That is “Dots,” VolleyballMag’s weekly have a look at 10 issues in membership volleyball, previous or current, that curiosity me and hopefully will curiosity you. Search for Dots every week via Junior Nationals this summer season.
• In Louisville final weekend, the JVA’s annual showcase occasion, the JVA World Problem, convened. Greater than 900 groups descended on the Derby Metropolis, an enormous quantity for a match, smack dab in the midst of qualifier season, that was not a nationwide qualifier.
• Three of the Open divisions we cowl have been contested on the World Problem, with Michigan Elite 17 Mizuno capturing 17 Open, Sports activities Efficiency 16 Elite profitable 16 Open and Tri-State Elite 15 Blue taking 15 Open.
Michigan Elite went 9-0 in Louisville, taking house a title one week after qualifying in Open for Junior Nationals on the Present Me qualifier in Kansas Metropolis.
“I imagine this weekend had so much to do with momentum from the Present Me qualifier,” stated coach Jaison George. “They have been capable of carry so much to the desk from that occasion. The offense has constantly proven up in transition and now we have been capable of pressure free ball alternatives to our facet. We have now had a constant six-headed monster on offense with our roster.”
MEVBA fueled its spectacular offense because of constant ball management provided by Jess Costlow, Mckenna Payne, Izzy Busignani and Addison Newblatt.
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Sports activities Efficiency, which had such a robust displaying at Triple Crown in February however struggled considerably at Bluegrass in March, defeated 23 different groups to take 16 Open. Seth Salmon’s staff received regardless of being down two starters, standout setter Ellie Stiernagle (hand) and bodily OH Haley Burgdorf (taking part in with 18 Elite).
“Everybody on the staff was capable of assist make this weekend an ideal one and deal with our unfinished enterprise from the final time we have been in Louisville for Bluegrass,” Salmon stated. “What actually helped us all through the weekend was how nice our blocking was as a staff. We had 60 whole blocks for the weekend, averaging 2.86 blocks per set.”
On championship Sunday, SPVB took its blocking to new peak, averaging 4.29 blocks per set. Large blockers for Sports activities Efficiency included center Olivia Stewart and pins Brooklynne Brass and Abbey Knight. Libero Elayna Davidson, who averaged 5.29 digs per set; and setter Lina Giovani, who averaged eight assists per set, additionally catalyzed the win.
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I don’t know what was extra spectacular in 15 Open, Tri-State’s 9-0 report or the best way it dealt with formidable Munciana 15 Blue within the championship match.
“Tri-State Elite 15 Blue put collectively a really full weekend of volleyball,” stated coach Kelly Crowley. “The group was extremely centered on the serve and go recreation and turned that into an efficient offense.”
Tri-State’s resume in 2024 contains the Mideast Energy League title, second at Bluegrass, third at Central Zones and thirteenth at Triple Crown.
OHs Kenna Meibers, Maisie Jones, Aylah Belding and Cayden McIntosh teamed for 134 kills over 19 units and mixed with defenders Emerson Moser and Francesca Hansel to go above a 2.0. Middles Jillian Forest and Charley Moeddel reached virtually 100 kills between them, with 34 blocks, and setter Penelope Reisman led a really balanced offense.
• In the identical facility in Louisville, beginning and ending sooner or later earlier, the Beneath Armour 18U Nationwide Championships happened for the second 12 months.
The inaugural stand-alone occasion was held in Las Vegas final 12 months and was not capable of appeal to a robust subject. By all accounts, this 12 months’s subject was a lot, a lot stronger, though the one illustration west of the Mississippi got here from Oregon’s NPJ.
The ultimate eight – Sports activities Efficiency 18 Elite, Milwaukee Sting 18 Gold, 1st Alliance 18 Gold, A5 18-Marc, Munciana 18 Samurai, Tri-State Elite 18 Blue, Triangle 18 Black and Adversity G18 Adidas – comprised a formidable group.
Two one-loss groups, Sting and Tri-State, suffered their solely losses within the semifinals, leaving undefeated Triangle and Munciana to battle for the championship.
Triangle, which has been taking part in with out star junior Ryan Hunter since she was injured at Triple Crown, discovered a approach to prevail in straight units over Samurai, the profitable kill coming from Asia Thigpen, the match MVP.
“She led the staff along with her dominant play and indomitable spirit,” stated coach Logan Barber.
Setter Avery Scoggins, OH Laynie Smith, libero Coley Shiiflet and MB Ashlyn Philpot additionally shined for 18 Black. Philpot hit over .850 within the championship match!
“This was an incredible second for these nice gamers and proved that they’re an distinctive staff,” Barber stated. “They have been capable of overcome so much and show that they’ll actually be larger collectively. I used to be extraordinarily pleased with them.”
• It’s April so in fact there additionally have been qualifiers. At Far Westerns in Reno, the 16 Open and 17 Open fields have been uncharacteristically tiny, with simply 11 and 10 groups, respectively. Far Westerns, given its place on the schedule, has seen groups with bids in hand drop previously, however not like this.
The match ran Saturday via Monday and completed with Forza1 North 16 One prevailing in 16 Open and AZ Sky 17 Gold profitable 17 Open.
Forza1 North received because the fifth total seed. Its journey to the title included aa revenge win over Imaginative and prescient 16 Gold on Day 3.
“Profitable this qualifier was actually gratifying for the staff,” stated Forza1 coach Morgan Coberly. “We’ve had numerous accidents and diseases all through the season and, simply when it appears like we’re heading in the right direction, one thing else occurs. Two weeks in the past in Spokane we principally discovered the evening earlier than that Westley Matavao (our stud class of 27 OH) had strolling pneumonia and couldn’t come. She was again this weekend and gave the staff an enormous enhance and the arrogance we would have liked to make a run. We simply type of constructed on every day and by no means appeared to get drained. This age group has medaled six occasions since 13s in qualifiers however that is their first gold! It was a very cool weekend!”
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AZ Sky was undefeated for the weekend in 17 Open, however had two matches go to deuce within the third, together with the championship win over Mizuno Lengthy Seashore 17 Rockstar.
“Actually pleased with the best way this manner got here collectively and battled all weekend,” stated Sky coach Beau Lawler. “A number of occasions we discovered ourselves down 5-10 factors late in a set or a match and so they have been capable of come collectively and battle for some gritty comeback wins. It’s a testomony to this group’s psychological fortitude, confidence in themselves and their teammates, and their coaching. That toughness is one among many causes I really love being within the gymnasium and on the court docket with this group.”
Serve-receive, anchored by libero Lily Laflesch and outsides Raegan Richardson and Georgi Stein, have been enormous for AZ Sky on the weekend.
“Every may need had their greatest passing weekend and positively had their greatest weekend as a unit,” Lawler stated. “They’d a remarkably excessive reception share and likewise stored us in system sufficient to get all six of our attackers concerned.”
Middles Aubrey Bellus and Elle McCreery have been electrical offensively.
“Their skill to assault in so many spots alongside the online places a lot stress on opponent defenses,” Lawler defined. “They have been merely unstoppable when 1-on-1 and continued to terminate even when opponents despatched extra blockers to assist. Their blocking, mixed with nice service strain and wonderful protection from our setters, OHs, and libero, fueled each our gritty comebacks in addition to our runs to shut out matches.”
RS Addi France additionally had an unbelievable weekend.
“She’s such a sensible and proficient attacker, she at all times offers opponents bother,” Lawler defined. “Together with her skill to terminate in system and out of system and her well-developed toolbox, we will at all times depend on her to however the ball away in powerful spots.”
Sky beforehand certified second on the Sunshine Traditional, shedding to AZ Storm 17 Thunder within the championship match.
• Talking of Storm, Aaron Payne’s squad, the defending age group nationwide champions, was capable of go 10-0 (20-0) to win 17 Open on the Salt Lake Metropolis Showdown.
“We had an ideal weekend in Salt Lake,” Payne stated. “The constants for us remained with Devyn Wiest (Utah), Teraya Sigler (Nebraska), and Izzy Mahaffey (Lengthy Seashore) receiving the ball constantly all weekend. Offensively, now we have to offer a variety of credit score to setter Kaia Pixler (South Carolina) for shifting the ball round actually, rather well (one thing now we have had a variety of emphasis on in apply for the previous couple of weeks). With the arms that now we have, once we transfer it properly, we get a variety of open internet to work with, and our hitters see the block properly and are definitive with their shot alternatives.”
Kenna Cogill (Oregon) and Liv Lenz (TCU) aided the trigger by being dominant from the service line. Makenna Rumple (Iowa) had a standout weekend, hitting .500 with 18 blocks.
Whereas all of Storm’s main attackers hit north of .300 on the weekend, uncommitted outdoors Sa’Mya Dorsey was significantly spectacular hitting .478!!!
“This staff is aware of present up in huge moments,” Payne stated. “They love, battle, and play like household. It’s only a nice staff of nice folks and I’m excited to see the place we go from right here. The ceiling is excessive.”
•Austin Skyline 17 Royal, Legacy 17-1 Adidas and VCNebraska 17 Elite captured the three Open bids with top-five finishes.
VCNebraska went 9-1 however misplaced on the flawed time and wanted to defeat Drive Nation 17 Pink for the ultimate bid.
The staff handed rather well, stated coach Blake Rawlins.
Standouts included libero Rya Borer, who stored every part off the ground; RS Kamryn Behrns, a sophomore who attacked and blocked at a excessive degree; and UNLV recruit Tia Traudt, a 6-0 outdoors who confirmed off each section of her recreation each entrance row and again.00
“Love the best way we competed as a staff this weekend!” Rawlins exclaimed.
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Legacy’s bid was a very long time coming. The Michigan squad was one match away from qualifying in its final three qualifiers and eventually qualifying with a third-place end in Salt Lake, behind two previously-qualified groups.
“All through the weekend, it was superb to see all 9 of our gamers step up in numerous moments to assist us accomplish our staff objective,” stated coach Kacy Byron. “Totally different gamers stepped up for kills, aces, blocks, and digs all through the weekend. It was actually a staff effort from begin to end.”
Setter Campbell Flynn led the cost for Legacy once more this weekend. She had 156 assists, 50 digs, 44 kills and 10 aces.
“Campbell was wonderful in her choice making with getting hitters one-on-one and by being a constant risk herself on the internet,” Byron stated. “Match after match, qualifier after qualifier, Campbell constantly reveals why she is one of the best setter in her class within the nation.”
Legacy additionally received nice work from libero Devin Dzienny, outsides Marie Laurio and Molly Reck and MB Olivia Grenadier. Unsung heroes Mallory Reck, Addy Williams and Lauren Johnson additionally made vital contributions on the internet, as did DS Ryan Dzierwa within the again row.
“General, I couldn’t be extra pleased with our Legacy 17-1 staff and their skill to place each other first,” Byron concluded.
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Austin Skyline confronted a tiebreaker on Day 3 after its three-team Gold pool all completed 1-1 with a 2-2 set share. Skyline outlasted previously-qualified Nebraska ONE, 18-16, within the first tiebreaker, then VCNebraska, 15-8, within the second to clinch a bid.
Pins Pleasure Udoye, Addy Gaido and Riley Sure have been catalysts, together with libero Callie Krueger.
• In a 16 Open subject that had six previously-qualified groups, 1st Alliance 16 Gold topped all of them for first place in Salt Lake.
Mentioned coach Trish Samolinksi: “We had a guidelines of issues we wished to perform 1. Earn the open bid 2. Earn a medal 3. Win all of it. All qualifier season now we have competed rather well in open and have come so near incomes the bid; we knew this was our first precedence.”
MB Lynney Tarnow led the best way with a transcendent efficiency that included 101 kills at a .432 effectivity, with 31 blocks and 7 aces.
Others who shined included OH Elle Schara, who handed a 2.48 with 85 kills; libero Lucy Maloney, who handed a 2.43 with 86 digs and 113 aces; and setter Niki Bulotovic, who returned to the court docket from damage and had 30 kills and 282 assists on the weekend.
“We couldn’t be extra pleased with our women,” Samolinski concluded. “Every participant tailored so properly and our depth at every place actually made this an entire staff effort.”
• Bids trickle to eighth place in Open. Each Colorado Juniors 16 Kaleena and Membership V 16 Ren Matt took benefit to earn entry to the Open division at Junior Nationals.
Membership V’s qualifying run got here on the again of vastly improved protection. The important thing match got here versus Jupiter Elite on Day 2. Membership V trailed 14-10 in Recreation 3 and rallied behind explanation-defying protection to win, 18-16, to clinch.
Membership V was led offensively by constant hitting from Madison Wealthy and Halle Payments and large blocking from Bailey Rosander and Emily Kenison.
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Juniors received its first two matches on Day 2 to clinch a bid. The staff, which is on the smaller facet, received terrific work within the again row from libero Ava Johnson (75 digs; passing 2.2); and MB Morgan Holloman (58 kills; 19 blocks). Setter Tate Brandsma additionally shined along with her ball distribution and did a superb job of getting the middles concerned and in place to to attain.
• Two weekends in the past, Prime 15 Adidas earned an American bid on the Salt Lake Metropolis Showdown. The 66th seed to start out, the staff went 11-0 and dropped only one set.
OH Makayla Ziegler was unstoppable from each pins, hitting .378 on 143 makes an attempt. MB Whitney Port was a dominant pressure within the center, each on offense and protection. She led the center assault hitting .333 on 96 swings. RS Ella Fisher discovered a brand new degree to her recreation, as she attacked properly from the appropriate hitting .381 on 84 makes an attempt. Kate Nelson is a proper facet who discovered herself in a DS function for a number of matches and her serving was a complete recreation changer on a couple of event.
“Collectively this staff performed our greatest volleyball when it mattered essentially the most!!” stated coach Christy Stoeckel.
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Membership ONE AZ 15 Platinum upgraded its USA bid, earned at Windy Metropolis, to a Nationwide bid on the Arizona bid match this weekend. Kristi King’s staff went 6-0.
The staff loved very good protection and serve obtain from the backrow duo of libero Shay Loth and defensive specialist Reese Wilbricht.
On the internet, offensive powerhouses Rylan Keane (OH), Halle Chapple (OH), Kenzie Maldonado (MB) and Sydney Simon (RS) discovered methods to dissect blocks and put balls away a few of powerful protection.
On the helm of the offense have been setters Aubrey Butterfield and Caitlin Simmons. Emma Caldwell (MB) and Kyla Flukiger (RS) did an excellent job placing up a wall of a block in opposition to some very dynamic pin hitters this weekend.
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Elevation 15 Chicas completed third on the OVR Bid Match, incomes a bid to Junior Nationals.
“This after knocking on the door at each match attended (six whole earlier than this one, ending fifth in each one among them within the Open or USA division),” stated coach Howard Garcia.
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East Carolina 16 Nationwide received the 16 Premier Division of the JVA World Problem final weekend. The staff completed 10-0 on the weekend with out dropping a set.
“We solely had seven gamers and pulled collectively to attain a primary place end in opposition to some powerful groups on Day 3,” stated Kelley Kraniak
• Lastly, this pic of supportive volleyball dads has been circulating on social media. Why is the one man wearing white when all others are in purple? He’s the libero!
