Lone Star Classic NQ Recap – 16 USA Division

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the hardest National Qualifiers of the year was in full swing in Dallas, TX this weekend.  Being held at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in downtown Dallas, this qualifier brings the best teams from all over the nation under one roof toward the end of the season.  I was able to cover the tourney in person and here is a report of a few teams who earned their bid in the 16 USA division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16 USA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Austin Juniors is one of the oldest volleyball clubs in the state of Texas and they represented themselves very well this past weekend by going undefeated in matches and only dropping two individual sets all weekend long.&nbsp; They were able to earn a bid in the USA division of USAV Junior Nationals that will be held this summer.&nbsp; Setter Addison Betzen was dishing the rock from pin to pin tiring out the opposing defenses.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='534305' first='Amelia' last='Albright'] was also pushing the tempo of the 6-2 offense by running some play sets in which the outside hitters would come around for second tempo sets.&nbsp; It seemed to keep the defense off-balance a ton.&nbsp; She was also a huge reason why the offense was super aggressive as she fired away from the right side.&nbsp; Outside hitters [player_tooltip player_id='402668' first='Hayleigh' last='Hennig'] and [player_tooltip player_id='693892' first='Avery' last='Ralston'] kept firing away from the left pin all tournament long.&nbsp; I thought both were exceptional in keeping their errors to a minimum.&nbsp; I was thoroughly impressed with the play from big middle [player_tooltip player_id='443008' first='Audrey' last='Hedlund'] who was key on both offense and defense for AJV.&nbsp; She provides her setters a solid target by being up and ready for quick attacks.&nbsp; We cannot discuss this team without mentioning the solid play from libero [player_tooltip player_id='449797' first='Laven' last='Blumoff'] who was all over the court covering her hitters and keeping the ball from landing on the floor.&nbsp; This team punched their ticket with great teamwork and chemistry.&nbsp; We will be looking for some great things from them this summer.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top Flight 16 National had to battle their way through three days of non-stop tough matches.&nbsp; They proved that they could handle adversity and bounce back after a loss.&nbsp; In order to earn a bid, sometimes resiliency is one of the best attributes that will be needed on the long journey.&nbsp; Finishing in second place in both day one and day two pools kept them alive and earned them a spot in the Gold bracket.&nbsp; That means they still had a shot to earn a bid despite some hardships that they would face.&nbsp; This team was built for this and already proved they won't go down without a solid fight.&nbsp; Three back to back grueling gold bracket matches went the distance and were all won in three sets by only a few points.&nbsp; Right side Tori Castro battled very tough against opponents' best left side hitters.&nbsp; She kept her hands high and her timing was on point as she slowed down the attack.&nbsp; Big middle Abby Keyes also did a fantastic job at the net as she patrolled from pin to pin.&nbsp; Her blocking and attacking were showcased very well and I will add her to our watch list because of it.&nbsp; Setters Olivia Kiel and Ariana Spencer ran a solid 6-2 offense.&nbsp; They played off of each other well and the offense never lost any momentum when they rotated out.&nbsp; Ultra talented lefty pin Taylor Anderson was a joy to watch as she unleashed her fury on every opponent.&nbsp; This young lady can fly and swing with immense power on both pins.&nbsp; We think this team deserved their bid through all of their hard work and by not giving up when things weren't ideal for them.&nbsp; We will be watching them this summer at nationals.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are very proud of their efforts and are so elated that they accomplished one huge goal of theirs to earn the elusive bid to USA Nationals.&nbsp; There are many more amazing teams and players that will be written about.&nbsp; Stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.&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; You can also DM me on Instagram or X by searching @CoachMikeDZ.&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 reposting on X, Instagram or sharing on Facebook.&nbsp; Thanks for following Prep Dig Family!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->