COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 24, 2019) – The USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championships (GJNC18) will bring 280 teams and approximately 3,000 athletes vying for a chance to win one of five titles April 26-28 in Dallas.
The 18-and-under age group event is in its fourth year as a standalone championship outside of the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships, which will be held later this summer in Indianapolis for age groups from 11-and-under to 17-and-under. The GJNC18 will be played on 40 courts inside the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas with first serve taking place at 8 a.m. PT on April 26.
The premier 18 Open Division will have a 48-team field. Each 18 Open club earned their spot at nationals through one of 16 national qualifiers held across the country since early January. The 18 USA and 18 American Divisions also placed 48 and 64 teams into the GJNC18s, respectively, through the national qualifier tournaments.
The 18 National Division has a 48-team field based on results from USA Volleyball’s Regional Volleyball Association championship events, at-large bids and re-allocation spots. The 18 Patriot Division has a 72-team field for clubs who elected to have a season-ending tournament but without having to qualify for the event.
The 18 Open Division had 13 different winners at the 16 national qualifying events with two teams winning two or more tournaments. Legacy 18-Elite (Lakeshore), the top seed in the 48-team Open Division, won three of the 16 qualifiers, while second-seeded TIV 18 Asics Black (North Texas) won two tournaments.
The North Texas Region, which includes the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has 16 teams competing in the championships, including five teams in the Open Division. Only the Southern California Region has more teams competing in the Open Division with seven entries and Arizona Region also has five entries.
PSVBA 18-1 (Puget Sound) won the Southern California and Pacific Northwest qualifier titles in the USA Division, the only club to win multiple qualifier titles in the division. They are seeded second in the National Division behind top-seeded Rancho Valley 18 Premier (Southern California).
The USA Division’s top seed is DIG THIS VBC-18 National (Southern California), followed by 1st Alliance 18 Silver (Great Lakes) as the second seed in division.
Texas Tornados 18 Mizuno (Lone Star) heads the American Division seeding, followed by TAV Houston 18 Black (Lone Star). Southwest 18N TR Harker (Ohio Valley) won the Ohio Valley and Beast of the Southeast championships in the American Division – the only club to win two titles in the American Division qualifiers. They are seeded ninth in the American Division.
Players and families are encouraged to follow and engage in social media detailing their tournament experience by using the hashtag #GJNC18. USA Volleyball will be posting social media content to its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram platforms under the handle @USAVolleyball.
Sport Court is the official athletic flooring for all USA Volleyball national championship events.
Top GJNC18 Seeds
18 Open: 1. Legacy 18-Elite (Lakeshore); 2. TIV 18 Asics Black (North Texas); 3. Arizona Storm 18 Thunder (Arizona); 4. Top Select 18 Elite Blake (Florida); 5. TK Volleyball 18 Legends (Southern); 6. Elevation 18 Schaad (Ohio Valley); 7. TAV 18 Black (North Texas); 8. MAVS KC 18-1 (Heart of America)
18 National: 1. Rancho Valley 18 Premier (Southern California); 2. PSVBA 18-1 (Puget Sound); 3. Paramount VBC 18s (Chesapeake); 4. Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite (Gateway); 5. AZ Sky 18G (Arizona); 6. Alamo 18 Premier (Lone Star); 7. Aloha State VBC 18s (Aloha); 8. Laguna Beach 18MS (Southern California)
18 USA: 1. DIG THIS VBC-18 National (Southern California); 2. 1st Alliance 18 Silver (Great Lakes); 3. LAVA West 18 adidas (Southern California); 4. Prime 18 adidas (Southern California); 5. CTV 18 Elite (North Texas); 6. Wildcat Jrs 18 Black (Great Lakes); 7. HPSTL 18 Royal (Gateway); 8. Tampa United VBA 18U Rox (Florida)
18 American: 1. Texas Tornados 18 Mizuno (Lone Star); 2. TAV Houston 18 Black (Lone Star); 3. HJV 18 Elite (Lone Star); 4. FORZA1 North 18 USA (Southern California); 5. Colorado Juniors 18 Kevin (Rocky Mountain); 6. Mintonette Sports – m.82 (Ohio Valley); 7. Elite VBTC 18 Tatge (Ohio Valley); 8. Tampa United VBA 18T Rox (Florida)
18 Patriot: 1. Central Cal Sr. Select 18-1 (Northern California); 2. Sunshine 18 South Bay (Southern California); 3. Surfside 18 MB Legends (Southern California); 4. NorCal Black 18-1 (Northern California); 5. Actyve 18-Mizuno (Southern California); 6. Adversity G18 Purple adidas (Great Lakes); 7. Elite VBTC 18 Goree (Ohio Valley); 8. AZ EVJ 18N1-Gilbert (Arizona)
18 Open Qualifier Winners (or top finisher to advance)
18s Northern Lights Qualifer: AZ Storm Elite VBC 18 Thunder (Arizona)
18s Girls Winter Championship: Circle City 18 Purple (Hoosier)
KC MLK 18s National: TIV 18 Asics Black (North Texas)
Music City Volleyball Championships: Legacy 18-Elite (Lakeshore)
18s Lone Star Classic: TIV 18 Asics Black (North Texas) – previously accepted; 2nd – Houston Skyline 18 Royal (Lone Star)
Ohio Valley: Legacy 18-Elite (Lakeshore) – previously accepted; 2nd – Elevation 18 Schaad (Ohio Valley)
AVC Dallas: Skyline 18 Royal (North Texas) – previously accepted; 3rd – AZ REV 18 adidas (Arizona)
Beast of the Southeast: AZ Sky 18G (Arizona)
Boston Volleyball Festival: Prime 18 adidas (Southern California)
Golden State: Iowa PowerPlex 18U Elite Black (Iowa) – previously qualified; 2nd – Club V 18 Ren Reed (Intermountain)
Colorado Crossroads: Mizuno Northern Lights 18-1 (North Country) – declined; 3rd – SMASH 18s (New England)
Southern California: Sunshine 18 Westside (Southern California)
Sunshine Volleyball Classic: OPU 18 Rox Blue (Florida)
Northeast: TAV 18 Black (North Texas) – previously accepted; 2nd – AVC CLE Rox 18N Meredith (Ohio Valley)
Mideast: Legacy 18-Elite (Lakeshore) – previous qualified; 5th – KC Power 18-1 (Heart of America)
Pacific Northwest: SG Elite 18 Roshambo (Southern California)
18 USA Qualifier Winners (or top finisher to advance)
18s Northern Lights Qualifier: 303 Volleyball Academy 18 Alpha (Rocky Mountain)
18s Girls Winter Championship: Club Fusion 18 Red (Great Lakes)
KC MLK 18s National: Performance 18-1 National (Heart of America)
Music City Volleyball Championships: Upward Stars 18 Corey (Palmetto)
18s Lone Star Classic: Houston Skyline 16 Royal (Lone Star) – declined; 3rd – SA Sting Volleyball Club (Lone Star)
Ohio Valley: OT 18 O. Tom (Florida)
AVC Dallas: Oregon Juniors Volleyball Academy 18-1 Gold (Columbia Empire)
Beast of the Southeast: OT 18 C. Aaron (Florida)
Boston Volleyball Festival: Top Select 18 Elite Blake (Florida) – previously accepted; 2nd – SA Magic 18 Elite (Lone Star)
Golden State: Dig This! Volleyball Club 18 National Black (Southern California)
Colorado Crossroads: The Diff 18 Black (Rocky Mountain)
Southern California: PSVBA 18-1 (Puget Sound) – previously accepted; 2nd – A4 Volley 18 Purple Juanchi (Southern California)
Sunshine Volleyball Classic: Tampa United VBA 18U Rox (Florida) – previous accepted; 2nd – Top Select 18 Elite Marcela (Florida)
Northeast: Epic 18-Pat (Southern California)
Mideast: Wildcat Jrs. 18 Black (Great Lakes)
Pacific Northwest: PSVBA 18-1 (Puget Sound) – previously accepted; MVA 18 National (Evergreen)
18 American Qualifier Winners
18s Northern Lights Qualifier: Nebraska Elite Volleyball (Great Plains) – declined; 2nd – Summit Volleyball Club 18-1 (Heart of America)
18s Girls Winter Championship: Platform 18 adidas (Iowa)
KC MLK 18s National: Six Pack VBC Flight 18u (Iowa)
Music City Volleyball Championships: River City Thunder 18 – Jason (Pioneer)
18s Lone Star Classic: ZIVA 18 National (North Texas)
Ohio Valley: Southwest 18N TR Harker (Ohio Valley)
AVC Dallas: Rockwood Thunder 18 Navy (Gateway)
Beast of the Southeast: Southwest 18N TR Harker (Ohio Valley) – previously qualified; 2nd – A5 South 18-Jeremy (Southern)
Boston Volleyball Festival: Winter Park Volleyball Club 18 Armour Elite Black (Florida)
Golden State: Northern Nevada Juniors 17 Jason (Northern California) – declined; 2nd – Absolute 18 Pink (Northern California)
Colorado Crossroads: adidas NW Juniors 18 Matt (Columbia Empire)
Southern California: Coast 18-2 (Southern California)
Sunshine Volleyball Classic: Shockwave adidas 18 Leanna (Heart of America)
Northeast: Sportime 18 Gold (Garden Empire)
Mideast: Six Pack 18 (Iowa)
Pacific Northwest: Vision 18 Blue (Northern California)