The final day of the 16s and 17s age groups at USAV nationals were filled with fantastic competition and gut-wrenching moments. In the end, SCVC 16 Roxy captured the 16 Open gold medal while Arizona Storm 17 Thunder brought home the 17 Open championship. Below, we highlight the players who stood out to us the most with our Day 4 Show Stoppers.
DAY 4 SHOW STOPPERS
Audrey Flanagan OH SCVC 16 Roxy: A 5-star outside and recent Wisconsin commit, Flanagan showed why she is among the top recruits in the country. She has a lightning quick arm and strikes in a hurry. She can beat defenses going over, through or around the block.
Abby Zimmerman RS SCVC 16 Roxy: Zimmerman – a 4-star Cal commit – was clutch in helping SCVC to the 16 Open gold medal. Time and time again she came through in key moments with big swings or well-placed off-speed shots.
Milly McGee S SCVC 16 Roxy: A 4-star USC commit, McGee guided the attack fluidly. Among her strengths is moving the ball around and getting all her hitters involved in the attack as to not become too predictable.
Kaitlyn Herweg L/DS SCVC 16 Roxy: Herweg – a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2027 – doesn’t blink in the face of adversity. She’s calm under pressure and holds firm against the biggest arms in the division. She was a steadying presence defensively.
Lynney Tarnow MB 1st Alliance 16 Gold: Tarnow – a 4-star middle and recent Wisconsin commit – is a game-changer when she’s in. The way she can impact both sides of the ball always shifts the advantage to her side of the net and allows 1st Alliance to go on runs.
Alaina Pollard MB 1st Alliance 16 Gold: While Tarnow gets all the attention, Pollard cannot be overlooked. She gave opponents fits as well. She times her block well and is a disrupter defensively. Offensively, she’s an effective scorer and someone 1st Alliance relies on to provide points.
Nikolija Bulatovic S 1st Alliance 16 Gold: A 3-star Iowa commit, Bulatovic orchestrates it all. She’s a smart setter who connects well with both middles.
Lucy Maloney L/DS 1st Alliance 16 Gold: Maloney is part of the reason why teams have to win the point two and three times. She’s part of the scrappiness that helped carry 1st Alliance to the silver medal.
Simone Heard OH Skyline 16 Royal: Heard – a 3-star recruit – was once more the big arm on the outside for Skyline. Her athleticism is difficult to contain. She’s a wirey attacker who gets up and unloads.
Keoni Williams MB Skyline 16 Royal: Williams – a 5-star middle and recent Nebraska commit – changes the whole dynamic when she’s across the front row. Her size and length gives her a presence on both sides of the ball. She puts up a massive block. Offensively she’s able to go over the block and hit down from high angles.
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Ella Florez S Pohaku 16-1: A 5-star Iowa State commit, Florez is a huge part of why Pohaku advanced to the semifinals and earned the bronze medal. She’s a quick setter who gets her feet to the ball and squares up well. She’s a smooth disher with great location.
Grace Martin OH Pohaku 16-1: Martin – a 3-star recruit – shoulders a load on the outside. She has a lively arm and can rip shots from corner to corner.
Westley Matavao OH Forza1 North 16 One: Matavao, a 4-star recruit from the Class of 2027, is the key cog for Forza North. She has a big-time arm and hits a really heavy ball. She also has a tough jump serve that can help Forza go on spurts.
Gabby Divita OH Legacy 16-1 Adidas: A 5-star Nebraska commit, Divita has a whip for an arm. Her fast arm leads to impressive kills that fire up her teammates and excite the crowd.
Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 16-1 Adidas: Nwabueze – a 5-star middle – was tough at the net against SCVC. She put up a strong block as well as found ways to put the ball down when called upon.
Marlee Sivak OH MKE Sting 16 Gold: A 4-star outside, Sivak provided a big boost offensively. She takes big swings and rips down shots.
Danielle Whitmire S/RS TAV 16 Black: Whitmire – a 5-star Penn State pledge – Whitmire is a two-way contributor. She’s a solid setter who can dish the ball from pin to pin with ease. She’s also a powerful hitter who can thunder balls down with authority.
Teraya Sigler OH Arizona Storm 17 Thunder: A 5-star Nebraska commit, Sigler is a do-it-all outside and major reason Storm finished on top of 17 Open. She hits as hard as anyone in the division. She’s also a strong passer and defender as well as putting up a big block.
Devyn Wiest OH Arizona Storm 17 Thunder: Wiest – a 4-star Utah commit – gives Storm the best 1-2 punch on the outside in the country. Her length and arm speed causes problems for defenses as she is smart at finding holes and exploiting them.
Kenna Cogill MB Arizona Storm 17 Thunder: A 4-star Oregon recruit, Cogill’s length in the middle is a big advantage for Storm. She puts up a big block. She’s also Storm’s best scoring threat at the position and defenses need to be ready for her.
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Izzy Mahaffey L/DS Arizona Storm 17 Thunder: Mahaffey – a 4-star Long Beach commit – is a firecracker in the back row. She brings tons of energy and passion to the position and flies around the court going all out to make plays.
Bayleigh Minor MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal: Minor – a 5-star recruit – is a force in the middle. She’s long and her presence is felt on both sides of the ball. She has a quick arm and can really connect at times.
Mackenzie Collins MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal: A 3-star Texas AM commit, Collins’ contributions in the middle can’t be ignored. Collins is an explosive jumper with a strong arm. Between her and Minor, Hou Skyline always has someone at the net who can make plays on both sides of the ball.
Morgan Madison L/DS Hou Skyline 17 Royal: Madison – a 4-star Baylor recruit – is a fantastic defender. She reads and reacts at a high level is rarely out of position to make the play.
Kassidy O’Brien S Hou Skyline 17 Royal: A 5-star Kentucky recruit, O’Brien directs a high-powered offense. There are few sets she can’t make and her ability to move the ball around effortlessly makes Hou Skyline hard to defend.
Abby Vander Wal OH 1st Alliance 17 Gold: Nobody hits out of the back row as hard or as effective as Vander Wal. The 5-star Texas commit’s ability to blast from behind the 10-foot line means she’s always the top offensive threat on the court and extremely difficult to slow down.
Aniya Warren L/DS 1st Alliance 17 Gold: Warren – a 4-star Indiana commit – is a defensive anchor. She’s a vocal leader. She’s quick and is able to cover a lot of court.
Chichi Nnaji RS Skyline 17 Royal: A 4-star Notre Dame recruit, Nnaji has steadily improved over the course of the season. She’s a physical presence on the right side and carries a powerful arm.
Avery Freeman L/DS Circle City 17 Purple: A 3-star Indiana commit, Freeman is steady in the back row. She doesn’t back down and is relentless in her pursuit of the ball.
Izzy Busignani OH Mich Elite 17 Mizuno: Busignani, a 4-star Cincinnati recruit, was part of the reason why Mich Elite was on the verge of making the semifinals before falling to Hou Skyline. She has a whippy arm and can let it fly in a flurry.
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McKenna Payne L/DS Mich Elite 17 Mizuno: A 3-star Utah commit, Payne helped hold it down defensively. She did well extending rallies and keeping her team in the point.
Kaci Demaria OH Surfside 17 Legends: Demaria – a 5-star Stanford pledge – has a massive arm and can thunder down shots with it. She’s the go-to on the pin and provides a lot of offense.
Mae Kordas RS Wave 17 Juliana: Kordas – a 3-star Yale commit – continued her strong tournament with another great effort in the quarterfinals against Storm. Her ability to score and put away balls consistently on the right side helped open up the attack and allow Wave to run a balanced offense.
Quinn Loper OH Wave 17 Juliana: Loper – a 4-star USC commit – was another reason why Wave almost upset Arizona Storm in the quarters. She was clutch down the stretch with timely kills swinging from the front and back row.
Maya Evens L/DS Wave 17 Juliana: A 4-star Notre Dame recruit, Evens gave Wave a big defensive advantage against Storm. She seemed to always be in the right spot and kept the play going repeatedly.
Ava Jo Berry S Central Region United: Berry began the match with an impressive dig against the right-side hitter from 417 Juniors 17 Elite. She accurately judges passes, positioning herself well to set the ball. Her smooth hands and quick release are notable asset to her performance, helping lead her team to victory.
Kailey Willsey MB Central Region United: Willsey began the game with a strong start, securing the first kill of the match against 417 Juniors 17 Elite. She exhibits aggressiveness at the net and shows a readiness to take control when needed. Utilizing her height to her advantage, Willsey effectively gets on top of the ball, allowing her to hit all angles of the court.
Mia White MB Oasis Volleyball Club: White skillfully targets the court’s outer edges, hitting the lines with precision. She employs a fast approach and swift arm swing, reading the offense well and moving accordingly. Her quick reactions allow her to effectively close the block on pin hitters. She brings great energy to the court, which helped her team win against STORM VBC 17 Vince/Q.
Camya Bottorff OH Oasis Volleyball Club: Bottorff powers through blocks on the outside, showcasing her strength and skill. She excels in passing and covers the court exceptionally well, moving swiftly and efficiently. In the match against STORM VBC 17 Vince/Q, her powerful swings make it difficult for defenders to dig even when well-positioned.
Camila Valenzuela S WPVC 17 Armour Black: Valenzuela, playing against Invasion 17-Black, demonstrates exceptional court vision, effortlessly spotting open teammates and ensuring precise positioning with her sets. She expertly utilizes all her players, directing the flow of the game with confidence and making crucial decisions that lead her team to victory against Invasion 17-Black.
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Savannah Valentine L WPVC 17 Armour Black: Valentine, playing against Invasion 17-Black, is highly conscious and powerful with her first step in serve receive, setting herself up for successful passes. Her precision and balance on contact highlight her technical proficiency throughout the match.
Aubrey Blake OH Elevation 17 Peak: Blake demonstrated her volleyball IQ against Team Colorado 17N1, skillfully exploiting the block’s vulnerabilities and finding openings in their defense. Her agility and agile footwork enabled seamless transitions between offensive and defensive roles, ensuring a consistent and commanding presence throughout the match. Aubrey’s contributions were pivotal in securing valuable points for her team.
Sajal Glunz OH Elevation 17 Peak: Glunz effectively utilizes sharp angles on the court, showcasing a skilled wrist that conceals her shots well. Additionally, she displayed remarkable defensive skills in the first set against Team Colorado 17N1, demonstrating excellent control and range beyond her body with quick reflexes. She showcases abundant talent on the court.
Avery Ridge OH NWAJS 17 Sav: Ridge exhibits excellent footwork with a quick step-close. She maneuvers adeptly to approach the ball, ensuring optimal positioning with the ball on her right shoulder. Her ability to target the blockers’ fingertips results in challenging deflections that are hard to dig. Ridge demonstrates hitting, executing effectively both cross-court and down the line against TK 17 End Game.
Trinity Collette L NWAJS 17 Sav: On defense, Collette draws her arms back into her body, dispersing the force of the ball by relaxing the tension in her shoulders. Additionally, she demonstrates exceptional control over her head, effectively saving various offensive plays. Her display of exceptional balance on serve receive allows her to execute in-system passing reliably against TK 17 End Game.
Sophie Diouf ARVC 17N1 Adidas: Diouf started the match with a slide that followed by a seamless transition for a crucial point. She skillfully utilizes diverse offensive strategies to keep the defense on their toes, displaying unwavering confidence against PowerPlex 17U Mendieta.
Cecilia Vance OH ARVC 17N1 Adidas: Vance demonstrates exceptional vertical ability, utilizing a quick arm swing and powerful approach to excel on the outside. This allows her to establish a strong presence at the net, particularly highlighted in her performance against PowerPlex 17U Mendieta. Additionally, she employs a variety of off-speed shots including tips, roll shots, and cut shots with precision, effectively disrupting defenses and surprising blockers.
Payton Palecek DS Victorium Volleyball Club 17UA: Palecek efficiently covers position 6, making numerous digs to set her teammates up for success. She also showcases her strength from the back row, contributing with powerful attacks. In the first set against VA Juniors 17 Elite, she went on a small serving run, significantly boosting her team’s momentum.
Ava Collins S Victorium Volleyball Club 17UA: Collins deserves credit for driving her team’s offensive plays because without her, they wouldn’t have had the opportunities she created. She displayed exceptional skill in the match against VA Juniors 17 Elite, with her clean and fast jump sets, effectively utilizing all her players’ offensive capabilities, including back-row sets.
Quinn DePauw DS Fieldhouse 17 Ikaika Andy: DePauw’s strong jump float serve disrupts the opponent’s defense by consistently forcing their setter out of position, limiting their offensive options to the left side. Her solid foundation and controlled platform in serve receive further bolster her team’s defensive capabilities.
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Kynadi Hall OH Fieldhouse 17 Ikaika Andy: Hall delivered a powerful line attack at the start of the set. She easily follows through across her body, destabilizing the defense along the line. Additionally, she establishes a strong block against the right-side player from TAV 17 Smack Jordan.
Janaya Weitkemper MB MAVS 816 17-1: Weitkemper adeptly handles a fast-paced offense, utilizing her ability to attack from above the ball and execute precise line shots, effectively bypassing middle blockers. Her energetic playstyle significantly impacts the court. Her attacks are practically undiggable due to her exceptional ability to snap the ball at various angles.
Madeline Sallee OH MAVS 816 17-1: Sallee consistently performs in the front row, showcasing reliability and minimal error rates in her attacks. She played a pivotal role in leading her team to victory against Nebraska ONE 17 Black.
