Local girls seek volleyball gold at Hermosa Beach
Hermosa Beach’s Tabitha Keever has her eyes set on winning the Girls 16U division at the AAU Junior National Championships. Photo
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) returns to Hermosa Beach this week hosting the first of two of the largest youth beach volleyball tournaments in nation when the Girls Junior National Championships are held Wednesday through Saturday, July 6-9.
Featuring more than 320 teams from 25 states and three countries, the National Championships are a precursor to the West Coast Olympic Games that will take place July 20-23 in Hermosa Beach.
In past years, many of the tournament participants have gone on to represent the Unites States in Junior and Youth FIBV tournaments, played in the NCAA, Olympic Games and professionally on the AVP tour.
Scheduled to compete in the 10U division are local players Malyssa Cawa (Rancho Palos Verdes) and Summer Suppik (Redondo Beach).
In the 12U division, local teams of Kelli Belardi (Manhattan Beach)/Savannah Standage (Redondo Beach), Jaylen Clark (Manhattan Beach)/Carly Greskovics (Manhattan Beach), Catherine Maffet (Hermosa Beach)/Kaialani Breeden (El Segundo) and Jenna Colligan (Manhattan Beach)/Sidney Montgomery (Chatsworth) will vie for the gold medal.
Nine local girls will battle it out in the 14U division that includes the teams of Kate Reilly (Manhattan Beach)/Makenna Gaeta (Santa Monica), Charlotte Maguy (Redondo Beach)/Symphony Muzik (Redondo Beach), Ava Gallien (Manhattan Beach)/Leah Kelly (Manhattan Beach), Natalie Myszkowski (Manhattan Beach)/MayaMay Brown (Wichita, Kansas), Kevyn Clark (Manhattan Beach)/Ella Dreibholz (Santa Monica) and Brittany Lange (Manhattan Beach)/Maya Greskovics (Manhattan Beach).
The Manhattan Beach duo of Mia Milosovic and Hailey Clausen will compete in the 15U age group while the Beach Cities will be well represented in the 16U division with Tabitha Keever (Hermosa Beach)/Lauren Lanesey (Woodland Hills), Lauren Turner (Hermosa Beach)/Kyra Petersen (Davis), Katherine Hoffman (Manhattan Beach)/Karina Myszkowski (Manhattan Beach) and Kelli Barry (Manhattan Beach)/Harper Goldfarb (Long Beach).
In the highly-competitive 18U division, Rio Frohoff (Redondo Beach)/Amelia Smith (San Jose), Piper Monk-Heidrich (Manhattan Beach)/Nicole Anderson (San Diego), Alexia Inman (Manhattan Beach)/Sunny Villapando (Manhattan Beach) and Chloe Markland (Manhattan Beach)/Chelsea Mohl (Huntington Beach) will be challenged to earn a medal.
For more information, visit aaubeach.org.