Number of Teams: 36
vballrecruiter.com National Rankings:
1. Arizona Storm 15 Thunder
2. Hou Skyline 15 Royal
3. TAV 15 Black
4. Dynasty 15 Black
5. Circle City 15 Purple
6. 1st Alliance 15 Gold
7. OT 15 Randy
8. Legacy 15-1 Adidas
9. HJV 15 Elite
10. Surfside 15 PV Legends
11. Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar
12. MAVS KC 15-1
13. Austin Skyline 15 Royal
14. Coast 15-1
15. Absolute Black 15-1
16. Nebraska One 15 Synergy
17. Skyline 15 Royal
18. Excel 15 National Red
19. Alamo 15 Premier
20. Tstreet 15 Curtis
21. Drive Nation 15 Red
22. NE Elite 15 Matrix
23. Wave 15 Scott
24. HPSTL 15 Royal
27. Mich Elite 15 Mizuno
28. Six Pack 15
29. AZ Sky 15 Gold
30. AZ Rev 15 Premier
31. NorCal 15-1 Black
33. AJV 15 Adidas
34. ID Crush 15 Bower
35. Madfrog 15 Green
40. Northern Lights 15-1
42. GP 15 Rox
48. NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami
49. Top Select 15 Elite
vballrecruiter.com 5-star recruits (6):
Logan Parks, S/RS, MAVS KC 15-1
Bayleigh Minor, MB, Hou Skyline 15 Royal
Abby Vander Wal, OH, 1st Alliance 15 Gold
Bailey Warren, OH, Hou Skyline 15 Royal
Teraya Sigler, OH, Arizona Storm 15 Thunder
Megan Fitch, OH, Alamo 15 Premier
vballrecruiter.com 4-star recruits (25):
Ruby Hill, S/RS, Tstreet 15 Curtis
Quinn Loper, OH, Tstreet 15 Curtis
Sydney Bryant, OH, HJV 15 Elite
Mesaiya Bettis, OH/RS, Northern Lights 15-1
Sarah Mendoza, L, Drive Nation 15 Red
Natalie Wardlow, MB, Nebraska One 15 Synergy
Kassidy O’Brien, S, Hou Skyline 15 Royal
Ella Lewis, OH, Hou Skyline 15 Royal
Morgan Madison, L, Hou Skyline 15 Royal
Sydney Black, L, HJV 15 Elite
Kirra Musgrove, S/RS, HJV 15 Elite
Kennedi Rogers, OH, HJV 15 Elite
Campbell Flynn, S, Legacy 15-1 Adidas
Riley McCloskey, OH/RS, NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami
Sydnee Peterson, RS, TAV 15 Black
Aaliyah Smith, OH, HJV 15 Elite
Kalyssa Blackshear, MB, Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar
Taryn Morris, MB, TAV 15 Black
Reese Jackson, MB, TAV 15 Black
Sophia Thornburg, OH, TAV 15 Black
Izzy Mogridge, S, OT 15 Randy
Sarah Pfiffner, S, TAV 15 Black
Madison Winkler, L, TAV 15 Black
Maddie Smotherman, L, Madfrog 15 Green
Audrey Jackson, OH, TAV 15 Black
Outlook: The two heavyweights sit atop our national rankings in Arizona Storm 15 Thunder and Hou Skyline 15 Royal. The feeling here is if you played this event 10 times, one or the other would win it eight out of the 10. The other 34 teams in the field will be trying to prevent that from happening. It’s very unlikely the gold medalist comes from outside the Top 10 in our national rankings. However, while Storm grabbed the No. 1 overall seed, Hou Skyline checks in as the No. 6 overall seed. In between is No. 2 Dynasty 15 Black, No. 3 Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar, No. 4 TAV 15 Black and No. 5 1st Alliance 15 Gold. Dynasty, Circle City 15 Purple – the No. 2 team in Pool 5 – and 1st Alliance have been in the mix everywhere they have gone. The same is true of TAV, Legacy 15-1 Adidas and OT 15 Randy. The latter two faced off for the 15 Open gold in Orlando, with Legacy topping OT. The first two days of pool will cut the field to 24 teams, as four teams advance from each pool. Given that, we don’t anticipate any contenders getting bumped early. One thing to watch for though is if any top contenders don’t take first in the pool. In that case, it would make for a difficult Round 2 pool, which will feature eight pools of three teams. If we have to pick a dark horse to keep an eye on it would be Austin Skyline 15 Royal.
Prediction: Arizona Storm and Hou Skyline have not met yet this season and the prediction is they will finally play in the championship match. Storm takes the match in three games. Circle City and 1st Alliance earn the bronze medals.
