Top 16s at the Rankings Tournament
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The Rankings Tournament is a tournament that is by invitation only, hosted by the Oklahoma Regional Volleyball Association. The top eight teams from each age division get split into two pools and go head to head with each other. This tournament helps sort out the regional rankings by making sure they have seen common opponents. There will likely be multiple teams playing in this tournament that will earn bids to play in the Junior National Tournament. Seeing how most of these teams are the cream of the crop, they contain some of the top players in the state as well. We are taking a look at some 16s players that have taken huge leaps and are major keys to their teams.
Megan Morrison and Ella Booth, Defensive Specialist #7 and #6 for Peak 16-3. Both are solid passers for the well coached third team. Currently ranked #6 in the region, this 3s team is a scrappy, hard-working group that functions well as a team. The match I watched, both of these young ladies were hustling, flustering opposing hitters the whole match. Their hard work will continue to help them slide up the charts. They helped the overall 7th seed get an upset and make it to the gold bracket.
Josie Brady Josie Brady 6'1" | MB Oklahoma Christian | 2024 State OK , Middle Blocker #1 for Charge 16UA. She played extremely well. She was all over the net on defense, with her length, she is a problem for hitters. She moved around hitting multiple different sets. I thought one of her best attacks came out of SR, running a slide to the pin. Her ceiling is really high. Look for her to continue to expand her range and become an elite player soon.
Ally Fees Ally Fees 5'11" | OH Mt. St. Mary | 2024 State OK , OH #4 for Charge 16UA. What a playmaker she is. She can do a little bit of everything. She is not afraid to take a big swing and attack the block. This forces the block to be exceptionally disciplined or it will get tooled for a point. She and Josie are both tall players and as the picture shows, the team gets to celebrate big stuff blocks often.
Parker Gladhill Parker Gladhill 5'11" | MB Norman North | 2024 State OK , MB #10 for Peak 16-1. She just keeps getting better. I saw her play in school ball on multiple occasions and I knew then that she would be special one day. That day is getting here quicker and quicker. She will be one of the best middles across the state come her senior year.
Curry Kendall Curry Kendall 6'1" | OH Bishop Kelley | 2024 State OK , OH #8 for Peak 16-1. She is already a juggernaut as a hitter and now she is gaining more control of her swings. She will likely be one of the biggest recruits out of Oklahoma since Inky Ajanaku. She has seriously high potential and she will work hard to get there. Peak finished a perfect 10-0 in their sets to claim the championship.
Jada Bishop Jada Bishop 6'0" | OH Owasso | 2024 State OK , OH #11 for UPVBC 16 Open. This club season has been kind to her. Her approach seems to be getting more powerful. This is helping her vertical, which in turns makes her even more lethal as a hitter. Playing on such a high level team is helping her play at a faster pace. This will help her get to the next level. She helped UPVBC 16 Open finish as the runner-up this past weekend.
We love seeing the progress of these teams and the athletes themselves. This club season is proving huge for the state of Oklahoma. Coaches have stepped up their game and it is helping these athletes progress in ways they haven’t before. Stay tuned for top players from the 17s side of the tournament.