Local Team To Compete In Jr. Volleyball Championships | People

A local volleyball team will be competing the 2011 U.S. Jr. Championships in Atlanta from June 30 through July 3.

Only 32 teams in the country have earned a bid to compete in the 18 open divisions.

This is the highest level of volleyball female athletes can possibly play before going on to college, said David Bayer of the Capital Volleyball Academy.

Teams from California, Texas, Florida and states up and down the east coast have dominated the USA Jr. Championships in the last ten years.

Wisconsin has not produced an 18 open division team for the USA Championships since the 2002-2003 season.

This year’s 18 open division will be made up of only three teams from the Midwest Region:

• Capital 18 Navy – Madison, WI (ranked #28 nationally)
• Sky High 18 Black – Crystal Lake, IL (ranked #13 nationally)
• Team Z 18 Orange – Cincinnati, OH (ranked #6 nationally)

The Capital 18 Navy team is loaded with local female high school volleyball talent:

• Kasey Williams, Junior, Middleton HS
• Jillian Bauer, Junior, Verona HS
• Maddie Lobenstein, Freshman, Deerfield HS
• Ashley Ring, Senior, Edgewood HS
• Brianna Wethal, Senior, Oregon HS
• Kalie Endres, Senior, Waunakee HS
• Kaitlyn Mcintyre, Senior, Beaver Dam HS
• Mackenzie Ziegler, Senior, Portage HS
• Emilee Walters, Senior, Milton HS
• Elizabeth Bresser, Senior, Waupun HS
• Lindsey Gosh, Senior, Oconomowoc HS

The highest any 18 club team from the state of Wisconsin has ever finished in the 18 Open U.S. Championships has been fifth place finish by Milwaukee Sting 18 Gold back in 1997.

That Milwaukee sting team was coached by Bayer, who is now the Capital 18 Navy head coach and club director.