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Annual Reno Volleyball Festival News 6/27/2006
U.S. Junior Olympics
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Gene's Team takes third
07/06/2006 12:00:00 AM PDT
Gene's Team completed its eight-month qualifying schedule as the top-ranked 17-under girls' volleyball team in Southern California.
The group supported its No.4 national ranking - according to PrepVolleyball.com - by becoming the lone California entry to reach the Gold Division playoffs in the 17-under Open Division at the U.S. Junior Olympics.
But when it came to matching up with the best in the country, Gene's Team came up short in its bid to win a national title.
Gene's Team, featuring fourarea standouts, fell to No.2 Club Fusion Black of Illinois 25-20, 25-21, 25-18 in Wednesday's semifinals at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, resulting in a third- place finish in the 28-team competition.
After winning its pool, Gene's Team - based in Pacific Palisades - defeated No. 12 Kansas City Power 25-20, 25-18, 17-25, 26-24 in the quarterfinals earlier Wednesday.
Following a sweep of Illinois counterpart First Alliance in the quarterfinal, Club Fusion advanced to the championship match with its sweep of Gene's Team, which suffered its second loss in three matches after opening the tournament with five straight wins. Club Fusion lost 5-19, 25-14, 23-25, 25-23 in the final to top-ranked Kaepa Northern Lights of Minnesota.
For Daily News All-Area Player of the Year Jesse Yeager,
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Thousand Oaks' Tori Boden and Deanna Elias, and Westlake's Cathy Quilico will all return for their senior campaigns.
In the 18-under American Division, San Gabriel Roshambo - featuring sixarea players - reached the Bronze Division final, losing to La Verne's Club West Elite 16-25, 25-19, 15-7 to finish 18th out of 48 teams.
It marked the final club competition for Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge, which graduates Veronica Montes (Redlands), and twins Rachel and Rebecca Salvo, who are both headed to Haverford College in Pennsylvania.
Morgan Anderson (La Canada/Birmingham Southern) and Laura Boyd (Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta/Stetson) also played their final matches for San Gabriel, which advanced to the Bronze final with a victory over San Antonio's Bexar County.
Gene's Team slips in pool-play finaleLaunched: 07/05/2006 12:00:00 AM PDT
By virtue of winning its first five matches at the U.S. Junior Olympic Girls' Volleyball Championships, Gene's Team allowed itself some margin for error Tuesday in its pool-play finale against Illinois' Celtic Force Green.
Hall of Fame coach Gene Selznick can only hope his players don't find themselves in a similar situation today, because another stumble could cost them a shot at winning the 17-under Open Division title.
Gene's Team, featuring four area standouts, relinquished a two games-to-one lead against Celtic Force and suffered a 25-23, 21-25, 14-25, 25-22, 15-11 setback at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
The loss created a first-place tie between Gene's Team, based in Pacific Palisades, and the Milwaukee Sting. Selznick's group owned the tiebreaker - and the automatic berth in today's Gold Division quarterfinals - based on a 25-22, 25-18, 25-12 victory Monday over Milwaukee. Gene's Team and Milwaukee will compete in the Gold Division, which begins its single-elimination playoffs at 5a.m. PDT.
Gene's Team - led by Jesse Yeager (Oak Park/Pennsylvania) and seniors Cathy Quilico (Westlake), Tori Boden (Thousand Oaks) and Deanna Elias (Thousand Oaks) - faces the Kansas City Power, which beat Kansas' ASICS Mavs in four games in its challenge match.
A victory by Gene's Team - ranked fourth nationally in the 17-under division by PrepVolleyball.com - over its 12th-ranked opponent would set up a semifinal match at 8:30a.m. PDT against No.
2 Club Fusion or No. 16 First Alliance, both from Illinois.Top-ranked Kaepa Northern Lights (Minnesota) faces No.13 Circle City (Indiana) and ninth-ranked Milwaukee takes on No. 11 ASICS Kiva Red (Kentucky) in the other two quarterfinals. The championship match is set for 3 p.m. PDT.
In the 18-under American Division, San Gabriel Roshambo - featuring six area players - dropped both its qualifying pool matches Tuesday morning, and despite a victory in a challenge match later in the day, will compete in the Bronze Division semifinals today.
San Gabriel - led by fourplayers from Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge, Morgan Anderson (La Canada/Birmingham Southern) and Laura Boyd (Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta/Stetson) - faces San Antonio's Bexar County at 6a.m. PDT, with a victory matching it up against Illinois' Sky High Red or La Verne's Club West Elite in the Bronze final at 10 a.m.
Gene's Team Stings Milwaukee's unbeaten streak
A showdown for first place in its pool turned into a dominant showcase Monday for Gene's Team at the U.S. Junior Olympic Girls' Volleyball Championships.
Following a four-game victory to open the day against Kansas' Topeka Juniors, Gene's Team put forth its best effort thus far in the 17-under Open Division with a 25-22, 25-18, 25-12 victory over previously unbeaten Milwaukee Sting at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Led by Jesse Yeager (Oak Park/Pennsylvania) and seniors Cathy Quilico (Westlake), Tori Boden (Thousand Oaks) and Deanna Elias (Thousand Oaks), Gene's Team based in Pacific Palisades remained one of five unbeaten groups in the field of 28 entering the final day of pool play.
A victory over St. Louis Catholic Youth Club (2-2) at 8 a.m. PDT or Illinois' Celtic Force Green (1-3) at 11 a.m. would wrap up first place in the pool for hall of fame coach Gene Selznick and his nine players, who entered the Junior Olympics as the top-ranked 17-under group by Southern California Volleyball Association.
Following a grueling five-game victory over Indiana's Circle City to open the tournament, Gene's Team - ranked fourth nationally in the 17-under division by PrepVolleyball.com - has cruised through three more opponents ranked in the top 25, including No. 7 A5 Mizuno of Georgia and No. 9 Milwaukee Sting, to build momentum heading toward Wednesday's Gold Division quarterfinals.
In the 18-under American Division, San Gabriel Roshambo finished competition Monday in second place in its preliminary pool, but still remains in contention to reach the Gold Division quarterfinals in the 48-team field.
San Gabriel, featuring six local players, defeated Illinois' Rolling Thunder Volleyball Club 25-23, 17-25, 16-14, followed by a
25-21, 25-20 triumph over East Bay Mayhem.
In the showdown for first place in its pool, San Gabriel suffered a 25-21, 25-17 setback to Indiana's Circle City.
San Gabriel - with four athletes from Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge and one each from La Canada and Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta will need to advance from its qualifying pool this morning, then survive at least one challenge match in the evening to secure its place in Wednesday's quarterfinals.
Gene's Team tested early
07/03/2006 12:00:00 AM PDT
Gene's Team entered the U.S. Junior Olympics with the knowledge that nine victories would produce a 17-under Open Division championship.
It didn't take long Sunday for Southern California's top- ranked 17-under girls' volleyball team to realize there would be no free passes along the way.
Gene's Team, based in Pacific Palisades, concluded the first day of competition at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta as one of eight in the 28-team field with an unbeaten record.
But if their first match was any indication, it could be a grueling final three days for hall of fame coach Gene Selznick and his nine players.
Led by Jesse Yeager (Oak Park/Pennsylvania), Cathy Quilico (Westlake) and Thousand Oaks' Tori Boden and Deanna Elias, Gene's Team survived a battle with Indiana's Circle City in its pool-play opener to prevail 25-18, 25-15, 20-25, 12-25, 15-8.
Gene's Team, ranked fourth nationally in the 17-under division by PrepVolleyball.com, then defeated seventh-ranked A5 Mizuno of Georgia
25-20, 19-25, 25-20, 27-25 to remain tied atop its seven-team pool with No. 9 Milwaukee Sting.The Sting and Gene's team play at 10:30a.m. PDT today. Gene's Team also is scheduled to play Kansas' Topeka Juniors - ranked 23rd - at 6:30 a.m.
In the 18-under American Division, San Gabriel Roshambo - featuring six area players - also began its tournament with two victories, joining 10 others in the 48-team field that remained undefeated.
San Gabriel opened with a 25-16, 25-27, 15-13 victory over Iowa Rockets, followed by a 25-22, 23-25, 15-6 triumph over Ohio's Team Atlantis.
Oak Park's Yeager leads U-17 team
Jesse Yeager led the Oak Park High girls' volleyball team to its most successful season in program history in 2005. In her final club volleyball competition before she takes her talents to University of Pennsylvania, Yeager wants to lead Gene's Team to a U.S. Junior Olympics 17-under Open Division title.
Yeager is one of four area standouts on hall of fame coach Gene Selznick's nine-player roster, which enters the tournament as the top-ranked 17-under team by the Southern California Volleyball Association and fourth nationally by PrepVolleyball.com.
After leading the Southern Section with 490 kills from the outside hitter position during her senior campaign, Yeager will be relied on more as a middle blocker for Gene's Team when the 28-team competition begins today at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Westlake senior libero Cathy Quilico - an all-tournament selection last year in the 16-under Open Division - and Thousand Oaks senior outside hitters Tori Boden and Deanna Elias will also be important contributors for Gene's Team, which opens pool play against Indiana's Circle City at 6:30a.m. PDT today, followed by a match against Georgia's A5 Mizuno at 10:30 a.m.
Along with A5 Mizuno (ranked No. 7 nationally) and Circle City (No. 13), Gene's Team is also matched up with Illinois' Celtic Force Green (No.5), Milwaukee Sting (No. 9), St. Louis Catholic Youth Council (No. 21) and Kansas' Topeka Juniors (No. 23) in its pool. Each team will play twobest-of-five
matches per day, with pool play concluding Tuesday.The single-elimination playoffs, with eight teams qualifying in the gold and silver brackets, will conclude Wednesday.
San Gabriel Volleyball Club's Roshambo team, featuring sixarea players, is also in Atlanta competing in the 18-under American Division.
San Gabriel, which enters the tournament No. 23 in SCVA's 18-under rankings and among the top 100 teams nationally, features four players - senior Aly Crea and graduates Veronica Montes, Rachel Salvo and Rebecca Salvo - from Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge.
Montes plans on playing at University of Redlands and the Salvo twins at Haverford College in Pennsylvania.
Morgan Anderson (La Canada/Birmingham Southern) and Laura Boyd (Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta/Stetson) also play for San Gabriel, which opens pool play with a best-of-three match at 6 a.m. PDT against the Iowa Rockets, followed by a contest against Ohio's Team Atlantis at 8 a.m.
SMBC Comes Up Short
Santa Monica Beach Club had gone through 70 practices since November in preparation to win its final match in the 18-under division at the annual Volleyball Festival in Reno.
SMBC accomplished its goal Thursday by defeating North Shore, its 12th victory in five days, at the Reno Convention Center.
The only problem for coach Nabil Mardini's team was its sweep came in the final of the Contender Division, not the championship bracket.
SMBC was able to rebound from two heartbreaking losses Wednesday to win its final three matches and place ninth in the 105-team division.
But for the 11 recent graduates on SMBC's roster, the strong finish could only provide so much solace after they entered the tournament as the third seed and the club's best hope to win a festival championship.
"(Wednesday) was very disappointing, but the girls left it all out on the court and that's all I can ask," said Mardini, whose team lost 19-17 in the third game against Nike Northwest Juniors Air Elite, followed by a 16-14 setback in the deciding game against Empire Mizuno to eliminate it from title contention.
Harvard-Westlake of Studio City's Brittany Julian is the only player on Mardini's roster eligible to play at the 18-under level next year, forcing SMBC to reload next year for another run at a festival title.
Nine players on SMBC's roster plan to play college volleyball in the fall, including Quartz Hill graduate Tara Henn, who will join Mardini at Pierce College.
Mardini should have a good crop of players to choose from, with SMBC's top 16- and 17-under teams both finishing seventh in their divisions.
SMBC's 17-under team, which features 10 area standouts, defeated Saddleback Valley in three games Thursday. SMBC's 16-under team, with seven local players, swept Vintage in its final match.
Another team that will be looking to rebuild next year in an attempt to win an 18-under championship is Sports Shack, which finished 20th this year after capturing the title in 2005.
Sports Shack could look to the success of its 17-under team, which enjoyed one of the most impressive runs at the festival. After being ranked 17th among 17-under teams by Southern California Volleyball Association entering the event, Sports Shack placed fifth, capped by a three-game victory Thursday over Empire Mizuno.
Sports Shack's 16-under team, led by Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge setter Samantha Orlandini, swept Empire Mizuno on Thursday to wi
n the Silver Bracket and place 17th.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SMBC title chance spiked at festival
Santa Monica Beach Club began the day as one of 16 contenders for the 18-under title at the annual Volleyball Festival in Reno, Nev.
After three matches Wednesday, SMBC found itself resigned to competing in the Contender Division for the fourth time in five years.
Following nine consecutive victories to open the tournament, SMBC featuring 10 area standouts fell from the third seed to No. 12 Wednesday with back-to-back three-game losses to Nike Northwest Juniors, Air Elite and Empire Mizuno.
SMBC, which was seeking its first title in club history at the world's largest annual sporting event, will need to win three consecutive matches today to finish ninth in the 105-team division.
Coach Nabil Mardini's team will open play against Portland Black the team it swept in its first match Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the Reno Convention Center.
For the 11 seniors on the SMBC roster, including Angela Hupp (Paraclete of Lancaster/CSUN), Tara Henn (Quartz Hill/Pierce College), Emily Johnson (L.A. Baptist of North Hills/Gonzaga), Taryn Robertson (Valencia/UC Irvine) and Christine Vaughen (Simi Valley/North Carolina), it will be the last time they take the court together. The core of Mardini's team began playing together in eighth grade and had aspirations to better the club's eighth-place finish in 2003, but came up short after dropping only one game in its first eight matches.
SMBC entered Wednesday's competition as one of four teams with unbeaten records. Among that group, only top-seeded Rancho Valley extended its winning streak to 12 in a row, including a sweep of Nike Northwest Juniors Air Elite, to clinch a berth in the championship match at 8 p.m. at the University of Nevada's Lawlor Events Center.
Nike Northwest Juniors Air Elite will play the winner of Saddleback Valley and City Beach at 10:30 a.m. to determine Rancho Valley's opponent.
Last year's 18-under champion Sports Shack, led by Westlake High outside hitter Alex Johnson, remained alive in the Silver Bracket with three victories Wednesday. Sports Shack will need to defeat Southern Oregon Green, San Luis Obispo Juniors and Santa Barbara in succession today to finish 17th.
Sports Shack and SMBC's 17-under teams fought valiantly in the championship bracket Wednesday, before being knocked out of title contention. Sports Shack, ranked 17th among 17-under teams by Southern California Volleyball Association entering the festival, will face Empire Mizuno for fifth place at 9:15 a.m.
SMBC - featuring players from Flintridge Prep of La Canada Flintridge, Hart of Newhall, Harvard-Westlake of Studio City, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, Saugus, Taft of Woodland Hills and Valencia -
will compete for seventh place against Saddleback Valley at 8 a.m.
In the 16-under division, SMBC - with players from Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge, Harvard-Westlake, Paraclete and Thousand Oaks on its roster - split its four matches Wednesday and will play Vintage at 8 a.m. today for seventh place.
Sports Shack's top 16-under team, led by Flintridge Sacred Heart setter Samantha Orlandini, remained in contention in the Silver Bracket with four victories Wednesday. Sports Shack will play for 17th place at 10:30 a.m.
Sports Shack's top 15-under team will fac
e Laguna Beach for seventh place at 8 a.m. today--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Locals help SMBC advance
By the middle of Tuesday afternoon, it was confirmed that a new 18-under champion would be crowned at this year's Volleyball Festival in Reno.
By the end of today's competition, Santa Monica Beach Club wants to be one of the two teams playing for that title Thursday night at the Reno Convention Center.
With Orange County Nike's sweep of defending-champion Sports Shack in Tuesday's elimination match, the 105-team field was reduced to 16 for today's championship bracket. Third-seeded SMBC - featuring 10 area players - is one of four to advance with an 8-0 record, along with top-seeded Rancho Valley, No. 2 City Beach and No. 4 Bakersfield Club Jamba.
"It doesn't get any better than this," said SMBC coach Nabil Mardini, whose team plays the first of what could be a four-match gauntlet today at 9:15 a.m. against 14th-seeded Portland Black. "These girls were heartbroken last year and they're hungry to win it all."
Behind setter/opposite hitter Angela Hupp (Paraclete of Lancaster/Cal State Northridge) and setter Taryn Robertson (Valencia/UC Irvine), SMBC swept So Cal Athletics and Laguna Beach to secure a berth in the round of 16 for the fifth consecutive year. SMBC's best finish in the 18-under division is an eighth-place showing in 2003.
"We have two pure setters on the court, including one that is our biggest hitter, and that's a big advantage," Mardini said. "Our starters are playing really well right now. They know what it takes to be successful. They've prepared for it in the gym (since November)."
Emily Johnson (L.A. Baptist of North Hills/Gonzaga), Brittany Julian (Harvard-Westlake of Studio City), Kristen Berthiaume (Thousand Oaks), Gillian Heydorff (La Salle of Pasadena/Portland), Tara Henn (Quartz Hill/Pierce College) and Christine Vaughen (Simi Valley/North Carolina) will all be counted on for SMBC if it is to reach Thursday's final.
"We have the talent to play with anyone," Mardini said. "I don't think there's a team out there that can beat us, unless we beat ourselves."
Sports Shack, the 21st seed, will compete in the Silver Bracket. Led by Westlake outside hitter Alex Johnson, Sports Shack will face No. 28 Capital City-Nevada at 9:15 a.m.
After two losses Monday, SMBC's 17-under team - also featuring 10 area players - bounced back to defeat both Saddleback Valley entries and Club Stellar to secure the fifth seed in today's championship bracket. SMBC faces No. 12 Colorado Performance at 9:15a.m.
Article Launched: 06/27/2006 12:00:00 AM PDT
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SMBC is still perfect
The passing was a little shaky, the deficits were more than expected and a single game was even lost.
A day after cruising to three victories, Santa Monica Beach Club's 18-under girls' volleyball team remained undefeated by winning three more matches Monday at the annual Volleyball Festival in Reno.
But SMBC - the third-seeded group in the 105-team division - found out there will be little margin for error the rest of the way if it wants to reach Thursday's championship match at the Reno Convention Center.
"We didn't play as well. We had our moments, but we weren't steady," said SMBC coach Nabil Mardini, whose team - which features 10 area standouts - is one of seven in the division with a 6-0 record entering today's competition. "But we survived. It seemed like we were down in every game, but we found a way to win."
SMBC's sweep of No. 19 Laguna Beach, thanks to strong performances from Angela Hupp (Paraclete of Lancaster/Cal State Northridge), Taryn Robertson (Valencia/UC Irvine) and Christine Vaughen (Simi Valley/North Carolina), came on the heels of a three-game victory over No. 15 Black Mountain Juniors.
SMBC was one of eight teams to receive a first-round bye in today's qualifying brackets. Despite a three-game loss to ninth-seeded Southern Oregon, Sports Shack - last year's 18-under champion - moved from 21st to fifth Monday with a sweep of Saddleback Valley, thus securing a bye in today's opening match.
SMBC will face the winner of No. 29 Oahu and 35th-seeded So Cal Athletics at 10:20 a.m. A potential rematch with Laguna Beach could come at 12:40, although No. 13 Cowlitz is also in the other half of the bracket.
SMBC's second 18-under team, which enters today's competition 34th, faces No. 32 Bridgetown in its opening match. A victory would give coach Jeff Porter's team - featuring 10 area players - a shot at No. 2 City Beach.
Sports Shack needs to get by Southern Oregon or No. 11 Empire Mizuno to remain in the hunt for a repeat.
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SMBC advances in Reno
The expectations are higher than ever for Santa Monica Beach Club's top 18-under team at this year's Volleyball Festival in Reno. Through one day and three matches, the collection of local girls' volleyball standouts have lived up to their billing. SMBC, coached by Pierce College's Nabil Mardini, maintained its No. 3 seed in the 105-team division by sweeping two pool-play contests, followed by another victory in a first-place challenge match at the Reno Convention Center. The top 32 teams advanced to today's seeding pools, with SMBC - featuring 10 area players - taking on No. 15 Black Mountain Juniors, No. 19 Shasta Creations and No. 31 Laguna Beach. "(Sunday) was an easy day, but that's what we expected," said Mardini, whose team didn't drop a game against Beach Cities Gold and High Velocity Black in pool play before sweeping No. 30 Santa Barbara in its final match. "These girls know how to win. We talked (Saturday) about treating every match as a tough one and not looking too far ahead." SMBC's first real test will likely come Tuesday, but Sunday was a good opportunity for Mardini to use different lineup combinations in an effort to get his reserves some Defending 18-under champion Sports Shack won its three pool-play contests but lost a three-game battle against San Diego in its challenge match. SMBC's 17-under team - also featuring 10 area players - maintained its No. 6 seed in the 94-team division with three victories, including a sweep of No. 23 Club Vaqueros Bayamon in its challenge match. In the 16-under division, fifth-seeded Sports Shack - featuring Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge's Samantha Orlandini - and No.8 SMBC, with seven area players, both won their two pool-play matches in the 216-team draw.
School Volleyball Schedules 2005
