RECAP: AAU Beach Volleyball at 2020 AAU Junior Olympic Games

AAU Junior Olympic Games – Beach Volleyball
Dates: July 28 – August 1
Location: Lori Wilson Park
Results | Facebook Photos

COCOA BEACH, Fla. – An exciting week of action on the sand wrapped up last Saturday at the Beach Volleyball competition at the 2020 AAU Junior Olympic Games. More than 130 teams from 16 different states and Puerto Rico sought to claim the title of AAU Junior Olympic Games Champion. When the action concluded at Lori Wilson Park, five championship duos were crowned in each of the age divisions.

One duo managed to take home two goal medals by winning both the 14U and 15U divisions. Erin Inskeep, from Hermosa Beach, Calif. and Katherine Morley, from Manhattan Beach, Calif. prevailed as champions of both age groups. For her individual efforts, Inskeep also received the Joel Ferrell Outstanding Performance Memorial Award, which is given to recognize the athletic ability and sportsmanship of an athlete at each official sport at the AAU Junior Olympic Games.

The winners of the 12U title, Thais Treumann and Olga NIkolaeva, came into the tournament as the No. 2 seed, but found themselves second-to-none by the time the action ended. They sealed the deal with a 28-21 win over Paisley Pavilska and Leann Wise, who had pulled off an upset over the division’s No. 1 seed in the semifinals to advance to the title match.

Morley and Inskeep won the first of their two championships in the 14U division. They steamrolled to the title with resounding victories all the way up to the title match. In the finals, against Vivian Johnson and Audrey Jackson from Texas, the team from Southern California claimed the gold with a 28-22 win.

Unlike the 14U division, Morley and Inskeep were not the favorites to win the 15U age group, entering the bracket as the No. 3 seed. However, like they had against the 14U teams, Morley and Inskeep reached the top of the podium with another undefeated run, capped off by a 21-13 win over top-seeded Jordan Boulware and Ashley Peter.

Liv Johnson and Mabyn Thomas rolled to the gold in the 16U division by going unbeaten as the top seed in the bracket. After facing the 12-seeded team of Natasha George and Kelley Sussman in the semifinals, 21-10, Johnson and Thomas squared off against Madison Morrow and Klaire Vandeusen, the 7-seed, in the championship game and won, 21-17.

The Ferary Sisters, Bella and Angelina, captured the title in the 18U age group with an undefeated run in the tournament. Entering the field as the No. 3 seed, the Ferarys defeated their first two opponents 28-16, before edging Jordan Boulware and Ashley Peter 28-26 in the semifinals. In the title match, the Ferarys clinched gold with a victory over Raelyn White and Arianna Bergner, 28-19.

Champions from each division are listed below:

12U
Olga Nikolaeva and Thais Treumann

14U
Erin Inskeep and Katherine Morley

15U
Erin Inskeep and Katherine Morley

16U
Liv Johnson and Mabyn Thomas

18U
Bella Ferary and Angelina Ferary

The AAU Beach Volleyball season will continue with its next event, the AAU Junior National Beach Volleyball Championships. This year’s tournament will take place in Chula Vista, CA at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center which is a U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site. The girls’ event will take place from August 7-22 while the boys’ event will take place on August 23. More info on the event can be found here.

There is still a lot more excitement to come for the 54th AAU Junior Olympic Games on the Space Coast. Visit www.aaujrogames.org for more information about the AAU Junior Olympic Games.