The 2011 USA Volleyball Girls’ High Performance (HP) tryouts are just under halfway complete after this weekend’s five opportunities. Tryouts took place spanning from March 17-20 in Denver, Colo., St. Louis, Mo., Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and Cheney, Wash.

St. Louis was the site for two of the tryouts held at the beginning and the end of the 2011 USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Mideast Qualifier. Over 130 girls were tested on speed, vertical jump, volleyball fundamentals and game-play on March 17 and about 36 girls were tested on March 20.

The atmosphere in St. Louis was something to awe over as the Mideast Qualifier started to wind down. Volleyball courts spanned from the America Center into the Edward Jones Dome, home of the NFL’s St. Louis Rams. Bleachers were folded up in the stadium and the entrance to the America Center was revealed, maintaining just a few hundred yards of distance between the glitter and ribbons of the qualifier and the pink, blue, red and white jerseys of the tryout.

As 5 p.m. on Sunday rolled around the atmosphere and location changed and the cheers from the qualifier began to disappear. The 36 girls and a collective group of parents and coaches took the courts, built over the space spanning from about the end zone to the 20-yard line.

The group of girls ranged from all ages trying out for different divisions from future select to women’s juniors. The coaching staff, chosen from various schools and clubs, rallied the participants and got the energy flowing with a “USA chant on three”. The girls were then divided by position and scattered over six courts.

The three-hour girls, tryout was one of 36 that began in February and will continue until the end of April.

2011 USA Volleyball Boys’ HP Tryout Results Posted This Week

The 2011 USA Volleyball Boys’ HP tryouts wrapped up March 12, with results being announced this week. Future selects will be posted Tuesday, March 22, while select, junior and youth teams will be posted March 23. For more information about the 2011 HP Boys’ Tryouts, click here.

For the complete schedule of HP tryouts, click here.

For everything HP including parent information and photo galleries, click here.