AAU Nationals Wave 2: Dominant 2029 Performances

It's officially Nationals season, and AAU Wave 2 is finishing up today. It is going to be an awesome two weeks of volleyball at both AAU and USAV nationals, and my iPad and notes app are primed and ready to go! While it might not be as electric as being there in person, I can definitely see way more matches across the country (while snuggling my dog, cats, and kids) doing remote coverage. Let's start off with some dominant 2029 performances.    Brielle was absolutely explosive. Her line shot was absolutely lethal, and she knew how to earn points in all six rotations. Her serve receive was controlled and consistent. I initially thought she might be a defensive specialist before she rotated into the front row; her defense and serve receive were just that good. Brielle also excelled from the service line, where she consistently held her serve for multiple points in a row. Brielle was a key player in her team's 3rd place finish in the Elite Division. She was also named an AAU All-American.     Kerstyn was a fun setter to watch. She wasn't afraid to set against the grain and kept all of her hitters involved throughout a match. I watched several of FC's matches throughout AAU Nationals, and Kerstyn was a constant presence on the court. She pushed the envelope with her sets, catching opposing blockers of guard. Kerstyn is the kind of player who goes all out no matter the score and trusts her hitters to get the job done. Kerstyn helped her team to a 3rd place finish.     Mckynzee showed how clean and smart she was as a setter. She never missed a beat and was a huge court leader for her team, earning her AAU All-American honors and a 3rd place finish with her team. What sets Mckynzee apart is her clean form and ability to push the ball from pin to pin, no matter where she is on the court, with precision. She brought energy, consistency, and grit to every rotation. She was also a high-level server and scrappy defender.     Maia was the definition of efficiency throughout the tournament. She has really improved the speed of her game from her pass to the explosiveness of her offense. Maia's shot selection at nationals was impeccable, and she seemed to be able to read and react to the opposing block and defense with speed and accuracy. Her all-around play really set her apart.     Vivian put in huge hustle at every turn. She was always working to better the ball for her team and had high-level fundamentals. What I loved about Vivian's game was that it wasn't perfect, because she was always pushing it to the next level. She did a great job pushing tempo in the right places and keeping all of her hitters involved. She rarely made the same mistake twice and took on a huge leadership role for her team. Her ability to control the court and the flow of the game was noticeable even when watching from across the country.     Elliana is a middle with incredible potential. She was in beast mode at nationals the past four days. Her discipline on offense and defense, explosive approach, and smart shots made her a huge point earner. Elliana made great adjustments to her sets and was savvy with the ball. She also put up a massive wall of a block and consistently made it pin-to-pin on defense. Here effort alone was impressive, but her execution took her game to the next level     Ellie came to nationals and meant business. She was aggressive, fearless, and relentless in every aspect of her game. Her offense was efficient, from her transition and pass-to-attack to her shot selection. She was there to earn points and win. Ellie was locked in and her focus helped her earn points, read the court quickly, and elevate the play of her team.     McKendra was a force to be reckoned with on the pin. She put down huge kills in the back row and had a lethal line shot in the front row. No matter what rotation she was in, she made herself an option on offense. She also never forgot her duties on defense or serve receive. McKendra impressed across all of her skills and consistently delivered for her team.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Don't Miss These Other Notable Athletes: </h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='701319' first='Addyson' last='Sundby'] - Outside Hitter - Wisconsin Elite 15 Elite   [player_tooltip player_id='809345' first='Addison' last='Richlen'] - Libero - Wisconsin Elite 15 Elite   Cassidy Norris - Outside Hitter - [program_tooltip program_id='431479' first='Wisconsin' last='Juniors'] 15-1   [player_tooltip player_id='881074' first='Allison' last='Ray'] - Libero - [program_tooltip program_id='431479' first='Wisconsin' last='Juniors'] 15-1   [player_tooltip player_id='758865' first='Presley' last='Maciejewski'] - Libero - [program_tooltip program_id='557038' first='Milwaukee' last='Juniors'] 15-1   [player_tooltip player_id='781421' first='Lily' last='George'] - Outside Hitter - [program_tooltip program_id='557038' first='Milwaukee' last='Juniors'] 15-1   Calli Bursa - Outside Hitter - 1W 15-1   Amelia Voight - Middle - 1 W 15-1   [player_tooltip player_id='781346' first='Alaina' last='Retzlaff'] - Outside Hitter - [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 15 Navy   [player_tooltip player_id='808606' first='Elliana' last='Rettler'] - Libero - [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 15 Navy   Nora Koss - Pin - [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 15 Navy

It's officially Nationals season, and AAU Wave 2 is finishing up today. It is going to be an awesome two weeks of volleyball at both AAU and USAV nationals, and my iPad and notes app are primed and ready to go! While it might not be as electric as being there in person, I can definitely see way more matches across the country (while snuggling my dog, cats, and kids) doing remote coverage. Let's start off with some dominant 2029 performances.