USAV GJNC Teams to Watch – 17 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 17 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>Surfside 17 Legends Loria</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Surfside won their bid at the Northeast Qualifier.&nbsp; They are led by head coach Loriann Perkins.&nbsp; This squad is no stranger to us at Prep Dig as we have watched them dominate for the past few years.&nbsp; It all starts with the golden arm of their uber talented left side attacker [player_tooltip player_id='188236' first='Kaci' last='Demaria'].&nbsp; The six foot three second ranked baller can flat out score in bunches and is very hard to stop at the net.&nbsp; When you watch her play, you can see why she was selected to represent the USA on the U19 team.&nbsp; However, she is not the only uber-talented player on this roster.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='366672' first='Kalyssa' last='Blackshear'] can dominate out of the middle.&nbsp; She plays very high above the net and should be tracked by opposing coaches to see where she is in each rotation.&nbsp; You do not want to lose her because she will make you pay if you do.&nbsp; Setter [player_tooltip player_id='483976' first='Jane' last='Robinson'] feeds everyone on this hungry roster.&nbsp; I love how she communicates to her hitters and has them set up perfectly to feast.&nbsp; Libero [player_tooltip player_id='366680' first='Olivia' last='Foye'] is phenomenal in the back row.&nbsp; She knows her role and plays it extremely well in all aspects of her position.&nbsp; I love to see a libero charge in and take control of a play that is questionably in between two players.&nbsp; She has the “the ball is mine” mentality that cannot be taught and it is so much fun to watch.&nbsp; Left side [player_tooltip player_id='401372' first='Simone' last='Roslon'] has been really fun to watch this year as she is very athletic and packs a punch.&nbsp; Setter/right side [player_tooltip player_id='292903' first='Emma' last='Rowell'] has been giving this team some solid play as she helps out with the six-two offense.&nbsp; One player who can light it up in a hurry and jumps out of the gym is right side Addyson Benefield.&nbsp; The senior has committed to the University of Washington and she will add so much athleticism to their roster next season.&nbsp; The defense is also helped by ball control experts [player_tooltip player_id='292395' first='Cece' last='Terpening'] and [player_tooltip player_id='400631' first='Kiana' last='Greer'].&nbsp; We think this squad has what it takes to go on a long solid run in Las Vegas.&nbsp; Keep your eye on them as no one should ever count them out.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Alamo 17 Premier</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alamo won their bid at the Lone Star Classic National Qualifier.&nbsp; They are led by head coach Scott Mattera.&nbsp; What can I say about this team that hasn't already been written quite a few times by our publication?&nbsp; They are a bunch of all stars who know what it takes to get on the podium at the highest level possible as they have been crowned Open Division National Champs as fifteen year olds.&nbsp; Every single one of these young ladies can ball and they have been together for a while which adds to their strengths.&nbsp; The chemistry starts with their ball control from libero and setters.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='212735' first='Brooklyn' last='Vigil'] and Allison Butrum are fearless in the back row and have ball control for days.&nbsp; Setters [player_tooltip player_id='212733' first='Kaia' last='Thiele'] and [player_tooltip player_id='212736' first='Emma' last='Gonzalez'] move the ball around well and know their hitters like the back of their hands.&nbsp; Theya re pinpoint accurate and both play super solid defense out of the right back zone.&nbsp; Opposites [player_tooltip player_id='189895' first='Tarah' last='Yunes'] and [player_tooltip player_id='161817' first='Macey' last='Hughes'] are dynamic on the right side of the court.&nbsp; Tarah has been known to play multiple positions along the net and does whatever it takes to win.&nbsp; Macey is a lefty powerhouse who can flat out score.&nbsp; All of the pins on this team could start for any club's top team across the nation.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='182110' first='Megan' last='Fitch'] is one of the best players in the entire nation and she has proven herself to be a tough out for any opponent.&nbsp; She has so many weapons in her arsenal that it is very difficult for any defense to truly shut her down.&nbsp; Fireballer [player_tooltip player_id='184653' first='Amaya' last='Tolentino'] has a cannon and is one of those players who you can count on to score in crucial situations.&nbsp; Aniyah Hall and [player_tooltip player_id='525270' first='Ashtan' last='Dodson'] are electric as attackers.&nbsp; Middle [player_tooltip player_id='212730' first='Ada' last='Awagu'] is long and strong as a blocker and can get up in a hurry.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='180468' first='Elly' last='Stewart'] is super fast at running her routes with precision and is very bouncy.&nbsp; Her ability to get up and swing with a lot of pace cannot be overstated.&nbsp; When this squad is healthy and rolling, they are very hard to stop.&nbsp; We will keep our eye on them as they look to repeat history once again.&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 -->