Greater Cincy Area Teams Medal at SummerFest

<p>Several club teams from the greater Cincinatti area did extremely well in the highly anticipated and competitive JVA SummerFest event in Columbus this past weekend, including multiple podium finishes for both NKYVC and TSE. Here are some of the top finishes among 17U and 16U teams.</p> <p><strong>17U</strong></p> <p><em>NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami</em> (pictured) had a big weekend including claming consecutive 2-0 wins on Sunday over teams that have qualified at the open-level for the upcoming GJNC in Top Select and Mintonette. They finished third overall and got key performances in different areas of the game to make this a complete effort. Outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id="141697" first="Ava" last="Siefke"] led them point scoring and provided stability at the service line and in service reception as she saw the most opportunities there. She was balanced well by left side [player_tooltip player_id="106678" first="Sydney" last="Nolan"] and her high contact point and the improved range and power from [player_tooltip player_id="157453" first="Peyton" last="Mast"] on the right side. [player_tooltip player_id="157454" first="Kayla" last="Hostetler"] played great defense and passed extremely well to complement her steady service pressure all weekend. Setter [player_tooltip player_id="68147" first="Maya" last="Hunt"] utilized the quality defense and ball control to develop a balanced offense while middle [player_tooltip player_id="141698" first="Courtney" last="Stava"] also had a solid weekend as she has increased her productivity and contributions both offensively and defensively. This was their best tournament performance all season that also includes multiple top 10 finishes at qualifying events.</p> <p><em>TSE 17 Blue</em> finished 5th overall and were led by setter [player_tooltip player_id="141710" first="Luca" last="Fickell"] and her floor leadership and defense at the net. [player_tooltip player_id="114519" first="Ally" last="Cordes"] provided big offense at the pin with her power and range as middles [player_tooltip player_id="141709" first="Ivey" last="Stocks"] and [player_tooltip player_id="114559" first="Katie" last="Wilking"] made impact contributions on both sides of the ball. <em>Elevation 17 Goller</em> also finished 5th overall behind the middle presence of [player_tooltip player_id="114516" first="Brooke" last="Bultema"] and [player_tooltip player_id="141721" first="Campbell" last="Robinson"] and the offensive distribution from setters [player_tooltip player_id="141725" first="Lindsey" last="Green"] and [player_tooltip player_id="141722" first="Audrey" last="Armbruster"]. <em>OPVC 17-1 Day</em> won the 17 Premier division, which included contributions from ranked prospects [player_tooltip player_id="153888" first="Ashley" last="Walker"] and [player_tooltip player_id="114589" first="Ava" last="Mirande"]. </p> <p><strong>16U</strong></p> <p><em>NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami</em>, the nation’s current #4 ranked team, claimed a runner-up finish in the 16 Open division as they had a highly competitive and spirited weekend. Libero [player_tooltip player_id="107422" first="Elizabeth" last="Tabeling"] was dynamite once again as she helped keep many attackers at bay with her ability to read and defend. [player_tooltip player_id="114565" first="Sydney" last="Barrett"] and [player_tooltip player_id="107423" first="Alivia" last="Skidmore"] took a lot of swings from the pins and scored several points from both sides with their combination of pace, power, and high contact. Middles [player_tooltip player_id="107399" first="Julia" last="Hunt"] and [player_tooltip player_id="107434" first="Lilly" last="Hamburg"] are a complementary duo that scored their share of points as well. However, it was their defense at the net that made some of the biggest impact plays as they denied several hitters with their blocking. [player_tooltip player_id="139272" first="Abby" last="Yoder"] ran a great offense all weekend from the setting role and the ball control and defense of [player_tooltip player_id="139275" first="Kaleigh" last="Frietch"] and Liliy Gillespie had big moments as well. Look for this group to earn a high seed at the upcoming GJNC event in Indy.</p> <p><em>TSE 16 Blue</em> finished 3rd overall in 16 Open and got a great effort from setter [player_tooltip player_id="114574" first="Maria" last="Drapp"] as she provided great distribution and balance for her team. [player_tooltip player_id="114600" first="Faith" last="Young"] made a big impact in the middle with her arm and defense while their dynamic pin duo in high flyers [player_tooltip player_id="114568" first="Addy" last="Brus"] and [player_tooltip player_id="114599" first="Reese" last="Wuebker"] often terminated with authority. <em>Elevation 16 Butcher</em> earned 5th after their third loss of the season to NKYVC in the quarterfinals. Middle [player_tooltip player_id="114584" first="Elise" last="Marchal"] was terrific for this team all weekend as she showed her physicality and versatility each match including consistently terminating the ball with this team’s heaviest arm both from the middle and at the pins. Pin [player_tooltip player_id="139277" first="Payton" last="Evans"] played her role well throughout the weekend and provided a spark for her team both offensively and defensively to help them find some success. Other top 16U finishes include <em>TSE 16 White</em> claiming the gold medal in 16 Premier as <em>NKYVC 16-2 Tide</em> finished 4th just behind them.</p>