ORLANDO, Fla. – Brianna Kusler had experienced a national tournament before, having taken a squad to the AAU nationals three years ago.

But even that didn’t quite compare to what Kusler and her two KKVC squads experienced last weekend. 

Kusler’s 17U team, which included Aberdeen Central players Grace Kuch and Sydney Evans, played for a national title in the 17U Classic division at the AAU girls volleyball nationals, which wrapped up Sunday in Orlando.

“I knew coming in what this experience was like since I’d done it before,” Kusler said Monday morning. “But it was fun to see them all get that first-hand experience.”

The 17U team faced squads from 15 different states and even a couple from Puerto Rico, Kusler said.

Ironically, though, the full squad only held their first practice together less than a week before playing in that national tournament. The 16U team finished fifth at the national tournament.

Kusler said players from 16U and 17U teams in each of the two KKVC branches practice with each other, but play tournaments with their respective age division teammates from the other branch.

“They’ve played five tournaments together, but they had never practiced together until the Monday before we went down,” Kusler said.

The national tournament signals the end of the club season for the summer, though Kusler said she still has camps lined up starting in July.

“This makes it all worth it,” she said.