COLUMBUS, Ohio (July 6, 2017) – Balboa Bay 16 Blue continued the streak it started when the players were 14 and took the 16 Open title at the USAV Boys Junior National Championships on Thursday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Balboa Bay, out of the Southern California Region, defeated SPVB B16 Mizuno of Great Lakes, 27-25, 25-20 in the final. In the semifinals, Balboa beat MVVC 16 Red of Northern California, 27-29, 25-20, 15-10.
MVC B16-Phil from the Badger Region also finished third.
Several of the Balboa Bay players have been with the group since they won the 14 Open Division in 2015 (also in Columbus) and the 15 Open Division in 2016 in Dallas.
Head Coach Rich Polk said the 2017 Boys Junior Nationals had one of the toughest fields he has faced.
“I think this is probably the toughest 16-and-under division that we’ve ever had,” Polk said. “We lost a match on Day 1 to a really good Pace Bootlegger team. This field, top to bottom, was the toughest I’ve ever seen and I’ve been doing this 30 years.
After the loss on the first day, Polk told his team, “The team that wins this tournament is probably not going to go undefeated. Most of the time it does happen, but this is a really good field. I said it’s all about responding to adversity.”
Balboa’s Joseph Karlous was named tournament MVP, but said he thought the award should go to teammate Adam Flood.
“He’s the one who worked his (butt) off, not me,” Karlous said of Flood. He added that he appreciated the great attitudes of his teammates and coaches.
In the 16 Club Division, Adversity 16 Purple out of the Great Lakes defeated NCVC ASICS 16-1 of Northern California in the final, 25-17, 17-25, 15-11.
KU’IKAHI 16R RoShamBo from the Aloha Region finished third as did Milwaukee Sting 16 Boys from the Badger Region.
A record 510 teams and more than 5,000 top boys’ junior players, ages 12-18, from the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam are participating in the Boys’ Junior National Championships this year.
Sport Court is the official athletic flooring for the USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championships.
USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships Results
12 Club: Gold: Borinquen Coqui 12-1M (Puerto Rico); Silver: Bay to Bay 12-1 (Northern California); Bronze: MVVC 12 Red (Northern California) and Vaqueros 12-1 (Puerto Rico)
18 Open: Gold: Balboa Bay 18 Blue (Southern California); Silver: 949 18 Black B-KC (Southern California); Bronze: MB Surf ASICS 18s and Rise T.O 18-Adam
18 Club: Gold: Mizuno East Volleyball Club 18-Ryan (New England); Silver: Kaizen Boys 18s Black (Oklahoma); Bronze: Seaside 18-Black (Southern California) and VXS 18s Black (Southern California)
14 Open: Gold: 949 14 Black B-Jason (Southern California); Silver: Team Rockstar 14-1 (Southern California); Bronze: SCVC 14 Quicksilver (Southern California) and UVS 14UM Juan (Puerto Rico)
14 Club: Gold: San Clemente 14 Tim (Southern California); Silver: LBVC 14 Gold (Southern California); Bronze: MVVC 14 Black (Northern California) and SB Coast 14-1 (Southern California)
16 Open: Gold: Balboa Bay 16 Blue (Southern California); Silver: SPVB B16 Mizuno (Great Lakes); Bronze: MVVC; Bronze: MVVC 16 Red (Northern California) and MVC B16-Phil (Badger)
16 Club: Gold: Adversity 16 Purple (Great Lakes); Silver: NCVC ASICS 16-1 (Northern California); Bronze: KU’IKAHI 16R RoShamBo (Aloha Region) and Milwaukee Sting 16 Boys (Badger Region)