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 qualifier season is winding down, with only two weekends remaining to lock in your bid to USA Volleyball’s Junior Nationals in Chicago. If you’re still in bid-seeking position, your best volleyball is ahead of you. Relax. Breathe through your eye lids. Activate your chakras. Go get it!
• NC Academy 15 Diamond had its breakthrough moment last weekend in 15 Open at the Northeast Qualifier. After placing 10th at Sunshine and 13th at Big South, Academy Diamond had a 9-0 showing in Philly, which included a sweep of Big South champion GP 15 Rox. This was Academy Diamond’s first Open qualifier win in club history.
“The team went into NEQ weekend focused on three main objectives: better ball control on pass/defense, smart shot selection for our pins and fast tempo offense,” noted head coach Bruce Cao.
Needless to say, mission accomplished.
Genevieve Harris, one of the elite freshman setters in the country, was a catalyst in the win.
“She provided great leadership all around and her set tempo/selection caused a lot of disruptions for the opposing team’s defense,” Cao noted.
Academy Diamond’s main pin hitters, Evelyn Carlson, Natalie Langston and Taylor Bruce, were very productive with a combined hitting percentage of more than .300 for the weekend. The defense, led by Aarushi Shah and Taylor Baggett, was strong and steady and both middles Laney Blevins and Ava Wilkerson were able to challenge opposing hitters, and were especially active with key blocks and touches during the championship match versus tall Tribe 15 Elite Cardinal.
Metro 15 Travel tied for third and also qualified. A Gold Pool win over Paramount 15s in three sets sealed the bid.
• Open is hardly the only plum at a national qualifier.
EC Power Chesapeake 15 Power DC went undefeated to win the 15 American bid over a staggering 107 other teams. The win was the first title for ECP’s DC satellite.
OH Morgan Reeves was a standout for the DC club. She hit .400 on the weekend with 120 kills over 26…
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