Archive for February, 2012
18s and 17s Battle Each Other; 13 Lehigh Takes 3rd
Posted by tpope in King of Prussia, Result, Tournament on February 27, 2012
18 Orange (pink), 18 Navy (navy) and 17 Orange (orange) on the court
Feb. 27, 2012 — It was a clash of the titans in West Chester, Pa. this weekend as 18 Orange, 18 Navy and 17 Orange shared the courts at the TCA Philly 18′s tournament.
In pool play, 18 Orange won first place and advanced to the playoffs. In the second pool, 17 Orange and 18 Navy faced each other and ended up splitting the match. Although the teams had hoped for an all-Synergy final, it was not meant to be. The 17 Orange placed second in pool play to advance, leaving 18 Navy behind in third.
“Congrats to our 18 Navy team, who gave my 17s all they could handle,” said 17 Orange Coach Rich Johnson.
The pool results set up an all-Synergy battle in the semis between 18 Orange and a confident 17 Orange. In an epic first set, both teams pushed each other to the limit, with 17 Orange coming up with the win 29 to 27. The 17 Orange kept its momentum and won the second set 25-17. In the finals, 17 Orange played strong against a resilient PVA 18 team, losing a nail biter first set 27-25. In the end, PVA took the match, winning the second set 25 to 21, as 17 Orange settled for a hard-fought silver.
Sydney Salle
“Ambrose Crenshaw and I are really happy with the way our team handled the pressure of playing our 18′s,” said Coach Johnson. “It has been a tough season with all the adversity our team had to endure. Our 18′s have been beating us up all season at practice. They felt that we weren’t pushing them to be a better team. We had a lot to prove in this match; it was a match we had to win. I am very proud of my girls. They are finally learning how to play at a higher level.”
Bayleigh Hoffman
Coach Johnson offered a special thanks to 16 Orange setter Bayleigh Hoffman and 15 Orange middle Sydney Salle, who have both been filling in with 17 Orange for players who were injured or ill. “I want to thank Bayleigh and Sydney for their dedication to the team, and wish them both well as they return to their teams,” said Coach Johnson.
Meanwhile, at the Keystone Juniors 13 tournament in King of Prussia, Pa., 13 Lehigh advanced to the playoffs after placing second in its pool. In the semis, the young team fell to J-Stroke, ending the day in third place. Notably, 13 Lehigh was the only team to win a set against Club Integrity, the tournament winner.
Last Chance for Synergy Spirit Wear!
Posted by tpope in King of Prussia, Lehigh Valley on February 27, 2012
Holloway Torch Microfleece
If you still haven’t ordered Synergy spirit wear, you have one more chance to pick up your favorite orange and navy sweatshirts, shorts, fleeces and other items. Read the rest of this entry »
18 Orange and 16 Orange in the News!
Posted by tpope in Uncategorized on February 24, 2012
Captured on video: 16 Orange scores at the Capitol Hill Classic in Washington D.C.
Cover Girl: 18 Orange's Sharay Barnes led Prep Volleyball's report.
Click on the link below to watch setter Caroline Francois set to outside hitter Melanie Ingram, whose powerful hit bounces off the block of Pittsburgh Elite Premier 17s and out of bounds to win a point for Synergy.
6th Annual Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic Draws Thousands to DC Convention Center: MyFoxDC.com
Meanwhile, 18 Orange earned another nod from Prep Volleyball for its performance both on and off the court at the Las Vegas Classic. Prep editor John Tawa wrote:
Synergy 18 Orange has another very good, very feisty team that will overachieve. MB Alexa Swann kills everything she swings at while OH Mackenzie Kleespies and libero Becca Bates are fantastic in the back row. The latter two, however, are not good liars, as they tried to convince me that a Hawaiian team had taken the chocolates I put out at the PrepVolleyball.com table. They more than made up for the thievery with a heart-shaped box of chocolates and fuzzy dice. Thanks, girls!
Kleespies Wins Biggest Hitter Contest
Posted by tpope in Award, King of Prussia, Player on February 24, 2012
Chloee Kleespies of 14 Orange, demonstrating her 37 mph hitting skills at the Capitol Hill Classic.
The contest, sponsored by sports training firm Powercore, attracted 750 players between the ages of 10 and 18 who were competing in the volleyball tournament. A radar gun was used to measure the speed of a player’s hit.
Kleespies, an outside hitter, was clocked hitting 37 mph, putting her in a three-way tie for first place among 12-year-old hitters. The fastest hits of the day were posted in the 16- and 17-year-old age groups where the biggest hits were clocked at 52 mph.
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
Feb. 20, 2012 — 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.”
Varsity Freshman Honors for Kleespies and Faust
Posted by tpope in Award, King of Prussia, Player on February 14, 2012
Haley Kleespies
Each year, Prep Volleyball compiles a list of 220 of the top freshman players in the country. To be considered, a player needs to be a varsity starter as a freshman and one of the top talents in her area.
The Prep Volleyball list includes the top “Frosh 59″ as well another 59 players in each of the Highest Honorable Mention and Special Mention categories and 50 Honorable Mention nods.
Setter Haley Kleespies received highest honorable mention recognition for her strong play at Avon Grove in West Grove, Pa. “Displaying her immense versatility, Kleespies began the season running a 6-2, then hit right side before finishing the season running a 5-1,” wrote Prep Volleyball.
Kleespies finished the season with 883 assists, 298 digs, 42 blocks and 68 aces to lead Avon Grove to a 27-9-3 record and earn all-league and all-district honorable mention honors.
“Haley was the starting setter when we had big wins against Unionville, Parkland, St. Basil, Bishop Shanahan, Central Bucks West, Mt. Saint Joseph’s and Becca,” coach Missy McLinden told Prep.
Brooke Faust
“She was the starting setter that led us into the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) District 1 semifinals and into our state match against Hempfield.”
Special mention honors went to middle blocker Brooke Faust of Nazareth High School in Nazareth, Pa. Faust averaged 1.7 kills per game for a total 239 kills for the Eagles in 2011 while adding 66 total blocks.
“A tremendous athlete who is quick off the floor, Faust’s fast arm was on display all season long and she elevated her game playing against the best teams in the district,” wrote Prep.
Nazareth head coach Jill Lichty told Prep, “Although only a freshman she developed into a leader on and off the court, even with a strong and large senior class.”
Congratulations to Haley and Brooke for standout play as freshmen during the high school season and for continuing to make their Synergy teammates and coaches proud all year round.
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.
-
You are currently browsing the archives for February, 2012
Memories
