This is “Dots,” VolleyballMag’s weekly look at 10 things in club volleyball, past or present, that interest me and hopefully will interest you. Look for Dots every Tuesday through Junior Nationals this summer.
• Our Dots focus this week takes us back to Philly and Dallas, where NEQ and Lone Star held Open qualifiers with fascinating results; and forward to Baltimore, where 18s Junior Nationals is prepping for a three-day run in the Charm City.
Let’s start at NEQ and the 34-team 15 Open field last weekend.
A5 15 Kelly, which qualified previously at MEQ, now has to be part of the national championship conversation after its 9-0 showing in Philadelphia, which included sweeps over other Open-qualified teams in the semifinals and finals.
“This team continues to grow and get what comes to great teams last… consistency,” said coach Kelly Audia.
Audia said that in the run up to NEQ, he talked to his team about being focused on the type of play that could prove it belongs among the elite Open teams.
“During Master Coaching practices, we would remind ourselves of what we were training for,” he explained. “We pushed ourselves to get out of ‘comfortable zones’ in practice and to consider those older A5 teams we scrimmaged the teams we would face. It really worked to our advantage.”
On Friday, after Day 1 was concluded, Audia texted me: “Marissa is ridiculous.” He was referring to setter Marissa Jones, the consensus top of her class nationally at the position. Jones dominated the event for all three days.
“She is getting better and that is SCARY to think about,” said Audia, who coached collegiately at Clemson, Xavier and Georgia State. “Between quick connections with bouncy middles and keeping the opposing block off balance by being aggressive offensively herself, she frustrated opponents all weekend.”
Jones averaged 11assists, 2.3 kills and 1.3 blocks per set for the tournament. That’s incredible output!
Besides Jones, team blocking was the critical factor in assuring A5’s top-of-the-podium finish.
“The blocking was an eraser for any error in any other part of our game all weekend,” Audia noted.
MBs Kylee Evans and Audrey Simpson joined Jones in putting up a massive roof. Evans also was a thumper on offense, as were RS Layla Dunn, who was unstoppable in system; and OH Mia Ray, who had seven kills in the final over WAVE 15 Brennan. Libero Kenzie Wilkie also was a difference maker, with a nearly perfect first touch on Sunday.
“We were tested often and continued to be our best under the most pressure,” Audia said. “We have not lost a third set in three straight qualifiers. We have been absolutely filthy in those matches, with multiple players stepping up to make plays when we need them most.”
• With head coach Brennan Dean home in San Diego after the birth of his third child (and second daughter), WAVE rolled into the final with an 8-0 record and just one stepped dropped. The squad could not hand its coach the ultimate tribute, but registered a second second-place qualifier finish. WAVE earlier finished second to AZ Revolution at Red Rock Rave. AZ Rev was in this field as well, and placed T-9.
• Five teams finishing among the top eight had Open bids already. That meant that 1stt Alliance 15 Gold, Circle City 15 Purple and Paramount VBC 15 Nick all qualified with one Gold Pool win on Sunday.
1st Alliance, at 5-2, had the best record of the three newly-qualified teams, but had to fight hard to get that Gold Pool win. The Chicago squad, which just missed qualifying at Windy City in a fourth-place showing, beat a fellow Windy City denizen, Sky High 15 Black, 16-14 in the third, to secure its bid.
“It was a complete team effort with everyone coming up with key plays in key moments each day,” noted Trish Samolinski. “Our outsides, Kalia Kroth and Taylor Berg, were consistent all weekend both front row and back. S/RS Peyton Heatherly came through in key moments running the offense and being an offensive go-to in the front row. We are excited to see this group compete in 15 Open and have a great ending to their season!”
Circle City’s essential Gold Pool win came over Northern Lights 15-1 in two close sets. A huge serving run from OH Callie Gibson keyed the sweep, as did MB Marley Van Wanzeele, who was big at the net; and OH Jenna Dittmer, whose passing was impeccable and whose big time swings frustrated the Northern Lights block.
Circle also got strong work on the weekend from lefty RS Audrey Davis, a backbone of this team all season long; libero Taylor Donovan and Gibson, who “has one of those arms you just cannot teach,” said coach and recruiting coordinator Jenna Tadros.
***
Paramount’s Gold Pool included two teams with Open bids already. If the Virginia club wanted that bid, it would need to be earned!
The first shot came versus AZ Revolution, the Red Rock champions. Paramount dominated the first set, dropped the second and went extra points in the third before winning, 20-18. The team then almost took out Rockwood Thunder as well to make the semis, but fell at deuce in the third.
“I am incredibly proud of my team,” said coach Nick DiClementi. “This Open bid is a testament to the toughness and work ethic of our players and to the complete buy-in we’ve had from the players and parents on this team. In only year eight of Paramount’s existence, our club has now earned four Open Bids, along with a 5th place finish in the 18 Open Division of the 2023 USAV GJNC, the highest finish in CHRVA Region history for an 18s team at GJNC. As a family-owned business, we firmly believe our success is all a result of God’s grace, great technical training with an emphasis on the fundamentals, and the work ethic of all the incredible players and families in our club.”
Paramount’s breakthrough happened after ninth-place finishes at both Big South and Show Me, where it lost many heartbreaking matches by a mere couple of points.
“The resolve of this group never diminished, and they continued to work even harder in practice to get better,” the coach said.
Paramount’s success was a total team effort in which every player contributed, DiClementi said.
MB Taylor Harrington, who may be the best freshman on the East Coast, beat even triple blocks at will and dominated the net as a blocker. Paramount’s other middle, Layla Parker, changed the momentum of sets with big blocks of her own and opportunistic kills. Libero Diane Nzoupet was money in serve-receive, a threat behind the service line and frustrated opposing attackers by keeping so many balls off the floor. OH Louise Neuhart passed well and took a lot of tough swings, scoring often. OH Kayla Luther used her explosive jumping ability to hit efficiently, and she was incredible in the backrow with her passing and defense. Setters Ingrid Smith and Anna Dierks set Paramount’s fast-tempo offense with deft precision and great decision-making. Both also were great from the service line. RS Erin Green was consistent as a hitter and blocker and fellow RS Sophia Delarosa had her best tournament of the season, slowing down the other teams’ outside hitters as a blocker and hitting super efficiently.
The contributions did not stop there, however. RS Alexa Bracey offered great spirit when not in the game and has been a catalyst at helping the team get ready with her massive blocking presence. Pin Eva Collingham has worked hard for her chance to shine from both the left and right sides. Defenders Addison Lopez and Lara Senyuz made their contributions in the back and row and from the service line.
• Meanwhile, down in Dallas, another 43 teams, eight with Open bids already locked up, were trying their hand at the 15 Open division at Lone Star. TAV 15 Black Jason won again. This makes two qualifier titles, a second place finish and first place at Triple Crown this season for the 2023 14 Open national champions, the clear favorite to repeat at Junior Nationals this year.
• Two California squads, Tstreet 15 Asics and Fozra1 15 ONE, emerged with Open bids following second- and fifth-place finishes, respectively.
Tstreet was undefeated, with wins over several Open-qualified teams, before bowing to TAV Jason in the championship match.
With only nine players traveling, the main characteristics of this team are resiliency and the willingness to do whatever it takes to win, said coach Bailey Tanner, even if it means playing a position that they’re not accustomed to.
“Every athlete has had such a special and consistent impact on the team and its success,” Tanner added. “Our passing, led by Ella Olson, Kate Jackson, Katherine Nowak, Sarah MacDonald, and Sarah Thorpe, held up great against the other top teams in the country. We were in system and our setters (Royal Banducci and Ally Faucet) kept our offense running at a fast and productive pace all weekend. Royal had many big defensive plays at big times that kept us in tight games. Our attack in the middle was very efficient, led by 2028 recruit Megan Hodges. Megan was a force hitting and blocking and teams often had three up on her-she rose to the challenge. Alexis Link, as well as many of the aforementioned players, was terrific for us at the net. Ella (Olson) took heavy swings and well-timed shots throughout the tournament. Kat (Nowak) played great from the middle as well as OH. Kate Jackson hit high, hard, and consistent game after game. All of this together is what led to the team’s success in Dallas.”
***
Forza1’s path was a little tougher. Aaron Flores’ team needed to beat an Open-qualified Excel team on Sunday to get into the top eight and take advantage of the trickle down.
“Forza1 15 ONE has GRIT,” Flores stressed. “When they were 13 they went to three qualifiers and came up short in all three, but went on to earn the Open At Large and finish 7th in 13 OPEN. Last season, three more qualifiers, but coming up short in all three, with the most wins against the field, they earned an At Large again, finishing 11th. They started this season by coming up short again in Red Rock Rave finishing just short with a 4th place finish. This team is tough and resilient; they never give up. How do we make our life easier? Why not try Lonestar? They battled again and this time coming up with the BID! We are very proud of these girls and their qualification for 15 OPEN!”
• TAV 16 Black won 16 Open by sweeping nine opponents. Its only loss came on Day 2 to Oklahoma Peak Performance 16-1 Elite, 15-12 in the third.
After a semifinal showing at Triple Crown, 16 Black is now 2-for-2 in winning Open qualifiers. Paul Baxter’s team previously won Northern Lights.
“It was another great weekend of volleyball by the girls,” Baxter said. “It was our first competition in a while and we’ve had some specific things where we’ve put our time on leading up to Lone Star, so I’m very happy how we responded. A lot of nice contributions from the whole roster from different times was great and that kept things ticking.”
Setters Danielle Whitmire and Anna Flores did a great job running our offense and attacking as well.
“As an overall team we were about .340 on Day 3, so that is pretty impressive to do against the Lone Star field,” Baxter noted. “Kinsley Young stepped it up a notch again and hit for a .560 clip on the final day on top of providing some great touches at the net. Jules Hernandez contributed a ton in all aspects. She continues to keep our offense in check whether it’s first contacts or when she has to step in and deliver the ball for our hitters. She created a ton of great second chances off some crazy covers and just solid defense in general, so that’s awesome. Sienna Franks also provided a consistent spark for us defensively each set, so that’s really nice to have, not to mention a big swing to finish our Day 3 Gold Pool. At the Northern Lights Qualifier we had to lean on our OHs a bit more, but overall much more balance offense this weekend. It’s great when we can get a lot of people involved. It’s fun to watch!”
TAV is back at it this weekend in Philly competing in 16 Open at Northern Lights.
• With six previously-qualified teams among the top eight, the two Open bids went to Dallas Skyline 16 Royal and OP2.
It’s hard to believe that Skyline, the defending age group national champs, had yet to qualify after playing at Sunshine and Show Me. The team played well and with urgency until it had locked up its bid. Skyline made the semifinals before falling to AZ Storm 16 Thunder, which finished second overall.
***
OP2 earned its bid by dominating Tribe 16 Navy on Day 3, a win it had to have. The Oklahoma squad won six of its first seven matches, losing only to Tribe 16 Cardinal, and used its Day 2 win over TAV to spark it to the bid. What a great showing for a team that narrowly missed qualifying at Show Me a few weeks before.
Libero Rachel Megna had an outstanding weekend keep opponents’ offenses frustrated, said coach Will Ethridge. Offensively OHs Skylar Brady and Ella Hale scored with big swings against some huge blocks.
• Houston Skyline 17 Royal won a 48-team 17 Open division that had 11 previously-qualified teams. This team has now been to four qualifiers, Northern Lights, NEQ, Show Me and Lone Star, and has WON ALL FOUR!!!
The only hiccup came on Day 1, when PVA 17 Elite took two deuce sets off of them to win in three.
• Despite so many Open-qualified teams, three managed to secure bids by finishing among the top eight.
Houston Juniors 17 Elite punched its ticket with a tie for third overall.
“It was a total team effort,” said veteran coach Jeff Ham. “We are getting closer to being healthy. It was great to get Aliyah Smith (Rice) back for extended reps for the first time since January. She really helped to steady out the team.”
HJV got its bid by running the “Dallas gauntlet.” Ham’s team edged Dallas Skyline, 16-14 in Game 3, to end Day 2, then swept both Drive Nation 17 Red and TAV 17 Black Jon in Gold Pool play.
MB Zoe Humphrey had a great weekend, hitting .415 while adding 24 blocks. Pin Sydney Bryant hit .287 with nine blocks. Sydney McKay passed a 2.06 and led the team in digs. Smith, setter Reagan Knipling and Gabi Martinez were catalysts in the 3-0 record versus the Dallas gauntlet. Jordan Taylor and Abbie O’Shay set the tone with strong hitting the first day and one-half. Brooklyn Merrell and Sydney Black patrolled the backcourt along with McKay, keeping HJV in system throughout the weekend. Kenedy Massie ran the offense as the team’s first server and starting setter in the 6-2 all weekend.
***
Alamo 17 Premier edged Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal to clinch its Open bid. Scott Mattera’s team won five matches and lost two, but the losses came against AZ Storm 17 Thunder (defending age group national champs) and 1st Alliance 17 Gold.
“Funny enough, I’m just as proud of the 2 losses as I am the 5 wins – we played some good volleyball against 1st Alliance and had a classic of a game 2 against Arizona Storm!” Mattera said. “The experience of competition like that are things that last even ‘more than wins.’”
Alamo, which won the 15 Open national title as an At-Large team two summers ago, picked three loaded qualifiers this season, which delayed its qualifying.
“When we sat down in November to discuss the upcoming season, I told them that to play the style that I thought could compete at this level, we would have to go through some rough patches and be patient with the process,” Mattera said. “We took some lumps here and there as we learned what we didn’t know and worked through learning how to think the game rather than play robotic. “
Mattera said strong work on the right allowed the team to be less left-side dominant over the weekend.
“Then, in crunch time, our outsides hit super smart, knowing when to bang and when to shot,” he said. “Blocking was a lot better this weekend after a tweak to our system and it in turn set up our defensive positions in a way that made it very difficult for teams to score on us.”
***
TAV 17 Black Jon secured the final bid.
• Baltimore is the site for 18s Junior Nationals this weekend. There are a whopping 48 teams in the 18 Open field. Almost every elite national team will be in the field. The notable exception is NKYVC 18-1 Tsunami. The Triple Crown NIT winners in the 17 Elite division never got untracked during qualifers and will play in 18 National.
Who are the teams expected to contend?
TAV 18 Black, with a loaded, healthy roster and a strong dose of talented underclassmen, is probably the favorite.
Coast 18 Ozhan, which defeated TAV in a thriller to win Triple Crown, also is intact and raring to go. Coach Ozhan Bahrambeygui’s team always shows up at Junior Nationals and this year should be no different.
“This is a group that derives its strength from its fondness to each other,” the coach said. “When we get to Junior Nationals, they won’t merely be playing to win, but to extend the season, even if it means just a few more minutes together. It has been a magical experience.”
Club V 18 Ren Reed, from Utah, also is a threat. The team is healthy and has menacing athletes across the front.
KC Power 18 Black got off to a hot start and is finally healthy again.
“That hasn’t been the case for us since our first qualifier so we have been making it up as we go,” said coach Dave Johnson. “I will say this: We have our sights set on being on the podium. There are some really great teams in this age group and we are just excited to go to war with them and continue to get better as a group. I am really going to miss this group they really know how to make an old coach feel loved and appreciated. Nationals is going to be a roller coaster of emotions for a lot of these athletes I pray that they all stay in the moment and leave it all on the floor.”
Tri-State Elite 18 Blue has been underestimated all year, but is always in the mix. Setter Maria Drapp may not look the part of a high-level setter, but she is outrageously good. High flying OH Addy Brus, middles Anna Guard and Molly Dorger and libero Kelsey Niesen are other key players to watch for the Ohio club.
“The kids seem excited and ready to play together one last time,” said coach Matt Long.
Munciana Samurai, playing Junior Nationals for the first time in more than a decade, is a perennial contender in every tournament it enters, but is coming to Baltimore a little banged up. The team is young but defensive oriented with strong middles. You never know.
Triangle 18 Black lost its fantastic junior Ryan Hunter to a torn ACL in February but has continued to develop. A strong left side attack, great setter and libero plus middle Ashlyn Philpott should have this tight-knit team in the hunt.
Don’t look for SCVC 18 Roxy, last year’s 17 Open national champions, to contend this weekend. The team’s superstar hitter, Kendall Brashear, has, as of now, been cleared to play back row only. This is a good team that will compete but might not have enough…
A5 18-Marc is healthy with 13 athletes ready to go and some good recent volleyball on its resume.
“This team has a never give up mindset and will battle to the end,” said coach Marc Jones. “It’s been an honor to coach them and to see them grow as a team. I will be sad when the season ends and I can’t be in the gym with them anymore.”
WAVE 18 Brennan is coming to Baltimore healthy, rested and excited to compete for a medal. The roster includes unstoppable middle Jenna Hanes, libero Maya Evens and a stud hitter, Quinn Loper, from the 17s team.
Need a sleeper? If I told you that 1st Alliance 18 Gold is coming to Baltimore without five of its 11 players mostly because of senior prom, you might think that Meghan Keck’s team didn’t have a chance. But if I told you that replacement are coming in the form of 6-3 OH Abby Vander Wal, 6-5 MB Lynney Tarnow and libero Aniya Warren, all among the best players nationally at their positions, you might change your mind.
Dallas Skyline 18 Royal, Milwaukee Sting 18 Gold, AZ Revolution 18 Premier, Team Pineapple 18 Black, Madfrog 18’s National Green, Metro 18 Travel, Mizuno Long Beach 18 Forefront, NPJ 18 Forefront, Academy 18E Rage…all have enough talent to make a run at a medal.
It’s going to be a fantastic three days!
Who will win? I have no idea!
• JJVA 17 Teal exploded this weekend at the ASICS Regional Qualifier in Orlando, placing among the top four.
***
JJVA 17 Black played lights out and came home with a 5-4 record. Setter Lindsay Hopkins found outsides Bridget Spees, Kaylee Kirkland, Brynn White and Savanah Jackson and they scored with consistency. Middles Ava Myers and LeoLani Smith blocked and tipped at crucial times. And the defense of Penelope Kavalieros, Bailey Montgomery and Jylissa Rivera contributed several key saves that enabled the team to win the Silver Division.
***
Spike and Serve VBC, from Hawaii, in its 12th year, has helped 100 percent of girls and boys players who wanted to compete at the next level reach their dreams.
This year’s girls’ senior class is headed by Adrianna Arquette, a setter committed to Hawaii who shined as a middle blocker for her state championship high school team.
