The U.S. women's beach volleyball team of  Jazmin Machado (Encinitas, Calif.) and Summer Ross (Carlsbad, Calif.) won its first main draw, pool play match on Thursday at the 2009 FIVB Junior Beach

	Courtesy Debbie Roenicke
	Ross (right) is a veteran for the USA Junior Beach Team.

World Championship in Blackpool, England.Machado and Ross, who are seeded eighth in the event, defeated Estonia's 17th-ranked Kristel Kiens and Kertti Kulm, 21-19, 18-21, 15-12 in 45 minutes.

Machado and Ross will complete pool play on Friday, facing Finland's Eveliina Koljonen and Taija Pekkarinen, seeded 20th, and the Czech Republic's fifth-ranked Martina Bonnerova and Barbora Hermannova.

To read more go to USA Volleyball.

Watch a video interview with Summer Ross.

Become a member of ESPN RISE Volleyball, FREE and post a comment below.

Do you want your team profiled on ESPNRISE.com. Email us now.

 
Jason Olive, founder of the Jayo Invitational, created the tournament as a way to give back to the fans, the community and the players who played and supported the game over the years.  The tournament invites the public to play along

	Courtesy JAYO Foundation
	AVP Champion Stein Metzger teaches the beach game to young athletes.

side their favorite AVP, Olympic and Professional indoor players and their celebrity guests.
 
The unique event is a six-on-six beach tournament with a few special rules and competitive twists. A woman must be on the court at all times, this makes women pros valuable to have as a team captain. At any point during the tournament teams can "rent” more pros to try and win.
 
Olive described it, "It's fantasy sports… but for real."
 
"It is a fun tournament and can get competitive in the later rounds. Inevitably the actors become the biggest givers as they realize the shortest way between point 'A' and victory is to rent more pros for their teams," said Olive.(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

The USA Junior National Beach Team, profiled last week, competed in Alanya, Turkey at the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Youth Championships.  ESPN RISE checked back with the results, see how Jane Croson (Los Alamitos, Calif.) and Summer Ross (Carlsbad, Calif.) fared in the World Championships.

Day one of the event opened with Croson and  Ross over Stepanka Stastna and Lenka Grygarova (Czech Republic) (21-16, 21-14) in 38 minutes.  Croson-Ross returned the next day and defeated Tiphaine Le Guiader and Annie-Sophie Bauer (France) (21-17, 21-14).  In their second match of day two, the duo tripped up against the Polish team of Daria Paszek and Bekier Bekier as they dropped a two set match, 15-21, 23-25.

Croson-Ross advanced to Round 2 with a 2-1 finish in pool play.  The pair found themselves matched against the second seed of the tournament, Victoria Bieneck and Chistine Aulenbrock of Germany. In one of the toughest draws in the second round of play, the second seeded German team defeated the fourth seeded USA (21-12, 21-18).  The hard-hitting German team went on to claim gold over Russia.

Croson-Ross tied for fifth, one of the best finishes in the girls' junior beach program for Team USA. Ross will travel to Brighton, England for the U21 FIVB World Championships with partner Jaz Machado (San Diego, Calif.).

Read more at FIVB.com and at USA Volleyball.

By Christine Jinbo

Meet USA Volleyball's Junior National Beach Team member Chase Ross (Carlsbad, Calif.).  Ross, along with partner Steven VanderWerp (Grand Haven, Mich.) will represent the U.S. in the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Junior World Championships on Sept. 16-20 in Blackpool, England.  Ross' sister Summer is currently representing the US in Alanya, Turkey with partner Jane Croson at the FIVB Youth World Championships.

Ross talks to ESPN RISE Volleyball about training with the Junior National Beach Team, USA Beach Coaches Anjinho Bacil and Jon Aharoni and gives some advice for younger players coming through the ranks.

Video Link


Do you want your team profiled on ESPNRISE.com. Email us now.

By Christine Jinbo

Don't call him Summer's brother; Chase Ross (Carlsbad, Calif.) has international, AVP, high school and college accomplishments of his own.  A two year veteran of the USA Junior National Beach Team, Ross also competed with USA's Boys Indoor National Training Team.  He will compete with partner Steven VanderWerp (Grand Haven, Mich.) at the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Junior World Championships on Sept. 16-20 in Blackpool, England.  

Get to know Chase Ross

Full Name: Chase Ross
Hometown: Carlsbad, Calif.       
Height: 6'5" 

...

(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

Meet USA Volleyball's Junior National Beach Team member Kyle Stevenson (Palos Verdes, Calif.).  Stevenson, along with partner Parker Kalmbach (Coto de Caza, Calif.) are in Alanya, Turkey representing the U.S. in the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Youth World Championships.

Stevenson talks to ESPN RISE Volleyball about training with the Junior National Beach Team, USA Beach Coaches Anjinho Bacil and Jon Aharoni and learning everyday.

Video Link


Do you want your team profiled on ESPNRISE.com. Email us now.

By Christine Jinbo

Meet USA Volleyball's Junior National Beach Team member Parker Kalmbach (Coto de Caza, Calif.).  Kalmbach, along with partner Kyle Stevenson (Palos Verdes, Calif.) are in Alanya, Turkey representing the U.S. in the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Youth World Championships.

Kalmbach talks to ESPN RISE Volleyball about training with the Junior National Beach Team, USA Beach Coaches Anjinho Bacil and Jon Aharoni and his excitement for the game.

Video Link


Do you want your team profiled on ESPNRISE.com. Email us now.

By Christine Jinbo

USA Junior Beach National Team members, Parker Kalmbach (Coto de Caza, Calif.) and Kyle Stevenson (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) unite to represent the U.S. in the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Youth World Championships on Aug. 19-23 in Alanya, Turkey.

The young duo will place directly into the main draw as the No. 1 team for the U.S.  The No. 2 team of Jace Olsen (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Jordan Dyer (Santa Barbara, Calif.) will play in the "qualifying round," which takes place day earlier and is a single elimination event.  Teams that qualify through this round are "eligible" for the main draw. 

Both athletes are new to the USA Beach Team this year and the World Youth Championships will be their first international event.

...

(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

Meet USA Volleyball's Junior National Beach Team member Steven VanderWerp (Grand Haven, Mich.).  VanderWerp, along with partner Chase Ross (Carlsbad, Calif.) will represent the U.S. in the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Junior World Championships on Sept. 16-20 in Blackpool, England.

VanderWerp talks to ESPN RISE Volleyball about training with the Junior National Beach Team, USA Beach Coaches Anjinho Bacil and Jon Aharoni and being the "foreigner" on the team.

Video Link


Do you want your team profiled on ESPNRISE.com. Email us now.

By Christine Jinbo

Meet USA Volleyball's Junior National Beach Team member Summer Ross.  Ross, along with partner Jane Croson will represent the U.S. in the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Youth World Championships on Aug. 19-23 in Alanya, Turkey.

Ross talks to ESPN RISE Volleyball about training with the Junior National Beach Team, USA Beach Coaches Anjinho Bacil and Jon Aharoni and her love for the game.

Video Link

Become a member of ESPN RISE Volleyball, FREE and post a comment below.

Do you want your team profiled on ESPNRISE.com. Email us now.

By Christine Jinbo

Summer Ross (Carlsbad, Calif.) a two year veteran of the USA Junior National Beach Team, has two international FIVB tournaments under her belt and qualified for the main draw of the AVP, all while 16 and younger. She plays with an unfettered love for the game.  She also plays whenever and with

	Courtesy Debbie Roenicke
	Tara Roenicke and Summer Ross with their gold medals in Australia.

whomever she can, evidenced by an array of successful partnerships.  

Ross will partner with Jane Croson (Los Alamitos, Calif.) for the second time in FIVB World Championship Competition.  Last year in Brighton, England the duo placed ninth in a U21 competition, after it knocked off the No. 1 seeded Brazilian team on center court.

She recently partnered with Natalie Hagglund (Encinitas, Calif.) in the AVP Qualifier tournament for the Manhattan Open (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and made history as the youngest team to ever qualify for the main draw.

She traveled to Australia with partner Tara Roenicke (Los Osos, Calif.) and defeated Zina Stone and Mariafe Artacho, 2-0 (21-17, 21-9), for the gold medal at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival.   

Get to know Summer Ross

Full Name: Summer Ross
Hometown: Carlsbad, Calif.       
Height: 6'2" 
Grad Yr: 2011   
GPA: 4.0  
Committed: No
Club Team: Coast Ozhan 18-1

...

(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

Meet USA Volleyball's Junior National Beach Team member Dalas Dodd.  Dodd, along with partner Natalie Hagglund will represent the U.S. in the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Youth World Championships on Aug. 19-23 in Alanya, Turkey.

Dodd talks to ESPN RISE Volleyball about training with the Junior National Beach Team and what she looks forward to about traveling to Turkey next week!

Video Link


Become a member of ESPN RISE Volleyball, FREE and post a comment below. Do you want your team profiled on ESPNRISE.com. Email us now.

By Christine Jinbo

USA Junior Beach National Team members, Dalas Dodd (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Natalie Hagglund (Encinitas, Calif.) unite to represent the U.S. in the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Youth World Championships on Aug. 19-23 in Alanya, Turkey.

The duo, which lacks international experience, are the No. 2 team and have the difficult task of playing through the "qualifying round.” 

Leonard Xu
Hagglund was an emotional leader for ESPN RISE Volleyball No. 2 ranked La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif. in 2008.

The qualifying round plays a day earlier and is a single elimination event to "be eligible” for the main draw.  The No. 1 team, Jane Croson and Summer Ross will be entered into the main draw.
 
Dodd, 6-foot-1, will play right side and shoulder the majority of the blocking duties.  Hagglund, 5-foot-8, will play left side and be the defensive guru on the sand, a seamless transition for Hagglund, who has outstanding ball control.

Dodd:
Height: 6-foot-1       
School: Mira Costa High School          
GPA: 3.6       
Grad Yr: 2011           
Club Team: Mizuno Long Beach      
Committed: No      
    
Hagglund:
Height: 5'8       
School: La Costa Canyon High School
GPA: 4.33        
Grad Yr: 2010           
Club Team: Wave       
Committed: USC         

...

(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

Meet USA Volleyball's Junior Beach National Team Head Coach Eduardo "Anjinho" Bacil and assistant coach Jon Aharoni, coordinator of beach coaching and development for USA Volleyball. Learn about the Junior National Beach Program and how to improve your beach game.

Video Link


Become a member of ESPN RISE Volleyball, FREE and post a comment below. Do you want your team profiled on ESPNRISE.com. Email us now.

By Christine Jinbo

Video series: Meet the USA Junior National Beach Team. 

This week, video interviews of the coaches and members of the Junior Beach National Team will air on ESPN RISE Volleyball.  The videos will explore an array of topics including: advice from coaches and players, being a member of the team, what it's like training and how it affects high school and life.

The first video in the series, features USA Volleyball Junior Beach National Team Head Coach Eduardo Bacil and assistant coach Jon Aharoni, coordinator of beach coaching and development.

Bacil called "Anjinho,” means "little angel” in Portuguese. He began playing volleyball at 10 years old, and competed on the Brazilian National Team from 1986-1992 before moving to California in 1993, where he competed on the AVP Tour for 13 years. 

Aharoni has a long history of teaching the game and has a passion for the sport of volleyball.  As the Head Coach of USA's High Performance Beach Camps, he collaborated on curriculum, mentored coaches and facilitated the camp experience.

A gold medalist at the Maccabiah Games in 2005, he competed internationally in Israel and Argentina.  Currently, Aharoni coaches at Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) High School with the boys' and girls' volleyball programs.

Check back as videos go live all week on ESPN RISE Volleyball.

The USA Beach Junior Tour hosted two events this weekend, the North Coast Open in Chicago, Ill. and the East Coast Open in Rochester, N.Y.

The North Coast Open, held Aug. 1, featured teams from the Midwest and Great Lakes.

In the Girls' U-20 Division, Erin Brocher (Crystal Lake, Ill.) and Crystal Wright (Lake Zurich, Ill.) defeated Mallory Palmer (Poynette, Wis.) and Kelsey Witt (McFarland, Wis.), 21-15 to claim the top spot.

Lindsey Gosh (Oconomowoc, Wis.) and Lauren Gnewuch (Oconomowoc, Wis.) defeated Jenna Jacobson (Chicago, Ill.) and Mary Dent (Chicago, Ill.), 21-10 for first place in the U-18 Girls' Division. Lindsay Adams (Coldwater, Ill.) and Alisha Lang (Schodcraft, Mich.) came in third place with a 21-19 win.

On the boys' side, Mike Adams (St. Louis, Mo.) and Joe Schwarz (St. Louis, Mo.) defeated Scott Siwicki (Elk Grove, Ill.) and Szymon Geirut (Elkgrove, Ill.) 21-17 for first place in the U-20 Division.

In the Boys' U-18 Division, Kyle Cook (Wilmette, Ill.) and C.J. Berg (Glenview, Ill.) beat Tim Huizinga (Frankfort, Ill.) and Joe Smalzer (Palos Heights, Ill.) 22-20 to claim the top spot. Michael Bojda (Chicago, Ill.) and Enrico Mirabelli (Chicago, Ill.) came in third with a 21-13 win.

The East Coast Open was held the following day, Aug. 2, in Rochester, N.Y. and featured teams from Pennsylvania and New York.

Hailee Herc (Eden, N.Y.) and Heather Feldman (Eden, N.Y.) took first place in the Girls' U-18 Division with a 30-15 win over Aubrey Cooke (Rochester, N.Y.) and Lisa Delfs (Canandaigua, N.Y.). Jenna Gilbert (Cambridge, Ontario) and Madison Warnock (Cambridge, Ontario) took third place with a convincing 15-3 win.

Robbie Page (Rochester, N.Y.) and Mike Pelletier (Albany, N.Y.) won the Boys' U-18 Division 30-24 defeating Dave Evans (Rochester, N.Y.) and Ryan Dangler (Rochester, N.Y.). Greg Witkowski (Webster, N.Y.) and Bryan Eckler (Webster, N.Y.) came in third place with a 15-12 win.

The next event on the USA Beach Junior Tour is the Pacific Open on Aug. 7-8 in Seaside, Ore.

Read more about the USA Junior Tour at USA Volleyball.

The USA Volleyball beach department has announced its selections for the Under-19 (youth) and Under-21 teams that will represent the United States in international competitions this summer.

	Christine Jinbo/ESPN RISE
	Dalas Dodd swings for Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) High School.

"With 50 athletes in our June-July training program, we had an unbelievably strong group from which to choose,” said Ali Wood Lamberson, USA Volleyball's director of beach programs. "Our goal for these athletes is not only to win medals at their events, but also to make an impact on the beach volleyball world and to be the future of the AVP and FIVB tours.”

The beach athletes have been training in Southern California with Eduardo "Anjinho” Bacil, USA Volleyball's head beach volleyball coach with assistance from Jon Aharoni, USAV's coordinator of beach coaching and development.

The U19 teams will compete at the 2009 SWATCH FIVB Youth World Championships on Aug. 19-23 in Alanya, Turkey. The No. 1 teams will be entered into the main draw while the No. 2 teams will have to qualify.

The boys' teams selected are Parker Kalmbach (Coto de Caza, Calif.) and Kyle Stevenson (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) as the No. 1 team and Jordan Dyer (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Jace Olsen (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) as the No. 2 team.

The girls' teams selected are Jane Croson (Lakewood, Calif.) and Summer Ross (Carlsbad, Calif.) at No. 1 and Natalie Hagglund (Encinitas, Calif.) and Dalas Dodd (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) at No. 2.

For more, visit USA Volleyball .

By Christine Jinbo

	Leonard Xu/ESPN RISE
	Natalie Hagglund, playing for her high school team, La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.)

Natalie Hagglund (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Summer Ross (Carlsbad, Calif.), 17 and 16 years old respectively, are the youngest team ever to qualify for an AVP Main Draw according to the AVP News Dept.  Their combined age is less than the average pro's age at 33 years old.

Hagglund and Ross, both still in high school, fell to top seeds and 2008 Olympians Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs in the first round 21-12, 21-8 in approximately 39 minutes.

Read more about Natalie Hagglund on ESPN RISE.

Read more about Summer Ross on ESPN RISE.

July 18 and 19     
Hermosa Beach, Calif.   

Hermosa Beach, Calif. - The 16th AAU Junior Beach Volleyball National Championships, one of the largest and most prestigious junior beach tournaments in the country, concluded on Sunday with seven consecutive division finals played on center court.

	Christine Jinbo/ESPN RISE
	18 Boys Division up on a pedastal with their medals.

The high school duo from Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.), Mike Wilder and Brandon Fuimaono took the hard road to the finals through the Contenders' Bracket of the double elimination tournament. The last match called up on center court, the team of Fuimaono and Wilder faced the impenetrable team of John Caroompas (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) and Taylor Sander (Norco, Calif.).  

Caroompas received the 2008 AAU Player of the year award at the opening ceremonies of the 2009 National Championships. The award recognizes one male player and one female player for their outstanding play and accomplishments from the previous year.  His partner, Sander, received 2007 Player of the Year Award last year.

The team of Caroompas and Sander, both AAU Players of the Year with countless gold medals and ample Center Court appearances methodically placed shots and hammered the ball at the net.  The beleaguered team of Fuimaono and Wilder, who had battled through two rigorous days of play, had no response and fell in the final, 21-13, 21-13.

The Amateur Athletic Union, founded in 1888, first sanctioned a beach volleyball tournament in 1957 in Manhattan Beach, CA.  The Junior Beach program was established in 1994 by Gino Grajeda and Denny Lennon.  The AAU National Championships drew only 16 teams in 1994, but soon the event grew as did a multi-sate AAU Beach Tour.  The 20 event 2009 AAU Beach Tour will visit nine states, with five major tournaments:  The AAU Nationals (July 18-19, Hermosa Beach, CA, all divisions), The AAU Junior Olympic Games (August 3-5 in Des Moines, IA, U16 division), The AAU America's Challenge (July 25-26, Honolulu, HI, U18 division), The AAU Best of the Beach (August 8-9, Beverly Hills, CA U14 division) and the AAU Tour Championships (August 23, Hermosa Beach, CA all divisions).

AAU Beach
16th Annual National Championships
Girls Results
               
Under 14                
1st    Sara Hughes    Costa Mesa    Calif.    28-14
    Justine Wong-Orantes    Cypress    Calif.    
2nd    Christian Jones    Lakewood    Calif.    14-28
    Lan Nguyen    Manhattan Beach    Calif.    
3rd    Taylor Johnson    Temecula    Calif.    21-28
    Makayla Taylor    Downey    Calif.    
3rd    Courtney Crosby    Rossmoor    Calif.    18-28
    Jordan Sanchez    Fountain Valley     Calif.    
                
Under 16                
1st    Tiffany Morales    Redondo Beach    Calif.     28-14
    Alexa Strange    San Clemente    Calif.     
2nd    Jojo Schnabl    Hermosa Beach    Calif.     14-28
    Marisa Bubica    San Pedro    Calif.     
3rd    Allie Cook    Murrieta    Calif.     19-28
    Katie Duddridge    Tustin    Calif.     
3rd    Tyler Jackson    Long Beach    Calif.     21-28
    Hallie Amaro    Los Alamedos    Calif.     

Under 18                
1st    Anna Gott    Phoenix    Arizona     21-15, 21-16
          Betsi Metter    Phoenix    Arizona     
2nd    Emma White    Manhattan Beach    Calif.    15-21, 16-21
    Meg Norton    Pacific palisades    Calif.     
3rd    Laura Dykstra    Hermosa Beach    Calif.     
    Skyler Dykstra    Hermosa Beach    Calif.     
4rd    Emily Cook    Murrieta    Calif.     
    Kianna Niu    Murrieta    Calif.     

 

AAU Beach
16th Annual National Championships
Boys Results


Under 14   
1st: Cole Fiers- Palos Verdes, California     28-21
      Chris Kennedy- Playa Del Rey, California    
2nd: Ben Oxnard- Yorba Linda, California     21-28
      Nick Rademacher- Long Beach, California    
3rd: Chase Klein- Pacific Palisades, California     16-28
     Hagen Smith- Pacific Palisaes, California   
3rd: Riley Mallon- Manhattan Beach, California    17-28
     Erik Sikes- Laguna Niguel, California    

Under 16   
1st:  Cody Williams- Stateline, California     28-18
       Kory DiGrande- Lake Tahoe, California    
2nd: Skyler McCoy- Lakewood, California     18-28
      Erik Reed- Long Beach, California    
3rd: Bobby Romano- El Segundo, California    
      Keith Waddell- Manhattan Beach, California    
3rd: Matt Butler- Huntington Beach, California    
      Vinnie Rios- Torrance, California    
       
Under 18   
1st: John Caroompas- Laguna Niguel, California     21-13, 21-13
     Tyler Sander- Norco, California     
2nd: Michael Wilder- Long Beach, California     13-21, 13-21
      Brandon Fuimaono- Long Beach, California    
3rd: Vaun Lennon, Westchester, California    26-24, 19-21, 13-15
      Steven Irvin- Pacific Palisades, California    
4rd: Tien Le- Carlsbad, California    21-17, 19-21, 13-15
      Sam O'Brien- Laguna Niguel     

By Christine Jinbo

The 16th AAU Junior Beach Volleyball National Championships, the largest junior beach tournament in the country, will be played this weekend on the North side of the Hermosa Beach Pier (Calif.).  Over 200 teams from over a dozen states will participate in the tournament.  The event features talented beach and indoor players who will compete in pool play on Saturday and playoffs on Sunday. 

	Christine Jinbo/ESPN RISE
	Lane Carico was in the finals of the 2008 AAU Nationals, but fell to a strong Canadian team.

The tournament is an open event.  Teams need not qualify to participate and is open to all boys and girls two person teams in the 10 to 18 year old divisions.  Play will begin at 8:00am Saturday and conclude on Sunday evening.

The Amateur Athletic Union, founded in 1888, first sanctioned a beach volleyball tournament in 1957 in Manhattan Beach, CA.  The Junior Beach program was established in 1994 by Gino Grajeda and Denny Lennon.  The AAU National Championships drew only 16 teams in 1994, but soon the event grew as did a multi-sate AAU Beach Tour. 

The 20 event 2009 AAU Beach Tour will visit nine states, with five major tournaments:  The AAU Nationals (July 18-19, Hermosa Beach, CA, all divisions), The AAU Junior Olympic Games (August 3-5 in Des Moines, IA, U16 division), The AAU America's Challenge (July 25-26, Honolulu, HI, U18 division), The AAU Best of the Beach (August 8-9, Beverly Hills, CA U14 division) and the AAU Tour Championships (August 23, Hermosa Beach, CA all divisions).

The highly recommended to register on line at www.aaubeach.org by midnight, Thursday, July 15. 

By Christine Jinbo

The KB Memorial 4-Woman beach volleyball tournament, hosted by the Kim Blankinship Foundation, crowned champions in a Women's Division and a High School Division and awarded scholarships to high school student-athletes.  The foundation hosted the tournament and scholarship fund to honor the memory of Blankinship and her fun loving personality, amazing athleticism and her pursuit of excellence. 

The foundation brings together the community in honor of the memory of Blankinship and pays tribute to her by giving scholarships to deserving student athletes from area Torrance high schools. South Torrance (Calif.) High School won the High School Division with the team of Brooke Fournier, Tessa Fournier, Dessi Koleva and Amanda McArthur.

	Kealani Kimball/ESPN RISE
	South High School defeated North High School for the KB Crown.

Kim Blankinship participated in volleyball, soccer and track at Torrance High, earning four letters in each sport.  This year the Kim Blankinship Foundation gave five $1000 scholarships one to each of the high schools in Torrance: Bishop Montgomery, West Torrance, South Torrance, North Torrance and Torrance High. The foundation also awarded a $500 scholarship to each deserving athlete in each of the sports in which Blankinship participated.

Kim Blankinship Memorial Scholarship 2009 Recipients

Chelsea Tupuola, Volleyball
Chelsea was a four year letter winner earning All league honors in her sophomore and junior years.  During her senior season she was named the Pioneer League Defensive Player of the Year and was named Second Team ALL CIF.  She was a member of CSF and will be attending Temple University on a volleyball scholarship.
 

	Kealani Kimball/ESPN RISE
	Blankinship's legacy grows with scholarships given to high school athletes from area Torrance, Calif. high schools.

Melissa Ramirez, Soccer
Melissa was a four year letter winner earning All league honors in three times. During her senior season she was also named team MVP, ALL CIF and to the Daily Breeze All Area team.  She will be playing soccer at El Camino and plans to major in Business Administration.
 
Mylyn Hosokawa, Track n Field
Mylyn was a four year letter winner in Track as well as a two year letter winner in Volleyball.  She was the blanket award winner in track during her junior and senior years.  A CIF qualifier in the discuss, long jump, triple jump and numerous relays.  She was also an All League selection in Volleyball during her senior year.  She will be attending Sonoma State in the fall.
 
Shelbie Luna, Bishop Montgomery
Shelbie lettered in Cross Country and Soccer.  She was a two time ALL Del Rey League selection.  Her senior soccer season was full of accolades, MVP of the Del Rey League, First Team All CIF selection, first team Daily Breeze All Area selection.  Shelbie was on the Dean's List and was a scholar athlete in both cross country and soccer.  In addition she spent time volunteering at summer camps and an interfaith shelter.  Shelbie will be playing soccer at the University of New Mexico and would like to become a Physical Therapist.
 
Lindsey Walsh, West Torrance
Lindsey lettered in Volleyball, Soccer and Water Polo.  She was an All League selection in Volleyball and was named Most Improved on the Water Polo team.  Lindsey was on the Principal's Honor Roll and Citizenship Honor Roll.  She also found time to volunteer for the Salvation Army.  Lindsey will be playing Volleyball at Cal Lutheran and is undecided on a major.
 
Kara Kalmar, South Torrance
Kara was a three year letter winner in both cross country and track.  She won the coach's award in both cross country and track.  She holds the school pole vault record.  Kara will be attending El Camino College where she will continue to pole vault and plans a career in nursing.
 
Ashleigh Gideon, North Torrance
Ashleigh was a three letter winner in volleyball and soccer and a two year letter winner in track.  She was a two time first team All League selection in Volleyball and a second team All League selection in soccer.  She carried a 4.0 was nominated to the United States Academic Achievement Academy.  Ashleigh will be playing volleyball at El Camino and is majoring in Political Science.  She plans to be a lawyer.
 
Natasha Huey, Torrance
Natasha was a four year letter winner in cross country and track and a two year letter winner in soccer.  She served as a team captain in both cross country and track, earned coach's award in track.  She was the Lion's club student speaker contest zone winner; earned President's Award for Academic Excellence and was a Girl's State Delegate.  Natasha earned a second and a ninth place in the California State Speech and Debate Championship for Original Prose and Poetry.  In addition she volunteered fro Habitat for Humanity, organized Torrance High's participation in AIDS walk and was a peer counselor at Tech Trek Camp (math/science camp for girls).   Natasha will attending CAL and is undecided on her major.

By Christine Jinbo

Beach volleyball tournament aids scholarships and honors the memory of All-American volleyball player Kim Blankinship.

The KB Memorial, a 4-Woman tournament hosted by the Kim Blankinship Memorial Foundation, features an array of activities and engagements.  The event includes a silent-auction/raffle, a pre-event

	Bill Jinbo
	Kim and me, hanging out at a club tournament, waiting for the next wave of matches.

party and a 4-woman tournament with a $500 prize for first place.

In order to more closely honor Blankinship's life the tournament changed its original format.  The format will now host two divisions: a women's division and a high school division, where athletes enter along with high school teammates to compete at the event. 

The event aims to reflect Blankinship's fun loving personality, her amazing athleticism in high school and pursuit of excellence in college and in her career.

The foundation brings together the community to honor the memory of Kim Blankinship and pays tribute to her by giving scholarships to athletes who live the gift, which she did throughout her short life. 

The foundation, supported by friends, family and the Torrance community raises funds for four scholarships given to multi-sport high school athletes at area schools, selected from applicants by a scholarship committee.

If you would like to participate, donate or register for the event:

Phone or email:
310.791.1142 xt. 4440 or John@StudentSports.com

Tournament:
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Torrance Beach, Calif.
Limited entries, $25/per player

Tournament Check-in:  
Friday, July 10  
6:00-8:00pm

Party:
Friday July 10, 8:00 pm
Redondo Beach, Calif.
HT Grill

Kim Blankinship held 12 varsity letters at Torrance High School.  She played volleyball, soccer and track and went to Loyola Marymount University (LMU) on a full athletic scholarship for volleyball. 

The multi-sport star played volleyball for the Lions from 1993-1996 and led them to three West Coast Conference titles and three NCAA postseason appearances. As a junior, Blankinship was named WCC Defensive Player of the Year.  In her senior year, Blankinship earned All-America honors, only the third athlete in LMU history to do so. She also earned LMU Female Athlete of the Year and WCC Co-Player of the Year honors that year.

Kim Blankinship was not just a great athlete, she was my friend, my teammate and I miss her dearly.

By Christine Jinbo

As student athletes around the nation break free from the confinement of books and school-work, the first items on the summer agenda are friends, fun and sun.  A sand volleyball court is a perfect place to find all three, a place to hang out while having fun in the sun.

	Christine Jinbo/ESPN RISE
	Summer beach season will find athletes like Brandon Fuimaono playing in the sand.

Playing beach volleyball is one of the best ways to improve your overall volleyball game.  If beaches are scarce where you are, most local parks and recreation centers have a sand volleyball court or open-gym, where players can participate in pick up doubles games.

Taking it a step further, entering a beach volleyball tournament is a great way to test one's skills against other players the same age.  Both the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and USA Volleyball offer beach tournaments for junior players in locations across the nation.

The AAU Junior Beach Volleyball Program began in 1994 through the original dedicated Southern Pacific Beach Volleyball committee of Gino Grajeda, Denny Lennon and Joe Tindall.  The AAU Junior Beach Tour began with one tournament in California and now has over 20 tournaments nationwide.

The USA Volleyball launched its junior beach tour in 2006 developed by former AAU Beach coordinator Denny Lennon. In its fourth year of operation, with Rick Schanz now at the helm, the USA Beach program continues to provide opportunities for athletes ages ten to twenty.

The mission of the USA Beach Junior Program is to grow the sport at the grassroots level and identify the country's top athletes for elite competition.  As part of this mission, Beach Director, Ali Wood Lamberson created a selection process, which helped to identify and train the elite beach athletes for international competition.(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

USA Volleyball is hosting open tryouts for its Junior National Beach Volleyball team. Tryouts began in April in California and visited Siesta Key, Fla. in mid-May.  The open tryout tour continues, with its next tryout in Long Beach, Calif. this weekend for boys and girls ages 14-25.  The tour then moves on to Muskegon, Mich., on May 30 and 31, then returns to California, June 7.

	Courtesy Roenicke Family
	Tara Roenicke (Los Osos, Calif.) and Caitlyn Ledoux (Phelan, Calif.)competed for USA last summer.

This weekend, May 23, girls and women ages 14-25 may attend and the tryout, which begins at 9:30 am and ends at 4:30 pm.  Boys and men may tryout the following day, May 24 beginning at 9:30 am and ending at 4:30 pm.

Each tryout will include four to six hours of beach time where coaches evaluate and rank the athletes.  The evaluation is based on the entire tryout population from across the country and athletes may attend more than one tryout.

USA Beach selects athletes from the tryouts to compete as part of the Youth and Junior National Beach Teams.  Junior and Youth Training Teams include the top eight athletes per gender and age group.

Four athletes from the Training Team will represent the United States at the FIVB U19 and U21 World Championships.

The Federation of International Volleyball (FIVB) hosts international events, in which the USA Beach Team will compete.

•    Under - 19 Event: Aug 16 – 24, Alanya, Turkey
•    Under - 21 Event: Aug 30 - Sep. 7, Monterrey, Mexico
•    Under - 26 Event: Aug 15-22, Aland, Finland

Athletes born between 1984-1988 compete in the Under 26 event, athletes born in 1989 and 1990 compete in the Under 21 event and athletes born 1991 and after compete in the Under 19 event.

According to the USA Volleyball Beach High Performance Program, the goals include:

•    Bring beach volleyball athletes together in challenging and rewarding training environments
•    Provide the opportunity to learn and develop with the best coaches in the U.S. and to compete at elite and international levels;
•    Increase the number of opportunities available to beach athletes, the number of high-level tournaments and the amount of time they are able to train
•    Participate in all FIVB or related international events possible
•    Prepare a broad pool of qualified and experienced athletes available to compete for spots in national and international competitions.


For more information and registration go to: www.regonline.com/usavbeach.




 

By Christine Jinbo

AAU Beach athletes qualify for national competition

The Los Angeles Open, hosted by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Beach Tour, qualified athletes in the 18 and Under (U18), 16 and Under (U16) and 14 and Under (U14) Divisions for national competitions.(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

The AAU National Beach Tour posted results on two coasts with preseason numbers that matched season highs from years ago.  With over 100 teams on two coasts in mid April, and the announcement of beach volleyball's approval as an NCAA Div. I sport, this summer may shape up to be one of the best years for participation ever. 

	Christine Jinbo/ESPN RISE
	Tara Roenicke chose a college based on the opportunities in beach volleyball.

The AAU Beach program hosted tournaments at Will Rogers State Beach (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) and Coconut Beach (New Orleans, La.) with results posted below.  Winners in the U16 and U14 Divisions of selected tournaments qualify for AAU National competitions, the AAU Junior Olympic Games and the AAU/VB Rags Best of the Beach respectively.

This month, the AAU Beach Tour is set to run four tournaments along the California coast.  This weekend, AAU will host the Los Angeles Open, at Dockweiler State Beach in El Segundo, Calif.  Competition will take place in the boys and girls divisions, U18, U16, U14, U12, and U10. Visit AAUBeach.org to register and for more information on tournaments in your local area.

Pacific Palisades Open Results
Will Rogers State Beach, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
AAU Beach National Tour
 
U14 Girls Division
Gold - Taylor Johnson, Temecula and Makayla Taylor, Downey (22-20)
Silver - Audrey Castro, Long Beach and Elise Zappia, Huntington Beach
Bronze - Kimby Keever, Manhattan Beach and  Mandy McKeegan, Manhattan Beach (21-18)

U16 Girls Division
Gold - Sara Hughes, Costa Mesa and Justine Wong-Orantes, Cypress (23-21)
Silver - Tiffany Morales, Redondo Beach and Rebecca Strehlow, Long Beach
Tied for Bronze
Madison McAndrews (Los Angeles) and Skylar Dykstra (Hermosa Beach)
Lauren Fuller (Manhattan Beach) and Atlanta Moye-McLaren (Los Angeles)
          
U14 Boys Division
Gold - Grant Chalmers, Manhattan Beach and Riley Mallon, Manhattan Beach (30-22)
Silver - Cole Fiers, Palos Verdes and Chris Kennedy, Playa del Rey
Bronze - Matt Jones, Manhattan Beach and Billy Kopenhefer, Manhattan Beach
 
U16 Boys Division
Gold - Michael Mullahey, Manhattan Beach and Chris Orenic, Manhattan Beach (30-19)
Silver - Grant Cederquist, Hermosa Beach and Erik Reed, Long Beach
Tied for Bronze
Parker Boehle (Los Angeles) and Michael Nolan (Manhattan Beach)
Kohl Kimble (Hermosa Beach) and Alex Slaught (La Canada Flintridge)

2009 AAU Southern Regional Championships Results

Coconut Beach
New Orleans, LA

GIRLS U18:
Gold: Anna Goebel (Metairie, LA) and Amy Randazzo (Metairie, LA)

GIRLS U16:
Gold: Ashley Lala (Kenner, LA) and Brooke Robinson (Metairie, LA) **
Silver: Emily Dagle (Belle Chasse, LA) and Jeannette Rimmer (Marrero, LA) **

GIRLS U14:
Gold: Bailey Mauteree (Kenner, LA) and Gabby Wehie (Kenner, LA) ***
Silver: Dominique Drago (Kenner, LA) and Mallory Knudsen (Kenner, LA)
 
BOYS U18:
Gold: Zachary Bienuenu (New Orleans, LA) and Daniel Long (Metairie, LA)

BOYS U16:
Gold: Kyle Scaffidi (Metairie, LA) and Adam Levejie (New Orleans, LA)

** indicates qualify for the AAU Junior Olympic Games
***indicates qualify for the AAU/VB Rags Best of the Beach

 

By Christine Jinbo

The NCAA sanctioned the sport of "sand” volleyball as an emerging sport and put in motion events that will result in collegiate varsity competition in the 2010-2011 academic year.  For high schools, many may "wait and see" what comes of this experiment and wait to follow suit. 

The AAU conducted a comprehensive junior national beach program for over 16 years with steady growth, national and Junior Olympic competition.  Many athletes who competed in AAU Beach tournaments are currently or have formerly played professional beach volleyball.(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

The first event of the AAU Beach summer season began at Dockweiler Beach in El Segundo, Calif.  The event, dubbed the Spring Classic is the earliest start for junior beach tournaments in recent history.  

With the mid-April date, event director Gino Grajeda expected a modest turnout.

"We were limited on courts, so we didn't publicize this event too much.”

	Courtesy AAU Beach/Gino Grajeda
	The 18 Boys Division contained a strong field of teams, which included Wilson's (Long Beach)Brandon Fuimaono and Mike Wilder and Mira Costa's (Manhattan Beach) Jace Olsen and Dylan Ramey.

Grajeda continued, "We were surprised by the large number of teams and had to utilize five team pools with the set amount of court space.”

"It was a great day of competition,” said Grajeda. "There was a very high level of play in the 14-and-Under girls' Division, with long rallies and attacks at the net.”

According to the AAU Beach Volleyball history, the AAU Junior Beach Volleyball Program began in 1994 through the original dedicated Southern Pacific Beach Volleyball committee of Gino Grajeda, Denny Lennon and Joe Tindall with the first national championships in San Pedro at Cabrillo Beach.

Since the 1994 National Championships began as a single event and developed into a national and international junior beach tour with events in eight states and Puerto Rico.  The tour stays true to its California roots with ten events in the Golden State. For California junior volleyball athletes, the tour is a summer, and now spring, staple.(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

Videos, pictures and conversation, can be found on the ESPNRISEVolleyball group page.  Join the group and join the conversation.

Follow the links below to navigate to the group site:

1) Register here it's FREE… so you can join the group and see all the latest on the group page!

2) Check out the group by clicking the tabs within the group or click the links below:

a) Videos   
b) Photos   
c) Leave comments on all the latest volleyball.  
d) Create your own sting of comments on the Comment Wall 

By Christine Jinbo

	Christine Jinbo/ESPN RISE
	Taylor Sander's beach ball control helps on the hard wood.

Boys volleyball season is here and ESPN RISE Volleyball is putting the finishing touches on the Pre-Season FAB 50. Before the release of the anticipated rankings, we will feature a few high school standouts, who proved themselves in other league or off season play.

We caught up with Taylor Sander of Norco High School who had a tremendous off-season.  Sander took home an armful of hardware this summer as he competed with his club team, on the beach and with the USAV Junior National Team at the NORCECA Youth World Championships in Mexico.

First, Sander's club team, Orange Coast Volleyball Club (OCVC), earned bronze at the USA Volleyball Junior Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.  After club season, Sander attended the AAU Beach Junior National Championships in Hermosa Beach where he received the Player of the Year Award, which honors a female athlete and a male athlete who performed well on the 2007 beach tour and showed good sportsmanship.  

As if a medal and a plaque were not enough, he made the final cut for the USA Volleyball Junior National Team.  After making it through the USAV High Performance tryout process and earning a spot on the team, Sander competed with the Junior National Team in Mexico for a bid to the NORCECA World Championships in Italy in the summer of 2009 and won gold.(Read full post)