USAV GJNC 15 Open Recap – Absolute 15 Black
USA Volleyball held it’s Girls Junior National Championships this past weekend in Indianapolis at the Indiana Convention Center. This is a very prestigious tournament in which teams actually had to earn their bid to play in it. The qualification process…
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Continue ReadingUSA Volleyball held it’s Girls Junior National Championships this past weekend in Indianapolis at the Indiana Convention Center. This is a very prestigious tournament in which teams actually had to earn their bid to play in it. The qualification process is super tough throughout the year and the best of the best rose to the top. Prep Dig was on hand to cover every serve, set, kill, and pass of the ball from start to finish. This next article is going to discuss Absolute 15 Black who had an amazing run at nationals.
The tournament field was super stacked with thirty-six of the best teams in the nation. Seven of those teams were from the great state of California. Absolute 15 Black went into the tournament ranked as the 16th overall seed. In what could have been called the Pool of Death, Absolute went a respectable three wins and two losses to claim the fourth spot in the group that will go on to division one and still have a shot at a medal. Their next pool was super tough and they ended up splitting their matches and getting second. This would give them a shot at a challenge match to get to the gold bracket. They ended up falling to one of the best teams in the nation in Houston Skyline who had won two national qualifiers this year. But this set them up to finish strong and still place high. They then had an amazing three set victory against Game Point from Orlando to reach the finals of the silver bracket. They showed some amazing resilience and strength by winning another three set nail-biter against AZ Sky to win 11th place overall in the 15 Open division.
Although all of the players stood out for a variety of reasons, let’s meet a few of the players that stood out to me while I watched them be crowned the fifth best 15’s team in the nation.
Isabella Ehrlich [2025] 6-2 Outside (HS: Carondelet/Club: Absolute/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Bella is currently listed on our prospect watchlist in the 2025 class according to our Prep Dig California State Rankings. She plays at Carondelet High School and for Absolute Volleyball. Her freshman campaign was very prolific and her club season was more of the same. I watched her “absolutely” dominate from the middle position. There were not very many middles who could slow her down at the net. She was special on the offensive and defensive end. She had many college coaches discussing her name at the tournament when I was around her court. She will be in the discussion for our national rankings for sure due to her skills. Her footwork is something to marvel at as she patrolled the net while blocking, but it was superb in transition also. She drives her feet very aggressively in the ground as she proceeds toward her setter for the quick attack.
Julia Waller [2025] 5-7 Setter (HS: Cardinal Newman/Club: Absolute/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Julia is currently on the watch list in the 2025 class according to our Prep Dig California State Rankings. She plays at Cardinal Newman High School and also club for the Absolute program. Miss Waller is a fantastic setter who thrives in a high paced environment. Although she is a little smaller than most setters who play in the front row, Absolute does not lose anything when they rotate her to the front row. She is incredibly dynamic as she jump sets and tracks down passes/digs from her teammates. The ball comes out of her hands very fast to her middles and not many opponents can stay with their tempo. I love how she is not afraid to battle opposing outsides at the net while blocking. She is a beast on the court and I loved watching her compete at the highest level. Everything about her belongs at this level.
Monika Brinlee [2025] 5-11 Middle (HS: Lowell/Club: Absolute/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Monika is currently on the watch list in the 2025 class according to our Prep Dig California State Rankings. She plays at Lowell High School and also club for the Absolute volleyball program. Miss Brinlee is a high flying and super explosive middle with a lot of hang time and power. While I watched at nationals, almost everything she did on the court was eye opening. There are those middles who are quick off of the ground and then there is Monika who is even faster. She is able to use her lightning quick arm swing to destroy the ball around the block to the corners. She will be a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future in the sport. As a middle, she has a chance to be a great one if she stays focused on getting better each day. If she commits to that…look out volleyball world!
There were some other notable studs for this squad also. Sarah Ng was amazing as both a serve receive passer and a digger. She steadied the ship for her squad and kept them in system. Elena Fisher was super solid on the right side for Absolute. Although she is a little smaller than most right sides, this young lady jumps extremely well and provides a lot of production for her awesome squad.
And 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 Prep Dig Family!