When it came to 15 Open at AAUs, it was a slow grind toward the gold bracket where we had to wait four days for the top teams to get together. That’s not the case with the pool-play format at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships here in Chicago. One of the first matches of the day saw top-seeded Skyline 15 Royal – a silver medalist in 15 Open at AAU – going toe-to-toe with AP 15 Adidas. It was no cakewalk to Skyline’s start, going three before prevailing and finishing its day 3-0.

Mintonette Sports m.51 – the AAU gold medalist – Hou Skyline 15 Royal, TAV 15 Black, SCVC 15 Roxy, Legacy 15-1 Adidas, Aspire 15 Premier and Arizona Storm 15 Thunder all joined Skyline in going 3-0. While those teams positioned themselves nicely, Boiler Jrs 15 Gold has work to do. After earning the bronze medal in Orlando, the crew faces the possibility of not breaking the first round of pool play. Boiler Jrs – the No. 6 overall seed – is 1-2 after falling to both AVC Cle 15 Red and Forza1 North 15 One. Boiler Jrs defeated Alamo 15 Premier in three in its opener, so Boiler Jrs narrowly avoided going 0-3. Boiler Jrs would advance with victories over Premier Nebraska 15 Gold and NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami on Day 2.

Another top seed to taste defeat on Day 1 was Austin Skyline 15 Royal. The No. 5 overall seed is 2-1 after being upended by Arizona Storm in its last outing of the day. Austin Skyline barely edged Top Select 15 Elite in its opener, winning the third set 16-14 to avoid sitting at 1-2 as well.

DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS

Teagan Cooling MB Vision 15 Gold: It was a tough day for Vision, which went 0-3. However, Cooling caught our eye with her offensive play. Vision likes to give her the ball and she was rewarding her team with big, big kills.

Natalie Monroe OH Vision 15 Gold: Monroe was another bright spot with her swinging on the outside. She’s a lanky hitter who extends and connects well.

Kendall Northern MB/RS Elevation 15 Tony: Northern has tremendous upside with her length and athleticism. She can get up high with her long arms and press over the net. She also showed her versatility playing on both the right and in the middle.

Taylor Stanley RS Dynasty 15 Black: Dynasty was another team who had a rough opening day at 0-3. Stanley was a featured part of the attack both front and back row. She’s long and can bring the heat.

Addison West OH Premier Nebraska 15 Gold: West was carrying her share of the offensive responsibilities. She’s a lanky hitter with an easy swing that can deliver plenty of pace.

Halle Thompson OH Hou Skyline 15 Royal: Thompson was an absolute beast on the outside. She was unstoppable at times. She’s a high-flying, hard-swinging attacker who can bring the thunder.

Blair Thiebaud S Hou Skyline 15 Royal: Thiebaud was another standout for Hou Skyline on Day 1. She’s a smooth disher who connects well with her hitters.

Sydney Borowy OH AVC Cle 15 Red: It was a strong start for AVC and Borowy was part of the reason. She’s the go-to on the outside and was taking a lot of swings and delivering in key moments.

D’Aira Whitner MB AVC Cle 15 Red: Whitner is a bit undersized but is very quick. She gets off the ground in a hurry and has a lively arm to rip balls with.

Henley Anderson OH AP 15 Adidas: AP isn’t where it expected to be at 0-3 but Anderson was showcasing her next-level skills. She’s very long, swings really high and can rocket kills.

Bella Lopez RS Madfrog 15 Green: Lopez was getting up and smashing balls at times. She’s an athletic, wirey hitter who helps open the attack.

Addyson Bianchini S/RS NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami: Bianchini was excelling in her two-way role. She’s a steady, consistent setter who can move the ball around. She’s also an effective hitter with a strong arm.