GJNC Previews: HJV 16 Premier
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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 70 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.
HJV 16 Premier
HJV 16 Premier will carry the responsibility of representing the storied Houston Juniors Volleyball Club in the 16 USA division of the GJNC in Las Vegas. The group of players working with coach Andrew Gonzalez has shown they can do it with their 30-21 win record in the season so far. HJV 16 Premier had some solid finishes already, including a pair of thirds at the Tour of Texas and WSC Classic 3 and the fifth at the TCS Stop.
Players to Watch
Victoria Powell Victoria Powell 6'0" | MB Fulshear | 2023 State TX – Middle Blocker – HS: Fulshear – 2023
Victoria Powell Victoria Powell 6'0" | MB Fulshear | 2023 State TX is a stud for HJV 16 Premier in the middle of the net. A six-foot, athletic middle blocker, she has all the physical tools to dominate the net and her calm and collected attitude helps her doing so as no matter the situation, she’ll always be in condition to realize what’s going on around her. Powell can hit quite a few different sets and is consistent in all of them. She’s also got a good block that gets even better thanks to her reading of the game. Powell ranks 112th on our 2023 Prep Dig State Rankings.
Kaylie Victorian – Right Sider – HS: Shadow Creek – 2023
Kaylie Victorian is one of HJV 16 Premier’s go-to scoring options at the right side of the net. The 5’9” hitter can play on the left or the right but her enormous offensive talent makes of her a better fight on the right, where she can focus on scoring points. Victorian’s impressive leaping ability and her ability to hit different sets to different directions indicate her future is bright. She’s also part of our 2023 Prep Dig State Rankings at the 114th spot.
Grace Yoast – Outside Hitter/Setter – HS: Langham Creek – 2023
Name a volleyball skill and Grace Yoast can do it at a high level. Yoast spent the last high school season as a setter with her Langham Creek team, averaging as many as 3.8 assists per set, but when club play started she was moved to the entirely different outside hitter position and keeps delivering. Her great technique and understanding of the game are certainly the skills that allow her to do so as while she’s not the most powerful hitter despite her 5’10” frame, she has a fantastic wrist, which allows her to send the ball wherever she wants.