One way of wrapping up the latest club season is with the final set of national rankings. We released the final 18s rankings Monday and continue Tuesday with the final ones from the 17s division.
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 18s 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. 1st ALLIANCE 17 GOLD (1 – previous national ranking)
Given the depth and competitiveness of the 17s division it was a truly remarkable season for the Illinois club. 1st Alliance opened in impressive fashion by going undefeated at the early Northern Lights qualifier to secure its Open bid. The club then finished third at Triple Crown, where it lost twice to Drive Nation 17 Red. 1st Alliance went on to take fifth at the Sunshine Classic, falling only to A5 Mizuno 17 Jing before going undefeated in winning the Windy City qualifier. In Indy, 1st Alliance displayed the high-level consistency needed to capture a gold medal against such a difficult field. OT 17 John and AZ Rev 17 Premier joined Drive Nation and A5 as the only teams in the same age group to defeat 1st Alliance, which finished with a 26-5 mark against Open-qualified opponents.
2. MN SELECT 17-1 (13)
When it came to MN Select – which finished the year 18-12 against Open teams – the potential of this group was obvious. It was only a matter of if the team could produce at a consistent level when it mattered most. That’s exactly what MN Select did in Indy by taking home the silver medal. It included an impressive victory in the semifinals over a hot Club V 17 Ren Reed squad that helped propel MN Select up the rankings. The team didn’t fare as well as it would’ve liked at AAU, where MN Select participated in a tune-up for Junior Nationals. In Orlando, MN Select finished tied for fifth after falling to OT John in the quarterfinals. In Indy however, MN Select lost just twice – to Tstreet 17 Naseri and to 1st Alliance in the final. The loss to Tstreet was not consequential however, as MN Select already had its pool wrapped up before facing Tstreet. MN Select moved up 11 positions in our final rankings, after being No. 13 heading in our May release.
3. CLUB V 17 REN REED (8)
Club V had a monster season that ended with a bronze medal in Indy. After Triple Crown – where Club V finished 19th – is when the Utah club caught fire. It finished first at the Salt Lake City qualifier. Club V then finished fifth at Red Rock, third at Lone Star and grabbed another qualifier victory at Far Western. Club V picked up arguably its biggest victory of the season when it topped Circle City 17 Purple in three sets in the 17 Open quarterfinals in Indy to clinch a medal. For the season, Club V went 27-11 against Open opponents. The 27 victories ties Drive Nation for the most Open wins.
4. CIRCLE CITY 17 PURPLE (2)
It was not the ending Circle City was hoping for but it shouldn’t take away from an amazing season. Circle City proved itself as one of the best and it showed with a 24-3 record against the Open field, including Indy. Open teams to beat Circle City included TAV 17 Black, 1st Alliance and Club V. Circle City’s only other losses came to Rev Raptors 17-1, which Circle City went 2-2 against. The only setback in Indy came against Club V in the quarterfinals.
5. COAST 17-1 (4)
Coast capped a strong season with a bronze medal at Junior Nationals. Against Open opponents, Coast went 22-9. Its run in Indy was stopped by 1st Alliance in the quarterfinals. Some of the highlights for Coast this year beyond the bronze was going 3-0 against Drive Nation and 4-1 against rival Wave 17 Juliana.
6. LEGACY 17-1 ADIDAS (10)
Legacy had perhaps the most heartbreaking performance at Junior Nationals of any 17 Open team. The Michigan club finished the four-day event 9-1 but its only loss to 1st Alliance kept Legacy from breaking the second round of pool play and participating in the challenge matches. Combined with Legacy earning the gold medal in 17 Open at AAU lands Legacy at No. 6 despite the lower finish in Indy. Legacy posted a 24-10 against Open opponents.
7. WAVE 17 JULIANA (6)
Wave’s hopes of medaling in Indy ended with a loss to Coast in the challenge rounds. Still, it was a great year for the San Diego club, one that included winning the Big South qualifier as well as the JVA West Coast Cup. On the year, Wave was 22-10 against Open qualified teams.
8. PREMIER NEBRASKA 17 GOLD (11)
Another team that had its hopes dashed by eventual champion 1st Alliance, Premier Nebraska was eliminated in the quarterfinals and tied for fifth in Indy. Premier Nebraska played a bit lighter schedule than others but regardless deemed itself worthy of a Top-10 ranking. Premier Nebraska took home gold at the Show Me qualifier in April and went 15-10 against the Open field, which included going 0-4 against 1st Alliance.
9. DRIVE NATION 17 RED (5)
Stumbling a bit at Junior Nationals, Drive Nation finished tied 19th in Indy. It was an unexpected ending to an otherwise strong year. Drive Nation finished runner-up at Triple Crown, second at the Red Rock Rave and third at MEQ, as well as winning the Lone Star Classic. It helped Drive Nation to a 27-11 record against the Open field.
10. AZ REV 17 PREMIER (12)
AZ Rev didn’t begin the season like a team that could finish in the Top 10. Not after finishing 37th at Triple Crown. Yet, the team performed consistently after the February event, first by qualifying with a third-place finish at Salt Lake then producing a sixth-placing showing at Red Rock. Those were the only two qualifiers AZ Rev played in and didn’t play in another national tournament after Red Rock. Still, AZ Rev managed to come up with a fifth-place finish in Indy after reaching the quarterfinals and falling to MN Select. Among its highlights was beating 1st Alliance in the second round of pool play at JN’s.
11. MAVS KC 17-1 (14)
MAVS was sneaky good all season long. A loss to 1st Alliance in challenge play kept MAVS out of the quarterfinals at Junior Nationals. MAVS made it that far in part because of a huge victory over A5 in the second round of pool play. For the season, MAVS went 15-14 against Open teams.
12. HJV 17 ELITE (16)
Houston Jrs put together a solid run at Junior Nationals, falling to AZ Rev in challenge play in its bid to reach the top eight. On the season, HJV went 17-14 against the Open field. While HJV beat MAVS in the second round of pool play at JNs, MAVS finished the year 3-1 against HJV.
13. A5 MIZUNO 17 JING (3)
After a strong showing, the national championships weren’t kind to A5. The Georgia club finished ninth at AAU and a surprising 18th at Junior Nationals. A5 lost both second round pool matches to HJV and MAVS to miss out on the challenge round. Overall though, A5 had one of the better seasons with its record against the Open field, which was 21-11.
14. MADFROG 17 GREEN (21)
Madfrog makes a nice jump in our final rankings. The North Texas Region club was sitting at No. 21 entering Junior Nationals but climbs seven places based on its results in Indy. Madfrog earned a few impressive victories at JN’s, including beating Hou Skyline 17 Royal in the first round of pool play, Sunshine 17 LA in the second round of pool play and Top Select 17 Elite in the challenge round to make the top eight and ultimately finishing tied for fifth. Madfrog was 11-12 against Open teams.
15. SUNSHINE 17 LA (20)
Sunshine’s chance of advancing at Junior Nationals was spoiled with losses to Circle City and Madfrog in the second round of pool play. The team did pick up a couple strong victories in the first round of pool play by defeating both Premier Nebraska and AZ Rev. For the year, Sunshine finished 15-19 against the Open field.
16. MINTONETTE M.71 (23)
Mintonette is another team that made a nice rise in the rankings based on its effort at Junior Nationals. Ranked No. 23 coming into Indy, Mintonette moves up seven spots into the Top 20 after finishing tied for ninth. Mintonette had a strong Day 3, when it beat Hou Skyline in pool play and then again in a one-game playoff to make the challenge round. There, Mintonette fell to MN Select. Mintonette’s final record against Open teams stands at 14-13.
17. HOU SKYLINE 17 ROYAL (7)
Hou Skyline finished its season coming in 23rd at Junior Nationals. Hou Skyline had a couple impressive wins, beating A5 in the first round of pool play and Premier Nebraska in the second round of pool play. However, Hou Skyline was undone with losses to Mintonette in the second round of pool play – first in the two-of-three outing then in a one-game playoff – and missed out on the challenge round. Hou Skyline concluded the season going 18-13 against Open opponents.
18. AJV 17 ADIDAS (27)
Austin Jrs showed up strong in Indy and as a result climbs nine spots in our final rankings, moving up from No. 27. AJV did well breaking pool, including beating TAV 17 Black for the third time this season and then picked up two huge victories over Drive Nation and Coast in the second round of pool play. AJV was stopped by Club V in challenge play and ultimately finished 11th overall. On the year, AJV was 12-16 against Open foes.
19. TAV 17 BLACK (9)
It was a rough Junior Nationals for TAV, which competed without star outside Kyndal Stowers out due to injury. TAV finished the tourney 6-4, but went 1-4 in the first round of pool play and was knocked out of contention early. TAV ended the year 13-15 against the Open field.
20. OT 17 JOHN (17)
OT John’s summer began with a bronze medal in 17 Open at AAU and continued with a 13th-place showing at JN’s. OT scored a big victory against 1st Alliance in the first round of pool play, but was kept from advancing to the top eight later on with a loss to Circle City in challenge play. OT’s record against the Open field was 19-16.
21. TOP SELECT 17 ELITE (30)
Top Select was the lone at-large team in the 17 Open field at Junior Nationals. It also competed at AAU beforehand, finishing tied for fifth in Orlando. Top Select’s performances helped the club move up 10 spots from No. 30 to No. 21 in our final rankings. Top Select had a shot at the top eight in Indy but was upended by Madfrog in challenge play. Top Select went 10-13 against Open qualifiers.
22. METRO 17 TRAVEL (25)
After breaking pool in the first round at Junior Nationals, Metro drew a difficult three-team pool with Club V and Wave. Losses to both eliminated Metro from contention as Metro went on to finish 20th overall. Metro moves up three spots in our final rankings and finishes the season 8-14 versus Open opponents.
23. ALAMO 17 PREMIER (19)
Alamo placed 22nd at Junior Nationals. Among its best showings this season was taking second at the Salt Lake City qualifier. Alamo’s medal hopes at JN’s were dashed with second-round pool losses to Top Select and OT John. On the year, Alamo posted a 10-16 mark against the Open field.
24. KC POWER 17-1 (22)
KC Power advanced to the challenge round at Junior Nationals, losing to Premier Nebraska and missing out on the final eight. It was a good showing for the club that came on more and more as the season progressed. KC Power finishes the season 9-15 against Open opponents.
25. DYNASTY 17 BLACK (15)
Dynasty finished 23rd at Junior Nationals. Dynasty had an up-and-down year in terms of results, but managed to finish consistently well during qualifier season, coming in seventh at Show Me, second at NEQ and winning the Sunshine Classic. Dynasty’s mark against Open foes stands at 14-18.
***
26. SKYLINE 17 ROYAL (18)
27. TSTREET 17 NASERI (26)
28. MKE STING 17 GOLD (36)
MKE Sting is the first team to appear in the national rankings which wasn’t in the 17 Open field in Indy. MKE Sting did win 17 National however, helping the club move up eight spots from its last ranking.
29. ROCKWOOD THUNDER 17 ELITE (33)
30. OJVA 17 GOLD (43)
31. 1ST ALLIANCE 17 SILVER (N/R)
1st Alliance 17 Silver makes a big jump all the way up to No. 31. This is one of those situations where gold bracket results from 17 National factored in. Rev 17-1 Raptors had a remarkable run at AAU and finished third in 17 National in Indy. Yet, 1st Alliance defeated Rev in the semifinals of 17 National, so either Rev had to fall way down to be below 1st Alliance or 1st Alliance climbs higher to move ahead of Rev Raptors.
32. REV 17-1 RAPTORS (44)
Rev had a great showing at AAU, taking the silver medal after falling to Legacy in the final.
33. KU’IKAHI WAHINE 17 RSB (N/R)
Ku’Ikahi, being from Hawaii, doesn’t have the same schedule as other teams but proved it belonged in our final rankings. Ku’Ikahie tied for third in 17 Open at AAU and didn’t participate at Junior Nationals.
34. AVC CLE ROX 17 RED (35)
35. KIVA 17 RED (N/R)
36. LEGACY 17 GIRLS PYRAMID (44)
Legacy ran the table in 17 Premier at AAU, taking home the gold medal and moving up eight spots in our final rankings.
37. NE ELITE 17 VICI (38)
38. ELEVATION 17 GOLLER (46)
39. ILLINI ELITE 17 CARDINAL (N/R)
40. UPVBC 17-1 (24)
41. UNION 17-1 (N/R)
42. ASPIRE 17 PREMIER (37)
43. NORTHERN LIGHTS 17-1 (48)
44. ACADEMY TSUNAMI 17-1 (N/R)
45. ACADEMY 17 DIAMOND (41)
46. NO NAME 17-1 (50)
47. TRI-STATE ELITE 17 BLUE (N/R)
48. VCNEBRASKA 17 ELITE (N/R)
49. ID CRUSH 17 BOWER (28)
50. EXCEL 17 NATIONAL RED (N/R)
***
ON THE CUSP
- CUVC 17 Premier
- Absolute Black 17
- SynergyForce 17 Jeff
- CHAVC 17 Black
- Club V 17 Ren Matt
- Mich Elite 17 Mizuno
- High Tide 17 Elite
- Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar
- Paramount 17 VBC
- GP 17 Rox
- AVA TX 17 Adidas
- FC Elite 17 Elite
- AZ Sky 17 Gold
- HPSTL 17 Royal
- PVA 17 Elite
- Premier Nebraska 17 Black
- SAS 17-1
- Iowa Rockets 17R
- NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami
***
Teams Moving In:
1st Alliance 17 Silver
Ku’Ikahi Wahine 17 RSB
KiVA 17 Red
Illini Elite 17 Cardinal
Union 17-1
Academy Tsunami 17-1
Tri-State Elite 17 Blue
VCNebraska 17 Elite
Excel National 17 Red
***
Teams Moving Out:
CHAVC (29)
CUVC 17 Premier (31)
Mich Elite 17 Mizuno (32)
SynergyForce 17 Jeff (34)
Club V 17 Ren Matt (39)
Arizona Storm 17 Thunder (40)
Absolute Black 17 (42)
NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (47)
PVA 17 Elite (49)
