This is our first Dream Team of 2023. Every Wednesday during the club season, VolleyballMag.com will recognize a Dream Team of eight girls volleyball players (15s to 18s age groups) who were standouts the weekend before.
The team, most weeks, consisted of the following:
Setter or S/RS
Setter, S/RS or RS
OH
OH
MB
MB
Libero
DS
We’ve also included others we considered, based exclusively upon nominations received.
Note to coaches and directors: while there is no science to how we choose members of our Dream Team, performing on bigger stages will give players an edge, as will nomination forms that describe with specificity how well a player performed the previous weekend.
Having not received any DS nominations this week, we added one more outside to complete the team.
VolleyballMag.com DREAM TEAM for February 22:
S: Taylor Parks, 5-10 Jr., OT Tampa 17 Aaron (FL) – Head coach Aaron Harrison said that every match this past weekend at Triple Crown felt like David v. Goliath, but OT not only hung in, they won, all the way to second place in the 17s division. Parks, a Florida recruit, was the catalyst, with her buttery sets and distinct knowledge of who to set when and at what tempo. Parks also made a huge impact with her own offense and her defense, a focus this year, was impactful as well.
RS: Taylor Clarke, 6-0 Soph. RS, Dallas Skyline 15 Royal (TX) – A lithe southpaw sophomore, Clarke was the go-to hitter for Skyline, which captured the 15s final at Triple Crown in a three-set thriller over SCVC 15 Roxy.
OH: Kaci Demaria, 6-4 Soph., Surfside PV 16 Legends (CA) – Demaria is the go-to hitter on Surfside and played like it in leading Surfside to the 16s title at Triple Crown, including putting home the clincher in the championship match versus Houston Skyline 16 Royal.
OH: Asia Harvey, 6-1 Soph., A5 16-Gabe (GA) – A great, great athlete, Harvey took an A5 team with a losing culture and put it on her back all the way to the 16s semifinals at Triple Crown. She got the majority of the sets, front row left, front row middle and back row and delivered with a terminating arm swing that demonstrated both grace and power. In a tournament where athletes were at a premium, she stood a head taller than the rest.
OH: Audrey Flanagan, 6-2 Fr., SCVC 15 Roxy (CA) – Flanagan was an unknown nationally coming into Triple Crown and left KC as a likely top 10 player in the Class of 2026 after leading SCVC, playing without RS Abby Zimmerman (basketball) to the 15s division finals. Flanagan, who probably is still growing, is a longer than long six-rotation attacker with the full game. Her kills in clutch time and all weekend long allowed SCVC to overcome several challenges on the way to the finals.
MB: Julia Hunt, 6-2 Jr., NKYVC 17 Tsunami (KY) – A regular on this list a year ago, Hunt once again made her presence felt at the Triple Crown NIT, leading Tsunami to the 17s title one year after propelling her team to a runner up finish in the 16s division. Hunt hit .389 for the weekend with 79 kills while authoring several big blocks. She was especially effective on Day 3, hitting .660 for the way while delivering the clinching kill in the final versus OTVA T 17 Aaron.
MB: Kayla Nwaubeze, 6-2 Fr., Legacy 16 Adidas (MI) – On a Legacy team loaded with superstars, Nwaubeze stood out at Triple Crown. She was everywhere. She ranged sideline to sideline to intimidate and snuff out pending attacks. And she was always ready to put away a swing, whether on first contact or in transition, with authority.
Libero: Alyssa Manitzas, 5-1, Alamo 18 Premier (TX) – A Notre Dame recruit and Under Armour First Team All-American, Manitzas lived up to her reputation this weekend, with great leadership and even better production as Alamo finished 19th at TC after coming in seeded in the 60s. She was the reason Alamo was able to stay competitive in all the long rallies.
Also considered (by position, in order of consideration):
S: Alexis Haury, 5-9 Jr., NPJ 18 Forefront (OR) – Haury helped solidify NPJ’s place on the map this weekend. A great leader and intense competitor, the Washington Husky recruit led the Oregon club into the top eight with wins over A5 18-Marc and Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar. “Alexis Haury is the one who makes it all possible!” exclaimed director Adam Ellis. “She does such an amazing job setting her hitters up for success!”
S/RS: Danielle Whitmire, 6-1 Fr., TAV 15 Black (TX) – A talented setter, both distributing the ball and finding her own offense; and a powerful attacker, Whitmire led TAV to the 15s quarterfinals at Triple Crown before being eliminated by AZ Sky 15 Gold, 18-16 in the third.
S: Taylor Anderson, 6-2 Sr., Alamo 18 Premier (TX) – Anderson, a Purdue recruit, helped take Alamo, which started Triple Crown seeded in the 60s, to 19th place in 18s at the NIT. She led on both sides of the ball, running a fast, diverse offense as well as putting up a big block to shut down many accomplished hitters.
S/RS: Jordyn Decker, 5-11 Soph., Club One AZ 16 Platinum (AZ) – Decker did not leave the court for Club One this past weekend at TC. She was a steady presence on the court, setting, hitting, digging…She finished with 76 assists, 57 digs, five blocks and 19 kills while hitting. 238 for a team that placed 27th in the 16s division.
***
RS: Jordan Smith, 6-3 Soph., Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite (MO) – Smith had a breakout weekend for Rockwood, leading the team in kills and blocks on the way to seventh place in the 17s division at Triple Crown. Rockwood was the only team to defeat champion NKYVC 17 Tsunami.
***
OH: Abby Vander Wal, 6-3 OH, 1st Alliance 16 Gold (IL) – Vander Wal dominated as expected this past weekend in Kansas City. She has added pace to her swing this season and was virtually unstoppable in leading her squad to the quarterfinals.
OH: Sydney Barrett, 6-0 Jr., NKYVC 17 Tsunami (KY) – Barrett led NKYVC in aces and kills for the weekend and had key moments in both sets of the 17s final to send Tsunami to the winner’s circle. Barrett also was a primary passer in serve-receive, helping keep her team in system to be able to run its potent offense.
OH: Teraya Sigler, 6-1 Soph., Arizona Storm Elite 16 Thunder (AZ) – Playing with a backup setter, Sigler propelled Storm to the 16s semifinals at Triple Crown by playing the whole game: passing serve, serving up aces and serving notice to duck and cover whenever the set came her way. It’s no wonder that she’s one of the top recruits nationally in her class.
OH: Cindy Tchouangwa, 6-0 OH, Houston Juniors 18 Elite (TX) – Tchouangwa helped HJV to a ninth-place finish at Triple Crown this past weekend. The Rice University signee hit .688 and passed 2.24 in a win over Mizuno Long Beach and hit .313 for the weekend with a 2,10 passing average.
OH: Sophia Mayo, 6-2 Jr., Circle City 17 Purple (IN) – Mayo stepped up her game this past weekend and was pivotal in Circle City’s second-place finish in 18 Open at the President’s Day event in St. Louis. “She was arguably the best attacker in the gym,” noted coach Chris Due. “She was our go-to hitter, especially after losing our other outside, and she really took that role to heart. She was making some big highlight swings, bouncing balls on the court, and making huge blocks defensively. Teams really struggled to stop or slow her down. We were up 14-13 in the 3rd set versus Alliance 18-1’s and she made a huge block on match point to make it to the finals.”
OH: Ella Lewis, 5-11 Soph., Houston Skyline 16 Royal (TX) – Lewis owned the left pin for H Skyline, which reached the 16s final at the NIT this past weekend.
OH: Kennedy Wagner, 6-1 Sr., 1st Alliance 18 Gold (IL) – Wagner, a Clemson recruit and top 50 hitter in her class nationally, averaged five kills per set in helping her team to an 8-1 overall record at the Triple Crown NIT this past weekend. She hit .313 while also contributing 12 blocks, nine aces and 40 digs while passing a 2.14.
OH: Avery Stones, 6-2 Soph., Club One AZ 16 Platinum (AZ) – A six-rotation stud considered one of the top 100 players nationally in her class, Stone was outstanding in all phases this past weekend at Triple Crown. She contributed 78 kills while hitting .246 over 19 sets, passed a 2.04, had 84 digs and was a tremendous leader for her team.
OH: Brooklyn Jenkins, Fr., AZ Sky 15 Gold (AZ) – Jenkins used her thunderous arm to propel Sky to the 15s semifinals at Triple Crown, a huge statement for the emerging Arizona Region club.
OH: Alivia Skidmore, 5-10 Jr., NKYVC 17 Tsunami (KY) – A leaper with bigtime blocking skills on either pin, Skidmore used her rocket arm to help Tsunami rocket to the 17s title at Triple Crown. She hit .304 for the weekend with 78 kills one year after injury prevented her from playing the NIT.
OH: Greer Chambless, 6-1 Soph., Dallas Premier 16 Black (TX) – Chambless played on the 18s this past weekend at the AVC qualifier in Dallas and helped Premier place ninth overall. The sophomore led the team with 54 kills and also led her squad with seven blocks while achieving a 90 percent dig rate.
OH: Emma Sorensen, 6-0 Soph., Dallas Premier 16 Black (TX) – Sorensen played on the 18s this past weekend at the AVC qualifier in Dallas and helped Premier place ninth overall. The sophomore passed a 2.2, contributed 51 digs and 36 kills while also chipping in with six aces.
***
MB: Reese Robins, 6-5 Sr., Drive Nation 18 Red (TX) – A Louisville signee, Robins had the game-winning block in a three-set semifinal win over Munciana Samurai at the Triple Crown NIT. She followed that up with the winning kill in Game 3 of the final versus Coast 18-1.
MB: Leah Ford, 6-3 Sr., Drive Nation 18 Red (TX) – Ford’s presence was immense this past weekend at Triple Crown, as Drive Nation ousted defending 18s champion Munciana Samurai in the semifinals then rallied from behind to dispatch Coast 18-1 for the title. Ford blocked and intimidated all weekend long, snuffing out several swings and making the back row’s job easier when the ball wasn’t being sent back.
MB: Laurece Abraham, 6-2 Sr., Legacy 18-1 adidas (MI) – Abraham led Legacy in kills and blocks when it overcame Premier Nebraska 18 Gold to reach the 18s semifinals. The Yale recruit played well all weekend, hitting over .500 for the tournament.
***
Libero: Olivia Foye, 5-5 Soph,, Surfside PV 16 Legends (CA) – Foye stood out for her back row play in Surfside’s run to the 16s title at Triple Crown. “New in the position she carried us in a brilliant way,” Loriann Perkins said. “She reads, digs, her serve receive is like no other…We can depend on her.”
Libero: Taylor Deckert, 5-6 Soph., SCVC 17 Roxy (CA) — Dynamic, smooth and fun to watch, Deckert used her athleticism to propel SCVC to the top 32 this past weekend at Triple Crown. She plays up an age group and yet still was unstoppable covering the entire court, including a short tip at right back all the way from left back.
Libero: Alyx Daugherty, 5-7 Soph., Club One AZ 16 Platinum (AZ) – The perfect combination of steady and feisty, Daugherty’s play propelled Club One to the top 32 at TC this past weekend. She passed a 2.21 and had 94 digs, many incredible, while controlling large swaths of court. She also contributed 21 assists as a secondary setter, a huge number for eight matches.
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Girls Dream Team of the Week: Parks, Clarke, Demaria, Harvey, Flanagan, Hunt, Nwaubeze, Manitzas Volleyballmag.com.
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