TAV gets production, confidence around the roster, claims 14 Elite title at TC NIT

By Kyle Koso

KANSAS CITY, Mo – There’s a lot of talk about balance and shared responsibility on volleyball teams.
 
And when the Texas Advantage 14’s are speaking on the topic, all you can do is nod in agreement as they file away another outstanding tournament finish.
 
Monday at the Triple Crown NIT, the TAV 14’s forced the issue by being forces of nature, rolling past fellow Texas club Drive Nation in the 14 Elite title match in straight sets, 25-12, 25-21. Starting with that dominant effort in Set 1 and extending into a second set that required a few moments of refocus and reflection, TAV had all the answers, putting this championship next to the one earned at the recent Tour of Texas to suggest this is a year for something special.
 
“We’re very disciplined in our defense, very focused, and our blocking is there. We did those things very well today,” said Brynn Stephens, who credited her multi-sport background for being so fluid at 6-foot-1 and had several overpowering kills, doing great work from the service line as well. “Our match earlier against OTVA (a three-set win in the quarterfinals) was a real eye-opener, and they really challenged us. We were consistent serving, and we knew if we did that tough it would be a big help.”
 
“Everybody on the team does their role, everyone is talented. That balances things out, and it keep the other team honest,” said Sophee Peterson, who had the final two kills of Set 1 and with Stephens handled the tasks at setter with essentially flawless results. “This match was amazing; I love playing with the girls and we always have each other’s backs. This team has always been good, we won nationals at 12’s and I’m just excited to see what we can do this year.”
 
Drive Nation got within 19-17 in Set 2 on an ace from Kaelee Berkley, but kills from Gentry Barker and Mariah Akinsola were well-timed and enough to stabilize the moment for TAV. Two kills from Barker pushed it to 23-20.
 
“This is a special group. Any number of kids can lead in kills for a match, and from a scouting standpoint, you can’t focus on one kid,” said TAV coach Josh McKinney. “We’ve told them, at this level, the best teams have to hold serve and get the sideouts when you get the opportunity. We did that in the first set, especially.
 
“We had to elevate this entire tournament. Arizona Storm was incredible, OTVA was incredible, and we were able to rely on the experience of playing those good teams when it was the final. We took a deep breath, and figured out how to move forward. We’ve got room to grow, but at this point of the season we couldn’t be any happier.”