Legacy 16-1 ADIDAS lives up to the hype with AAU national title
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In the 2020 club season, Legacy 15-1 ADIDAS won every tournament it took part in, but never had a chance to compete for a national championship due to the pandemic. This past week, that same group finally got a chance…
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Continue ReadingIn the 2020 club season, Legacy 15-1 ADIDAS won every tournament it took part in, but never had a chance to compete for a national championship due to the pandemic.
This past week, that same group finally got a chance to contend for a national title, and won it in impressive fashion.
Legacy 16-1 ADIDAS took home the 16 Open national title at the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships in Orlando, going 11-0 for the event.
“Playing through the pressure of being undefeated in our shortened 15’s season was definitely a mental struggle for us in the beginning of the season,” Legacy 16-1 ADIDAS assistant coach Jennifer Cottrill said. “We played very heavy and were always playing ahead of ourselves. Throughout the season, our players have gradually embraced the privilege of having pressure and how to mentally stay focused on our process while not getting too far ahead of themselves. It’s not an easy thing for 15- and 16-year-old athletes to do. To watch them in the national championship game handle the pressure effortlessly was unbelievably impressive. We are so proud of their maturity, composure and their love for their teammates.”
Legacy dominated the first three days, going 8-0 without dropping a set. Only two of their 16 sets saw an opponent get to 20 points.
However, Legacy would receive a wake-up call in the quarterfinal by dropping the opening set to OJVA 16 Gold 25-19. However, Legacy quickly regrouped and won the final two sets 25-13, 15-5.
In the semifinal against Dallas Skyline 16 Royal, Legacy fell behind 21-16 in the opening set, but once again showed its resiliency. They would score seven straight points to turn the tide in the set and ultimately win the match 25-23, 25-15.
“We definitely started slow in both the quarters and semifinals. Our first three days of competition, we were not challenged so I do believe in the quarterfinals, it took us some time to adjust to the increase in the level of play,” Cottrill noted. “Of course, we have a large target on our back and have to deal with the mental challenge of playing under pressure at all times. Once we were able to get the girls to relax and trust our process, they settled right down and executed flawlessly.”
The final with A5 Mizuno 161 Gabe was all Legacy. Their blocking was the story of the match. Abigail Reck Abigail Reck 6'2" | MB Northville | 2023 State #74 Nation MI , Laurece Abraham Laurece Abraham 6'1" | MB Country Day | 2023 State #111 Nation MI , Rebecca Apsey Rebecca Apsey 6'1" | RS Groves | 2023 MI , Harper Murray Harper Murray 6'2" | OH Skyline | 2023 State #2 Nation MI and Nina Horning Nina Horning 6'5" | OH Lake Orion | 2023 State #50 Nation MI were all big forces at the net and kept A5 from ever getting a run going. Legacy managed to avenge a Triple Crown finals loss to A5 with a 25-16, 25-16 victory.
“We played A5 in the finals at Triple Crown and felt like we let that match slip away. The girls were extremely motivated and focused to play them again. We had a deliberate game plan on how to defend their attackers and we served really tough,” Cottrill said. “I’m not even sure how to describe our blocking in that final, it was unbelievable. We had 10 blocks in the second set alone. Our blocking is something we have been working on ALL year, so it was extremely rewarding to see all of their hard work pay off.”
It was a team effort all around, but Murray, Reck and setter Erin Kline Erin Kline 6'2" | S Mercy | 2023 State #123 Nation MI were named Open All-Americans for their efforts during the week.
Murray finished every point where she was really able to wind up and attack the ball, and her defensive play continues to be an underrated display.
Reck was huge in the middle, leading the blocking brigade during bracket play, while finishing her attacks at a high rate.
Kline continued to effortlessly handle the offense, making great sets throughout the week while maintaining a calm demeanor in the pressure situations.
Michigan Elite 16 Mizuno finished tied for ninth in the Open. It went 8-2 for the weekend and reached the championship bracket before falling to IVBA 16 Adidas in the opening round, 17-25, 26-24, 15-11.
FaR Out 16 Black placed 16th, finishing runner-up in the consolation bracket while going 6-6 for the weekend.
FaR Out 16 Red won the national title in the 16 Classic division, going 14-0 for the weekend without dropping a single set.