When it comes to the Triple Crown NIT, there is no debating the event has established itself as the premier tournament outside the season-ending national championships. The same rings true as the latest version rolls around this coming President Day’s weekend in Kansas City, once again delivering an unmatched depth of the field with the format allowing for something we don’t see elsewhere throughout the season. It is really a perfect combination.

That’s the beauty of Triple Crown. There is no national championship on the line. No team in the field is chasing any bids to qualify. The results really don’t mean much in the big scope of the season and yet because so many of the top teams from around the country are in attendance, there is undeniable prestige when it comes to winning the one-of-a-kind tournament.

Like the national championships and qualifiers, teams do begin Day 1 of Triple Crown in pool formats. However, that’s about the only similarity between the tournaments. The format of Triple Crown varies in that it uses a Power Pool format for the opening day, in addition to traditional pool play. The 15-18s have four, eight-team power pools, while the 14s have three, eight-team power pools. These teams are guaranteed to make the 64-team bracket. That’s another difference, with bracket play starting on Day 2.

Also, teams not in Power Pools can still advance to the 64-team bracket. It’s unique in that there is no Open, Premier or Club divisions, so any team entered in a respective age division has a chance to win it all regardless of initial placement. The fact remains that we get to see so many high-octane matches from first serve is what truly separates this tournament. It’s even different than USAV’s national championships, which feature 36 of the best teams in the country. Even then, the top teams are split up and don’t play each other over the course of the first two days. At Triple Crown, we are going to see powerhouse clubs going head-to-head on the first match of the weekend!

Get ready, it doesn’t get any better than what’s ahead. Below, we run through the 14-18s divisions, highlighting the teams in the Power Pools and where they are ranked in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 National Rankings, as well as spotlighting Players to Watch and providing brief analysis and predictions (that are sure to fail!).

(Updates, fixes, changes or questions please email chris@vballrecruiter.com)

18s

POWER POOL A (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 1 Drive Nation 18 Red
No. 3 Premier Nebraska 18 Gold
No. 4 Sunshine 18 LA
No. 5 Coast 18-1
No. 8 MAVS KC 18-1
No. 10 Club V 18 Ren Reed
No. 12 A5 18 Marc
No. 25 Munciana 18 Samurai

POWER POOL B (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 2 1st Alliance 18 Gold
No. 6 Wave 18 Juliana
No. 7 Gainesville 18 Black
No. 9 MN Select 18-1
No. 11 Skyline 18 Royal
No. 13 Mintonette Sports m.81
No. 16 Arizona Storm 18 Thunder
No. 18 Legacy 18-1 Adidas

POWER POOL C (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 19 AVC Cle 18 Red
No. 20 HJV 18 Elite
No. 21 Hou Skyline 18 Royal
No. 26 Adidas KiVA 18 Red
No. 27 Tri-State Elite 18 Blue
No. 28 Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar
No. 29 Northern Lights 18-1
No. 30 KC Power 18-1

POWER POOL D (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 17 NPJ 18 Forefront
No. 22 Triangle 18 Black
No. 23 Madfrog 18 Black
No. 35 Elevation 18 Spinney
No. 37 OT 18 John
No. 40 FC Elite 18 Elite
No. 42 Tstreet 18 Chandler
Ku’Ikahi 18 Wahine RSB

Other vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs Outside Power Pools

No. 31 MKE Sting 18 Gold
No. 32 Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite
No. 34 NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami
No. 36 Dynasty 18 Black
No. 39 Actyve 18 Black
No. 41 Alamo 18 Premier
No. 44 Excel 18 National Red
No. 45 Mich Elite 18 Mizuno
No. 47 Adversity 18 Adidas
No. 48 South County 18 Darice
No. 49 Rev 18-1 Avengers

5-Star Athletes

Noemie Glover RS Coast 18-1 (Oregon)
Ramsey Gary L/DS Munciana 18 Samurai (Indiana)
Alex Acevedo OH NPJ 18 Forefront (Oregon)
Grace Heaney S/RS Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Purdue)
Brooke Bultema MB Elevation 18 Spinney (Kentucky)
Leah Ford MB Drive Nation 18 Red (USC)
Reese Robins MB Drive Nation 18 Red (Louisville)
Kennedy Phelan S Ozark Jrs 18 National (Florida State)
Eloise Brandewie MB Mintonette Sports m.81 (Ohio State)
Nya Bunton MB/OH Adidas KiVA 18 Red (Texas)
Ava Sarafa S Mich Elite 18 Mizuno (Kentucky)
Jurnee Robinson OH A5 18 Marc (LSU)
Blaire Bayless OH Madfrog 18 Green (Pitt)
Olivia Babcock RS Sunshine 18 LA (Pitt)
Torrey Stafford OH Sunshine 18 LA (Pitt)
Jordyn Harvey OH Club V 18 Ren Reed (Stanford)
Julia Blyashov OH Wave 18 Juliana (Stanford)
Stella Swenson S MN Select 18-1 (Minnesota, 2024)
Lola Schumacher L/DS Munciana 18 Samurai (Wisconsin, 2024)
Olivia Mauch L/DS Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Nebraska, 2024)
Alex Bower S ID Crush 18 Bower (BYU, 2024)
Taylor Harvey MB Club V 18 Ren Reed (2025)
Navea Gauthier OH Far Out 18 Black (2025)

4-Star Athletes

Gabby Dean MB Adidas KiVA 18 Red (Illinois)
Brooklyn Briscoe MB Coast 18-1 (UCLA)
Allison Cavanaugh RS OT 18 John (Georgia)
Koko Kirsch L/DS Wave 18 Juliana (Stanford)
Bianka Lulic MB Coast 18-1 (Miami)
Ava-Marie Lange OH/RS Sunshine 18 LA (Harvard)
Kate Simington MB MN Select 18-1 (Clemson)
Kamryn Lee-Caracci MB 1st Alliance 18 Gold (Georgetown)
Sophia Gregoire-Salagean OH OJVA 18 Gold (Oregon)
Lois Hansen RS Tstreet 18 Chandler (UCSB)
Zoe Rachow S Coast 18-1 (Tulane)
Zeta Washington MB OT 18 John (Cincinnati)
Samantha Hoppes OH/RS Drive Nation 18 Red (Boston College)
Reagan Fox OH MAVS KC 18-1 (Rutgers)
Laurece Abraham MB Legacy 18-1 Adidas (Yale)
Lauryn Bowie RS Mintonette Sports m.81 (Virginia)
Kira Holland OH AVC Cle 18 Red (Indiana State)
Fatimah Hall S/RS Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar (San Diego State)
Betsy Goodenow RS MAVS KC 18-1 (Yale)
Cayla Payne MB Wave 18 Juliana (Colorado)
Kate Thibault L/DS MN Select 18-1 (Oregon)
Auburn Tomkinson RS Wave 18 Juliana (Texas)
Mele Corral-Blagojevich OH Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar (Oklahoma)
Gigi Navarrete L/DS 1st Alliance 18 Gold (Northwestern)
Alyssa Manitzas L/DS Alamo 18 Premier (Notre Dame)
Arya Jue L/DS A5 18 Marc (Yale)
Jordyn Dailey MB/RS Triangle 18 Black (Kentucky)
Eva Rohrbach MB Wave 18 Juliana (Maryland)
Taylor Anderson S Alamo 18 Premier (Purdue)
Juliette Myrick S Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite (Army)
Lily Nicholson S Drive Nation 18 Red (TCU)
Kennedy Wagner OH 1st Alliance 18 Gold (Clemson)
Erin Kline S Legacy 18-1 Adidas (Mississippi State)
Cindy Tchouangwa OH HJV 18 Elite (Rice)
Brooklyn DeLeye OH Topeka Impact 18-1 (Kentucky)
Sydney Breon OH Drive Nation 18 Red (UCLA)
Alana Bankston OH Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Louisville)
Destiny Ndam-Simpson OH Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Creighton)
Halle Schroder OH Drive Nation 18 Red (Boston College)
Claire Little OH Coast 18-1 (BYU)
Ceci Gooch OH Skyline 18 Royal (Georgia)
Harley Kreck S Skyline 18 Royal (Baylor)
Becca Kelley OH Skyline 18 Royal (Oregon)
Olivia Swenson OH MN Select 18-1 (Minnesota, 2024)
Alexis Haury S NPJ 18 Forefront (Washington, 2024)
Lilly Wagner S MKE Sting 18 Gold (Maryland, 2024)
Ella Demetrician OH FC Elite 18 Elite (Michigan, 2024)
Kaia Caffee MB MN Select 18-1 (Ohio State, 2024)
Charlotte Vinson OH/RS Munciana 18 Samurai (2025)
Abbigail Pickard S Far Out 18 Black (2025)
Peyton Carlson L/DS FC Elite 18 Elite (2026)

OUTLOOK/PREDICTION: The 18s are in a much different spot than the rest of the age groups. The 18s have already started their qualifying season and thus have played more volleyball on bigger stages than the youngers. In fact, 17 of the 19 Open qualifiers are in attendance. Metro 18 Travel and Paramount 18 VBC are the only two with Open bids so far not here. Every team from vballrecruiter.com’s Top 10 is here, and Circle City 18 Purple joins Metro as the only Top 20 teams missing from the field. Overall, 42 of the 50 teams in our national rankings are participating. Last year’s USAV 17 Open gold medalist 1st Alliance 18 Gold starts off in Power Pool B. Drive Nation 18 Red has captured two qualifiers so far and is looking to keep its hot start going. Historically, tournament winners come from Power Pool A but the depth of teams in Power Pool B could upset that fact this year. 1st Alliance and Wave 18 Juliana are both capable of coming out of Power Pool B and winning it all. But of course the top suspects are coming from Power Pool A. Drive Nation, Coast 18-1, Sunshine 18 LA and A5 18 Marc are among the handful of teams I’m picking from to win it all. Munciana 18 Samurai came on and surprised last year in an upset, so we can’t discount Munciana. However, the feeling here is the title match is going to come down to Drive Nation and Club V, with Drive Nation leaving with another trophy to add to its collection so far this season.

***

17s

POWER POOL A (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 1 A5 17 Jing
No. 2 Dynasty 17 Black
No. 3 TAV 17 Black
No. 5 HJV 17 Elite
No. 9 Premier Nebraska 17 Gold
No. 12 Wave 17 Juliana
No. 13 Drive Nation 17 Red
No. 23 OT 17 Aaron

POWER POOL B (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 4 1st Alliance 17 Gold
No. 6 Co Jrs 17 Kevin
No. 8 Hou Skyline 17 Royal
No. 16 Coast 17-1
No. 24 Momentous 17 Dan
No. 32 Adidas KiVA 17 Red
No. 34 Academy 17 Tsunami
No. 37 Boiler Jrs 17 Gold

POWER POOL C (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 10 Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite
No. 11 Madfrog 17 Green
No. 19 Skyline 17 Royal
No. 21 AVC Cle 17 Red
No. 27 VCNebraska 17 Elite
No. 28 NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami
No. 29 Tri-State Elite 17 Blue
SCVC 17 Roxy

POWER POOL D (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 7 Triangle 17 Black
No. 14 Vision 17 Gold
No. 17 OT 17 Felix
No. 18 KC Power 17-1
No. 20 AJV 17 Adidas
No. 22 Club V 17 Ren Matthew
No. 26 Top Select 17 Elite
No. 30 Elevation 17 Ulland

Other vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs Outside Power Pools

No. 25 SG Elite 17 Rosh
No. 33 Team Pineapple 17 Black
No. 35 AZ Sky 17G
No. 36 MAVS KC 17-1
No. 38 Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar
No. 39 City 17-1 Gold
No. 41 AZ Rev 17 Premier
No. 42 Arizona Storm 17 Thunder
No. 44 Northern Lights 17-1
No. 46 MKE Sting 17 Gold
No. 47 NORCO 17 Black
No. 48 Miami Hype 17 Emilio
No. 49 Shockwave 17-1
No. 50 Legacy 17-1 Adidas

5-Star Athletes

Lauren Medeck OH Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (South Dakota)
Zoey Burgess MB Club V 17 Ren Matthew (Kansas)
Nayelis Cabello S/RS Top Select 17 Elite (Louisville)
Faith Frame L/DS Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (Cincinnati)
Izzy Starck S/RS Co Jrs 17 Kevin (Penn State)
Skyler Pierce OH Dynasty 17 Black (Nebraska)
Allie Shondell S Boiler Jrs 17 Gold (Purdue)
Charlie Fuerbringer S/RS Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar (Wisconsin)
Ayden Ames OH/RS/MB Drive Nation 17 Red (Nebraska)
Favor Anyanwu MB TAV 17 Black (USC)
Cari Spears OH TAV 17 Black (2025)
Cy Rae Campbell MB Dynasty 17 Black (Wake Forest)
Jaela Auguste MB Hou Skyline 17 Royal (Florida)
Hannah Benjamin OH A5 17 Jing (Kentucky)
Taylor Yu S SG Elite 17 Rosh
Camille Edwards S TAV 17 Black (Michigan)
Carlie Cisneros OH Dynasty 17 Black (Arizona)
Jadyn Livings OH TAV 17 Black (USC)
Ryan Hunter RS Triangle 17 Black (2025)
Kirra Musgrove S/RS Hou Skyline 17 Royal (2025)
Reese Messer S Dynasty 17 Black (2025)
Abigail Mullen RS Dynasty 17 Black (2025)
Jaidyn Jager OH Coast 17-1 (2025)

4-Star Athletes

Malayah Long S VCNebraska 17 Elite (Marquette)
Paisley Douglas L/DS VCNebraska 17 Elite (USC)
Kiana Dinn S Tri-State Elite 17 Blue (Pitt)
Kennedy Osunsanmi RS City 17 Gold
Fallon Stewart OH OT 17 Felix (Cincinnati)
Grace Nelson OH 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Kansas)
Ellie White S/OH 1st Alliance 17 Gold (Michigan)
Calli Kenny S/RS 1st Alliance 17 Gold
Kiarrah Horne OH Triangle 17 Black
Asia Thigpen OH Triangle 17 Black (Kentucky)
Ashlyn Philpot MB Triangle 17 Black (Illinois)
Taylor Williams OH Vision 17 Gold (Duke)
Mia Tvrdy MB Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (Oregon)
Taylor Parks S OT 17 Aaron (Florida)
Riley Whitlock RS Boiler Jrs 17 Gold
Savannah Skopal S AJV 17-1 (Rice)
Samantha Bowron OH Top Select 17 Elite (Coastal Carolina)
Paityn Chapman OH Co Jrs 17 Kevin (Tennessee)
Avah Armour OH Co Jrs 17 Kevin (Central Florida, 2023)
Mia Hood MB A5 17 Jing (Michigan State)
Molly Kate Patten RS A5 17 Jing (Georgia)
Mallory Bohl MB Legacy 17-1 Adidas (Notre Dame)
Logan Wiley MB A5 17 Jing (Georgia Tech)
Lolo Lambert OH Drive Nation 17 Red (Arkansas)
Kennedy Washington MB TAV 17 Black
Jenna Hanes MB Wave 17 Juliana (Michigan)
Janelle Green S KC Power 17-1 (Cincinnati)
Isabel Clark OH Momentous 17 Dan (San Diego)
Grace Carroll RS Drive Nation 17 Red (Baylor)
Gracie Morrow OH Shockwave 17-1 (Wichita State)
Elizabeth Tabeling L/DS NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Ball State)
Chelsea Sutton MB OT 17 John (Tennessee)
Claire Luoma L/DS MKE Sting 17 Gold (Clemson)
Cymarah Gordon RS Momentous 17 Dan
Bethanie Wu S Drive Nation 17 Red (Yale)
Blaykli Bobik OH Arizona Storm 17 Thunder (BYU)
Alice Volpe L/DS HJV 17 Elite (TCU)
Carson Eickenloff S Madfrog 17 Green (Ole Miss)
Lillian Croshaw MB Drive Nation 17 Red
Zoe Humphrey MB HJV 17 Elite (UCLA)
Anna Bjork MB MKE Sting 17 Gold (Notre Dame)
Julia Hunt MB NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami (Washington)
Ryan McAleer L/DS Dynasty 17 Black (Purdue)
Abby Hoybjerg OH SynergyForce 17-1 (BYU)
Levani Key-Powell OH Club V 17 Ren Matthew (Utah)
Camdyn Stucky S Shockwave 17-1 (Tennessee)
Amanda Saeger S Wave 17 Juliana (DePaul)
Camden Bolane MB Wave 17 Juliana (Yale)
Mikala Young OH TAV 17 Black (TCU)
Lainee Pyles OH Madfrog 17 Green (LSU)
Jada Ingram MB Dynasty 17 Black (UNLV)
Anna Boatner MB TAV 17 Black
Taylor Deckert L/DS SCVC 17 Roxy (2025)
Shelby Burriss MB Drive Nation 17 Red (2025)
Gabriela Cornier L/DA A5 17 Jing (Florida, 2023)
Jordan Smith RS Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite (2025)
Maya Witherspoon OH Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite (2025)
Lauren Lynch L/DS SG Elite 17 Rosh (2025)
Maya Evens L/DS Wave 17 Juliana (2025)

OUTLOOK/PREDICTION: There are only five teams missing from vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 national rankings! That’s how loaded this division is. The storyline of the 17s is can anyone touch the very top of the division? Dynasty 17 Black, TAV 17 Black and A5 17 Jing lead an unbelievable field but we want to know if anyone can surpass them? Yes, HJV 17 Elite has defeated TAV this season, so we know it’s definitely possible. But will it happen? Dynasty, A5 and Premier Nebraska 17 Gold already have secured their Open bids, but for many of the rest Triple Crown represents the first big travel tournament of the season. It’s much less predictable than the 18s. That’s the fun of this division, is we are going to see teams rise up and establish themselves as the next tier of teams behind the Big 3. I was a bit surprised not to see Co Jrs 17 Kevin and 1st Alliance 17 Gold both land in Power Pool A. Instead, both are in Power Pool B. They are a pair of teams to watch as both could make very deep runs and wind up in medal contention. Two dark horses – if you can call any team from any Power Pool a dark horse – are Vision 17 Gold and Triangle 17 Black. Both are strong enough to be in Power Pool B, but are both in Power Pool D. I could see them causing trouble and making noise. In the end, we are going with a straight forward pick to win it all. The pick is Dynasty topping TAV for gold.

***

16s

POWER POOL A (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 1 Arizona Storm 16 Thunder
No. 2 HJV 16 Elite
No. 3 1st Alliance 16 Gold
No. 4 Drive Nation 16 Red
No. 5 Hou Skyline 16 Royal
No. 9 MKE Sting 16 Gold
No. 11 Surfside 16 PV Legends
No. 32 Coast 16-1

POWER POOL B (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 6 TAV 16 Black
No. 8 Mich Elite 16 Mizuno
No. 16 A5 16 Gabe
No. 17 OT 16 JP
No. 18 Wave 16 Kevin
No. 25 Legacy 16-1 Adidas
No. 36 Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar
AZ Sky 16G

POWER POOL C (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 10 Austin Skyline 16 Royal
No. 14 Tri-State Elite 16 Blue
No. 21 Madfrog 16 Green
No. 22 Absolute 16 Black
No. 24 Adidas KiVA 16 Red
No. 33 OT 16 Roberto
No. 39 HPSTL 16 Royal
No. 40 GP 16 Rox

POWER POOL D (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 12 Nebraska One 16 Synergy
No. 13 Munciana 16 Blaze
No. 19 Alamo 16 Premier
No. 20 Dynasty 16 Black
No. 27 Skyline 16 Royal
No. 31 NorCal Black 16-1
No. 41 Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite
Northern Lights 16-1

Other vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs Outside Power Pools

No. 23 MAVS KC 16-1
No. 28 AVC Cle 16 Red
No. 29 AZ Rev 16 Premier
No. 30 ID Crush 16 Bower
No. 34 AJV 16 Adidas
No. 35 Excel 16 National Red
No. 37 OT 16 Will
No. 38 NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami
No. 42 Top Select 16 Elite
No. 43 Co Jrs 16 Shannon
No. 44 FC Elite 16 Navy
No 45 Triangle 16 Black
No. 46 Vision 16 Gold
No. 47 Club V 16 Ren Wayne
No. 48 Illini Elite 16 Cardinal
No. 50 Boiler Jrs 16 Gold

5-Star Athletes

Suli Davis OH Drive Nation 16 Red
Logan Parks S/RS MAVS KC 16-1
Natalie Wardlow MB Nebraska One 16 Synergy
Amina N’diaye OH OT 16 Roberto
Kassidy O’Brien S Hou Skyline 16 Royal
Bayleigh Minor MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal
Kaci Demaria OH Surfside 16 PV Legends
Jordan Taylor MB HJV 16 Elite
Campbell Flynn S Legacy 16-1 Adidas
Madison Quest OH MKE Sting 16 Gold
Abby Vander Wal OH 1st Alliance 16 Gold
Bailey Warren OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal
Teraya Sigler OH Arizona Storm 16 Thunder
Megan Fitch OH Alamo 16 Premier
Samara Coleman MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal
Ayanna Watson OH Vegas Aces 16 UA (2026)
Layli Ostovar OH Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar (2026)
Ella Florez S/RS Dynasty 16 Black (2026)

4-Star Athletes

Rebecca Ring OH VC United 16-1
Addison Horner S/RS 1st Alliance 16 Gold
Tenesyn Frye S ID Crush 16 Bower
Lily Dee Davis OH Austin Skyline 16 Royal
Callie Krueger L/DS Austin Skyline 16 Royal
Ava Tilden OH NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami
Kayden Green S/RS GP 16 Rox
Rebekah Pfefferkorn MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal
Izzy Mahaffey L/DS Arizona Storm 16 Thunder
Brianna Brewer OH Tstreet 16 Naseri
Ruby Hill OH Wave 16 Kevin
Quinn Loper OH Wave 16 Kevin
Sydney Bryant OH HJV 16 Elite
Mesaiya Bettis OH/RS Northern Lights 16-1
Lauryn Mack OH TAV 16 Black
Sarah Mendoza L/DS Drive Nation 16 Red
Carly Gilk RS MN Select 16-1
Taylor Porter OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal
Ella Lewis OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal
Sydney Black L/DS HJV 16 Elite
Naya Salfiti RS Madfrog 16 Green
Kristen Simon L/DS Adidas KiVA 16 Red
Kenna Cogill MB Arizona Storm 16 Thunder
Katie Gielas RS Elevation 16 Goller
Julia Grace L/DS NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami
Isabelle Busignani OH Mich Elite 16 Mizuno
Emma Koceja OH MKE Sting 16 Gold
Francesca Popescu L/DS A5 16 Gabe
Asia Harvey OH A5 16 Gabe
Addison Gaido RS Austin Skyline 16 Royal
Alex Richter OH Drive Nation 16 Red
Riley McCloskey OH NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami
Sydnee Peterson RS TAV 16 Black
Aaliyah Smith OH HJV 16 Elite
Addison Makun MB Adidas KiVA 16 Red
Addison Applegate L/DS Munciana 16 Rise
Kalyssa Blackshear MB Surfside 16 PV Legends
Taryn Morris MB Drive Nation 16 Red
Reese Jackson MB TAV 16 Black
Sophia Thornburg OH Drive Nation 16 Red
Izzy Mogridge S OT 16 JP
Sarah Pfiffner S TAV 16 Black
Madison Winkler L/DS TAV 16 Black
Maddie Smotherman L/DS Madfrog 16 Green
Audrey Jackson OH TAV 16 Black
Taylor Cook S Skyline 16 Royal
Isabella Campo OH Skyline 16 Royal
Brooklyn Hardy MB ID Crush 16 Bower (2026)
Elizabeth Bower L/DS ID Crush 16 Bower (2026)

OUTLOOK/PREDICTION: Teams from Power Pool A in MKE Sting 16 Gold and 1st Alliance 16 Gold, and Power Pool B teams in A5 16 Gabe, Legacy 16-1 Adidas and Mich Elite 16 Mizuno participated in Central Zone three weekends ago in Indianapolis. Much of the rest of the field is traveling for the first time, getting out of regional play and seeing what the nation has to offer. Circle City 16 Purple, at No. 7, is the only team from our Top 10 rankings not in the field at Triple Crown. Team Pineapple 16 Black, at No. 15, is the only team from the Top 20 not here along with Circle City. To me, this division comes down to the state of Texas plus Arizona Storm 16 Thunder and 1st Alliance 16 Gold. I don’t see anyone other club winning this tournament. 1st Alliance looked great in winning Central Zone and is looking to defend its Triple Crown title it won last season as 15s. Storm has been a major factor in this age group for years and that won’t change in 2023. The rest of the contenders all hail from Texas in Drive Nation 16 Red, HJV 16 Elite, Hou Skyline 16 Royal and TAV 16 Black. I would be shocked if one of these six teams didn’t win it all. But then again, I felt the same way last summer in Indy when Alamo 15 Premier rose up and ended up winning it all. So we don’t really know, but that won’t stop me from making erroneous picks for the final. The call here is 1st Alliance beating Arizona Storm for gold.

***

15s

POWER POOL A (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 1 Mintonette Sports m.51
No. 2 Boiler Jrs 15 Gold
No. 3 Skyline 15 Royal
No. 5 Madfrog 15 Green
No. 8 Elevation 15 Tony
No. 9 Wave 15 Brennan
No. 12 Legacy 15-1 Adidas
No. 21 Tstreet 15 Curtis

POWER POOL B (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 4 Hou Skyline 15 Royal
No. 6 NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami
No. 7 TAV 15 Black
No. 11 Alamo 15 Premier
No. 14 Forza1 North 15 UA
No. 16 SCVC 15 Roxy
No. 17 AZ Sky 15G
No. 31 Arizona Storm 15 Thunder

POWER POOL C (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 15 MKE Sting 15 Gold
No. 18 AVC Cle 15 Red
No. 19 GP 15 Rox
No. 25 HJV 15 Elite
No. 26 HPSTL 15 Royal
No. 28 Far Out 15 Black
No. 35 High Tide 15 Elite
No. 37 AP 15 Adidas

POWER POOL D (w/vballrecruiter.com National Rankings)

No. 13 Austin Skyline 15 Royal
No. 20 Pohaku 15-1
No. 32 Team Pineapple 15 Black
No. 36 SG Elite 16 Rosh
No. 39 A5 15 Bob
No. 41 WPVC 15 Armour Black
No. 47 Top Select 15 Elite
OT 15 Semei

Other vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs Outside Power Pools

No. 10 TAV Houston 15 Adidas
No. 22 Tri-State Elite 15 Blue
No. 23 AZ Rev 15 Premier
No. 24 Premier Nebraska 15 Gold
No. 27 Dynasty 15 Black
No. 28 Northern Lights 15-1
No. 30 Actyve 15 Black
No. 38 Drive Nation 15 Red
No. 42 Co Jrs 15 Sherri
No. 44 Triangle 15 Black
No. 46 Union 15-1 UA
No. 49 1st Alliance 15 Gold

5-Star Athletes

Bennett Raterman MB HPSTL 15 Royal
Henley Anderson OH AP 15 Adidas
Kayla Nwabueze MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas
Riley Malloy OH Austin Skyline 15 Royal
Brooke Harwood OH Arizona Storm 15 Thunder
Layla Austin OH Skyline 15 Royal
Kinsley Young MB TAV 15 Black
Keoni Williams MB Skyline 15 Royal
Finley Krystkowiak OH Wave 15 Brennan
Danielle Whitmire S/RS TAV 15 Black
Gabby DiVita OH Legacy 15-1 Adidas

4-Star Athletes

Anna Flores S TAV 15 Black
Nadi’ya Shelby OH Hou Skyline 15 Royal
Cala Haffner L/DS/OH Team Pineapple 15 Black
Ava McBride OH Actyve 15 Black
Halle Thompson OH Hou Skyline 15 Royal
Paisley Pavliska OH Alamo 15 Premier
Genevieve Harris S Academy 15 Diamond
Margaret Czajka MB MKE Sting 15 Gold
Sydney Geselbracht MB Elevation 15 Tony
Sofia Guerrero-Wilson MB A5 15 Bob
Ellie Hepler L/DS Boiler Jrs 15 Gold
Emmerson Champagne MB Tstreet 15 Curtis
Kylie Parker OH SG Elite 15 Rosh
Cali Foster OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold
Eva Swenson S/RS MN Select 15-1
Willow Weninger RS Pohaku 15-1
Sydney Lund S Austin Skyline 15 Royal
Sidney Sprada OH Elevation 15 Tony
Reese Resmer MB Boiler Jrs 15 Gold
Natalie Surges OH MKE Sting 15 Gold
Milly McGee S/RS SCVC 15 Roxy
Meredith Martin L/DS Legacy 15-1 Adidas
Marlee Sivak OH MKE Sting 15 Gold
Mallory Matheny S Mintonette Sports m.51
Madison Miles OH Boiler Jrs 15 Gold
Lexi Shondell S Boiler Jrs 15 Gold
Layla Hoying OH Mintonette Sports m.51
Gabi Rodriguez L/DS Madfrog 15 Green
Emma Cugino L/DS Mintonette Sports m.51
Ella Andrews MB Legacy 15-1 Adidas
Ella Grimes L/DS Elevation 15 Tony
Audrey Dyas MB NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami
Caroline Huseman OH TAV 15 Black
Kylie Kleckner OH TAV 15 Black
Kalyssa Taggart S/RS A5 15 Bob

OUTLOOK/PREDICTION: The younger we go, typically the more that can happen. Is that how it will be in the 15s this coming weekend at Triple Crown? This age group is so exciting because I feel it is much more wide open in terms of the top teams. I could make a case for anyone in Power Pool A to win it all and I can’t say that about the older age groups. Mintonette Sports m.51 of course captured the USAV 14 Open gold medal last summer and started 2023 in fine form by winning 15 Open at Central Zone, where it beat Boiler Jrs 15 Gold in the final. Elevation 15 Tony and Legacy 15-1 Adidas were also at Central Zone. The Texas teams have prepped with the Tour of Texas, while a team like Wave 15 Brennan is going to face the stiffest competition it has seen so far. As far as a winner, the pick is Skyline 15 Royal downing Mintonette in the final.

***

14s

POWER POOL A

Madfrog 14 Green
Adidas KiVA 14 Red
Elevation 14 Molly
Legacy 14-1 Adidas
Arizona Storm 14 Thunder
Tstreet 14 Carson
Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar
TAV 14 Black

POWER POOL B

Munciana 14 Chipmunks
WPVC 14 Armour Black
Tri-State Elite 14 Blue
A5 14 Helen
Club V 14 Rev Silver
Skyline 14 Royal
AZ Sky 14G
Premier Nebraska 14 Gold

POWER POOL C

MKE Sting 14 Gold
Mintonette Sports m.41
Drive Nation 14 Red
AP 14 Adidas
Wave 14 Tammy
GP 14 Rox
AZ Rev 14 Premier
City 14 Gold

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Charlotte Cavin S Madfrog 14 Green
London Merchant OH Madfrog 14 Green
Vanessa Glenn OH Madfrog 14 Green
Kendall Hubbard S/RS Elevation 14 Molly
Morgan Meiring OH Elevation 14 Molly
Savanna Stacey OH Elevation 14 Molly
Brooke Codey OH Adidas KiVA 14 Red (2028)
Emily Poteraj MB Adidas KiVA 14 Red
Lilah Anthony RS Adidas KiVA 14 Red
Kate Kalcyznski OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas
Callie LeFevre OH Legacy 14-1 Adidas
Cynthia Ockerman MB Legacy 14-1 Adidas
Maisie Jones OH Tri-State Elite 14 Blue
Jillian Forest MB Tri-State Elite 14 Blue
Makenna Meibers Tri-State Elite 14 Blue
Marissa Jones S/RS A5 14 Helen
Kaylie Davis OH Skyline 14 Royal
Kate Cuppett OH Skyline 14 Royal
Megan Hodges MB Tstreet 14 Carson (2028)
Ella Olson OH Tstreet 14 Caron
Hanna McGinest OH Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar
Cedra Talaga L/DS Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar
Marlo Libbey S Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar
Simrin Adams OH Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar
Kendall Omoruyi MB Arizona Storm 14 Thunder
Tessa Larkin OH Arizona Storm 14 Thunder
Pulelehua Laikona L/DS Arizona Storm 14 Thunder
Nylah Bibby OH Arizona Storm 14 Thunder
Bryn Meyer OH Mintonette Sports m.41
Leah Kille L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41
Sophee Peterson S/RS TAV 14 Black
Brynn Stephens S/RS TAV 14 Black
Nyla Livings MB TAV 14 Black
Gentry Barker OH TAV 14 Black
Cassidy Armstrong S/RS AZ Sky 14G
Bailey Lambert MB AZ Sky 14G
Lexi Martin OH Drive Nation 14 Red
Karsyn Rogers S Drive Nation 14 Red
Molly Aubert Drive Nation 14 Red
Lauren Forelli OH AZ Rev 14 Premier
Kristen Sheehy MB AZ Rev 14 Premier
Lily Tierney MB NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami
Peyton Wollman L/DS MKE Sting 14 Gold

OUTLOOK/PREDICTION: The 14s is without question the division we are still learning and getting to know the players. That’s why we are super excited to get to see so many top teams in action in one place. The 14 Open division in Central Zone was promising, as it was great competition and we saw plenty of the next generation of rising stars. There are going to be so many more teams and names we learn about in our three days in Kansas City we can hardly wait! This was a division that was owned by a handful of teams in the 13s a year ago. The big question this weekend is can anyone break up the trio of TAV 14 Black, Madfrog 14 Green and Arizona Storm 14 Thunder? They have proved themselves as truly the teams to beat. With that said, how can you go against one of them? The pick is Arizona Storm beating TAV for gold.