Dark Horse USAV Nationals Contenders: 15 Open
Time to tackle the notoriously unpredictable world of 15 Open. Of course, having a division with uncertain outcomes is good for this dark horse series. Any 15 Open team could emerge from the pack and surprise us at Nationals. We…
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Continue ReadingTime to tackle the notoriously unpredictable world of 15 Open.
Of course, having a division with uncertain outcomes is good for this dark horse series. Any 15 Open team could emerge from the pack and surprise us at Nationals. We have a few favorites in mind within this entire group (we’ll talk about those teams within the next few weeks), but the prospect of a 15 Open underdog emerging victorious is definitely feasible.
So, let’s give you a few dark horse contenders to watch. If you missed our features on 16 Open and 17 Open, but sure to check those out.
HPSTL 15 Royal
We have a good chance to get St. Louis in the mix here.
Fittingly, the Show Me Qualifier was the site of bid glory for this Missouri squad. This event was also a big opportunity for me to get some first looks at HPSTL teams, and 15 Royal certainly did not disappoint.
Several different players deserve a lot of credit for lifting 15 Royal to a bid at Show Me. Tara Greenberry Tara Greenberry 6'3" | MB Incarnate Word | 2025 State #117 Nation MO was one of the most imposing 2025 middles in the gym that weekend. Meanwhile, Hannah Leftridge Hannah Leftridge 5'10" | OH St. Pius X (Festus) | 2025 State MO had a constant impact on the left side as a clutch scorer and steady backcourt defender. Speaking of defense, Harper Highfill continues to make strides in the libero jersey and will have 15 Royal’s passing thriving in Indy.
Missouri will have a lot of reasons to be excited at Nationals. Those reasons extend from Kansas City all the way to the Gateway Arch.
Surfside 15 PV Legends
When perusing through the 15s teams at Triple Crown NIT, Surfside is a club that really caught me off guard.
That Kansas City trip was my first exposure to 15 PV Legends, and I was immediately impressed with this squad’s lineup. Surfside’s offense runs through outside hitter Kaci Demaria Kaci Demaria 6'3" | OH Palos Verdes | 2025 State #7 Nation CA , one of the most eye-popping 2025s I’ve seen this year. She hits with extraordinary pace and can cut the ball at angles that are incredibly rare in the 15s age group. Elsewhere on this team, Daniela Rusich has put together a nice 2022 campaign in the middle and forms a great tandem with Lauren Neely at that position. 15 PV Legends is also stacked in the ball control phase with sister duo Mallory LeBreche and Molly LaBreche leading the way at setter and libero, respectively.
We’re going to add a lot of California teams to your radar by the time we kick things off in Indy.
Six Pack 15
I’ve spent a lot of time hyping up the awesome club-wide stretch that Six Pack had late in the qualifier season. Let’s bring a little of that love to the 15s squad.
Six Pack 15 clinched a spot at Nationals with a third-place finish at Windy City. This triumph was particularly impressive given that the team had just competed in 15 USA at MEQ just a month earlier. After placing second in that venue, this Iowa bunch was not going to shy away from a challenge once April arrived. It paid off.
The Hawkeye State will see plenty of up-and-coming volleyball talent from this roster. Mitchell Dakota stands out every time she competes with Six Pack, and that’s not just because she wears the contrasting libero jersey. Her tremendous balance and body control help yield some of the most improbable digs we’ve seen in 15s competition. Up in the frontcourt, Gracie Furlong and Abbey Hayes are a couple of outside hitters to know from an offense that knows how to score in clutch situations.
This balanced Six Pack 15 lineup has the experience and firepower to represent Iowa well this summer.
Austin Skyline 15 Royal
It seems like every major Texas city will be represented in Open divisions at USAV Nationals. Somehow, I’m not surprised.
Austin Skyline 15 Royal has built up quite a track record of qualifier results, including second at Lone Star, third at SLC, and fourth at Sunshine. That’s more than enough to make the Nationals field, and we’ll get to see some of the best players that Texas’s capital has to offer.
This is another team that generates highlight plays from nearly every position. Setter Jacy Carrejo Jacy Carrejo 5'11" | S Leander | 2025 State TX distributes the ball nicely to standout hitters like middle blocker Amelia Robinson Amelia Robinson 6'1" | MB Llano | 2025 State TX and opposite Addison Gaido Addison Gaido 6'5" | RS Georgetown | 2025 State #45 Nation TX . And, for a look at a 2025 libero who is quickly garnering a lot of attention, check out Callie Krueger Callie Krueger 5'5" | DS/L Cedar Park | 2025 State #22 Nation TX .
When 15 Royal is performing at its peak, it may be tough to call the team a dark horse. I can’t wait to see how it all comes together in Indy.
EXCEL 15 National Red
From Austin, we travel up to the north side of Dallas to find EXCEL.
Here’s yet another Lone Star squad you can’t overlook in the race for the 15 Open crown. 15 National Red boast fourth-place finishes at Lone Star and SLC. This is a group that consistently challenges–and beats–a handful of its Texas rivals, so EXCEL has earned its mention here in this feature.
Halle Jameson has had an outstanding year on the left pin for 15 National Red. Her long frame and effortless elevation are difficult to defend when EXCEL runs in-system offense. In the middle, Catherine Warren and Aubrey Bellus have anchored a stifling block that regularly turns matches in 15 National Red’s favor.
One of these featured Texas teams will have a breakout showing at Nationals. The odds are in my favor.
MiElite 15 Mizuno
I was pleased to see this team earn its 15 Open bid.
It looked like MiElite’s time would come at the Show Me Qualifier. The team was humming along through much of the Kansas City event but came up just short on the final day of Gold pools. Redemption was sweet at Big South, though, and a third-place finish locked up that long-awaited Indy trip.
The steady hand of outside hitter Jessica Costlow Jessica Costlow 5'11" | OH SMCC | 2025 State #142 Nation MI was a joy to watch at Show Me. She is also the quintessential team player, as she doesn’t mind taking on a defensive specialist role. Pin hitters like Isabelle Busignani Isabelle Busignani 6'1" | OH Marian | 2025 State #73 Nation MI and Gabriella Babinski Gabriella Babinski 6'1" | RS South Lyon East | 2025 State MI have also helped spark a late-season push that got MiElite in the 15 Open title hunt.
Nationals prep has likely been fierce for 15 Mizuno, too, as the team just finished another great weekend at our Prep Dig Gauntlet in Milwaukee.