USA Jr Nationals Preview – 360 16 Kaos Black
USA Jr Nationals, which will be held in Chicago at the end of June and early July, is the ultimate test to the end of the season as it will bring together all of the teams who have earned a…
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Continue ReadingUSA Jr Nationals, which will be held in Chicago at the end of June and early July, is the ultimate test to the end of the season as it will bring together all of the teams who have earned a bid to participate. These wonderful teams have proven themselves through a very long and grueling club season and will compete against other top notch teams who have earned the right to play in this prestigious tourney. We will be highlighting teams and individual players that we think you should be watching during the tourney in this series of articles. Let’s take a look at a few names to know!
360 16 Kaos Black will be competing in the USA Division of USA Jr Nationals. They are from the North Texas Region and have been competing well in national qualifiers all season long. They earned their bid at the prestigious Lone Star Classic National Qualifier. I watched this team in action and they play with a ton of fire and energy. Here are just a few of the names to know from their talented squad.
Charlotte Watson [2025] 5-6 Setter (HS: Trinity/Club: 360 Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Charlotte is currently an unranked prospect in the 2025 class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings. She plays volleyball at Euless Trinity High School and also plays club for 360 Volleyball. This very talented lefty setter moves the ball around very well to all of her hitters and that is one big key to their success this season. The opposition never knows where she will deliver it to and therefore they cannot cheat to any one side of the defense. This kind of spread offense is why they are so dangerous. She uses both middles very effectively both in front of her and behind her running the slide. Charlotte uses great vision and court awareness to read the opposing offense and set up in the perfect position to play the ball defensively whether at the net or in the back row. I also love how quiet her arms are during digging. While a lot of setters aren’t proficient at digging and teams will use the strategy to give them the ball so that they are taken out of system, Miss Watson’s team will always have a chance to keep the rally going with aggressive swings thanks to her defense. She is a great leader for this team and gives everything she has to compete.
Alena Lopez [2025] 5-5 Libero (HS: Boswell/Club: 360 Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Alena is currently an unranked prospect in the 2025 class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings. She plays volleyball at Boswell High School and also for the 360 Volleyball club program. Miss Lopez is a solid contributor to this squad’s success due to her ball control. Her platform is extremely quiet and doesn’t move a lot during contact of the ball during both serve receive or digging. This will keep her passes very consistent. I love how she is able to dig balls well outside of her body with ease by creating some fascinating angles with her arms. The rebound angle is perfectly in line with her target each time. Balanced footwork and a tenacity to dive for balls are just a few skills seen from this awesome libero. She definitely keeps her weight on the balls of her feet and this helps to keep her fast around the court and the ball going forward toward the net. I will definitely keep my eye on her as the tourney plays out.
Ava Romine [2025] 5-9 Outside (HS: Krum/Club: 360 Volleyball/Verbal: Uncommitted)
Ava is currently an unranked prospect in the 2025 Class according to our Prep Dig Texas State Rankings. She plays volleyball for Krum High School and also plays club for the 360 Volleyball program. I love how this kiddo never comes off of the court and punishes her body diving all over the court to keep her team in the rally. The all around skills that she possesses definitely add to her team’s success. She has exceptional ball control during serve receive to keep her offense in system. As an attacker, Ava has a variety of shots that she uses to score points. Her off-speed game is legit and she also scores many points tooling the block at will. Her cross-court shot has some heat on it as well so don’t think she is just a finesse player. Every coach loves a player that gives their all to the team while competing at the highest level possible and that is just what you get when you watch Miss Romine ball.
Outside Abby Smith is another one of their very skilled scorers from the left pin. She has a long reach and lightning quick arm when she swings. Both middles Kensington White and Javia Burton Javia Burton 6'0" | MB Euless Trinity | 2025 TX provide solid contribution at the net both defensively and offensively. Libero Olivia Burns is another stud who aids in the ball control of this talented squad. She can be seen saving tons of balls from hitting the floor with her awesome digging. Very little falls near her zone and she can dig the hard driven ball very well. There are many more stars on this team that we will be watching all tourney long. Stay tuned for more on their journey in Chicago.
Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite teams and athletes that will be attending nationals. If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at Michael@prepdig.com. Also don’t forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends. Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Thanks for following Prep Dig Family!