USAV GJNC Teams to Watch – 16 Open 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.&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 Open 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>Vision 16 Gold</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vision won their bid at the Pacific Northwest Qualifier.  They are led by head coach Ron Whitmill. The outside hitting duo of [player_tooltip player_id='508795' first='Makenna' last='Crosson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='478925' first='Leyna' last='Nguyen'] is electric.  Both are very different scorers, but can absolutely throttle the ball and fill up the stat book in a hurry.  Makenna is a prototypical sized left side who has serious power in her swing.  Lenya is a smaller in height, but very lethal jumper who can score on anyone.  Middle [player_tooltip player_id='519216' first='Harper' last='Eaton'] is a big target for setters to feed.  She does a solid job of patrolling the net and making it hard on opponents to score.  Libero [player_tooltip player_id='527935' first='Noe' last='Vanacht'] has impeccable ball control.  Her skills are highlighted by some very fast and balanced footwork all over the court.  I love how she holds her platform after contact with a great angle toward the setter.  Outside [player_tooltip player_id='391121' first='Natalie' last='Monroe'] is another taller pin with a very lethal arm who can score for this talented squad.  Setter [player_tooltip player_id='542475' first='Jenelle' last='Legates'] truly does a magnificent job of keeping the offense flowing with electricity by moving the ball around to everyone.  I love how she plays front row with confidence and the offense does not lose anything.  Opposite [player_tooltip player_id='391090' first='Eliot' last='Diehl Palmer'] is a tall and powerful right side who adds so much to this team's success whether it be on the blocking end or the scoring end.  They all really play well together and do not get rattled very much when the game gets a little tight.  They have been one of the best teams in the Northern California region for a while now.  They will be ready to showcase their talents in Las Vegas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>[program_tooltip program_id='431166' first='Houston' last='Juniors'] 16 Elite</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>HJV won their bid at the Northern Lights National Qualifier.&nbsp; They are led by the awesome coaching duo of Tara Cross-Battle and John Turner.&nbsp; &nbsp;This squad has some serious ballers all across its roster.&nbsp; Setter [player_tooltip player_id='268779' first='Zora' last='Bello'] can fly around the court and flat out dish the rock!&nbsp; She is very athletic and is pinpoint accurate with every location.&nbsp; All college coaches are flocking to see the right side phenom, [player_tooltip player_id='269826' first='Sarah' last='Hickman'].&nbsp; Her stock continues to rise and we have heard some great things from college coaches about her abilities.&nbsp; Her ability to press over the net and take away space from would-be attackers is second to none.&nbsp; Offensively, she is a beast who can score at a very high clip on the right side of the court.&nbsp; Libero [player_tooltip player_id='269795' first='Gemma' last='Hopkins'] is a beast who is playing up an age group from her graduation year and proving that she belongs.&nbsp; Her posture is extremely well-positioned and this is due to some great coaching.&nbsp; She really keeps her body low to the ground and disciplined when the ball brings her moving backward in order to pass.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='220966' first='Kiran' last='Rio'] is electric on the court.&nbsp; I love the energy that she brings to the position and they trust her swing very much. This team is never truly out of system as Kiran is able to swing well out of the back row for scoring opportunities. &nbsp;Middle [player_tooltip player_id='226814' first='Jasmyn' last='Walker'] can fly.&nbsp; Although she is slightly undersized in the position, do not sleep on her as she will play very high above the net and make you pay with her swiftness.&nbsp; She is very fast off of the ground and has total control over her movements.&nbsp; Left side [player_tooltip player_id='269777' first='Amaya' last='Love'] is a lengthy pin who can throttle the ball.&nbsp; Middles [player_tooltip player_id='326514' first='Emma' last='Elsasser'] and [player_tooltip player_id='254092' first='Callie' last='Funk'] are two formidable assets who help the defense stay aggressive.&nbsp; They both move well laterally and offer the offense some much needed balance as they drive hard toward the setter for quicks.&nbsp; This team can get going and be a tough out for anyone who matches up with them.&nbsp; Stay tuned for some fireworks in Vegas.&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 -->