ORLANDO, Florida – Whats up from the AAU Boys Junior Nationals Championships.
Monday’s second-day motion featured pool play in 12s, 13s, 16s and 18s. The AVCA placed on a free recruiting occasion and groups are gearing as much as make the push to make the championship bracket.
I’m right here till Saturday, capturing the very best of this large boys event within the Orange County Conference Middle. Obtained a notice or story: message me on Instagram @kprecruiter I’m looking for player-of-the-day suggestions, finest group bonding actions, the best-dressed group for the Fourth of July and far more.
Once I performed method again in 2005, membership tournaments had been at excessive colleges in Southern California and most groups went to 1 main nationwide event held in a conference middle. Now we’re on this superior setting and school coaches are right here en masse.
Recapping the very best of Monday
— 630 18s out of Chicago is our group of the day. They’re 6-0 after two days hoping to make the championship bracket on day three. Libero Lincoln Geist, dedicated to Lindenwood, is passing at 2.64 and outdoors hitter Aidan Weltin, a George Mason commit, is hitting .481
“The event has handled us properly,” 630 coach Luis Garza mentioned. “Being 6-0 heading right into a battle with Balboa Bay on day three is one thing our group is wanting ahead to and embracing the problem.”.
— Undefeated 18s open groups after day two; MB Surf, Balboa Bay, Pulse, WAVE, Crew Rockstar, Bay to Bay, Arizona Concern, 630, and A2.
— Talking of MB Surf, Sean Kelly, dedicated to UCLA from MB Surf 18s, is in seek for one other gold medal.
All through Kelly’s highschool profession he has received nearly each title and award possible.
“Sean Kelly has achieved a lot within the volleyball group,” mentioned Micheal Boehle, Kelly’s Loyola Excessive Faculty and Manhattan Seashore Surf membership director. “What units him aside from others is his work ethic, management, drive and humbleness. Loyola and MB Surf has had unimaginable gamers through the years, however Sean stands out amongst all of them.”
— The AVCA placed on a recruiting panel with the faculty coaches for athletes and oldsters, together with Hawai’i assistant coach Kupono Fey, Penn State assistant coach Pat Shawaryn and Carthage head coach JW Kieckhefer.
“I feel it’s nice the AVCA is giving athletes and oldsters the chance to study extra concerning the recruiting course of. As a former athlete, I understand how new, complicated and probably overwhelming the method could appear,” Fey mentioned. “I’m glad I received to assist by sharing a few of my data and expertise as a coach and athlete.”
The subsequent free AVCA recruiting panel is at 2 p.m. Jap Friday in Conference Middle room N330. On the panel with be coaches from NYU, George Mason, Orange Coast Faculty and Barry.
— Pinnacle’s 18s setter Jake Pazanti is our 18s participant of the day. Pazanti, dedicated to Lengthy Seashore State, has led his squad to a 5-1 file. Pananti was not too long ago named to the AVCA All-American first group.
— Undefeated 16s open groups after day two; Sports activities Efficiency Volleyball Membership, Coast, Crew Rockstar, Triangle, Balboa Bay, Sting, and C2 Assault.
— And talking of C2 Assault: Class of ’26 exterior hitter Trevor Whittemore of undefeated C2 Assault is one other of our gamers of the day. Whittemore has hit .306 with 24 kills, six aces and 16 digs in three matches.
“I’m fired as much as play as a result of I get to play in an exceptional event with my favourite individuals on the earth, my teammates,” Whittemore mentioned.
— Due to so many groups getting into the 16s and 18s Open, there are swimming pools of eight. The primary three days groups compete of their pool. After pool play is full the highest three groups are seeded in three-team swimming pools. Within the mini three-team pool the groups that end first advance to the championship bracket of eight groups on day 4.
— Since a big quantity of groups are signing up for the Championship Open Division, AAU goes to restrict the sector measurement to 48 in 2025. The factors to make open be primarily based on the take part and efficiency of seven main AAU tournaments, beginning with the Brickyard Battle in Indianapolis in November via the SoCal Cup in June.
— The AAU famous the mix of the ladies and boys nationwide tournaments concerned greater than 117,000 athletes and coaches with an financial influence of $760 million. Click on right here for the information launch.
VolleyballMag contributor Kevin Pratte is the boys varsity coach at The Bishop’s Faculty in La Jolla, California and Grant elementary bodily schooling trainer. Pratte, who lives in San Diego, performed on the College of Pacific. He was a graduate assistant at Nebraska, an assistant at Pacific, and has coached on the junior school stage. He is also a university recruiting coordinator, Rotary member, president of the www.kevinprattefoundation.com, host of the KP HERE Podcast and editor of the boys volleyball web site middlehitter.com.
