NORTH SIOUX CITY, SD – The very impressive MVP 16 Red squad does it again with a 2-peat National Championship! The 2023 USA Volleyball Junior National Volleyball Championships concluded this week at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. This was MVP United Volleyball Club’s first USA Volleyball National Title. Previous National Championships earned by the club were at the AAU Volleyball Championships in Orlando, Florida.
In 2022, the team (MVP 15 Red at the time) earned the 2022 AAU 15 Club National Championship title, going an impressive 14-0 to bring home the hardware. This year, the team had to qualify to attend the USA Volleyball National Championships by winning the Show Me National Qualifier in Kansas City this April. The team entered the National Championship Tournament with a 16 USA bid and the #10 seed in the tournament out of the 36 teams, all of which had to qualify to enter and compete. After four days of play, the team battled through the top competition in the country to win the USAV National Title! On their way to the title, they defeated teams from 6 different states (Arizona, California, Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas).
Maliyah Hacker, Ava Lloyd and Bailey Boeve were named to the All-Tournament Team with Boeve recognized as the Most Valuable Player of the nearly 400 athletes competing in the 16 USA division. MVP United 16 Red athletes include Bailey Boeve (Hinton), Kinslee Walrod (SC North), Addie Kleis (DV), Maddy Jackson (SC East), Ava Lloyd (SC North), Ireland Jackson (SC North), Maliyah Hacker (Bishop Heelan), Hollie Peterson (SC East), Jadyn Hofmeyer (Unity) and Claire Munch (DV). 16 Red is coached by Rick Pruett, Melissa Smith and Kam Smith.
“What an amazing 4 days capped off with an unbelievable championship match!” remarks Head Coach and Club Director, Rick Pruett. “I am so proud of the girls as they showed heart and character from day one. Their resilience and never-quit attitude showed so many times this week. I have never been apart of something so incredible as what they did in the final set of the championship. We were down 11-14 and the girls showed extreme mental toughness, pulled together, and won 19-17. Every player contributed to this National Championship and each player made an impact. What a way to end our season!”
“I could not be happier that this special group of girls achieved their goal of bringing home another National Championship!” states Assistant Coach and Volleyball Director, Melissa Smith. “They are dedicated, hard-working and have a team chemistry that is second to none. This is a win for our entire Club and Siouxland! This is proof of the high level of volleyball talent that we have in Siouxland and shows that with hard work and dedication, our athletes can compete against talented athletes from across the country!”
This marks MVP United’s fourth National Championship. Previous titles are from the AAU National Championships in the 18 Classic division in 2015, 16 Club division in 2016, and 15 Club division in 2022.
We will be having a National Championship welcome home ceremony on Sunday, July 16 at 6:00PM in the CNOS Fieldhouse. The public and media are invited to attend!
MVP also had three teams compete at the 2023 AAU National Championships this summer. MVP 13 Red made it to the Gold Bracket and finished 9th overall, MVP 14 Red made it to the Ruby Bracket, and MVP 17 Red won the Topaz Bracket.
MVP United Volleyball Club’s 2023-24 season will begin in October with pre-tryouts with official tryouts happening in October and November. Visit mvpvolley.org for more information about training and our 501(c)(3) non-profit club organization.
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