USAV GJNC Teams to Watch – 16 American Vol 2

<!-- 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.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; We will be highlighting teams and individual players from the 16 American division that we think you should be watching during the tourney in this series of articles.&nbsp; Let's take a look at a few names to know!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Roots 16-1 Green</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Roots won their bid at the Lone Star Regional tourney.&nbsp; They are led by head coach April Fricke.&nbsp; These young ladies have done really well throughout the entire season in every tourney they have been in.&nbsp; They have competed in a higher division all year long and proved they belong in the conversation.&nbsp; Now that they are in the American division at Nationals, they will be a front-runner to have a shot at a medal.&nbsp; Libero [player_tooltip player_id='340898' first='Ashley' last='Go'] sure does live by her last name as she is fast all over the court.&nbsp; Her drive to the ball is relentless and she can cover a lot of ground despite her smaller frame.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='254269' first='Madison' last='Bingham'] is one of the setters who loves to feed the middle early and often if her team passes well. &nbsp;I also love that despite her height, Roots likes to leave her in the front row to hit on the pins and she is totally up for the challenge.&nbsp; She proves that heart and athleticism go a long way in this sport. &nbsp;Stud freshman [player_tooltip player_id='536881' first='Aniyah' last='Baker'] steals the show in the middle as she plays up with older teammates.&nbsp; I love how she patrols the net on the defensive end and battles against every attacker.&nbsp; She gets her long arms well over the net as she presses over while blocking.&nbsp; Nila Beachamp also knows what it takes to lead an offense as she is another setter who keeps the offense aggressive.&nbsp; Outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='245380' first='Kaitlyn' last='Hutchins'] is a big part of this team's offense on the pins and hits a very heavy ball to many areas of the court.&nbsp; Middle [player_tooltip player_id='452776' first='Kate' last='Leakey'] is another solid contributor to this squad.&nbsp; Hard hitting left side Heidi Bergfeld should be tracked by every coach they go up against because she reaches very high and can score in bunches.&nbsp; They have a lot of playmakers and a coach who knows the game very well.&nbsp; She has tons of experience to lead them to the promised land.&nbsp; Stay tuned for more on this wonderful squad.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Pipeline 16 Adidas</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pipeline won their bid at the Southern California Regional tourney.&nbsp; They are led by head coach Joe Schnake.&nbsp; Setter [player_tooltip player_id='482031' first='Londyn' last='Neal'] is a warrior on the court running a 5-1 offense.&nbsp; She ahs great court awareness, solid fast footwork and also a great touch on the ball to deliver it exactly where she wants to.&nbsp; I love how she dumps to score when the opposing team least expects it.&nbsp; She knows what it takes to win and will always give her best to her team to try.&nbsp; Libero [player_tooltip player_id='482033' first='Mckenna' last='Giles'] is amazing at laying out for the ball when she needs to.&nbsp; Her relentless pursuit of the ball is one big reason why this team will be in every rally.&nbsp; You can tell that her team believes in her defensive ability.&nbsp; Middle Cydney Bryant plays very high above the net and has tremendous natural raw power behind every attempt.&nbsp; She is a huge wall that teams have trouble getting over.&nbsp; This squad knows just how strong she is and they feed her at every opportunity.&nbsp; Super athletic left side [player_tooltip player_id='499748' first='Jordyn' last='Brown'] swings for the fences on the pins.&nbsp; She can fly and has great hang time in her approach.&nbsp; I like how aggressive she is on the offensive end for this team.&nbsp; Middle Amillion Hamilton also provides a lot for this team at the net.&nbsp; She can also get her hands well above the net to slow the opposition down.&nbsp; Outside hitter Jingruonan Yang loves to tool the block out of bounds and is a master of it.&nbsp; She is a viable scorer for this squad and should not be looked over.&nbsp; All in all, this team is scrappy and could be a match up nightmare if a team doesn't overlook them.&nbsp; We will keep our eye on them in Las Vegas and you should also.&nbsp;</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 -->