2023 USAV GJNC 18’s Preview: Pacific Northwest

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Pacific Northwest sends a strong contingent of 18's to the USAV GJNC in Columbus, Ohio. It's the last hurrah for many players in attendance, and an excellent chance to compete with your friends on the club one more time. Here is a look at some of the teams and players at Nationals this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NPJ Forefront&nbsp;</strong>– North Pacific Juniors (Oregon/Washington/Idaho) <strong><em>18 OPEN</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong>&nbsp;51-9</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The team features multiple Gatorade Players of the Year from separate states, Power 5 commits from both the 2023 and 2024 class, and won the Open Division championship at PNQ earning a bid in the highest division possible. NPJ Forefront is a team that many think can push for a Gold Bracket finish in Columbus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["97249"],"_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":"[player_tooltip player_id='97249' first='Kyleene' last='Filimaua'] was rolling when we watched her play at the Pacific Northwest Qualifier this season. The Florida State commit can hammer the ball and has the overall game you would expect to see from an elite beach player. She is a unique combination of skill and power, as comfortable setting a second ball as she is driving a shot hard angle at the 10 foot line. Filimaua has been a show stopper in the PNW since eighth grade, and no stage has been too big for her to succeed. Florida State is bringing in a special player!","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6449e31c1b68f"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The class of 2024 is well represented on the Forefront squad with setter and University of Washington commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='126024' first='Alexis' last='Haury']</strong>, attacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='244416' first='Lauryn' last='Johnson']</strong> (Arizona State), and right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='143666' first='Bridget' last='Gould'] </strong>(Oregon). When it's a crucial moment for NPJ, expect the team to find Filimaua or Idaho Player of the Year <strong>Alexis Acevedo</strong> (Oregon) for the big swing. Libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='91311' first='Kennedy' last='Cheung']</strong> has been playing confidently all season, she recently committed to the University of Chicago.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UPDATE:</strong> NPJ Forefront finishes 3-0 on day one! Only one of eight teams undefeated on day one in the Open Division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><p><strong>OJVA 18 Gold </strong>– Oregon Juniors Volleyball Academy (Oregon/Washington) <strong><em>18 OPEN</em></strong></p><strong style="font-size: revert;color: initial;font-family: var(--wp--preset--font-family--system-fonts)">Season Record (on AES):</strong><span style="font-size: revert;color: initial;font-family: var(--wp--preset--font-family--system-fonts)"> </span> 55-17</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["97314"],"_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":"Hite is a super defender from the setter position, she reads the game and covers tips and deflections easily. When covering the line she has a good sense of when a ball is in or out and she has strong hands handling a hard shot overhand.  Hite stays dynamic when she sets, and has good location to her middles or when she pushes the ball to the pin. She will surprise teams with her attacks, out of the 5-1 or the 6-2 offense.rnrnu003ca href=u0022https://youtu.be/lr69KgknkYcu0022u003ehttps://youtu.be/lr69KgknkYcu003c/au003ernrnu003cstrongu003e[player_tooltip player_id='201023' first='Lauren' last='Dreves']u003c/strongu003e is an Auburn University commit from the 2024 class out of Columbia River High School. Dreves has a whippy arm that is terminal from her outside hitter spot, and a high volleyball IQ.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6449e31c1b6f6"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>OJVA has a deep roster of attackers:<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='91319' first='Olivia' last='Maulding']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='91330' first='Grace' last='Wollmuth']</strong> hammer the ball from the middle, and <strong>Sophia Gregoire-Salagean</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='91327' first='Kalista' last='Lukovich']</strong> are terminal on the pins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UPDATE:</strong> OJVA 18 Gold finishes day one 2-1. In contention for Gold.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dakine Surf Warriors 18</strong>&nbsp;– Dakine (Washington) <em><strong>18 National</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):&nbsp;</strong>34-13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["246268"],"_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":"Peredo had an amazing high school and club career as an outside hitter, and has committed to play at St. Martin's University in Lacy, WA. The 5'5 dynamo can do it all on the court, and has continued racking up high flying kills for Dakine this club season. One highlight was earning All Team Honors at the Nike President's Day Classic in St. Louis, a big time event and honor for the Washington High School standout.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644c16043bf3b"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dakine 18 features dynamic outside <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='97260' first='Ivy' last='Vindivich']</strong>, recent Boise State commit <strong>Kendall Hastings</strong> in the middle, <strong>Sophia Baugh</strong> keeps the offense moving from the setter spot and <strong>Isabella Iregui</strong> is a defender who keeps points alive from the libero position.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UPDATE:</strong> Dakine finishes 2-1 on Day One- in contention for Gold.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sudden Impact 18 Tsunami&nbsp;</strong>– Sudden Impact (Washington) <em><strong>18 American</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong>&nbsp;33-18 </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["97247"],"_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":"The future Northwest Nazarene Nighthawk has been consistently excellent from her libero position. Her specialty is the diving one handed dig, she can make it look easy- and will frustrate an opposing attacker when she does it multiple times in a match. Spray has a jump float serve that stays flat and dives just as it crosses the net, passers have struggled to keep their teams offense in system when she has been hot from the service line this season.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644d38f35ec1e"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations":"","_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644d38f35ec42"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are some all-time winners on the SIVBC 18 Tsunami roster. <strong>Yasmeen Muhammad </strong>is a force in the middle, <strong>Rebecca DePencier-Piniero</strong>, <strong>Nyah Taylor</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='246269' first='Brooke' last='Huard'] </strong>handle the pins, and setters <strong>Sam Darby</strong> and <strong>Elena Kong</strong> know how to run a successful team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>UPDATE:</strong> Undefeated first day for SIVBC Tsunami- rolling!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->