AAU Championships 14s Preview

Volleyball players, teams, and families will be descending upon Orlando, Florida for the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships starting on Monday, June 17 and running through June 28th. Age groups range from 10 to 18 and include up to five divisions at each age level. The fourteens start out the tournament and will play from June 17 through 20th. There are plenty of Badger Region teams that will be making the trek down to Orlando and here is the breakdown of the teams and their divisions: Open Milwaukee Sting 14 Gold Milwaukee Sting 14 Gold is a powerhouse of a team with a lot of height and control. Libero Olivia DeGuzman has great control and excels on serve receive. Setter Zoe BehrendtZoeBehrendt5'10" | SWhitefish Bay | 2023StateWI moves the ball well and is a great leader on the court for her young age. All of their pin hitters, , , Katherine LockwoodKatherineLockwoodOHMenomonee Falls | 2023StateWI, and Lily WagnerLilyWagner5'10" | OHGermantown | 2023StateWI,  are powerful and can place a ball as well as play defense. This is a team that has had a lot of success this season, winning the Badger Region Power league, taking second at both the Adidas Girls Pre Nationals and Sky High Central Zone tournaments and third in each the Central Zone Invitational and Stars & Stripes Classic. Nationals will be a fun time to continue watching these athletes develop before heading into their high school seasons. Premier 1W 14-1 This 1W team runs like a well-oiled machine. They got second place in the Prep Dig Gauntlet a few weekends ago and gave every team a run for their money. They are fun to watch because they all play well and as a unit. runs a 5-1 on the team and does a great job. She is all over the court getting balls, yet always has a controlled set. is fast on defense and never lets a ball drop. Defensive specialist Kennedy Schmitz is scrappy and offers huge support for her team on the defensive side. is a middle blocker with consistent block and powerful swing. is an extremely powerful outside hitter who places the ball well and has a great vertical. Milwaukee Sting 14 Black This team is so incredibly scrappy it can be frustrating to play against. They get touches on everything and are very consistent. Their rare mistakes are usually from trying to make tough plays. Their outside hitters, , Alex Kiel, and Angelica Refinski are go-to hitters for their setters Rachel RossingRachelRossing5'7" | SLake Country Lutheran | 2023StateWI and Elena Dragini. Their middles, Emily HonzelkaEmilyHonzelkaMBKettle Moraine Lutheran | 2023StateWI, Danielle Meyer, and Meghan Schultz, have developed a lot this season and put up a great block. Club 1W 14 National Capital 14 Adidas This is a strong team that works really hard. They communicate well and have placed at the top of most of their tournaments. Middle blocker is a huge asset to this team and has great form. is a pin hitter who is a consistent force on the court. She plays all 6 rotations and really elevates the teams game. Setter is in the class of 2024 and already runs the court like a setter years above her age. Lucile Cranley is a great libero who controls the back row. Milwaukee Sting 14 White Motion Volleyball 14 Blue This is a team with a lot of grit. They dig down deep and work hard whether they are winning or losing. They have improved a lot throughout the season and work to elevate their game and learn from every match they play. Ellie Connor is a setter who is a gamer. She comes ready to play every point of every game and can push the ball with control across the net. Libero Madeline Kitowski is a great athlete who gives her all on every ball. Ella Packer and Maryann Romagna work hard in the middle to put down kills and set a strong block. Next Level Volleyball 14 Green Royal 14 This Royal team doesn’t have a lot of height, but they are efficient with the ball. Their outsides, Sylvie ZgoncSylvieZgoncOHSussex Hamilton | 2023StateWI, Maya Karnowski, and Riley Angst are their go-to hitters. They favor cross but have some tricky shots up their sleeves. Defenders Riley Angst and Gabriella Ingrilli have a lot of control in the back row and do well on serve receive. Wisconsin Juniors 14-1 This Wisconsin Juniors team is incredibly fun to watch (and play against). They make saves I never would have thought possible and every athlete on the court gives 100% all the time. Aspire 414 MKE 14 Elite RVA G 14 Navy Classic 1W 14 Elite Adversity 14-1 Capital 14 Navy Motion Volleyball 14 Green Wisconsin Juniors 14 Elite   All of these teams should have a blast competing down at the AAU Girls Nationals Championships. They will play good volleyball and put in a lot of work preparing for the high school season!