Standouts from Queens of the Court – Varsity Division

The annual Queens of the Court tournament, held at Momentus Volleyball Club in Irvine, gave 42 teams one last tune-up before the 2024 high school girls volleyball season. The field eventually got cut down to 22 teams when day two came around and at that point it was survive and advance.   When it was all said and done, Corona Centennial won the tournament, but making the semifinals in a tournament like this is not easy, especially in a smoldering hot gymnasium. Here are players from teams that made the semifinals that stood out.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/Mckenna-and-Cydney-of-Centennial-rotated-crop-2420x1589-1723096704.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-588499" /></figure>   Corona Centennial: [player_tooltip player_id='482033' first='Mckenna' last='Giles'], Jr, L; Cydney Bryant, Jr, MB   Centennial's defense was in good hands with Bryant handling blocking duty while Giles was a digging dynamo. Giles also passed well in big matches and even had a back set in the semifinals against Torrance, which led to a kill by Jordyn Wilson. Something else that was noticeable from Bryant is that she has a strong jump serve, which cause opponents problems on serve-receive.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/TeranRodriguez1/status/1820242328621318402 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/Ava-and-Saniyah-of-Redlands-rotated-crop-2420x1589-1723097632.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-588501" /></figure>   Redlands: Ava Reyes, Jr, L; [player_tooltip player_id='179339' first='Saniyah' last='Sobers'], Sr, OH   The Terriers always seem to have success in Queens of the Court, having finished in the top three the past four tournaments. This year's tournament was no different, thanks to Reyes and Sobers. Reyes was flying all over the court while Sobers was a force on the pin. Overall, the two brought a good style of defense, which transitioned into offense for Redlands.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/TeranRodriguez1/status/1821437832118079943 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/Kalyssa-and-Kiana-of-Torrance-rotated-crop-2420x1589-1723100330.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-588503" /></figure>   Torrance: [player_tooltip player_id='366672' first='Kalyssa' last='Blackshear'], Sr, MB; [player_tooltip player_id='400631' first='Kiana' last='Greer'], Sr, OH   No surprise to see Blackshear and Greer standing out for Torrance at Queens of the Court tournament. Blackshear, who's committed to Louisville, was a force at the net, but also showed off a little of her backrow skills when she served. Greer on the other hand proved why she's won multiple awards such as CIF Player of the Year back when she was a freshman and Co-Pioneer League MVP her sophomore and junior year. Greer's jump serve is something that sticks out when you see her play and her swings at the net are just as powerful.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/TeranRodriguez1/status/1820209243565535247 </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/Olivia-and-Reagan-of-Sunny-Hills-rotated-crop-2420x1589-1723106672.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-588512" /></figure>   Sunny Hills: Olivia Urias So, OH; [player_tooltip player_id='524282' first='Reagan' last='Williams'], Fr, MB   Some might not know of the success that Sunny Hills had last year, but winning 29 matches, making it to the CIF State playoffs and finishing in the top 100 in the state on MaxPreps is definitely putting the Southern Section on notice. Urias as a freshman last year did her part to take pressure off the other pin hitters, as she impressed at Queens of the Court with her precise swings. Williams on the other hand was a pleasant surprise to see standout for the Lancers, as she's learning really quick. Williams has big shoes to fill for the Lancers, who practically lost all their middle blockers from last year to graduation.   Other Notables:   A unique round of sixteen match   One round of sixteen match from day two of the tournament that was unique was Corona Del Mar vs. Chaparral. One of the reasons why it was unique is because it was a rematch of last year's varsity division final. Both teams obviously have different looks to their team as the Pumas looked more experienced, but the Sea Kings showed flashes of potential.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/Chaparral-crop-3226x2118-1723104573.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-588508" /></figure>   Chaparral came away with the win over Corona Del Mar, as head coach Gretchen Johnson said that [player_tooltip player_id='545333' first='Ella' last='Johnson'], [player_tooltip player_id='509234' first='Sofia' last=''] Ajmal, Aubrey Bomstad, Dominique McKay and Devin Hicks (pictured from left to right) stood out in the match. McKay and Ajmal led Chaparral with eight kills each according to coach Johnson while Hicks and Bomstad both ran the offense effectively at setter. [player_tooltip player_id='545333' first='Ella' last='Johnson'] also shined for the Pumas, as she'll be a sophomore this fall. The Pumas are always a solid team perennially and will look to take a giant leap forward.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/[player_tooltip player_id='509234' first='Sofia' last='']-and-Casi-of-CDM-crop-3226x2118-1723105312.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-588510" /></figure>   Casi Doll emerges on the scene for Corona Del Mar   The Sea Kings got hit hard in terms of graduation, having only returned four players from last year's team. In addition, they will also have a new head coach in Aubrey Caires. But one thing that is certain is that [player_tooltip player_id='509234' first='Sofia' last=''] Dajnowiec (pictured left), the team's only returning starter from last year, is bound to have another big year. Aiding her and providing depth on the pins will be Casi Doll (pictured right), a transfer from Tarbut V'Torah. Doll made her presence known for Corona Del Mar in its match against Chaparral, taking pressure off Dajnowiec when it came to swinging at the ball. Once Doll fully develops her "sea legs," she and Dajnowiec will form a formidable duo for the Sea Kings.

The annual Queens of the Court tournament, held at Momentus Volleyball Club in Irvine, gave 42 teams one last tune-up before the 2024 high school girls volleyball season. The field eventually got cut down to 22 teams when day two came around and at that point it was survive and advance.