Tawa’s Daily Dots: 18s in Columbus, schedule delays, exciting players making plays

Daily Dots (April 21, 2021): Club or high school volleyball factoids, notions and ideas to impress your friends (or not)

• Two hundred eighty (280) teams are scheduled to begin play Friday morning at GJNC 18s, sponsored by USA Volleyball, in Columbus, Ohio.

The 18 Open, 18 National and 18 USA divisions should have 48 teams each. The 18 American division should have 64 teams. The 18 Patriot division, which is the division you can elect to play in if you don’t qualify for Junior Nationals at a qualifier or through your region, has a 72-team cap.

That makes 280.

We are hearing, however, that, perhaps due to COVID and injuries, fewer than 280 teams will answer the bell on Friday. That may explain why the tournament schedule, which was supposed to be released on Tuesday, has yet to appear, as of 1 p.m. PDT, on the Advanced Event Systems website.

Tournament director Kristy Cox acknowledged that there have been drops, citing many reasons, including COVID. She said the schedule should be out later today. Cox did add that all qualified divisions will be full.

• Here are some of the most exciting players you can expect to see wowing folks in Columbus this weekend in the 18 Open division:
Julia Bishop, S, Michigan Elite 18 Mizuno
Carter Booth, MB, Colorado Juniors 18 Kevin
Sophie Brenner, OH, East Coast Power 18 Royal
Amanda Burns, S/RS, Sunshine 18 South Bay
Averi Carlson, S, Dallas Skyline Juniors 18 Royal
Lauren Crowl, RS, Mizuno Northern Lights 181
Carly Hendrickson, OH, Elevation 18-Goller
Ali Hornung, OH, Union 18-UA
Bettye Igbenebor, OH, PVA 18 Elite
Ngozi Iloh, MB, A5 18-Scott
Lindsay Krause, OH, Premier Nebraska 18 Gold
Charitie Luper, OH, TAV 18 Black
Brooke Mosher, S, FC Elite 18 Elite
Rachel Muisenga, S, Adversity G18 Adidas
Rachel Richardson, OH, Metro 18 Travel
Norah Sis, OH, Premier Nebraska 18 Gold
Allie Sczech, RS, Houston Skyline 18 Royal
Sydney Taylor, libero, Mintonette m.81
Bailey Tillman, libero, HJV 18 Elite
Kendra Wait, S, MAVSKC 18-1
Brooke Watts, OH, Maryland Juniors 18 Elite
Mckenna Wucherer, OH, Milwaukee Sting 18 Gold

• Here are some of the most exciting players you can expect to see wowing folks in Columbus this weekend in the 18 National division:
Maddi Cuchran, libero, 1st Alliance 18 Silver
Skylar English, OH, Florida Gulfside VBA 18 Prime
Kennedi Sutter, OH, Excel 18 National Red
Beau Vanderlaan, MB, 1st Alliance 18 Silver
Sarah White, S, PGH Elite 18 Elite
Audra Wilmes, OH, NPJ 18 Forefront
JoJo Woods, libero, Aspire 18 UA Premier
Hannah Wright, libero, East Coast Power 18 Delaware

• Here are some of the most exciting players you can expect to see wowing folks in Columbus this weekend in the 18 USA division:
Makayla Jackson, MB, Revolution PGH 18 White
Jaden McBride, OH, JJVA 18N Daniel
Kendall Osgood, libero, Seal Beach 18 Black
Kyndal Payne, OH, Texas Pistols 18 Black

• Here are some of the most exciting players you can expect to see wowing folks in Columbus this weekend in the 18 American division:
Jordan Miller, OH, Revolution AZ 18 Premier
Andrea Owens, OH, SAVA 18 Black

• Here are some of the most exciting players you can expect to see wowing folks in Columbus this weekend in the 18 Patriot division:
Ashley Carr, MB, MOD 18 Elite Blue
Greta Davis, OH, NPJ 18 Bend National
TaKenya Stafford, OH, Sunshine 18 North

• Northern Lights 181 has lost two setters to season-ending injuries this year but has the hitters to make a run at the top 10 in 18 Open in Columbus. It used its new lineup, and a 5-1 offense directed by Ryley Frye, to win its way into the field at Show Me.

• Encore 18 Goldhahn is healthy and playing its best volleyball heading to Columbus in 18 Open. Coach Katie Goldhahn expects her team to be among the top finishers, as well as the other top finishers she saw at Crossroads, like Colorado Juniors 18 Kevin, Tstreet 18 Kasia and Northern Lights 181. Encore is set by junior Millie Muir, a Duke recruit who has been setting high level older teams since she was a seventh grader.

• CVC 18 Black could be in the mix in 18 National, despite playing without MB Margo Huff, a UNC Wilmington signee who injured a knee at MEQ. Ravin Morgan has stepped into that spot and played at a high level for coach Troy Dixon, who is raving about how well pin JoJo Chessar is playing for his squad. 

“I think we have a chance to be playing for something on Saturday night,” Dixon said. “But we have to execute.”

• Invasion 18-Black should have an edge in the middle in the 18 USA division. Middles Abby Massengill and Tamia McClunie, as well as OH Kendall Boone, who can play middle, all are impact players for coach Travis Dalton, whose team runs a lot of offense out of the middle. Dalton expects Aleena Peterson to make an impact as well anchoring the defense.

“We should be healthy when we make the trip,” Dalton said. “It’ll be a tough tournament, but our players are excited for the challenge. If our serve and pass holds up, I hope we can push to make a run.”

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