Washington’s Elite: Which 15U-18U Rosters Have the Most Recruits?

This is an early, early look at some of the top club teams around the state as we head into March. We look at each age group, 15-18, and present the teams in no particular order. Several of the teams have had early-season match-ups that give some insight, but there is a long way to go till late June and Nationals. Expect a more detailed look as teams hold more head-to-head meetings and clubs like CRU begin their competition portion of the schedule.     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">18U</h2>   CPA 18 Benson- Evergreen.   NPJ Forefront 18- Columbia Empire.   SIVBC 18- Puget Sound.   North Central Washington VBC 18 Gold- Evergreen.   OTHERS: Space Needle 18 Secret. WVBA 18 Adidas.   The three top squads included here all had a chance to play at the Triple Crown NIT, and CPA 18 Benson and NPJ Forefront matched up for the first time this season in Kansas City. CPA 18 Benson won in a three-set battle, 16-14 in the 3rd to close out the match. It was a match with big momentum swings, featuring great players from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana who came up big for both squads. It's a story for an article at another time. Forefront and CPA should have two more chances to meet at the PNQ 18 Open and the USAV 18 Open Championship. Sudden Impact 18 has a very strong, skilled group of players who have been together for several years and have won at an impressive clip. They are adjusting to a season without a few key players, but the team's talent and leadership are undoubtedly high-level. NCWVBC 18 Gold will rack up wins with a core of players from Wenatchee and the Central part of the state. Coach Marni McMahon's squad finished second at the Fiesta Festival and is tough on defense year in and year out.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">17U</h2>   Dakine 17 Pink National- Puget Sound   CPA 17 Benson- Evergreen   WVBA 17 Adidas- Puget Sound   Space Needle 17 Blitz- Puget Sound   Aspire NW 17 Empire- Columbia Empire   208 U17 Elite- Evergreen.   The 17's are a high-quality group across the state, and several of the top teams have not matched up head-to-head... yet. Dakine 17 Pink National finished 45th in the Triple Crown, an excellent showing against top competition. WVBA 17 Adidas looked tough at the Matt Hartner, dropping a close match to CPA 17 Benson. The aforementioned CPA 17 Benson may be at their best at season's end, as they are mixing in some new additions and multi-sport athletes. Space Needle 17 Blitz has a very talented roster and is starting to gel players who had not played together before. Aspire NW 17 Empire has an excellent mix of competitors from Washington and Oregon. 208 U17 Elite is sneaky good with a talented mix of players from Idaho and Washington.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">16U</h2>     Blue Royals 16 Emerald- Puget Sound.   SIVBC 16 Thunder- Puget Sound.   CPA 16 Drew- Evergreen.   Puyallup Juniors 16 National- Puget Sound.   Others: NPJ Seattle 16 National. Dakine 16 Pink National.   We will need to see more of these teams match up to get a better feel for who may have the edge head-to-head. Blue Royals have a terrific defensive squad with players who know the game and compete hard. Sudden Impact Thunder has some of the best players in the class, and they will play a tough schedule as the season progresses. CPA 16 Drew is quietly building a top resume. They won the Matt Hartner and rattled off a 6-2 record at the Triple Crown Battle to Bartle. Puyallup Juniors 16 National is a tough-minded group who dont give opponents an inch. The 16-year-old age group still feels wide open, with teams we don't have listed here ready to emerge.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">15U</h2>   Mode 15 National- Evergreen.   Dakine 15 Pink National- Puget Sound.   Aspire NW 15 Empire - Columbia Empire.   CPA 15 Benson- Evergreen.     Several of the top 15 teams have already matched up, and PNQ, Regional, and Bid Tournaments should be opportunities to see some of them in action again. Mode 15 National has two NTDP players on the roster and great team chemistry with a small roster of just eight players. Dakine 15 National and CPA Benson 15 matched up at the Matt Hartner, with Dakine securing the win in a three-set match. Aspire NW 15 Empire dropped a close battle to Mode 15, with set two going 26-24 for Mode.

This is an early, early look at some of the top club teams around the state as we head into March. We look at each age group, 15-18, and present the teams in no particular order. Several of the teams have had early-season match-ups that give some insight, but there is a long way to go till late June and Nationals. Expect a more detailed look as teams hold more head-to-head meetings and clubs like CRU begin their competition portion of the schedule.