GAV Juniors Finale: 16 & Unders

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the end of summer came the end of beach volleyball in New Jersey. After months of fierce competition from Men’s and Women’s AA all the way down to 12 &amp; Under, our finalists battled for the number one spot per division. The 16 &amp; Under bracket never failed to impress, but in this final weekend, we saw four Jersey athletes who truly stood out.</span></p> <p><b>Jordan Motyka and Cameron McEwan, Toms River</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The duo of Jordan Motyka and Cameron McEwan came out on top, earning first place with 37 points. With such a strong program awaiting them this season at Toms River South, it’s exciting to see that they put in so much work this summer. This pairing has been playing nearly every weekend on the beach since July. They went from ranking 19th in their division, to taking first place in the finals. It’s impressive to see how much better athletes can get with just a few months of consistent play.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Toms River South had a strong end to their 2019 season, defeating Gloucester Tech in the first round of the state tournament. This match was an upset; South managed to overpower Tech in the third set to cinch their victory. Their season came to an end only after losing to the powerhouse Northern Highlands in the second round of the tournament. South is graduating three seniors from the program, but dynamite middle blocker Kelle Anwander, libero Melany Gallo, and pin hitter Alexa McEwan are back to take charge of the team. With a number of other competent players returning to the squad, and the duo of Motiva and McEwan joining the ranks this season, we can expect South to put up an even bigger fight in the state tournament. </span></p> <p><b>Bryana Saenz, Garfield and Daniella Villafuerte, Clifton</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another pair that has been on the sand since July is the combo of Saenz and Villafuerte. Taking second place with 32 points, this team proved that age does not deter from victory. Saenz and Villafuerte played in 14U all summer long. When it came time for the Finale, this pair saw no issue with bumping up to the 16U division and making a huge impact. Saenz and Villafuerte clearly got as much as they could out of this summer on the sand.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Saenz is a setter at the powerful Immaculate Heart academy. She’s been playing at Sideout Sports in Fairfield, NJ her entire career alongside sophomore stud [player_tooltip player_id="99886" first="Brookelyn" last="Talmadge"]. A rarity in this state, Saenz has been playing since she was just 9 years old! Having the longevity she is cultivating will make her a standout athlete as she progresses through her high school career. It’ll be exciting to see how Saenz stacks up against returning setter [player_tooltip player_id="99810" first="Olivia" last="Coughlin"] with the goal of taking over after graduation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Villafuerte of Clifton attends the ever-prominent Immaculate Heart Academy. Toppling Mendham in the State Tournament and going both undefeated in the Big North and 35-4 overall, this dynamic squad is often looked to as the peak of NJ high school volleyball. Seven seniors have graduated in 2020, most notably middle blocker Anna Morris, setter Maeve Duffin, and outside hitter Elizabeth Patterson. Left to take over the senior spots are the incredible setter/right side [player_tooltip player_id="99810" first="Olivia" last="Coughlin"], solid outside/DS [player_tooltip player_id="99820" first="Gianna" last="Grigaliunas"], and right side [player_tooltip player_id="99814" first="Alyssa" last="Lowther"]. We’re also looking to upcoming sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="99886" first="Brookelyn" last="Talmadge"], a powerful middle spending her off-season training at Sideout Sports, for some big blocks and some even bigger swings. Surely Daniella Villafuerte will work her way onto the roster to help fill the gaps left behind by the graduated seniors.</span></p>