Vienna Elite 16s Harvest Gold at Boardwalk
Vienna Elite entered 18 teams at the Boardwalk tournament in Atlantic City. Of those, 12 finished in the top five of the various age groups. The most impressive age group were the 16s, who had two gold medal winners and…
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Continue ReadingVienna Elite entered 18 teams at the Boardwalk tournament in Atlantic City. Of those, 12 finished in the top five of the various age groups. The most impressive age group were the 16s, who had two gold medal winners and a third team that could have won the gold if they had not been eliminated by their sister team. The three teams combined for a 17-1 (35-4) match and set record.
Most clubs have travel and regional teams or first and second teams. Vienna Elite tries to balance their teams so everyone has an opportunity to play. Why have four great outsides and struggle to find playing time for them? Create two teams for both pairs to play. In the 16 age group Vienna Elite had enough talent to create three teams. The downside with that philosophy is you lose a lot of depth, but depth lacks importance to a player who is your third left side hitter dying to get on the court.
In the National Division, 16-F eliminated 16-L in the semi-finals, giving the 16-L team their only match loss in the tournament. The 16-L team did give their sister team their only set loss in the tournament, winning the second game 25-22 before losing the third 15-10. However, the 16-L team got some good news the following weekend when Metro 16 won an open bid in the Windy City National Qualifier, giving 16-L a trickle down bid to the Junior Nationals in Indianapolis.
The 16-F team won all seven of their matches to win the gold, losing only the one set to their sister team 16-L. They will be in Philadelphia this weekend for the Northeast Qualifier playing in the 16 USA division.
The third team 16-RS dominated the American Blue Division, winning all 12 of their games. The team struggled early in the season, but coaches Julia Recto and Alec Bradley have them on track now, calling the championship a team win. The following players were especially cited for their efforts.
Grace Tucker has been their most reliable hitter, staying aggressive with her spikes even when the games are close. Taking the safe shot in a close game is not an option. Her offensive contributions make her consistently one of the highest scorers on the team. But it is not just her offense that shines. She also plays an excellent defense, the definition of a true six rotation player.
Praggy Sangeetham also gets some love for her right side contributions. She is normally a setter but she was tasked to create some offense at this tournament. Her spirit and positive energy on the court keeps her team focused but she also contributes with her consistency in making the big plays.
Another setter Ava Tucker was asked to contribute on the right side. What she lacks in length she makes up for in intelligence, spraying hits to all quadrants of the court. She also has an aggressive top spin serve that keeps the opponents passing off balance. Between her setting, hitting and serving there are a lot of positives to her game.
Most teams need a good libero to create a consistent offense and normally Shrina Thakkar provides that. For this tournament she had to put on her hitting shoes, providing crafty but surprisingly strong hits for a “libero”. She continued to use her quick feet to make spectacular digs on defense, transforming into an effective six rotation player. Her biggest contribution could have been her ability to use all six areas of the court with her serve.
The 16 RS team will also be playing in Philadelphia this weekend in the 16 USA division.