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, consists of the following:
Setter or S/RS
Setter, S/RS or RS
OH
OH
MB
MB
Libero
DS
We include this week’s eight-player Dream Team below, as well as others we considered, based exclusively upon nominations received. This week’s Dream Team will include three outsides in lieu of a right side attacker and two liberos, since we received no DS nominations either.
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.
VolleyballMag.com DREAM TEAM for March 8:
S: Taylor Parks, 5-11 Jr., OT 17 T Aaron (FL) – This Florida recruit is becoming a mainstay on Dream Team, after another stellar weekend in leading 17 Aaron to the Sunshine Classic title in 17 Open. “Taylor Parks sets the tone for this team every match,” said coach Aaron Harrison. “Her volleyball IQ and athleticism keep us in system most of the time.”
RS: Frances Torres, 6-0 Sr., Metro 18 Travel (DC) – Torres, a Colgate recruit, helped Metro triple qualify in 18 Open for Junior Nationals by leading the team in kills as a six-rotation right side at NEQ, where her team placed second.
OH: Callie Combs, 5-8 Fr., NKYVC 15 Tsunami (KY) – Combs may be under tall to be a quintessential attacker, but do not underestimate her. She jumps 9-6 and is more athletic than just about anyone out there. She was the team’s go-to hitter again this weekend as Tsunami won Bluegrass and is a second libero on the floor when she’s in the back row. “She’s what I call, ‘our clutch player,’” said coach Brooke Logan. “When in doubt, go to Callie.”
OH: Layla Austin, 5-10 Fr., Dallas Skyline 15 Royal (TX) – On a national No. 1 team filled with stars, Austin shined brightest this weekend in Las Vegas, where Skyline won the 15 Open division at the Red Rock national qualifier. Austin was a go-to hitter for her team and made all the plays, including when her team needed her most.
MB: Audrey Dyas, 6-1 Fr., NKYVC 15 Tsunami – Dyas was a key performer for 15 Tsunami, which won the 15 Open division at the Bluegrass Tournament this past weekend. Dyas touches 9-9 and swings fast, making her almost impossible to block, She is always available in transition and her blocks devastate an opponent’s game plan. “She’s our hype player and no matter whether she got the point or another teammate, you will hear it,” noted coach Brooke Logan. “Audrey is a beast and continues to put up great numbers for our team to be successful.”
MB: Brooke Bultema, 6-3 Sr., Elevation 18 Spinney (OH) – Bultema likes the Blue Grass State. The future Kentucky Wildcat dominated the net as Elevation overcame Munciana 18 Samurai, Sports Performance 18 Elite, Circle City 18 Purple and others to prevail in the 18 Open division at the Bluegrass Tournament in Louisville.
Libero: Emma Frietch, 5-8 Fr., NKYVC 15 Tsunami (KY) – Frietch demonstrated once again at Bluegrass that she is one of the top freshman liberos in the nation. She passed almost perfectly, made defensive plays that Division I liberos cannot make, used her jump float effectively and led with her words from the back court as Tsunami won the tournament.
DS: Kaleigh Frietch, 5-8 Jr., NKYVC 17 Tsunami (KY) – Ball control was a huge factor in 17 Tsunami’s win at Bluegrass over the weekend to retain its No. 1 national ranking. Passing was terrific and the defense even better. Frietch’s serve and pass work was excellent, whether she was wearing the libero jersey or playing three rotations as a defensive specialist. She also had a ton of aces and was part of a balanced back row that catalyzed the win.
Also considered (by position, in order of consideration):
S: Leeann Maysonet, 5-4 Jr., JJVA 17 Teal (FL) – Maysonet had to hit for her team this past weekend in several matches at the Sunshine Classic. “She was more efficient than one would think, scoring several key points at times,” noted recruiting coordinator CJ Sherman. “She is a total teammate and determined to do what it takes to help her team be successful.”
S: Sade Illawole, 5-1 Jr., Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar (CA) – A phenomenal athlete who plays much bigger than her height, Illawole posted 48 assists, 32 digs and six aces for the weekend at NEQ, where Long Beach placed eighth in 17 Open. Uncommitted, Illawole, a three-year starter for national HS power Sierra Canyon, is quick and runs an offense like she knows what she’s doing, because she does,
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RS: Nora Williams, 6-0 Jr., Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar (CA) – An athlete touching 10-1, Williams had a great weekend in Philly at NEQ. She led the team in hitting percentage and had 21 total blocks for a team that went 7-3 in 17 Open. “Nora is a great blocker and attacker and has improved her game tremendously in just a few months,” noted coach Megan Moenoa.
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OH: Olivia Hart, 6-0 Jr., OT 17 T Aaron (FL) – Hart exploded onto the scene at Triple Crown and kept up the pace at the Sunshine Qualifier last weekend, where 17 Aaron defeated a solid field in the 17 Open division. “Olivia Hart is the catalyst to the team,” said coach Aaron Harrison. “Her athleticism and personality bring the best out of us. She is not committed yet, but she has a lot of schools reaching out since NIT.”
OH: Haley Burgdorf, 6-0 Fr., Sports Performance 16 Elite (IL) – Playing up a year, as she always has, Burgdorf was a dominating presence in the 16 Open division at Bluegrass, where her team finished second. She hit. 339 for the weekend, finding ways to score consistently, and added 35 digs and seven blocks.
OH: Madi Andrews, 6-0 Fr., Athena 16-1 Gold (OR) – 16-1 Gold went undefeated on Saturday to win the region bid tournament. Andrews, a six-rotation outside who rarely leaves the court, hit .275 even while getting twice as many attempts as any of the other hitters. “Madi has a big load to carry for our team, even as a freshman,” noted coach Lena Chan. “Madi is frequently a serving target for the opposing team, not because she is not a good passer, but because they are trying to keep her from attacking. I have been impressed with Madi’s ability to carry such a responsibility for our team.”
OH: Emerson Sellman, 6-4 Jr., Metro 17 Travel (DC) – One of the top juniors in the nation, the Ohio State recruit was on her game again in Philadelphia this past weekend, where Metro roared through the 17 Open field at NEQ to qualify for Junior Nationals.
OH: Jazzahlei Satele, 5-5 Soph. Strive Hi 17U (HI) – One of Oahu’s best young players, Steele was sidelined by an ankle injury for three weeks before the Las Vegas Classic but showed resilience in playing and playing at a high level. Steele played with the heart of a lion in helping Strive Hi win the 17 Premier division.
OH: Madison Sherby, 5-9 Soph., Athena 15-1 Gold (OR) – Athena made the finals of the CEVBA bid tournament, with Sherby the stabilizing force as a six-rotation outside. For the tournament, Sherby hit .226, passed a 2.3, logged the most digs over the span of the day, and was the team’s most efficient server. “Madison really did it all this weekend!” noted director Lena Chan. “Madison is also a great leader and teammate, which there is no stat line for, but cannot go unnoticed.”
OH: Halie McGinest, 5-11 Jr., Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar (CA) – McGinest had a great weekend playing six rotations on the outside for Long Beach at the Northeast Qualifier. Usually a right side attacker, McGinest thrived in her six-rotation role, scoring front row and back while gaining confidence in her ball control abilities. The daughter of former NFL great Willie McGinest hit .220 over three days with 10 aces.
OH: Bridget Spees, 5-8 Soph., JJVA 16 Black (FL) – Spees had 35 kills and 27 digs for her team, which played in 16 Open for the first time at the Sunshine Classic National Qualifier. “I did not take Bridget off the court the entire weekend,” said coach Julie VanDeusen. “She was playing her heart out and competing with some of the best 2025s in the country.”
OH: Addison Kitzmiller, 5-10 Soph., Morgantown 16-1 (WV) – A heavy-armed attacker from the front row and back, Kitzmiller led MVP to a 17s title in Pittsburgh this past weekend. She led the team in kills while hitting .264, passed a 2.2 with 15 digs and served at 90 percent. Her first contact ability helped MVP achieve its highest first ball sideout percentage of the season.
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MB: Kate Williams, 5-10 Soph., Morgantown 16-1 (WV) – A middle with a 6-0 wingspan, Williams used that length to hit .409, pass at a 2.5 clip and average a solo stuff per match in MVC’s win in the 17s division at Grit Athletix in Pittsburgh. “Kate runs a quick tempo set in the middle both in front and behind the setter,” said coach Heidi Lee. “She sees holes on the court before the opposing defense has time to set up. She is also a threat from the serving line, which gives her the opportunity to swing from the back row as well.”
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Libero: Lizzie Riordan, 5-5 Soph., A5 16-Chanda (GA) — Riordan passed an average of 2.5 during the Sunshine Classic, with four digs per set as A5 went 10-0 to win the 16 American division. She had multiple matches with 6+ aces and covered the court effectively. “When the ball seemingly was going down, Lizzie found a way to get it right to target, and was a huge part in helping secure the win (and bid) for her team,” noted assistant coach AJ Morris.
Libero: Avery Reed, 5-5 Soph., Morgantown 16-1 (WV) – Reed led the defensive effort for MVC, which won the 17s division at Grit Athletix in Pittsburgh. She passed a 2.2, served at 88 percent with an ace per match, recorded 49 digs and eight assists. Said coach Heidi Lee: “Avery is quick on her feet and covers a large area of the court by herself. In serve receive, she is heavily avoided by opponents due to her near perfect passing quality. She doesn’t allow any hitting efforts to go uncontested as she averaged 4.9 digs per set this weekend. As a libero she isn’t afraid to use her hands on ball 2 to keep her team in system.”
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Girls Dream Team of the Week: Parks, Torres, Combs, Austin, Dyas, Bultema, E. Freitch, K. Freitch Volleyballmag.com.
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