JVA West Coast Cup Day 2
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Long Beach, CA – The holiday weekend continued to heat up on day two as teams continued to battle in pool play for a shot at the championship on Monday. There was excellent volleyball all around the venue and some…
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Continue ReadingLong Beach, CA – The holiday weekend continued to heat up on day two as teams continued to battle in pool play for a shot at the championship on Monday. There was excellent volleyball all around the venue and some big upsets happened.
In the 18s division, Pulse 18 Henry opposite, Alexis Dennick, was tough to stop offensively and kept their team in the hunt for the podium. At 6’4”, she also puts up a big block that frustrates opponents. A captain for her team, she provides good leadership for her team. Dennick is committed to Westmont College and NAIA in Santa Barbara. Another standout for Pulse was outside hitter, Mia Rogers. She gets a lot of sets when she’s on the court and can really hammer the ball. Pulse went undefeated in pool play on days one and two of the tournament to advance to the gold bracket.
In the 17 open division, Sunshine 17 LA advanced to the gold bracket with relative ease. They went both days of pool play winning all of their matches in straight sets. Opposite, Olivia Babcock Olivia Babcock 6'3" | OH Sierra Canyon | 2023 State #13 Nation CA , continues to be superb for Sunshine as she has been solid all season. A go-to attacker who can terminate on the pin, she has a great arm swing and was recently invited to train with the USAV U19 team this summer. Babcock is committed to Pitt.
In the 17 club division, 6’2” outside hitter, Alexandra Luzina from Golden West Volleyball Club, has good length and was very consistent all around, and can attack from anywhere on the floor. She does a lot for her team as she passes and defends well but also provides a lot of offense. She isn’t afraid to hit hard when she has the opportunity but will also tool the block to get kills.
In the 16 open division, SG Elite 16 Roshambo setter Taylor Yu Taylor Yu 6'0" | S Temple City | 2024 State #15 Nation CA stood out. A 6’ setter who not only has good size but can set from anywhere on the floor. She’s good with reverse flow and pushing the ball out from very far away. She will be one to watch and there will be several programs with their eye on her no doubt. Libero/defensive specialist, Lauren Lynch, has also been strong passing and defending for SG Elite.
Also in the 16 open division, Mizuno LB 16 Rockstar’s big 6’3” outside hitter, Babi Gubbins Babi Gubbins 6'3" | OH Mater Dei | 2024 State #18 Nation CA , and setter, Charlie Fuerbringer Charlie Fuerbringer 5'11" | S Mira Costa | 2024 State #2 Nation CA , were solid all-around for their team. Fuerbringer distributed the sets to her attackers well and with ease with terrific accuracy, while Gubbins is an offensive force at the net. Fuerbringer is smooth, reads the game exceptionally well, and makes great decisions. She has also recently been named to the USAV Girls U19 training team.
In the 15 open division, there was a huge upset when Seal Beach 15 Black defeated the #1 ranked team in the nation AZ Storm in straight sets (25-22, 25-23) in pool play. Seal Beach was able to stay composed and consistent the entire match. This was only the third match that AZ Storm has dropped all season and only the second in a national tournament. Seal Beach’s outsides Ronni Lyons and Chloe Olson provided a lot of offense for their team, finding ways to score points from the pin. Lyons also puts up a nice block, while Olson is quick and contributes solid ball control in the back row.