When it comes to the 14 Open seedings at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Chicago, they are holding up fairly well considering the topsy-turviness of the age group in general. Of course, there are exceptions and one of them continues to be at-large recipient Tejas 14 Black. After upsetting No. 2 overall seed Tstreet 14 Carson on Day 1, Tejas went 2-0 on Day 2 and finished 4-1. Tstreet also finished 4-1 but based on the head-to-head result Tejas took first place as the No. 6 team in Pool 2.
In terms of seeding, there were 12 teams which made up either the No. 5 or 6 team in their respective pools. Tejas is one of three which managed to advance to the second round of pool play, which features eight, three-team pools with the top-two advancing to challenge play. The other two joining Tejas are Club V 14 Ren Silver and Rage 14 Garren.
Club V went 4-1 in Pool 3 to finish in second place behind Arizona Storm 14 Thunder. Obviously, Club V’s lone loss came to Storm with victories over Madfrog 14 Green, MAVS 14-1, Forza1 One 14 North and VCNebraska 14 Elite. Rage advanced as the No. 3 team with a 3-2 mark. Rage actually started off 0-2 and was in serious danger of not moving on. However, Rage came out ahead on in its final three outings, beating Legacy 14-1 Adidas to end Day 1 and then taking care of Excel 14 National Red and Mintonette Sports m.41 on Day 2.
Teams heading into Day 3 pool play without a loss still include TAV 14 Black, Storm, Skyline 14 Royal, Drive Nation 14 Red and AP 14 Adidas. With Tstreet losing, it creates an interesting Pool 6 for Day 3 featuring AP, Tstreet and Forza North.
DAY 2 SHOW STOPPERS
Sophia Puleo OH OT 14 Laura: Puleo was showing off her power. She’s a physical hitter who can drop the hammer down. She’s strong enough to go right through blocks and gives OT a dynamic 1-2 punch.
Leilani Lawrence OH OT 14 Laura: Lawrence has a lively arm and can rip balls corner to corner. She gets up and has great range, hitting wrist-away shots for sharp-angled winners.
Ella Horvick L/DS OT 14 Laura: We saw lots of Horvick in Orlando recently at AAUs and she brought her defensive tenacity to Chicago. She’s a steady defender and passer who plays under control.
Mckennah Iamaleava OH Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar: Iamaleava was solid in her role. She especially stood out with a few big-time defensive plays at middle back in keeping balls that were absolutely crushed in play.
Rubi Silva S Absolute 14 Black: Absolute has a pair of strong setters. Silva is a bit undersized, yet she is quick and has a nice release. She sets behind her well too.
Blake Cussen RS Absolute 14 Black: Cussen, a lefty, is a six-rotation right side who Absolute likes to get involved as much as possible. She swings from the left, from the right, from the back and is able to rip balls.
Jaedyn Riley S Rage 14 Garren: Riley is part of why Rage managed to make it out of the pool as the No. 6 team. She does well connecting with her hitters and has a nice release.
McKenna McIntosh OH Rage 14 Garren: McIntosh is a strong, physical attacker who hits a heavy ball. She’s a featured part of the attack and is the go-to hitter Rage relies on to carry the offense.
Peyton Heatherly S/RS Lions 14-1: Heatherly is a name to know. She has a bright future with her ability to set and hit. She’s a wirey attacker with a loose arm who can hit with plenty of pace.
Tessa Larkin OH Arizona Storm 14 Thunder: Larkin is an all-around talent who gets up and delivers. She has a great swing and snap and provides plenty of offense.
Marissa Jones S A5 14 Helen: Jones – a 5-star athlete – is a next-level star who is in total control setting. She pulls off sets others in the division simply aren’t capable of making. She’s a tremendous athlete with great hands.
Samantha Chavis OH Academy 14 Diamond: Chavis was coming with it on the attack. She can get up, takes aggressive swings and was delivering for her team.
Kherynton Chinnis MB Drive Nation 14 Red: Chinnis was impressive in the middle. She’s athletic, gets up well and can crush balls down when the opportunity presents itself.
