The AAU Boys Nationwide Volleyball Championships in Orlando, Florida, July 1-4 included greater than 900 groups competing in a number of divisions ages 12 to 18.Â
These are the gamers who stood out as I watched the match. That is simply my opinion and never scientific, however I wished to acknowledge what number of excellent gamers there within the nation:
Outsides/Opposites
Aidan Akkawi, 630 16s: A easy outdoors hitter, an excellent passer, a priceless level scorer and may dial up a serve that will get his opponent out of system.
Lukas Anderson, MB Surf 18s (Loyola): He has a whip of an arm and all through the match the suitable facet did an amazing job serving groups out of system.
Quinn Bishop, Ocean Bay18s (Harvard): An outdoor who flys and has good vary as an attacker. He has nice passing approach.
Kyle Chapman, Houston Volleyball Academy 16s: Has a dwell arm on the suitable facet and is a excessive leaper and powerful blocker.
John Clinton, Elevation 17s: Has a dwell arm as an attacker and on the service line.
Nate Clinton, Bay to Bay 18s (Stanford): He jumps effectively, has a pleasant collection of pictures and has good passing fundamentals.
Vinny Coello, MVC 18 Greek (Pepperdine): As a 2024 highschool graduate he’s nonetheless one of many high outsides within the 18s division. Coello terminates and is a gradual passer.
Quincy Cole-Stevens, Kaizen 15s: An athletic, high-flying reverse with a quick arm who is comparatively new to the sport and has quite a lot of upside.
Christian Connell, WAVE 17s (USC): An outdoor who passes effectively, can hit the BIC successfully, leap serves groups out of system and has an amazing vertical.
Luca Curci, Balboa Bay 18 (UCLA): An skilled outdoors hitter who has performed in a ton of massive membership and highschool matches. Curci passes at a excessive clip, has nice vary as an attacker and is a confirmed winner.
Will Denning, Coast 14s: He’s approaching the scene properly on the outdoors hitter place and can solely enhance. Throughout the match Denning confirmed that he has a strong arm.
Jack Ebertin, Bay to Bay 18s outdoors (USC): The go-to outdoors hitter for Bay to Bay who hits the ball at its highest level and does an amazing job hitting the sides of the block for kills.
Ambrose Engling, MVC 17 (Princeton): Improved tremendously all through this membership season and is among the high gamers in Wisconsin. Engling does a pleasant job attacking the block.
Declan Flanagan, WAVE 15s: An outdoor who jumps effectively, hits for a excessive proportion and goes to be extremely recruited.
Sterling Foley, Balboa Bay 17s (USC): One of many high outdoors hitters within the 2024 class. He has a superb leap serve and reads the sport effectively.
Harrison Girard, C2 17s: A gifted outdoors hitter who has an amazing total sport. He retains C2 in system together with his passing and has an amazing shot choice.
Greyson Goldberg, Coast 18 (Menlo Faculty): Has made nice strides as an out of doors hitter during the last 12 months. His passing is steadily enhancing. Goldberg’s greatest energy is that he has a heavy arm and may terminate.
Cameron Grey, WPVC 18’s (Ball State): A high-flying outdoors hitter with good ball management. His leaping potential creates a big-hitting window.
Even Halleran, Kaizen 15s: An outdoor hitter who shouldn’t be afraid to take the large swing in crucial conditions. He had an amazing shot choice and received kills from all six rotations in a win in opposition to Balboa Bay.
Cole Hartke, Sports activities Efficiency 18s (Pepperdine): He’s a 6-foot-10 beast on the skin. Hartke has all the time been in a position to earn kills at a excessive fee within the entrance row. This previous season his passing and back-row attacking made nice enhancements.
Ben Hutchinson, Academy 17s (Ohio State): Arguably the perfect membership participant in Indiana. He hits at at a excessive level, can terminate tin all six rotations and is an excellent chief on the courtroom.
Myles Jordan, Houston Volleyball Academy 16s: Has a cannon of an arm on the skin for HVA, performs gritty protection, and passes to focus on.
Sean Kelly, MB Surf 18s (Princeton): The most effective outdoors hitters within the 2024 class. Kelly is clutch when the sport issues most together with his attacking and jump-serving expertise.
Grant Lamoureux, Twin Metropolis Volleyball 16s: He’s 6-foot-9 and offers opponents suits with as a blocker and his staff’s go-to hitter.
Jakobi Lange, 630 18s: An outdoor named an AVCA first-team All American and does a pleasant job making himself obtainable out of the again row.
Victor Loiola, MB Surf 18s (Lengthy Seaside State): A easy outdoors who performs his function effectively. Loiola passes glorious, has an amazing shot choice and has performed in a ton of excessive degree matches.
Jack Loper, WAVE 16s: An enormous hitter, Loper is an enormous jumper who continues to get higher at passing.
Jayden Mack, Crew Rockstar 12s: One of many high 12s outsides within the match. Mack handed effectively, performed sturdy back-row protection and was an enormous offense piece for Crew Rockstar.
David Mansilla, Crew Rockstar 18s (GCU): He has a whip of an arm and places up an enormous block and scored frequently for his staff.
Luke Morrison, Balboa 16s: The most effective opposites on the AAU Championships. The lefty led Balboa Bay to a title with a quick arm and epic blocks at crucial instances.
Liam Phinizy, Pulse 18s (Loyola): He suits the mildew of a typical John Hawks recruit. Phinizy passes effectively, hits the sides of the block to generate kills,and may hit the BIC.
Sebastiano Sani, St James 18s: A bodily outdoors hitter who’s a scoring machine for St. James. This previous 12 months he has a performed in quite a lot of high-level matches with St James and with the USA U19 staff.
Charlie Savage, Coast 12s: He’s been enjoying since he was 3 years previous and it reveals. He has a stable leap serve, passes effectively and it an amazing asset for Coast together with his backrow protection. He may dominate in membership in years to come back.
Jake Learn, Balboa Bay 18s (Loyola): He grew up in Newport, California and suits the mildew of sturdy outsides from that space. Learn passes effectively, has a excessive volleyball IQ and has gained quite a lot of high-level highschool matches. Throughout the AAU Championships Learn hit effectively out of system and handed tough serves to the goal.
Gabe Repplinger, Elevation 17s: Gabe Repplinger continues to enhance on his passing and attacking. He is a good route runner and creates good angles on his platform to get the ball to focus on in serve obtain.
Kai Rodriguez, Outrigger 17 (Hawai’i): He moved to Hawai’i this 12 months to get acclimated to the life-style. He’s an enormous leaper with good vary as an attacker and located methods to get Outrigger some key wins throughout the AAU Championship match.
Tyler Tharpe, Final 18s (Ohio State): A 6–foot-7 reverse who hits a heavy ball. Groups should all the time know the place he’s on the courtroom as a result of he can earn kills in all six rotations. He’s additionally a powerful blocker.
Justin Todd, Outrigger 18 (Hawai’i): He’s changing into one of many high outdoors hitters within the 2023 class and is able to getting a kill in all six rotations.
Marek Turner, Rockstar 17s: The most effective jumpers within the nation, one of many high attackers, and is flexible. Can play each pins and center.
Jameson Vaccaro, WAVE 18s (Princeton): Has quite a lot of vary as an attacker, passes at a excessive clip and may be one of many high blockers within the 2023 class. His imaginative and prescient and hand placement on blocks are spot on.
Andrew Weigand, Cincinnati Assault 15s: A excessive flyer who hits with good tempo and continues to make nice strides in his passing.
Hudson Whitehead, C2 16s: An up-and-coming outdoors hitter who’s grabbing the eye of school coaches. Whitehead has a stable passing platform, nice vary as an attacker and is beginning to hit the BIC properly.
David Wolff, MOD 17s: A 6-foot-8 center who has good vary as an attacker and makes his presence identified whereas blocking.
Paxton Wright, Entrance Vary 18s: A member of the ’24 recruiting class. Wright can play each outdoors and reverse successfully. He has an aggressive leap serve and as an attacker is a menace to attain in all six rotations.
Hudson Yockey, Coast 14s: Hudson Yockey continues to develop properly as an out of doors hitter. He can go on nice service runs together with his leap serve and Yockey terminates for a excessive proportion. Don’t be shocked if you happen to see him setting quickly. His seaside expertise would possibly name for him to be a pin hitter within the entrance row and a setter within the again row.
Setters
Caleb Blanchette, C2 17s (USC): Has good web presence, good tempo of his units, places up a stable block and Blanchette has confirmed that he can will his C2 staff to victory.
Timothy Cho, Bay to Bay 16s: Could make all of the units and does a pleasant job incorporating the BIC and the D ball into his offense. When Bay to Bay is transitioning or out of system, Cho does a wonderful job squaring up and is able to setting in opposition to the circulation.
Aiden Dufour, Pulse 17s: A fast athlete who strikes the ball round properly, can set in opposition to the circulation, and performs nice back-row protection. Dufour was named the 2023 Excessive College Inland Empire participant of the 12 months.
Logan Eaton, St. James 17s: Whatever the cross, he can ship the right tempo to his hitters and assist maximize their effectivity.
Ryan Graves, A4 18s (Pepperdine): Does a superior job discovering Kaumana Carreira (Stanford). Performs glorious flooring protection and has a leap serve that received opponents out of system throughout the AAU Championship match.
Tyler Gorman, St. James 14s: A staff chief who directs the staff’s offense all whereas being a standout blocker, server and even attacker.
Gavin Haggerty, Academy 17s: Continues to enhance and his function as a setter has expanded within the final 12 months. He now runs a 5-1 for Academy. He has a easy launch and his decision-making expertise proceed to enhance.
Adam Hartung, Adversity 15s: Places up a hittable ball and units with good tempo. He could make all of the units and has a excessive volleyball IQ.
John Householder, Excel 16s: Has pinpoint accuracy as a setter and when Excel is a bit out of system, the middles higher be up and prepared as a result of Householder can discover them. Householder has a leap serve that places groups out of system.
Bex Keller-Carroll, Coast 12s: Somebody you’ll should keep watch over for the subsequent 5 years. Keller-Carroll can set a pleasant tempo ball in system and performs glorious protection.
Taban Khare, Academy 18s: He runs a 5-1 that enacts a tempo that retains up with the competitors and dimension of the 18 Open division. He’s basically sound as a setter, which makes him tough to learn for the opposite staff.
Joseph Morris, St. James 18s (Belmont Abbey): His main place is setter and his lanky 6-3 body permits him to be a power within the staff’s assault as effectively. Whereas setting Morris does an excellent job getting the ball into the center attacker Tristan Whitfield in transition. Within the entrance row, if groups will not be up on him he’ll rating on the setter dump or hammer it over in two.
Will McElveen, WPVC 18s (Ohio State): One of many high recruits within the 2023 class. McElveen could make all of the units, has good decision-making expertise, and is a big motive why WPVC is so profitable. When McElveen is within the entrance row WPVC generally makes use of him as an attacker. He hits at a excessive level and reveals quite a lot of vary.
Noah Pabarcus, Coast 14s: Could make all of the units and places his teammates in nice place by finding his units effectively. Pabarcus has good tempo and is able to setting in opposition to the circulation.
Jake Pazanti, Pinnacle 17s (Lengthy Seaside State): Does an amazing job establishing the middles in his offense and may make all the required units out to the pin. With Pazanti setting and aggressive expertise Pinnacle can win any match within the 17s division.
Jensen Pascua, Elevation 17s: Has continued to enhance and has assist put Elevation on the map. He can set in opposition to the circulation, get his middles concerned in transition, performs stable back-row protection, and has an efficient leap serve.
Tullan Portock, SCVC 14s: An total gifted participant who made a huge impact for his staff on the AAU Championships by setting and attacking.
Tread Rosenthal, MB Surf 18s (Hawai’i): Some of the proficient and skilled setters within the 18s division who has all the abilities. Rosenthal units with good tempo, has nice decision-making expertise, can set in opposition to the circulation, and places his attackers in good place. Not too long ago Rosenthal has determined to skip his senior 12 months of highschool and enroll iat Hawai’i for fall ’23 the place will possible compete for a beginning spot instantly.
Cole Schobel, Balboa Bay 18s (Loyola): Units with good location, squares as much as the ball properly, and has a excessive volleyball IQ. When the match is on the road Schobel is aware of who to set to attain.
Alex Smits, Setter Pulse 18s (UCSB): A particularly enjoyable setter to observe. Lots of Pulse’s success is as a result of Smits can transfer the ball all around the courtroom, places his attackers in place to thrive, and performs good protection.
Trent Taliaferro, Balboa 17s (UCLA): One of many high setters within the ’24 class with nice decision-making expertise, sends his teammates on nice routs, units with good tempo and has gained quite a lot of huge matches over the previous 12 months.
Jake Usher, Excel 18s (Maryville): Strikes the ball round properly, has a spectacular leap serve and scores properly within the entrance row together with his setter dump.
Peter Zurawski, 630 18s: Posses all the abilities that nice setters have. Nevertheless, his greatest asset may be his moxie. His confidence and connection together with his teammates reveals on the courtroom. When Zurawski is enjoying effectively 630 is tough to beat.
Center Blockers
Theodore Anderson, Coast 12s: Can put a beating on the ball out of the center and has a float serve that may give the opponents suits. Anderson was an enormous motive why Coast had success on the AAU Championships.
Joshua Aruya, Baloboa 18s (UCSB): An explosive center who gained quite a lot of expertise this 12 months enjoying for the U19 USA staff. His leaping potential offers an enormous hitting window for setter Cole Schobel (Loyola) and Aruya has nice vary as an attacker.
Giles Beamer, Coast 15s: Improved an amazing deal and developed a cutback swing that generated quite a lot of kills throughout the AAU Championship match. Beamer may be very able to staying within the center, however don’t be stunned subsequent 12 months if you happen to see him on a pin enjoying six rotations.
Tristan Benbow, Sports activities Efficiency 17s: An athletic center who jumps effectively, is an offensive menace, and places up an enormous blocks. Benbow is an enormous motive Sports activities Efficiency made it to the gold bracket on the AAU Championships.
Brent Benson, Balboa Bay 15s: A springy center that strikes effectively. He hits for a excessive clip and has good vary as an attacker.
Miguel Camacho, Torrimar 12s: Camacho was a menace together with his attacking expertise and he was a monster as a blocker.
Kaumana Carreira, A4 18s: Strikes effectively blocking and in transition. Over the previous couple of years he has performed with staff USA U19 staff and his expertise confirmed on the AAU Championship match.
Jackson Cryst, Pinnacle 17s: One of many high middles within the 17s division and is enjoying up (he’s within the ’25 recruiting class). Cryst is lengthy, has an excellent body, hits at a excessive level and has glorious vary as an attacker.
Aidan Curcuru, HP St. Louis Excessive Efficiency: An enormous motive why HPSTL made the gold bracket on the AAU Championships. Don’t let Curcuru’s dimension idiot you. He’s fast, has a quick arm and closes blocks properly.
Spencer Graves, MB Surf 18s (UCLA): A quick center with a fast arm. In transition Graves works exhausting and does a stable job closing the block.
Beckett Harvey, Balboa Bay15s: Has an excellent body, quick arm and places up an enormous block. Harvey runs exhausting routes and works his tail off to be obtainable in transition and is among the many causes Balboa Bay had nice success on the AAU Championships.
Trevell Jordan, Concern 17s: On the AAU match, Jordan would ofeten generate two or three blocks in a row to shift all of the momentum. He has a quick arm and quite a lot of vary as an attacker.
Ege Karagoz, Coast 13s: Has an enormous arm out of the center and is an efficient blocker.
Henry Kim, Coast 12s: A tall athletic center who strikes rapidly and used his athleticism to work exhausting in transition to get set. Kim is getting reps on the skin and don’t be stunned to see him on a pin sooner or later.
Aidan Klein, MOD 18s (Loyola): A 6-foot-9 beast within the center. He’s a monster on the web blocking, has nice hitting vary and an enormous hitting window.
Grant Kreizenbeck, Concern 17s: A fast blocker who closes effectively. Kreizenbeck does an excellent job of being available on offense.
Jacob Lobdell, Houston Volleyball Academy 17s: Strikes extraordinarily rapidly alongside the web when blocking and all the time appears to get good touches on the block. As an attacker he has a quick arm with good vary.
Rhithav Murugesan, Bay to Bay 12s: A robust offensive center.
Alec Niemczyk, MB Surf 18s (Sacred Coronary heart): Improved an amazing deal since final season and have become starter In his first season at MB Surf.
Gavin O’Brian, Sports activities Efficiency 18s (Loyola): A 6-foot-9 center who terminates at a excessive clip, takes up quite a lot of courtroom whereas blocking and works exhausting in transition.
Roman Payne, Coast 16s: A bodily center who penetrates over the web properly whereas blocking, runs exhausting on his routes and may unload on a ball. His brother and sister are enjoying in school and he ought to observe go well with.
Alex Riddick, Elevation 17s: Faculty coaches famous that he’s new to the sport, however has a ton of potential. It will likely be enjoyable to see how Riddick develops.
Eliel Salva, WPVC 18s: Quick with a fast arm. He jumps effectively and has good vary as an attacker.Â
Braydon Savitski-Lynde, 630 18s (Ball State): H has an amazing reference to 630 setter Peter Zurawaki (additionally going to Ball State). Savitski-Lynde all the time appears to seek out methods to be obtainable in transition and he has good blocking approach.
Beckett Shewey, Absolute16s: Beckett Shewey is somebody you’ll wish to watch within the subsequent few years. The 6-foot-6 center is new to the sport and planning on attending a couple of summer time volleyball camps and clinics. Shewey has demonstrated that he can block terminate hitting wrist away out of the center.
Luc Soerensen, C2 17s: A 6-foot-7 center who made a big impact for C2 throughout the AAU Championship match. He was set in crucial instances of the match and appeared to all the time ship. Soerensen is enjoying up, since he’s a 2026 highschool graduate. This makes him one of many high middles within the 2026 class.
Parker Tomkinson, WAVE 17s (USC): Continues to enhance at a quick fee. Throughout the highschool season Tomlkinson performed a little bit at outdoors hitter and it improved his ball-control expertise. Tomkinson places up a wall as a blocker and terminates at a excessive proportion.
Tristan Whitfield, St. James 18s (Princeton): A fast center with a quick arm. Previously 12 months Whitfield has gained priceless expertise enjoying in worldwide tournaments with the U19 USA staff. His athleticism is beneficial whereas working in transition and Whitfield is powerful at closing blocks on the pins.
Reed Wainwright, Balboa 17s (Stanford): One other center who gained worldwide expertise with the U19 USA squad, and it confirmed on the AAU Championships. Wainwright works exhausting to make himself obtainable in transition and has good blocking approach.
Tanner Wesley, MB Surf 13s: An enormous center who takes up quite a lot of courtroom when he blocks. In transition he works exhausting to run 1 and a pair of balls.
Logan Yockey, Coast 14s: Strikes effectively as a center by closing blocks and being available in transition. Don’t be stunned if you happen to see Logan Yockey see enjoying time on the setter, reverse and out of doors hitter quickly. His seaside expertise permit him to have the ability to play each place.
Thiago Zamprogno, Ocean Bay 18s (UCLA): Has good top, lengthy arms and strikes effectively. Zamprogno takes up quite a lot of courtroom as a blocker and is an offensive scoring machine.
Liberos
Shane Aitken, A4 18s (UCI): Regular in serve obtain, makes insane reads on protection to maintain rallies alive and does an excellent job setting out of system.
Roan David Alviar, Bay to Bay (Princeton): An enormous motive why Bay to Bay is among the high 17s groups within the nation. Alvair will get to quite a lot of balls on protection, is regular in serve obtain,and reads the sport properly.
Layton Bluth, AZ Concern 16s: A wonderful passer who handles free balls with aplomb.Â
Jackson Campbell, Academy 17s: Has made the transition from outdoors hitter to libero properly and continues to enhance at serve obtain and had some spectacular digs on the AAU Championship match.
Lucas Churchfield, A-10: Beginning to get acknowledged by school coaches on account of his effort, defensive expertise and skill to maintain A-10 in system.
Jonathan Dykstra, MB Surf 17s (USC): It’s clear he has been enjoying indoor and seaside volleyball for a very long time. Dyskstra reads the sport extraordinarily effectively, which permits him to make excellent digs. Most groups do their greatest to maintain serves away from Dykstra as a result of something that’s despatched his method is commonly instances an ideal cross.
Drake Foley, Balboa Bay 15s: Some rocket leap serves had been being despatched to Drake Foley all through the match and the basically sound libero simply dealt with them.
Lincoln Geist, 630 17s: On protection he’s fearless and can go after any ball and in serve obtain his platform passing is excellent.
Johnny Grosser, SCVC 14s: Excellent at passing leap and float serves to focus on.
Evan Hessel, 630 18s: Hessel brings confidence and steadiness on the courtroom.Â
Kellen Larson, Balboa 18s (Lengthy Seaside State): A basically sound libero who’s a sport changer. In serve obtain Larson takes quite a lot of stress off the skin hitters by taking quite a lot of courtroom. On protection Larson makes reads that extends rallies.
Xavier Lawrie, Academy 15s: He strikes effectively within the backrow and when he has to step in to make an out-of-system set he places up a hittable ball. In serve obtain he has a stable platform and passes effectively to focus on.
Charlie Ledford, WAVE 18s (Loyola): Merely makes WAVE higher when he’s on the ground. Ledford can appear to deal with any serve that’s thrown is method and does an amazing job setting out-of-system units.
Andrew Mayer, Academy 18s (PFW): Mayer sees the sport effectively and this can be very tough to get a kill previous him.
Mikey Milikan, Academy 16s: The ball doesn’t appear to hit the bottom when he’s in. He makes nice reads and has good instincts. In serve obtain he passes lights outs.
Lesley Mcdaniel, C2 16s: He was in two-man serve receiving with outdoors Hudson Whitehead throughout the AAU Championship match. On the 16s degree leap and float serves are coming at a quick tempo. Mcdaniel dealt with it with ease and saved C2 in system. His passing was an enormous motive they made it to the championship division on day 4.
Marty O’Brien, 630 15s: O’Brien can cross to focus on, runs the back-row protection for 630,and is clearly passionate concerning the sport.
Constantine Ononye, Excel 17s: Fast on protection, goes after each ball, and shuffles his ft effectively to the ball in serve obtain. He reads the sport effectively and Ononye’s passing saved Excel in system throughout the AAU Championship match.
Brad Pan, MVVC 18 (USC): He makes his presence identified by operating all type of balls down, passing tough serves to focus on and when he has to set out of system in transition Pan places up a hittable ball.
Thomas Phung, C2 17s: Reads the sport effectively and may take quite a lot of courtroom in serve obtain. Loads of instances he got here up with clutch digs to assist C2 rating in transition.
Tucker Shearn, Elevation 17s (Vassar): At all times appears to seek out the way in which to get the ball to focus on. In highschool he set, so Elevation was in good palms when out of system.
Ryan Sears, Pinnacle 18s (Hawai’i): Performs with quite a lot of hearth and appears to all the time get the perfect out of his teammates. Environment friendly in serve obtain and he offers relentless effort on the defensive finish.
Bennet Tchaikovsky, Pinnacle 17s: Passes effectively in serve obtain and on protection offers effort and makes performs at a excessive degree that separates him from common liberos.