Club Team Spotlight – Ultimate Performance 17 Open

<p>We are coming to the end of the volleyball season soon and we wanted to write a few articles on certain club teams who we think deserve some recognition for their season. Qualifier season has now come to an end and some teams have punched their ticket to USA Volleyball Junior Nationals, which will be held in Indianapolis later on this summer.  Let’s take a look at a team who has had a great season so far and who we will be seeing at Nationals.  Take a bow Ultimate Performance Volleyball 17 Open…you have earned it.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>UPVBC has taken the state of Oklahoma by storm the past couple of years.  They have solidified themselves as one of the premier programs in the Sooner state.  Their 17 Open team has proven to be one of the best in the nation this year as they have pretty much an all star team full of the state’s best players.  They have an overall record of 58-12 and rank 25^thoverall in the nation and 1^stoverall in the Oklahoma Region according to AES results.  They won their USA Volleyball Open bid at the Windy City National Qualifier by placing 5^thoverall.  I was able to watch them take care of business at this tourney and I was very impressed with what I saw.  We are proud of their success and look forward to seeing them in Indy later this summer for Nationals.  Even though we can write about each and every athlete that contributed to their success, I am only going to cover a few players that stood out while I was watching them.  Let’s meet a few of them.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="144086" first="Mackenzie" last="McGuire"] [2022] 6-2 Outside (HS: Broken Arrow/Club: UPVBC/Verbal: Kent State) </strong></p> <p>Mackenzie is currently ranked as our best overall prospect and the top outside in the 2022 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings.  She played for Broken Arrow high school this past season and also for UPVBC.  She is the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year for Oklahoma.  This young lady is very well known across the nation and will play at Kent State next year.  She was her usual unstoppable offensive self from the left side for UPVBC for the entire Windy City tourney.  She showed why she is highly regarded with her overall play.  We have profiled her numerous times for her astonishing feats on the court and this tourney was no different.  I love how she scores at such a high clip on the pins and she will do wonders at the next level next season.  She showed her back row skills also as she was digging some hard driven attacks when I was watching. </p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="145994" first="Ellie" last="Smith"] [2023] 6-2 Middle (HS: Jenks/Club: Ultimate Performance Volleyball Club/Verbal: Uncommitted) </strong></p> <p>Ellie is currently ranked as the 36^thbest overall prospect in the 2023 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings.  She is a solid middle for Jenks High School and Ultimate Performance Volleyball Club.  This young lady will no doubt move up the rankings at our next update with what I saw from her in the Windy City tourney.  She was so fast off of the ground and took a very hard driven approach toward her setter for quicks.  I loved how lightning quick her arm swing was to score against other high level middles.  But she really gave a lot to her team on the blocking end as she stopped opponents time after time at the net with her strong frame and fast footwork to close the block.  This young lady can help a college roster for sure and will need to be added to your short list of recruits to watch.  </p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="145960" first="Kady" last="Hansen"] [2023] 6-3 Middle (HS: OKC Storm/Club: Ultimate Performance Volleyball Club/Verbal: Uncommitted)</strong></p> <p>Kady is currently ranked as the best overall prospect in the 2023 class according to our Prep Dig Oklahoma State Rankings.  She is a fantastic player for a home school program and also for UPVBC.  She has bounced back well from some injuries that sidelined her. She is still the best prospect in our eyes to come out of the state in her class.  She has so much potential to be a very good player at the next level. Her speed and power are two things that could give a lot to a college roster right now.  She was a big factor on the defensive end when I watched them. Her timing on the block was huge as she routinely kept her team in the rally and stopped would be scorers.  Kady will garner a lot of interest from big named schools across the country as she continues to progress.  If you do not know her name, I suggest you take it down now. </p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="145964" first="Olivia" last="Vance"] [2023] 5-10 Outside (HS: Bixby/Club: Ultimate Performance Volleyball Club/Verbal: Uncommitted)</strong></p> <p>Olivia is currently ranked as our 4^thoverall prospect and the 2^ndbest outside in the 2023 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings.  She plays for Bixby HS after transferring from Norman North and also club volleyball for Ultimate Performance Volleyball Club.  Olivia put on a show as she was a threat from all over the court.  Her amazing athleticism was on full display in the three set victory I saw during the Windy City Qualifier.  Her high-flying attack from the left side scored almost at will when her team needed it the most.  I loved how she was able to score from the back row also.  Miss Vance was also very impressive as a receiver as she kept her team in system with great passes to her setters.  I am very high on this kid as I firmly believe she can play at the next level for sure. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Other notable players that stood out while I was watching are libero [player_tooltip player_id="145984" first="Jessica" last="Shildt"] and right side [player_tooltip player_id="146000" first="Sidney" last="Smith"].  Setters [player_tooltip player_id="145981" first="Brynn" last="Roberts"] and [player_tooltip player_id="145968" first="Riley" last="Roberts"] spread the ball around evenly to their awesome stud hitters.  This team is on the rise and will showcase very well in Indy at Nationals this summer.  We will be writing more articles on them as they gear up to compete.  I will also be in attendance at nationals and will have more on them during the tourney.  Stay tuned!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.  If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com.  Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.  Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.  Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Oklahoma Family! Don’t be afraid to interact with us. We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.  Keep them coming!</p>