United Volleyball Team Wins Regional Championship

ATLANTA- Ga. The newly formed United Volleyball Club 12-U Power squad set a team motto at the beginning of its club season in January as “We Are One.” The team comradery was no more evident than the squad’s recent winning of the Southern Regional Volleyball Association Club Championship held in Atlanta.

The 12-U Power went 7-0 while not losing a single set finishing No. 1 among 39 teams. The Power took the title match with a 25-7, 25-13 shellacking of A5 Mizuno Volleyball Club of Georgia.

“I didn’t think the regional play would be that easy for us as we told the girls we would have to earn the title and going into the tournament the team worked hard and we sort of felt we had a good at shot at it,” said Tynesha Malone, 35, who, with her sister, Keyana, 33, were the two coaches for the club team. “This team has been fighters all season long and from day-one we saw they were going to work hard as the team chemistry grew to be phenomenal.”

The 12-member squad was formed from what was the Madison Volleyball Club, which had won Regional Championship the last three years. This year’s squad were led by the only returner off last year’s title roster Kennedy Vaughn. Malone said Vaughn was the big leader the squad needed. “The team fed off her energy,” said Malone.

The 2019 regular season ran from January through April. The Power participated in four tournaments with a victory in Birmingham, runner-up spots in both Franklin, Tenn. and nearby Muscle Shoals and third place finishes in both the Huntsville and Chattanooga competitions. Some of the tourney action was against older 13U squads. Malone said there was a reason for moving up in age divisional play and that reason paid off at the end in the Regional Championship.

“I attribute the Regional success to our challenging schedule during the season as that tough competition prepared for the title run,” said Malone. “In the Regional, we jumped out early on the teams and we have a superb servers and that was a big key for us and against tough competition that was half the battle.”

The Malone sisters played high school volleyball at Muscle Shoals where both were named Class 5A All-State Tournament, were tabbed as the Times Daily Player of the Year and each played on three state championship teams while with the Lady Trojans. Though they were born 21 months apart, many people refer to them as twins.

“We were so successful in high school and loved the sport, but coaching was never in our plans,” said Malone. “We first began to assist with the team at Hazel Green High when April Marsh was the head coach there. We were there two years, but when April took the head coaching job at Bob Jones we came with her and stayed for nine years including being assistants for the 2013 state championship team. April recently took the head coaching position at Athens High and the next school year we will be alongside her there, too.”

Both Tynesha and Keyana work for the U.S. Government on Redstone Arsenal and live together in Harvest, but look to club volleyball as a way to help the local community. They love helping the young players who have taken up the sport the sister’s played since seventh grade. Both are competitors and love the idea they give that desire to their players and have been the last six years as coaches of club volleyball.

The Power was made up of five players from Discovery, three each from Liberty and East Limestone and one player from Lindsey Lane. The team was successful off the court as well being involved in numerous community service projects including helping at the Manna House and Heritage Assisted Living where they played bingo with the residents.

“They have worked extremely hard since the beginning and it was very rewarding to see all that work pay off in the end,” added Malone. “They played as one, just as they set their motto.”

The 12-U Power team roster included, Allie Avena, Aubrey Boseck, Anna Kate Campbell, Lydia Carter, Rory Lang, Lara Looney, Tru Pitts, Anna Rainer, Kennedy Vaughn, Peyton Wiggins, Lylah Worsely and Jayda Yamaguchi.