Recap and Standouts from Triple Crown 17s Championship
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Drive and A5. What a time to be alive. Whimsical, rhymes aside, both of these clubs entered Triple Crown NIT weekend with a lot of hype in the 17s division. A5 Mizuno 17-Jing had already experienced the thrill of winning…
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Continue ReadingDrive and A5. What a time to be alive.
Whimsical, rhymes aside, both of these clubs entered Triple Crown NIT weekend with a lot of hype in the 17s division. A5 Mizuno 17-Jing had already experienced the thrill of winning a Triple Crown championship when the team did it last year as 16s. There were some new pieces in this year’s iteration, but there was no doubt that 17-Jing would be in the hunt.
Drive Nation 17-Red carried a winning reputation of its own. Donning “Pingdom” warmup shirts in reference to their accomplished head coach, Ping Cao, 17-Red’s players represent some of the best volleyball talent that Texas has to offer. And there is, of course, a vast talent pool in this state.
For A5, the march to the championship was defined by perfection. 17-Jing won every pool match on Saturday despite all three of those contests going to a deciding third set. When it was time to play clutch volleyball, A5 always prevailed. Wins over Madfrog, MAVS 816, MAVS KC, and OT 17 J John put the Georgia team in the finals.
To my eye, Drive Nation just kept getting better as the weekend progressed. A three-set loss to Coast on opening day certainly did not deter the Texas team, and 17-Red pushed past AJV, Mintonette, in-state rival TAV, and NLQ champion 1st Alliance to reach the title match.
@a5volleyball takes the first!
Jurnee Robinson is going OFF. #TCVolleyballNIT pic.twitter.com/Qdam20cm7C
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) February 21, 2022
The Finale
This match started out as a block party. A5’s Iyanna Garvin and Jaidyn Garcia got the party started with a big roof and an equally large celebration. Later, it was Milana Thornton’s turn to get involved at the net with Sydney Bray also helping out on the right pin.
Drive Nation fought back and kept things close in the first set, however. Ceci Gooch had some terminal swings on the right side, and Lily Nicholson Lily Nicholson 5'10" | S McKinney North | 2023 State TX continued to show why she was one of the best setters in Kansas City. Her pace and location were excellent.
With the score tightening up, a few plays would ultimately determine the outcome of the first set. We continued to witness the extraordinary dominance of A5 outside hitter Jurnee Robinson, and she put up a huge solo block near the end of the first set that gave her team serious momentum. Robinson hammered two more crosscourt kills to give 17-Jing a 25-21 triumph in the first.
@a5volleyball takes the first!
Jurnee Robinson is going OFF. #TCVolleyballNIT pic.twitter.com/Qdam20cm7C
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) February 21, 2022
As the second set began, the left sides in this match continued to find their groove. Robinson’s success hitting crosscourt was unmatched. Bailey Miller also delivered some massive swings for Drive Nation, which was on par for what she had done the entire weekend. Similarly terminal for 17-Red was the outstanding middle duo of Leah Ford Leah Ford 6'2" | MB Keller | 2023 State #59 Nation TX and Reese Robins Reese Robins 6'5" | MB Timberview | 2023 State #15 Nation TX .
Tough serving helped Drive Nation grow its lead, and Robins was impenetrable at the net. The Texas team seized this advantage and forced a third set with a 25-19 win in set two.
On to the decider. Thornton made her presence felt early as she secured some crucial blocks for A5. Ashley Sturzoiu also made the most of her frontcourt rotations on the left pin and absolutely crushed her swings in the seam of the block. 17-Jing’s championship experience and competitive spirit really shined at this point, and this team looked destined for the repeat. Robinson put down match point to seal it, and A5 was a champion again.
@a5volleyball 17-Jing finds Triple Crown glory again. #TCVolleyballNIT pic.twitter.com/WO0vZYfFQN
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) February 21, 2022