Kentucky 15U AAU National Results: KIVA 15 Black wins crown

A number of teams featuring Kentucky players descended upon the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando for the Amateur Athletic Union 15U National Tournaments from June 17 through 20.   The Adidas Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Association 15 Black team (pictured above) captured the 15 Aspire Division crown going 12-2. The team went 8-2 in pool play before turning it up and winning all four gold matches to bring home the crown.   The team features three players that made impacts on the varsity teams in the fall. They are defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='484546' first='Sofia' last='Aspillaga'] from Cornerstone Christian, setter/opposite hitter [player_tooltip player_id='459361' first='Mallory' last='Fint'] from Western Hills and outside/opposite hitter [player_tooltip player_id='484434' first='Bryce' last='Berry'] from Eminence.   The KIVA 15 Silver team placed fifth in the 15 Spirit Division going 11-1. The Union 15 Silver team tied for 19th at 8-4 overall and the Club Apex Teal team finished 7-4 overall.   A number of Pioneer Region teams had winning records. In the 15 Open Division, the Tri-State Elite 15 Blue team finished fifth at 8-3 overall and Adidas KIVA 15 Red finished ninth at 7-3.   Two others posted winning records. MidAmerica Volleyball Academy Adidas 15 Select finished 43rd at 7-5 overall and the Union 15 UA Black team finished 51st out of 61 teams with a 6-4 mark.   Two Pioneer Region teams had winning records in the 15 Premier Division. The Adidas KIVA 15 White team tied for 23rd at 7-5 overall with Tri-State Elite 15 White placing 57th out of 96 teams at 7-6.   These players among other are worth keeping an aye on.    Fint saw some varsity action for the Wolverines as an eighth grader then really turned into a versatile player as a freshman this past fall. She'll contribute in every category if she keeps working at it. Fint has nice touch on her sets guiding balls to hitters. She does a good job getting her arms and hands under balls. Fint puts good power into balls offensively and forms a good double block at the net. She can also throw teams off with nice, low line drive serves to the back row. Fint had 297 assists, 131 digs, 103 kills, 59 aces and 15 assisted blocks for the Wolverines last fall.     Berry dressed for varsity as an eighth grader then turned into one of the better defensive specialists in the 8th Region last fall. She dives on her knees to make sound passes to the front row. Berry can dig up just about anything near her. She focused on becoming a better all-around six-rotation player during the club season. Berry makes a quick transition from the pass to the spiker positions and puts balls down a number of ways. She's tough from the strong left side, especially to the side and back lines. Berry is finding ways around taller blockers. She's developed a strong jump serve. Berry had 454 digs and 47 aces helping Eminence to a 16-14 record last year and spot in the 8th Region Tournament.     Brooks saw limited action as an eighth grader, but blossomed into a solid option for the Eagles. Brooks leaps up and smacks balls to different parts of the court from the strong left side. Brooks can hit balls off blocks and take things off hits to throw off defenders. That includes a tip to the middle of the floor. Brooks has shown promise to be effective with quickies in the middle. She can form a nice double block with her timing at the net. Brooks had 117 kills helping North Bullitt to a 23rd District championship and spot in the 6th Region Tournament.     Anthony hit the ground running giving the tradition-rich Mustangs a nice offensive weapon. Anthony is an athletic lefty that can put balls down hard from the pins and middle. She can tap the ball from the left pin to the shallow right side. Anthony is not afraid to switch things up and tip balls from her right hand. Anthony had 191 kills to help the Mustangs to a 25-10 record and spot in the 8th Region semifinals.     Gossett burst onto the scene quickly becoming Lafayette's top offensive weapon as a freshman. She does an excellent job making adjustments while in the air. She can smack in from her strong side to different spots on the court and off blockers. Gossett can also send soft touches to different parts of the court. Gossett had 242 kills to help the Generals to a respectable 20-15 record last year.

A number of teams featuring Kentucky players descended upon the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando for the Amateur Athletic Union 15U National Tournaments from June 17 through 20.