It only takes one match for things to go boom! And with it, the 16 Open division on Day 2 at the Sunshine Classic took on an entirely unexpected look. The opening round Sunday saw nationally-ranked No. 41 Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal upset No. 1 Legacy 16-1 Adidas in straight sets.
The recent Triple Crown champion and newly-appointed top-ranked team in the country in our Top 50 rankings finished in a three-way tie at 2-1 with Tribe and GP 16 Rox. However, Legacy lost out in the tiebreaker because of the head-to-head defeat to Tribe and wound up finishing third, behind first-place GP and second-place Tribe. Legacy had a shot at winning the pool, but needed to sweep GP in the final match but instead pulled it out in three.
Joining the shock of Legacy not advancing was Tribe 16 Elite Navy going 3-0 as the No. 3 team in Pool 6. It included upending national No. 13 WPVC 16 Armour Black. STVA 16 Mizuno was another No. 1 seed in its pool to not make Monday’s gold pools. STVA went 0-3 in Pool 5, as A5 16-1 Gabe (3-0) and Triangle 16 Black (2-1) advanced.
Mintonette Sports m.61, Skyline 16 Royal and Arizona Storm 16 Thunder all went 3-0 and held their seeds going into Day 3. There was drama in Pool 4 behind Storm’s performance as HJV 16 Elite, Wildfire 16 Open and OT 16 Roberto all went 1-2. HJV took second to stay in bid contention.
In 17 Open, the big surprise came out of Pool 3. Nationally-ranked No. 7 Excel 17 National Red had a rough ride, going 0-3 with losses to Legacy 17-1 Adidas, Sky High Adidas 17 Elite and OT 17 Felix. The latter three clubs all tied at 2-1, with Sky High taking first and Legacy second to advance.
Arizona Storm 17 Thunder, Skyline 17 Royal, HJV 17 Elite and TAV 17 Black all went 3-0 as No. 1 seeds in their pools. GP 17 Rox also took first as the No. 1 team in Pool 6, but only after finishing in a three-way tie at 2-1 with Circle City 17 Purple and Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar. Long Beach, the No. 4 team, took second based on tiebreakers.
AZ Sky 17 Gold and KC Power 17 Black joined Long Beach as moving on as a No. 4 team. AZ Sky went 2-1 in Pool 1 to stay alive. KC Power, the No. 4 team in Pool 4, beat Triangle 17 Black and PVA 17B.
***
With teams settling in after opening-day jitters, the action kicked up a notch Sunday. There were difficult pools to navigate and with a chance to stay in contention for bids on the line, the competition was intense. Below, we highlight the players who caught our attention the most with their performances with our Day 2 Show Stoppers.
DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS
Karis Carpenter L/DS STVA 16 Mizuno: STVA lost all three matches in three sets, with Carpenter providing a boost defensively. She was making digs all over the court and extending rallies.
Isabella Umpierre RS WPVC 16 Armour Black: Umpierre – a 3-star recruit – is a heavy-armed right side who shoulders a fair share of the attack. She can hit through or off blocks with consistency.
Jolene Oddo MB Triangle 16 Black: Oddo’s length creates all sorts of advantages on her side of the net. She can easily go over blocks and score at will at times. She can also get in the way of attackers with her reach.
Nadiya Johnson RS Metro 16 Travel: Johnson – a 5-star recruit – is filled with endless potential. She gets set a ton and for good reason. She can absolutely sky and extends way up in the air to produce highlight kills.
Kiley Brooks L/DS Skyline 16 Royal: A 3-star recruit, Brooks was covering the back row with reckless abandon. She brings intensity to the defensive side and was passing well out of serve receive.
Lily Rolfes S Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Rolfes does a nice job directing the attack and moving the ball around. It helps keep the defense guessing. She also does well going behind her and going against the flow.
Hayden Conner MB Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: Conner – a 3-star recruit – is part of a strong middle group for Storm. She has a strong arm and can power shots down with authority.
Brooke Harwood MB Arizona Storm 16 Thunder: A 5-star recruit, Harwood is more than a handful in the middle. She runs a really effective slide attack that opponents have a tough time slowing down.
Eva Long S Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Long – a 4-star recruit – showed consistent location. She connects very well with both of her middles and runs a balanced offense.
Jenelle Legates S Vision 16 Gold: Legates has a nice touch and release. She sets a clean ball and did well getting her feet in position.
***
Isabella Sohl S HPSTL 16 Royal: Sohl is a feisty setter who did well guiding the attack and moving the ball around.
Bennett Raterman MB HPSTL 16 Royal: Raterman – a 5-star recruit – is a presence in the middle on both sides of the ball. She puts up a very strong block. She is also an effective scorer who can hurt defenses in a variety of ways.
Amaya Love OH HJV 16 Elite: Love is an athletic outside with lots of potential. She can extend and hit at a high contact point and is one of the featured parts of the attack.
Marianne Garcia L/DS AZ Sky 16G: Garcia is a quick libero who covers lots of ground. She was solid out of serve receive and putting the ball on target.
Gracison Saylors MB A5 16-1 Gabe: Saylors was making an impact in the middle. She was delivering when called upon and showed she’s a reliable scoring option.
Gabby Nichols MB Triangle 17 Black: Nichols – a 4-star Penn State commit – shows up strongly on both sides of the ball. She moves very well at the net and puts up a solid block. She can also get out on the slide attack and hurt defenses.
Ava Wysocki RS Sky High Adidas 17 Elite: An Illinois commit, Wysocki is an effective right-side scorer. When in system, Sky High likes to get her the ball. She extends well and has a smooth swing.
Anna Barr RS Excel 17 National Red: Barr – a 3-star recruit – is a physical presence on the right side. She was swinging away and sending down impressive winners.
Piper Mickenheim L/DS Excel 17 National Red: A 3-star recruit, Mickenheim covers her share of space in the back row. She can make spectacular saves at times.
Addison Massey OH Tx Performance 17s Black: Massey – a 3-star recruit – has a huge arm. At times she can load up and unleash in electric fashion.
***
Isabella Nunez OH Tx Performance 17s Black: Nunez is a bit undersized but has a whippy arm. She’s a factor in both the front and back row.
Lilliana LaFlesch L/DS AZ Sky 17G: LaFlesch was showing up well in serve receive. She does a nice job covering too.
Aubrey Bellus MB AZ Sky 17G: Bellus has a heavy arm. When the chance is there she can thunder balls down to the floor with power.
Zoey Matias L/DS Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal: Matias – a 4-star Missouri commit – gets after it in the back row. She doesn’t back down and makes plenty of plays to keep her team in rallies.
Layli Ostovar OH Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar: Long Beach managed to take second in a three-way tie at 2-1. Ostovar – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2026 – has a lightning-quick arm and can absolutely blow up blocks with it.
Kierstin Bevelle RS OT 17 Felix: A 3-star recruit, Bevelle showed up well. Though it was a tough day for the team after going 2-1 but taking third, she showed she can score with a wide range of shots as well as serve tough.
Gabi Martinez OH HJV 17 Elite: Martinez is a springy outside with a lively arm. She can bring it at times and did well connecting down the line.
Ava Hunter S Circle City 17 Purple: A 3-star Loyola-Chicago commit, Hunter shows strong command of the offense. She locates consistently and spreads the ball around.
Connore Siler-Nixon MB OT 17 Aaron: Siler-Nixon – a 3-star recruit – is a bit undersized but she is so explosive. She gets off the ground in a hurry and has a great arm. It makes her a real threat in the middle.
Ella Stowell OH KC Power 17 Black: Stowell is a solid attacker. She can beat defenses in different ways, from off-speed shots to tooling to finding space in the block.
