2023 GJNC Texas Preview: 17 Freedom

<!-- 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>17 Freedom</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Division Size: 47</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Teams from Texas: 6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Team Previews</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Areté 17 Navy Ethos </em></strong>– Areté Athletics (McKinney)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 36-12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Laila Wheaton (middle), Kali Vanderhoof (libero) and Maci Densmore (outside hitter)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr9c6Tlvo45/","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/Cr9c6Tlvo45/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>ETA1 17 Black </em></strong>– East Texas Alliance 1 (Tyler)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 35-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Kiya Casey (outside hitter), Laruren Pyle (setter) and Kassidy Paul (middle)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=662801229190917u0026amp;set=pb.100063831361544.-2207520000.u0026amp;type=3","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"embed-handler","responsive":true,"previewable":false} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=662801229190917&amp;set=pb.100063831361544.-2207520000.&amp;type=3 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>HJV 17 Premier</em> </strong>– [program_tooltip program_id='431166' first='Houston' last='Juniors'] Volleyball (Houston)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 44-29</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='222795' first='Semaj' last='Cox'] (libero), [player_tooltip player_id='177531' first='Kinslee' last='Smith'] (setter) and [player_tooltip player_id='179873' first='Carrington' last='Cook'] (outside hitter)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr9ftMXs0bL/","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/Cr9ftMXs0bL/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[program_tooltip program_id='431337' first='Texas' last='Tornados'] 17 Adidas </em></strong>– [program_tooltip program_id='431337' first='Texas' last='Tornados'] Volleyball (Houston)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 35-23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Kennedy Jones (outside hitter), [player_tooltip player_id='269822' first='Madison' last='Presley'] (middle) and [player_tooltip player_id='239063' first='Taylor' last='Williams'] (outside hitter)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr9YKUZpiLF/","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/Cr9YKUZpiLF/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>TX432 17 Smack</em></strong> – Texas 432 (Midland)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 17-8</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Eliana Mata (setter), Aizlyn Dewberry (outside hitter) and Sarah Philley (middle)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CqjdTTyu-ZR/","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/CqjdTTyu-ZR/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Wolf Pack 17 Black</em> </strong>– Wolf Pack Volleyball Club (El Paso)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Season Record (on AES):</strong> 32-17</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch: </strong>Ariel Barrera (middle), Danielle Gutierrez (libero) and Valeria Portillo (setter)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CoK-7zkuMKe/","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/CoK-7zkuMKe/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->