Throughout the season, Dots consists of a group of notes and highlights from the earlier week in ladies membership volleyball. On this case, this version recaps AAU Nationals with yet one more Dots to go this summer season after we recap USA Volleyball ladies nationals.
• The 51st version of AAU Women Junior Nationals concluded final week in Orlando. Let’s check out what transpired within the 4 age divisions we cowl, beginning with 18s, the place Munciana 18 Samurai repeated as 18 Open champions. Mike Lingenfelter’s crew confirmed dominance in going 8-0 with simply two dropped units over the four-day occasion.
Muncie received regardless of taking part in with out its beginning setter and proper facet and backup center. The crew thrived due to its trademark again row, which can not have any peer in membership volleyball; and the hitting of outsides Abby Tindall and Lindsey Mangelson.
• It needs to be famous that solely seven groups competed in 18 Open, down from 12 a yr in the past. This continues a pattern of 18s groups ending their seasons sooner than everybody else, which began USA Volleyball eight years in the past began conducting its Junior Nationwide Championships for 18s as a stand-alone occasion in April.
To ensure that play to final 4 days with solely seven within the area, the groups performed best-of-five matches. Munciana went 6-0 in pool play, which comprised all seven groups; then swept WVBA 18 Adidas within the semifinals earlier than defeating powerful FaR Out 18 Black in a four-set ultimate.
Munciana’s win was not a shock. The crew went 7-2 in 18 Open at USAV’s 18s Junior Nationwide Championships in April and completed second to Triangle 18 Black two weeks earlier than that on the UA 18U Nationwide Championships in Louisville.
• What’s most stunning about 18 Open at AAUs was that Sports activities Efficiency 18 Elite was not a participant. Traditionally, one may count on Munciana and SPVB to have interaction in a titanic wrestle for supremacy at AAUs. This yr, with Sports activities Efficiency acknowledging the pattern that 18s finish their seasons in April, the membership determined to let seniors determine whether or not to play by means of June. Solely 5 seniors within the membership determined to take action. This precipitated the flagship 18 Elite crew, which had solely two seniors to start with, to transform to a 17s crew for AAU Nationals.
The lack of 18 Elite, mixed with so few groups collaborating in 18 Open in Orlando, means this was most likely the final June 18 Open AAU championships.
“The occasion has to conclude in April to live on,” Lingenfelter mentioned.
This may increasingly imply becoming a member of a pre-existing occasion or ceding the 18s division to a different entity, like Prime Court docket Occasions, which organized the UA occasion.
• Munciana received 18 Open with out star hitter Charlotte Vinson, however the junior, dedicated to Indiana College, was by no means out of thoughts.
In mid-Might, Charlotte started experiencing signs in keeping with strep throat. They worsened in a single day, inflicting medical doctors in Muncie the subsequent morning to have her airlifted to Riley Hospital for Kids in Indianapolis. Charlotte’s organs had been shutting down on account of poisonous shock syndrome attributable to an invasive pressure of Strep A. Charlotte was positioned on life assist and had machines take over coronary heart and lung features for eight days.
“She was very, very sick and we had been very frightened about her,” Dr. Alvaro Tori at Riley’s ICU instructed a neighborhood reporter.
Charlotte’s physique ultimately fought off the an infection. After two weeks, she slowly started to eat and communicate once more. On the day earlier than Munciana headed to Orlando, Charlotte was launched to go residence from the hospital. Lingenfelter known as that his crew’s “greatest win.”
Charlotte continues to get well and has her thoughts set on returning to play her senior yr for Yorktown this fall, although it will not be till late within the season relying on how shortly her coronary heart perform improves sufficiently. Charlotte totally expects to be in a Hoosier uniform beginning within the fall of 2025.
“I’m extremely excited to get residence and work along with her,” Lingenfelter mentioned. “It’s going to be a protracted street, however I’m able to get her again within the health club. Getting youngsters from level A to level B has all the time been my objective … not titles.”
• Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal didn’t choose its nationwide qualifiers nicely. The South Florida squad went to 3, all with fields of greater than 30. Two, the Sunshine Traditional and Lone Star, had 48 groups. Given these numbers, two fifth-place finishes and a ninth in Dallas labeled coach Brian Coughenour’s crew as elite, even when it didn’t really qualify. That explains why USA Volleyball turned to Tribe to fill an At-Massive slot in 17 Open for Junior Nationals.
Tribe, nevertheless, turned it down. The fee to plan a visit from Florida to Las Vegas in mid-Might was simply too nice.
“We then determined, ‘Let’s simply go win a nationwide championship in Orlando at AAUs,’ and we occurred to manifest these desires right into a actuality!” Coughenour mentioned.
Certainly, Tribe, which received Bluegrass in March, went 13-0 towards a 71-team area that included 5 Open-qualified USAV groups, and dropped simply three units within the course of. The efficiency continued a pattern, courting again to final yr, of being in Gold in each match the crew performed in. Tribe didn’t win each occasion, however the gamers actually had been battle examined.
“These youngsters had been cast in adversity this yr and I actually consider that’s why we had been in a position to win a nationwide championship,” Coughenour mentioned.
“All season the most important driving level was specializing in the little particulars and with the ability to repeat them constantly at a excessive stage,” Coughenour added. “We apply a lot out of system which fairly actually carried us by means of the week.”
The championship match discovered Tribe squaring off versus the reconstituted Sports activities Efficiency crew. SPVB entered the match, like Tribe, with an ideal 12-0 report.
It was, in Coughenour’s phrases, a “legendary battle” that ended with Tribe on prime, 23-25, 25-22, 15-12.
“Anytime we acquired a lead, I felt prefer it was by no means giant sufficient, so we needed to simply decide on that one-point benefit,” Coughenour defined. “We discuss so much about staying within the second and never worrying about errors from the previous.”
Outdoors hitter Tekoa Barnes, the match MVP, had 20 kills within the ultimate, hitting .378. The Oklahoma commit handed a 2.15 and added three aces. Coughenour known as her “arguably essentially the most fearless attacker I’ve ever had the pleasure to educate.”
RS Mija Bendziute, a UCLA commit, added eight kills on .429 hitting. Minnesota-bound OH Kelly Kinney led the crew defensively with 10 digs and overcame a sluggish begin offensively with six enormous kills within the ultimate set. Libero Zoey Matias, a Missouri pledge, proved once more to be the heartbeat of the crew within the again row. She had 9 digs and tallied six assists in out-of-system conditions. Setter Charlotte Glass, a Duke commit, orchestrated an outstanding sport and completed with 29 assists for the champions.
• Sports activities Efficiency 17 Elite’s street to the ultimate included wins over KiVA 17 Purple and Northern Lights 17-1, the lone match losses for these elite squads. Coach Troy Gilb mentioned {that a} Day 3 win over bodily A5 17-1 Calvin gave his crew the “subsequent stage of confidence” to go on a run to the championship match.
The win over KiVA was 16-14 within the third. Final yr, SPVB 16 Elite beat KiVA twice at AAUs, but it surely was KiVA that got here away with the AAU title in 16 Open. That made SPVB’s win candy. Additionally candy was the win over Lights, a crew Sports activities Efficiency misplaced to in three units three weeks in the past on the Prep Dig Gauntlet, its second match as a 17s crew after taking part in 18s nearly all of the season.
Gilb mentioned that the championship match might have gone both approach, however that successive errors with the rating tied 10-10 within the third – the one errors the crew made all the set – proved to be pricey and dug a gap the crew couldn’t crawl out of.
“It was a troublesome match and a troublesome approach to finish the match however these ladies fought their asses off and we’re very pleased with them,” Gilb mentioned.
OH Bella Bullington led the best way for SPVB within the ultimate with 16 kills. She was excellent all match lengthy, averaging greater than 5 kills per set, with 14 aces and a couple of.1 passing. Different Sports activities Efficiency standouts contains setter Audrey Asleson, libero Morgan Asleson, MB Sidney Hamaker and RS Lauren Coyne.
“The vast majority of this group performed 18 Open many of the season and took their beatings and discovered a number of onerous classes on how you can play at a excessive stage,” Gilb defined. “These youngsters have put in an incredible quantity of labor this complete season and have discovered how you can get powerful. All that arduous work, sacrifice and dedication put them on the championship court docket on the finish of AAUs. We’re disillusioned with the end but additionally very pleased with their accomplishments. Subsequent season begins as we speak for them!”
***
OT 17 T Aaron joined Northern Lights in tying for third. These two groups mixed to go 20-2 for the occasion.
OT, which reigned at MEQ and Massive South this season to earn the No. 1 total seed, fell in three to Tribe within the semifinals, the rubber match between the 2 groups. OT battled again from a 6-0 deficit to begin the ultimate set and acquired inside one at 12-11, however made some pricey errors on the finish.
“Whereas we didn’t end like we wished, the women performed onerous all 4 days,” coach Aaron Harrison mentioned. “Coming in as the general No. 1, we knew we might have a goal on our again. We hadn’t performed in a match since profitable Massive South, roughly 13 weeks in the past, so we weren’t certain what to anticipate after that prolonged layoff.”
“Maggie Dostic and Hannah Hankerson did an outstanding job main the crew in each ball management and attacking all weekend,” Harrison mentioned. “They by no means got here off the court docket and helped give us an opportunity in each match.”
Setter Izzy Mogridge additionally was a catalyst.
“She will get higher each match,” Harrison mentioned. “She was extra offensive this week, which helped open up the offense. Lily Hayes performed a few of the greatest volleyball I’ve seen from a libero on the ultimate day. This crew revolves round relentless pursuit of the ball and getting further touches.”
***
Northern Lights received its first 11 matches, together with three-set tussles with Tulsa Energy 17-1 and Illini Elite 17 Cardinal, earlier than working into revenge-minded Sports activities Efficiency within the semifinals.
Outdoors hitter Messaiya Bettis led the offense with 100 kills whereas hitting .332. Center blocker Keira Schmidt hit at a .432 clip whereas including 20 blocks on the defensive facet. Libero McKenna Garr was phenomenal with 111 digs with a 2.2 passing common. Each Bettis and Garr had been honored with spots on the AAU All-American crew.
• Mintonette m.61 has been at or close to the highest of the nationwide 16s membership rankings all season. The squad from Ohio received two nationwide qualifiers and completed second in a 3rd. Max Miller’s squad additionally positioned second on the Triple Crown NIT. That resume was bolstered additional final week when Mintonette accomplished a 12-0 run, because the No. 1 seed, by means of the 79-team 16 Open division at AAU Nationals.
It wasn’t straightforward, nevertheless. On Day 3, FaR Out 16 Black, aided by a transcendent efficiency from freshman libero Mallory Johnson; pushed m.61 to 3 units. So, too, did Academy 16 Diamond, led by Texas-bound setter Genevieve Harris, to open the ultimate day of play.
Mintonette then confronted off towards MN Choose 16-1 within the semifinals. The highest seeds dropped the primary set and rallied to win the subsequent two, together with 18-16 within the third to make the ultimate.
“Our match versus Minnesota Choose was most likely the hardest and most aggravating match of the match,” Miller mentioned. “Minnesota recruit Elena Hoecke [made it] extraordinarily troublesome to seek out seams throughout the block. We actually solely had one run when she was current within the entrance row all through the three units.”
Mintonette took on a well-known foe within the championship match: Dallas Skyline 16 Royal. These two groups met for the USAV 15 Open title at Junior Nationals final yr, with Skyline prevailing. Mintonette gained candy revenge with the straight set win.
“Each units we had been in a position to management tempo and power them into conditions we had been snug defending with our serve,” Miller defined.
OH Layla Hoying (Ohio State) and setter Mallory Matheny (Indiana) performed very nicely all through for m. 61. Libero Emma Cugino (Texas) confirmed off her expertise and was particularly potent in serving to Mintonette rating when out of system. The crew’s center play on the final day from Alia Schoonover and Keala Jenkins most likely catalyzed the title.
“Alia placed on a clinic by working the slide and discovering openings in entrance of our setter,” Miller mentioned. “Jenkins, together with scoring, shut down in-system alternatives along with her blocking.”
• Skyline’s loss to Mintonette was its just one after 12 wins to open the match. The crew seems poised to make a stable bid to defend its age group nationwide title towards an elite 16 Open area when Junior Nationals start Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Skyline made the championship match in Orlando due to glorious serve-receive, led by Georgia Whann and Kiley Brooks; and by displaying crew unity all through. Offensively, Madison Victoriano led a gaggle that scored effectively. Simone Heard was important to crew success on the left facet, whereas MB Keoni Williams and RS Taylor Clarke hit for very excessive percentages.
***
GP 16 Rox went 11-1 to tie Northern Lights for third.
GP, an Orlando crew, made the semifinals by beating Legacy 16-1 Elite in three within the quarterfinals, the one units misplaced by the Triple Crown NIT champion all match lengthy.
Cate Palmi, Maddie Wehr, Jordin Southall, London Atkins and Jenness Orcut all performed nice for GP.
“We had been in a position to serve and cross nicely and we simply performed superior,” mentioned coach Sindee Snow.
***
MN Choose was pumped up about attending to the Gold Bracket at AAUs as a result of it was one step nearer to a objective the crew set throughout its first assembly of the yr: to get on the rostrum at AAU Nationals.
“It didn’t matter that we had been approach down the rankings,” coach Drew Rongere famous. “The women purchased into what we had been doing and created the mandatory crew tradition to achieve success and win shut matches towards nice groups.”
Lights overcame a 15-13 Day 2 loss to a Northern Lights 16-1 crew it had twice defeated earlier within the yr to get to Day 3, then pulled off an upset by beating Boiler Juniors 16E Gold to open Day 3. A subsequent loss to OT 16J Will put the Minnesota crew in a do or die place heading into its ultimate pool play match: beat EC Energy KOP 16-Empire to win the pool or lose to complete fourth and lose out on the Gold Bracket. The crew made changes to its blocking to counteract ECP’s highly effective pins and received in two.
“You must play your greatest in shut matches as a result of all of those groups are so good,” Rongere mentioned. “That win was the distinction in a possible prime 5 end or falling outdoors of the highest 35.”
On Day 4, Choose upended two Indiana golf equipment, Workforce Pineapple and Rev, to earn a match with Mintonette.
“Ever since we watched Mintonette play within the championship match at Triple Crown, we had been hoping for the possibility to fulfill up with them in a gold bracket in some unspecified time in the future this season,” Rongere defined. “They’re a well-coached crew with phenomenal athletes who not often make a run of errors. Our ladies believed that they may beat anybody all season and this match was no completely different.
“We run a particularly balanced offense that’s powerful to defend towards with setter Ellery DeBoer main the cost. After getting down 1-7 within the first set, we battled again one level at a time with powerful serve after powerful serve and took the primary set 25-20. Mintonette received the second set 25-17. We as soon as once more had too many unforced errors and acquired down large within the third, 7-12, earlier than we began an enormous comeback to stand up 15-14. We had three match level serves however couldn’t get that final level and ultimately misplaced 16-18. I like teaching in that sort of intense atmosphere and our ladies are all the time up for the problem. It was a enjoyable match! Mintonette is legit and there’s a motive why they’ve been on the prime of the rankings all yr. We hope to see them once more in Vegas.”
For Choose, OHs Romi Chlebecek and Bryn Lunski each hit over .200 on the week. The crew’s middles, Hoecke and Abby Conklin, hit over .350. Hoecke led the crew in blocks with 24. DeBoer had 259 assists and 21 kills. Sidney Burley and Hayden Reeder led the again row and stored the crew in system. Hoecke and Reeder, a six-rotation proper facet, had been named AAU All-Individuals.
• Legacy 15-1 Adidas received 15 Open at AAU Nationals because the No. 2 total seed.
“We had been fairly assured in how we had been taking part in going into AAUs and felt we had been taking part in our greatest ball of the yr,” mentioned coach Tyler Strom.
That each one modified on Day 1 when a participant got here underneath the web and standout setter Marlie Smith rolled her ankle.
“As she was being carried off I believe the final feeling of the teaching employees was, ‘Properly, I assume that’s it.’ Marlie is an unbelievably powerful child however nobody recovers from an ankle damage as dangerous as that one was in weeks, not to mention days.”
With its libero setting, Legacy dropped its first match of Day 2 to a crew it had dominated two weeks earlier than.
“Marlie was on crutches and I believe had we not misplaced that sport…the story would’ve been completely different,” Strom mentioned. “She hobbled over to the athletic coaching sales space, acquired taped up and instructed me she wished to play. We made the choice to go after heat ups and I believe that having her again utterly modified the groups mentality.
“Each night time she would go to a cryotherapy place and do the whole lot she might in order that she might carry out the subsequent day. Day 2 she couldn’t leap in any respect. Day 3 she began making an attempt to comfortable block and Day 4 she left all of it on the market, together with a solo block within the semis to seal it. Her foot was utterly purple on each side however I don’t assume there may be something that may’ve stored her off that court docket.”
Legacy additionally benefited from terrific ball management and passing. Addison Thompson-Stepp and Makayla Naves had been one of the best they’ve been all yr “they usually needed to be as a result of Marlie couldn’t actually transfer outdoors the 10-foot line,” Strom defined. “Cynthia Ockerman was a machine for us with virtually 90 kills (hitting over .400) and Calli LeFevre had one of the best match she’s had all yr scoring for us when Kate Kalczynski was within the again row.”
“In 15 years of teaching, I’ve by no means had a crew that was as shut as this crew is,” Strom concluded. “We’ve had groups with extra particular person expertise than this one, however none in my view which are a greater instance of what a ‘crew’ is and that’s why they’ve been so profitable and can proceed to be so profitable. Everybody pulls in the identical route.”
• Legacy defeated stunning Prime Choose 15-Elite within the 15 Open championship match. The Orlando squad began 2-2, then received seven in a row to succeed in the finals, together with wins over A5 15-1 Kelly and Munciana 15 Blue within the quarterfinals and semis.
“I actually thought the women did an awesome job taking part in as a crew and overcoming a number of setbacks,” mentioned Prime Choose coach Charles Wolsonovich.
On Day 2, beginning setter Andie Bowron went all the way down to an ankle sprain. Paeton Wheeler got here in and helped engineer 5 straight wins. (“She was superb!” Wolsonovich exclaimed).
On Day 4, Bowron was in a position to go and the crew switched to a 6-2 offense. The setters, and crew, dealt with it nicely, as Lilly McNamara gave the crew some high quality time on the fitting and got here up with a number of key blocks.
Prime Choose was 1-2 versus A5 heading into the quarterfinals. The crew was motivated and prevailed in three to get to the semis towards a Munciana crew it knew little about. Understanding that profitable meant taking part in for a title was motivation sufficient for a crew that was handed over for a 15 Open at-large bid after coming very shut at a number of qualifiers.
“We challenged this group all year long, and whereas there was some push-back, you may see the challenges being met,” Wolsonovich mentioned. “Their blocking improved maybe greater than any crew I’ve had on the 15’s age group, and the crew matured a ton during the last 2-3 months. These two areas had been an enormous a part of why they made it to date. They dealt with losses on Day 1 and a couple of nicely, and held their composure with the damage. Paeton’s maturity actually confirmed when she got here in, and I believe it settled the crew down.”
***
Munciana 15 Blue and Northern Lights 15-1 tied for third.
Muncie was unbeaten heading to the semifinals. Arduous work within the health club throughout Might helped gasoline the fireplace to do nicely in Orlando.
The crew, coached by Sarah Roush, battled by means of adversity to make the rostrum. On Day 1, London Evans had a shoe malfunction. As a result of she wears a measurement 13, she couldn’t purchase sneakers on the occasion. By the top of the match, her toes had been bleeding however she battled by means of it. 15 Blue additionally misplaced one in all its middles for the occasion on account of a pneumonia prognosis whereas in Orlando.
“This set the tone that we had been going to struggle for the period,” Roush mentioned.
A giant win over Sports activities Efficiency 15 Elite on Day 1 additionally helped give Muncie perception that battling onerous would produce wins.
Successful a medal required a collective offensive effort from Shania Rhamy (OH), Paige Rudolph (OH), Carsyn Comer (MB), Caroline Hanchar (RS) and Evans (S/RS).
Reserve MB Ella Nagelkirk additionally did a pleasant job of filling in when her quantity was known as.
“Our pins did a pleasant job of difficult the road, and Carsyn did a pleasant job of all the time being an choice and holding blockers,” Roush mentioned. “Shania gave us an offensive choice within the again row as nicely which was important to our success.”
Service stress was essential for crew success as nicely, particularly since 15 Blue, apart from the 6-1 Comer, is on the smaller measurement. Rhamy and Emily Blevins gave Muncie an enormous push behind the service line, whereas again row gamers Lyndsey Robinson and Kyla Hurley introduced the vitality that stored the crew pointed in the fitting route.
“It was a gaggle effort,” Roush careworn. She additionally known as out OH Makayla Moulton for the vitality and struggle she gave all through the season, saying, “that impacted our crew dynamic in an enormous approach whether or not we had been in apply or competing in a match.”
***
Northern Lights is a crew that has skilled each highs and lows this yr. Ending AAU Nationals with a medal after beginning because the No. 25 seed total actually qualifies as a excessive.
Lights began the match on hearth with three sweeps on opening day, together with one in all Prime Choose. S/RS Kaelyn Bjorkund was important to the win over Prime Choose. On Day 2, Northern Lights received its first two matches to clinch the pool, then gave Ryah Cotton the chance to point out off her potential as a six-rotation participant within the day’s ultimate match.
On Day 3, Northern Lights defeated three Florida groups, together with Open-qualified GP 15 Rox, to conclude pool play 8-1.Stellar play from all three middles was a spark, as Natalya Singer, Lauren Bunge and Auri Benshoof blocked nicely all day and had been sufficient of an offensive menace to get Lights’ pin hitters loads of beauty.
The ultimate day began with a sweep over crosstown rival MN Choose 15-1. Nice serving runs from Taylor Peterson and nice all-around play from pins Elleora Utecht, Ellie Osowski and Liv Sathre helped Lights forge its approach to the quarterfinals to play an RVA Naples crew that entered seeded 59th within the area of 61. Libero Clara Christ, who was terrific all 4 days, went to a different stage to assist Northern Lights sweep into the semifinals, the place it misplaced to eventual champion Legacy.
“This crew is particular, and we hope to improve our medal in Vegas, the place we shall be taking part in in 15 Nationwide,” mentioned coach Andy Guggisberg.
***
OT 15T Randy, the highest seed, received its first 5 matches and swept Legacy on Day 3. However a straight set loss to KiVA 15 Purple and a dropped set to Mintonette m. 51 resulted within the Tampa crew being on the unsuitable facet of a three-way 2-1 tie. OT would be the No. 11 total seed in 15 Open at Junior Nationals.