More Local Success at AAUs

Some more local teams achieved success at the AAUs in Florida. We wrote about Metro North 15 from the second wave last week. Below are two additional teams who showed signs of excellence in the third wave. The fourth wave begins today.    Richmond Volleyball Club   Richmond Volleyball Club 17 National became the first local team in any Division to reach the Championship Bracket. After three days of battle they made it. Unfortunately, on the fourth day they lost in the first round to Team Kiwi Graphite 25-21, 25-23. Regardless, an excellent performance when you consider how the team got the first day started.   They began the opening day by losing a three set match to Fieldhouse Ikaika, losing the third set 15-6. That could have sent many teams back. Not so for Richmond Volleyball Club. Fortunately, they won their next seven matches, six by sweeps. RVC would not encounter their next loss until the third day to Altitude 25-16, 25-19. That sent them into a challenge match with the Puerto Rican team Adidas Kiva to determine who would go into the Championship Bracket and who would drop to the Consolation Bracket.   RVC pulled it out 25-21, 25-16. That celebration had to be sweet.   Waking up for the fourth day and taking a first round loss to Kiwi had to be tough to swallow. However, Richmond Volleyball Club finished in ninth place, ahead of 135 other teams who would have loved to have stepped in their shoes.   The offense was led by left side Morgan Crawford, who belongs to the class of 2023. She will be playing for Loyola Maryland next year. Her club days are over, but she finished her last tournament with a bang. All year she impressed with her offensive ability, finishing number 12 in our rankings for the class of 2023. Liberty commit [player_tooltip player_id='223897' first='Amelia' last='Tomlinson'], ranked as our number five libero in the class of 2024. She still has another year of club left. Amelia shined on defense and excelled at the passing game. The Richmond offense would be stagnant without her steady play.   Other players who excelled on offense were Ireland Wolfe and Kyla Johnson. On the blocking front middle [player_tooltip player_id='464566' first='Taylor' last='Meredith'] and 6'2" right side Cambell Woods neutralized opponents left sides with an impenetrable wall. Finally, setter [player_tooltip player_id='297528' first='Anne' last='Fielding Croft'], did an excellent job distributing the ball to keep all the hitters active. Anne belongs to the class of 2025.   Richmond Volleyball Club prefers to play in AAUs. They are the second ranked 17U club in the Old Dominion Region according to Advanced Event Systems (AES). Beach Elite Black, who will be playing in USAV is ranked number one. After sweeping in day one, Beach Elite lost two of three on day two and dropped down to the second division. They finished with the same 8-3 match record but finished in 63rd place. It goes to show you that when you take your losses in tournament ball is critical.   For Richmond Volleyball Club,17 this was their first appearance in the championship bracket in AAUs under coach Chris Wakefield. It was quite the ending to a successful season, 9th place in 17 Premier out of 151 teams. Next up comes the high school season.    Columbia Academy Red (pictured above)   Columbia also played in 17 Premier. They finished the first two days of pool play 5-1. It was not easy. The first day saw them go 3-0 with all three matches going three sets. Three of their wins, including a 15-13 third set match were won by two points. Two of their losses were also by two points. Every match on that first day was a battle.   The second day started out with a 29-27, 25-23 defeat to Mobile Storm. That may have set a lot of teams back. Not Columbia. They bounced back to win their next two matches, including another three set match. That put them at 5-1 after two days an still eligible for the Championship Bracket.   Unfortunately, they stumbled on day three losing two of their three matches they played. Again, the matches were tough. A 25-22, 27-25 loss to Criollas was followed by a three set win over Apex, including a 17-15 win in the last match. They lost the critical third match to drop them down to the Ruby Bracket. The Ruby Bracket falls just below the Consolation Bracket.   Once in the Ruby Bracket the team swept through all four of their matches. Despite the sweeps many of the sets were close, with two sets won by just two points. A real character building tournament for Columbia.   For any club to be successful they have to have a good setter and libero combination. For Columbia the team relied on the consistent passing of Navy commit [player_tooltip player_id='235747' first='Natalia' last='PeBenito'] and the magic hands of setter [player_tooltip player_id='235746' first='MacKenzie' last='Calhoun'] to earn their place on the stage.

Some more local teams achieved success at the AAUs in Florida. We wrote about Metro North 15 from the second wave last week. Below are two additional teams who showed signs of excellence in the third wave. The fourth wave begins today.

Amelia Tomlinson

DS/L

HEIGHT 5'8"

POS DS/L

CLASS 2024

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Amelia Tomlinson

State: Virginia

School: Western Albemarle

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Richmond Volleyball Club

Richmond Volleyball Club 17 National became the first local team in any Division to reach the Championship Bracket. After three days of battle they made it. Unfortunately, on the fourth day they lost in the first round to Team Kiwi Graphite 25-21, 25-23. Regardless, an excellent performance when you consider how the team got the first day started.

They began the opening day by losing a three set match to Fieldhouse Ikaika, losing the third set 15-6. That could have sent many teams back. Not so for Richmond Volleyball Club. Fortunately, they won their next seven matches, six by sweeps. RVC would not encounter their next loss until the third day to Altitude 25-16, 25-19. That sent them into a challenge match with the Puerto Rican team Adidas Kiva to determine who would go into the Championship Bracket and who would drop to the Consolation Bracket.

RVC pulled it out 25-21, 25-16. That celebration had to be sweet.

Waking up for the fourth day and taking a first round loss to Kiwi had to be tough to swallow. However, Richmond Volleyball Club finished in ninth place, ahead of 135 other teams who would have loved to have stepped in their shoes.

The offense was led by left side Morgan Crawford, who belongs to the class of 2023. She will be playing for Loyola Maryland next year. Her club days are over, but she finished her last tournament with a bang. All year she impressed with her offensive ability, finishing number 12 in our rankings for the class of 2023. Liberty commit Amelia Tomlinson Amelia Tomlinson 5'8" | DS/L Western Albemarle | 2024 State VA , ranked as our number five libero in the class of 2024. She still has another year of club left. Amelia shined on defense and excelled at the passing game. The Richmond offense would be stagnant without her steady play.

Other players who excelled on offense were Ireland Wolfe and Kyla Johnson. On the blocking front middle Taylor Meredith Taylor Meredith MB St. Catherine's | 2024 State VA and 6'2" right side Cambell Woods neutralized opponents left sides with an impenetrable wall. Finally, setter Anne Fielding Croft Anne Fielding Croft 5'9" | S St. Catherine's | 2025 State VA , did an excellent job distributing the ball to keep all the hitters active. Anne belongs to the class of 2025.

Richmond Volleyball Club prefers to play in AAUs. They are the second ranked 17U club in the Old Dominion Region according to Advanced Event Systems (AES). Beach Elite Black, who will be playing in USAV is ranked number one. After sweeping in day one, Beach Elite lost two of three on day two and dropped down to the second division. They finished with the same 8-3 match record but finished in 63rd place. It goes to show you that when you take your losses in tournament ball is critical.

For Richmond Volleyball Club,17 this was their first appearance in the championship bracket in AAUs under coach Chris Wakefield. It was quite the ending to a successful season, 9th place in 17 Premier out of 151 teams. Next up comes the high school season.

Natalia PeBenito

HEIGHT 5'7"

POS DS/L

CLASS 2024

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Natalia PeBenito

State: Maryland

School: Our Lady of Good Counsel

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Highlights

Columbia Academy Red (pictured above)

Columbia also played in 17 Premier. They finished the first two days of pool play 5-1. It was not easy. The first day saw them go 3-0 with all three matches going three sets. Three of their wins, including a 15-13 third set match were won by two points. Two of their losses were also by two points. Every match on that first day was a battle.

The second day started out with a 29-27, 25-23 defeat to Mobile Storm. That may have set a lot of teams back. Not Columbia. They bounced back to win their next two matches, including another three set match. That put them at 5-1 after two days an still eligible for the Championship Bracket.

Unfortunately, they stumbled on day three losing two of their three matches they played. Again, the matches were tough. A 25-22, 27-25 loss to Criollas was followed by a three set win over Apex, including a 17-15 win in the last match. They lost the critical third match to drop them down to the Ruby Bracket. The Ruby Bracket falls just below the Consolation Bracket.

Once in the Ruby Bracket the team swept through all four of their matches. Despite the sweeps many of the sets were close, with two sets won by just two points. A real character building tournament for Columbia.

For any club to be successful they have to have a good setter and libero combination. For Columbia the team relied on the consistent passing of Navy commit Natalia PeBenito Natalia PeBenito 5'7" | DS/L Good Counsel | 2024 State VA and the magic hands of setter MacKenzie Calhoun MacKenzie Calhoun 5'10" | S River Hill | 2024 State VA to earn their place on the stage.