January Update: Front Runners and Darkhorse Teams 16s,17s,&18s

It’s early in the year but we have had the chance to see plenty of teams compete in a couple of tournaments and watch them play against some solid competition. We are taking a look at some 16s,17s, and 18s teams that are front runners and those that could be dark horses. The rankings and numbers are coming from the AES system club volleyball uses. It has its own algorithm and reasons for why teams are where they are.   Front Runners for 16s,17s, and 18s 16s- Peak 16-1 is currently ranked #16 in the region and is 14-1 in matches on the season. This is an extremely talented group that will go far. They won the Kansas City MLK tournament, even though they played in the 17s division. The combonation of [player_tooltip player_id="156860" first="Curry" last="Kendall"] and [player_tooltip player_id="156859" first="Landry" last="Braziel"] on the outside is a handful in and of itself, but to add [player_tooltip player_id="156872" first="Parker" last="Gladhill"] and [player_tooltip player_id="156853" first="Megan" last="Branson"] in the mix, it is a nightmare for opposing teams. Crush 16-1 is currently #1 in the region sitting at 9-0 on the season. Olivia Price does a great job in the back row, flying around and unafraid to hit the floor. Add Caeli Schaefer in the front row with a solid block, this team plays solid defense and makes you earn your points. UPVBC 16 Open is currently ranked at #2 in the region and has a 15-0 record. They won both Redlands Rendezvous and the Kansas City MLK tournaments. Much like Peak 16-1, you can shake a stick and hit multiple future college-level players. [player_tooltip player_id="177224" first="Jada" last="Bishop"] and [player_tooltip player_id="177225" first="Carley" last="Butler"] do a great job offensively, while [player_tooltip player_id="156851" first="Avery" last="Jones"] and Kate Scheenberg keep the ball up and dish out sets to allow this team to be deadly in all sorts of ways. Last but not least, this team is ranked #3 overall in the nation. 17s- Charge 17UA is currently ranked #1 in the region and #13 in the nation with a 13-2 record. They started the year strong going 6-0 at the ORU Early Bird and have since finished 3rd in their last two tournaments. Behind the heavy arms of [player_tooltip player_id="145993" first="Sara" last="Freeman"] and [player_tooltip player_id="145990" first="Grace" last="Smallwood"], they are a load offensively. [player_tooltip player_id="145969" first="Haylee" last="Harris"] keeps this team in-system and allows them to run a slew of combinations to keep defenses guessing. UPVBC 17 Open is currently ranked #4 in the region and #7 in the nation at 14-2 on the season. They finished runner-up at both of their first two tournaments. This team will be hungry to bring home the trophy at their home tournament this weekend. This is a star studded team with the likes of [player_tooltip player_id="145994" first="Ellie" last="Smith"], [player_tooltip player_id="145983" first="Ella" last="Drake"], [player_tooltip player_id="144086" first="Mackenzie" last="McGuire"], and [player_tooltip player_id="145960" first="Kady" last="Hansen"]. 18s- Virago 18-1 is currently #1 in the region with an 8-3 overall record. They finished runner-up at both of their tournaments. They will head to two out-of-state tournaments that will push them. We look forward to them representing Oklahoma in those tournaments. [player_tooltip player_id="144126" first="Tehya" last="Johnson"] gets to a ton of balls and gives a very consistent set to her hitters. With [player_tooltip player_id="144095" first="Kasidy" last="Holland"] and Audrey Foster on the outside, they can really put some mustard on the ball when they are in-system. The back row has 3 defensive specialists that can all fly around and grab a ton of digs, [player_tooltip player_id="145965" first="Olivia" last="Dewitt"], Jessica Thompson, and Charley Fahland. Multiple of these players have already committed to play at the next level. Peak 18-1 is currently ranked #4 in the region and #74 in the nation. Talk about college level players, [player_tooltip player_id="144103" first="Lari" last="Migliorino"], [player_tooltip player_id="144140" first="Sarah" last="Lindley"], [player_tooltip player_id="144120" first="Cameron" last="Turner"], [player_tooltip player_id="144105" first="Tierney" last="Jackson"], and [player_tooltip player_id="144133" first="Sydney" last="Thompson"] all have committed to high level programs. Look for this team to flourish against tough competition. Every player on this team can really go, I’m sure the practices are a knock down drag out each time. This will really push the whole team to be ready for nationals.   Dark Horse Teams for 16s,17s, and 18s 16s- (Charge 16UA) Not much of a dark horse but they are ranked 33rd in the region by AES. Charge UA teams usually finish extremely high in the region. I think they will rocket up the charts in the coming weeks as they gain wins under their belt. [player_tooltip player_id="156861" first="Bailey" last="Lowder"] and [player_tooltip player_id="156871" first="Josie" last="Brady"] both have the ability to go get a big point when it is needed. 17s- (Peak 17-1) After placing 8th in the region, they will likely move up in the coming month. Once they mesh as a group, they will start clicking at a high rate. [player_tooltip player_id="143130" first="Emily" last="Boyer"], [player_tooltip player_id="145979" first="Jenna" last="Houk"], and [player_tooltip player_id="145961" first="Katie" last="Kolar"] all had outstanding school seasons. This team definitely has the ingredients to make a salty group. 18s- (OC 18-1 Exposure) They are ranked 13th in the region with a 9-5 overall record. Coach Lee Johnson always does a great job with his teams. Look for players like Maddison LaPointe, Becca Hilmes, and [player_tooltip player_id="144125" first="Rylee" last="Martin"] to step up in moments to help them sneak up on a couple of teams.