18s GJNC Preview: HJV 18 Premier

<p>The most important tournament of the year for the class of 2021 players is just in front of us as the 2021 USAV Girls 18s Junior National Championship is set to happen from April 23-25 in Columbus, Ohio, and as many as 280 teams from the entire country are expected to compete in the five divisions.</p> <p>Texas will, of course, be represented in the event and we will take the time between now and the start of the tournament in Ohio to present the team what will carry the Lone Star State flag in Ohio, analyzing their campaigns in the club season so far and highlighting their most important players.</p> <p>The Lone Star State has five teams entered in the 18 USA Division and <strong>HJV 18 Premier</strong> is one of them. Here’s what you need to know about them:</p> <p><em>HJV 18 Premier will be representing the Houston Juniors Volleyball Club, which is based at the FAST Complex just outside downtown Houston. The team is coached by Stephen Gbur and has registered 17 wins and 14 losses so far in the season. They were second at the Adidas Lone Star Classic and third at the Tour of Texas.</em></p> <p>Here are their key players:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87417" first="Brooke" last="Hirsch"] – Libero/Defensive Specialist – HS: Cinco Ranch - 2021</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="87417" first="Brooke" last="Hirsch"] is arguably one of the best liberos in the entire state and she ranks 57^th on our 2021 Prep Dig State Rankings. Some of the things that make her game so special are her ability to read the game and anticipate moves, her outstanding positioning and her superior ball control. She’s always willing to do whatever it takes to keep the ball off the floor and is a relentless defensive player besides taking up a lot of the court when serve-receiving. The 5’7” Hirsch has committed to play at the University of Texas at San Antonio at the collegiate level.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12317986/6060d45a06614f0a74ebf2b1" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87441" first="Alexia" last="Jones"] – Outside Hitter – HS: Dawson – 2021</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="87441" first="Alexia" last="Jones"]’ incredible athleticism has made of her HVJ 18 Premier’s go-to scoring option. The 5’10” outside hitter has a heavy and quick arm that provides her with a lot of alternatives but what takes her game to another level is her jumping ability. Jones can jump really high and also manages to control her body really well while in the air, giving her all the time she needs to decide what to do. She can unleash with power but will also fool defenders with a soft shot every once in a while. After ranking 55^th on our 2021 Prep Dig State Rankings, she will continue in the Houston area during her collegiate career as she committed with Houston Baptist.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12209936/605fc5bcd21ace0ef88fd101" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87452" first="Courtney" last="Aulbaugh"] – Libero/Defensive Specialist – HS: Cy-Fair - 2021</strong></p> <p>Defense is one of the strongest traits of this HJV 18 Premier team and the partnership between Hirsch and [player_tooltip player_id="87452" first="Courtney" last="Aulbaugh"] has a lot to do with that. The 5’5” Aulbaugh is a real digging machine and she makes what should be complicated actions look simple with her great positioning and ball control. Ranked 75^th on our 2021 Prep Dig State Rankings, she’s also a very good passer and has a certain confidence about her game that helps when hard-hit shots are sent her way. Her partnership with Hirsch will continue at the collegiate level as she also committed to the University of Texas at San Antonio.</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/10187163/6061501b8cde4d0e0cdc5e7c" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>