Tribe Volleyball

 Miami Herald Awards still to come. Stay Posted.

Congratulations Coach Great Job!

A5 Heidi was considered a prohibitive favorite in the 17s division, but someone forgot to tell first-year clubTribe. With a roster overflowing with tall, physical players, the South Florida group, led by setter Emily McMurtrey and hitters Jessica Wynn and Mary Kate Short, smashed the hosts, 25-16, to open Pool 1 and led 7-6 in Game 2. A5 gathered itself and pulled ahead with help from Cleveland refugee Lauren Teknipp, whose size helped neutralize Tribe’s big bodies. The 25-17 win forced a third game that was tied at 5-5 until a three-point A5 run, capped by Mary Hoey’s line shot, put A5 on top for good. Kaylee Groeneveld showed off a fast arm late for Tribe, but by that time Hoey and Teknipp had done too much damage. A5 won 15-9 to overcome the upset bid.

Tribe had to turn around and play Roanoke Juniors to stay alive. It was evident early on that they were not ready. Roanoke raced to a 13-0 lead to open the set and won on a Shannon Craighead ace. Tribe settled down in Game 2 and its size started to wear on the smaller Roanoke team. Kills from Wynn and McKenzie Keightley helped Tribe square the match with a 25-21 win.

Game 3 started quickly for Tribe as Morgan Barry’s tip and Wynn’s roll staked the South Florida squad to a 3-0 lead. Roanoke rallied and took the lead, 9-8, on Craighead’s set to Jackie Greenberg for the putaway.Kelsey Kissane tied the set at 9-9. The teams remained tied, at 11-11, when Craighead took over. The 5-11 sophomore stuffed a Tribe attack to give Roanoke the lead, then dumped to extend the advantage. Roanokescored the final two points as well – from Liz Brailford after a nice Morgan Shannon dig and an ace from Maribeth Kern – to complete a 4-0 closing run that put Roanoke one match win away from the final.

(PrepVolleyball.com article on Jr National Championships American Division including Tribe 17 Platinum)

17 American 

Seeded 13 going into the challenge match, Tribe 17 Platinum played 1 seed Formula 1 VBC 17-1. The match showed the strength and tenacity that Tribe has shown all tournament in their six victories in eight matches. Emily McMurtrey’s controlled and well-located sets made for a smooth offense, and McKenzie Keightley took advantage of it in the middle, as did Jessica Wynn on the outside. This team will make big waves in the rest of the division’s tournament.

Tribe will face off with JJVA 17N-Rox, which is seeded 8. This team is one of the most fun to watch. Their energy was contagious throughout the whole day Wednesday, and the big plays made by Meagan Burke and Holland Hoefnagel make you want to do a fist pump. Setter Kamryn Sherman is the focal point of the team. She’s that good.

CC Wave 17 comes into the 2 seed, and will face off against Bakersfield. Wave’s 6-2 offense is highly effective, with precision sets from Esther Longoria and Giselle Carreon. In the middle is Kelly Gimenez, who, at only 5’9”, can get up and put the ball straight down. The setter run her all along the net, and she is effective at each point. Jordan Moore will also get the job done on the right side, with a good line shot that’s difficult to read.

The gold bracket in American will also hold Southwest 17 Asics, Academy Cleveland 17N, FC Elite 17-3, MO-MAVS 17-1, and Bakersfield 17 Judy. Look for Academy and FC Elite to move forward.