Club Memories and Highlights from the USAV U19 Training Team
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USA Volleyball surely has no shortage of talent to work with this summer. In case you haven’t followed the USAV youth national teams, the U19 training roster was recently announced. This talented group of 20 athletes is currently practicing in…
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Continue ReadingUSA Volleyball surely has no shortage of talent to work with this summer.
In case you haven’t followed the USAV youth national teams, the U19 training roster was recently announced. This talented group of 20 athletes is currently practicing in Tulsa, OK, where the U19 Pan Am Cup will be held from July 18-23. Before then, the USA roster will be pared down to 12, and the team will compete in this international competition against some of the world’s top youth volleyball athletes.
Of course, this training period comes just after we wrapped up the 2022 club season at USAV Nationals. The players on the training roster gave us plenty of highlight moments since the year began, so this feels like a good time to bring back some old memories.
Here are some of my personal highlights from covering the athletes on the U19 National Training Team.
A Whole Lot of Huskers
I live in Lincoln, NE, a place that undoubtedly takes volleyball seriously. That applies to the Cornhuskers’ recruiting efforts, as the five-time national champion can claim a whopping seven commits on the 20-player training roster.
It has been quite a privilege to see these future Huskers compete during my club travels this year. Harper Murray Harper Murray 6'2" | OH Skyline | 2023 State #2 Nation MI , our top-ranked player in the 2023 class, added to her championship resume with another title at AAU Nationals. Before that, her Legacy 17-1 Adidas team shined at the Prep Dig Open event I covered in Cleveland. No matter the venue, Murray will always be a standout.
Flying high in the early points of Championship Sunday here at #PDTheOpen.
That Harper Murray Harper Murray 6'2" | OH Skyline | 2023 State #2 Nation MI 2-ball from @LegacyLvc 17-1 Adidas is always tough to stop. #Huskers pic.twitter.com/7TmcYymrcm
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) May 1, 2022
Murray is not the only top-ranked Husker commit to appear on the training roster. Skyler Pierce Skyler Pierce 6'3" | OH Olathe Northwest | 2024 State #4 Nation KS , our #1 player in the Class of 2024, also joins the training team after a top-three finish at USAV Nationals with Dynasty 16 Black. Her all-around skills on the left pin ought to translate well to this U19 opportunity in Tulsa.
Olivia Mauch Olivia Mauch 5'7" | DS/L Bennington | 2024 State #49 Nation NE ’s emergence in the USAV gym has brought a lot of pride to the Nebraska locals. The 2024 libero chose the home state Huskers just after the class’ recruiting cycle began, and her steady presence in the backcourt has garnered her recognition as one of the country’s top defenders.
Bergen Reilly Bergen Reilly 6'1" | S O'Gorman | 2023 #4 Nation SD is another Nebraska-bound addition to the roster from the Great Plains. This South Dakota setter has been on the Team USA stage before, as Reilly made the final U18 roster last year along with Murray.
And the list just goes on and on for the Huskers. Ayden Ames Ayden Ames 6'4" | MB Prosper | 2024 State #3 Nation TX , Maggie Mendelson, and Andi Jackson Andi Jackson 6'2" | MB Brighton | 2023 #43 Nation CO represent three of Nebraska’s middle blocker commits, with Mendelson starting her college career this fall after reclassifying to the Class of 2022. And, like Murray and Reilly, Mendelson has worn the USA uniform before. It’s safe to say this position will be stacked for a while in the Devaney Center.
Out West
Try to contain your surprise, but West Coast representation on the training team is strong.
Charlie Fuerbringer Charlie Fuerbringer 5'11" | S Mira Costa | 2024 State #2 Nation CA , a Wisconsin pledge, brings her spectacular skills to the setting position after competing with Mizuno Long Beach during the club season. After getting a long look at Fuerbringer at USAV Nationals this month, I certainly won’t dispute her standing as one of the top 2024 setters in the nation.
So here’s a crucial Pool 6 matchup that’s just getting started: Mizuno Long Beach and Triangle squaring off.
Top two seeds in the group. Great feed from Charlie Fuerbringer Charlie Fuerbringer 5'11" | S Mira Costa | 2024 State #2 Nation CA to Bryn Shankle for @MizunoLongBeach. #GJNC pic.twitter.com/IkDBNV9Rnj
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) July 2, 2022
How about the Sunshine duo? Olivia Babcock Olivia Babcock 6'3" | OH Sierra Canyon | 2023 State #13 Nation CA and Torrey Stafford Torrey Stafford 6'0" | OH Marymount | 2023 State #20 Nation CA join forces on the training roster after forming a formidable tandem with Sunshine 17 LA this year. I immediately recall their dominance at Triple Crown NIT in February when Babcock and Stafford led the team to some major upsets in Kansas City.
Julia Blyashov Julia Blyashov 6'3" | OH Cathedral Catholic | 2023 State #3 Nation CA is another top California performer who dazzled us at NIT. She is the kind of go-to left-side hitter who will gladly shoulder a ton of responsibilities to help her team succeed. Her prior USAV training experience also gives her an edge leading up to the final roster announcement.
Julia Blyashov Julia Blyashov 6'3" | OH Cathedral Catholic | 2023 State #3 Nation CA teeing off for WAVE — always a fun thing to watch. #TCVolleyballNIT pic.twitter.com/M673FtZNQp
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) February 20, 2022
More Memories
We’ve still got more big names to bring up here.
Kennedy Martin Kennedy Martin 6'6" | OH Nation Ford | 2023 #23 Nation NC is a player that has impressed me in a lot of different settings. Last fall, her Appleton North team came down to Omaha for a high school tournament with top-tier squads from around the region. The Florida commit’s physicality is good enough to compete with anyone, and Martin proved that again with FC Elite 18 Elite in the 2022 club season.
There are a couple of players on this roster that can fill a variety of roles and still succeed. Alec Rothe Alec Rothe 6'3" | MB Dublin Scioto | 2024 State #14 Nation OH is one of those athletes, as she has made her presence felt at every frontcourt position this year. Don’t forget about Izzy Starck Izzy Starck 5'11" | S Rampart | 2024 State #1 Nation FL , either, as the Penn State-bound setter showed at GJNC that she can take over a match as a right-side attacker.
Though she was recruited to @PennStateVBALL as a setter, Izzy Starck has been so impactful as a frontcourt opposite this weekend.
Colorado Juniors takes a tight opening set against 1st Alliance. #GJNC pic.twitter.com/sspB0vGKgw
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) July 3, 2022
Let’s give a shoutout to the very exclusive group of 2025s who made this training roster. Macaria Spears Macaria Spears 6'3" | OH Prestonwood Christian | 2025 State #5 Nation TX of Metro and Abigail Mullen Abigail Mullen 6'3" | RS Liberty | 2025 State #3 Nation MO of Dynasty are the sole representatives of the 2025 class after both shined in 16s competition this year. If you’re going to choose any players from this class to train with Team USA, these are two brilliant selections.
Here’s a 2025 outside hitter that has already captured a lot of attention.
Macaria Spears Macaria Spears 6'3" | OH Prestonwood Christian | 2025 State #5 Nation TX helped lead Metro 16 Travel to a 3-0 record yesterday and looks dialed in already this morning. #GJNC pic.twitter.com/c4gvJOLbXx
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) July 2, 2022
Spears’ Metro teammate, Emerson Sellman Emerson Sellman 6'4" | OH Academy of Holy Cross | 2024 State #5 Nation VA , also put together a phenomenal year that warranted her inclusion on the training team. She has a case for being one of the country’s biggest stock risers in the wake of this year’s club campaign.
The Midwest is poised to have a big influence on the final roster with players like Kira Hutson Kira Hutson 6'3" | OH Metea Valley | 2023 State #26 Nation IL and Nya Bunton Nya Bunton 6'5" | MB DuPont Manual | 2023 State #7 Nation KY training with the team. And, while we’re talking about regional representation, Laney Choboy Laney Choboy 5'4" | DS/L Leesville Road | 2023 #10 Nation NC is one of the best East Coast representatives you could find to represent Team USA. She was the U18 libero last year and has only gotten better with another year of competition with NC Academy.