Tawa’s Club Volleyball Dots: Bids clinched in 18, 16; Skyline 15 Royal goes 9-0; girls club news, notes

This is “Dots,” VolleyballMag.com’s weekly look at 10 things in club volleyball, past or present, that interest me and hopefully will interest you. Look for Dots every Tuesday through Junior Nationals this summer:

• What happens when you bring too many good teams together for an 18 Open National Qualifier late in the season? You get fewer than the maximum number of three bids conferred, bids conferred on teams finishing fifth and T-7, and bid-seekers hoping to bolster their At-Large credentials with a strong finish looking at no better than T-15 on their resumes.

Welcome to the SCVA Girls 18s National Qualifier in Anaheim, which was an absolute dogfight in the 18 Open division this past weekend unless you were Sunshine 18 LA. The defending age group national champions went 10-0 to capture their second National Qualifier in as many attempts.

In a field of 32 teams with 12 previously qualified, Sunshine swept its first nine matches to reach the final. Among the victims were three qualified teams in Sunshine’s Day 2 pool – it is unheard of to have a Saturday pool of four comprised exclusively of teams with bids – and two more in its Gold pool. In those 18 sets, Sunshine yielded more than 19 points just ONCE.

Madfrog 18’s National Green was the only team to go toe to toe with the defending champs. Matt Sipes’ team, with only one newcomer – Harmony Sample from TAV –from last year’s 17s team that tied for 13th at Junior Nationals, played a competitive first set and defeated Sunshine in the second before succumbing, 15-6 in the third.

Madfrog played Sunshine tough when they met at Junior Nationals last summer and again in February, a three-set battle at Triple Crown, so it was no surprise that the championship was close. Kennedy Hill, a springy middle who missed TC with an injury, was back on the court and showing everyone why Northwestern is so happy to have her. The Stanford duo of setter Kelly Belardi and Elia Rubin also shined, with Belardi not only dishing with distinction, but also authoring a solo stuff in the third that essentially put the match away.

• Spike and Serve Girls 18-1 flew back to Hawaii with an Open bid after winning its first six matches to clinch on Saturday, but coach Kevin Wong said that his girls were not happy after Sunday losses to the Frogs and Coast 18-1.

“This team has high standards,” Wong said. “We go 9-1 at Triple Crown, losing only to A5, 15-13 in the third; and then go to Anaheim and lose to the No. 3 and No. 6 teams in the country and they’re upset.”

Wong’s mindset was a little bit different.

“I know how hard It is to qualify,” he said. “There were 14 really good teams there.”

Wong said that SAS’ formula for success was its really diverse offense and spectacular serving. MB Grace Fiaseu factored into both. The 6-0 junior, whom Wong calls “an undersized middle with an oversized heart,” lined up against Power Five signees much taller than she and dominated.

SAS lost to Coast, in three, because of Coast’s effective slide attack.

“The only team that runs the slide in Hawaii is the University of Hawaii,” Wong explained. “And we don’t get to practice against them much.”

The loss to Madfrog happened because the Texas team played stupendous defense, “the best we’re seen all year,” Wong said.

The next trip to the Mainland for SAS will come in April for Junior Nationals in Phoenix. Wong said he has a month to figure out how to find the formula for success that will match the team’s expectations.

• Absolute 18 Black cashed in the other Open bid. This has been a rock star group for the Northern California club since the age of 12 and also for nationally ranked Marin Catholic these past several years.

The goal for Absolute, which seems to be in the top eight in every national qualifier it attends, was survive and advance, which is precisely what happened.

The team went 2-1 the first day, losing only to previously-qualified AZ Storm Elite 18 Thunder; and 2-1 on Day 2, with wins over qualified teams A4 Volley 18 Joaco and Legacy 18-1 Adidas. The 4-2 start gave Konrad Ott’s team its bid after just two days, making Sunday’s forgettable 0-3 day well…worth forgetting.

The key to victory was serving, passing and defense.

“It’s what got us those big wins,” Ott said. “Overall we passed a 2.3 on the weekend and had 197 digs and 45 aces. This allowed our setter, Leah Wilton-Laboy, to distribute the ball and get her hitters one-on-one opportunities.”

Wilton-Laboy finished with 194 assists over 20 sets, with 14 aces and 34 digs. Kimi Waller hit .300 with 71 kills and passed a 2.2. Libero Bella McGirr passed at a 2,25 clip and had 67 digs. Julianna Treadway passed a 2.0 with 43 digs.

“As a group they passed phenomenally well and kept us in every match,” Ott said.

Absolute is in Spokane this weekend, looking to double qualify at PNQ.

“We are excited for this upcoming weekend in Spokane and obviously for Nationals in Phoenix,” Ott said. “This has been an unbelievable age group for us since they were 12 and we’re excited to finish it on a high note playing against the best in the country. For some reason nationally, they always have seem to fly under the radar but this team can go toe-to-toe with anybody in the nation. I’m confident of that.”

Club ONE AZ 18Platinum, from Arizona, went 9-0 to win 18 USA. TGV 18 Adidas, a Texas side, went 9-0 to snag first in 18 Liberty. And 951 Elite 18-1, from the Temecula area of California, went 10-0 to win 18 American.

• The Northern Lights Qualifier for 15s and 16s took place in Minnesota last weekend. That felt so weird to write! The NLQ is usually the last weekend of April. It’s strange to see it near the beginning of qualifier season.

Northern Lights produced three bid winners in both the 36-team 15 Open field and the 26-team 16 Open field.

Houston Skyline 15 Royal went 9-0 — all sweeps — take home the title.

“They went 18-0 in sets due to a combination of their solid serve and pass game, the impressive ability to attack in all realms offensively (including some crazy out of system situations), and their team chemistry and grit in tough moments,” noted coach Amy Burk.

The team was really impressive in Kansas City at the Triple Crown NIT, where it barely lost to the eventual champions, 1st Alliance 15 Gold, in the quarters; and came to Minneapolis with the goal to leave with the Gold ball.

“They came in focused every day to do so,” Burk said. “Sharp wins on Day 1 & 2 showed that they could dominate from the service line and run an impressive offense.”

The third day, which started with a three-team pool that also included Northern Lights 15-1 and FCE Elite 15 Navy; produced a step up in competition. Bailey Warren and Ella Lewis combined for 22 kills in the key win over a tough and physical Lights team, which set the tone for the rest of the day.

Against Drive Nation 15 Red in the finals, all three pins – Warren, Lewis and Taylor Porter – played at a high level. Morgan Madison led a tough back row, setter Kassidy O’Brien ran a deceptive offense and the team had solid production from middles Bayleigh Minor and Beka Pfefferkorn.

“Overall, this was an excellent weekend for 15 Royal and is a direct result of the incredible work they put in in the practice gym and the competitive environment all players on the team bring day in and day out,” Burk said.

• Drive Nation finished second overall but had to fight and claw its way to a bid and into the championship final. Jacob Hanan’s team was tested on Day 2, losing a closer than close match to Premier Nebraska 15 Gold and squeaking by Lights in two close sets, but managed to win the pool. Sunday wins followed over Mintonette m.51 and Nebraska ONE 15 Synergy to propel the team to the finals. The win over Nebraska ONE, 26-24, 17-25, 17-15, meant that Drive Nation would not have to win one more match, for third place, to be secure in its bid status.

“I feel like I say this a lot, but this team has everything it needs to be one of the contenders in 15 Open,” Hanan said. “We have said it from Day 1. This weekend proved it!”

“If you look at the beginning of the season to where we are now, we have been moving upwards in our level of play and sticking to our process driven mentality,” Hanan continued. “So, coming to Minneapolis was for us to see if everything we said from Day one and back in that first tournament was going to happen. And it did!!! I was always confident we would qualify but how early? Would it be the first qualifier or the last?”

After rolling through the first day, with just one dropped set to a very good Kairos 15 Adidas team, Hanan worried about his team on Day 2. His players walked into the gym with no swagger, no sense of urgency. Premier Nebraska made Drive Nation pay, rallying from down18-7 in the second set to win, 30-28; then rallying from 11-6 down in the third to win, 15-13. Premier scored the final six points of the match as Drive Nation lost playing not to lose.

“3 seeds are notorious to take a match off 1 seeds on the second day in these qualifiers and we were a victim of that outcome,” Hanan said. “This changed everything for us going forward. The way we handled the rest of the day was only with a sense of urgency and understanding that we must win every game in two and every point matters. There is no room for mental break downs anymore.”

Drive Nation responded to beat Boomers 15 Mizuno in two and, knowing it needed to sweep Lights to take the pool, did so in a very, very close match.

In Sunday’s three-team Gold Pool, Drive Nation, the top seed, benefited from seeing Mintonette lose to Nebraska ONE. The Ohio squad was tired and Drive National took advantage to sweep.

Drive Nation now was in bid position. Win the match versus Nebraska ONE and the bid is automatic. Lose and the team would get another shot in the third-place match.

“Nebraska One had the ball control and defense that was probably the most consistent in the tournament,” Hanan said. “We had to serve them tough and not make dumb errors. This was a game of attrition and who was going to do the little things better and more consistently.”

Nebraska ONE started quickly but a 6-2 run to close the first set gave it to Drive, 26-24. The Nebraska team fought harder in Set 2 and one going away, as Hanan pulled his starters to give them rest before the final set.

“The third set was a match of both teams knowing they were 15 points away from a guaranteed bid,” Hanan said. “There was struggle and execution. There was fight and punches thrown back and forth. There was amazing blocks and defensive plays. There was so much, and it was an amazing edge of your seat match. The final points were probably some of the most stressful and intense. We ultimately prevailed with two defensive huge plays and a setter dump deep to the corner to win 17-15 and get the guaranteed bid to Nationals and play in the Championship match.”

Coming off of that battle, Drive Nation lost a little of its edge in the final against Houston Skyline and lost, 25-22, 25-22.

“We had our opportunities, and we had the lead a few times, but couldn’t keep them or would make silly mistakes to give it up and then our fight was just not like it was,” Hanan explained. “I am very proud of this team and what they accomplished. Taking second was a big deal in this tournament and in an Open qualifier. We grew, we learned and we accomplished what we set out do to.”

Among the standouts for Drive were OH Lauren Mack, who had 87 kills over 21 sets. Setter Hannah Beauford compiled 218 assists, libero Sara Mendoza had 110 digs and passed a 2.05 with 18 aces and RS Lucy Cisneros came through with 41 kills. Finally, hats off to MB Kierstyn Carlton, who exploded for 45 kills while hitting .350 and added 34 blocks!

• Nebraska ONE swept Northern Lights, 25-10, 25-22, for the third and final bid.

“What a weekend for our team,” exclaimed head coach Christina Boesiger. “They keep getting better each week and this weekend was a great example of that.”

The team went 8-1 and dropped just three sets all weekend. All three sets were two-point games! That’s impressive.

“I thought our serve and pass game was really strong and we had fantastic ball control,” Boesiger said. “As a team we had 75 ace serves and only 25 errors. Malorie Boesiger (seventh grader) led us with 20 ace serves, followed by Keri Leimbach with 16, and Zoe Rademacher with 14. We were able to run our middles a lot during transition, which is something we have really been working on in practice.”

OH Anna Jelinek led the offense with 67 kills. OH Mattie Kamery added 63 kills and MB Natalie Wardlow chipped in with 59. Boesiger had 217 assists from her setter position and the back row was really scrappy between libero Leimbach and DS’s Rademacher and Harper Gable. RS Kendall Cose also played an important role at the net, with Wardlow, getting lots of touches to slow down opposing offenses.

“It is awesome to have secured a bid, but now it is back to work to keep getting better to be able to do well in the Open division at Nationals,” Boesiger said. “These girls have such a high ceiling, I am super excited to keep training them at a high level.”

• Two powerhouse teams, Dynasty 16 Black and A5 Mizuno 16 Gabe, as well as surprise Premier Nebraska 16 Gold, took home the 16 Open bids.

Dynasty, the Triple Crown winner and defending age group national champion, was pushed but went 10-0 to take the title.

“Although we went 10-0, the road wasn’t exactly easy,” said coach Cassie Rockers. “We faced some really tough competition and were forced to 3 sets… twice. I was proud of the way the girls responded when the game got tough and things weren’t going our way. We talk about mentality a lot, and it’s in those moments that it matters most.”

Rockers said that the team’s focus going into Northern Lights was to ball control and serve at a high level. That creates the consistent volleyball she looks for and allows Dynasty to elevate its offensive systems.

On a team full of stars, freshman RS Abigail Mullen had herself a tournament, hitting .456 while averaging 4.3 kills per set. Libero Ryan McAleer was her usual solid self, anchoring the back row. She passed a 2.3 and extended rallies with impressive digs. Finally MB Jada Ingram was a force at the net and finished with 25 blocks. Add outsides Carlie Cisneros and Skyler Pierce doing what they always do and setter Reese Messer leading the offense with finesse and, well, you know…it’s a winning formula.

• A5 swept nine matches and locked up a bid before falling in two to Dynasty in the finals. On the heels of a T-5 (7-1) showing at Triple Crown, this is a team that will contend in every tournament it enters.

“I was nervous going into the weekend with a few nagging injuries, including a rolled ankle by outside Hannah Benjamin,” coach Gabe Aramian said. “We tried to play her half the time to start but, understanding the importance of the tournament, stepped in full time on the second day.”

Aramian said that a brutal Day 3 pool, which included Premier Nebraska, KC Power 16-1 (third at Triple Crown) and Dallas Skyline 16 Royal, tested the team’s limits. Tough serving was the key, and it, along with strong defensive play, came through in an easier-than-expected win over Power.

A5 got standout performances from Benjamin and Gabriela Cornier, with middles Logan Wiley and Mia Hood distinguishing themselves in the finals.

• Last month, Premier Nebraska went 1-6 at Triple Crown. Elise Fulcher’s team won its only match in three and lost four others in three sets. It must have been incredibly frustrating, even as the team was battling some injuries that might have impacted its performance.

So, what a story that the team turned things around to go 8-2 at Northern Lights, including wins over KC Power, Houston Skyline 16 Royal, Dallas Skyline 16 Royal and two wins over OT O 16 Roberto, including a second, in three, in the third place match for the final bid.

“I would be lying to you if I said there was some special game plan to get where we did,” Premier coach Elise Fulcher said. “The hard work and dedication they displayed this weekend is something all coaches dream of. They are learning how important implementing and executing strategy is, as well as the mental aspect of the game. They are turning into playmakers, executing with an intent and determination, rather than a reactive response to the game around them.

“With this team everyone is contributing and focused on executing their responsibilities. They understand their roles and its impact for the team. That is why this team is succeeding. They have become more aware than ever that all the parts together create one massive force to be reckoned with. They are sharing the workload, working extremely hard for each other and you can see the enjoyment they are experiencing together.”

• In the Club divisions at Lights, Jacksonville Skyline 15 Royal won 15 USA, Northern Lights 15-B won 15 Legacy (declined bid) and 1W Bay 15 Mizuno, a Wisconsin team, took 15 American. Premier Nebraska 16 Black won 16 USA, A5 16 Stephen prevailed in 16 Liberty and 305 VBC 16-1, a Miami club; took top honors in 16 American.

***

Jacksonville Skyline repeated as NLQ Champions in the USA Division. 15 Royal apparently didn’t make much of an impression in winning last year, because the team went into the tournament as the third seed in Pool 6, 22nd choice in a field of 32. Stephanie Hernesman’s team went 8-1 to take home the title and prove themselves all over again.

The team got its usual high level performance from OH Mari King, who carries a huge offensive load all the time; but several others also stood out. RS Brooke Forkum played six rotations for the first time in a qualifier and passed great. She also was the team’s second best offensive threat from both front and back row. Setter Haydin Froehlich did very well as this this group moved to a 5-1 offense. The eighth grader handled the transition with poise. Finally, Ariel Ross, a hitter/libero, passed and defended with confidence and flair.

Jacksonville Skyline put this core group together just last year. This team has now qualified two years in a row.

“Not bad for a club only in its 5th season,” exclaimed co-director Hugh Hernesman. “We’re very proud of them. We’ll be hoping to pick up an Open bid at Sunshine or Big South. If not that, then a National bid at the Florida Region bid tournament.”

***

A5 16-Stephen overcame a Day 1 loss to win 16 Liberty with an 8-1 record.

The weekend wasn’t without its dramatic moments. Playing Arsenal 16 Gold in the semifinals, with only the winner assured of a bid, Arsenal, a North Texas team, dominated the first, 25-14.

“Nothing was going right,” coach Stephen Sansing said. “I told them in the huddle between sets we would move the rotation a couple spots to give us some different looks serving and receiving. Something clicked and we went on a huge run, from being up 6-5 to 19-5. We scored 13 consecutive points on Katherine Marshall’s serve.”

A5 won the second easily, 25-12, and had all the momentum going to the final set. But you know about momentum. It lasts only as long as someone serves an ace or nets a dump. Arsenal moved to a 9-4 lead and A5 trailed all the way to 11-8. A big kill from RS Ellie Myers started A5’s comeback; then the team’s outsides took over, Allison Young from the service line and Marshall at the net. Young served A5 to 11-11, thanks to two Marshall kills; then tacked on back-to-back aces to put A5 in front. Kills from Meyers and the match clincher, from MB Addie Oldermann, helped A5 escape with the 15-13 win and the bid.

The final also saw A5 come from behind, just not as dramatically. Marshall was tough, hitting .412 with seven kills, in the championship sweep of Northern Lights 16-B.

Young finished with 59 kills for the tournament to lead the way. Marshall had 46 while hitting .318. Meyers, Oldermann and MB Gabi Fullwood knocked down another 89 kills combined.

“This was by far our best hitting as a team in any tournament this season, and our most balanced attack,” Sansing noted.

***

Finally, 3STEP Sports announced last Thursday that it has acquired Munciana Volleyball Club, the nation’s oldest volleyball club and among the sport’s most prestigious. 3STEP acquired KiVA last month, to add to its growing club portfolio that also includes East Coast Power and Tribe.

3STEP said that its mission is to be the standard of the youth sports experience and to create consistency in the industry.

Until next time…

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John Tawa