Three powers clash, attempt to set attendance mark
Assumption's success last year led it to this year's premier event.
Photo by Jann Hendry
It's being called the Nfinity Creighton Clash Tournament, featuring what many expect to be the top three high school volleyball teams in the United States this fall.
On Sept. 26 in Omaha at Creighton's 2,500-seat Sokol Arena, MaxPreps national champion and two-time defending Class A Nebraska state champion Papillion-La Vista South will face off against 15-time Kentucky state champion
Assumption (Louisville, Ky.) and
Torrey Pines (San Diego).
According to Papillion-LaVista South coach Gwen Egbert, "The triangular came about through Prep Volleyball Magazine wanting to set a high school attendance record by bringing in the best high school teams in the country. It will be an exciting opportunity for our team to play the best in the country.
"There really isn't a clear cut attendance record for a high school volleyball match, so we want to establish," said John Tawa, director of Prep Volleyball Magazine. "There have been some where the attendance neared 2,000, but no official records have been recorded."
Tawa's goal is to fill the 2,500 Sokol Arena and with the three teams scheduled to play, a record attendance could just be awaiting documentation.
Torrey Pines features as many as eight players who have been identified as having Division 1 college abilities, including four who have already committed: 6-6 senior middle blocker
Jennie Frager (UCLA), 5-11 senior setter
Ryann Chandler (Pepperdine), libero
Maddy Kerr (California) and 6-2 junior outside hitter
Reily Buechler (UCLA).
Being in the spotlight is nothing new for three of the Torrey Pines players, as they are daughters of former pro athletes. Kerr's father is former NBA guard Steve Kerr, Buechler is the daughter of ex-NBA player Jud Buechler and Chandler's father is former NFL quarterback Chris Chandler.
Assumption, 43-1 last season and No. 4 in the final MaxPreps national rankings, returns five of six starters, including junior setter
Alexa Filley (Auburn commit), who is considered one of the top setters nationally in the Class of 2014.
In addition to Filley, four other Assumption players have committed to D-1 schools: seniors
London Ackermann (Georgia Tech),
Taylor Paulson (Saint Louis) and
Kaelin Grimes (Western Kentucky). Junior
Alyssa Cavanaugh has also chosen Western Kentucky.
Papillion-La Vista South won its second-straight national title from MaxPreps. The Titans are led by three senior All-Staters and Nebraska recruits – 6-3 outside hitters and twin sisters Kadie and Amber Rolfzen and 6-0 setter
Kelly Hunter. All three are on the U.S. Junior National team that will be playing in the Women's Junior Continental Championships in Nicaragua Aug. 19-27.
Assumption and Torrey Pines will play first at 6 p.m., with the Titans facing Assumption at 7:15 and then Torrey Pines at 8:30.
