GJNC Previews: Waco VBC 16 UA Black
The most important moment of the season is just around the corner for teams from the 15s, 16s and 17s age group from around the country as the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship will take place at the Las…
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Continue ReadingThe most important moment of the season is just around the corner for teams from the 15s, 16s and 17s age group from around the country as the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center from June 26-July 5.
As many as 728 teams are expected to compete in the 15 divisions for these three age groups and the state of Texas will, of course, be well-represented in the tournament with more than 50 teams expected to make the trip to Nevada.
During the next few weeks, we’ll use this space to present the Lone Star state representatives in the tournament, recapping their performances during the club season and highlighting some of their top prospects.
Waco VBC 16 UA Black
Coming out of the Waco Volleyball Club, Waco VBC 16 UA Black will compete in the 16 American division in Las Vegas. The team led by head coach Justin Flores will arrive in the tournament with confidence after victories in two of the most important tournaments of the season, the Adidas Lone Star Classic and the Mizuno Cross Court Classic. The team, which won 29 and lost 13 matches so far in 2021, has also finished second at the Roots #2 and third at the ATX Showcase.
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Players to Watch
Miriam Williams – Outside Hitter – HS: Midway – 2023
Her powerful, yet intelligent game at the net is Miriam Williams’ most impressive asset. The 5’11” outside is not shy to hit straight down when she has a chance, but is also smart enough to use her finesse when the situation calls for it. That combination has allowed her to play high school volleyball for Midway since she was an eight-grader and makes of her Waco VBC 16 UA Black’s go-to scoring option. Williams also has great footwork and reaction speed, two skills that help her on both offense and defense.
Tori Brackeen – Middle Blocker – HS: Lorena – 2023
It’s easy to feel tempted to disregard Tori Brackeen when you see her battling taller middle blockers at the net, but that would be a mistake. She’s not the tallest middle out there at 5’9” but makes up for that with physical skills that include a lot of quickness on her feet and a tremendous leaping ability. Leaving her to hit on an open net or being late when jumping to block her typically results in a straight-down kill in the middle of the court. She can also hit from the right and has a good hand placement when blocking.
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Kaycee Cavanaugh – Outside Hitter – HS: Troy – 2024
Kaycee Cavanaugh is a very technical outside hitter who found her way into Waco VBC 16 UA Black’s lineup despite competing with older players. Her main strengths are on the defensive side of the game as she’s an excellent passer, a very efficient defender and a player who helps on the little things, such as setting lose balls. But she can also put up some big numbers as she did with her high school team Troy, registering 391 kills, 269 passes, 182 digs, 44 aces and 31 blocks.