We’ve been off to a flying start with our predictions for the 18s. The hot start continued last week by picking TAV 18 Black to win the Lone Star Classic, as well as calling Hou Skyline 18 Royal to qualify as well. The only miss came with Madfrog 18 Green. Instead, it was OT 18 Roberto taking home one of the three bids. OT actually beat Madfrog on Day 2 and created a three-way tie at 2-1. Madfrog ended third in the pool and failed to advance. It was Madfrog’s only loss on the weekend. Madfrog is back in action at this weekend’s Florida Fest. Below, you can find our predictions for this weekend, as well as nationally-ranked teams, 4 and 5-star players in the field and a brief outlook.
FLORIDA FEST 18s
Number of Teams: 28
Number of Bids: 3
Previously-Qualified Teams (2): Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite; OT 18 O Roberto
vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (9):
- 5. Triangle 18 Black NC
- 8. Madfrog 18 Green TX
- 12. Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite MO
- 26. OT 18 O Roberto FL
- 28. Miami Hype 18 Emilio FL
- 32. Metro 18 Travel DC
- 39. Tribe 18 Elite Cardinal FL
- 40. Legacy 18-1 Adidas MI
- 49. Top Select 18 Elite FL
vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players to Watch:
- Ryan Hunter RS Triangle 18 Black (2025, Nebraska)
- Lameen Mambu OH Metro 18 Travel (2025, Georgia Tech)
vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players to Watch:
- Fallon Stewart OH OT 18 O Roberto (Cincinnati)
- Juleigh Urbina S OT 18 O Roberto (Georgetown)
- Alayna Smith RS Triangle 18 Black (Illinois)
- Ashlyn Philpot MB Triangle 18 Black (Illinois)
- Lolo Lambert OH Madfrog 18 Green (Arkansas)
- Kennedy Washington MB Madfrog 18 Green
- Erin Debiec S Metro 18 Travel (Colorado State)
- Lillian Croshaw MB Madfrog 18 Green (Illinois State)
- Heidi Devers L/DS Dynasty 18 Black (Kansas)
- Jordan Smith RS Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite (2025, NC State)
- Maya Witherspoon OH Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite (2025, Vanderbilt)
- Alexis Ewing MB Metro 18 Travel (2025, Penn State)
Outlook: With 28 teams, this is the biggest field to date for 18 Open. It’s also the first weekend we have the possibility of trickle down in play as there are two qualified teams in Rockwood Thunder and OT Roberto. Rockwood Thunder qualified by taking second at the KC MLK two weeks ago, while OT grabbed second place last weekend at Lone Star. Leading the pack this weekend is Triangle, which is playing in its first qualifier of the season and is among the top contenders. Another team to watch out for is Metro, which tied for fifth at Windy City and is fully capable of earning a bid this weekend. Then there is Madfrog, which is also a real contender to qualify.
Prediction: The call is Madfrog beating Triangle in the final, as both pick up bids. With OT and Rockwood in the mix, we expect trickle down to play a part, with Tribe taking advantage and earning the final bid.
