Sports Update
Volleyball: Mad Frog leaps competition, claims first at nationals
By Justin Thomas, jthomas@starlocalnews.com
In 2009, when Mad Frog volleyball club was claiming its first national title, the Plano-based program was still in its infant years.
Three seasons and endless hours of work later, Mad Frog now has another banner to hoist as the clubs 12 National team took first at USAV Girls National Championship July 7 in Columbus, Ohio.
"We're very pleased with the performance," said Stefanie Rotunno-Samuels, Mad Frog director. "I think in 2009, it was a huge surprise because we were a fairly new club. But since then we've seen how hard it is to win a national championship in club volleyball. This feels awesome."
Rotunno-Samuels said the team believed they could be in medal contention entering the event.
"The team has had a lot of success, so I think they thought they would be in the mix," she said. "And our 12U program has been really strong for the past five years or so. We've actually won the Lone Star in the 12U bracket the last five times, which is tough do, so the expectations were pretty high."
The club, went 11-0 and won 22-of-25 sets en route to claiming the title.
In the finals, Mad Frog swept TX Tornadoes 12 Mizuno (25-19, 25-23). But it was in the semifinals where Mad Frog found the most drama as the club outlasted OVA 12 Asics (21-25, 25-14, 15-13).
"I was with a different team a couple of courts away," Rotunno-Samuels said. "But all I could watch was the 12 team. I couldn't keep my eyes off the court. I wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but I knew they were in the third set and I could tell when they made the switch what the score was. I thought 'Oh no, we're down.' But the girls were able to fight back and pull out a great win."
Mad Frog was pushed to three sets on two other occasions, but pulled out the final set in convincing fashion each time, defeating Sunshine 12 South Bay (25-9, 21-25, 15-3) and Jammers 12 TeamRox Hi (25-12, 17-25, 15-9).
While Mad Frog made history in 12 Nationals and also qualified a Metroplex-best 10 teams for the tournament, perhaps a more improbable feat was nearly accomplished in the 14 Open division.
"That's a story in itself," Rotunno-Samuels said. "I'm guessing we are the first club to have two teams tie for third in the same division. We were two wins away from an all-Mad Frog final and I know having two teams from the same club in the finals has never happened. We were a force at that age group."
In the end, however, both Mad Frog 14 PC and Mad Frog 14 Carlos -- coached by Rotunno-Samuels -- ended up two wins shy of a national title.
The PC team went 7-2, coming up short in the semifinals against Tstreet 14-Mike (25-21, 29-27) and dropping a match in pool play against A5 Mizuno 141 Suzanne (25-17, 25-15).
Carlos' team racked up an 8-2 mark, falling in matches against Club West 14 National in the semis (25-20, 22-25, 15-11) and also PVA 14 Elite (25-19, 25-21).
The highlight for Carlos in the tourney, however, came in the quarterfinals when the club outlasted MAVA 14 Elite in a thrilling three-setter (25-17, 23-25, 23-21).
"The Carlos team is a talented team that is loaded with 6-foot girls," Rotunno-Samuels said. "And the PC team is very defensive-minded. They were frustrating everyone with their defensive play. I really didn't want to have to play them in the finals, but it would have been pretty special. Unfortunately we both lost against tough teams in the semifinals."
Mad Frog wasn't the only local club finding success in Columbus as Texas Advantage Volleyball had three teams claim medals, including TAV 13 Black (bronze), TAV 15 Black (bronze) and TAV 17 Black (silver).
The 17 club features many players who have already established themselves at the varsity level, including Plano West's Shane Peters, Southlake Carroll's Katie Dunlap, Carrollton Creekview's Alyssa Desjardins, Marcus' Regan McGuire, Flower Mound's Jordan Anderson, Lovejoy's Ebony Nwanebu and Coppell's Cassidy Pickrell, Erica Bohanon and Chiaka Ogbogu.
The squad cruised through pool play and early elimination games, picking up wins in 18-of-21 sets en route to a 9-0 record and appearance in the finals. However, they met their match in the title game, falling against Northern Lights 17 (26-24, 25-16).
"They had a great season," said L.J. Sariego, TAV 15 Black coach. "They finished the season something like 78-2. They just ran into a tough team in the finals. It was a very competitive first set, but Northern Lights just ran away in the second half. They didn't lose a set in the entire tournament, which is unheard of."
Sariego said a majority of the roster should return next year to compete in 18s.
"They have a couple of high-profile kids, but for the most part, they're very balanced," he said. "They have a lot of size, so they do a lot of swinging and blocking at the net."
Nwanebu and Pickrell garnered all-tournament honors for their efforts in Columbus.
The 15 team, meanwhile, placed third in the Open division and includes sophomores Elizabeth Boyd (Flower Mound), Paige Panter (Carroll), Kylie Pickrell (Coppell), Maiya Burns (Carroll) and Madison Drescher (Carroll).
"We breezed through during the first three days," Sariego said. "But unfortunately we lost in the semifinals against a team that we had beaten in the finals of the Lone Star Tournament back in April. We just didn't play very well, but we thought we had a chance to win it all going into the tournament."
Sariego said the club was at its best in a sweep over Five Starz 15-1 (25-16, 25-18).
Pickrell and Anna Walsh (Colleyville Heritage) were named all-tournament.
"The girls from Carroll all played well, too," Sariego said. "But this team doesn't really have one all-star, just a bunch of girls that play well. It's a very tight-knit group and everyone contributes."
Skyline Junior Volleyball Club, meanwhile, also had a productive week, sending more teams (nine) to the Open division than any other club in the nation.
Skyline had a team qualify for the Open division in every age group.
The 13 RoShamBo Royal team, which features players from Allen (Camryn Brill), Plano (Carley Torres and Alexis Lambert), Frisco (Brianna Bellehumeur and Kylie Keeling) and Lucas (Taylor Carty) finished fifth, while the 16 club claimed silver. RoShamBo Royal 16 includes Plano's Jennifer Young (John Paul II), McKinney's Ericka Timberlake (Frisco Heritage), Plano's Tola Itiola (Carrollton Christian), Dallas' Sarah Linder (West), Allen's Camryn Freiberg, Southlake's Emily Harris (Carroll) and Parker's McKenzie Shea (East). The RoShamBo Royal 17 club, meanwhile, took ninth and features Carroll's Taylor Gruenewald, Coppell's Megan Kennedy, Lewisville's Katie Staiger (Prestonwood), McKinney's Brantley Reid, Carrollton's Micaela Spann (Hebron), Carrollton's Melissa Hoelting (Ursuline Academy), Plano's Brooke Coleman (West), Richardson's Audrey Landry (Plano Senior) and Plano's Katie Stebbins (West).
Listed below are the results from all North Texas teams at nationals:
USAV Girls National Championships (June 28-July 7 in Columbus, OH)
12 National
1. Mad Frog 12's Lewellen, 11-0 (won 22 of 25 sets)
13. Skyline 12 RSB Royal, 5-4
13. Tejas 12 Rox, 4-5
17. TAV 12 Black, 7-3
12 American
6. LoneStar 12 Smack, 8-2
19. Mad Frog 11's National
13 American
3. TAV 13 Black, 8-2
5. Mad Frog 13's National Bram, 5-4
9. Victory 13 Elite Black, 8-3
22. Tejas 13 Rox, 5-5
13 National
5. Mad Frog 13's National PC, 8-1
5. Skyline 13 RSB Royal, 8-1
26. Excel 13 Elite, 6-4
14 American
5. Skyline 14 RSB Black, 8-1
9. Tejas 14 Rox 1, 9-2
11. Victory 14 Elite Green, 5-5
17. Excel Elite 14-1, 7-3
22. TAV Mizuno LA 14-1, 5-5
31. TAV 14 Blue, 3-6
14 National
5. Lonestar 14 Smack, 7-2
14 Open
3. Mad Frog 14's Carlos, 8-2
3. Mad Frog 14's PC, 7-2
15. Skyline 14 RSB Royal, 4-5
25. TAV 14 Black, 4-6
27. Victory 14 Elite Black, 2-7
30. Knights 14 Nat Shellz, 2-8
15 American
18. Mad Frog National 15-1, 7-3
46. TIV Mizuno Doug 15-2, 2-8
15 National
25. TIV Mizuno Kristee 15-1, 7-3
15 Open
3. TAV 15 Black, 8-1
6. The Royal Tigers 15 R, 6-5
11. Skyline RSB 15 Royal, 5-4
26. Premier 15 Black, 3-8
16 American
17. TAV 16 Blue, 8-2
27. TxTitans 16 National, 5-4
16 National
18. TIV 16 Mizuno Ray, 6-4
19. Tejas 16 Rox, 4-5
30. Mad Frog 16's NAT ESP, 5-5
16 Open
2. Skyline 16 RSB Royal, 8-2
3. TAV 16 Black, 7-3
17. Skyline 16 RSB Black, 6-4
27. Mad Frog 16's NAT STEF, 3-7
31. Premier 16 Black, 0-9
17 American
2. Instinct 17 Tigers N, 9-2
11. Mad Frog 17's National, 6-4
22. Excel 17 Elite National, 5-5
17 National
13. TAV 17 Blue, 3-6
19. Summit 17 Mizuno, 4-5
17 Open
2. TAV 17 Black, 9-1
9. Skyline 17 RSB Royal, 6-4
27. Premier 17 Black, 2-8
30. Tejas 17 Rox, 2-8
18 American
23. Impact 18 HighLine, 2-7
41. Instinct 18 Lions N, 4-6
18 National
19. Victory 18 Elite Black, 4-5
23. Excel 18 Elite, 2-7
18 Open
7. TAV 18 Black, 6-3
13. Skyline 18 RSB Royal, 7-3
Three seasons and endless hours of work later, Mad Frog now has another banner to hoist as the clubs 12 National team took first at USAV Girls National Championship July 7 in Columbus, Ohio.
"We're very pleased with the performance," said Stefanie Rotunno-Samuels, Mad Frog director. "I think in 2009, it was a huge surprise because we were a fairly new club. But since then we've seen how hard it is to win a national championship in club volleyball. This feels awesome."
Rotunno-Samuels said the team believed they could be in medal contention entering the event.
"The team has had a lot of success, so I think they thought they would be in the mix," she said. "And our 12U program has been really strong for the past five years or so. We've actually won the Lone Star in the 12U bracket the last five times, which is tough do, so the expectations were pretty high."
The club, went 11-0 and won 22-of-25 sets en route to claiming the title.
In the finals, Mad Frog swept TX Tornadoes 12 Mizuno (25-19, 25-23). But it was in the semifinals where Mad Frog found the most drama as the club outlasted OVA 12 Asics (21-25, 25-14, 15-13).
"I was with a different team a couple of courts away," Rotunno-Samuels said. "But all I could watch was the 12 team. I couldn't keep my eyes off the court. I wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but I knew they were in the third set and I could tell when they made the switch what the score was. I thought 'Oh no, we're down.' But the girls were able to fight back and pull out a great win."
Mad Frog was pushed to three sets on two other occasions, but pulled out the final set in convincing fashion each time, defeating Sunshine 12 South Bay (25-9, 21-25, 15-3) and Jammers 12 TeamRox Hi (25-12, 17-25, 15-9).
While Mad Frog made history in 12 Nationals and also qualified a Metroplex-best 10 teams for the tournament, perhaps a more improbable feat was nearly accomplished in the 14 Open division.
"That's a story in itself," Rotunno-Samuels said. "I'm guessing we are the first club to have two teams tie for third in the same division. We were two wins away from an all-Mad Frog final and I know having two teams from the same club in the finals has never happened. We were a force at that age group."
In the end, however, both Mad Frog 14 PC and Mad Frog 14 Carlos -- coached by Rotunno-Samuels -- ended up two wins shy of a national title.
The PC team went 7-2, coming up short in the semifinals against Tstreet 14-Mike (25-21, 29-27) and dropping a match in pool play against A5 Mizuno 141 Suzanne (25-17, 25-15).
Carlos' team racked up an 8-2 mark, falling in matches against Club West 14 National in the semis (25-20, 22-25, 15-11) and also PVA 14 Elite (25-19, 25-21).
The highlight for Carlos in the tourney, however, came in the quarterfinals when the club outlasted MAVA 14 Elite in a thrilling three-setter (25-17, 23-25, 23-21).
"The Carlos team is a talented team that is loaded with 6-foot girls," Rotunno-Samuels said. "And the PC team is very defensive-minded. They were frustrating everyone with their defensive play. I really didn't want to have to play them in the finals, but it would have been pretty special. Unfortunately we both lost against tough teams in the semifinals."
Mad Frog wasn't the only local club finding success in Columbus as Texas Advantage Volleyball had three teams claim medals, including TAV 13 Black (bronze), TAV 15 Black (bronze) and TAV 17 Black (silver).
The 17 club features many players who have already established themselves at the varsity level, including Plano West's Shane Peters, Southlake Carroll's Katie Dunlap, Carrollton Creekview's Alyssa Desjardins, Marcus' Regan McGuire, Flower Mound's Jordan Anderson, Lovejoy's Ebony Nwanebu and Coppell's Cassidy Pickrell, Erica Bohanon and Chiaka Ogbogu.
The squad cruised through pool play and early elimination games, picking up wins in 18-of-21 sets en route to a 9-0 record and appearance in the finals. However, they met their match in the title game, falling against Northern Lights 17 (26-24, 25-16).
"They had a great season," said L.J. Sariego, TAV 15 Black coach. "They finished the season something like 78-2. They just ran into a tough team in the finals. It was a very competitive first set, but Northern Lights just ran away in the second half. They didn't lose a set in the entire tournament, which is unheard of."
Sariego said a majority of the roster should return next year to compete in 18s.
"They have a couple of high-profile kids, but for the most part, they're very balanced," he said. "They have a lot of size, so they do a lot of swinging and blocking at the net."
Nwanebu and Pickrell garnered all-tournament honors for their efforts in Columbus.
The 15 team, meanwhile, placed third in the Open division and includes sophomores Elizabeth Boyd (Flower Mound), Paige Panter (Carroll), Kylie Pickrell (Coppell), Maiya Burns (Carroll) and Madison Drescher (Carroll).
"We breezed through during the first three days," Sariego said. "But unfortunately we lost in the semifinals against a team that we had beaten in the finals of the Lone Star Tournament back in April. We just didn't play very well, but we thought we had a chance to win it all going into the tournament."
Sariego said the club was at its best in a sweep over Five Starz 15-1 (25-16, 25-18).
Pickrell and Anna Walsh (Colleyville Heritage) were named all-tournament.
"The girls from Carroll all played well, too," Sariego said. "But this team doesn't really have one all-star, just a bunch of girls that play well. It's a very tight-knit group and everyone contributes."
Skyline Junior Volleyball Club, meanwhile, also had a productive week, sending more teams (nine) to the Open division than any other club in the nation.
Skyline had a team qualify for the Open division in every age group.
The 13 RoShamBo Royal team, which features players from Allen (Camryn Brill), Plano (Carley Torres and Alexis Lambert), Frisco (Brianna Bellehumeur and Kylie Keeling) and Lucas (Taylor Carty) finished fifth, while the 16 club claimed silver. RoShamBo Royal 16 includes Plano's Jennifer Young (John Paul II), McKinney's Ericka Timberlake (Frisco Heritage), Plano's Tola Itiola (Carrollton Christian), Dallas' Sarah Linder (West), Allen's Camryn Freiberg, Southlake's Emily Harris (Carroll) and Parker's McKenzie Shea (East). The RoShamBo Royal 17 club, meanwhile, took ninth and features Carroll's Taylor Gruenewald, Coppell's Megan Kennedy, Lewisville's Katie Staiger (Prestonwood), McKinney's Brantley Reid, Carrollton's Micaela Spann (Hebron), Carrollton's Melissa Hoelting (Ursuline Academy), Plano's Brooke Coleman (West), Richardson's Audrey Landry (Plano Senior) and Plano's Katie Stebbins (West).
Listed below are the results from all North Texas teams at nationals:
USAV Girls National Championships (June 28-July 7 in Columbus, OH)
12 National
1. Mad Frog 12's Lewellen, 11-0 (won 22 of 25 sets)
13. Skyline 12 RSB Royal, 5-4
13. Tejas 12 Rox, 4-5
17. TAV 12 Black, 7-3
12 American
6. LoneStar 12 Smack, 8-2
19. Mad Frog 11's National
13 American
3. TAV 13 Black, 8-2
5. Mad Frog 13's National Bram, 5-4
9. Victory 13 Elite Black, 8-3
22. Tejas 13 Rox, 5-5
13 National
5. Mad Frog 13's National PC, 8-1
5. Skyline 13 RSB Royal, 8-1
26. Excel 13 Elite, 6-4
14 American
5. Skyline 14 RSB Black, 8-1
9. Tejas 14 Rox 1, 9-2
11. Victory 14 Elite Green, 5-5
17. Excel Elite 14-1, 7-3
22. TAV Mizuno LA 14-1, 5-5
31. TAV 14 Blue, 3-6
14 National
5. Lonestar 14 Smack, 7-2
14 Open
3. Mad Frog 14's Carlos, 8-2
3. Mad Frog 14's PC, 7-2
15. Skyline 14 RSB Royal, 4-5
25. TAV 14 Black, 4-6
27. Victory 14 Elite Black, 2-7
30. Knights 14 Nat Shellz, 2-8
15 American
18. Mad Frog National 15-1, 7-3
46. TIV Mizuno Doug 15-2, 2-8
15 National
25. TIV Mizuno Kristee 15-1, 7-3
15 Open
3. TAV 15 Black, 8-1
6. The Royal Tigers 15 R, 6-5
11. Skyline RSB 15 Royal, 5-4
26. Premier 15 Black, 3-8
16 American
17. TAV 16 Blue, 8-2
27. TxTitans 16 National, 5-4
16 National
18. TIV 16 Mizuno Ray, 6-4
19. Tejas 16 Rox, 4-5
30. Mad Frog 16's NAT ESP, 5-5
16 Open
2. Skyline 16 RSB Royal, 8-2
3. TAV 16 Black, 7-3
17. Skyline 16 RSB Black, 6-4
27. Mad Frog 16's NAT STEF, 3-7
31. Premier 16 Black, 0-9
17 American
2. Instinct 17 Tigers N, 9-2
11. Mad Frog 17's National, 6-4
22. Excel 17 Elite National, 5-5
17 National
13. TAV 17 Blue, 3-6
19. Summit 17 Mizuno, 4-5
17 Open
2. TAV 17 Black, 9-1
9. Skyline 17 RSB Royal, 6-4
27. Premier 17 Black, 2-8
30. Tejas 17 Rox, 2-8
18 American
23. Impact 18 HighLine, 2-7
41. Instinct 18 Lions N, 4-6
18 National
19. Victory 18 Elite Black, 4-5
23. Excel 18 Elite, 2-7
18 Open
7. TAV 18 Black, 6-3
13. Skyline 18 RSB Royal, 7-3
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