A5 17-Jing Goes On Final Run To Snag 17 Elite Triple Crown Title
Volleyball is a game of momentum and runs, but this was a little uncharacteristic in the 17 Elite championship game between A5 and Sunshine.
Coach Jing Hou talking to his A5 team.A5 out of the Atlanta area jumped out to a 15-6 lead in set one and never looked back.
Jumped out to a big start 15-6 with a physical frontline powered by their middle blockers in Jacque Boney and Ngozi Iloh along with their right side Mariah Haislip who was deadly attacking off one foot. Sunshine would threaten, building momentum for set two, but fell 25-16 in set one.
With a big spark and fast tempo offense, it was a huge switch for the two teams with Sunshine, which is out of the West L.A./Santa Monica area to jump out to an 8-1 lead. Ella Rubin and Danielle Thomas-Nathan were firing on all cylinders on the outside and the momentum continued to build for Sunshine, finishing the set on top 25-22.
Set three once again was a series of runs, but both teams were knotted up at 8, but Sunshine would go on a run led by a big-time left-handed swing in Kerry Keefe with Sunshine closing in on the title.
Not so fast.
A5 and Jacque Boney had something to say about that. Setter Kalissa Greene was able to find Boney who was a consistent threat along the net with her block and with her ability to find the open court. Tied at 13-13, A5 was able to grind out the final two points to claim the title in 17 Elite along with being named the Top Club at Triple Crown that included two age-group titles as well as an 18 Elite runner-up.
However, for the 17-Jing, this was a breakthrough in the waiting after narrow misses on the Central Zone Invitational championship and finishing just on the outside of getting an early bid to nationals after finishing fourth at the Northern Lights Qualifier two weeks ago in Minneapolis.
“I never thought we could go that far because it is so early. We just try and get better day by day,” said coach Jing Hou, Head Coach for A5 17-Jing.
Triple Crown is the top tournament in the country, but teams still need to earn a bid to USA nationals which will be in Dallas this summer. A5 just missed out on a bid in Minneapolis after a three-set loss to Milwaukee Sting 17 Gold.
“That is our next focus is to get better to qualify for nationals,” said Coach Hou.
Boney, a Class of 2021 who has already committed to play at Michigan in college, talked about coming together as a team to break through to win the title.
“This is a turning point in our season. We struggled to connect as a team and being one. We really picked it up today against the bigger teams by adjusting and coaching each other throughout the game, looking out for each other by turning out weaknesses into strengths,” said Boney.
With A5 being champions of Triple Crown, this puts a target on their back heading into the USAV national qualifiers where they will compete in big events with the Sunshine Qualifier in Orlando, Mideast Qualifier in Indianapolis, and Big South in Atlanta.
Boney concluded by saying, “We have to go back to the gym and keep working hard, we can’t get complacent. This will motivate us because we know we have a target on our back. We know that we are going to get everyone’s best shot after this and we need to be ready for that and do what we can to continue to improve our weaknesses so they become our strengths.”