Family, friends and loved ones gathered Saturday morning at Hutch First Nazarene Church in Hutchinson, Kan. to pay tribute to Trey Jones and offer words of encouragement to his daughter, Ava Jones, and her family.

More than two months removed from a crash in Louisville, Ky. that cost him his life, Trey Jones was memorialized during a service that included special tributes from friends and loved ones to comfort the family as they said goodbye. He was 42 years old.

On July 5, the family was in Louisville for Ava Jones’ AAU basketball tournament when police say a driver hit them with his car while under the influence of hydrocodone. Trey Jones died days later in a Kentucky hospital, and the three other family members involved in the accident survived. Creek Jones (Trey’s youngest son) suffered a few minor cuts and scrapes but was mostly fine, while Amy Jones (Trey’s wife) and Ava Jones spent weeks recovering at Frazier Rehabilitation Institute in Louisville before returning to their home in Nickerson, Kan. on Aug. 18.

Ava Jones is a top 100 recruit in the Class of 2023, according to ESPN, and is committed to the University of Iowa. Previously committed to Arizona State, she reopened her recruitment after a coaching change within the Sun Devils program. The family has confirmed that Iowa will honor Jones’ scholarship regardless of the circumstances.

A 6-foot-2 wing, Jones is the reigning Class 3A girls player of the year in Kansas. She is coming off a 2021-22 campaign in which she averaged 20.8 points and 15.4 rebounds per game at Nickerson, leading the Panthers to a fourth-place finish in 3A. Jones was also named the most valuable player in the Central Kansas League at the end of the season.

Outside of basketball,  Jones has also made a name for herself on the volleyball court and on the track. She was among the leaders in kills for the Nickerson volleyball team last season, and she won the 4A girls high jump two years ago as a sophomore. Jones qualified for four events at the state track meet last year, placing in the top three in two events.

As head coach of Nickerson’s track and field team, Trey Jones was remembered fondly during his memorial service for the kindness he showed to the players he coached.

“Trey is willing to jump in and do anything for anybody and had a desire to make us all better,” Nickerson High School Principal Rick Blosser said. “He loved teaching, he loved coaching and he loved the Nickerson Panthers. Rest in peace Coacher.”

In an interview last month with KAKE News, Amy Jones said the realization of being back home without her husband would likely set in after the service. She also thanked Kansans and other people across the country for the support her family had received.

Those sentiments of gratitude were echoed during the service on behalf of the family, with church leadership acknowledging first responders, law enforcement, doctors, nurses, physical therapists and many others who have made a difference in aiding the recovery of the Jones family.

“Trey was doing what he loved when he died,” Hutch First Lead Pastor Kent Pederson said. “Traveling with his family and watching one of his kids compete.”

Brad Fox, who was close friends with Trey Jones, said he was nearly moved to tears when thinking about the impact he left on his life, and Fox was sympathetic to the family during their time of grief.

“We will cherish every adventure we had with Trey,” Fox said, “and look forward to moments still to come with Amy, Creek, Hunter and Ava.”

Trey Jones’ celebration of life included a number of personal memories, and it touched on a number of achievements throughout his personal life.

All speakers were in agreement that his family was his greatest achievement.

“That was always one of Trey’s greatest joys was seeing his children succeed more than he did,” said Crag Honas, Trey’s brother-in-law.

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.

It’s not often that a visit to Disney World is overshadowed by something else, but that’s exactly what happened last weekend when Ashley Mullen and the Liberty (Mo.) volleyball team traveled to Orlando, Fla.

The Blue Jays competed in the KSA Events Fall Classic Volleyball Tournament, and that’s where the real magic took place. Mullen earned MVP honors as Liberty went 7-0 and didn’t drop a single set on their way to securing first place at the showcase.

In 14 sets played, the 5-foot-10 senior setter had 126 assists, 16 aces with a 93.8 percent service, 14 digs, three blocks and three kills, adding another accolade in the aftermath — JWS Next Player of the Week.

“There was a lot of team bonding throughout that entire experience. It was also really tiring,” Mullen said. “You’re walking around for five to seven hours after you’ve just played however many matches of volleyball where you’re running and jumping, so it was definitely a physical challenge as well. But it was a really fun experience.”

The Blue Jays returned home and stuck to their winning ways on Tuesday, sweeping Lee’s Summit in a 3-0 decision. The UCLA commit, ranked No. 12 in the nation in JWS’ high school player rankings, didn’t slow down a bit, amassing 31 assists to go along with six digs and two blocks.

Mullen is one of two co-captains who have led the way for Liberty, now 11-0 on the season after knocking off Park Hill 3-2 on Thursday evening.

“As the setter and what we call the quarterback of the team, she’s got a big responsibility,” Blue Jays coach April Fleming said. “She touches the ball just about every single time it comes across the net, so for her to play consistent volleyball, that just makes our team better and helps our team go.”

Mullen, one of six seniors on this year’s Liberty squad, is coming off a 2021 campaign in which she recorded 1,094 assists. She verbally committed to the Bruins program in early September, choosing UCLA over NC State in the end. Mullen said she was drawn to the two programs because both head coaches were setter coaches and had experience with USA Volleyball.

“The experience and consistency that she brings to our team is huge,” Fleming said about Mullen. “A lot of our success is because we have a girl that can run and spread out our offense.”

In June, Mullen was selected to compete at the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando in December along with 23 other standout high school players. She will be joined by Team Dynasty club volleyball teammate Calissa Minatee, a Minnesota commit who’s currently a senior at North Kansas City (Mo.).

“I think that once I was selected and heard my name, it was a little bit of a relief, but it was really exciting,” Mullen said. “To know that I’m going to get to play with some of the best players in the country, it’s pretty cool.”

For now, Mullen is focused on embracing the moment and enjoying her final varsity season at Liberty, including the opportunity to play one final season with her sister, Abigail, a sophomore opposite hitter who helped lead Team USA to a gold-medal finish at the Pan American Cup in July.

“It means a lot. My parents have been watching us play on separate teams for years, and we both know that we’re really good athletes,” Ashley said. “Just knowing that we’re able to play with each other and that we’re also family is pretty cool.”

Mullen has individual goals in mind — she wants to be named Gatorade Missouri Volleyball Player of the Year and win the Evelyn Gates Award, awarded to the top female volleyball player in the Kansas City area — but it all starts with her team’s success.

And there’s no shortage of ambition there, either. She wants to go out a state champion.

“Not every team gets to have a fairytale ending,” Mullen said. “I feel like this team has been through thick and thin. We can totally strive for that state championship. We’ve got to take it one day at a time.

“So far, we’ve had a really good season, and I really think that we can get all the way there.”

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.

Elite players at any level of sport possess a competitive nature unrivaled by the majority of their peers, but staying composed when the game is on the line can often be a more difficult balance to strike.

What happens when the pressure of the moment becomes unbearable? Who will keep their teammates together when adversity arrives? And which players achieve greatness by their ability to rise above the moment and deliver for their team?

That self-possessed demeanor has always been second nature for Bergen Reilly.

Ever since she first touched the court for O’Gorman High School (S.D.) as an eighth grader, the top-ranked volleyball setter in the nation has helped set the standard for a program that enters the 2022 fall season in search of a historic third-straight Class AA state title.

Reilly’s passion for volleyball has taken her far beyond her community in Sioux Falls, S.D. She’s traveled internationally to represent USA Volleyball at the youth level, putting her on the radar of top-level scouts and coaches. While her relentless work ethic has been the driving force behind her success, Reilly sets the standard at O’Gorman with her infectious personality.

For Reilly, there’s no moment too difficult to handle.

“She’s competitive, don’t get me wrong. She’s very competitive,” says O’Gorman’s second-year coach, Cale Hecht. “But she has this kind of calm demeanor that I think sets the tone in our gym. You have Bergen Reilly, who has this calm, cool and collected demeanor and doesn’t really get frazzled in high-pressure situations. I think that’s something that’s come as she’s grown and played on bigger stages, but she has this calming persona that kind of feeds off in the rest of the gym, especially the girls on the varsity team she’s always playing with.

“It’s a pretty solid team in that it takes a lot to get them frazzled. I think that all starts with Bergen.”

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Reilly leads O'Gorman into the 2022 fall season in pursuit of a historic third-straight state title. (Argus Leader via USA Today Network)

In July 2021, Reilly committed to the University of Nebraska, and everything else seemed to fall into place. Two months later, she helped guide Team USA to a bronze-medal finish at the U18 World Championship in Mexico before returning to O’Gorman and leading the Knights to a second-straight Class AA crown. Then over the summer, Reilly was named MVP at the Pan American Cup when the U19 team took home gold in Tulsa, Okla.

Reilly has won back-to-back honors as Gatorade South Dakota Volleyball Player of the Year and is coming off a junior year in which she amassed 393 assists, 191 kills, 174 digs, 43 aces and 29 blocks. As both a setter and an outside hitter, Reilly relies on her versatility, recording a hitting percentage of .341 and a kill percentage of .434 last season.

“It feels kind of mind-blowing how crazy and easy some of that stuff is for her, but it is because she’s spent hours in the gym and always wants to learn and takes feedback and all that stuff,” Hecht says. “It makes things very easy for me because she’s so versatile and has a great attitude about it. She loves playing somewhere else, and I think it’s just because she loves the game.”

An early bloomer

Reilly first began playing volleyball when she was 7 years old and was drawn to the sport by her older sister, Raegan.

The two sisters are separated by just two years, and their connection on the court has brought them closer together over the years. When COVID-19 brought the sports world to a halt in 2020, Bergen and Raegan turned to each other to stay on top of their game.

“The biggest part was during quarantine when no one really had anyone to play with, we could just play with each other, get a ball, get some reps in,” Bergen says. “We could always kind of hold each other accountable for what we were doing, so I think that’s been huge for both of us.”

By the time Bergen reached eighth grade, she was starting for O’Gorman, and she immediately began to realize her potential. It’s uncommon for any eighth grader to compete against high schoolers, but in South Dakota’s most competitive classification (Class AA), it’s an anomaly.

During that first varsity season, the Knights ran a 6-2 system that allowed Bergen to play exclusively as a setter on the back row, and she was used heavily, playing in 108 sets and finishing the year with 549 assists, both single-season highs in her varsity career.

Bergen admits the early years were a little nerve-wracking, but Raegen’s presence on the court helped alleviate those concerns.

“Having her there just made the transition seamless,” Bergen says. “My first couple of games I was a little nervous, but once I got the hang of it, everyone was so welcoming and so good to me that I really had nothing to be nervous about.”

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As an eighth grader, Reilly posted some of the highest marks of any single season in her varsity career. (Argus Leader via USA Today Network)

Perhaps the most memorable moment of her high school career came when the Knights finished the 2020 season with a state title. Bergen was a sophomore for O’Gorman that year, while Raegan was one of seven seniors who guided the Knights to a perfect 26-0 record and the first undefeated Class AA state championship season since 1991.

Bergen played both setter and right-side hitter, racking up 400 kills, 260 digs, 131 assists, 62 blocks and 36 aces, with a kill percentage of .448 and a hitting percentage of .304.

“It was so special,” Bergen says. “There were seven seniors on that team, and they all became some of my best friends. One of them was my sister. Just winning a state championship and especially having it be an undefeated season, which hasn’t happened since the ‘90s, we knew there was something special there, so we wanted to go after it.

“That team was just unwilling to lose, and I think that was just such a crazy year and such a special team.”

Raegan wrapped up her prep career with three all-state selections and played Division I volleyball for North Dakota State last season before transferring to South Dakota State in January.

Meanwhile, the Knights went on to win back-to-back state championships, despite Bergin missing time in late September of the 2021 season to compete for Team USA at the U18 World Championship.

During bracket play at the World Championship, Team USA won five-set thrillers in consecutive nights over Argentina and Turkey before getting swept by Italy in the semifinals. They bounced back on the final night, however, to defeat Serbia and claim the bronze medal.

“That was just an unreal experience for me,” Bergen says. “Being my first time playing international volleyball, it’s insane. The speed of the game is just a whole different level, and the competition you’re playing against night in and night out is just something I’d never experienced before. It was so cool because everyone pushed us. There wasn’t a single easy game.”

Her exploits with USA Volleyball didn’t end there.

In July, Bergen guided Team USA to a gold-medal finish at the U19 Pan Am Cup in Tulsa. Despite a target on their backs as the team to beat in the tournament, the Americans didn’t drop a single set during the competition and finished things off by avenging a scrimmage loss against Brazil in the final.

“We kind of were like, ‘OK, now we know what they do and how they run things,’” says Bergen, who earned MVP honors and was named Best Setter. “When we played them again in the gold-medal match, we just kind of took them out of their systems. That was super cool, too, because we kind of had a gauge for how much we grew.

“We lost to them before the tournament started and then came back and swept them. That was really rewarding to see the team and how we all came together in those five days.”

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Reilly accepts the MVP trophy after Team USA beat Brazil in the 2022 U19 Pan American Cup. (Photo courtesy of NORCECA)

Becoming a Husker

Bergen’s recruiting process began in eighth grade, but on May 1, 2019, a new NCAA recruiting rule went into effect that was intended to slow down the trend of coaches offering scholarships to athletes as young as seventh and eighth grade. The new rules prevent any communication between a student-athlete or parent/guardian and a Division I coach before June 15 after sophomore year.

“It was a little weird,” Bergen says. “I had phone calls with coaches, and then the next week, I would send them emails, but they couldn’t respond. It’s tough because you don’t really know. Are they interested? Are they not? They could be super interested, but they can’t respond.

“So I think I had to kind of work through that, but I just kept in contact with all the schools I was interested in.”

Bergen said she never planned to commit as fast as she did. She had intended to take her official visits to Kentucky, Minnesota and Wisconsin, but after a trip to Lincoln, Neb., to attend a volleyball camp on campus, Bergen committed to the Cornhuskers on July 15, 2021, choosing the reigning NCAA Tournament runners-up over offers from Creighton, Purdue and Texas.

“I just fell in love with it,” Bergen says. “I knew that I wasn’t going to find anywhere else that I liked more, so I kind of still wanted to take my officials. But then my parents were like, ‘That’s kind of pointless if you already know,’ so I committed that night after the camp.”

Bergen will be joined by the No. 1 recruit in her class, Harper Murray of Michigan. Bergen met Murray during the U18 World Championship last fall, where they became close friends, and their bond grew even more at this year’s Pan Am Cup.

Murray, who was named Best Spiker at the Pan Am Cup, roomed with Bergen during their first weekend in Tulsa, and they both played alongside fellow Nebraska recruit Andi Jackson.

“Our relationship really grew there,” Bergen says. “I think we’ve always had a pretty good connection on the court. I think it’s just kind of a natural connection there. I can’t wait to see where that all goes at Nebraska.”

Bergen played at the club level with Kairos Volleyball, leading Kairos 16 Adidas to the Premier Division title at the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships in Orlando last year. She earned MVP honors for her contributions to the title run, which was the program’s first at the Premier Division, the second-highest level.

“Kairos has been huge for me, too. I’ve pretty much always played up,” Bergen says. “There’s only been one year that I played with my age group, so I think that was really good for me just to kind of let me be around people that were going to challenge me and push me and play the game at a different speed than I would in my age group. I think that just forced me to grow faster and got me to where I am.”

Bergen credits Kairos Volleyball Club Director Mitch Lunning, who coaches the setters, as one of her key mentors, along with Hecht and former O’Gorman coach Emily McCourt.

“He taught me everything I know about setting,” Bergen says about Lunning. “I definitely think those three have all been huge for me.”

Bergen has always been fascinated by former Wisconsin star Sydney Hilley, whose calm personality mirrors her own. But since she committed to the Huskers, she’s focused on how Nebraska senior setter/defensive specialist Nicklin Hames runs the offense.

“She started her freshman year, and I think that’s the goal,” Bergen says. “Just seeing what she does right and how I can learn from that and hopefully transfer that over to my play, too.”

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(Argus Leader via USA Today Network)

Bergen has also played for the Knights’ girls basketball team, which won a state title last season, but she won’t be a part of the team this season as she plans to finish up high school in December to begin her college career a semester early.

For now, she’s focused on leading O’Gorman to a third-consecutive state championship, a feat that’s never never been achieved in South Dakota’s Class AA. Hecht believes Bergen is ready to become the team’s go-to attacker in 2022 and take on a bigger role as an outside hitter, but he knows teams will be keying in on her.

With versatility and experience on her side, Bergen is poised to rise to the occasion.

“She’ll be a huge weapon,” Hecht says. “I think that’ll be somewhere she’s going to learn as she goes, and I think she’ll hit the ground running pretty quickly. But she’ll bring that intensity, and it’s good for her and our gym for everyone to see that willingness of like, ‘Yeah, I want to play somewhere else because I want to do what we can to win.’

“I think that shows a lot about who she is. She wants to win, and she’ll do whatever it takes.”

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.

Following a summer in which she claimed gold with Team USA at the U17 World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, Jada Williams caught up with Whistle Sports on the latest episode of “No Days Off,” which was released Tuesday.

The energetic 17-year-old discussed her experience with Team USA, including the moment she discovered she made the team and what the platform means to her to represent her country.

“I’m protesting a lot. I want change in America,” Williams said. “I’m playing on this platform. I’m putting on for what I want the country to look like, what my people want the country to look like. We’re sitting up there thinking we can change the world. We can make this a good country.”

Williams was joined on Team USA by fellow La Jolla Country Day School (Calif.) teammate Breya Cunningham, both of whom are committed to the University of Arizona after Williams flipped from her decision to join UCLA on Aug. 1.

As a junior in 2021-22, Williams averaged 11.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game for the Torreys. She’s currently the class of 2023’s No. 15 overall recruit in Just Women Sports’ latest high school basketball recruiting rankings.

“She can play point. She can shoot the ball well if she needs to just be a spot-up shooter,” said pro basketball skills trainer Justin Razooky, who’s also featured in the episode doing drills with Williams. “She can play defense. She takes charges. She dives for loose balls, so she’s like an ideal player.”

The episode also includes a segment where Williams is training with Dorian Crawford, owner of D.C. Athletics. Crawford works with Williams to improve her speed, strength and mobility.

“She’s not a diva. She puts in the work,” Crawford said. “All I’ve got to do is just sharpen her tools up.”

Williams also talks about receiving surprise visits from LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, the latter of which occurred when she was on a visit to UCLA prior to the NBA superstar’s tragic death in 2020.

Over the years, Williams has cultivated a massive audience through her social media accounts, with more than 639,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 344,000 followers on TikTok.

“People actually like who I am, so I just made sure I was who I am to social media so I didn’t have to go out in public and act like somebody I’m not,” Williams said. “All my followers and supporters were like, ‘Oh my god, she’s real. She talks the same as everybody else does. She dances on TikTok the same way everybody else does.’

“I think being real is something that made it easier for me to be able to mentor people because I’m not putting on a front. This is actually who I am.”

As she enters her final varsity season this winter, Williams is preparing for the next level by getting stronger, making sure she knows how to use her body as a small guard, ensuring her efficiency beyond the arc, understanding how to create ways to get open, fine-tuning the little things and learning how to play down low against bigger competition.

“The advice I would give to the younger hoopers that are trying to get to a platform that I’m on, I would definitely say to use your platform for things that you believe in,” Williams said. “Don’t try to be somebody that you’re not because it’s going to drain you out and stress you.

“I would definitely say if you don’t believe in yourself, then no one’s going to believe in you for you, so make sure that you are doing things that are going to help you get to where you want to go. Don’t let anyone tell you what your dreams are. Be able to smile and have fun. You’re going to have good days and bad days, but make sure at the end that you’re being you.”

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.

The summer is over for Mikaylah Williams, who’s already back at Parkway High School in Bossier City, Louisiana.

She arrived at the Under Armour Next Elite 24 girls basketball game on Friday, the day of the event, but the lack of preparation didn’t faze her.

The LSU commit drained a walk-off 3-pointer to lead Team Breakthru to a 92-77 victory over Team Ascent in UA’s inaugural girls game, which aired live on ESPNU from Northerly Island on Chicago’s lakefront.

Williams, the top recruit in the class of 2023, led Team Breakthru with 13 points. Milaysia Fulwiley and Hannah Hidalgo each chipped in 11 points for Breakthru.

The game featured two 20-minute halves with an Elam Ending initiated at the final media timeout, adding seven points to the leading team’s total to set the target score.

Breakthru began to pull away midway through the first half before taking a 49-43 lead into halftime. Breakthru took its largest lead of the game, 85-63, just before the Elam Ending, but Ascent made things interesting with a 12-4 swing during the untimed finish.

Top 2024 recruit Joyce Edwards had a game-high 18 points to pace Ascent, while Zakiyah Johnson added 10 points.

In the finals of the 3-point contest, Breakthru’s Taliah Scott edged Ascent’s Jaloni Cambridge 19-14 to win the event.

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.

The Under Armour Next Elite 24 games return Friday in Chicago following a six-year hiatus, featuring 24 top prospects in the inaugural girls game.

The all-star showcase will air live on ESPNU from Northerly Island on Chicago’s lakefront, with the girls game set to tip off at 5 p.m. ET. The boys game will follow at 7 p.m.

Top 2023 recruit Mikaylah Williams, an LSU commit, is among the players who will take part in the showcase. She’ll be joined on the Breakthru squad by Team USA teammate Hannah Hidalgo. The Ascent squad includes four players who competed for Team USA over the summer, including the U17 national team’s Jaloni Cambridge. U18 national team members Courtney Ogden, Chloe Kitts and Aaliyah Del Rosario are also on Ascent.

Both US national teams won gold over the summer — the U17 team claimed its fifth gold medal at the World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, while the U18 team won gold at the Americas Championship in Buenos Aires.

Since it began in 2006, the Next Elite 24 has been played at Rucker Park in Harlem, Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn and Venice Beach in Los Angeles. It is notably the only all-star event to be played outside.

Check out the full rosters below.

Team Breakthru

No. 0 | Taliah Scott, 5-9 guard, Saint John’s Country Day School (Fla.), Sr.
No. 1 | Dee Alexander, 6-1 guard, Purcell Marian (Ohio), Soph.
No. 2 | Essence Cody, 6-3 post, Valdosta (Ga.), Sr.
No. 4 | Reniya Kelly, 5-5 point guard, Hoover (Ala.), Sr.
No. 5 | Cassandre Prosper, 6-2 forward, Cairine Wilson Secondary School (Can.), Sr.
No. 6 | Mikaylah Williams, 6-foot guard, Parkway (La.), Sr.
No. 8 | Malaysia Fulwiley, 5-6 guard, W.J. Keenan (S.C.), Sr.
No. 10 | Jasmine Davidson, 6-1 wing, Clackamas (Ore.), Soph.
No. 12 | Deniya Prawl, 5-11 guard, Fort Erie International Academy (Can.), Soph.
No. 14 | Blanca Thomas, 6-5 post, Charlotte Catholic (N.C.), Jr.
No. 16 | Maddy McDaniel, 5-5 point guard, Bishop McNamara (Md.), Jr.
No. 22 | Hannah Hidalgo, 5-6 point guard, Paul VI (N.J.), Sr.

Team Ascent

No. 1 | Ashlynn Shade, 5-9 guard, Noblesville (Ind.), Sr.
No. 4 | Jasmine Brown, 5-9 guard, Example Academy (Ill.), Sr.
No. 5 | Adhel Tac, 6-5 post, South Grand Prairie (Texas), Jr.
No. 9 | Kymora Johnson, 5-7 guard, Saint Annes-Belfield (Va.), Sr.
No. 13 | Zakiyah Johnson, 5-11 guard, Sacred Heart Academy (Ky.), Soph.
No. 17 | Joyce Edwards, 6-2 forward, Camden (S.C.), Jr.
No. 20 | Olivia Olson, 6-foot point guard, Benilde Saint Margaret (Minn.), Jr.
No. 22 | Jaloni Cambridge, 5-6 point guard, The Ensworth School (Tenn.), Jr.
No. 23 | Courtney Ogden, 5-11 wing, Westminster School (Ga.), Sr.
No. 26 | Chloe Kitts, 6-2 forward, DME Academy (Fla.), Sr.
No. 32 | Sarah Strong, 6-2 forward, Grace Academy (N.C.), Jr.
No. 35 | Aalyah Del Rosario, 6-5 post, The Webb School (Tenn.), Sr.

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.

Nebraska has four players who have committed to its volleyball program in Just Women’s Sports’ inaugural volleyball high school player rankings, including three in the top five.

The Cornhuskers finished last season as runners-up to Wisconsin in the championship of the NCAA Tournament but are sure to have a loaded 2023 class. Texas also has four commitments featured in the rankings, while the Badgers have two.

Participants on the United States U19 team that won gold over the summer at the Pan American Cup were also well represented with eight players. Team USA opened the tournament with a scrimmage loss to Brazil before getting revenge in the final, 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-17).

“We got better over the course of the tournament,” U.S. coach Jamie Morrison said. “We talked about learning from each match and making sure we fixed any problems the next morning, and then we went into the next match. We continued to do that pretty perfectly.”

With the 2022 fall season set to begin, here are JWS’ top 25 high school volleyball players from around the country.

1 | Harper Murray, Skyline (Mich.), Sr.
6-foot-2 Outside Hitter
Committed to Nebraska

Murray was a dominant force on an Eagles team that finished 55-4-2 a year ago as runners-up in Division 1, recording a whopping 652 kills with a .430 hitting percentage. She also had 312 digs defensively to go along with 82 aces, 50 assists and 35 blocks. Murray also competed for Team USA at the U18 World Championship in 2021 and was a member of Team USA’s U19 gold-medal team at the Pan American Cup in July, where she earned Best Spiker honors.

2 | Chloe Chicoine, McCutcheon (Ind.), Sr.
5-10 Outside Hitter / Libero
Committed to Purdue

Prior to being named Indiana’s Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year, Chicoine guided the Mavericks to a 30-6 record and the Class 4A state crown. During the 2021 campaign, she notched 440 kills with a .420 hitting percentage and had 20 aces. Defensively, Chicoine finished with 196 digs. She was also a member of the Pan Am Cup team that won gold over the summer.

3 | Julia Blyashov, Cathedral Catholic (Calif.), Sr.
6-3 Outside Hitter
Committed to Stanford

Blyashov led the Dons to a 36-5 record and the regional finals of California’s Open Division tournament last season. She played just 40 sets for Cathedral Catholic but recorded 139 kills to go along with 82 digs and 15 aces. Blyashov was also a Team USA participant at both the U19 Pan Am Cup and the U18 World Championship.

4 | Caroline Jurevicius, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (Ohio), Sr.
6-2 Rightside Hitter
Committed to Nebraska

The Lions went 15-8 in 2021, with Jurevicius racking up 279 kills in 58 sets played. She also had 128 digs defensively to go along with 43 aces and 37 blocks. Jurevicius later helped guide the Americans to a bronze medal at the U18 World Championship in Mexico.

5 | Bergen Reilly, O’Gorman (S.D.), Sr.
6-1 Setter
Committed to Nebraska

Behind Reilly’s versatile presence, the Knights were crowned back-to-back Class AA champions, finishing with a 23-4 record. She closed out the year with 393 assists to go along with 191 kills (.341 hitting percentage). She also had 174 digs, 43 aces and 29 blocks and went on to be named South Dakota’s Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year. Over the summer, Reilly was named MVP and Best Setter at the Pan Am Cup. She also competed at the U18 World Championship in 2021.

6 | Brooklyn DeLeye, Washburn Rural (Kan.), Sr.
6-1 Outside Hitter
Committed to Kentucky

DeLeye led the Blues with 586 kills and had 259 digs defensively. She also notched 133 aces and 38 assists, as Washburn Rural finished 41-2 on the year and was a state semifinalist. DeLey is a three-time all-state selection and is coming off a season in which she was named the Class 6A Player of the Year as well as Kansas Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year.

7 | Ella Swindle, Rock Bridge (Mo.), Sr.
6-2 Setter
Committed to Texas

Swindle powered the Bruins to the Class 5 semifinals and was named Missouri Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year. She finished the season with 690 assists and 173 digs to go along with 57 blocks and 36 aces. Offensively, she had 141 kills with a .494 hitting percentage.

8 | Kyndal Stowers, Guyver (Texas), Sr.
6-foot Outside Hitter
Committed to Baylor

With 493 kills, Stowers dominated from the outside for the Wildcats in 2021. She had a .317 hitting percentage and also contributed 497 digs defensively. She added 61 blocks and 27 aces for Guyver, which finished the season with a 21-11 mark.

9 | Jordyn Byrd, Cardinal Mooney (Fla.), Sr.
6-4 Rightside Hitter / Middle Blocker
Committed to Texas

The Cardinals were ousted in the regional quarterfinals in Class 3A, but that didn’t stop Byrd from posting eye-popping numbers in 2021. She was named Florida Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year after amassing 551 kills, 56 blocks and 25 aces. She also chipped in 258 digs on defense.

10 | Claire Little, Vista Murrieta (Calif.), Sr.
6-2 Outside Hitter
Committed to BYU

Behind Little’s play, the Broncos qualified for the CIF State Open Division for the first time in program history. She led Vista Murrieta with 442 kills and was second on the team in digs with 238. Little has been committed to BYU since the eighth grade.

11 | Skyler Pierce, Olathe Northwest (Kan.), Jr.
6-2 Outside Hitter
Committed to Nebraska

The top-ranked junior in these rankings, Pierce paced the Ravens with 425 kills a year ago. She also had 62 blocks and 38 aces while adding 345 digs defensively. Olathe Northwest finished the season with a 27-13 record.

12 | Ashley Mullen, Liberty (Mo.), Sr.
5-10 Setter
Committed to UCLA

The Blue Jays finished 26-5 last season, while Mullen recorded 1,094 assists. She added 179 digs on defense and had 54 kills offensively. Mullen also finished with 49 aces and 27 blocks.

13 | Laney Choboy, Leesville Road (N.C.), Sr.
5-3 Libero / Defensive Specialist
Committed to Minnesota

Choboy was named Best Receiver when Team USA won a gold medal at the U19 Pan Am Cup in July. She was also a member of the bronze-medal team at the U18 World Championship.

14 | Jordyn Harvey, Bountiful (Utah), Stanford, Sr.
6-2 Outside Hitter
Committed to Stanford

The RedHawks claimed the Class 5A state title, finishing with a 27-3 record. Harvey had 375 kills to go along with 63 aces and 20 blocks. Defensively, she notched 228 digs.

15 | Charlie Fuerbringer, Mira Costa (Calif.), Jr.
5-11 Setter
Committed to Wisconsin

Fuerbringer was selected to compete for Team USA at the Pan Am Cup but was forced to miss due to health concerns. The Mustangs went 28-9 on the season, with Fuerbringer contributing 140 digs in 30 sets played. She also had 56 kills (.352 hitting percentage), 30 aces and 37 blocks.

16 | Sydney Helmers, Assumption (Ky.), Sr.
6-3 Outside Hitter
Committed to Texas

The Rockets finished 30-6 on the year but were ousted in the region semifinals. She finished the season with 421 kills, 42 blocks and 92 digs.

17 | Eloise Brandewie, Bishop Hartley (Ohio), Sr.
6-3 Middle Blocker
Committed to Ohio State

Brandewie competed in just 49 sets but was third on her team with 171 kills, finishing 2021 with a .437 hitting percentage. She also had 65 blocks, 43 digs and 20 aces for the Hawks, who were 22-6 on the season. Brandewie was also a member of Team USA’s bronze-medal team at the U18 World Championship.

18 | Torrey Stafford, Marymount (Calif.), Sr.
6-1 Outside Hitter
Committed to Pittsburgh

Stafford helped guide the Sailers to a 35-0 record and the CIF State Open Division title. She recorded 320 kills on the year to go along with 55 blocks and 207 digs. Stafford was also a Team USA participant at the U19 Pan Am Cup in July.

19 | Saige Damrow, Howards Grove (Wisc.), Sr.
5-7 Libero / Defensive Specialist
Committed to Wisconsin

Damrow began receiving college offers in seventh grade and committed to the Badgers when she was an eighth grader. Last season, she guided the Tigers to a 43-5 record and the Division 3 state title, recording 496 digs along the way. She also contributed 300 kills and 83 aces on offense.

20 | Avery Jackson, Hockaday (Texas), Jr.
5-10 Outside Hitter
Commited to Stanford (Beach Volleyball)

Jackson and the Daisies went 31-7 a year ago, winning the Southwest Preparatory Conference title for the first time in 13 years. Jackson finished with 583 kills and had a .355 hitting percentage. She also contributed 525 digs defensively to go along with 62 aces and 38 blocks.

21 | Kennedy Wagner, Valparaiso (Ind.), Sr.
6-foot Outside Hitter
Committed to Ole Miss

Wagner hit .379 and had 432 kills for the Vikings, who finished 22-11 last fall. She chipped in 243 digs defensively to go along with 50 aces and 32 blocks.

22 | Carlie Cisneros, Liberty North (Mo.), Jr.
6-foot Outside Hitter
Committed to Arizona

Cisneros was a first-team all-state selection in 2021 for an Eagles team that went 32-4 before falling in the Class 5 quarterfinals. She led Liberty North with 389 kills on the season and added 306 digs on defense. Cisneros also recorded 32 aces and 30 blocks.

23 | Izzy Starck, Rampart (Colo.), Jr.
6-2 Setter
Committed to Penn State

A member of the Pan Am Cup team, Starck finished last season with 392 kills for the Rams, who concluded the year with a 21-6 mark. She hit .368 and had 85 aces and 50 blocks to go along with 410 assists and 257 digs.

24 | Nya Bunton, DuPont Manual (Ky.), Sr.
6-5 Middle Blocker
Committed to Texas

The Crimsons finished 22-13 in 2021, led by Bunton’s 388 kills. She also contributed 42 blocks, 38 aces and 168 digs defensively and was a gold medalist on the Pan Am Cup team in July.

25 | Alex Acevedo, Skyview (Idaho), Jr.
6-2 Outside Hitter
Committed to Oregon

Acevedo concluded her 2021 campaign with 466 kills and 376 digs for the Hawks, who were crowned Class 5A champions. A first-team all-state pick, Acevedo also had 52 aces on the year.

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.

Nearly four months removed from a tragic incident that left Iowa women’s basketball recruit Ava Jones and her family hospitalized, Jones and her mother Amy are set to head back to their home in Kansas in the coming weeks, according to Grace Hayba of WDRB News in Louisville.

In town for the Run 4 Roses AAU tournament, the 2023 recruit and her family were hospitalized on July 5 after an impaired driver drove onto the sidewalk in downtown Louisville, leaving Ava and both of her parents in critical condition at the UofL Hospital. Her father Trey was also critically injured and passed away several days following the accident.

On Wednesday, Ava posted three images on Instagram, including one with her mom and dad.

Both Ava and Amy spent a week on ventilators in a medically induced coma, but the news has gotten better in recent weeks.

“The goal is the 17th (of August),” Ava’s brother Hunter told the Hawkeye Report via text message. “Going to get them into an outpatient rehab facility in Wichita.”

Wichita is just an hour drive from Nickerson, where the Jones family resides. It will allow other friends and family to visit Ava and Amy, who have been undergoing rehab at the Frazier Rehabilitation Institute in Louisville since the accident.

The family was hit by driver Michael Hurley, 33, who was high on hydrocodone. Investigators concluded that Hurley was trying to make a turn from East Market Street to North 2nd Street “but failed to negotiate the turn.” That’s when he left the road and drove on the sidewalk, “where he struck a family of four standing on the sidewalk.”

Hurley currently faces charges of murder, first-degree assault, fourth-degree assault, operating a motor vehicle under the influence and license to be in possession. He’ll be in court in front of a grand jury next week.

On July 21, Hunter posted a video on Facebook of Ava on one of her first days of rehab shooting hoops on a mini basketball hoop, with the caption “Ava already back to what she does best.”

“They are in good spirits when I talk to them and at this point are ready to be in the comfort of their house,” Hunter said. “It’s not the same at home knowing that someone will not be coming back, but it’s still better than being stuck in a hospital.”

A GoFundMe page set up for the family has surpassed $145,000. The money will be used to help pay medical expenses and assist the family as they continue a long recovery process.

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.

Dakota White’s unique drive is inspiring many through Whistle Sports’ most recent episode of “No Days Off,” which was released Tuesday.

The self-proclaimed “fastest 7-year-old in the nation” possesses a work ethic that rivals the likes of Olympic gold medalists, and the results are evidence of her hard work.

Sonja Franklin-Johnson began coaching Dakota two years ago. Having regularly coached players between the ages of 6 and 18, Franklin-Johnson says she trains Dakota the same way she trains the older runners.

“All the steps are the same,” Franklin-Johnson said in the video. “Just the level of intensity sometimes can be different, and she’s just dedicated. We try to make sure that the kids have fun because they are super young, and so for this to last and to go to college, you have to make it fun.”

A year ago, the DeSoto, Texas, native competed at the AAU Gulf Primary/8U Championships, where she took home gold medals in the 100- and 400-meter races among 6-year-old girls.

“I work hard and have a lot of gold medals,” Dakota said in the video.

Inspired by fellow North Texas native Sha’Carri Richardson, Dakota hopes to follow in Richardson’s footsteps and one day qualify for the Olympics.

Her father, Cam, is a former TCU wide receiver and says Dakota is always pushing him to work out with her.

“At the end of the day, she puts a lot of work ethic in me, so it gets me more driven because I’m like, ‘If my daughter can do it, that’s a 400-meter track.’ If she can do this, there’s no reason why I couldn’t do certain things,” Cam said in the video. “It just gets us more driven as parents.”

Dakota is trained by Ryan Tennison at the Elite Sports University Training Facility. She hopes to attend college at LSU, where Richardson was a standout track star.

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.

It’s been a little more than three years since Jaliyah Manuel was introduced to the world through Whistle Sports’ “No Days Off” Youtube series, and the 12-year-old prodigy is still just as talented and hardworking as she ever was.

Through a series of skills challenges against her father, Jovan, Jaliyah demonstrated her talents in Whistle’s most recent episode of “I Could Do That,” which was released Monday. The one-on-one competition between father and daughter featured a spider challenge, shootout challenge, defender challenge and 3-point challenge.

Since her episode of “No Days Off,” Jaliyah has remained busy. She’s won MVP honors at national AAU tournaments, and in 2020, she starred in She Ball, playing the role of Magic, the daughter of Nick Cannon’s character, Avery Watts.

“It was pretty fun. Nick Cannon was a really funny dude, and I had a great time with everybody on set,” Jaliyah said in the video. “I was in California, so I got to go to Universal [Studios] a lot, too.”

The challenges are designed to improve ball-handling skills, perfect proper form while shooting, prepare shooters against active defenders and help with conditioning. Jaliyah won all of them besides the defender challenge, in which she tied with her father.

“Basketball has been crazy for Jaliyah since the last time,” Jovan said in the video. “She’s getting a lot better, but just working on the game, just trying to transition from not being able to play when you’re younger and not having those game experiences, it’s gotten better.”

For now, Jaliyah remains focused on getting good grades so she can get a scholarship to a good school.

“I plan on accomplishing my goals for next year — practicing every single day, not giving up, obviously,” said Jaliyah, who now has more than 119,000 followers on Instagram. “I’ve got to practice. I’ve got to work on my shot and my handles. I’ve got to advance from there.”

At 9 years old, Jaliyah went viral in an episode of “No Days Off” that debuted in October 2018 and now has nearly 8 million views on Youtube. She was 4 when she first began playing basketball, and Jovan says her “success comes from within her.”

“To me, when I think about ‘No Days Off,’ I think about her,” Jovan said in the 2019 video, “and she’s been talking and been saying that since she was 4.”

Trent Singer is the High School Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow him on Twitter @trentsinger.