Elevation 18 Toth Earns GJNC 18 National Bronze Medal

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With a 6-3 overall record, [program_tooltip program_id='431827' first='Elevation' last=''] 18 Toth concluded their club season with a third place finish and bronze medal at the USAV GJNC in Salt Lake City. Following a 3-2 finish out of pool play, they won two crossover matches to land in the final eight that made up the gold bracket. The quarterfinals ended in a 2-0 win over Triangle before a tough 2-1 loss was the outcome in the semifinals to an OP2 team from Oklahoma the was the event's runner-up. Arizona Sky was the gold medal winning team in this 18 National division with a perfect 9-0 record. As several outgoing seniors were highlighted in the recent event preview, here are additional athletes that conclude their prep careers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='179022' first='Mariah' last='Gaines']</strong><br>Gaines (*pictured) will head to her college experience remembered as one of the best point scorers in the greater Cincy area over the past few years. She was a four-time [program_tooltip program_id='431851' first='MVC' last=''] all conference selection earning 1st team honors from 2022-2024, in addition to 1st team all-Ohio following her final season. Her varsity career ended in the 2024 DIV regional finals as she earned 16 kills to help advance Roger Bacon to the final state weekend in which they were able to prevail to the title without their star. Gaines had a lot of success throughout her career that included 1,179 total kills. She next heads to the University of Toledo.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='151957' first='Malia' last='Brinkman']</strong><br>The 6'1 pin made a good impact at the pins. In her two seasons as part of the Mount Notre Dame varsity team she earned a total of 232 kills. She gets good lift and when at the peak of her jump she uses her touch point well for high contact. Brinkman will take her skills to Division I East Tennessee State University, one of the top teams in the Southern Conference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='572599' first='Jazmine' last='Starks']</strong><br>Starks had her best varsity season for Badin in 2024 as she earned 108 kills to help the Rams to a 20-6 overall record. She earned a total of 177 kills for her career. The 5'11 middle made a more significant contribution on the defensive side, leading them in blocking last fall. Over the past two seasons she had a career average of 2.5 blocks per match with 135 total career blocks. She is committed to Division II Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Payton Miller</strong><br>Miller had a great career for Centerville in the GWOC. Over the three previous seasons as the Elks' libero, she earned over 200 kills each with her best output in 2024. Her senior campaign resulted in her collecting 270 digs as she finished her career with a total of 717 digs and 103 aces. Miller was named 1st team all conference both 2023 and 2024 as she anchored Centerville's defense and passing as they earned three consecutive unbeaten GWOC seasons at 14-0 each.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Contributor Bio</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Mike Bryant is in his 6th cycle as the lead scout for Prep Dig Ohio, helping grow the visibility and support for prospects from all areas of the state. With multiple years leading the Minnesota site prior to arriving in Ohio, he has decades of experience developing and evaluating talent as a recruiting coordinator and coach through high school, elite club, and Division I college levels that include multiple appearances in DI postseason play, medals at the GJNC as well as a 2023 Triple Crown NIT 17U gold title. You can email Mike at ohioprepdig@gmail.com.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->