GJNC Previews: AJV 15 Adidas
The most important moment of the season is just around the corner for teams from the 15s, 16s and 17s age group from around the country as the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship will take place at the Las…
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Continue ReadingThe most important moment of the season is just around the corner for teams from the 15s, 16s and 17s age group from around the country as the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center from June 26-July 5.
As many as 728 teams are expected to compete in the 15 divisions for these three age groups and the state of Texas will, of course, be well-represented in the tournament with more than 50 teams expected to make the trip to Nevada.
During the next few weeks, we’ll use this space to present the Lone Star state representatives in the tournament, recapping their performances during the club season and highlighting some of their top prospects.
AJV 15 Adidas
The top team in their age group coming out of the Austin Junior Volleyball Club, AJV 15 Adidas has had an extremely consistent season so far. With head coach James ‘Ted’ Wade at the helm, the team has finished fifth in all but one of the tournaments they played at this year. Their season has been positive overall so far with 23 wins and 21 losses.
Keep up with our #AmplifyATX top fundraising team #AJV15adidas as they take on the field at the Red Rock Rave in Las Vegas! They’re taking over our Instagram story right now 📲 pic.twitter.com/0FgAv5RnP2
— Austin Juniors VB (@AustinJuniors) May 14, 2021
Players to Watch
Savannah Skopal Savannah Skopal 6'0" | S Rouse | 2024 State #39 Nation TX – Setter – HS: Rouse – 2024
Six-foot setters don’t grow in trees, let alone in this age group, but Savanah Skopal offers a lot more than her size to AVJ 15 Adidas. Skopal does a great job with the ball on her hands as she showed on her freshman high school season in which she handed out 855 assists. The setter has not only great touch on the ball but she also does an excellent job with her distribution and variation of sets, even when in transition. Skopal ranks 11th on our 2024 Prep Dig State Rankings and is the first setter to appear on the list.
Reese Emerick Reese Emerick 5'9" | DS/L Westlake | 2024 State #33 Nation TX – Libero – HS: Westlake – 2024
Reese Emerick Reese Emerick 5'9" | DS/L Westlake | 2024 State #33 Nation TX has everything one would expect from an elite libero and it’s really impressive that she gets to do it at such a young age. The 5’8” prospect is excellent when it comes to serve-receiving and has a high level of confidence in her game that’s not found in many other players. She works really hard on defense and can make digs that not many would expect because of her willingness to give everything she has in every single play. She also does a great job in taking care of small details that make the difference such as covering her hitters and setting from the backcourt when needed and that combination makes of her the 21st-best prospect on our 2024 Prep Dig State Rankings.
15 ADIDAS WINS our #AmplifyATX team competition! They dug deep and brought in $6,210 for AJV ❤️💙 Way to go, athletes and families! Thanks to all who donated! pic.twitter.com/URMglI4u5r
— Austin Juniors VB (@AustinJuniors) March 6, 2021
Avery Hamlin – Outside Hitter – HS: Lake Travis – 2024
Avery Hamlin is arguably the most important player in AJV 15 Adidas’ offensive system. The 6’1” outside hitter is the team’s most reliable hitter and she gets a lot of sets and converts a fair amount of them. Hamlin is not only long and athletic but she’s also got a heavy and quick arm which is difficult for opposing blockers and defenders to deal with. Her tremendous reach comes in handy when she needs to hit an out-of-system set or from the backcourt. She uses her size well to impact the game when blocking and is a capable passer and defender too.