Tallahassee Club Volleyball Teams Qualify for National Tournament

Four Tallahassee club volleyball teams earned national bids over the last two months. Three of the four teams will be attending the 2022 USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship (GJNC) held in Indianapolis, Ind. from June 23-July 4, 2022.

A fourth team qualified for the 18s Girl’s Junior National Championship in Phoenix, AZ which was held April 22-24.

Tallahassee has two volleyball clubs- the Tallahassee Volleyball Academy (TVA) and the Tallahassee Juniors Volleyball Club (TJVC).

Sheila Roberts is the Director of the TVA program and coaches the TVA Smack 16 team.

Latoya Washington has been the Director of TJVC for 15 years and coaches the 14 Pro team.

The club tournament season runs from November through April. The teams compete in Florida tournaments held in Tampa, Orlando, Daytona, Jacksonville and in Georgia tournaments held in Atlanta and Savannah.

TVA, which fielded 24 teams with 230 players during the season, had two teams which “double qualified”, which means they received bids at two different qualifying tournaments.

TVA’s top team in the 16 & under age group, TVA Smack 16, accepted a National division bid after finishing in first place in a field with 74 teams at the 2022 ASICS Florida Volleyball Challenge held in Orlando from April 22-24. TVA Smack 16 finished 8-2.

TVA’s top team in the 15 & under age group, TVA Smack 15, accepted an American division bid after finishing in first place in a field of 128 teams at the 2022 Sunshine Volleyball Classic held in Orlando from April 1-3. TVA Smack 15 went 11-0.

TJVC, which fielded 16 teams with 160 players during the season, qualified two teams. One team qualified in the 18 & under division and one team qualified in the 14 & under division.

The TJVC 18 Pro team secured an American bid at the Southeast Qualifier held in Atlanta, Georgia during the February 25-27 weekend. The team went 9-0.

At the national tournament in Arizona, the TJVC 18 Pro team finished 9th in a field of 64 teams with a 7-2 record.

The TJVC 14 Pro team accepted a Liberty division bid after finishing in first place in a field of 24 teams at the 2022 Sunshine Volleyball Classic held in Orlando from April 1-3. TJVC 14 Pro went 8-1.

Bottom left to right: Alyssa Carey, Della Poole, Aubrie Arnold, Lauren Taylor Lozano, Ashlyn Koerner Top: Coach Derrick Bennett, Cadie Stewart, Kaylin Johnson, Amelia Wass de Czege, Riley Deem Kenzie Hultquist, Coach Sheila Roberts

Bottom left to right: Natalie Gibson, Aditi Mukhirala, Gabby Kellogg, Ella Grace Parramore, Leah Meehan Top: Coach Ursula Dougherty, Kate Stewart, Lindsay Smith, Bella Dougherty, Kara Conyers, Coach Kaitlin Jahn

Bottom left to right: Bre Tanton, Alexa Washington, Saniaa Dickey, Amanda Ray, Sanaa Simmons, Ellie Griner Top: Coach Erica Bunch, Asya Adderson, Cailin Demps, Brooke Lent, Annabell Chancy, Sydni Hunter, Coach Gianna Mathews

Bottom left to right: Reagan Parker, Suzanne Barrentine, Mackenzie Poppell, Madison Joyner, Riley Boykin, Whitlee Harvey Top: Coach Latoya Washington, Eva Goodson, Riley Knippel, Kenadie Greene, Jorja Williams, Emma Cornelius, Coach Caitlin Starkey