By Austin Kingsley
Playing a perfect weekend of volleyball is a daunting proposition. Achieving this feat at a prominent national event like Triple Crown NIT is even harder.
But this seemed to be the standard for A5 16-Gabe. The Atlanta-area team traveled to Kansas City with lofty expectations as one of the age group’s exclusive power pool selections. Head Coach Gabe Aramian had seen plenty of big matches in his 21-year career, and he would see a few more with this 16U group at NIT.
A5 immediately established itself as a championship contender with a 3-0 mark in opening power pools. However, this perfect record would not be enough to clinch first place in the group. That distinction went to Dallas Skyline 16-Royal Paul, which claimed an advantage after sweeping all three of its matches. Keep this Texas crew in mind for later.
16-Gabe returned to form for Sunday’s single-elimination gauntlet. A challenge match win over Pineapple put A5 in the Elite bracket, and the wins kept rolling in. Two more sweeps over Actyve and Adversity put A5 into Monday’s quarterfinals.
As pressure mounted, 16-Gabe’s core identity emerged. A5’s success was anchored by a pair of all-tournament selections at the outside hitter position. Kari Knotts, a Class of 2029 left-side attacker, engineered jaw-dropping swings throughout 16-Gabe’s ascent. The NIT spotlight was not new to Knotts, who won a 14 Elite title with A5 in 2025. She ascended an age group to compete with the 16s a year later, but her dominance persisted.
2028 outside hitter Leilani Lamar was the perfect complement to Knotts on the other side of the rotation. A5’s immense riches on the pins were enviable.
But this strength wasn’t limited to the Knotts-Lamar duo. Lefty opposite Azaria Ehima enjoyed an exceptional weekend in Kansas City, particularly on Championship Monday. Leah Stickney and Marley Moore furthered bolstered 16-Gabe’s tremendous depth and lineup flexibility.
Bracket play was a perfect venue to put this all together. A5 raced past WAVE and Alamo to complete its quest for a title berth. One obstacle remained, and it was a familiar one.
Dallas Skyline 16 Royal-Paul made its own unblemished charge to the title match after edging past A5 in power pools. It was time to settle it on the court.
16-Gabe struck first. Knotts and Lamar remained terminal, but A5’s balance was also put on display in front of a national audience. Julia Clarke loomed large in the middle, and she wasn’t alone at the position. Kennedy Davis and Mali Nyankori compiled an impressive NIT highlight tape while anchoring the net for 16-Gabe.
And, of course, no elite team is complete without its ball-control leaders. Chelsea Torrence earned all-tournament honors thanks to her steady command and leadership at setter. Like any of its other position groups, A5 did not hesitate to leverage different stars at the signal-caller spot. Janie Myers and Ruoxuan Wang added to 16-Gabe second-touch prowess at NIT.
Defensive specialists Bethany Benjamin, Meredith Abney, and Abby Woodward dug in along the end line. This was especially critical in Monday’s title bout, as Dallas Skyline delivered haymakers from its own cast of athletic hitters.
Still, 16-Gabe raced ahead to a 25-19 win in the first set. One more would seal it.
Unsurprisingly, Dallas Skyline had a response. The Texas team built an early lead, but A5 eventually chipped away at the deficit. 16-Gabe had championship point at 24-21, but the trophy wasn’t in hand yet.
16 Royal-Paul clawed back to force a deuce set. A5’s lead evaporated, but that’s when you lean on the MVP.
Knotts came in clutch with a pair of kills to fend off the Skyline comeback bid.
This path to a title had its share of adversity, but it was as close to perfect as you can get at Triple Crown.
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