ON THE RADAR
Aurora Newgard (Groveland, Fla.) Florida State Uni- versity junior Aurora Newgard won the University of Southern California Sand Pairs Tourna- ment with partner Brittany Tiegs, including a victory over two-time FIVB World Champion (youth and junior
level) Summer Ross and her Pepperdine part- ner. Newgard, a member of USAV’s 2011 Junior National Beach Team, appeared in the top 10 of the 2010 Dig the Beach Women’s Open Divi- sion, while earning the 2010 Fiesta on Siesta Collegiate Beach Championship title. In 2008, Newgard won the USA Beach Volleyball Tour Championship in Huntington Beach, Calif.
T.J. DeFalco (Menifee, Calif.) T.J. DeFalco was invited to attend the winter training block for the USA Youth Beach National Team after winning the 2011 USA Volleyball Beach High Performance Champi- onship as a 14-year- old in the Under 17 division. He also cap- tured the prestigious Cal Cup. DeFalco and his partner won the AAU U14 regional title last fall to qualify for the AAU champion- ship this July. DeFalco played his fi rst adult
weekend in late March as part of USA Volleyball’s IDQ. He holds his CBVA ‘A’ rating and attempted to earn his ‘AAA’ rating on April 1 in Santa Monica. Additionally, DeFalco participated in the indoor High Performance Future Select A1 camp in 2011.
Crissy Jones (Lakewood, Calif.)
Middle blocker Crissy Jones played a key role in leading Tstreet Volleyball Club 17-Troy to the gold medal at the Southern California Junior National Qualifi er in the 17 Open Divi- sion, thus earning the team a spot into the 2012 USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships. During the tournament, Tstreet went undefeated and dropped only one set, that in the gold- medal match against Sunshine 17 Westside. Jones, a member of the Select A1 program
in 2010 and 2011, was named the ESPNHS Sophomore of the Year and will graduate from Los Alamitos High School in 2014
Caitlin Ledoux (Phelan, Calif.)
Long Beach State senior Caitlin Ledoux is 4-4 in the inaugural NCAA sand volleyball season, compiling a .514 hitting effi ciency with 151 kills through March 20. Ledoux, a four-year member of the USA Youth and Junior National Teams, fi nished fi fth at the 2009 FIVB Beach Volleyball Youth World Champion- ship with partner Tara Roenicke and reached the
round of 16 in the 2010 World University Championships. She holds her AAA rating on the beach. Ledoux was four-time All-Big West honoree and three-time All-America honorable mention selection before going to sand in 2012.
Alexis Stonish (Stony Brook, N.Y.) Alexis Stonish, a freshman at Stetson University competing in the inaugural NCAA sand volley- ball season, holds nine victories in 2012 through March 17. She attended the 2011 USA Vol- leyball Beach High Performance A2 Camp and the High Performance Beach Championship. Ston- ish also participated in a beach volleyball exchange program in Russia in which she trained along- side both U.S. and Russian players. She also holds a gold medal in the USA Junior Beach Cham- pionships.
Stevo VanderWerp (Grand Haven, Mich.) Stevo VanderWerp is a member of the USA Volleyball Beach Elite Development Team. After a strong showing in 2011 winning USAV’s two IDQ events, Vander- Werp has qualifi ed to represent the U.S. in the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit Grand Cayman Open. In two previous NORCECA Beach Series events, he placed fourth in Boca Chica, Domini- can Republic, and ninth at Guatemala City, Guatemala. VanderWerp placed second in the Corona Light Wide Open tournament in Hermosa Beach with partner Kevin Wong.
Caitlin Racich (Santa Barbara, Calif.) Pepperdine Universi- ty junior Caitlin Rac- ich fi nished second at the University of Southern California Sand Pairs Tourna- ment with partner Summer Ross. Through March 20, Racich and Ross were 3-0 in No. 1 dual match- es and 9-1 overall. After two seasons of indoor volleyball, Racich turned to sand volleyball this year and became Pepperdine’s fi rst sand vol- leyball scholarship player. She was a member of the USA Volleyball Beach Youth National Team in 2008 and 2009 and represented the U.S. at the 2011 FIVB Beach Volleyball Junior World Championship.
Khalia Lanier (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Outside hitter Khalia Lanier, a current select-age athlete, helped Arizona Storm 14 Thunder to the Arizona Region National Club Qualifi er title in March and earn a National Division berth into the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships. She participated in the 2011 USAV Future Select A1 Camp
and Holiday Camp in her fi rst year. Lanier, the daughter of NBA legend Bob Lanier, also played on the fi rst-ever Arizona Region High Performance Future Select A1 Team at the 2011 USA Volleyball High Performance Championships.
PHOTOS: CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: FLORIDA STATE ATHLETICS; TY HOLLAND STETSON; FIVB; RON HALL/PEPPERDINE; USA VOLLEYBALL; TARA ROENICKE; USA VOLLEYBALL; T.J. DEFALCO
60 | VOLLEYBALLUSA • Digital Issue at
usavolleyball.org/mag
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