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:
• The final 18s national qualifier of the season occurred in Spokane at PNQ Saturday through Monday. NPJ 18 Forefront was the favorite in the 23-team 18 Open field, and the top 10 team from Oregon (and Idaho and Washington) absolutely dominated, going 9-0 to win and qualify for Junior Nationals 31 days from today in Columbus.
NPJ did not drop a set. A lot of the credit for that goes to the team’s seven on-court stars, including setter Alexis Haury and pins Alex Acevedo and Kyleene Filimaua, who are constants. But coach Adam Ellis wants you to know that the team does not win PNQ without the six players making up his second unit.
“You see them on our bench, and they’re providing the best energy and support you could ever ask for,” he said. “They make things fun. They keep things loose. They make a difference and we would not be the team we are without them. We are 13 strong. They express joy, and excitement every time the team does something well. They constantly encourage the players that are on the floor, and they stay ready to add their value on the court when their name is called. They are ready to change things up as needed, and they never stop making an impact whether they are on the court or not. They make each other better. They make us better. Tessa Zimmerman (Southern Oregon), Kayleigh Carpenter (Boise State), Maddie Corpe (University of Portland), Brooksie Isham (Air Force), and Taelyn Bently (Uncommitted, 2025) help prepare and get better every day in practice. We face some of the best competition every day in practice, and it’s this group of players who typically get little to no playing time on the big stage. However, they are ones who are just as deserving of all the accolades and praise, because they are the ones who help get us ready to play on tournament weekends.”
Now, as for the how and why on the court in Spokane, here’s associate head coach Mike Gee with the explanation and why NPJ could be a podium threat in Columbus:
“This team just wants to win, and we’ve embraced it. They came into the weekend with high aspirations and a lot of things they that they wanted to accomplish. They wanted…
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