2023 GJNC Texas Preview: 16 American

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season finale of the 2023 club volleyball season is just around the corner as the very best teams in the country are all ready to make the trip to Chicago to compete in the 2023 USAV Girls Junior National Championship, from June 28-July 6.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state of Texas will be very well-represented in the tournament, with as many as 148 teams from the Lone Star State headed to Illinois to battle in the 15s, 16s and 17s divisions of the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We'll use the weeks leading up to the Girls Junior National Championship to highlight each of these teams and preview the 21 divisions that will have Texas clubs as contenders for the title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>16 American</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Division Size: 64</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Teams from Texas: 8</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Team Previews</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>915 16 Gilbert</em></strong> - 915 United Volleyball Club (El Paso)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 30-15</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Lauren Bates (outside hitter), Jena Annabi (libero) and Alyssa Padilla (middle)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Co6fWg4uF8B/","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/Co6fWg4uF8B/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Alamo 16 Elite</em></strong> – [program_tooltip program_id='431050' first='Alamo' last='Volleyball Association'] (San Antonio)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 49-18</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='438589' first='Zariah' last='McFadden'] (outside hitter), Madellyn Fiedler (setter) and [player_tooltip player_id='401357' first='Allison' last='Thompson'] (middle)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CskH0B7RQ4X/","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/CskH0B7RQ4X/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Areté 16 Navy Telos </em></strong>– Areté Athletics (McKinney)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 32-25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='178262' first='Mackenzi' last='Davis'] (outside hitter), [player_tooltip player_id='354190' first='Arianna' last='Reyna'] (setter) and Isabella Wood (right side)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr9lV-jPKUh/","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/Cr9lV-jPKUh/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>FW Fire 161 Purple </em></strong>– [program_tooltip program_id='431151' first='Fort' last='Worth Fire Volleyball'] Club (Fort Worth)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 10-13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Lauren Adams (outside hitter), Karley Tucker (right side) and Mills Morris (libero)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CrrP0kGLdBr/","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/CrrP0kGLdBr/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Katy United 16 Adidas - </em></strong>Katy United Volleyball (Katy)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 50-18</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Kate Cardona (outside hitter), Ava Williams (setter) and Haley Fojtik (middle)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CqUFmBZL9N3/","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/CqUFmBZL9N3/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>SA Magic 16 Elite</em> </strong>– SA Magic (San Antonio)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 33-26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Giselle Orellana (outside hitter), [player_tooltip player_id='187266' first='Aubrey' last='Lyssy'] (setter/right side) and [player_tooltip player_id='186490' first='Giada' last='Obregon'] (libero)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CqRGhrzyofq/","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/CqRGhrzyofq/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>TAV West 16 Royal </em></strong>– [program_tooltip program_id='431308' first='Texas' last='Advantage'] (Aledo)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 26-9</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='254147' first='Ella' last='Meador'] (libero), Kamryn Glover (outside hitter) and [player_tooltip player_id='438214' first='Allyson' last='McCabe'] (setter)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr9F4lDOpp6/","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/Cr9F4lDOpp6/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Valley Venom – 161 Red</em></strong> - Valley Venom Volleyball (Edinburg)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 19-8</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Kassandra De La Garza (setter/right side), Katelyn Vaden (libero) and Karely Cantu (libero)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->