Vienna Elite 17 Secures 18 Nationals Bid
They call themselves Valkyrie. It is an ancient term used to describe a female warrior. It is also a perfect moniker to describe the Vienna Elite 17 team. When you look at them on the court they are not the…
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Continue ReadingThey call themselves Valkyrie. It is an ancient term used to describe a female warrior. It is also a perfect moniker to describe the Vienna Elite 17 team.
When you look at them on the court they are not the tallest team. Their tallest player stands around 5’10” when she is wearing shoes. When they warm up their spikes do not dent the floor. It is only when the game is played that you grasp the essence of this team. It is the competitive fire in their eyes as they battle to win every point.
Valkyrie was the only 17 team in the 18 Liberty Division in the Atlanta Southeast qualifier. Vienna Elite did not field an 18 team this year but their coach Danny Molina played in the event last year and felt his 17 team would be competitive. Not only were they competitive, but they took second place to earn a bid to the 18 Nationals. They are the third Chesapeake Region team to qualify for 18 Nationals. Virginia Juniors 18 qualified for the USA Division and Metro 18 qualified in the Open Division.
The heart and soul of this team could be Trisha Guevara. She only stands 5’3″ but she is the fuel that drives the Valkyrie fire. Her resume is impressive.
She was a libero/setter for Areyto last year when they won the AAU championship in Orlando. She also led her Stonebridge High School team to a state championship, earning All Region first team honors. And in her first year with Vienna Elite she has helped them win a Gold Medal at the National Harbor tournament, take a second place in the Volley by the James and now secures a second place finish at the 18 Atlanta Southeast qualifier.
Trisha has yet to commit to a college. College recruiters sometimes focus more on the height of a player but fail to recognize the heart that makes her a winner.
The two outsides are led by six rotation players 5’9″ Daniela Molina, who is the daughter of coach Danny and 5’6″ Sara Boddie. Both players know where the empty spots on the floor lie.
Vienna Elite finished the first day 1-2 but it was the serving of Daniela that triggered the team to five straight wins. An injury to one of their middle blockers in the semi-final match forced them to make lineup changes and a short front row became even shorter as they lost the championship match. Daniela has committed to the University of Mary Washington.
Sara has played for Vienna Elite since she was 12. She knows how to use the block to get kills and has an impressive vertical jump. She is probably the most consistent passer on the team but enjoys the thrill of the kill. That is why libero has never been an option.
Vienna Elite will play in the Salt Lake qualifiers the weekend of March 11. If they earn a bid in the 17’s they will have to choose which Nationals to compete in, since you can’t play in both. But with Trisha feeding the diminutive duo of Daniela and Sara the team is bound to perform well.