USAV Nationals Recap

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nationals has been over for about a week, so lets recap all the age groups and their incredible finishes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Medal Winners (Top 3 finishes in their division)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">15s Age Group </h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>AZ Sky 15 Gold (2nd in 15 American):</strong> Sky finished the tournament 11-1, with their only loss coming in the championship match. They weren't really pushed too hard until the quarterfinals of the gold bracket where they had their first test as they went to 3 sets. They ended up going back to back matches in 3 sets as it was some intense battles with Sanford Fargo 15-UA and SC Elite 15 Blue-Jake respectively. In the finals they ended up playing Sunshine 15 Pacific in a battle of 11-0 as both teams hadn't lost but Sunshine got the better of Sky. Throughout the weekend these girls battled and had a lot of standouts. Making the all tourney team for their performance throughout the week were [player_tooltip player_id='883019' first='Izabella' last='Bombinski'], [player_tooltip player_id='888740' first='Isabella' last='Palladino'], and [player_tooltip player_id='888742' first='Marilyn' last='Shepston'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Omni 15N1 (2nd in 15 USA):</strong> Omni finished the tournament 9-2, rolling through the group play in 1st place as they headed into day 3. They weren't challenged again until the final 4 as they rolled through their next few opponents. In the semi finals they had a battle with OT 15 T Jenn that went the distance but they came out on top to earn a place in the finals against LV 15 Avoli from Texas. Although they lose in the finals they really showed how good they were throughout the tournament. We wrote about multiple players being standouts each day, as they got contributions from a number of players throughout the week! At the end 3 players really stood out for the tournament and ended up earning all tournament honors. [player_tooltip player_id='888746' first='Joelle' last='Wasson'], [player_tooltip player_id='787775' first='Kendall' last='Klingenberg'], and [player_tooltip player_id='885082' first='K'Lei' last='Noah'] all got all tourney award based on their play from the week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">16s Division</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>AZ Sky 16 Gold (3rd in American)</strong>: This is another squad that challenged themselves all year long playing in Open during the travel season. This team showed so much heart along their journey to the podium, and success sure did not come easy. Each and every day was a fight for this team. They experienced lots of close sets, even on the first day, but managed to pull ahead. Their cross over match on day 3 had everyone on the edge of their seat as they lost the first set in a tight 23-25 battle, however, they played with grit, came out on top, and position themselves for some hardware for the last day. Making it past the first round, as well as the quarter finals of a very competitive American Gold bracket, they wound up falling short to the very talented Absolute Black 16 squad in the semi finals. Making the all tournament team was talented pins [player_tooltip player_id='826238' first='Gabriella' last='Nucci'] and [player_tooltip player_id='730983' first='Peyton' last='Pearson']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Club Cactus 16 Mizuno (3rd in 16 Freedom): </strong>This squad had a memorable tournament and fought their way to the end. They has played at the Open level all season long during the travel tournaments, and that challenge of playing high level volleyball paid off at nationals, earning them a well-earned podium finish in this division. They came in ranked #1 and held on to that spot till the final day where they fell short in the semi-finals. With an impressive 9-1 record they, they handled their competition, not dropping a set until the first round of gold on the final day. Although a total battle in that first round they came out victorious after losing the first set. In the next round, they fought till the very end of that match against UVA 16 Matt with an impressive set scores of 27-25 and 25-20. This entire team has such a deep roster with so much talent from the Tucson area, but the two that made the all tournament team were [player_tooltip player_id='779409' first='Paige' last='Clarke'] and [player_tooltip player_id='833602' first='Kallie' last='George'], who continue to represent Arizona and Club Cactus so well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">17s Divison</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Zona 17 Black (3rd in 17 American)</strong>: Zona made Arizona really proud with the way they competed at USAV nationals. Going 8-3 overall, they still managed to find a way to the Gold bracket, even starting the tournament with a to Omni 17 National (NC). This team really showed fight and what it means to get back up and move on to the next battle. That's exactly what they did after day 1, going 3-0 on day 2, taking every single game to 3 sets. They managed to position themselves to finish at the top on day 3, even starting off the day with a loss, they continued on to win their cross pool and head to the gold bracket. The gold bracket was also familiar, taking each game to 3 where they ultimately fell short to Premier 17 Black G in three crazy sets. All in all, this team had 9 of their matches go to 3 sets. If that doesn't show heart, I'm not sure what else does. Congratulations to [player_tooltip player_id='877240' first='Aubrey' last='Necas'] and [player_tooltip player_id='888728' first='Reagan' last='Burgle'] on making the all tournament team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Club One 17 Gold (2nd in 17 Freedom): </strong>This team made club history and AZ history by being the only 2s team to make it to the podium! We were so excited to witness their journey at nationals. Going 9-2 overall, success wasn't exactly a straight shot for this group, but they defied the odds, coming in ranked 11th and finishing 2nd. They got better and better each day they competed at Nationals, and proved why they earned a bid to begin with. A stand out match for this squad was upsetting the #1 seed in the quarter finals in 2 straight smooth sets. That gave them so much momentum to continue to ride that success train to the final game, where they barely fell short to Adversity G17 Prpl Adidas. Three incredibly deserving players from this team made the all tournament team: [player_tooltip player_id='1002663' first='Johanna' last='Helie'], [player_tooltip player_id='1004165' first='Georgia' last='Dana'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1003527' first='Angelina' last='Favela'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>AZ Sky 17 Gold (3rd in 17 Open): </strong>With the only team taking home any hardware in Open, we are proud of this group not only for their successful finish, but showing us what it looks like to not give up throughout a season. At the AZNQ they earned their national bid, but their goal was that Open bid from the beginning. That's exactly what they got in Reno, and a big piece of the journey that led them here. Coming into all of this ranked 11th, they experienced a tough loss day 1 in 3 sets, but dusted themselves off for day 2 finishing 3-0. Day 3 was a treat for us locals as we got to see them battle it out in the cross pool against their state rival Storm 17 Thunder in a crazy 3 set thriller. The first round of the Gold bracket they came out victorious, but round 2 semi-finals got the best of them where they lost to the overall National Champions, Tav 17 Black Jon. Big shout out to the all tournament team selects [player_tooltip player_id='881802' first='Aubrey' last='Burns'] and [player_tooltip player_id='808453' first='Berkley' last='France']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was an incredible week watching Arizona compete on one of the biggest stages in club volleyball. Every athlete who stepped on the court represented the state with pride, toughness, and heart. Congratulations to all of the teams and players who made Nationals such a memorable event. Big shout out to those who finished on the podium! We can't wait to see how these performances carry into the high school season. If you're looking to get on our radar, be sure to attend one of our Prep Dig Arizona showcases this August before school season begins. We can't wait to see you! Use code&nbsp;<strong>MarissaMorah10</strong>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<strong>AnthonyJones10</strong>&nbsp;for a discount.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepdig.com/all-events/">All Events</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote -->