18S EARN NATIONAL BID WITH THIRD-PLACE FINISH AT LONE STAR CLASSIC
Our Storm 18 National team accomplished what they’ve been working toward all season, earning a bid to the USA Volleyball Girls 18s National Championship with a third-place finish at the Lone Star Classic in Round Rock. This was their first qualifier tournament of the season.
Competing at the Round Rock Sports Center from January 23-25, our 18 National squad went 7-2 over three intense days. The team opened pool play strong with wins over SA Destination (25-22, 25-10), Sideout U18 (25-8, 25-14), and Dallas Skyline 18 White (25-15, 25-21).
As they moved through bracket play, the competition got tougher. Storm battled through close matches against Boston United 18 National (25-23, 25-22) and EMV 18 Black Marquise (27-25, 25-20). They fell to Texas Fury 18 Legacy (21-25, 18-25), but the team regrouped for the Gold bracket with wins over TAV 18 Blue (25-17, 25-18), a three-set comeback against NHouston Elite 18 Premier (22-25, 25-22, 15-7), and a final three-set victory over TEXSTAR 18 (16-25, 25-17, 15-12) to secure third place and their Nationals bid.
“It was a goal for so long to accomplish, and to do it in our senior year. It feels surreal, and I’m really excited for nationals,” said senior Allie Allen.
For several members of our 18 National team, this achievement represents the culmination of a journey that began more than a decade ago. Grace Martinez and Bella Garcia both started training with us as kids in our LiL Storm program, making this Nationals bid even more meaningful.
“This means a lot to me since I’ve been with Storm since I was five years old. Just an amazing opportunity and just an amazing moment for me to earn a bid my senior year with this team,” Martinez reflected. “It was really just an amazing feeling knowing that our mindset was just to work hard and push through every point, and we knew we could do it.”
Garcia, who still has a pink LiL Storm shirt in her room, echoed the sentiment. “I think it was an amazing experience that many people don’t get to have, and especially something that I’ve worked so hard on for years, as long as I’ve been here at Storm,” she said. “Getting the bid, especially with all these talented athletes, it’s fun because I’ve gone through a lot growing up, getting new teammates, having the same old ones. It’s fun to experience something like this altogether and know that we all have a common goal.”
Head Coach Jenny Rudewicz and Assistant Coach Taylor Logan have guided this group throughout the season.
Our 18 National roster includes: Allison Allen, Kaleia Butler, Mia Duong, Scarlet Fling, Isabella Garcia, Keera Huff, Megan Leftwich, Grace Martinez, Adyson Ramos, Brooklyn Rincon, and Kaylee Worthington.
The team will now turn its attention to the USA Volleyball Girls 18s National Championship, scheduled for May 1-3, 2026, in Reno, Nevada. But as Garcia noted, the work is far from over: “We got the bid, but to experience nationals for what it is and hopefully place, you know, just be able to be out there and play and not just be a team that went to nationals, but to compete at nationals.”
We congratulate our 18 National team on this outstanding achievement and look forward to supporting them as they continue their preparation for Nationals.