The Chaska 16-Under club volleyball team won the championship of 16 Club Division on Wednesday at the AAU Girls’ Volleyball Junior National Championships in Orlando.
Chaska did not lose a match in the tournament, posting a perfect 14-0 record and beating one of the host teams, OVA of Orlando, 25-17, 18-25, 15-10 in the championship match. Chaska’s Sarah Kelly was named tournament MVP and Kelly, Makayla Wenzel and Erin Schindler were selected as All-American.
Other Minnesota teams fared well in the tournament. Burnsville’ Northern Lights finished third in the 18 Open Division, considered the highest level of the play in the tournament. Northern Lights, which featured Star Tribune All-Metro first team selections Alyssa Goehner (the Metro Player of the Year), Sarah Wilhite and Samantha Seliger Swenson, lost to Asics Kiva Red of Louisville, Ky., in the semifinals and concluded play with a 10-1 record.
Mizuno M1 of Bloomington, which featured All-Metro selections Taylr McNeil of Eagan and Anna Pioske of Waconia, finished fifth in the 18 Open Division.
Northern Lights’ 17 Under Red team won the 17 Classic Division, going 12-0 and defeating A5 Mizuno of Atlanta in the finals.
The tournament consists of eight age groups, ages 11 through 18, with three divisions in each: Open, which is considered the top division of each age group, followed by Club and Classic divisions.
Minnesota teams finishing in the top 10 in the AAU Nationals:
18 Open: Northern Lights 18-1, 3rd; Mizuno M1 18-1, 5th
18 Club: Northern Lights 18-2, fifth
18 Classic: Northern Lights Red, 3rd
17 Open: Northern Lights 17-1, 5th
17 Club: Northern Lights 17-2, 9th
17 Classic: Northern Lights 17-Red, 1st; Mizuno M1 Royal, 9th
16 Open:Northern Lights 16-1, 2nd; Minnesota Select, 3rd; Mizuno M1 16, 9th;
16 Club: Chaska Jrs., 1st; Northern Lights 16-2, 5th
16 Classic: Lakeville South, 3rd; Northern Lights 16-Red, 5th
15 Open: Northern Lights 15-1, 2nd
15 Classic: Chaska Juniors, 2nd; Northern Lights 15-White, 9th
14 Open: Northern Lights 14-1, 5th
14 Club: Northern Lights 14-2, 5th