by Austin Kingsley
KANSAS CITY, MO -- The 14U age group offers an introduction to the future stars of prep volleyball. A5 141 Helen was keen to make a big first impression.
This Atlanta-area club has a rich history of Triple Crown NIT success, but 141 Helen’s performance might have raised the standard a little further. A5 began its ascent in Power Pool A, where the team secured sweeps over talented rosters from Mizuno Long Beach, COAST, and Arizona Storm. A fourth straight-set win over Drive Nation secured A5’s status as the Elite bracket’s top seed in the Round of 32.
Triple Crown’s deep tournament fields rarely see such a sustained level of dominance from a single team. By the end of Sunday’s slate, A5 had extended its sweep streak to six matches.
Monday’s debut against AZ Storm pushed it to seven. Who would dish out the first dose of adversity for 141 Helen’s stacked lineup?
The first set defeat finally arrived as COAST claimed the opening set over 141 Helen in the 14 Elite semifinals. A5’s stars needed to rally. That rally started with the lethal right arm of Kari Knotts, an outside hitter has already established herself as one of the Class of 2029’s best. Knotts did much of her damage at NIT by going over the top of blockers, but she could also score with finesse. She was a threat in the back row, too.
But 141 Helen wielded the offensive balance that sets elite teams apart. Middle blockers Madison Middleton and Shiloh Braddick were unstoppable in front of the setter at NIT. A5 also leverages versatile athletes like Jennifer Simpson and Courtlyn Richard, who can excel on the right or in the middle.
The team’s full array of weapons was required to complete a comeback against COAST to reach the 14 Elite finals. The sweep streak ended, but the winning streak did not.
But A5’s title opponent left little room for semifinal celebration. While 141 Helen had finally dropped its first set of the tournament, Dallas Skyline 14 Royal-Ryan was still completely unblemished in set count. A championship win would require an exceptional effort from the Georgia visitors.
A5 claimed an early lead against Skyline in the title bout, but the frontcourt was only one element of the effort. Libero Brooklyn Howard dished out three aces in a single serving run to open Set 1, allowing the backcourt unit to put its stamp on the match. A5 can cycle through a whole platoon of defensive specialists and bring in stout passers like Emily Rupeika and Xiaosu Dai.
Dallas Skyline still found answers to A5’s all-around skill, leading to a 20-20 deadlock late in Set 1. Eventually, A5’s ability to limit errors was enough to lock up a 25-23 win. 141 Helen had broken the seal and delivered an unprecedented set loss to Dallas Skyline.
With that milestone reach, A5 leveraged its balance and defense for another lead in Set 2. Middleton’s explosive offense was accompanied by her stifling block. Starting setters Olivia Hayden and Isabella Myers kept feeding the hot hands on the pins. Knotts was not the only outside attacking force for A5, as Macurdy Harden and Stella English were key contributors throughout the event. Milan Tallman put down two clutch kills to keep A5 rolling in Set 2 of the title match.
Fittingly, A5 and Dallas Skyline inched toward another deuce conclusion in the second stanza. A5 Head Coach Helen Walker called timeout with a 24-23 lead, and the message was simple: let Knotts finish it off.
The star outside hitter did, and A5 141 Helen capped an unblemished trek to the 14 Elite title.
