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:
• The 15-year-olds have completed play this club season. On June 21, Mintonette m. 51 of Ohio, ranked No. 3 nationally, downed No. 1 Dallas Skyline 15 Royal, 15-9 in the third, to win the 15 Open at AAU Nationals. Ten days later, Skyline returned the favor with a 26-24, 25-21 win in the championship match of the 15 Open division at USA Volleyball’s Junior National Championships.
You might conclude from this information that the top two 15s teams in the nation had separated themselves from everyone else. That would not be correct. Watching 15s this year was so much fun because of how competitive the top 20 or so teams were with one another. It is going to be a joy following this age group over the next few seasons.
• It feels like those 15s coaches also sensed how special this group was, because many decided to get after it not once but twice. The 61-team field at AAUs included four in the national top five and an additional 7-10 considered among the top 40 or so best teams in the age group. Of that number, only one would not go from AAUs to Chicago to compete at Junior Nationals.
Mintonette was the only team to emerge undefeated. Max Miller’s team was extended to three only once over the first three days, which was key.
On Day 4, Mintonette dispatched FaR Out 15 Black in the quarterfinals, but, playing back-to-back, the team came out flat versus Legacy 15-1 Adidas in the semifinals and lost the first set badly, 25-16.
The epic second set featured runs from both teams until the two squads, both ranked among the top five nationally, were knotted at 23 apiece. Mintonette fought off three match points and converted its NINTH set point to win, 36-34, and even the match at one set each.
“Outside of overall grit our pins started setting the block much better and had plenty of touches to help our transition game,” Miller said.
Mintonette won the third set, 15-12, to make the championship match, then outlasted Skyline in a back-and-forth affair for the title.
Outsides Sara Snowbarger and Layla Hoying and libero Emma Cugino were named to the all-tournament team….
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