CHANDLER – The Hamilton High School volleyball team is led by a senior trio of Division I-bound players, but before they head off to college, the group has its eyes set on another AIA 6A state title.
And Friday night, a national audience will have the opportunity to see the team on its quest.
The Huskies are one of four elite teams from around the country invited to the Geico Girls Volleyball Invitational at Hamilton. The event is part of a newly launched ESPN Girls High School Series, and the tournament games will air on ESPNU and ESPN+.
Also participating are Hamilton’s opponent Friday, Assumption High School in Louisville, Kentucky; Mountain Notre Dame High School in Cincinnati; and Marymount High School in Los Angeles.
Last season, the Huskies topped Perry, 3-1, to win their first state championship in school history. The team has only dropped two sets this season in matches it has won, outscoring opponents 52-2 during that 22-match stretch.
Outside hitter Jordan Middleton is headed to Los Angeles to join the USC Trojans. Middleton, the No. 2 ranked player in PrepVolleyball.com’s Top 150 Class of 2022 players, also competed with the USA Volleyball U20 team this summer.
Middleton’s counterpart, Micah Gryniewicz, who’s also an outside hitter, is set to enroll at the University of Alabama in the spring. Gryniewicz is seeking to follow up her second-team all-conference season with another run for the 6A state title.
Rounding out the trio is libero and team captain Tatum Thomas, who’s staying in town to attend Grand Canyon University. She also was named to the second-team all-conference list last season.
The Huskies are 22-3 and on a 20-match win streak. Their last loss came on Sept. 4. They play Assumption at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+.