USAV GJNC Teams to Watch – 15 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 15 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>Tstreet 15 Asics</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tstreet won their bid at the Lone Star Classic National Qualifier who many regard as one of the toughest qualifiers in the nation.  They are led by head coach Bailey Tanner.  This team is littered with stars in every position and they shine very bright when they have to.  It all starts with the main weapon in the middle, [player_tooltip player_id='492164' first='Megan' last='Hodges'].  Although she is one year younger than all of her teammates, she has shown that playing up an age group is child's play to her.  She might be the best player in her grad class, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it next year.  She moves like a seasoned veteran and has all of the tools necessary to help lead her team to the podium this summer.  She has some solid help in her teammates.  Pin [player_tooltip player_id='492745' first='Katherine' last='Jackson'] is able to play on either side of the court and score for this awesome squad.  She is solid all the way around and can put a lot of force on the ball with her quick swing.  [player_tooltip player_id='486781' first='Katherine' last='Nowak'] is also a great contributor to this team's high-octane offense.  Both setters for this squad can feed the middles with precision and speed.  Ally Fausett and [player_tooltip player_id='468094' first='Royal' last='Banducci'] can thread the needle for sure.  I like how they truly understand how important it is to run the middle early and often in order to stay super aggressive against open level teams.  In my opinion, it is the major difference from good teams to great teams.  The middles on this squad can run every route with confidence knowing that the ball will be exactly where it needs to be for them to try to score.  [player_tooltip player_id='545302' first='Sarah' last='MacDonald'] is a libero who helps their offense stay in system.  Her serve receive and free ball passing are a few reasons why they are very hard to play against.  The team who is the most aggressive consistently is usually the team who will win the match and that is usually Tstreet.  They are definitely one team that will be seeded very high and a favorite to have a shot at the title. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Peak VA 15 Black Bryar</u></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Peak won their bid at the Far Western National Qualifier.&nbsp; They are led by head coach Bryar Nevills.&nbsp; In one of the toughest regions in the country, this upstart squad has proven that they belong in the conversation of teams to watch this season.&nbsp; We have seen middle [player_tooltip player_id='433677' first='Keegan' last='Flowers'] quite a bit and we are super impressed with her abilities.&nbsp; She has a very high motor that revs up when the going gets tough.&nbsp; She is not afraid of anything and welcomes all opponents as they enter her domain.&nbsp; When middles can run every route with precision and speed at this age group, it tells a lot about their potential.&nbsp; Miss Flowers looks like a senior playing against freshmen at times.&nbsp; We are very excited about her play and think everyone should be keeping an eye on her for the foreseeable future.&nbsp; They will be running her a lot and although the opposing coach will know it, they probably will not have an answer for her offensive arsenal.&nbsp; I love when this squad brings right side [player_tooltip player_id='506412' first='Toree' last='Rayford'] around for a second tempo set out of the middle.&nbsp; She runs the route with perfection and puts so much force into her swing.&nbsp; Setter Malory Hockaday is masterful at running these play-sets and fooling the defense with who she will give the ball to.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='433667' first='Savannah' last='Sterna'] is a six rotation outside who has ball control for days.&nbsp; Her serve receive is a major contributor to their stellar offense.&nbsp; Outside [player_tooltip player_id='549612' first='Brooklyn' last='Peoples'] has enormous power in her upper body and unleashes it on anyone who gets in her way.&nbsp; I really am impressed with [player_tooltip player_id='433667' first='Savannah' last='Sterna'] as she also doubles as a libero also when her team needs it.&nbsp; Libero Kyler Shirley also is stellar in the back row and keeps her team in every rally when she is on the court.&nbsp; My advice to anyone who matches up with this squad is to not overlook them because you have not heard of their name.&nbsp; They will be known from now on with what they have proven on the court against top tier teams.&nbsp; We will be watching them closely.&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 -->