15U CEVA Bid Tournament

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This past weekend was the USAV National Bid tournament for the CEVA region, so high-level volleyball 12U through 18U took place all over Oregon. The 15U age division was allotted three bids: a National Bid to the 1st place team, an American Bid to the 2nd place team, and a Freedom Bid to the 3rd place team. With eight teams vying for three bids, the competition was tough, but three teams prevailed and will head to the 2023 Girls Junior National Championship in Chicago, IL.   </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The following teams from the CEVA region competed in the 15U Bid Tournament:&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Aspire NW 15-1 Empire</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Athena VB 15-1 Gold</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Athena VB 15-2 Black  </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>COVC 15 Nationals <!-- wp:list --> <ul></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>NPJ Bend 15 National </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>NPJ Salem 15 National </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>OJVA 15-1 Gold </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Spiketown 15-1 National </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And the teams headed to Chicago are:&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NATIONAL BID</strong> – OJVA 15-1 Gold</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The OJVA 15-1 team went 4-0 at the tournament, proving their dominance in the CEVA region. Eight of the athletes on the team are in the top 20 for the class of 2026 in Oregon, so this is an incredibly high-level and competitive group of freshmen. [player_tooltip player_id='268717' first='Kiana' last='Johnson'], [player_tooltip player_id='249600' first='Emmah' last='Sanchez'], and [player_tooltip player_id='268716' first='Sidney' last='Ginter'] anchored the back row. [player_tooltip player_id='267157' first='Lily' last='Mae Buerkle'] executed a 5-1 for some matches, with [player_tooltip player_id='268719' first='Abby' last='Maulding'] stepping in when the team ran a 6-2. [player_tooltip player_id='267158' first='Reese' last='Kincaid'] and [player_tooltip player_id='249592' first='Addie' last='Cameron'] were dominant six-rotation outside hitters. [player_tooltip player_id='268710' first='Jada' last='Johnson'] was high-flying on the right side. [player_tooltip player_id='267165' first='Hayley' last='Schaaf'] and Jacquelyn Goddard were formidable forces in the middle. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>AMERICAN BID</strong> – Athena VB 15-1 Gold</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Athena 15-1 team remained undefeated until losing to the OJVA 15-1 team in the finals, so still a very impressive showing. They put up a serious fight in the championship, battling both sets 23-25. [player_tooltip player_id='249603' first='Grady' last='May Heinle'] took the reins as the starting libero, leading the back row. [player_tooltip player_id='268712' first='Sloan' last='Hefeneider'] and [player_tooltip player_id='268714' first='Madeline' last='Harrington'] ran a 6-2. [player_tooltip player_id='499348' first='Sophia' last='Gourley'] (2027) and [player_tooltip player_id='268754' first='Madison' last='Sherby'] were standouts on the outside. [player_tooltip player_id='268768' first='Olivia' last='Curtis'] was steady on the right side. In the middle, [player_tooltip player_id='268807' first='Olivia' last='Diaz'] and [player_tooltip player_id='268816' first='Lauren' last='Quiorga'] were commanding. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FREEDOM BID</strong> – NPJ Salem 15 National</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The NPJ 15-1 Salem team went 3-3 on the day. In the semi-finals, they were knocked out in a tough 3-set match by OJVA 15-1. However, they bounced back and beat NPJ 15-1 Bend in 3 sets to secure the Freedom Bid. Tiny but mighty [player_tooltip player_id='268725' first='Jaynie' last='Jespersen'] was the cornerstone of the team's back row as their libero. [player_tooltip player_id='257593' first='Kamryn' last='Sande'] also played across the back row for [player_tooltip player_id='268715' first='Briella' last='Mathis']. [player_tooltip player_id='268711' first='Irene' last='Rocha'] and [player_tooltip player_id='268720' first='Kamree' last='Orizotti'] executed a 6-2. On the outside, [player_tooltip player_id='267160' first='Emma' last='Brewer'] (#5 2026 recruit in Oregon) and [player_tooltip player_id='268715' first='Briella' last='Mathis'] were offensive weapons. On the right side, with both setters only playing their back row rotations, [player_tooltip player_id='268764' first='Kate' last='Stewart'] and [player_tooltip player_id='268769' first='Joy' last='Shamrell'] played the right side with confidence. In the middle, [player_tooltip player_id='268723' first='Gabriella' last='Haury'] and [player_tooltip player_id='268761' first='Brooklyn' last='Baca'] were an intimidating front. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->