Archive for category Lehigh Valley
Gold Playoffs and Tough Competition Cap Presidents’ Day Play in D.C. and Vegas
Posted by tpope in King of Prussia, Lehigh Valley, Result, Tournament on February 21, 2012
13 Orange, which finished 5th overall, listen to the National Anthem before gold playoffs at the Capitol Hill Classic.
Feb. 21, 2012 –Five Synergy teams reached the gold bracket playoffs in Presidents’ Day tournament play, capping off a busy weekend of challenging volleyball against some of the country’s best clubs.
At the Capitol Hill Classic in Washington D.C., 16 Orange and 15 Orange surprised the competition as they advanced to the gold brackets in older age divisions. In 17 Open playoffs on Monday, 16 Orange won its first match against Lower Hudson 17s, but fell in the quarterfinals to Pittsburgh Elite 17. The team finished 5th overall among 47 older teams. In 16 Open, the 15 Orange also shook things up, powering through the first two rounds, winning tough matches against strong 16s teams. In the gold playoffs, 15 Orange finally lost to local-favorite Metro American 16s, the team that went on to win the gold medal. Overall, 15 Orange placed 9th among 48 teams.
Playing in the largest division of the tournament, 14 Orange and 14 Lehigh remained undefeated heading into gold playoffs. Orange won its first match against Downstate 14 Red of Peekskill, NY but fell in quarterfinal play against Pittsburgh Renaissance, finishing in 5th place overall among 96 teams. In the first round of gold playoffs, 14 Lehigh fell to NVVA Ice of Northern Virginia, a tough team that made it to the final match before falling to the eventual winner of the 14 division, K2 Volleyball of Louisville, Tenn.
Meanwhile, 13 Orange, also undefeated heading into the gold playoffs, fell in the quarterfinal round to Aviator 13s of Brooklyn, a scrappy defensive team that made it all the way to the finals, where it lost in a 16-14 tie break to NVVA Ice 13s. The 13 Orange also finished in 5th place out of 44 teams.
14 Orange finished 5th at the Capitol Hill Classic with a 7-1 match record.
And at the Las Vegas Classic, 18 Orange won its first silver bracket playoff against Club Utah but lost in the semis to City Beach Black of North Carolina. Vision Gold of California, the team that knocked 18 Orange out of the gold playoffs, won the tournament. The 18 Orange finished 11th overall. Also in Las Vegas, 17 Orange won the third flight, beating Woodlands Wave of Spring, Texas.
Other results from the Capitol Hill Classic include:
18 Lehigh: 14th out of 48
17 Navy 15th out of 47
15 Navy 27th out of 48
18 Navy 35th out of 48
16 Navy 38th out of 47
14 Navy 41st out of 96
To learn more results, go to the tournament pages for the Capitol Hill Classic and the Las Vegas Classic.
Congratulations to all the players and coaches for their hard work this weekend. And thanks to all the parents and family members who supported the teams throughout both tournaments.
Sensational Sunday for Synergy in D.C. and Vegas
Posted by tpope in King of Prussia, Lehigh Valley, Result, Tournament on February 20, 2012
18 Orange Sharay Barnes in Las Vegas
Five Synergy teams are headed to the gold medal rounds after a sensational Sunday of Presidents’ Day Weekend tournament play in Washington D.C. and Las Vegas.
At the Capitol Hill Classic, 16 Orange remained undefeated playing up in the 17 Open division and will face Lower Hudson Volleyball Association 17s in the first round of 8 in the gold medal bracket. It was an all-Synergy start to the day as 16 Orange faced 17 Navy in second round play. The 16 Orange won the match, continuing to charge through the pool, dropping only one set to Piedmont Mizuno 17s. Meanwhile 17 Navy also took Piedmont to a third set, but lost in a 15-10 tiebreak game. Coach Peggy Hopton cited standout play for setter Meghan Stranick, who stepped in for injured setter Nicole Hopton and will take the team to the Silver bracket playoffs on Monday.
In 16 Open play, the 15 Orange also took on the challenge of playing up, and ended the day headed to the gold bracket after dropping only one set to Maryland Juniors 16 Elite. “Synergy has had great serving and setting from Haley Kleespies and Jillian Grammer,” said Coach Pat Rucker, who received no yellow cards in Sunday play. The 15 Orange will play D.C. team Metro Americcan Volleyball Club in the first round of gold medal play. Meanwhile 16 Navy ended the day with 2 losses and a hard-fought win over United Volleyball Club of Setauket, NY.
In the 15 Open, 15 Navy was undefeated in second round play, winning decisively against fellow KRVA team Keystone Juniors, New Jersey’s Allegro and Brooklyn’s Aviator Black to win the bye in Flight 1.
The 14 Orange remained undefeated for the second day in a row, with decisive wins in all three matches. “The entire team played great matches,” said Coach Donna Smith. “Great setting by Emily Ahern and Brooke Lichty.” And 14 Lehigh also powered through its pool, also remaining undefeated for the second day in a row. Both teams are headed to the Gold medal round where they could meet in the semi-final. And 14 Navy, facing a particularly tough draw in second round play, ended the day last in its pool but played some of its best volleyball to date, noted Coach Mike Lott. “Even though it wasn’t a great day on the score board we actually played pretty well,” said Coach Lott. “We’re getting better every tournament as the girls get more confidence”
And after a grueling day that began with a 9 a.m. work match and ended with an 8 p.m. challenge match, a tired 13 Orange got the job done, and they remain undefeated as they head into gold medal quarterfinals against Aviator Black of Brooklyn.
After dropping 2 matches in second round play, 18 Lehigh heads to the silver bracket finals where it faces Brandywine Blackout. And 18 Navy placed second in its pool and faces New Jersey’s DIGS 18 Red in Flight 2 on Monday.
At the Las Vegas Classic, 18 Orange, seeded 10th in the tournament, heads to the silver bracket where it faces No. 15 team Club Utah. In Sunday play, Orange won its first two matches but dropped the final match to No. 7 ranked Vision Gold of California. After a rough start Saturday, 17 Orange won every match in second round play, winning the bye for playoffs in Flight 3. On Monday, 17 Orange meets Dinamo 17 Elite of Arizona in Flight 3 semi-finals.
Finally, congratulations to 18 Orange’s Sharay Barnes whose photo (above) was featured in a Prep Volleyball roundup of the Vegas tournament.
Presidents’ Day Weekend: The Saturday Roundup
Posted by tpope in King of Prussia, Lehigh Valley, Result, Tournament on February 19, 2012
Feb. 18, 2012 – In Washington D.C. and Las Vegas, Synergy’s Orange, Navy and Lehigh teams kicked off Presidents’ Day tournament play with several standout performances, as six teams ended the day undefeated in first round play.
At the Capitol Hill Classic in Washington, five Synergy teams won their pools. Playing up in the 17 Open, 16 Orange dominated its pool despite loaning setter Bayleigh Hoffman to 17 Orange for the weekend. The team faced a challenge from Norlanco 17 Blue, but won the match in a 15-13 tiebreaker. Also in 17 Open, 17 Navy rallied with Meghan Stranick stepping in after the team lost setter Nicole Hopton to injury. The team finished second in its pool, staying in contention for gold in second-round play. In the 18 Open, 18 Lehigh placed 2nd in its pool, with 18 Navy coming in 3d.
In 16 Open play, 15 Orange also played up and ended the day undefeated in pool play. In 15 Open, it was a day of closely contested matches for 15 Navy, who, after two tie break games, finished 3rd in its pool.
Synergy teams dominated the 14 Open, with three teams still in contention for gold. 14 Orange, powered by strong serving from Stephanie Judkins and Megan Jacobi, was perfect for the day. 14 Lehigh also ended the day undefeated, while 14 Navy impressed by finishing 2nd in its pool. And 13 Orange showed its strength, besting the competition by a wide margin in every match, and finishing the day undefeated in pool play.
In the Las Vegas Classic, play continued late Saturday night, but 18 Orange remained undefeated in three games. In a competitive pool, 17 Orange fought hard in close matches, but ended the day with one win and two losses.
Robertson and Krause Commit to Penn State
Posted by tpope in Commitment, Lehigh Valley, Player on February 16, 2012
On a set by Taylor Krause (14), middle Kelly Robertson (9) defies the block.
Feb. 15, 2012 — Congratulations to 17 Lehigh middle blocker Kelly Robertson and setter Taylor Krause who have both committed to play for Pennsylvania State University.
Robertson and Krause are both juniors and teammates at Parkland High School in Allentown, where they helped their team win the 2011 AAA state championships.
In 106 sets last fall, Robertson amassed 449 kills while adding 92 blocks and 154 digs. She was named State Tournament MVP and received All-State Tournament honors. She was Lehigh Valley Conference League MVP, All- State and Morning Call Player of the year.
Krause led the Keystone state in assists and was one of the top 10 assist makers nationally, never losing a best of five match setting a 5-1 offense in high school. She also received All-State Tournament honors. She was named to the Lehigh Valley Conference 1st Team, District XI first team, and was the Morning Call Area First Team Setter and a finalist for Gatorade Player of the Year.
Both girls were recently named Prep Volleyball National Junior of the Year finalists and High School All-Americans.
After Robertson and Krause attended Penn State’s volleyball camp this past summer, Krause committed to play for Penn State starting the 2013-14 school year. This month, Robertson, who had been contacted by numerous colleges representing the Big Ten, SEC, Big East, Colonial Athletic Association and the Patriot League and received multiple scholarship offers, accepted Penn State Coach Russ Rose’s offer to join the 17-player roster.
“Kelly has been the offensive mainstay for both high school and Synergy Lehigh teams,” said 17 Lehigh Coach Mike Krause. “Kelly is a very deserving, humble, hard working young lady. She is a teammate who values team success ahead of individual accomplishment.”
The cousins began playing together their freshman year of high school, and their instinctive play earned them the nicknames “Batman and Robin.” “They think alike,” said Coach Krause. “They can read each other over the course of a match. Their timing is so instinctive, regardless of pass location, they feel they can connect on every play. The synergy created between the two is contagious on the court and off.”
Synergy Shines in Valentine Weekend Play
Posted by tpope in Events, King of Prussia, Lehigh Valley, Result, Tournament on February 13, 2012
14 Orange wins silver in the 15 Open.
Feb. 12, 2012 – Playing with heart on Valentine weekend, all five Synergy teams competing in area tournaments advanced to their respective playoffs, with silver medal finishes for 14 Orange and 17 Lehigh.
In Saturday play, it was an all-Synergy semifinal when 14 Orange and 15 Lehigh advanced to the playoffs of the Keystone Juniors 15 Open tournament in King of Prussia. In pool play, 15 Lehigh played strong all day, finishing first among five teams. Meanwhile, 14 Orange, playing up an age division, took second in its pool, which meant the two Synergy teams would face each other in the semifinal. When the match was over, it was 14 Orange who advanced to the finals. Playing tough against an older and more experienced 15 Integrity, 14 Orange had much to be proud of as it celebrated winning the silver medal.
“In a very good tough match (against Lehigh) we were able to turn the corner by passing the tough serves that were coming at us left and right, and that was one of the turning points,” said Coach Chris Kleespies. “We faced Integrity again, and they were too much for us, though we did score a few more points and had a good run at the end of the second set.”
The girls were also able to stay in the competition long enough for Coach Donna Smith, who had a work commitment at Immaculata University, to coach them in their final match. “Donna Smith has been coaching for roughly 30 years (yes, she started coaching when she was 5), but in that entire time she has never missed coaching her team,” said Coach Kleespies. “We were able to hold on long enough for her to make it back, so it was all in all a great day!”
Two courts away at the Keystone Juniors 14 Open, 13 Orange also took on the challenge of playing up an age division. After stumbling in its first game, 13 Orange rallied and finished second in its pool of five teams. The only 13s team to advance to the playoffs, Synergy nearly pushed the match to a third-game tie breaker, but fell just short.
In its first tournament of the year, 13 Lehigh also played up an age group in the Valentine’s Day 14s at Aspiring Champions in King of Prussia. It was a day of comebacks for the young team, and in one memorable match, the girls had fallen behind by 12 points before rallying to win the set.
“I am excited with my team’s performance in their first tournament” said Coach Jill Lichty. “We have a very young team overall. Every match they got better and more comfortable with each other. I am excited to get back in the gym and work with them.”
On Sunday, 17 Lehigh collected a silver medal in a closely contested final match against Cava 17 Lime at the CAVA Classic 17 Open. The scores tell the story in this nail biter of a match, with Synergy falling just short 29-31 and 23-25. Coach Michael Krause noted the team’s standout performance despite the absence of outside hitter Kelly Robertson who is recovering from an injury.
“The match went back and forth in a high intensity and hard fought battle in CAVA’S home tournament,” said Coach Krause. “The team represented Synergy displaying drive and determination in the seesaw epic match!”
Congratulations to all our Synergy teams for their strong performances this weekend. And good luck to everyone heading to the Capitol Hill Classic in Washington D.C. next weekend.
Golden Weekend for Lehigh, Navy and Orange
Posted by tpope in King of Prussia, Lehigh Valley, Result, Tournament on February 6, 2012
In an all-Synergy final, 15 Navy took the gold.
Feb. 6, 2012 — In another weekend of terrific Synergy volleyball, Lehigh, Navy and Orange teams dominated local tournament play, collecting three golds and a silver.
In 18 Open play on Saturday, Synergy’s 18 Lehigh, 18 Navy and 17 Navy battled in the Marauder Clash at Millersville University. At the end of the day, it was 18 Lehigh that emerged with the gold medal.
In pool play, 18 Navy and 17 Navy fought in several close matches, with both teams just missing a chance to advance to the playoffs. The 17 Navy assistant coach Peggy Hopton said the team took on a challenge playing up an age division. “The team is moving in the right direction and competing at a higher level,” said coach Hopton. “The coaches are encouraged by the improvement in the team effort.”
18 Lehigh wins the Marauder Clash
Meanwhile, it was an all-Synergy showdown in Lancaster, Pa. as 15 Navy and 15 Lehigh faced off in the finals of the Norlanco 15 Open Classic. The two teams were well-matched, but in the end, it was Navy that took home the gold after fending off a set point and winning the final game 26 to 24. Navy went 12 and 1 for the day, dropping only 1 game in pool play. Congratulations are also in order for 15 Lehigh, who proved a tough opponent and earned a well-deserved silver for the day.
Assistant coach Tom Wiechecki had high praise for 15 Navy, noting that each player contributed to the win. “Madison McCunney and Carly Cooper anchored the middle while Lauren Mueller, Gwyneth Parisse and Sierra Corbett provided strong attack from the pins,” said Wiechecki. “Defensively the trio of Sophia Schena, Brittany Fichter and Brynn Buonocore dug up the field. The setting duo of Alexis Orvieto and Rebecca Purcell provided strong leadership to the attack. Overall the team can attribute their success to tough serving, dependable serve receive and a unrelenting desire to win.”
16 Orange nets gold in 17 Open
In nearby York, 14 Lehigh and 14 Navy made it to the playoffs at the Str8 Down Sports 14 Open. Lehigh was undefeated in pool play, but met a tough Yorktown Blue team in the semi-finals, losing in a tie break. 14 Navy started the day in a competitive 5-team pool that included Valley Forge and Yorktowne, the teams that eventually finished first and second in the tournament. Navy played tough all day and finished in a tie for third in the pool, sending the young team to the one-set quarterfinals. After falling behind early, Navy kept their composure and rallied back to within 3, before taking the loss in an exciting match.
“The girls really battled today” said coach Mike Lott, “We did some good things and some not so good things, but we definitely are showing improvement from match to match.”
On Sunday, 16 Orange wrapped up the weekend with a decisive win in a higher age bracket, competing in the Marauder Clash 17 Open tournament in Millersville. 16 Orange won every set in pool play and moved on to the playoffs, where the team remained undefeated to claim gold. “Another great team effort with contributions coming from everyone all day long,” said Coach George Trabosh.
Congratulations to all the players from Lehigh, Navy and Orange for continuing to showcase the depth of talent on all our Synergy teams.
Four Synergy Players Named All-Americans
Posted by tpope in Award, King of Prussia, Lehigh Valley, Player on February 2, 2012
Morgan Lowe
Alexa Swann
Feb. 2, 2012 — Prep Volleyball named four Pennsylvania high school students to its list of All-Americans — and all of them play for Synergy.
Middle Alexa Swann of 18 Orange, outside hitter Morgan Lowe of 17 Orange, and setter Taylor Krause and middle Kelly Robertson of 17 Lehigh were named to the prestigious All-American list, which includes the 150 top players in the country.
The list is compiled from a variety of sources, including the leading candidates for the Gatorade Player of the Year, winners of top honors from high school championships and input from coaches.
Kelly Robertson
Taylor Krause
To be considered for the list, a player must be among the top players in her state and have demonstrated a “massive impact” on the performance of her team. The list this year is dominated by volleyball powerhouse states California (16), Texas (10) and Florida (9). Six states, including Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Georgia, Michigan and Ohio, had 6 to 7 players each, while Alabama, Arizona and Missouri had five. With four players on the list, Pennsylvania ranked 13th in the country, tying with Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska and Tennessee.
Special mention honors also went to MacKenzie Kleespies of 18 Orange.
Congratulations to all of our All-Americans for the well-deserved honor and for shining the national spotlight on Pennsylvania and Synergy volleyball!
Prep Volleyball Honors Two Lehigh Juniors
Posted by tpope in Award, Lehigh Valley, Player on January 31, 2012
Krause and Robertson
The dynamic duo helped Parkland High School in Allentown win the AAA state title for 2011. In 106 sets last fall, Robertson amassed 449 kills while adding 92 blocks and 154 digs. She was named State Tournament MVP and received All-State Tournament honors.
Krause led the Keystone state in assists and was one of the top 10 assist makers nationally. She also received All-State Tournament honors.
Prep Volleyball’s National Junior of the Year recognition goes to a top junior player who has made a “massive” impact on her high school team and the state.
Silver Medal for Synergy 12 Lehigh
Posted by tpope in Lehigh Valley, Result, Tournament on January 24, 2012
12 Lehigh Takes Silver at CAVA
Jan. 24, 2012 – Congratulations to Synergy Volleyball’s youngest players who recently battled to win a silver medal in their second tournament of the year.
The 12 Lehigh team competed among 9 teams at the CAVA New Year Revolution 12s Tournament. After a slow start, the team rallied with a strong finish, winning a tie-breaker to make it to the playoffs. Following a three-set win in the semi-finals, the team fought hard in the finals, taking the silver against a solid team from Delaware’s Brandywine BAM.
The performance follows the team’s strong finish in the MLK Kickoff Classic in Lancaster, Pa., where the girls took on the challenge of playing up in the 13s division, besting several older teams and finishing in the semi-finals of the silver bracket.
“They may be young, but they play with a lot of heart,” said Coach Donna Roman. “They work hard at practice and games, and focus on improving their skills. I feel this team is going to continue to grow and develop as volleyball players and as a team. They are achievers, and this is only the beginning.”
Synergy Dominates MLK Tournament
Posted by tpope in King of Prussia, Lehigh Valley, Result, Tournament on January 18, 2012
14 Orange wins Gold.
Jan. 18, 2012 – Synergy Volleyball dominated the 2012 MLK Kickoff Classic, nearly sweeping the Open division and winning gold medals in the 14s, 15s, 16s and 17s age groups. In all, a total of 16 Synergy teams from King of Prussia and Lehigh Valley all posted standout performances, often facing their fiercest competition from another Synergy team.
In the 14 Open division, 14 Orange was undefeated going into the gold medal round, where they faced tough competition in a semi-final match against 14 Lehigh. Orange prevailed and went on to win Synergy’s first gold medal of the day in a 3-game final against a feisty defensive team from Pittsburgh 3 Rivers. Meanwhile, 14 Lehigh earned a strong 3rd place overall finish out of 20 teams. 13 Orange took on the challenge of playing up a division and held their own against some of the tournament’s top teams including their 14 Orange teammates in second-round play. The 13s moved on to the silver bracket where they made it to the semifinals, placing 9th overall. A young 14 Navy team played with heart each match and closed out the tournament in the quarter-finals of the Bronze division. 12 Lehigh also played up in the 13s division, making it all the way to the semi-finals of the silver bracket.
A team effort takes 15 Orange to gold.
IT WAS ALL GOLD for three Synergy 15s teams that battled their way into the Gold bracket, with 15 Orange placing 1st, 15 Lehigh taking 3rd and 15 Navy advancing to 5th out of a total of 32 teams. All the teams faced their toughest competition from each other. “We showed that all three teams can beat anyone if we play our best,’’ said 15 Orange coach Pat Rucker.
In the second round, Orange squeaked out a win against Navy in a match that included a 29 to 27 nail biter. In the semi-finals, a tenacious Lehigh team took Orange to three sets in a exciting match worthy of the finals.
“Navy and Lehigh played great defense, served tough and hit efficiently,’’ said Coach Rucker. “I was most impressed by the hitting of Lauren Mueller on the outside for 15 Navy and the setting and net play by Lehigh setter Emmy Geis. She was awesome and the best player for her size in the tournament.”
16 Orange celebrates MLK gold.
THERE WAS MORE GOLD in Lancaster for the 16 Orange which took the top prize in 16 Open, with a hard-fought, three-set win against P3R. “It was a good team effort,” said Coach George Trabosh. “The girls showed their mettle as they fought back from a deficit.”
Coach Trabosh noted that one of the toughest teams Orange faced in the tournament was in the second round against our own 16 Navy team, which battled in several close matches and finished in the quarterfinals of the silver bracket.
17 Orange on their way to gold.
THE WINNING continued with 17 Orange taking the gold medal in 17 Open, while 17 Lehigh also advanced to the gold bracket, where it lost a 27-25 heart-breaker to DE United in the quarter finals. A talented 17 Navy team advanced to the semi-finals of the Bronze bracket.
Finally, in the 18 Open, 18 Orange took 2nd place overall in the Gold bracket. It was a thrilling, all-Synergy final in the 18 Open Silver division, where 18 Lehigh and 18 Navy fought a close 3-set match, with Lehigh taking the win.
Congratulations to all the Synergy teams for their outstanding performances at the MLK. The bar has been set for another great year of Synergy Volleyball!
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