2023 GJNC Texas Preview: 18 National

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The club volleyball season is coming to an end for the players competing in the 18s age group and the final stop in this stage of their careers will take place at the 2022 USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championship, which will be held in Columbus, Ohio, from April 28-30.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Texas will have a huge representation in Ohio, with as many as 44 teams entered to compete across six different divisions and many of them will be real contenders at the National Championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the pinnacle of the season approaches for the 18s, we're previewing each of the divisions in which the teams from the Lone Star State will compete and in this article we'll analyze 18 Freedom, where five squads from the Lone Star State that will fight for the title:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>18 National</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Division Size: 45</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Teams from Texas: 5</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Team Previews</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>NRG VBC 18 AMPD Navy</em> – </strong>NRG Volleyball (Mansfield)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 16-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CpIzw-UuEC6/","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"instagram","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/CpIzw-UuEC6/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Jaden Polovina (setter), Rachael Spicer (middle) and Miriam Williams (outside hitter)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>SA Juniors 18 Adidas</em> – </strong>[program_tooltip program_id='431254' first='San' last='Antonio Juniors'] (San Antonio)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 27-17</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CqBlZRwuo1e/","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"instagram","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/CqBlZRwuo1e/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='188261' first='Kendra' last='Grimm'] (setter), India Gantt (middle) and [player_tooltip player_id='195824' first='Kitana' last='Tuufuli'] (outside hitter)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>TAV Houston 18 Adidas</em> </strong>– TAV Houston (Houston)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 37-10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp-2oWXOzRY/","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"instagram","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp-2oWXOzRY/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='301845' first='Olivia' last='Waggoner'] (outside hitter), Ava Martindale (libero) and Sydney Louis (setter)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>TIV 18 Black</em> </strong>– [program_tooltip program_id='431321' first='Texas' last='Image'] (Grand Prairie)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 13-17</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CqA07grM4dK/","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"instagram","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/CqA07grM4dK/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Bailee Hewitt (outside hitter), Fabiola Betancourt (right side) and Mia Sanchez (middle)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Tx Performance 18-1 </em></strong>– Texas Performance (El Paso)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 25-5</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CoYFzQMJ6C3/","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"instagram","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/CoYFzQMJ6C3/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Isabella Castro (libero), Alexis Massey (setter) and Ella Sanders (outside hitter)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->