14 Gold AAU Nationals Write-up & Pics

14's Gold AAU Nationals Experience

This year, OJVA's 14u gold team, coached by Marty Mozzochi was honored to have the opportunity to fly to Orlando, Florida to play volleyball in the AAU Nationals. Within this experience, we learned to compete harder and come together better as a team. We were also challenged to perform at a higher, more competitive level and adapt to athletes from different regions and the change in time zones.

As players we knew we had to work hard and compete every day; and as the the days passed by the competition got harder. We had a big adjustment to make with the 3 hour time difference. This made it even more difficult to wake up in the morning. We were playing at 5 am back home and getting up at 2 am for the first three days. This drained a lot of our energy. In addition to the change in time zones the weather in Orlando was much more humid and sunnier than we are use to in Oregon. We all had to adapt to these new conditions which was a hard thing to do. The humidity and warm weather made it difficult to play without becoming overheated. All of us as players had the responsibility to make sure our bodies were hydrated and well rested.

Playing in AAU Nationals was a great experience for everyone. The competition level was high, and every match was a nail biter. As a team we came together and played better than ever before. The first two days we went out with a bang. Kills were made, balls were dug, and we set very high expectations. The third day was very rough on us. Our bodies were sore and the mental preparation was just not there anymore. We still played very well, but the matches were not in our favor. In the second match of the day we came out with very tough tiebreak loss, leaving us with a very bitter attitude. At the end of day 3 we went home with no wins, but only motivation to win everything the next day. The very last day was hard, and very challenging, everyone's brain were just not there. With that being said we lost our match. It was tough losing everything on the last two days but losing taught us valuable lessons. It taught us that even though we didn't win at nationals, we played heart and with passion, dedication, drive, will power, and most importantly we learned to trust each other as a team.

The events that happened throughout our experience at AAU Nationals taught us many things we may use now and later in life. Our team and many other teams that played in the tournament were taught how to come together as a team on and off the court. We learned how playing unfamiliar teams from other regions can help us grow. We learned our teammates strengths and weaknesses which helped us play better together and really bond, and the most tiring, how to play in a four day tournament and persevere through tough times. The things we have learned in this tournament will help us throughout the course of our life; in not only sports but in our daily life.

Throughout our nationals experience, we grew as a team, as individuals, but also as friends. Over the course of the tournament, we spent so much time together outside of the gym just hanging out and getting to know each other, that it affected our game. We found we could trust my teammates better, and we played with more chemistry than we had all year. This was apparent in the first two days of the tournament. We came out and played like we had been playing together our whole lives. All of a sudden we became more of a team then we had ever been. Passing, setting, and hitting are the basics of volleyball, but you can't win with just that, chemistry is a necessity for a successful team, and we learned that at nationals.

Michael Jordan once said, "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." This teamwork was achieved for our team through friendships off the court. We all truly hope that we will be able to keep the friendships that we built with as teammates throughout our lives. Although our team did not win the championship, Nationals was the best our team ever played. We finally came together as a team and as our coach said we were all on at once.
(Written by 6 members of the team!)

Marty Mozzochi

mozzochi2@comcast.net

18 Gold AAU Nationals Write-up by Ariana Wiltjer

OJVA 18 Gold at the AAU National Championships

By: Ariana Wiltjer

            Going to the AAU National Championships in Orlando, Florida is a blessing that I, nor the rest of my team, will ever forget. Nationals gives teams a chance to play the best of the best and get the exposure that you don’t get anywhere else. Walking into a vast room with over 175 courts, hundreds of college coaches, and a tournament with over 2,000 teams might be overwhelming for some, but our team knew how to handle the pressure. The amount of noise in this kind of setting from players coming together, coaches yelling, refs whistling, and parents cheering is indescribable. As we warmed up the first day, the first team on our court, we were all very focused and ready for play. We knew that every minute of practice and warm-ups were important, as this was our first tournament together as a complete team since we’ve had to deal with several injuries, including mine, this year. Although nerves channeled through some of us, we used it to get positive momentum on our side.

            After finishing the first day 2-1, with our only loss being to the 5^th seed in the tournament in the third game 14-16, our girls and coaches went back to the hotels and rental house to relax in the sun, enjoy some Florida restaurants, play cards, and swim (not too much, of course, because we knew we had play the next day!).

            Entering pool play the next day, we knew we were up against some extremely good teams. First up, we had the number 2 seeded team in the entire tournament. Although we ended up losing, it was really good to know that our team could compete at that level and stay up to the speed that a team that practices 5-6 times a week is at. At the end of pool play that day, it ended up being a three way tie for 2^nd place, meaning we would have to play-off.

            On the third day, we felt amazing and came out of warm-ups playing our hearts out from the very beginning! We went undefeated this day, putting us in a good position for the last day. On the last day, it was bracket play and we ended up 21^st overall in the 18 Open division! This was amazing for us because of how many high caliber teams were there.

            Being able to attend Nationals was a perfect ending for the season because not only was it great competition and allowed us to peak at the best time, but it was also really eye opening for our team. Playing in the 18- Open division, made us realize that there are so many talented teams outside of Oregon, and every team you play at this level is good, so you have to be on your A game 100% of the time. Competition aside, it was also an incredibly fun experience to be in a room that big with so many other people that share the same love that you do. I, and I’m sure the rest of my team, hope to be able to do this again!

Fwd: OJVA 12 Gold -- wins April GOLD Division power league upsetting #1 Rose City

OJVA 12 Gold -- wins April GOLD Division power league upsetting #1 Rose City

The girls played awesome all day and did not lose a set in the morning pool play.

They Beat #4 Athena in first crossover, beat PVC Pink (#2) in two sets in Semifinal and then went on the beat #1 Rose City in 2 straight sets:  25-18, 25-21

Melissa Penn

Picture of 14 Gold at PNQ

14 Gold at Pacific Northwest Qualifier in Spokane

2014 18U Far Western Volleyball Videos

Hello all,
In case anyone is interested, here are the recordings of all the games OJVA 18-1 played at the 2014 Far Western tournie in Reno.  By far, their best day was Saturday.  They entered the tournament ranked 17th and finished 15th.

Friday:

vs Sports Shack

  set1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc_LNS3hsvw

  set2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtpUpHu-fL4

vs Delta Valley

  set1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq1dMoqs-DU

  set2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhT4iILhJ28

  set3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2St7PHatvp4

vs Rage Garren

  set1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJXj8ALlYDk

  set2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfYr2JU0yTk

Saturday:
vs Lake VBC:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvD_6t5T7eE

vs Club Idaho

  set1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzbI9LmyxcI

  set2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qXufJRu0cc

vs Vegas Encore:

  set1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PafZITLX1K4

  set2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihwlw_X8qxA

  set3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tggsWiYMg-Q

Sunday:

vs Boise

  set1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryaDpOD-77c

  set2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf3CIfGHyCM

Symone Tran 18U All Tournament Award

Symone Tran from OJVA 18-1's team selected to the 18U Open All-Tournament team at the 2014 Emerald City Classics Invitational in Seattle, WA.

USA High Performance Camp by Sophie Griese

I had the opportunity to go play for the USA Volleyball High Performance Girls' Youth/Junior A2 Invitational Team Program this summer in Colorado Springs. It was a surreal experience, everything I could have imagined, from the intensity on the court to the lifelong friendships made off the court. My favorite part about this program was how the coaches stressed that we weren't at any summer camp, we were at a USA volleyball training program, there to represent our country. I also enjoyed how every girl in the gym was not just there to promote themselves, we were all there to help/push each other to new levels of play. As the week went on, we continued to get more and more in depth in our training and the concepts of USA play. Most of which were quite familiar to me, I soon came to the realization that many of the concepts USA Volleyball has were the same, or similar to those of Oregon Juniors Volleyball Academy. I have benefited very much from the Program and have a better grasp of the game, I am so thankful for all of my coaches at OJVA and their support in this experience.

-Sophie Griese

16 Gold AAU Nationals Write-up & Pics

AAU Nationals in Orlando, Florida was such an incredible experience for not only myself, but also my entire team as well. We were excited to play at every moment for all four days and the enthusiasm radiated throughout the convention center.

Personally, this was my first national championship so I was in awe of how enormous it was. There were approximately 170 courts and thousands of people filling the massive building. The atmosphere was incredible. The moment you walked through the door you were instantly in volleyball mode and felt ready to get on the court to start playing.

The best part about that tournament was that every team there was highly competitive. There were no easy sets during any of the four days. Each point was fought for and most importantly everyone wanted to win. Play was really at a whole new level. It was hard work, but it was probably the most enjoyable volleyball I've ever played. It pushed me to step up my game and really play all out. I remember saying on the final day of the tournament that I felt I had played the best of my entire volleyball career thus far, and I truly think that was because of the level of competition I needed to rise to. It pushed me to play better and I do not think I am the only one who felt that way.

OJVA 16 Gold was the only team from Oregon in the open division and I think that we represented well. We really gave it our all and even when we lost we still felt so proud of how hard we played. For example, we took a set from Mizuno Northern Lights who finished third in the tournament overall.

The last day was single elimination and unfortunately we lost our first game and realized the season had ended. The passion our team felt for the game and the love we felt towards each other was apparent from our reactions when we realized our time as a team was over. Many tears were shed and we all kept hugging each other wishing we could stay together. We grew so close over the eight months of practicing and playing as a team, and Nationals was a perfect close to an amazing season.

Hello everyone,

I have a lot of photos from Nationals but unfortunately my team photos didn't really turn out that well.  I attached a few.

In a couple of the group shots you can see that T.J. decided to jump into the pool with her clothes on to surprise the girls.  They were shocked as you can see.  Too much fun!    

Donna

USA High Performance Camp by Taylor Toms-Overn

This summer, I was invited to participate in the High Performance A2 Training and Invitational Team. This was my first year and I didn't know what to expect, but it was so amazing! (It was totally and completely exhausting, but still so amazing!!)  It was so cool to be able to play at that level with girls who eat, sleep and breathe volleyball, like me!

We had three practice sessions every day and one classroom session. I learned so much that I thought my brain was going to explode!  The coaches were all really awesome - some of them were really intense! 

In the A2 Program, we practiced for 5 days and then had a 2-day invitational tournament.  We lived on the college campus for the week and got to stay in dorms.  This was really fun, but also hard to be away from my family.  We were up by 6:30 almost every day to eat and go to our first practice at 8:00, and then we weren't finish with our last practice until about 10:00pm!  The beds weren't very comfortable, but I was so tired by the end of the day that I barely noticed!

Camp was a little intimidating at first.  All of the girls were so good!  I tried not to let it get to me, because I knew I have had some of the best coaching ever from my OJVA coaches and that they had prepared me to be able to keep up with any of them!  I started in the bottom group and by the end of the week I had earned a spot in the top group!  When they first announced the teams, my coach said I was going to be the backup setter because the other setter had a lot more experience.  I was really bummed and decided to work extra hard to show her I deserved more playing time.  During most of the tournament, she made me the primary 6-2 setter/hitter and made me floor captain because she said I was really positive, a hard worker and a good leader.

I'm really grateful to my OJVA coaches.  Without them, I never would have made it to the High Performance Program.  If I were to give advice to other girls who want to make volleyball their life, I would tell them to work hard, don't get lazy, and to use their mistakes as learning opportunities - don't dwell on them. They can negatively impact your confidence, your performance, and your whole team. Most importantly, don't be afraid to dream big!!

Signed,

Taylor Toms-Overn, 14 Gold

16 Red Regionals

Though we started slow on day one, we still played hard and battled. We had the lead in all the sets for the two matches we played 3 games, we just couldn't put it together and finish. We lost all three matches, but stayed positive and ready to work.

Sunday, was a much different story. We put it ALL together and started steam rolling teams. Digging their hits, serve receiving, moving sets and hitters around, keeping the teams on moving, forcing them to put free balls back over the net or a less aggressive hit. Are attitudes and energy was GREAT all day Sunday and I hope we realize this game can be easier and more fun, if we play our game and not worry about the opponent or score than it.!

Awesome job ladies, way to finish and stick together as a team! Thanks for the support parents.! 

All in all Regional's was a fun event and great experience for us and the city of Portland. 

12 -White Friendship Tourney at the Courts

We continued to change up the rotation all throughout pool play.  It was a little rough with high ranked power league teams in our pool. We did end up giving them a run for their money.  We challenged each team in a set (18-25 v. Team Hiki No 12.1 & 19-25 v. NCVBC 12-Black).  We then played OJVA 12-Red and didn't have the intensity or energy that we had in the previous challenging sets. Fun fact: We only had 1 service error v. NCVBC-Black.  Not so fun fact: Every serve was an error v. OJVA-Red. Once we had the full team, I found a rotation that was working!  We worked hard and everyone got to play.  The match was against a team that was at our level.  The girls went 3 v. Team Hiki No 12.2 with scores of 17-25, 25-22 & 15-7.  Although we didn't end the day with a win (we lost to Team Hiki No 12.1), we had a rotation that clicked for everyone.  Thanks Racquel for keeping us in serving order all day…it gets confusing when I change the lineup around!

-Coach Caryn

12 Blue Power League April 13, 2014

Our 12 Blue team started off the day upsetting the number one seed in our pool in a three set match.  In the two sets they won they came from behind both times and finished strong.  We then lost to a consistent serving team and finished out pool play losing a three set match.  At the end of pool play we found ourselves in a three way tie for second, but got the fourth finish because of points.  We couldn't find our rhythm in our first bracket match and lost it in two sets.  We finished strong for the day winning our last match.

16 Red- Power League 4(last one)

Well, it as the last power league of the season and the girls played great. We started 3rd in our pool, finishing 2nd, beating Salem, DSK for the first time, but losing to Team hikki no. All the girls played and made major contributions throughout the day. Players are trusting and working hard for their team mates, hustling the entire day. Only a couple balls hit the floor, without excellent hustle or trying to get it, which was awesome. We played much more aggressive at the net blocking and hitting the bal better than I've seen before.!

Bracket play, we played PVA in the 1st round, losing two close games. We made too many mental mistakes and wrong assignments, but finished strong. We took on Hikki No again, next match and this time won by 7 points, having the lead the entire game. Nice work and excellent job Ladies! Thanks parents for your support as always.

See you Monday for practice, keep working hard and WANT to get better!

14 yellow PL #3

Our tournament couldn't have gone better if I asked!!  The team played so well that it left our parents and I reflecting back to our first friendship tournament laughing how we expected our season to be pretty challenging!  The girls have gone from not knowing any position or saying a single word to not only knowing their regular position, but able to adjust to a new one if I need them and being able to communicate so well with each other on the court!  When they did get a bit lazy on the court, I took a coaching tactic from our awesome head coach on team red and threatened 50 burpees if another ball dropped on the floor without someone going for it and……well, lets just say, we are not doing burpees!  Team yellow went through the whole tournament without a single set lost and took the championship!!  The gym was hot and the girls at times were tired, but there was always someone fresh off the bench that when given the opportunity, came into the game and played just as hard as if they had been in all day!  I am so proud of team yellow for their hard work and determination to play hard and have fun!!  Coming home with a second tournament championship is just a bonus!!  GO YELLOW!!!

Sent from Windows Mail

16 Red PL #2

We played in Monmouth at WOU, which was a nice facility, but a little awkward with the 3 courts in 1 gym. A few players showed up late, but had enough to start, as we did. Just  a little slow, maybe thinking too much or tired, just not ourselves. We would hustle and play scrappy, but couldn't finish some rallies and made to many mistakes, that led to runs. Two players went day during the day, concision and thumb injuries, to which I wish them a safe and fast recovery.

Bracket play, we stepped up as a team, continue with hustling and winning the matches we needed too. Everyone played and contributed, with nice plays, weather it was a great dig, big hit, nice block, killer serve, they did it all. We just need to focus on consistency moving forward, along with our hard work and willingness to get better. Great Tournament OJVA Red, I see the improvements, keep working.

12 White PL#2 @ Willamette University

We were short of our full roster at power league.  This was a blessing in disguise because I was able to keep the rotation pretty consistent.  I think this helped the girls to really know where they were on the court (i.e. serving order & switching).  Warming up with regular volleyballs (the heavier ones as the girls put it) made it easier in the match to get our serves over and in!  We served more consistently and were pumped up and energetic most of the day.

As for our record, we won a match in pool play vs. SVC Red (25-21, 25-18 & 25-21).  We ended up coming in 2^nd.  We also won a match in crossover vs. NCVBC Blue (25-16, 17-25 & 15-11).  We ended up playing OJVA 12-Black at the end of the day (they were ready, but we were not)!   We lost and I think we all learned a valuable lesson about teamwork and energy.  Coming together in the middle and encouraging each other is very important, especially at the end of the day.    

-Coach Caryn

Pictures of OJVA 16 Gold at MLK Tourney

Pictures provided by the Groark family.

OJVA 14 Yellow CEVA pl#2

We played very well at our power league especially since we just moved up to this division. We placed first in pool play! Once in crossovers, we fought in 3 very close matches but lost in the end. We were technically a better team, but they were very scrappy and was able to return the ball. It was a tough loss. We won the next game to maintain our seed. All in all, it was a good day and a total team effort! One thing I have to point out is our team is a completely different team than how we started! There has been such a high rate of improvement overall, it is fun to be a part of. Keep it up team yellow! I know we can move up a division at the next power league!

12 RED PL #2 Highlights

Coach Amber and I were very proud of the way the 12 Red team stepped it up in the afternoon of Power League #2, playing tough and keeping our heads in the game.  Chanting "come back, come back" was a good way to make good things happen.  We started a little slow in the morning, seeded second in our pool and finishing third.  We tried a few different line-ups and everyone got to play.   In the afternoon (2 hrs behind schedule) we had to make a few adjustments based on am performance and won both bracket play matches. We served ourselves out of a few holes and each time it was a different server who stepped up.  We had  trouble with overpassing and TALKING but Amber and I were very pleased with our serving and our middles played outstanding. In the next few weeks we will try to step it up a notch and focus on speed, back row defense and hitting.  Keep up the great work girls and thank you parents for the support!  What a great team ... your should all be proud...  everyone contributed to our success.
Go RED!!!!
coach Pat

14 Black PL #2 Highlights

14 Black had an awesome showing this past Saturday in Gresham taking 1st in their power league!! They came out strong in their first match of the day and beat a Mid-Valley team they have struggled to play with all season! It was a hard fought victory, but we kept the momentum and put them away! The girls served awesome and did a great job at the net blocking and hitting! Our next match we won in two and were looking to take first in the pool. Our last match of pool play though, we weren't quite prepared for and ended up losing in three to a team who had lost to Mid-Valley. So, there was a three way tie for 1st and we ended up 2nd in our pool based on winning percentage. That meant we had to play the first team in the other pool - AVBA!

We had played AVBA twice already this season and had only taken a game off them. The girls were up for the challenge though and played their best match all season!! Huge serving streaks, big time kills, and awesome serve receive passing put us in position to pull off the upset in three tough games! I was so proud of them! That was only our crossover match too - we still had to play in the championship! We'd never seen the Webfoot team we played in the championship and the girls came out a little slow in the first game. They certainly picked it up in the second though and fought their way back to a third game! It was nail-biter but the girls hung on and kept swinging hard! It was a great day all around and a true team effort!

Congrats 14 Black on a stellar day of volleyball!!

12 Gold Power League #2

Finally got to play in our gold power league after the snow cancellation of last month. Excited to see how we compared to other teams out there. We started off the day against Athena and were ahead by a few points each game, won 25-20, 25-18. Felt good to start off with a solid win. Next we played Mac and won the first game easily but struggled with service receive the second. We ended up having to go to game three and what a thriller! Each point was served in and rallied by both teams. We finally won 21-19 and I am now charging parents for my hair coloring !!! We finished pool play against the number one team Westside but handled them easily to win our pool. We went right into playoffs against PVC. We won the first game by serving well and playing defense. Then struggled against one of their servers to start game two in the hole by 7 points. We started to play again but never could catch up and had to go three. Once again a very competitive match, we fought back from a hole again to go up 13-12 but then a crucial miss call by the ref, not giving us a replay when the ball hit the overhang, and then another good server by PVC meant we just missed getting to the finals by 15-13. We ended the day quickly by beating Athena 25-10 to stay at our number 3 seed. Nice job by all for the day but we have some work to do on serve receive! Loved our serving and the fact that people are starting to go for balls on defense. Excited to work hard to get ready for Spokane.

Thanks to all the parents for their great support. Saw lots sporting OJVA shirts, lots of cheering and plenty of food for all. Thanks for the latte run to keep the coach on her toes! With all the close games we had plenty of excitement for the day! Go OJVA Gold!

Tournament highlights for OJVA 12 Blue

February 22, 2014 Friendship Tournament

Overall our OJVA 12 Blue team had a good tournament.  We won the first two matches of pool play, then lost to eventual tournament winner BOSS. This placed us second in our pool.  In bracket play we lost to Excel-Black and then to NCVBC.  We finished in the top half of the tournament.


Power League March 2, 2014

We had a rough start to pool play in the first match losing to Sweet Home.  We then played an Excel NW 12-2 Silver team and played well, winning that match.  With a chance to finish second in our pool, we lost a heartbreaker in the third pool match to Sutherlin.  The match went three sets with us losing the first and going into extra points to finish the second and third set.  This placed us third out of our pool.  A disappointing finish in pool play, but the team finished on a positive note and finished bracket play strong.  They beat a NCVBC team in three sets.  The first two sets went into extra points and played a great third set.  Then we waited to play the last match of the day and beat a Blues team. 

12 White -Salem VBC Friendship Tourney at The Hoop

As one of the parents said…  "it was a tough day for the win column.”  I agree, but I am definitely not disappointed.  The girls started switching to positions in the front row and used a libero all day.  They didn’t complain about it and learned a lot!  Nina & Ally shared the duty of libero and both did well passing and being aggressive.  The team started off quiet and slow moving (I think that some of them were not awake)and throughout the day got louder and faster.  Our serving was definitely an improvement from last tournament.  We were getting more serves in and they were going deeper into the court. The best set of the day was the second set against Rebel VBC.  We lost 23-25, but the girl’s energy, intensity and communication were awesome!  We had some hard hits from Ally & Ella, which were a result of great passing and setting for those points. The girls even started coming to the middle after each point and cheering each other on (on the court and on the bench). I am definitely looking forward to power league when we are playing teams that are all at our level! We will really see what they can do.

-Coach Caryn

President's Day Tournament- Eugene

Well, I must say, I was pleased with our performance. The team played great and hustled all weekend with great overall effort. Their starting to buy into the mechanics, trusting themselves, their teammates and staying aggressive.! It was a TEAM effort, with all the ladies contributing and limiting their mistakes. Though we still had our fair share of miss 'cues' the team was aggressive and realize where/when to play it smart. 

We started out day One, 4th in our Pool and finished 2nd, behind North Clackamas, after losing to them in a close, well played match. Day Two, we started 4th in our Pool, finishing 3rd. We played Apollo and Roseburg tough, but two 4 point runs, did us in both matches. Day Three, we faced North Clackamas, beating them 25-17, but falling short the next two, 23-25 & 13-15. Then we faced Mt Hood- Black, losing in 2. I think the close match with NCVB, did us in mentally, but we still played tough.

Again, overall we played great and having seen the faster pace of better teams, we know to keep working on the process and getting better. Keep it up OJVA RED!

   

16 Gold Power League Qualifier

The 16 Gold team fell one match shy of its goal, the Platinum Division, at the PL Qualifier. The very first set of the day started off a little rough, and we found ourselves losing to NW Jrs 21-25. But we regrouped and came out strong to finish off the match 25-14, 15-7. We learned that we have to not only be physically ready to play in the morning, but mentally ready as well. We won the next two matches of pool play easily, beating Wave 16-1 25-4, 25-22 and Cowlitz 16-1 25-9, 25-8. We also won our first crossover match against NPJ easily with scores of 25-14, 25-9. Once again our serving was a great weapon. We had 23 aces in the four matches! We also had a big size advantage in the middle and were able to handle the ball well enough to utilize the middle effectively. Genna, Kathryn and Jade all three had some dominating moments in the middle, where they just couldnt be stopped. In the second crossover match, we were playing to get into the Platinum Division. We played a very tough Boss team. They were the biggest, and deepest team we had seen all day. The team fought hard, but unfortunately, we lost the ball handling battle with them, which meant we couldn't utilize our middles as well and ended up losing 25-27, 25-23, 7-15. Our serving got tentative as well, so we learned that we have to be able to continue to serve tough in tight situations if we want to beat a good team. So for now, we are in the Gold Division and are back in the gym working hard to get better, with the goal of winning the Gold Division and moving up to Platinum. But we first have to "DO WORK! "

16 Gold MLK tournament

16 Gold Finishes 3rd at MLK Tournament

The MLK tournament in Eugene was our first tournament of the year.  We did not really feel like a "team" yet going into the tournament, due to the nature of our pod training and working on fundamentals at the beginning of the first training cycle.  So everyone was excited to finally get to play together and see what this team is all about.  We won all three pool play matches on the first day, beating CCJV and 253 Elite (WA) easily in  two, and then Seattle Jrs. in a close three set match.  We saw right away that our team has a good blend of talent and competitiveness, as we fought hard in our first real test in the win against Seattle Jrs.  Day two also saw us win our pool, winning our matches against Webfoot 15's, All Out, and NPJ all in two sets.  Serving was a huge strength, as the girls showed they were capable of consistently serving tough, hitting areas, and confidently mixing up their serves.  Along with the 16 aces we had on the day, we had only 6 errors and caused a lot of disruption in the other teams' offense.  Our first match in bracket play on Monday was against a very strong Athena team.  We managed to scrape by with a win, but it wasnt pretty, winning 25-21, 8-25, 16-14.  And yes, you read that right,  8-25 in the second set.  Everything that could go wrong did!  But the girls were able to let it go and regroup for the third set.  They showed a lot of character as a team to come back from that second set and compete hard, ultimately winning the match.  By far the best moment in the tournament for our team! Unfortunately, we lost in the semi-final  match to a tough Lake Tapps (WA) team 22-25, 25-18, 9-15. This put us finishing in a tie for third place in the tournament.   But we came away from the tournament with a better sense of self, and a lot of things to work on both individually as a team.  We found that along with the talent that we knew we had, we also possess a depth of character that was exciting to discover, and great chemistry that will help us through the ups and downs of the year.  

14 Gold - Power League #1

This past weekend showed us two sides of our team. As coaches we would like to see one side a lot more than the other!  We started off in pool play against PVC and although the score did not necessarily show it, we did a lot of good things at times. We are still struggling with maintaining a higher level of play. Next we had Athena, and again, we played them much tougher than at the Qualifier, but we still lost in 2 sets. Our poorest showing of the day was against Trails End for the last pool play match. Unfortunately, we didn't compete in any aspect of the game, and lost in 2 again. That put us 4th in pool play. 

Our cross over was against Rose City Black and we managed to rally and play much better, winning the match in 2 sets. We served very well and played more heads up volleyball. That guaranteed our spot to stay in the Gold Division. Our last set was against Trails End again, for seeding, and we focused and beat them handily to help ease the pain of the earlier loss.

We are getting more consistent setting from Cara and Taylor and that is helping our hitters out more.  The best part is that every time we step on the court we get an opportunity to improve our overall game and react quicker to certain situations. We will continue to move forward as a team!

 

OJVA 18's Blog

It is always great to play against the best in your area!!!!!  The 18's played very well against the best and finished 3-2 at the Platnium League which is the best 4 teams in Washington and the 4 best in Oregon.   We started off with a close match against NW Juniors losing 25-23 and 25-22. Then we played KJ 18's who won the MLK tourney and did not lose a set at that tourney. We played very well and won the first set 25-22, Then struggled in the second and lost 20-25.... The third set was close at the switch as we led 8-7 but could not hold the lead and lost 10-15. KJ ended up winning the tourney!!!!  IN our 3rd match we played Wahine 18's from Seattle and won in 2 25-19 and 25-18.    In the cross over we played KJ 17-1 and won in 2 in a good match that we played with a new lineup and some confusion. IN the Finals of the Lower bracket we beat Seattle Juniors ini a Rock Paper scissors match as the tourney was late and the regional finish for both would not change.   SO even tho we ended up 3-2 for the day we will drop out of the Platnium division as we finished 4th out of the Oregon Teams.  Our Pool ended up finishing with 1st, 2nd and 5th place as the Pool was clearly tougher than the other. Play in Gold in Feb and hope to get back to the Platnium in March!!!!

Now it is prepare for Vegas where we will see nothing but good teams again!!!!

Steve Suttich

The Courts in Beaverton

The Eastmoreland Courts

www.TheCourtsinBeaverton.com

OJVA

https://www.facebook.com/EastmorelandCourts

14 Red PL#1

WHAT AN AWESOME TOURNAMENT!!!! We weren't sure what to expect from the other teams, expecially seeing how seeding really is no indication of how good a team is sometimes.  In pool play we met, who is turning out to be our friendly rival, a great DSK team.  We played them tough but lost a close 3 set match to finish 2nd in our pool.  On the crossover the girls played aggressive and rolled the competition to secure one of 2 spots moving up a division.  Although the girls' rapidly improving skills are probably the most evident, we were most impressed by how they hung in on tight games, and played up even when the competition didn't push them.  We met DSK again(the 3rd time this season) in the PL division final and ran out of gas.  Overall, the day was a HUGE success and both coaches could not be more proud of the girls and how far they have come!

 

GO RED!!

 

Coach Kev and Coach Mattea

14 Purple CEVA PL #1

Challenging morning for Purple, pool play for us was rough! It’s safe to say everyone now understands how important it is to be able to finish a 3^rd set. We took ALL 3 matches to 3 sets, losing each of those 3^rd sets by 2 points.  But instead of coming out of pool play discouraged, the girls came out refreshed and won their two matches that afternoon.  It definitely was a change in competition from the second day of our PL qualifier, but beating those teams are definitely within reach for these girls! I’m excited to see what they can do our next Power League Tournament!

 

 

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CEVA Power League 14 White!

The day started out great, as it had in past tournaments, we knocked off the #1 seed in our pool MAC 13’s. From there we struggled a bit, losing to OJVA 14 blue and MHAC who came out strong to win the pool. Losing was probably the best thing that could have happened to our team, it forced the girls to recognize the competition and learn to rise to the challenge of better teams. We are still working on our communication and striving to be loud on the court. This was the first tournament we had all 11 girls and everyone really showed up to play. Our middles are getting some blocks in which is very fun to see. By the end of the day our record was 3-2, we stayed in bronze, which is the right spot for us at this point. For the next power league we are ready to rise to the challenge and are looking to move up to silver. It is amazing to see the girls really working as a team and making huge improvements. GO WHITE!!!

 

CEVA power league #1 OJVA yellow

What a great tournament for team yellow!  We were paired up really well with our pool so the games were full of great rallys and just plain good volleyball for the most part! We took first in our pool and moved on to beat webfoot and on to the championship round vs VB west! We won in two set where we had over a 10 point deficit and in both sets was able to come back and win!! All with one of our setters home with the flu!  Moriah stepped up and took on the role of setter opposite Hazuki (and did it so well, I think I'll be using her as setter again). And Kelcie and Tia came in and played like leaders! Jasmine and was hitting and blocking so well! And Alyssa was a top server! Ally was all over the court covering everywhere and was a go to hitter when we needed a kill. Lexi was rock solid and worked so hard all day to improve her game even more! Absolutely everyone took a part in this win.

OJVA 16 - White Tournament #2

Another home tournament; another exhibition of deceptive excellence.

The wins and losses column would display that this day wasn't a happy one; I believe that couldn't be further from the truth. With other teams scouting and strategising, minimising our teams options with tactical serving given through codes and cryptic messages. Our girls were lead to play the game naturally and develop through trial and error in game sense situations, and gave many teams a startling scare.

We learnt what pressure felt like in close games; learnt how to react and question what we were doing on court; learnt what style of coaching isn't appreciated and what is; learnt that everyone on the team needs to do their individual job to benefit the team as a whole.

Top plays from Jodie and Olivia through the middle on defence structured good backcourt play from Daria and Rebecca thus keeping our chins above water and competing with bigger higher ranked teams.

Also commendations to tidy outside play putting away the team we should have on Saturday picking up seeding positions that are well deserved.

The team from here moving forward needs to look at how to generate points on offence after good solid defensive play making. Also, looking to ride waves of momentum.

All is looking well so far...

Until next time

Kiwi out


Stephen Stone
OJVA 16 - Baby Blue

18's Qualifier

OJVA 18's Gold Qualifier

With sickies (colds and Flu) and lots of ouches (injuries) we went to Salem to play in the Qualifier.  Only suiting up 8 players was the smallest group we have ever played with and all players were needed!!!!!!  We started off with NCVBA and won in 2 fairly easily 25-9 and 25 12…. Then we played Oregon NW Juniors-AVBC 17-1 … xyz!  If they had anymore letters they could play Wheel of fortune but, we played well and Won 25-16 and 25-12.  Then we played the #2 seed in the pool which was NW Reign….  Had a bit of a trap match as we won easily in the first game 25-12, then Lost 25-17 and then played with some emotion and energy in the 15-7 3rd set win.  This let us win the pool and be exactly where we wanted to be in the playoffs for the Platinum division.  So 10 minutes after the 3 set win, we were back on the court against the Oregon NW-AVBA 18-1…aeiou.  The game was never in question as we won easily 25-19 and 25-10. Making it to the finals was where we wanted to be and winning is what we were playing for.  We ended up Playing Webfoot 18-1 in the match for the Platinum.  It was a great match!!!!!!  In the first set we were down 17-22 and after a couple of kills, a couple of great serves and some timely blocks we came away with a 26-24 victory.  Then in Set 2, we were in control  at 16-13, then a couple of hitting errors, big swings by Webfoot and missed serves we found ourselves down 16-19 and 19-22.  Only then did we play some Defense, Block some balls, take some very aggressive hits (that we practice all of the time).  With 2 great blocks , One by Kendall on a over pass that was a for sure game point …. out of no where came Kendall flying thru and completely roofed the 6'4 middle. Then a put away by Taylor on a look angle hit line and the big block of the day by Elise for the Match and a Invitation to the Platinum (Top 4 in Washington and Oregon).  

For the 18's this is our 7th straight Platinum tourney. The level of play there is always great and there are no bad or trap games as everyone can kick your game at any time!!!!  Nice job by ALL…Players and Coaches!!!!!

Steve Suttich

The Courts in Beaverton

The Eastmoreland Courts

www.TheCourtsinBeaverton.com

OJVA

https://www.facebook.com/EastmorelandCourts

Ceva Qualifier- Mt Hood CC- 16's Red

Our first qualifying tournament and overall, it went well.  This time Ali, assistant coach, was there adding insight and energy to the team, which was great.  I've seen a lot of improvement in attitudes and play, but Ali and I both know, their is unbelievable potential that hasn't been tapped in a lot of areas. Starting last in our pool(58) we played a little slow and by the end of the day we are close to where we started.  We told the ladies, they worked hard and had a nice day.  The effort and push to the end was great, but we're still beating ourselves too much, with mistakes.  Between the missed serves, hits and balls dropping, there was enough points to win at least 1 game!  Keep up the positive energy ladies, WANT to get better and work harder.!

18's MLK Tourney at Univ of Oregon

The MLK tourney was the coming out party for the 18's as this was the first competition of the year for the team.   We started the tourney seeded #7 which is a high seed for this new team. But in the first day we did live up to the seed by finishing 3-0 for the day.   We started off playing Reach 18-1 from the Tacoma area and won in 2 25-16 and 25-14. All players contributed and played well. Our second match was against Boise Stealth and the results were even better as the scores were 25-16 and 25-6. In our 3rd match and our toughest challenge we played a solid Kent Juniors 17's. This team was one of the top 16's team last year. After a 23-25 loss we gathered up and played volleyball and returned with a 25-16 and 15-7 win. 

Day 2 started off with a good match right away at 8am. A very scrappy Excell team seemed like they dug everything and every bounce fell their way. But OJVA came thru with a 25-23 and 25-23  win. In our 10am match we played DSK and had a easier win with everyone playing well 25-19 and 25 21. In our last match of the day we played the always competitive Columbia Juniors from the Tri-Cities area in Washington.  They had beaten the other teams in the pool very easily and the match could go either way.  The 18's Served and Passed very well and we clearly hit on all cylinders as we stepped up to the challenge and won 25-21 and 25-19. This qualified us for the Gold division as one of the top 10 teams in the 96 team event.  

Day 3 we played another team from Boise that came in to the tourney very badly seeded as a #4 (#31Overall) in their first day pool. They then proceeded to beat every team for the next 2 days and came into the gold division as the #10 team.  Both teams played very well and both teams showed their strengths. The Boise team has played together for 3 years and it clearly showed in their team play and very disciplined defense and transisition. We lost the first set 28-26 and in another dog fight we came up short 26-24 in the second.  Boise went on to win the next 2 matches and only lost to eventual champs KJ 18's.

Overall I was very happy with all of the play and all of the different lineups that we used going into the Qualifier this weekend.

Steve Suttich

The Courts in Beaverton

The Eastmoreland Courts

www.TheCourtsinBeaverton.com

OJVA

https://www.facebook.com/EastmorelandCourts

OJVA 18's Ready for MLK Tourney

First Tourney of the year always is exciting as we will find out what we need to work on.

Play well!!!!!

Steve

12 White PL Qualifier Highlight

Well, 12 White did AWESOME!  We placed 3rd in our pool.  Lost to MAC White 23-25 & 14-25, won v. NCVBC Purple 25-16 & 25-12, and then made an amazing comeback v. NCVBC Grey (who was undefeated at the time) to win 16-25, 25-19 & 15-??.  It was so intense that I forgot to write down the score!!!!  For the 2nd set, it was 4th graders all the way!  Only one of the 6th graders was on the court.  The team had 4 pass/set/hits in the match...this was the most they had in a match all day. In the other matches they only had 1 in each (this was my goal for the day- at least 1 pass/set/hit per match).  In the last set I got everyone on the court.  They all contributed to a great WIN.  The games were all about serving.  We had a lot of aces throughout the day.  We then had a bye and had to wait for our crossover match.  It was rough.  Mt. Hood had some really tough servers and we didn't see anything like it all day, so the team had a hard time passing.  

We have some true leaders starting to emerge...those who were talking on the court (all day), going after every ball and directing others to their positions. I can't wait to see what they do in the next month!

-Coach Caryn 

14 Black Qualifier #2 Highlight

14 Black had a tough pool this second qualifier and competed against all teams (they played every match to three games!) but only beat one team in pool play giving them the 3rd seed. In our crossover match, we lost to a team we beat last weekend in pool play which was a bummer. Still, I was proud of the girls continuing to play every game to the last point and saw many awesome improvements this weekend! We transitioned into setting from the back row too and by the end of the day, the girls had it down!

We'll continue to work on rotations and putting the ball away during long rallies!

-Carly Bittner

14 Yellow PL Qualifier #2 Highlight

We all successfully hydro-planed to Salem! And once we woke up halfway through our first set, we were unstoppable!  Even though the competition was not at the level we are used to playing, we worked hard on playing "our" game and not lowering our skill level to those teams we played. Our whole team is improving with every touch of the ball! Confidence levels keep rising!  I have Nick named Hazuki 'Ace' for her crazy number of aces, Charlotte was complemented by an opposing coach for her beautiful hands when she sets, and Tia discovered her 'game face'!! I'm so proud of how they all played! We won every match in two sets. And took the cross over round quickly playing the best we played all day! 

14 Red PL Qualifiers #1 & 2 Highlight MOVIN' ON UP!!!

Day one of the new qualifier was a great opportunity for 14 Red to be tested and get in the tourney groove.  We took 2nd in our pool after a tough 3 set loss to Tillamook 14-1 and crossed over to a very good and under-seeded DSK team.  Those girls were big and took some big swings but our girls hung tough and played them very tight.  Although we didn't win the match we bounced back and won the second match.  The first day dropped us from 68 to 77, but the girls got game tough and showed how well they can really play.  What we lost in seeding, we gained in physical and mental growth.

On day 2 we came in fired up and ready to play! Tillamook, who took our 68 seed, was in our pool for the 2nd time in a row.  With the 52 seed up for grabs in our pool, the girls fought hard, avenged the loss to Tillamook with a nice win, and also took down Southside and Webfoot to win our pool.  Im not sure if they just wanted to go home early(we were in Albany for the 2nd weekend in a row), but 14 Red played a focused and disciplined match against a good Pirates team to win our crossover and head back to Portland with the highest seed in both pools at 52!!!  The team played aggressive and together and really earned their new seed! Way to go ladies!!!

GO RED!

Coach Kev and Coach Mattea

16 White 1/11/14 Club Tourney Highlight

For a group of girls that had been compiled only a few days prior to their first tournament, areas of the game that needed the greatest attention to, communication skills for example, were far better than expected. A big positive for the beginning of the year looking forward.

The girls battled their way through pool stages picking up sets off of good teams to get themselves into the silver divisional playoff bracket (a great place to be).

Nate developed her dumping skills to generate points at opportune situations; hussle plays in the back court by Daria and Rebecca helped our team immensely; Megan, Emma, and Chloe stepped up, tidying play well. Considering, when we heard the morning of, one of our usual starting players was no longer in the team.

Everyone should take away positives from these games, and also learning experiences that last the year.

Being my first year coaching girls, and having gameplay differing from adolescent males, I look forward to developing as much throughout the year as these girls.

Till next time

Kiwi Out


Stephen Stone
OJVA 16 - White

12 Blue PL Qualifier Highlight

It was  a learning and  growing day for the Blue team.  We struggled at times in pool play, but also had our team show some good growth.  In the afternoon cross-over matches, we took both matches to three sets.  Again showing growth.  Overall even though we dropped they are headed in the right direction.  Go OJVA BLUE 12's!!!!!

14 Purple PL Qualifier Day #1 & 2 Highlight

What a great start to the year!

Day 1 of the Regional Qualifier was action packed! Purple came in ranking 128 and had a good start to the day but hit a rough patch in the middle ending in a three way tie! We were able to go 1-1 in tournament play and ended up advancing our ranking to 113. Great job ladies on being able to move up 15 places.

Day 2 was a bit different for us. Due to where we placed on Day 1 our Day 2 was all about deciding rankings 113-152, so we could either stay at 113 or move down in rank. YIKES!!! No need to worry because these girls came out super energized and ready to go! I was very impressed on how they were able to keep that energy throughout the day and maintain our systems even when confronting weak opposition. We went 3-0 in pool play earning us a 1^st seed in the pool. To finish the day the girls went 2-0 against the CCVC Crushers to hold their 113 rank and taking 1^st in their division. It was a very exciting day for Purple and a great way to end Day 2 of the qualifier.

A big thanks to all of the parents for being such an amazing support system and organizing food for both days! J

It’s going to be a great season, GO PURPLE!!!!!!

Coach Lindsey

14 Gold PL Qualifier #2 Highlight

14-1 Gold team stays in Gold Division after 14 Qualifier completion

Well, we made it, but we didn't quite make the statement that we wanted to. The overall quality of our play increased from the week before, and for that we were proud of our team. Our team transitions were much smoother and our tough serving helped us a lot at times. The team did a good job of transitioning into a 5-1 offense with Taylor out sick, and Cara really did a good job setting and giving our hitters good options. We felt that Brigitte took some major steps forward this weekend also. We look forward to having all 11 players at our next two Power League tournaments!

We did a good job of taking care of our pool play, beating all three teams in 2 sets.  We had TrailsEnd 14-1, Roseburg 14-1 and Salem 14-1 Black. Unfortunately we weren't really challenged that much in pool play, so when we then faced Athena 14-1 in the first crossover and we did not compete well. We bounced back and beat Rose City 14-2 Gold in the last match of the day. So we dropped from our initial seed of #3 to #6, but stayed in the Gold division for the first Power League. That was that coaches goal for the team and we accomplished that. We still have a lot of work to do, but we are on our way! Being in Gold now means that every match will be against tough teams and at a faster speed, so we need to be prepared to compete on every point. Thankfully we have time to crank up the intensity in practice for the next 3 weeks. 

Thanks to our Team Parents who are keeping us so well fed!

Marty Mozzochi