AAU Nationals Update: Ohio Teams Earn Titles

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Premier 18 Onitsuka Earns Gold Medal</em></strong><br>With an 11-1 overall record, this team earned the crown in the 18 Premier division to outlast a field of 27 teams full of prospects wrapping up their prep careers. Some terrific Ohio athletes were part of this team including 6'2 outside hitter <strong>Kamryn Hunt</strong>. She is headed to Ohio University and takes with her a dynamic offensive skill set as she can elevate and score from anywhere on the floor. <strong>Sydney Hires</strong>, a Montana State commit, is 6'0 tall and can develop good power and movement. <strong>Elin</strong> <strong>Schott</strong> also contributed well throughout the season on the left side with potential for big power with each opportunity. On the right side, point scoring came from 2024 lefty <strong>Jaelyn Hall</strong>, a 6'1 and 10' touch athlete. She has a high ceiling with good potential to continue increasing her stock for a next-level opportunity. Middle <strong>Nadia Miller</strong>, another 2024 prospect, was one of their best net defenders as she can close down hitters and time her hand position well to apply a lot of pressure. Libero <strong>Sophia Twigg</strong> provided stable ball control while using her 5'9 length to create range and court coverage defensively. She will take her skills to Akron next fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Mintonette Earns Multiple Medals in the Early Waves</em></strong><br>As expected, Mintonette's top 15U team was a contender for the 15 Open title entering the event. With an overall record of 11-0, they defeated Skyline 2-1 in the championship match to claim the gold medal. This is a great tuneup for this team as they get set to take on an even deeper and more competitive field at the upcoming USAV GJNC event in Chicago next week. If you have the opportunity to watch them play on the season's biggest stage, dial in on setter [player_tooltip player_id='227802' first='Mallory' last='Matheny'] as she is the quarterback of this potent offense. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='227636' first='Emma' last='Cugino'] is key to getting things going for their offense with her passing and defense that leads to a full array of relentless pressure from arms such [player_tooltip player_id='227803' first='Layla' last='Hoying'], [player_tooltip player_id='192132' first='Sara' last='Snowbarger'], [player_tooltip player_id='227629' first='Alia' last='Schoonover'], and [player_tooltip player_id='227832' first='Lyla' last='Stewart'], among others. Their size, defensive pressure, offensive tempo and variation, as well as a consistently low-error effort is a huge test for any opponent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mintonette m.52 earned a third place finish in the 15 Premier division with an 11-1 record, their only loss coming in the semifinal round to eventual champion 305 VBC 15 Alan. Some of their key athletes include defensive specialists <strong>Ashley Moreland</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='250381' first='Sophia' last='Segelhorst']</strong>, both of whom can develop range in their defensive pursuit while also providing steady passing. Setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='151979' first='Natalie' last='Harrington']</strong> has good mechanics and uses her pins well, including the high flying athletic arm of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='227855' first='Makiaya' last='Turner']</strong>. Looking for these prospects to be among our upcoming 2026 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->