USAV GJNC Teams to Watch – 15 National Vol 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>USA Jr Nationals, which will be held in Las Vegas in 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 from the 15 National division 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!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>SCVC 15 Roxy</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>15 Roxy won their bid at the Southern California Regional Tourney.&nbsp; They are led by head coach Krista Atzinger.&nbsp; I was able to watch this team early in the season at the Triple Crown NIT and later in the season at the Salt Lake City Showdown National Qualifier.&nbsp; They showcased well in both of these tournaments.&nbsp; After some extensive research on all of their players, we added a few of them into our State Ranking List.&nbsp; The star of the show in my personal opinion is stud setter and ultimate captain [player_tooltip player_id='545233' first='Lerin' last='Rosenthal'].&nbsp; She has such a great feel for leadership and it shows in every aspect of her game.&nbsp; I love how she leads both vocally and by example on the court.&nbsp; When you watch her play, you see someone who is not afraid to go into battle with anyone and has ultimate confidence.&nbsp; This young lady has the skills to back up that leadership attitude also.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='545290' first='Allyn' last='Hilt'] is a prototypical left side who can do it all on the court.&nbsp; She plays the position with ultimate ball control in the front row and the back row.&nbsp; Due to her six rotation play, she will be a hot commodity in the near future to all college coaches.&nbsp; Her counterpart on the left side is high-flying [player_tooltip player_id='545277' first='Anaiya' last='Thornton'], who can unleash some bombs on opposing defenses.&nbsp; In terms of potential, hers is through the roof.&nbsp; I strongly suggest everyone keeps their eye on her as she has terminator OH1 potential.&nbsp; Middle [player_tooltip player_id='536929' first='Abbie' last='Hairrell'] is a premier blocker and runs solid routes with precision footwork.&nbsp; I like everything about her game and think coaches should put her on their short list for sure.&nbsp; Opposite [player_tooltip player_id='492714' first='Sydney' last='Neely'] is someone who showed very well on the right side both offensively and as a blocker also.&nbsp; She is currently on our official Watch List but could easily make the switch to the Rankings in the next update.&nbsp; Her game is top tier and we will be watching it closely.&nbsp; Stay tuned for this talented squad who will make a serious run at nationals.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>San Antonio Elite 15 Navy</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>SA Elite 15 Navy won their bid at the Lone Star Regional Tourney.  They are led by head coach Doug Johnson.  I like how libero [player_tooltip player_id='443030' first='Leena' last='Gonzales'] patrols the back row.  Many times, she will save the day by coming all the way from the left back zone to chase down an errant pass or deflection and keep it in play.  She plays fast and furious just like every coach would want their libero to play.  Setter Aviana Contreras does not let the rally die and is as scrappy as they come.  She is not afraid to feed the middle during out of system plays and this is why this team stays aggressive.  One of the stars of the show is outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='693887' first='Mia' last='Nunez'].  I love how confident she is all over the court.  She plays all six rotations extremely well and has the ball control in every aspect of the game.  Although she is slightly undersized in the position, you wouldn't know it because she swings hard with confidence and has great timing.  When she takes a solid rip at the ball, defenders better be in a good position to play it.  Many will not take her serious because of her height, but they will be sorry in a hurry when they see how dangerous she is as an attacker.  I like how active [player_tooltip player_id='521672' first='Chloe' last='Hawkins'] is while moving laterally along the net to block and attack.  She has a high motor that should be accounted for by the opposing defense.  Left side Leilani Lusia can reach well over the net and puts up a solid block.  She has what it takes to be a game changer at the net at times for this squad.  This is one of those scrappy teams that some might overlook, but will put you in an absolute dog fight if you get matched up with them.  I am eager to watch them against the best in the nation in Las Vegas.  Stay tuned for more on their journey. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite teams and athletes that will be attending nationals.&nbsp; If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at <a href="mailto:Michael@prepdig.com">Michael@prepdig.com</a>.&nbsp; Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.&nbsp; Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.&nbsp; Thanks for following Prep Dig Family!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->