Southern Dream

After a phenomenal showing at the Southern Dream Showcase, Tsunami 17 South has been ranked as the #3 17’s team in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee.  Tsunami is within striking distance of the #1 position and that should change after the upcoming Icebreaker Tournament.  Way to Go Tsunami South!

Tsunami’s first tournament, The Southern Dream, showcased the dynamic skills of the entire team led by Coach “Git R” Dun Hahn and Assistant Coach Janice Fung.  The team came in tied for 3^rd place in the 18 power division after playing strong club teams from among the southeastern states.   As the only 17’s team in the 18 power division, Tsunami started off strong on Saturday, January 14^th in Pool 1 by defeating GA5 18-2 in a 2 game match.  While Tsunami lost the next match to Volley One 18-1, it was only after a hard fought 3 game tie breaker that Volley One could claim victory.  Tsunami lost the next round to Mobile Storm 18-1 in a 2 game match to end the first day of pool play on Saturday.

On Sunday, January 15^th, Tsunami came to the Gwinnett Civic Center determined to make the gold bracket.  While the team lost the first match, it was in a 3 game tie breaker with Magnum 18-1.  The offense was orchestrated by Micayla Patterson with outstanding hitting by Annika and Teegan Van Gunst, Miranda Houston, and Emily Cappai.  The team played superb defense anchored by our liberos Tyler Ockleberry and Marisa Woodworth, and from our defensive specialist Ashton Bigler.  The tie breaker score of 26-24 showed the heart and skill of this team in clutch situations.  Tsunami went on to lose the next match to Club South 18-1 in a 2 game match.  But, with the heat on, Tsunami took GA Juniors 18-1 in a 2 game match to end the day still in contention for the gold.

On Monday, MLK Day, Tsunami brought the power and took both Mobile Storm 18-1 and Volley One 18-1 in two games; both were teams who defeated Tsunami on Saturday.  Tsunami benefited from clutch serving by Ashton Bigler, Micayla Patterson, and Emily Cappai.  With the incredible wins, Tsunami moved into the semi-finals against Club South 18-1 who were the eventual tournament champions.  The three game match was hard fought with Tsunami losing in a tie breaker 3^rd game with a score of 20-18.  

Tsunami 17 South is a tidal wave sure to have another strong performance at the upcoming Icebreaker Invitation on January 28^th and 29^th in the 17 power division. With an incredible depth of players, watch out for Sahara Griffin, Lexi Norfleet, and Elissa Waldrop to be a force to be reckoned with.  The team was the talk of the tournament and expect to see more nail biting, heart stopping performances.  “Git R’ Dun” Tsunami 17 South.