Round 2 Pools Set in 16 Open at GJNC

Reset, rerack, and do it again. The opening round of 16 Open GJNC pool play wrapped up Saturday, and we know which teams are still in the hunt for a USAV Nationals championship. This re-seed presents some new matchups to look forward to, and that’s what we’ll discuss here. Let’s give you an overview of the Sunday slate in 16 Open while also looking back at how these squads got here.   Pool 1 TAV 16 Black, AJV 16 Adidas, COAST 16-1 Will COAST 16-1 spoil the Texas tango? In all seriousness, this will be a fascinating group to watch. TAV’s frontcourt came out firing for GJNC and swiped the top spot in the stacked Pool 1. Meanwhile, AJV 16 Adidas was one of three teams to finish at 3-2 in Pool 3 and will hope to represent the Lone Star Region well against its neighbors from TAV. Don’t count out COAST. This California crew plays with some nice pace and battled in one of the toughest opening pools in this tournament. The opening match with TAV will draw plenty of early eyes Sunday morning. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Speaking of <a href="https://x.com/PrepDigTX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepDigTX</a>, <a href="https://x.com/TAVVolleyball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TAVVolleyball</a> 16 Black keeps rolling with a three-set win over Houston Skyline! <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/GJNC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GJNC</a> <a href="https://t.co/UNnvyBkibz">pic.x.com/UNnvyBkibz</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1543248153876611072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   Pool 2 A5 Mizuno 16-Gabe, Madfrog 16’s N Green, Capitanas 16-1 This pool has a little of everything. A5 Mizuno 16-Gabe backed up its second-overall seed throughout the opening round. We knew this team had enviable frontcourt talent, but the first and second contacts for this squad have been lights out, too. More on that in our post-event standout features. Some trademark Texas size and power are evident with Madfrog 16’s N Green. The team’s high-flying pin hitters led 16’s N Green to a third-place finish in Pool 4, and that physicality will present an extraordinary matchup when Madfrog meets A5. Then, there’s Capitanas 16-1. If you haven’t seen this squad from Puerto Rico, stop by Pool 2 for a while. This roster doesn’t have nearly the size of A5 or Madfrog, but the volleyball fundamentals of Capitanas are phenomenal. Puerto Rico has its 16 Open representative in the second round, and it’s no fluke. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Another match, another win for <a href="https://x.com/a5volleyball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@a5volleyball</a> 16-Gabe. Make it 4-0 in opening pools! <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/GJNC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GJNC</a> <a href="https://t.co/adwjaSZW6a">pic.x.com/adwjaSZW6a</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1543229520517505025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   Pool 3 WAVE 16-Brennan, OT 16 O Roberto, Club V 16 Ren Wayne It has been fascinating to watch the path that these teams took to get here. [caption id="attachment_206346" align="alignright" width="386"]<img class="wp-image-206346" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/07/IMG_9425-crop-4117x2703-1656802393-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="386" height="253" /> WAVE 16-Brennan competes at GJNC.[/caption] WAVE 16-Brennan held its ground as a top seed and took the Pool 3 title with a 4-1 record. We hyped up this team in our previews as one of the tournament favorites, and nothing has changed as we turned toward the next round. I don’t know if there’s another 16 Open team that has had as many nerve-wracking matches as OT 16 O Roberto this year. The Florida fans are built for this. OTVA scored a colossal win at the buzzer against previously unbeaten TAV on Saturday to steal a spot in Gold pools. I don’t pick favorites here, but I was thrilled to see this breakthrough from 16 O Roberto. Club V 16 Ren Wayne’s journey to the next round is an improbable one. Pool 5 of Round 1 was an absolute gauntlet that left three different teams with 1-4 records. With four teams advancing from each pool, this record would be just enough for one squad to make it through. That team was Club V, and I wouldn’t count out a breakthrough performance from 16 Ren Wayne in the second round.   Pool 4 NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami, KC Power 16-1, Top Select 16 Elite Blue Major props are in order for NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami, which finished the opening round as one of two 16 Open teams with a 5-0 record. That’s quite a feat for a team not originally slotted as a #1 seed, but we know what this team is capable of when it’s playing its best. KC Power 16-1 and Top Select 16 Elite Blue are two quality squads looking to play spoiler. One of the biggest surprises from Saturday came at the very end when KC Power handed A5 its first loss of the weekend. This huge triumph catapulted the team to stand-alone third place in Pool 2 with a 3-2 record, and that may be a springboard for a special Sunday. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Expect the unexpected!<a href="https://x.com/kcpowervb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kcpowervb</a> 16-1 closes out Saturday’s 16 Open pool matches by handing A5 its first loss of the tournament. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/GJNC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GJNC</a> <a href="https://t.co/dxQT1T414y">pic.x.com/dxQT1T414y</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1543283618713403392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   Pool 5 Metro 16 Travel, Dynasty 16 Black, OT 16 T Jason Take a moment to marvel at this: Pool 5 features three teams that were #1 seeds in their respective first-round pools. I wouldn’t blame you if you keep your eyes glued to this pool throughout the morning. Along with NKYVC, Metro 16 Travel is the other 16 Open team to emerge undefeated after the opening round. This team has unmatched physicality at every position and will always be tough to stop when ball-handling is on point. Of course, there are two worthy challengers looking to spoil Metro’s unblemished run. Perhaps there’s no better challenger than the event’s original #1 seed, Dynasty 16 Black. After a 1-2 start on Friday, 16 Black played with a renewed focus and swept Saturday’s contests to finish second in Pool 1. Perhaps we will see the same kind of rebound from OT 16 T Jason, which enters this hornet’s nest after a fourth-place finish in Pool 4. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Another high-level matchup underway between Metro and COAST. The crowd for this one is HUGE. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/GJNC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GJNC</a> <a href="https://t.co/RBBN6mtJti">pic.x.com/RBBN6mtJti</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1543261924988780544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   Pool 6 Triangle 16 Black, Premier Nebraska 16 Gold, Gainesville Jrs. 16 Black Let’s give a shoutout to the mixing bowl winner: Triangle 16 Black. If you haven’t been following our 16 Open coverage, Pool 6 of first-round play was an absolute thriller. At one point Saturday, every team in this group had a 2-2 overall record. Tiebreakers came down to the narrowest of tiebreaker margins, and top-seeded Triangle got the nod on point percentage. It won’t be an easy road to the top of this pool, either. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold and Gainesville Jrs. 16 Black each carry winning records into the next round and are battle-tested in tight matches. Any scenario here is realistic. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Pool 6’s top seed makes a statement!<a href="https://x.com/IlliniVBall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IlliniVBall</a> commit Ashlyn Philpot puts away match point to give Triangle 16 Black a huge win over Long Beach. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/GJNC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GJNC</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rd9LAKar3p">pic.x.com/Rd9LAKar3p</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1543268526697455618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   Pool 7 Vision 16 Gold, Skyline 16 Royal, Seal Beach 16 Black Pool 1 featured two Texas teams and a California team. Here’s the inverse of that. Vision 16 Gold emerged from the aforementioned blender that was Pool 6 in the opening round. The balance of this squad will be a big talking point when we discuss individual standouts. Seal Beach 16 Black joins the fray from the Golden State after notching a 2-3 record through Saturday. Meanwhile, Skyline 16 Royal seems to be rounding into form at just the right time. As the Texas challenger of Pool 7, 16 Royal presents some frontcourt standouts that can absolutely catch fire and carve a path to bracket play. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://x.com/Skylinejrs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Skylinejrs</a> 16 Royal picks up a big win on Court 21. Part of another 16 Open group that has been unpredictable this weekend. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/GJNC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GJNC</a> <a href="https://t.co/NiWVSiO22L">pic.x.com/NiWVSiO22L</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1543258348719669249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   Pool 8 1st Alliance 16 Gold, MKE Sting 16 Gold, Colorado Juniors 16-Sherri Good luck making a pick for our final Gold pool in 16 Open. 1st Alliance 16 Gold held its ground against every team that wasn’t undefeated Metro to earn a top seed in second-round pools. Consistent ball control is still a theme with this squad, and 16 Gold can stay in championship contention if that theme persists. Few Saturday finales were tenser than the one facing MKE Sting 16 Gold in its contest with SG Elite. Sting scored a narrow three-set win to assure a spot in the next round, and a little of that clutch magic could appear again in Round 2. Of course, Colorado Juniors 16-Sherri will offer some stiff resistance after battling to a 3-2 mark in Pool 1. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Another absolute thriller in 16 Open. Colorado Juniors takes a 17-15 win in the third over OTVA. Intense Saturday morning here at <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/GJNC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GJNC</a>! <a href="https://t.co/MvauLSEwiC">pic.x.com/MvauLSEwiC</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1543240202222714880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>