability to score on well-placed angle shots. Bella Ocampo, OH, Highland Park HS, Skyline – Ocampo demonstrated her ability to play all the way around. She’s a sound passer and defender in the back row. She also has a good IQ and showed she was able to score in a wide variety of ways. Francesca Popescu, L/DS, Lambert HS, A5 – Popescu is one of three defenders who moved up one tier in our latest rankings update. She’s a steady back row defender who showed a strong knack for passing out of serve receive and solid court coverage. Asia Harvey, OH, Sandy Creek HS, A5 – A high-flying, 6-1 outside, Harvey oozes potential and could be a stud at the collegiate level. She showed flashes of what she can become delivering a few wow moments during our times watching her this past season. Ashlyn Paymal, RS, Burke HS, NE Elite – Paymal was impressive the times we caught her in action. She’s a 6-3, six-rotation right side. She was the team’s best offensive option with her ability to score all the way around the court. Charlotte Vinson, RS, Yorktown HS, Munciana – Vinson was a key part of the attack. She’s a 6-1 right side who is an option both front and back row. She has a good arm and proved to be a reliable and consistent scorer. Addison Gaido, RS, Georgetown HS, Austin Skyline – We wrote about Gaido earlier this week in our article tracking potential 5-star recruits. Gaido is part of the Class of 2025 players who moved up from 3 to 4-stars. She’s a 6-4 right side with lots of upside. Alex Richter, OH, Highland Park HS, Drive Nation – Richter has the prototypical frame that is screaming with potential. She’s a lanky 6-3 with a strong swing. She’s certainly displayed next-level abilities at times and is a name to know. Addison Makun, MB, Silver Creek HS, KiVA – A 6-3 middle, Makun has lots of raw talent and is one to keep tabs on as she continues developing. She’s long with the ability to go over blocks and she’s shown good strength as well. Maya Evens, L/DS, Cathedral Catholic HS, Wave – Evens shined playing up for Wave 16 Brennan this past club season. She’s absolute nails in the back row. She’s consistently on point in serve receive and she has great range defending and picking off attacks.

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Tracking Potential 5-Star Recruits

During our recent player rankings update, we reviewed every player we had listed to determine whether to keep their ranking the same or move them to the next tier. Earlier this week we wrote about the newest recruits to join the 5-star rank featuring those who moved up. You can view that article here. Below, we highlight athletes from the Classes of 2023-2026 who could be next in line to become 5-star recruits when our next update is released. All the players listed below are currently ranked as 4-star recruits. They are also listed with the club they played for last season. Please email chris@vballrecruiter.com with any changes. 2023 Mia Lee, MB, Mountain View HS, Club V – There are some who already view Lee – a BYU commit – as a 5-star recruit. She’s close and like a lot of the players listed in this article she would be at a 4.5 rating if we awarded half-stars. She’s 5-11 but touches a ridiculous 10-7, putting her in rare company. Noemie Glover, RS, Cathedral Catholic HS, Coast – A 6-1 high-flying lefty who is committed to Oregon, Glover is among those we are keeping a close eye on in seeing if she’ll move up in our next update. She’s capable of hitting crazy sharp angles and is still relatively raw compared to other studs in the Class of 2023. Kennedy Martin, RS, Appleton North HS, FC Elite – A Florida commit, there’s plenty to love about Martin. One aspect is her height of 6-6. She’s clearly a presence on the right side with her ability to hit high combined with her block. Brielle Kemavor, MB, Colgan HS, Metro – Kemavor has something in common with many of our recruits who are already rated at 5-stars. That’s her height. She’s tall at 6-5, which is obviously a valuable tool when it comes to the middle position. She’s commited to BYU. Claire Little, OH, Vista Murrieta HS, Coast – One thing we know for sure is BYU is getting a haul when it comes to the Class of 2023. Little is the third recruit we are writing about here with potential to get to 5-stars. She’s an all-around contributor who can take over matches at times. Kendal Murphy, OH, Horizon HS, AZ Rev – Murphy – a Baylor commit – was one of the MVPs at the recent Under Armour Next Selection Camp stop in So Cal. She’s a high-IQ outside with next-level height at 6-3. She’s a viable scorer whether front or back row. *** 2024 Sarah Brodner, OH/RS, Jupiter HS, High Tide – Brodner’s rating improved this last go around from 3 to 4-stars. There’s a chance she could be in 5-star territory the next time the rankings are updated. She’s definitely one to keep tabs on. Brodner is a 6-5 pin hitter with lots of length and ability to hit over blocks. She has the potential to shine at the collegiate level. Kiylah Presley, MB, Bishop McNamara HS, Paramount (Virginia) – There’s was strong consideration given to moving Presley up to 5-stars in our recent update. She’s very close. She has tremendous upside with her athletic gifts. She’s 6-0 and already touching 10-5. She recently committed to Virginia. Mia Hood, MB, Blessed Trinity HS, A5 – Feedback from certain coaches would already place Hood in the 5-star territory. Nothing is for certain, but odds are she’ll be a 5-star recruit before too long. She has too much going for her not to be. She’s 6-7 and takes up a lot of space at the net. Molly Kate Patten, RS, Lambert HS, A5 – Patten has endless potential and is surely on our radar as someone we are watching closely. She’s a 6-5 lefty who has proven to be a reliable scorer and strong blocker. Logan Wiley, MB, Alpharetta HS, A5 – One of the reasons A5 had such a strong team in the 16s age group this past season is Wiley is the third member from the squad who is in consideration for being a 5-star recruit. She recently committed to Georgia Tech. Wiley is 6-2 and quick. She’s shown strong scoring skills and can impact matches on both sides of the ball. Bailey Higgins, RS, Berkley Prep HS, OTVA – Higgins is an explosive attacker on the right side. She’s a 6-1 lefty with a strong arm. She’s touching 10-1 and could be a menace if she’s able to add a few more inches to her jump. Alec Rothe, OH/MB, Dublin Scioto HS, Elite VBTC – During club Rothe played at both outside and middle. With continued work and development she could be a pin at the next level. She’s 6-2 and moves well for her height. *** 2025 Lauren Coyne, RS, Wheaton-Warrenville South, SPVB – There’s plenty of time before Coyne gets to the next level and we’ll be watching as she progresses. She’s a 6-2 lefty who touches 10-0. As she moves up age divisions and adds to her game, she may be able to make the next tier as a 5-star recruit. Kalyssa Blackshear, MB, Torrance HS, Surfside – Blackshear was also a MVP at the recent Under Armour Next Selection Camp stop in So Cal. She was given strong consideration as a 5-star recruit in our latest update. A 6-4 middle with great court sense, it’s hard not seeing reach the top tier before too long. Addison Gaido, RS, Georgetown HS, Austin Skyline – Gaido certainly has the frame to star at the next level. She’s 6-4 with long arms and has no trouble going over the block. She had a strong club season for Austin Skyline this past spring and is definitely on the 5-star watchlist. Jordan Smith, OH/RS, Howell Central HS, Rockwood Thunder – Smith played up an age group, suiting up for Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite this past club season. She flashed plenty of upside and there’s tons to like about her game. She has certain tangibles too that has

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The Newest 5-Star Recruits

vballrecruiter.com recently updated its player rankings for Classes 2023-2026. You can find out who is on the list for their respective classes by clicking the links: 2023 2024 2025 2026 Below, we highlight those players whose ranking improved from 4 to 5-stars in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 classes. There are eight players featured from the class of 2025; five from 2024; and two from 2023. For the Class of 2026, there are nine players who are 5-star recruits in our initial release for that age group. Players are listed with their clubs from this past season, unless we know of changes already. Please email chris@vballrecruiter.com with any updates. CLASS OF 2025 Lameen (Mimi) Mambu, OH/RS, Chantilly HS, (Paramount) – Mambu was the only member from the Class of 2025 to make the move from 3 to 5-stars. She has unbelievable potential with her 5-11 frame and already touching 10-6. Even if she doesn’t add to her jumping ability moving forward she’s already in an elite class and she is going to add power as well. The sky is the limit and she’s definitely one to keep tabs on as she moves through the age groups. Ryan Hunter, RS, Mallard Creek HS, (Carolina Juniors) – If you aren’t familiar with Hunter she’s a name you need to know and follow. She’s a 6-2 lefty who touches 10-5. She has limitless potential to star on the next level with her athletic abilities. It was a consensus decision moving her from 4 to 5-stars as she’s a rare talent. Campbell Flynn, S, Mercy HS, (Legacy) – The reality is Flynn could have started off as a 5-star recruit but after her performance during the club season where she flashed her undeniable potential she moved up from 4-stars. She’s a 6-1 setter with great hands, touch and the strength to make sets other in her age group aren’t capable of. With her height, she’s also an offensive setter in that you have to account for her dumping on the second touch. She’ll be a highly-sought after recruit come next summer. Kassidy O’Brien, S, Cinco Ranch HS, (Hou Skyline) – With O’Brien upgrading her ranking from 4 to 5-stars, she’s now one of eight setters in the Class of 2025 with a 5-star ranking. That’s a strong setting class overall and at 6-0 with her talent O’Brien fits in well. She locates consistently and sets a clean ball while rarely off her mark. She’s going to make a mark at the next level. Natalie Wardlow, MB, Lincoln Southeast HS, (Nebraska One) – A 6-4 middle, Wardlow was a standout at her position this past club season and has moved from 4 to 5-stars. She flashed remarkable upside and at times was the best player on the court. Her height and extension allow her to hit sharp angles as well as put up a big block. Kirra Musgrove, S/RS, Lutheran South Academy, (Hou Skyline) – There figures to be a few top-notch programs in the mix for Musgrove next summer. This 6-2 setter/right side was a key contributor for HJV 15 Elite this past club season and will suit up for Hou Skyline 17 Royal next year. Her length at the setting position is desirable and she’s a smooth disher. She can also attack well, bringing versatility to any lineup and is part of the reason why she moved from 4 to 5-stars. Addison Tindall, OH, Homestead HS, (Team Pineapple) – We had Tindall as a 4-star recruit but after watching her this club season and seeing her upside she was moved up to the top tier as a 5-star recruit. She’s a 6-2 outside who is long with a high contact point. She’s a threat wherever she is on the court. She’s only going to add strength and as she gets stronger she’s going to become more and more of a force moving forward. Navea Gauthier, OH, Shelby HS, (Far Out) – The final member of the Class of 2025 who moved up from 4 to 5-stars, Gauthier is a 6-1 outside with natural strength. She showcased a wide array of shots when watching her this season and with her powerful arm is always a threat whether front or back row. CLASS OF 2024 Ava Utterback, OH, Plainfield HS (Circle City) – One of the top outside hitters in the Class of 2024, Utterback’s ranking improved from 4 to 5 stars in our recent update. She’s a 6-0 high-flyer with the ability to take over matches with her offensive ability. She has a lively arm and with her jump can go over the top of blocks with ease. Hannah Benjamin, OH, Fideles Christian HS, (A5) – Benjamin was playing on an A5 2s team during her 15s year of club. Now, she’s rated as a 5-star recruit! That’s the level of improvement she’s showed in just two seasons. The 6-1 outside is an all-around contributor with her passing, defending and attacking skills. She has a bright future ahead of her and recently committed to Kentucky. Faith Frame, L/DS, Gretna HS, (Premier Nebraska) – Frame was one of three players to move up from a 3-star ranking to 5 stars after her recent club season playing for Premier Nebraska. This summer she committed to Cincinnati and should star for the Bearcats down the road. She’s a smooth backrow defender who doesn’t rattle and is capable of making highlight reel saves all over the court. Nayelis Cabello, S/RS, East Ridge HS, (Top Select) – Cabello was another member of the Class of 2024 who jumped from 3 to 5-stars after this past club season. A 6-0, two-way player, Cabello recently committed to Louisville. She’s a high-level setter with strong hands and consistent location who can also hit across the front row. It’s likely she’ll be running a 5-1 at the next level but could be part of a 6-2 if necessary. Emerson Sellman, OH, Holy Cross HS, (Metro) – This 6-4 outside hitter is oozing

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AAU Beach: Day 4 Show Stoppers

Welcome back to Hermosa Beach. Sunday marked the final day at AAU Junior Nationals or as AAU calls it “Sandday”. There is a lot on our plate from the day as the Gold bracket for 18U, 16U, 15U, and 14U all played out. There was tons of quality volleyball and action on the courts so without further ado here are the Day 4 Show Stoppers.18UErin Inskeep/Ashley Pater – After coming in second in pool play Day 1, this team won eight straight matches to win the title. They are a solid group who can beat you in so many different ways. Their serving was accurate, combined with two outstanding defenders who read well and can finish the rally with great court vision proved to be a winning combination.Madison Goellner/Grace Hong – This duo had a good run taking second overall. A traditional team with Goellner blocking and Hong defending gave each teammate a specific role and they both excelled at their craft. Goellner covers a lot of court blocking while also being able to score with a heavy swing. Hong has a good feel for positioning in defense as she regularly makes the right read and converts with a good lefty swing.Macey Butler/Jenna Colligan – Colligan was solid on defense. Showing great athleticism, we watched her chase down and dive for balls on consecutive rallies that made it hard for opponents to score. Butler brought swagger with sharp kills and blocks propelled this team to a bronze at AAU.Malia Gementera/Kylie Vaickus – This duo played solidly all tournament and had a great third-place finish. Vaickus was very active at the net. We saw her block and drop multiple times consecutively showing her stamina and strength as an elite blocker. Then Gementera adds her scrappy defense and finishing with an attack that features a high snap that punishes the ball. 16UHaylee Lafontaine/Danielle Sparks – The winners of 16U, it all starts with their ball control. Lafontaine is clean with her touches around the net. As a blocker she punishes overpasses and tight sets, while also showing touch with scramble plays and a good arm capable of putting away any set. Sparks’ defense and serving sets a good tone for her team. Her accuracy in serving and instincts in defense combined with a great touch on offense makes her a scoring machine.Claire Sun/Logan Tusher – Sun serve was on point today. A hard flat serve gave opponents fits all day, giving her opportunities to use her cut shot to score ofter. Tusher was a beast at the net, making great reads blocking leading to big roofs for her team. They had a great run and finished second overall.Sophia Martinez/Demi Wagdy – They were the definition of a team that hustles. Combine that with their athleticism jumping and attacking we saw some great highlight plays. Seeing Martinez dive sideways for a touched ball and getting back up and putting a big swing for a point gave this duo a well-deserved third-place finish.Elise Lenahan/Kiera Tanioka – A steady duo, this team didn’t make too many errors forcing opponents to play a perfect game to beat them. Showing great chemistry by moving around each other and covering the open court they picked up and converted on defense without any hesitation. Lenahan’s big arm combined with Tanioka’s stellar defense solidified their bronze medal. 15UElena Fisher/Kyra Zaengle – The amount of pressure Zaengle produces with her jump serve was stunning. Her ability to snap a ball to a corner with consistency gave her team so much momentum. Add that both her and Fisher were punishing balls with the easy balls coming over gave them a dominating win and gold at AAU.Elena Lam/Zara Stewart – A team that possesses good ball control led the way to their second-place finish at AAU. This group’s passing touch in serve receive and defense gave them so many opportunities on offense. Attacking wise for this duo they had not only court vision but countless shots and wrist aways that completely stretched the defense and left them scrambling.Lily Dee Davis/Aubrey Mcbride – Mcbride’s energy and willingness to dive on defense brings some exciting rallies to her matches. She usually converts with a good court awareness cut shot or booming deep kill. Davis is a perfect complement for Mcbride’s defense with a solid block and ability to transition and finish with big kill for the 6-0 blocker. They teamed up for a good 3rd place finish.Audrey Davis/Samantha Hsu – This team’s third place relied on the arm of Davis. Davis’ swing is textbook example of something repeatable with success. An over-the-top high reaching swing gives her so much range she’s able to hit around most blocks. She gets so many opportunities due to Hsu and her ball control. Her hands delivering sets are strong and coupled with quick feet she gets to most balls and is a beast on defense. 14ULayla Austin/Jordyn Scribner – Austin was on fire. She was getting her feet to the ball and let that big arm produce some impressive kills all day. Scribner provided excellent ball control with not only her sweet sets but also a strong serve that produced long runs resulting in a gold medal for this duo.Ella Olson/Addison Terrell – Watching Terrell go swing for swing with Austin in the finals was fun. Terrell’s jumping abilities along with a great wrist snap allows her hit hard straight ahead or cutting the ball towards the sideline. Olson has great court sense and continuously makes strong reads on defense and converts with cut shots helping this duo to a strong second-place finish.Gentry Barker/Sophee Peterson – This team showed resilience, placing a well-deserved third. After losing 29-31 on Day 1 they bounced back and won six straight sets before losing to the eventual champions. Peterson showed good explosiveness with her block and approach along the net. Combined with strong hands she easily wins joust and scores with her swing. Barker compliments her with a hard serve and quick feet

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AAU Beach: Day 3 Show Stoppers

On a sunny Saturday from Hermosa Beach we attended Day 3 of the AAU beach championships. The 14 and 15U finished pool play for a chance at the gold bracket. The silver brackets for 18 and 16U finished up. Here are the Show Stoppers for Day 3.18U Consolation ChampsAlexa Fernandez/Carys Patton – We were able to see a couple of this team’s matches and they were exciting to watch. Fernandez looked fearless out there. She played with a high defensive intensity going for every ball then converting with big swing after swing. Patton has an effective jump serve tracking towards the sideline and scoring points in bunches. She also possesses good court vision by continuously being able to chip the ball over the block and eluding the defender. 16U Consolation ChampsMadelynn Hokanson/Jordan Patrick – Although we only saw them once we were impressed. Patrick is a good defender and a low-error attacker. She perfectly compliments the 5-11 Hokanson and her big swing. An athletic lefty with a good jump and a high reach on her swing, we saw Hokanson absolutely crush it. We can’t wait to see her return next season with a year to train. The sky’s the limit for her. 14UElla Olson/Addison Terrell – Terrell dominated with her attack today. She can crush a ball, while also mixing in a roll shot made defending her a chore. Olson chipped in with some strong serving and low attack errors in a recipe for success.Sara Moynihan/Simone Roslon – Moynihan is a lefty who can play effectively on both sides and was solid again. She’s active defensively, leading to a powerful transition swing. Combined with Roslon’s ball control and a myriad of offensive shots gives this duo a good chance at a medal.Olga Nikolaeva/Thais Treumann – This duo’s ball control is solid. They were one of the better teams in serve receive that we witnessed. Nikolaeva can defend the best attackers with her reading and passing touch. Treumann is a spark, playing with good energy. It seems her team always goes on a long run with the momentum she gives.Nafanua Alofipo/Janie Mccanna – After watching these two play they can definitely make a run in the gold bracket. Both are plus defenders with good anticipation of where the attacker is looking at. Combined with a good court vision on offense made their day relatively easy. 15UElena Fisher/Kyra Zaengle – The No. 1 seed overall was impressive. Fisher was steady with her digging and offense. Rarely making errors she has a good feel for where the set and block are and made good choices. Zaengle put on a serving clinic. Her jump serve was on point. It blended her intensity with a consistent high velocity serve that scored in bunches.Mikki Carlin/Kiara Edwards – Both of these splits are not only tall but very skillful. Carlin’s moves are athletic and quick, constantly getting to shots usually reserved for smaller defenders. Edwards has a high reaching swing that makes it hard to block, combined with some feel for the block, she has no problem scoring.Lily Dee Davis/Aubrey Mcbride – Davis and McBridge are a well-balanced team. Mcbride covers the defense with her quickness and high conversion rate. Davis plays the net well. Getting good touches and blocks, Davis also shows quickness reading a shot then dropping to defend and getting back up to put down a big kill.Avery Cukjati/Ariana Medchill – We saw this team for the first time and came away impressed. Both possess good ball control making their defense and serve receive solid. Medchill moves well in the back defending and making good reads. Cukjati sees the court well offensively mixing in hard shots with a couple of wrist away swings finding the sand for points.

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AAU Junior Nationals: Day 2 Show Stoppers

Hermosa Beach welcomes the 29th Annual AAU Junior National Beach Volleyball Championships running July 21-24th. We are excited to be here and catch all the action. Day 2 play featured 18, 16, 15 and 14U. 18U and 16U were battling in pool play to make Gold bracket. For 15 and 14U it was Day 1 of their pool play. With all matches at AAU played to one set anything can happen. Here are the teams which impressed us and made our Day 2 Show Stoppers.18UErin Inskeep/Ashley Pater – This team battled through the consolation pool to make the gold bracket. One of the top defending tandems, they can do it all with top tier ball control. Finding more offense can give them a deep run.Bailey Showalter/Madison White – This duo of USC commits dominated play. Showalter’s ability to reach over the net blocking is solid. White puts away balls with a quick and powerful swing, they are playing like the No. 1 seed overall.Ensley Alden/Taylor Hagenah – The power that these two possess is daunting. Both have a heavy swing complimented by excellent ball control. What really stands out watching this group is their on court chemistry. Communication, body language and energy is a big part of this team.Indigo Clarke/Phoenix Clarke – We love watching these two sisters play. Their tempo and style is upbeat, catching many teams scrambling to get into position. Phoenix has a good swing capable of some extreme angels.Malia Gementera/Kylie Vaickus – This team dominated. Gementera has an impressive high reach on her swing, giving her the ability to cut the ball sharply inside the block and score with ease. 16UVictoria Henkel/Stacey Reeves – Reeves continues to impress with her energy and court presence. Playing upbeat and backing it up with big swings sets a strong tone for her team. Henkel adds sound defense and good serves puts this duo in medal contention.Katherine Morley/Julia Waugh – Morley and Waugh are a sound ball control group who doesn’t make too many errors. Morley is very savvy at the net with her ability to mix up her shots confusing defenders. Waugh has an excellent passing touch and places the ball well with her swings.Claire Sun/Logan Tusher – This team has a deep run in them. Both 6-0 splits have good ball control and definitely can put balls away. Tusher has a good touch and controls the ball well. Sun has good court vision combined with a power swings, giving this duo plenty of offense.Haylee Lafontaine/Danielle Sparks – Sparks defense is clean. She reads and covers most shots complimenting Lafontaine’s effectiveness blocking. A good blocker Lafontaine can also hit a good heavy ball, making this a very balanced team. 15UElena Fisher/Kyra Zaengle – This group showed excellent ball control. They both locate their serve well leading to long serving runs. Zaengle is very quick picking up shots and on scramble plays not allowing opponents any easy points.Mikki Carlin/Kiara Edwards – Edwards was a force attacking today. A 6-0 attacker with a nice over the top swing, she see’s the court well. She’s able to not only power the ball cross court but also showed a good wrist away swing that produced good results.Audrey Davis/Samantha Hsu – Davis’ attacks were scoring a lot. Her athleticism shows when she simply overpowered the block with her jump to crush the ball straight down.Jade Curtis/Pyper Nelson – Curtis plays with good energy. She covers the court with her quick defense and proceeds to put balls in play while not making errors to put a lot of pressure on defenses. Nelson plays the net well, showing good athleticism reading the ball and then being able to hit a good ball in transition. 14UElla Olson/Addison Terrell – We enjoyed watching this duo. A smart team that takes advantages open spots on offense either with a variety of cut shots, plus the occasional option play, but also with the power of Terrell. She brings the heat with a good over the top swing peppering the sidelines.Layla Austin/Jordyn Scribner – Austin continues her hot play as of late. Making deep medal runs the last two tournaments her team dominated pool play. Her arm is electric and if she gets on top of it, watch out because that ball is coming in hot!Olga Nikolaeva/Thais Treumann – Olga continued her victory at the BVCA last week with a dominating day in pool play. On defense her fast feet combined with good footwork and powerful makes her conversion points hard to dig.Emma Champagne/Anabelle Redaelli – Champagne is a 6-0 blocker who has a good feel for the ball. She has the ability to block and contend tight sets. Also, she has a good jump and swing putting balls in play with pace.

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Commitment & Signings Week of July 22-28

Congrats to all! Corrections? Questions? Additions? Email christi@vballrecruiter.com or DM on Social Media @vballphil   2022 UW OSHKOSH: OH Brooke Porter (Wisconsin Elite) ST. ANDREWS: MB/OH Xaria Pearson (Ignite Volleyball Club) ST. ANDREWS: OH/DS Samantha Vernati (Wellington Volleyball Academy) GREENSBORO COLLEGE: OH/Opp Kelci Brooks DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY CA: MB/OH Hailey Reynolds (Dynasty) DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY CA: MB/Opp Avery Schneider (Apex NW) CARNEGIE MELLON: MB Kai Herchenroether (Revolution) CARNEGIE MELLON: MB/Opp Katherine Jackson (Wildfire VBA) CARNEGIE MELLON: MB Julianna McFarland (Virginia Elite) CARNEGIE MELLON: Opp/OH Liz Schlemmer (Elevation) CARNEGIE MELLON: Opp Bella Woodard (Houston Juniors) CARNEGIE MELLON: MB Isabella Sierra (Virginia Juniors) ALBANY STATE: MB Mary-Kate Preston (Houston Juniors) ALBANY STATE: MB/Opp Madisyn Smith (NC Academy) ALBANY STATE: MB Khamari Trotter (Tsunami) ALBANY STATE: S Molly Wilson ALBANY STATE: L Fallyn Nobles (Willowbrook) ALBANY STATE: OH Kennadi Wallace ALBANY STATE: L Cierra Keys COLLEGE OF ST. ROSE: S Rachel Hennessey SYRACUSE: OH Ariana Joubert (1st Alliance) WESTERN NEBRASKA CC: Opp Autumn Bennett (Club V) HAVERFORD COLLEGE: S Kayla Chu (SG Elite) SUNY CORTLAND: OH Grace Reed SUNY CORTLAND: OH Emalee Ballou (Niagara Frontier) FOLSOM LAKE COLLEGE: MB/OH Lexi Berry FRESNO CC: OH/DS Mimi Verdone (Pulse Volleyball Club) GRACE COLLEGE: DS/OH Alyssa Thompson GRACE COLLEGE: L Emma Blackford (SoCal Volleyball Club) GRACE COLLEGE: MB Livia Tate (Illini Elite) MISSOURI ST. LOUIS: L Rylee Edson (HPSTL)   2023 WESLEYAN: MB Maddy Andrews (Absolute) PENN STATE: L Jocelyn Nathan (East Coast Power) ARKANSAS STATE: MB/OH Haley Glunz (Colorado Juniors) GEORGE MASON: MB Chelsea Colter (VA Juniors) TEXAS SOUTHERN: S Ava Ray (VA Juniors) TEXAS SOUTHERN: MB Keldri Young (Tallahassee VBA) COLLEGE OF WOOSTER: S Emma Fleck (Dunes) UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND: MB Mia Fedota (OJVA) UC DAVIS: S Mia Starr (OJVA) HANOVER COLLEGE: OH Abbey Mccoy (The Academy) UTAH TECH: OH Mya Laufiso (Club V) UNIVERSITY OF MARY: L Chloe Solheid (M1 Volleyball) WHEELING UNIVERSITY: MB Katie Wilking (Tri-State Elite) INDIANA: S Luca Fickell (Tri-State Elite) TUFTS: OH Becca DePencier Piñero (Sudden Impact) TARLETON: L Carly Lange (Houston Stellar) TARLETON: MB Faith Wilkins (Texas Legacy) DENISON: OH Maeve Perry (The Academy) WAYNE STATE: S Kayla Dulgar (Mintonette Sports) WRIGHT STATE: MB Reilly Zegunis (Far Out) MARINE MARITIME ACADEMY: S Annabel Frieden (ECV) UW LA CROSSE: OH Kayla Sexton (MN Select) UW LA CROSSE: L Madelyn Freiberg (Ultimate VBC) FORT LEWIS COLLEGE: MB Averie Dembickie (SA Elite) HUNTINGTON UNIVERSITY: S Lauren Ross (Summit) HUNTINGTON UNIVERSITY: OH Nigella Reck (Elite Volleyball) SOUTHERN ILLINOIS EDWARDSVILLE: L Megan DePoorter (Iowa Select) UL MONROE: MB Addison Chapman (Houston Juniors) UL MONROE: OH Olivia Sanchez (Excel) FLORIDA GULF COAST: S Shanelle Puetz (Wave) TRUMAN STATE: OH Alina Hajewski (Colorado Juniors) TEXAS TECH: L Abigayle Dickinson (OTVA) PALM BEACH ATLANTIC: Madison Jacobs (Ocala Power) FLORIDA: L Gaby Cornier (A5) NICHOLLS STATE: OH Gracie Campbell (TAV Houston) UT EL PASO: L Ava Martindale (TAV Houston) ST. EDWARDS: OH Landry Baughman (Excel) STEPHEN F AUSTIN: MB Tanishua Joseph (Houston Stellar) SEATTLE PACIFIC: S Sophie Chambers (Tejas) VIRGINIA TECH: OH Hailey Pearce (Carolina Union) APPALACHIAN STATE: MB Ava Leahy (Carolina Union) TRINITY UNIVERSITY: S Kendall De Rivel (LAVA West) UTAH VALLEY: OH/L Madi Standifird (Club V) FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL: L Maile Sugamura (WVBA) CAL POLY: S Samantha Callahan (Norcal) TOLEDO: L Avery Adamski (Toledo VBC) HAVERFORD COLLEGE: S Dasha Igonin (Unified) UT PERMIAN BASIN: OH Kennedi Wright (Skyline) BLACK HILLS STATE: Opp Jade Ridgway (Mountain Peak) UT SAN ANTONIO: S Makenna Wiepert (Athena VBA) TENNESSEE TECH: OH/Opp Ava Schubert (Iowa Select) ST. OLAF: L Karin Fowler (Iowa Select) INCARNATE WORD: S Victoria Hall (Illini Elite) HILLSDALE COLLEGE: MB Molly Kennedy (ClevPRIME)   2024 WAKE FOREST: S Becca Bellows (Sports Performance) MISSISSIPPI STATE: S Cayley Hanson (Houston Skyline) AUBURN: Isabella Humphrey (Boiler Jrs) CLEMSON: L Claire Luoma (MKE Sting) FORDHAM: MB Sophia Kuyn (Alamo) FLORIDA: L Bella Lee (OTVA Tampa) MIDDLE TENNESSEE: S Andi Spies (Captial VBA) SOUTH DAKOTA: OH Lauren Medeck (Premier Nebraska) SOUTH DAKOTA: Opp/OH Carly Ries (Nebraska Elite) VIRGINIA TECH: OH Belle Patrick (NC Academy) MARYLAND: OH Katherine Scherer (Sports Performance) CINCINNATI: L Faith Frame (Premier Nebraska) NORTHWESTERN: OH Ava Pratt (Adversity) IOWA STATE: L Rachel Van Gorp (KC Power) UCSB: S Madilynn Collins (Surfside VBC)   TRANSFERS ALBANY STATE: TR Opp Jenae Thomas (University of Charleston/Dallas Premier) FRANKLIN COLLEGE: TR MB Hannah Thibideau (Kentucky Wesleyan/Union) SUNY CORTLAND: TR OH Allie Sturgess (UAlbany/Long Island Academy) SUNY CORTLAND: GR Opp Zoe Staats (Rhode Island/Downstate) OKLAHOMA: GR MB Adria Oliver (Clemson/Cincinnati/Upward Stars) FORT LEWIS COLLEGE: TR OH Melanie Smith (Bridgepoint/Rocky Elite) SYRACUSE: GR L Alyssa Bert (Colorado State) CAL STATE HUMBOLDT: TR Opp/MB Jessica Baker MISSOURI ST. LOUIS: GR OH/Opp Hailey Flowers (Radford/Illini Elite) MISSOURI ST. LOUIS: TR OH Lauren Minick (Heartland CC)   BEACH   2023 STETSON: Bella Avelar (Elite Beach) UL MONROE: Vivian RoBards (MAVA) ARIZONA STATE: Elsa Snipes (Golden Gate VBC)   2024 TCU: Vivian Johnson (Madsand) LMU: Stacy Reeves (MB Sand)   TRANSFERS SANTA CLARA: TR Katie Kishton (West Valley College)   BOYS   2022 CAROLINA UNIVERSITY: MB Fritz Hall (Triangle)  

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Final 14s Club National Rankings

We spent the week releasing our final Club National Rankings. Last in line is the 14s divisions, which you can find below. You can find the 18s, 17s, 16s and 15s that were already put out by clicking on the links. There are lots of factors to take into consideration when formulating a list like this. It leaves plenty of room for debate as these rankings are ultimately subjective. There are power league results, qualifier results, national tournaments like Triple Crown and of course the USAV Girls Junior Nationals and AAU national championships. All these come into play. We put more weight on what happened at Junior Nationals than a qualifier because the whole season is built toward peaking at JN’s. We also had one steadfast rule we didn’t break no matter the circumstances. That rule was if Team A defeated Team B in a gold challenge match or gold bracket match at JN’s, Team A is always going to be ranked ahead of Team B. That’s because everyone comes to JN’s to win a gold medal and if Team A eliminates Team B from contention, it won at the absolute right time. It can make for some skewed overall rankings as a team might be too high or low overall but what’s the point if the biggest head-to-head matches of the season aren’t the most important ones? The Top 25 teams have comments to hopefully give some insight as to why they are ranked where they are. A select few from 26-50 have comments as well but not all. 1. MINTONETTE M.41 (6 – previous ranking) Going 10-1 overall, Mintonette captured the 14 Open gold medal at Junior Nationals after fedning off Flyers 14 Anthony in the championship match. Mintonette’s only loss came to Forza1 North 14 UA in the second round of pool play. That contest was one of seven consecutive three-setters for Mintonette, which went on to defeat NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami in the challenge round, Wave 14 Brennan in the quarters and Elevation 14 Molly in the semis, all in three as well, before sweeping Flyers. Mintonette beat Flyers in three sets in the first round of pool play as well and finish off the year going 26-11 against Open-qualified teams. Mintonette finished first at Northern Lights and fifth at both MEQ and Windy City, as well as Triple Crown. 2. FRISCO FLYERS 14 ANTHONY (5) Two of the three losses at Junior Nationals – where Flyers took home the silver medal in 14 Open – came to Mintonette. HPSTL 14 Royal was the only other team to top Flyers, coming in the first round of pool play. It was a tremendous year for Flyers, which took second at Lone Star, third at Salt Lake and fourth at Triple Crown. Flyers ends the season with a near identical record as Mintonette against the Open field at 26-12. 3. ELEVATION 14 MOLLY (9) Elevation capped its year with a bronze medal in 14 Open at Junior Nationals, falling to Mintonette in the semis. Elevation outlasted Austin Skyine 14 Royal in challenge play before scoring a big victory over TAV 14 Black in the quarterfinals. The only other loss in Indy came to SG Elite 14 Rosh in the first round of pool play. Elevation finished first at Big South and fourth at MEQ, as well as taking sixth at Triple Crown. Elevation went 24-15 against Open competition. 4. TAV 14 BLACK (3) It was TAV which ended the hopes of Boiler Jrs 14 Gold of ‘doubling up’ when the North Texas Region club took down the 14 Open AAU champion in the challenge round at Junior Nationals. TAV then was stopped in the quarterfinals by Elevation and finished tied for fifth in Indy. TAV ended first at NEQ, fifth at MEQ and 11th at Lone Star. TAV wraps up with a 21-12 mark versus Open teams. 5. BOILER JRS 14 GOLD (8) Though Boiler Jrs wasn’t able to advance to the gold bracket at Junior Nationals, the Hoosier Region club turned in one of the best seasons. Boiler Jrs captured gold in 14 Open at AAU and lost just twice in Indy, to TAV in the challenge round and to Flyers in the second round of pool play. Other results on the season include winning Windy City, taking second at NEQ and third at MEQ. Boiler Jrs also won Bluegrass and the JVA SummerFest and finished 15th at Triple Crown. Boiler Jrs compiled a 30-11 record when facing Open teams, the second-most victories of any team. 6. WAVE 14 BRENNAN (4) A loss to Mintonette in the quarterfinals kept Wave from medaling at Junior Nationals. The only other loss in Indy came to Alamo 14 Premier in the first round of pool pool as Wave finished tied for fifth overall. It was a remarkable season for the So Cal club, which finished first at the Red Rock Rave and fourth at Salt Lake City, as well as second at Triple Crown and winning the JVA West Coast Cup. All that led Wave to a 34-11 mark against Open competition, the most victories of any team against such opponents. 7. SG ELITE 14 ROSH (20) There are always surprises at Junior Nationals and SG was one of the biggest. The So Cal club upset Madfrog 14 Green in the quarterfinals before falling to Flyers in the semis to secure a bronze medal. SG Elite also took out Forza1 North 14 UA in challenge play and together it elevated SG Elite 13 spots in our final rankings. SG Elite – which finished 14th at Triple Crown – took second at the Red Rock Rave and third at PNQ. Its record against Open teams stands at 16-18, with five of those losses coming against Wave. 8. MADFROG 14 GREEN (1) It was a tough ending to an incredible season as Madfrog finished tied for fifth at Junior Nationals. Madfrog came to Indy having lost just once – to Elevation –

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Commitment & Signings Week of July 15-21

Congrats to all! Corrections? Questions? Additions? Email christi@vballrecruiter.com or DM on Social Media @vballphil 2022   2023   2024   TRANSFERS   BEACH 2022   2023   2024   TRANSFERS   BOYS 2022      

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