USA Volleyball GJNC Preview – Teams to Watch Vol 5

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most difficult aspects of the club volleyball season is to earn the elusive bid to USA Volleyball's Girls Junior National Championship.&nbsp; This year, the prestigious event will be held at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas, Texas from June 25^th til July 3^rd.&nbsp; Prep Dig will be covering the event from start to finish.&nbsp; This article series will be highlighting those awesome squads who have earned their place for the chance to be crowned a national champion.&nbsp; Let's take a deep look at some of the individual stars for each of these teams.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>360 16 HP Elite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This North Texas squad won a USA division bid at the Far Western National Qualifier in Reno.  Solid presence at the net by middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='768693' first='Kalei' last='Davis'] proved to be a big factor for this squad all year long.  So has the big right arm of left side attacker [player_tooltip player_id='549612' first='Brooklyn' last='Peoples'].  She can really give blockers a hard time with her raw natural power.  If they are not in proper position, she will make them pay by tooling them out of bounds.  Her cross-court attacks are also very deadly and have been scoring points all season long.  Even when she is in the back row as a six-rotation left side, she can swing with power to score.  I also love the connection between setter Zoe Patterson and middle Kaitlyn Polley.  During the moments that they are front row together, they are in system with each other for quick attacks to stay aggressive against the defense.  Speaking of setter Zoe Patterson, she is one of those feisty youngsters who are not afraid to battle at the net despite not being taller.  She sends over dumps and goes up strong against attackers like she is a six-footer.  Every strong squad that will compete for a title needs a hard-nosed leader who isn't afraid of a fight.  Another big weapon for them is athletic middle Zania Haymond who is super fast all over the court.  This kid can bang and is someone who I would want to go into battle with for sure.  Don't sleep on this squad as they can light it up and go on a solid run.  We will be watching and you should also. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NorCal 16-1 Black</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16-1 Black, from the Northern California Region, won a USA division bid at the Windy City National Qualifier in Chicago.  Libero Olivia Gutierrez is amazing in the way she is able to pass/dig balls outside of her midline.  I love how she is able to create some awesome angles and have such a soft natural touch on the ball to keep it on her team's side.  Setter [player_tooltip player_id='730198' first='Aniston' last='Hunt'] is a true competitor and loves to play the game.  That is the feeling I get when I watch her ball with her teammates.  She helps the offense run smooth and loves to be tricky, especially when they run the right side slide with opposite Riley McMullen.  Miss McMullin runs it to perfection as she always keeps the ball on the right side of her body just in front of her hitting shoulder so that she still has both options (line and angle) to swing to.  Big middle [player_tooltip player_id='501194' first='Ellie' last='Armato'] can attack from the middle and they also use her during serve receive to swing from the left side pin.  By her being versatile, this gives the team many offensive options.  Another strong weapon is six-rotation left side Jaya Vella.  This young lady can flat out play the game of volleyball and adds so much to this team's success whether that be in the back row or the front row.  This team can be very dangerous and I wouldn't look past them in the field at nationals. </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 -->