Archive for July, 2011

This article was amended 7/13/2011 due to an accidental omission of content.  My sincerest apologies to those affected.  – Synergy Webmaster

The 12 Orange, coming off an amazing season, were put to the test immediately in Atlanta — their pool included the two teams that would eventually battle in the finals. Despite the tough draw, the girls held their own, especially against Borinquen Coqui of Puerto Rico, who won the national championship. The Synergy family is especially proud of their great effort and a terrific season.

The 14 Orange set the bar high while competing in the 14 American Division a week earlier.  Dominant and confident play characterized their first several days of competition, toppling the 4th seed in 2 sets.  Things looked promising until drawing the top seed in a challenge match late in day 3.  Still, their previous strong play earned them a seat in the Silver quarter finals where they fell just short of a semi-final appearance in a 3 set nail-biter.

The 16 Orange fought through lots of adversity this season with the unexpected departure of 2 assistant coaches and several untimely injuries.  But, in the 16 National Division, the 16 Orange epitomized everything Synergy.  After several  days of 3 set battles, the feisty team lost in the semi-final round of the Bronze bracket. Finishing 19th overall, the team caught the attention of several coaches – some drawing comparisons reminiscent of a younger version of the 18 Orange.  The 16 Lehigh also finished in the top half of the 16 American Division.  Like their national division counterparts, they fought hard in true Synergy fashion in the 3rd day play — nearly upsetting Gold and Silver quarter-finalist teams.

The 17 Orange battled injury and position changes throughout the season, but showed positive growth by taking home the top spot in Flight 1 in the 17 American Division.  The final push was a good experience for the young squad, with several players earning quiet accolades from opposing club and college coaches.  Everyone was proud of their end of season effort and learned how to finish when it counted.

Last but certainly not least, the 18 Orange finished what is arguably the most successful season ever for any team on the eastern seaboard!  In any case, it’s definitely the most successful team in Synergy history.  In addition to a long list of  individual accolades, the team upset regional favorites for titles at the MLK and MAPL tournaments and captured 2 Open Qualifier titles at Big South and NEQ (undefeated in matches and sets respectively).  Their achievement was nationally recognized when they secured a #1 ranking on PrepVolleyball.com and the #1 spot overall in the 18 Open National Junior Classic.  Falling only 4 points shy of their season-long goal, the 18 Orange made their friends, coaches, parents and all of Pennsylvania proud by bringing home the National Junior Classic Silver Medal as well as 3 All-Tournament Team Awards.

This seasons experiences left many proud parents, coaches and players with an overall good feeling, yet extremely hungry and excited for all the possibilities next year.  It’s been a week now since the final day of the 2011 campaign — that’s plenty of rest!  If you didn’t end up where you want to be, your training for the next opportunity STARTS NOW!