Club Team Spotlight – Austin Juniors 17 Adidas

<p>We are coming to the end of the volleyball season soon and we wanted to write a few articles on certain club teams who we think deserve some recognition for their season. Qualifier season has now come to an end and some teams have punched their ticket to USA Volleyball Junior Nationals, which will be held in Indianapolis later on this summer.  Let's take a look at a team who has had a great season so far and who we will be seeing at Nationals.  Take a bow Austin Juniors 17 Adidas…you have earned it. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Austin Juniors is one of the oldest and best clubs in the entire state.  AJV is one of the most respected clubs in the nation for how they have operated over the past thirty years.  Their 17 Adidas team has had a few ups and downs this season, but are peaking at just the right time to do some damage on the national scene.  This season they have an overall record of 40-26 and rank 34^thoverall in the nation according to AES results.  They qualified in the Open division of USA Junior Nationals by placing 3^rdat the Pacific Northwest Qualifier in Spokane, WA.  I have watched them on multiple occasions this year and love what I have seen.  We are proud of their success and look forward to seeing them in Indy later this summer for Nationals.  Even though we can write about each and every athlete that contributed to their success, I am only going to cover a few players that stood out while I was watching them.  Let's meet a few of them.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87574" first="Dylan" last="Gilkey"] [2023] 5-7 Setter (HS: Cedar Park/Club: Austin Juniors/ Verbal: San Jose State)</strong></p> <p><strong> <img class=" wp-image-195072 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/05/Dylan-gilkey-e1652230520725-169x300.jpg" alt="" width="134" height="238" /></strong></p> <p>Dylan is the 90^thranked prospect in the 2023 Class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings, but she will be moving up this list once I update the rankings in a few weeks due to what I have seen this season.  She plays for Cedar Park high school and also for Austin Juniors.  She has been a stud dishing the ball to her potent weapons all season long.  When I watched her she was super smooth jump setting all over the court.  I was amazed at how she was able to “better” every ball that came her way.  Errant passes were so beautifully corrected by this young lady.  One thing that is truly apparent when you watch her play is her leadership on the court.  She will have her team ready to compete at nationals in Indy this summer.  We will be watching very closely.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="122887" first="Lauren" last="Murphy"] [2023] 6-4 Middle (HS: Round Rock/Club: Austin Juniors/Verbal: Ohio State)</strong></p> <p><strong> <img class="alignleft wp-image-195071" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/05/Lauren-Murphy-e1652230420103-215x300.jpg" alt="" width="165" height="230" /></strong></p> <p>Lauren is currently ranked as the 21^stbest overall prospect in the 2023 class according to our Texas State Rankings. Lauren plays at Round Rock High School and also for Austin Juniors.  We have profiled her a few times over the past few years and every word we have stated is totally true.  She has been super dominant this season for AJV on the pins.  Her length is one aspect that everyone will notice when they watch her play, but her speed is sneaky.  Miss Murphy is so fast in transition that she is always ready to swing even on quick tips that are picked up by her defense.  Her flare out from serve receive to attack is picturesque and should be modeled by all younger players.  The Ohio State commit is worth the price of admission to any match you watch her in. </p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="176664" first="Lola" last="Fernandez"] [2023] 5-7 Libero (HS: RR Westwood/Club: Austin Juniors/ Verbal: Fordham University)</strong></p> <p>Lola is currently ranked as the 51^stbest overall prospect in the state in the 2023 class according to our Prep Dig State Rankings.  She plays at Round Rock Westwood High School and Austin Juniors.  I was able to watch Miss Fernandez a few times this season and it was always a joy to see her dig hard driven balls.  The natural soft touch she has with her platform is phenomenal. What truly stands out when I see her play is how balanced she is while moving to the ball and at contact.  She rarely has her heels on the ground when she is moving which helps her foot speed.  The Fordham commit is going to do very well at the next level in a few years. Stay tuned to see our coverage of her this summer at nationals in Indy. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Other notable players for this legit squad at [player_tooltip player_id="122899" first="Ellie" last="Mattox"], super high flying Kayla Lopez, [player_tooltip player_id="122890" first="Kelly" last="Swyers"], and Trinity Woods. We will be highlighting these young ladies and others from this team in another article soon as they gear up for Nationals.  Stay tuned for more from this wonderful team.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.  If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at nov8vb@yahoo.com.  Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.  Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.  Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Texas Family! Don't be afraid to interact with us. We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.  Keep them coming!</p>