Club Team Spotlight: Athena 18-1 Gold

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Following its 2021 partnership with League One Volleyball, Athena Volleyball Academy continued to deepen its talent pool and further established its position as one of the top clubs in the Pacific Northwest. The Athena 18-1 Gold team is the top team in the club and is filled with a lot of 2023 talent. They were able to recruit three athletes from Southwest Washington and several of their athletes have already committed to high level volleyball programs, including ones with the US Naval Academy, Seattle University, UT San Antonio, Colorado State University Pueblo, Loyola Marymount University, and the University of Montana Western. The 18-1 Gold team will be coached by head coach Andy Levoe, a former Oregon State and UCLA volunteer assistant coach, and assistant coach Heather Blair.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We will be highlighting some of the Athena 18-1 Gold athletes to watch this season below.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["246303"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eAndrew is a steady player all around. As a six rotation outside hitter, Andrew has a fast swing, a very impressive vertical, and a high volleyball IQ that she uses to score points. She is also quick and solid from the back row, digging hard driven balls with ease and putting up perfect passes to keep her team's offense in play. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["97307"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eRight side and middle hitter Nippert is a dynamic athlete who dominantes at the net. As a 6'1” leftie, Nippert is tough to defend and puts up a solid block. She has a hammer of an arm that she uses to put the ball away consistently, and she can move the ball around the court effortlessly. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["91348"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eAs one of the six rotation outside hitters for Jesuit High School, the 2022 6A state runner-up, O'Loughlin is an all-around powerhouse. This past season, she used her quick arm swing to notch an impressive 373 kills for a strong .284 hitting percentage. O'Loughlin is also an excellent passer on defense and serve receive. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["91343"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003ePatterson is a standout libero for Sunset High School, making her an athlete to look out for this club season. Patterson is quick, moving almost effortlessly on the court to dig balls that are hard to get to, and she is a technically sound passer, too. Patterson's passing is consistent and she nearly always keeps the ball in play.u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["91318"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eSetter and outside hitter Wiepert is a versatile athlete. Wiepert is undoubtedly an excellent setter with solid footwork and consistent placement. Her ability to not only set well but also be successful as an outside hitter, however, is what makes Wiepert really shine. Her fast arm swing and smart placement make Wiepert a tough hitter to defend. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["251782"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Worden, a setter, combines her great hands and steady footwork to put up perfect sets for her attackers. Worden is athletic and quick, allowing her to get to the ball easily, and she does an excellent job of reading the court to know where to set the ball to evade opponents. She will likely be a standout athlete to watch this season.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":6,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63b0fbac56b26"} /-->