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Birmingham Valentine's Day Bash

4 Black
14 Black is picking up steam in our second tournament of the season, the BVC Valentines Bash. This weekend was a lot of fun as the 14 Black showed how quick we are defensively in comparison to the rest of the competition. We finished pool play 3-3 and competed in the Silver Bracket on Sunday. We ultimately lost in the Silver Semi-Finals to the host BVC team, 24-26, 23-25. We had some lessons learned with our losses during the weekend: there is no time for a wake up game; to that same rate, it’s easier if you don’t let your opponent get up 8-18 and have to fight back to a 19-18 lead; we have the ability and desire to keep fighting and come back; when our entire team is communicating and celebrating we cannot be stopped!

We had several players go on a run behind the service line but want to call out Grace Griffin for serving an impressive 16 ACES throughout the weekend!! We were also pretty pumped to get to put our block cheer to use thanks to Caroline Madden, Emily Carlock and Aubrie Lombardo, we are looking forward to getting to celebrating many more blocks in our future. 14 Black is headed to Nashville this weekend for the President’s Day Battle and looking forward to challenging the competition play to our speed volleyball. Go Black!

13 Green
13 Green impressed everyone with their improvement at the Valentine's Day Bash in Birmingham this past weekend. They came right out of the gates with a win on Saturday morning. By the end of the day, the girls learned how important serving and defense are to volleyball. On Sunday, an entirely new team showed up. Every single player played with confidence and heart and we endured a tough loss in 3 games. Great defense by Claudia Epsinosa really kept the team going along with consistent serving my Emily Mosely. The team plans to work hard to better themselves over the next few weeks and take home the Gold on March 10.

North Atlanta Kicks Off Dig Pink Fundraiser
For the 4th year in a row, NAVC is participating in the Dig Pink Tour – an effort to raise money for the Sideout Foundation. The Sideout Foundation combines the sport of volleyball with the goal of spreading awareness and raising money for breast cancer research and "living with cancer" organizations. Last year, NAVC was the #1 volleyball club in the nation for Dig Pink Fundraising, hitting $18,541 in donations and t-shirt sales. This year our goal is to hit $20,000 in fundraising.

Each year, players, coaches, and families eagerly await the new Dig Pink t-shirt design. The t-shirts are always a big hit and 2012 will be no different. As always, we've got a new design planned and this year we're selling both short- and long-sleeved t-shirts in either pink or black. North Atlanta will wear their pink on March 31st, Pink Out Day, during non-play time at Big South. They will join many other teams with a similar mission and the World Congress Center will become a sea of pink to show the club volleyball community's support of breast cancer awareness and research. You won't want to miss it!

15 Black Takes Second at Heart of Dixie
NAVC kicked off the 2012 travel season in Montgomery, AL for the Heart of Dixie tournament January 21-22. While we're proud of all of our teams, 15 Black stood out as they made it to the finals in the 15 Power bracket! They fought hard, but in the end they took 2nd place to Boom. Here is a recap from 15 Black Head Coach, Jody Johnson:

"What an amazing weekend for 15 Black! Coach Jordan, Mike and I are so proud of this team for their resilience and great play all weekend. They continued to improve from our first game on Saturday through the Finals on Sunday. We want to give major accolades to Miriam Goodfriend, who set amazingly well all weekend and really took over our offense, running plays with the middles and moving the ball around to different hitters. Also to Leah Brown, who stepped into the Libero position she had not practiced all season, when our amazing Mary went down with a knee injury. There were so many great plays by every single individual all weekend, but my proudest moment as a coach was the team effort they gave on Sunday morning in the Quarter Finals coming back from a loss in the first game against AL Jrs. and winning the match. This was a defining moment for them that we will use to build on all season."

On top of some great volleyball - our teams supported each other and our club stood out at the tournament as a cohesive group and, as we always strive for, as a FAMILY! Thanks to all of the players and parents for working hard, cheering loud, and joining us for a great weekend. Nashville and Birmingham, here we come!

Heart of Dixie — Team Blurbs
NAVC attended our first tournament of the year in Montgomery on Jan. 21-22! It was a great club wide (12Black-18Black) tournament to attend and we had a great time playing and watching our little sisters. NAVC definitely made an impression in the Southern Region and most teams are looking forward to their next tournament in Nashville this weekend. Here are some highlights from the teams that attended:

15 Green
The 15 Green team had a great showing this weekend at the Heart of Dixie tournament. Our girls finished their weekend with a tough loss in the quarterfinals on Sunday, but they played some intense matches during the weekend to get to the quarterfinals. During our first set of our first match on Saturday night our girls showed how much heart and determination they bring to the court when they overcame a three point deficit to win the first set of the season 16-14! As a coach this was just as impressive as their clean passes, pretty sets, and outstanding kills because this is not a coachable aspect of the sport that our ladies showed this weekend. We also had some outstanding performances from a few ladies that took the initiative to step up and lead the team: offensively Sarah Alaniz and Gabby Gasaway and defensively Jenna Kahn and Mary Emma Heald. Also, a shout out for Brittany Allen for her awesome attitude and non-stop energy! We all feel very confident and proud of our girls and look forward to the exciting season ahead of us!

15 White
15 White had a great day on Saturday - going undefeated and taking first place in their pool. They won all three matches of pool play in two games! This earned them a bye on Sunday, going up against a tough opponent in the second round and losing in the quarterfinals of the 15 Club bracket. With aggressive serves that won us many points and flying all over the court like a digging machine, Olivia Craig really stood out as the team's libero. Setter Afton Yildirim played every second of every game and consistently put up beautiful sets. Brianna McKiernan was also impressive with her strong swings and some great kills! After a great start, 15 White is looking forward to the rest of the season and taking on the teams in Nashville in February.

14 Black
The Heart of Dixie tournament was a great preview of what is to come for NAVC's 14 Black. The 14 Black showed steady improvement throughout the duration of pool play with our 3rd match highlighting our ability to create an energetic atmosphere on the court. As 14 Black works to consistently create this exciting on court environment, we are sure to be unstoppable!

Sunday morning, 14 Black's Serve Receive was on! Our back line was delivering awesome passes, giving us the opportunity to set up our offense. With that said, mad props go out to Savannah Meaux, Angela Figueroa, Leanne Villeneuva, Caroline Barnes, Ella LaRose for stepping up Serve Receive during our final match. Unfortunately, we were unable to convert on all our great defensive feats. We've got two weeks in the gym to continue to improve our game and work on maintaining our on court enthusiasm....look out Birmingham!

13 Green Coach Inducted into Athlete Hall of Fame
January 20, 2012 - NAVC's Ana Ramirez, Assistant Coach of the 13 Green team, will be inducted into her high school's Athlete Hall of Fame this coming weekend. Ana went to a small high school in Los Angeles named New Roads School. Due to her accomplishments in high school and going on to succeed as a college student-athlete, she has been chosen as one of four athletes to be inducted into the first class of the Athlete Hall of Fame. The induction takes place on Saturday, January 21 between Homecoming basketball games. Congratulations to Ana!

NAVC's Gabriela Burkle Sings National Anthem for International Basketball Game
January 3, 2012 - One of NAVC's own, Gabriela Burkle of 17 Green, is not your average volleyball player. She also has a talent for singing and was asked to sing the National Anthem before a high school basketball game... but this wasn't your average high school basketball game. Read on for Gabriela's personal account of her experience:

"In the Holy Spirit Preparatory School gym on Tuesday night, a high school team played a basketball game like any other, but this one was definitely the away team. The Limerick Lakers is a Basketball Club team from Limerick, Ireland, who came to America to compete in the Highlander Holiday Basketball Classic. It is a series of games over a seven-day period, taking place in different states around the East coast. For the Lakers, the simple privilege of playing in a heated gym was something they did not take for granted while they were here. But for me, the immense privilege of singing the National Anthem for their game is something I will forever remember. On Tuesday January 3, before the HSP Cougars v. Limerick Lakers game, I stood up on stage and sung the words of our nation's freedom. I was in utter shock when asked to do this, but that goes without saying. Nevertheless it was an honor, and for someone who loves to sing as much as I do, something I would love to do again. The Laker boys are now back in Ireland, but the memory of watching them play and of sharing a piece of American culture with them will never fade."

NAVC is proud to have such multi-talented athletes! Congratulations, Gabriela, and thanks for sharing your story.

North Atlanta 2011 Holiday Party
This year's holiday party was a great success! The night started out with a lot of interesting costumes milling around and everyone loading up on the tasty contributions from each team. Did anyone see who stole all of the Chick-fil-a nuggets? They disappeared! The older girls got the Photo Booth started, then the younger girls took over!

We had some fantastic Team Themes this year. Who could miss 14 Black dressed as presents, 18 Black as The Grinch & The Whos of Whoville (how did they get their hair to stand up?), or the seemingly random costumes of 15 White (is she dressed like a cow?) that only made sense when brought together as the 12 Days of Christmas? In the end, 18 Black took the prize for Best Team Theme winning Chick-fil-a gift cards for a free meal.

The party was the perfect opportunity to introduce our Big and Little Sisters. The girls played name games and exchanged small gifts. We saw a lot of hugging and instant connections. The North Atlanta Board and Coaches are excited to see the girls support each other at tournaments and other events throughout the season.

Then there was the famous Scarf Exchange. Flying ribbon and tissue paper, the floor scattered with gift bags, scarves being stolen... it was quite the spectacle. Once all the names were drawn and everyone had a scarf, the girls had one last chance to barter and plead to go home with their favorite.

Thank you to everyone who brought an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. We had three times as many toys donated as last year... what a wonderful way to celebrate the season.

For official party photo album, click here!

PRESS RELEASE: NOVEMBER 2011

NAVC Secures Additional Facility at Griffin Middle School

North Atlanta is happy to announce we have secured an additional facility, Griffin Middle School, in Smyrna. We are very excited about this additional gym with two great courts and a location convenient to both I-285 and I-75. The gym falls right in line with our goal to stay on the North side of town and near the Perimeter. Many of our new teams will get to try out this new facility soon as we start weekday practices after Thanksgiving!

NAVC Alumni Katie Byrd and Ashley Fannon helped take the 2011 Piedmont College volleyball team to the Greensboro Invitational tournament title on September 10th. Katie was recognized as one of the team’s attacking leaders, as well as for her digging prowess. Ashley was also recognized for her 10 kills against Roanoke. NAVC is proud to see our girls excelling in their college volleyball careers. Congratulations to Katie and Ashley! Click here for the full story.

PRESS RELEASE: JULY 2011

NAVC Announces a New Club Director for the 2011-2012 20th Anniversary Season!

This year North Atlanta Volleyball Club (NAVC) celebrates 20 years of excellence! NAVC was founded in November 1991 by Keith Ricketts and is currently the longest-running club in Atlanta. We are excited to begin this anniversary club season with a renewed mission and vision for the future of NAVC. Our vision for NAVC is to be the premier Junior Olympic volleyball program in Atlanta. We want to be the club that best prepares our athletes for high school and collegiate volleyball by developing stronger, better, and smarter student-athletes year after year. Our mission is to encourage the development of skills and techniques necessary to compete at a high level in the game of volleyball. NAVC prides itself on focusing on fundamentals and providing a family atmosphere for our players, parents, and coaches.
Keith Ricketts, who has been the face of North Atlanta for the past 20 years, has stepped down as Club Director. Keith is not leaving the NAVC family; he will continue as one of our coaches. We are excited to announce that June Stiles is stepping in as our new Club Director. Coach Stiles has been with NAVC for 10 years and has been the assistant club director for the past 4 years. Coach Stiles is dedicated to the mission and vision of NAVC and is extremely excited to begin this club season with the help of a new Board of Directors. The board consists of Charlotte Mustard (Registrar), Kim Fannon (Treasurer), Craig LaFontaine (Facilities and College Recruiting), Jacki Flynn (Marketing), and Leah Mihm (Communications). The board has been working hard in the off-season to plan and design improvements for the 2012 season and beyond as we further our vision of becoming the premier Junior Olympic volleyball program in Atlanta.

What’s new at NAVC? Take a LOOK!

Lead Coaches at each age level to provide direction and consistency across teams!
In-Season Skills Program with dedicated leadership from Charlotte and David Mustard!
Big Sister Little Sister program to develop leadership skills!
Dedicated College Recruiting led by Craig LaFontaine who will educate parents and players on the entire process!

We cannot wait to implement these exciting changes for the 2011-2012 club season!

Important dates to mark on your calendars:

Brush up your skills for tryouts on Sundays and Wednesdays nights beginning September 18th
New parent and player information sessions in October
Tryouts in November

Continue to check our website for exact dates. We will be posting information about the new parent and player meetings in September and tryout information in October.

If you have any further questions please email Club Director, June Stiles: coachstiles@gmail.com

Congratulations to 18 Blaze coach Leah Mihm and her husband Josh on the new member of their family. Ryan Dennis Mihm came into this world just a wee bit early on Tuesday at 11:57am. Weighing 7 lbs 0 oz, he and his mother are doing well. All of the NAVC coaches can't wait to meet Ryan and welcome this newest addition to the volleyball community!

June 15, 2011 - This past Saturday, many of NAVC's own competed in the Riverwood Outdoor Classic grass volleyball tournament at Riverwood High School. Coaches, June Stiles, Chris Burney, David Mustard, Courtney Clark, Mal Ferguson, Jacki Flynn, Chelsea Herr, and Megan Byrd played as well as 7 teams of Jrs, Catherine Gallagher, Lauren Johnston, and Katie Byrd from 18 Blaze put together a triples team and won the top Juniors division, they played strong all day and had to get past a strong group from the 17 Black team of Becca Hannigan, Laney Davis and Paige Schandevel in the finals. The Classic, run by NAVC Club Director June Stiles, was a huge success overall with over 300 participants and two days of fun, competitive volleyball.

May 18, 2011 - Lauren Johnston, 18 Blaze Senior from North Cobb Christian School in Kennesaw, GA, signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at Western Carolina University (NCAA-D1) in Cullowhee, NC. Lauren was named to the 2009 and 2010 GHSA 5A/AA All-Area Team, was MVP and Best Offensive Player the past two years for the Eagles Varsity Volleyball team and MVP for the 2011 18 Blaze team. Lauren will be playing for Karen Glover, new Head Volleyball Coach at WCU. Coach Glover brings over a decade of coaching experience to the WCU program, including four seasons as a head coach in the collegiate ranks. Lauren says she will miss playing for Coaches Chris Burney and Leah Horan, but is very excited to be part of the Catamount Volleyball program.

May 8, 2011 - Bridget Goodwin, Senior at Centennial High School in Alpharetta, Georgia and member of North Atlanta's 18-1 Team, committed to playing for Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire. She will be playing under head coach Bob Weiner who has over 23 years of coaching experience. This past season the team won the ECAC Northeast Volleyball Championship. Bridget says, she is excited for the opportunities Keene State College offers both on and off the court. Bridget is sad knowing that her club playing days at NAVC are over, but she am looking forward to her future at Keene as a student athlete.

April 4, 2011 - 18 Blaze Seniors Katie Byrd and Mary Overton have commited to their college choices Mary Overton, Senior setter and rightside hitter from Alpharetta HS has commited to play for Reinhardt University in the Fall. Katie Byrd, Senior Outside hitter and Defensive Specialist from Harrison HS has commited to play for Piedmont College in the Fall. Congrats ladies we are so proud of you!

16 Heat: 2nd in Gold in the Ohana Pili Aloha Tournament, 1st in Silver in the Tsunami 16 Power Tournament
April 18, 2011 - The 16 Heat have had an excellent past couple weekends of play! Over the past two weeks the girls have displayed an astonishing record of 20-5! On Saturday, April 9th the team competed in the Ohana Tournament in which they finished 2nd place overall! The girls played great, and had an impressive run through pool play kicking butt and finishing with an 8-0 record. Tough serves by Gracie Heinen, Maddie Mann, and Alison Hamilton made it difficult for our opponents to send the ball back over the net. The level of competition definitely increased as we moved into Tournament Play but the girls stepped up to the plate and welcomed the challenge. We defeated Crush Volleyball 16-1 to move into the championship. The girls won the first game against Ohana 16-1 but the second game Ohana fought back to win a nail bitter. Game 3 was an all out dog fight in which Ohana eventually came back to win 17-15. What a exciting match it was to watch! The days MVP goes to Remi McRae who did a terrific job all day setting in our 5-1 offense. Great Job Remi! Also, a big THANK YOU to Alex Zdonczyk of the 16 Fire for playing with us. Alex had some smart hits and defensive plays. We enjoyed having her join us for the weekend.

This past weekend the girls played in the Tsunami 16 Power Tournament. After a tough morning of pool play there was a 3 way tie for first and unfortunately due to point totals we took 3rd place in the pool putting us into the Silver Division. We continued to battle through out tournament play eventually defeating a tough GA Juniors team for the second time that day in order to take the Silver Championship. Smart hitting decisions by Sara Graff and great blocking by Alison Hamilton helped lead our team to victory. Brooke Christensen also showed off her impressive jump setting skills and gave our middle hitters a few no block situations because of her great sets! The 16 Heat would like to also give a big THANK YOU to Crimson Rooney and Augie Fitch of the 16 Fire for playing with us! You girls did a terrific job and it was fun having you on our team for the weekend.

The 16 Heat are excited for one more opportunity to show off everything we have learned and worked hard on this past season at Regional's on Saturday, April 30th.

North Atlanta featured on 11Alive
April 1, 2011 - After an outstanding effort to raise funds for the Side-Out Foundation. Raising $18,548 for breast cancer research. Becoming the number 1 club in the country. 11Alive news contacted Coach Stiles for an interview. When the 17 Black got a top seed in their pool they combined the interview with their story about the Big South National Qualifier and growth of the sport in the south. Check out the clip and see what made the cut! Congrats Green!

14 Blaze Takes 1st in Gold!
March 30, 2011 - 14 Blaze rocked the NAVC-hosted tournament this past weekend with some amazing play to take 1st place in the Gold Bracket. They came out guns BLAZE-ing from the start by winning all of their pool play games. The team played their best match of the day as they faced a determined Atlanta Boom 14-1 team in the semi-finals of the Gold Bracket. The girls were challenged as the Boom team battled to split the first two sets, 27-25 and 22-25. 14 Blaze put the battle to rest as they blew Boom away 15-6 in the 3rd set. Coaches Jody and Liz were so proud of the girls for winning this semi-final match against fierce competition and with an intimidating crowd. The crowd was deafening throughout the match as parents and fans cheered on both teams. After working so hard to earn their spot in the finals, they were determined to be Champions. They defeated the Biltmore 14-2 team in the finals in two sets, bringing home the victory for NAVC!

14 Heat Takes First in Silver
March 29, 2011 - The 14 Heat team represented NAVC at our home tournament this past weekend by taking first place in the Silver bracket. They showed great strength and a desire to win. The team had some ups and downs during pool play, but as they earned a spot in the Silver bracket playoffs, the Heat came ready to play. While their opponents looked a little tired, the Heat kept their energy up by easily defeating the Cobb Xtreme 14-2 team in the first round of playoffs... a team they had split with in pool play. In the finals, they faced a strong Ace Atlanta team that had taken two games from them in playoffs earlier in the day. Rather than letting the earlier loss intimidate them, the Heat showed more energy and desire to play than their opponents by avenging their earlier losses and earning the title of Silver Bracket Champions!

Summer Camps 2011
Club Director June Stiles will be running summer camps this summer at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School We have great lineups of day camps this summer with something for everyone. We are trying to start kids early and train hand eye coordination as well as volleyball skills. Volleytotz is just the program for K-3rd Grade. Beginners Volleyball is another 1/2 day camp for 4-6th grade to learn the skills and rules in a fun high energy atmosphere.

For the more advanced players we have an Outdoor Camp in early June to learn how to play grass volleyball and focus on all your skills. There are few outdoor tournaments in the summer and this is a great way to get ready and learn the different rules and skills it takes to play grass volleyball. We'll also have a Intermediate - Advanced full day camp for 7-12th graders that will focus on all skills and lots of game play. We'll work on fundamentals as well as advanced setting, attacking and blocking.

For more information please go to www.inspirevolleyball.com or email coach June at coachjburney@gmail.com

17 Black Competes in the Finals at the Peachtree Classic
March 13, 2011 - 17 Black Competes in the Finals at the Peachtree Classic The NAVC 17 Black team has proven time and time again that they are a force to be reckoned with in the 17 Power Palmetto and Southern Regions. This past weekend they earned a spot in the finals for the fourth consecutive tournament. At the Peachtree Classic in Atlanta, GA, the team was competing without Right-Side Alice Morrison, a key member of the team. The girls were forced to adjust their offense and setters Grace Townsend and Olivia Paul stepped up to the challenge. In the Semi-Finals of the Gold bracket, the girls faced the MVP Gold team out of South Carolina. After dropping a frustrating first set, the team rallied from being down 12-17 in the second set to win 25-22 and then rolled through the third set 15-7. Middle Anna McConaghie held a blocking clinic at the net with Libero Paige Schandevel behind her grabbing 17 digs. Carissa Bell played phenomenal defense with a near perfect serve receive percentage. On offense, the tandem team of Outside Becca Hannigan and Right-Side Laney Davis lit up the opponent with nine kills each while smart shots by Alex Maeder kept them on their heels. Middle Megan Emery had her strongest serving tournament with only one error and a 97% serving rate. After two long back-to-back tournament weekends, the team takes a break to prepare for the Big South in April. If you are at the World Congress Center Apr 1-3rd be sure to stop by the court and catch this team in action!

15 Heat Hosts Dig Pink Bake Sale
March 5, 2011 - The NAVC 15 Heat team held a bake sale this past weekend at an adult indoor tournament run by Angry Dragon Volleyball at Centennial High School. The girls baked cupcakes, cookies, and many other tasty treats to raise money for breast cancer awareness and work toward their team goal of raising $1000 for Dig Pink. They raised almost $100 at the bake sale and have continued to sell cupcakes at practices and clinics. No wonder 15 Heat is in the top three NAVC teams for money raised to-date for Dig Pink! Kudos to these girls for getting creative and spending time to bake and sell goodies for a worthy cause.

The girls also got to watch some great volleyball as many of the NAVC coaches competed in the Reverse Co-Ed 4s adult tournament. Coaches Jacki Flynn and Courtney Clark took home 2nd Place in the A Division. Coach Jacki was excited to have the girls at the gym: "It was great to have the girls out at the tournament cheering for me and working for a good cause at the same time. Not to mention getting to try out some of their concoctions - my favorite was the red velvet cupcakes!

13 Black Has Arrived!
February 26, 2011 - This past weekend, NAVC's 13 Black team took the Silver bracket at the NAVC tournament in Atlanta by playing their best volleyball of the season. The girls were challenged by their coaches to focus on consistent serving and improving their offensive plays. They rose to the challenge and met both of these goals while also playing amazing defense. Emily Carlock stood out as a key offensive player as she attacked from the middle. Cameron Dames and Katie Ryan proved their abilities to play strong all the way around. The team rolled through pool play to take 2nd in their pool. With wins over CGVA 13-1 and Ethos 13-1, the team almost clinched a spot in the Gold Bracket.

As they entered the Silver Bracket, the Black Attack faced a fierce opponent: GA-5, a team that the girls lost to in Birmingham. The girls showed how much they have improved recently by handily defeating GA-5 and earning their spot in the Silver Bracket Finals. In the finals, they again faced the Ethos 13-1 team. The girls suffered a bad loss in the first set, but showed perseverance and heart as they moved on to take the second set led by the serving of Andie Weathers. The Black Attack never looked back as they rolled through the third set to take the Silver!

16 Blaze Nashville 16 Blaze Wins in Nashville
Feb 19-20th, 2011 - 16 Blaze had a great weekend at the Alliance Prez Day Battle, bringing home first in silver. This team continues to grow and develop every single match and continues to be fun to coach. The team was fueled to another level with breakout offensive performances from Isabelle Paradis and Camille Smith. Katie McKnight and Heather LaPrade had a back and forth battle all weekend for the hardest hit ball. Shelby Allen and Katherine Birdsong continued their excellent hustle all over the floor on defense. Victoria Pregibon and Anna Pidgeon came up with some huge blocks. And Elaine Villanueva kept the offense running with excellent decision making from the setter's spot. Overall, the single biggest factor was the team's ability to play at a high level of intensity the entire weekend. They never gave up, were loud, and controlled matches. Now that we have seen how good this team can be, we are excited for the things they can do the rest of the season!

17 Black - 2nd in Gold
January 31, 2011 - The misson continues and this team will not rest! After Myrtle Beach the 17 Black team knew what they needed to do coming back into the very strong Southern Region. Right from the start during Pool play the 17 Black team proved they derserved the number one seed blowing through pool and knocking off the top seed and host team K2 171 taking over the top seed for sundays playoff.

Sunday the girls remained focused in the first round beating VolleyOne 171 soundly proving they could flip the switch any time they wanted. The semi's were definitly a challange. A very good Club West team used outstanding defense and speed to push 17 Black to three games but the Offense and control proved to be too much and 17 Black took the third game 15-8. In the finals 17 Black faced the host team K2 171 again. We knew it was going to be a fight and a great fight it was, A HUGE THANK YOU to all the Coaches, Players and Parents from our other NAVC teams that came to support. I would say we had most of the convention center watching this epic battle. 17 Black came out swinging but neither team could hold a lead for long as punch for punch the serve changed sides. 17 Black lost the first set 23-25, In game two there were impressive rally's that lasted 7-8 minutes (thats a long time in volleyball) neither team backing down. Ultimately the 17 Black had the lead 21-19 but missed three costly serves to drop the set 23-25 again for a second place finish. In this tournament our Middles Anna McConaghie and Megan Emery lead the way with smart shots and solid blocking. Followed closely behind by our Defense with outstanding saves by Paige Schandevel and back row attacks by Carissa Bell. This team is NEVER willing to settle and will continue our mission, Coach O and I are so proud of this group of girls and the example they set. We are back in action on Feb 19th as we challenge ourselves again as we play up to 18 Power.

16 Fire 16 Fire WINS the Silver at West Georgia
We are so proud of our 16 Fire girls. The girls played really hard during pool play and worked together to learn the rotations with a lot of girls playing in different positions each game. We continually improved throughout the day and made it into the Silver bracket. During playoffs, the team really showed how much heart and determination they had. They came out fired up, taking the lead early on in the semifinal and staying ahead the entire game, winning 25 - 21 in a hard fought battle. They came into the final with the same intensity squeezing out a 25 - 23 victory in the first game, had a little let down in the second game pushing the final to game 3. The girls really stepped up and pushed ahead for a 15 - 12 victory to become CHAMPIONS of the silver bracket. The team was lead by strong serving from Crimson Rooney, Alexandra Zdonczyk, and Caitlin Walsh along with great back row play from Alexandra, Augie Fitch, Sarah Baker, and Kailey Clark. Caitlin Walsh and Courtney Morris proved to be forces at the net, each coming up with a big block in the finals and our setters Rachel Schmidt and Danielle Grinzaid, helped lead the team. The coaches were very impressed with everyone's attitude and spirit throughout the day and their ability to make smart decisions on the court. The spirit award definitely goes to Rachel Schmidt, but I also want to give a big shout out to our parents, as they were the best fans in the gym. We are so proud of you girls!

17 Black finish 2nd in Myrtle Beach
The 17 Black girls had a mission this season, to pick up right where they left off last season but faster, stronger and more focused. Even the week off could not hold back this team. The girls traveled to Myrtle Beach for the "Winter Bump" a 3 day tournament with some of the best teams from the coast. On the first day the girls proved they were a force going undefeated 3-0 through pool play. On day two it was a pool of the top 6 teams for seeding on the third day. the #1,2, and 5 teams stood in our way and one by one they fell. Some great matches with extremely tough defense from Paige Schandevel and Carissa Bell allowed the offense to flex their muscles. Alice Morrison hammered more then a few from the right side while Alex Maeder's quick swing beat the block on the left. In the last match of the night it was #1 vs #2 and the girls were determined to remain undefeated. Back row kills from Becca Hannigan and front row Blocking from Anna McConaghie lead the way in this three game thriller, where the Black Attack held onto their number 1 spot. On day three it was playoffs and our first opponent was a very strong home town team. Megan Emery and Laney Davis took no prisoners in the front row on the offensive and blocking side.

Moving onto the finals the girls could taste a victory, beating the North Carolina Duraforce 25-14 in the first set. We knew the second would not be as easy, NC came back with avengance and took the second set 25-23, In the third game it was strike for strike and I have to say the 17 Black proved they could stay in control and attack from everywhere on the court. Unfortunatly not able to pull it out in the end losing 15-12 in the third, the girls left Myrtle Beach 7-1 on the season and a 2nd place finish with something still left to prove. Outstanding performances from Setters Grace Townsend and Olivia Paul anchored the team all weekend. I couldn't have asked for more from this team as a coach and very excited to see them return to the southern region in two weeks to finish what they started.

Atlanta (December 6, 2010) – North Atlanta Volleyball Club (NAVC) shares the news of the passing of their friend and coach, Dennis Jocson.

Dennis passed away suddenly on the evening of Tuesday, November 30, 2010.

Dennis discovered his passion for volleyball when he started playing beach volleyball in his hometown of Pensacola, Florida in 1989. He continued playing when he took a spot as the setter on the Men's Club team at the University of Florida, in the early 90's. In 1996, he moved to Atlanta and became one of the leaders in the Atlanta volleyball community. He was the owner/director of AirVorne Volleyball, LLC which hosts tournaments / leagues as well as outdoor sand clinics for kids.

With a passion for anything and everything volleyball, Dennis used AirVorne Volleyball to organize and conduct training clinics for young children, allowing them to learn to appreciate and love the sport Dennis gave so much to. In addition to working with youth, Dennis also organized and played with many adult teams in the Atlanta area. His love for the sport of volleyball was evident in all he did for the Atlanta volleyball community and in turn, NAVC.

As a way to remember our beloved team member and to support his family in this difficult time, contributions can be made in leiu of flowers.

[ Michael Jocson, 8109 Heirloom Drive, Pensicola, FL 32514 ]

North Atlanta will continue to honor and remember Dennis, by wearing patches on their warm ups as well as renaming his 13 Blaze team to 13 Airvorne.

Decatur, GA - The Piedmont College volleyball team brought home the Great South Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon as it defeated Huntingdon College in the title match. The Lions upped their overall record to 20-13 following a 3-1 decision (26-24, 21-25, 25-22, 25-19) over the Hawks, and in the process earned the league's automatic bid for the NCAA Division III Tournament that starts next weekend.

Both team's offenses found it tough going throughout the match with Piedmont outhitting Huntingdon, .062 (38-27—177) to .015 (50-47—200). Huntingdon finished with a 96-84 advantage in digs but saw Piedmont post 16 total blocks to its nine.

Senior Kalin DeMarris paced the Piedmont offensive with 11 kills. A trio of Lions totaled six terminations, Heather Stafford, Ashley Fannon, and Eris Kruse. Sophomore Paige Stafford, who was named MVP of the Championships provided outstanding defensive play for Piedmont and chalked up a match-high 27 digs. Sophomore Hallye Jerkins and junior Rachel Powell each compiled eight total blocks (1-7).

Huntingdon, which ended its year with an overall slate of 17-19, was led by freshman Kelly Kahumoku and freshman Abby Brown with 13 terminations apiece. Alyssa Eason and Clare Shannon each came through with 22 digs.

Nov. 8, 2010 LaGrange College had four volleyball players earn awards from the Great South Athletic Conference during the 2010 season. Sophomore Katie Covington was selected for the GSAC All-Conference team, junior Crystal Colvin earned GSAC All-Academic team honors, Hayley LaFontaine was named to the GSAC All-Freshman team and sophomore Kristen Barton was the team's GSAC Sportsmanship Award recepient.

Covington led the team in attacks, kills and blocks. She had 349 kills, averaging 3.32 per set. She was third in the GSAC in kills. LaFontaine was second to Covington on the team in attacks, kills and blocks. Colvin earned academic honors for the second straight season.

15 Blaze has success in Athens
The Blaze 15-1 team had a very good weekend in Athens. They went 5-0 Saturday before falling short in the Championship match. The girls really played as a team. They served so well all day. The team is hoping to take the great team work and all the other good thing from this tournament to regionals. Right side hitter Mary-Grace played her best volleyball of the season, she lead the team in kills. All the players did there jobs and it showed all day. Great job Ladies cant wait to see you play next weekend.

North Atlanta is the #1 Club in the country for Dig Pink fundraising!
16 Black and 15 Heat leading the charge were the number one and number two teams in the country and it was certainly a battle between the two.

16 Black finishing with $3384 and 15 Heat with $3292 and the whole club combined for more then $7100!!! That is amazing effort by all players and families involved to support the cause.They really embraced the spirit of the Dig Pink Tour and got behind a great cause, Raising awareness and funds for Brest Cancer Research. it was great to see everyone in their pink on Saturday as this is something that hits very close to home, and affects so many of our loved ones. This accomplishment is truly something every single member should be proud to be a part of. Well done ladies!

13 Heat takes a 2nd Place finish 3/27/10
What a great day for our youngest club members! The 13 Heat bounced back into town this weekend and played their best volleyball of the year! Making it to the finals They even took the eventual winners 28-30 in a great battle. Strong serving all around along with strong fundametals and aggressive play made every game exciting. Outstanding performances from Holland Fulton, Payton Pulver, Kelsey Butler and birthday girl, Abigail Hodell! It was awesome to see how far these girls have come and they are very excited for their last tournament of the year, Regionals

17 Blaze WINS GOLD
The 17 Blaze started off strong in the first set they were up 18-11, then hit a wall and lost 28-30 losing the second set as well 16-25. We thought that loss was it and there was no way they would recover from it mentally, boy did they show us different! The girls went in the locker room talked about what they needed to do and came out with a force behind them taking no prisoners, and not looking back. We showed so much emotion on the court Leah and I were so happy to see the girls finally play with some real emotion and hold nothing back. We won out the rest of pool play coming out first. We started off the semi finals playing the team we lost to in pool play and they tested our limits taking us to three, but the girls were determined to win and it paid off. Winning the semi final on such a high note the girls went into the finals and dominated the whole game with Lauren Johnston serving 12 straight points in the first match. Our girls rallied behind Lauren, with Andy Lostocco, Lindsey Allen, and Sam Westimer picking up everything in the back row letting nothing fall with out a body behind it. Then we had Diane, Mia, Tailor, Tauris taking care of business on the front row while Mary was putting up some of the best sets all season and making great choices. It was an emotional 14-hour fun filled day and I can go on and on. To sum it up girls did a wonderful job transposing what they have learned in practice and putting it all together on the floor it was wonderful to see it all come together. Keep up the good work ladies it's paying off. - Coach Yvett

North Atlanta Digs Pink and Joins in the fight against Breast Cancer
We have 8 teams participating in the Big South National Qualifer and for the second year the Big South has Joined with the Side Out Foundation to raise funds and awareness for Breast Cancer Research. Dig Pink Day will be Saturday April 3rd Each team has been challenged to set a goal and raise funds for the cause. We are excited and honored to be part of something so much bigger then volleyball, as a club we are offering another way to raise funds and be part of this wonderful event. We are offering North Atlanta Dig Pink Tshirts. These are available to everyone! They are $12 each 100% of the proceeds will go to the fundraising efforts. If you would like to order a shirt please see your coach or Contact June Stiles coachjburney@gmail.com

16 Green Win Gold at NAVC Tournament
Saturday 1/30/10. With a slow start splitting with GA5, The Green Machine rallies back to dominate in pool play. With stellar performances from "around the horn players" Alex "Magic" Lafleur and Danni "The Hammer" Smith, the team controlled play all day. Starting Libero, Allison Fuhrman out with an injury prompted solid play from Katie Fee. Meeting GA5 in the Final. Unshakable setting and determination coming from setter Kaitlynn "The Terminator" Hufstetler and great performances from the bench, The Green Machine digs in for another battle. In game 3, with the team down 3-7. Coach Ricketts calls a time-out and inspires the team to a 15-13 win.