That is “Dots,” VolleyballMag’s weekly take a look at 10 issues in membership volleyball, previous or current, that curiosity me and hopefully will curiosity you. Search for Dots each Tuesday by Junior Nationals this summer season.
• The eleventh of 16 nationwide qualifiers for 18-year-old groups befell this previous weekend at NEQ in Philly. Independence Corridor, cheesesteaks (with whiz), the Rocky statue, Redding Terminal Market … it was all there, plus aggressive volleyball. What extra may anybody ask for?
• Metro 18 Journey received the 26-team 18 Open division, and three extra groups, AZ Revolution 18 Premier, HJV 18 Elite and FC Elite 18 Elite, punched tickets to the Dance in Baltimore on the finish of the subsequent month.
Metro went 9-1 over the three days. The D.C. membership, a earlier qualifier, misplaced to AZ Revolution in straight units on Day 2, however avenged the loss with a 25-23, 25-23 win within the championship match.
• AZ Revolution was 8-2 at NEQ after coming inside one win of a bid at Salt Lake Metropolis. Carl DeFriez’ workforce went 2-1 on Day 1 in Philly, dropping to Absolute 18 Black in three; then received six in a row to get to the finals, together with the win over Metro on Day 2, which gave Revolution the No. 2 seed; and a revenge win later that day over Absolute within the first spherical of Gold Pool play..
“Leaving the gymnasium that day we had a ton of confidence heading into the subsequent morning,” stated DeFriez.
AZ Revolution accomplished its 3-0 Gold Pool exhibiting on Sunday with wins over previous-qualifier Houston Skyline 18 Royal and FC Elite to safe its Open bid.
“I’m actually pleased with all of our gamers,” DeFriez stated. “We solely have 10 on the roster and everybody stepped up at key moments and owned their function to make this occur. I can actually say we’d not have carried out this with out each participant on the workforce.”
Libero Piper Rama, setter Tristen Raymond and OH Evan Hendrix had been significantly efficient.
“Evan is a returning participant from final yr’s roster that received third in 18 Open at Nationals,” DeFriez stated. “She had an incredible weekend in serving to to encourage and produce one of the best out of her teammates.”
• The qualifying effort of Houston Juniors 18 Elite was nothing in need of exceptional. Jenny Adcock’s squad upgraded its USA bid to Open with a gritty efficiency, led by lights out play from setter Taryn Gilreath and RS Mariana Buchanan. HJV went 6-3 to tie for third general and took out previousl qualifiers TAV Houston and Triangle alongside the best way.
HJV received regardless of enjoying with out common libero Alice Volpe, who has been out injured the previous eight weeks. Adcock’s squad additionally was with out its second setter, Charli Crowson, performed with each middles sick a lot of the weekend and with OH Dominique Phills dropping a fingernail within the Triangle match. Gilreath additionally went down when she acquired tangled with an opponent underneath the web, however managed to remain in.
“By way of all of that, they managed to beat and obtain our Open bid purpose,” Adcock stated.
• Houston Skyline 17 Royal is shortly establishing itself as one of many nation’s elite 17s groups. This previous weekend at NEQ, Alex Edwards’ workforce received its second nationwide qualifier in as many tries. Add a 7-2 exhibiting at Triple Crown and profitable the Tour of Texas Houston cease and this workforce is having an entire lotta early-season success with setter Kassidy O’Brien working the present.
Surfside 17 Legends, AVA of Texas 17 Adidas and TAV 17 Black Haroun all completed among the many prime three within the 45-team occasion to earn Open bids.
Surfside, which “arrived” final yr by profitable the Elite 16s division at Triple Crown, had a gradual begin to 2024 because of accidents and completed 18th at Triple Crown, however it traveled to NEQ with a full squad and confirmed a glimpse of its potential. The workforce completed second regardless of seeing MB Kalyssa Blackshear endure an ankle damage early within the event. She powered by and so did the workforce, which benefited by the robust scoring arm of OH Kaci Demaria, stable passing from Simone Roslon and excessive digs from libero Olivia Foye. Newcomers Addy Benefield and Ruby Cochrane added dimension and extra scoring choices on the web and middles Blackshear and Daniela Rusich stepped up at key moments to assist Surfside end matches.
“We’re trying ahead to persevering with to develop over the subsequent couple of months as we put together for Nationals,” stated coach Loriann Perkins.
Observe to everybody in 17 Open: a wholesome Surfside is a scary Surfside.
• TAV 17 Black Haroun is the second of two 17 Black groups at TAV this yr and the primary to qualify. TAV 17 Black Jon has been the higher workforce in main occasions this yr, however 17 Haroun, which tied for thirty seventh at Triple Crown, is the primary of the TAV groups to realize Open admittance.
“Going into the Northeast Qualifier we spoke principally about consistency and composure over perfection,” stated coach John Haroun. “Our focus was on first ball contact and sustaining aggressiveness by the weekend. Bodily we matched up with all the opposite groups; it was only a matter of not overthinking the second however staying aggressive.”
Probably the most vital match got here within the Gold Pool match versus OT Felix. OT was 1-0 on the time, having opened pool play with a win over Austin Juniors in three. TAV needed to beat OT to stop the Florida workforce from routinely qualifying for the four-team Gold Bracket. TAV received in two after which wanted to keep away from dropping in three to AJV to come back out first within the pool (and earn a bid by advantage of Houston Skyline having already made the Gold Bracket). AJV got here out with aggression and received the primary set, however TAV returned the favor within the second to clinch the bid even earlier than the groups went to a deciding third set.
TAV secured its bid by a “very collaborative workforce effort,” Haroun stated. 17 Black had robust 6-rotation play and constant hitting from left sides Emma Sorensen and Karli Jordan. There was an enormous block and key hitting from Florida commit DeAndrea (Dee) McMillian within the center and Outdated Dominion commit Katie Rakoski on the proper. Libero Sophie Bridges and setters Kianna Babaei and Ryleigh Davis additionally had been instrumental in getting TAV to Baltimore.
On a aspect be aware: Haroun and his assistant’s flights out of Dallas had been canceled because of climate an hour earlier than takeoff. They nearly didn’t make it to NEQ, however ended up on a Richmond, Virginia flight that landed at 3 AM, and took a four-hour Uber straight to the conference heart simply in time for the beginning of pool play!
• Bear in mind when the Sunshine Basic in Orlando was a brand new nationwide qualifier and for years acquired small fields comprised principally of Florida groups? That’s nicely prior to now now after one other huge subject this previous weekend in 15 Open with an elite Ultimate 4 enjoying tension-filled matches.
4 groups that made the highest eight at Triple Crown performed within the semifinals for the three bids. AZ Storm 15 Thunder, which completed third at Triple Crown, rallied previous Legacy 15-1 Adidas within the semifinals, then outlasted Triple Crown winner TAV 15 Black, 15-13 within the third, for the title. The groups haven’t met thrice prior to now three weeks, with Storm holding a 2-1 collection benefit.
Legacy, T-7 at Triple Crown; and OT 15 T Randy, T-7 at Triple Crown; met for third place and the ultimate bid. Legacy, misplaced the primary set, 25-14, however received the subsequent two, together with 15-13 within the ultimate set, to assert the ultimate bid.
“I’m so extremely pleased with this group for the best way they competed in opposition to among the greatest within the nation in Florida,” stated Legacy coach Tyler Strom. “Going into Day 3 we knew we needed to beat two extremely tough groups simply to get to the semis. Beating two prime tier groups in our gold pool (HPSTL & A5) and pushing AZ Storm to three would’ve been sufficient for me to name it an excellent weekend. However to have the ability to come again from a beatdown like OT gave us within the first set proved all the things I wanted to know concerning the psychological fortitude of this workforce. Had it not been for a shoulder dig for a kill at 12-12 within the third we wouldn’t have punched our ticket. I really consider this shall be a workforce that can compete for the rostrum in Florida (AAUs) and Vegas (Junior Nationals).”
OT was the odd workforce out of the scintillating bid chase at Sunshine.
“We did all the things proper and put ourselves in an important place however in the end fell quick by two factors,” stated OT coach Randy Thomas.
OT acquired to the Gold Bracket semis by knocking off Prime Choose behind outsides Sophia Puleo and Millie Snider and OT served nicely and acquired an incredible hitting and blocking efficiency within the center from Georgia Underwood to prime Austin Skyline.
Fatigue was an element for each groups within the third-place match for the bid. Candice Holloway went on an enormous serving run to permit OT to win Recreation 1 going away. Legacy got here out firing in Recreation 2 to ship the match to 3. OT led 12-9 within the third however couldn’t shut.
“Everybody performed nicely,” Thomas stated. “Our setter, Sophia Dostic, moved the ball round and each outsides [Puleo and Snider] swung nice. Simply didn’t fall our approach late within the third set. Exhausting loss however time to regroup and prepare for Large South.”
VCNebraska 15 Elite was one among 4 groups to tie for fifth.
The workforce, led by setter McKinley Moser, libero Kaelynn Lottman and out of doors hitter Alli Bornschlegl, dropped matches solely to the groups that positioned 1-2 within the event.
A smaller workforce that depends on serving powerful, enjoying nice protection and the setting of Moser, VCN exceeded expectations this weekend.
• In Louisville, the Bluegrass Match noticed Workforce Pineapple (18 Open), Tribe (17 Open), Boiler Juniors (16 Open) and Munciana Blue (15 Open) emerge as the massive winners.
All 4 groups competed nicely at Triple Crown (thirteenth or higher) and stored it going at Bluegrass.
Munciana Blue relied on middles Carsyn Comer and Milana Mays to get high quality touches and defend the web and so they had been integral to the win, as was pin Shania Rhamy, who put stress on the opposite workforce on the web or behind the service line.
“We’re beginning to run a extra balanced offense, so it’s opening extra alternatives for all hitters,” stated Muncie coach Sarah Roush. “I additionally consider our again court docket is studying and beginning to take extra pleasure in protection. We’re excited for the win but additionally excited to get again to work in apply this week.”
“We had our occasions that we weren’t enjoying nicely, and I consider that has helped our progress and helped us mature as a gaggle,” Roush added. “We’re creating the flexibility to carry on and preserve combating. This was an enormous a part of our success within the semi-final match. We held on till we acquired in a groove then we had been in a position to struggle again.”
• Talking of Munciana, did you see that Mike Lingenfelter’s 18 Samurai squad, which tied for third in 18 Open at Bluegrass, is within the 18 Open subject on the Mideast Qualifier in Indianapolis? They’re the third general seed within the 40-team subject. Munciana was one of many primary golf equipment to depart USA Volleyball approach again when for the Junior Volleyball Director’s Affiliation (now JVA) and stopped enjoying nationwide qualifiers in 2007. That is reportedly the membership’s first return to a USAV qualifying occasion in 17 years.
• Let’s use the final Dot to observe up on objects reported final week. First, the way forward for uber-talented A5 freshman setter Marissa Jones. Right here’s what A5 director Gabe Aramian needed to say about her:
“Infrequently – like as soon as in a Halley’s Comet – you’ll have a participant of Marissa’s price come into your world. An outdoor observer may simply confuse her with a present school participant on the highest degree, and he or she’s 14. Having began at an early age, Marissa has been a real examine of the sport, spending a lot of her waking moments within the gymnasium coaching and perfecting her talent. Her IQ, physicality, and understanding of the setter place are unmatched. Marissa actually is a particular participant.”
From present coach Kelly Audia: “Nobody finds extra pleasure than Marissa in enjoying the sport. It’s a uncommon factor to seek out somebody who enjoys each enjoying and the work that comes earlier than the matches. She’s at all times had an important work ethic. The sky is the restrict for Marissa as she continues to develop and mature.”
***
From coach Scott McQueen, about Circle Metropolis 18 Purple, which certified in 18 Open in Boston after struggling in St. Louis over President’s Day:
“The curler coaster completed on a excessive be aware?
A lot of totally different children contributed. Lilly Merk had some dominant moments within the center. Pleased with the ladies however undoubtedly nonetheless have some work to do.”
***
From assistant coach Noel Caballero about Dallas Skyline 17 Royal (aka “Ping’s workforce”) qualifying final week in 17 Open at Sunshine:
“Standouts from this weekend had been:
Lefty proper aspect hitter Naya Salfiti, who led all the workforce in kills over the weekend with 61, together with 10 blocks.
Exterior hitter Isabella Ocampo, led the workforce from the service line with 13 service aces, and was second on the workforce in kills with 55.
Center blocker Kaelynn Sims led the workforce in blocks over the weekend with 15.
General, the workforce confirmed grit this weekend, making their presence recognized on the web defensively, registering over 50 blocks on the weekend. Stress from the service line additionally contributed to the workforce’s success because the workforce registered 56 aces over the qualifier weekend.”
***
A couple of extra currents:
Forza1 15 ONE handed Tstreet 15-Asics its first SCVA loss within the semifinals of the SCVA energy league occasion. Class of 2028 OH Janiah Burrage led the best way within the match with a .455 hitting clip. Forza1 freshman setter Kiersten Moore was additionally a distinction maker and confirmed why she’s a prime participant within the 2027 class.
***
Carolina Rogue 17 Black took fifth at Bluegrass. The squad knocked off Elevation 17 Cabo within the first Gold Problem match however KiVA 17 Pink proved too powerful within the quarterfinals.
Amongst these Rogue-ettes with stellar weekends? Liberos Mia Wave-Nelson and Masyn McClanahan, MB Jordan Hunt, setter Sydney Fischer and RS Blakely Johnson.
***
Keep watch over Southwest MN 16-1. A membership that historically begins late as a result of it caters to multi-sport HS athletes, Mike Dalager’s workforce performed its first event of the season on the North Nation Area Regional Nationwide Qualifier. The workforce twice defeated Northern Lights 16-1 and beat MN Choose 16-1 within the ultimate to earn a bid to Junior Nationals.
