Island Mixx 13U (IM 13U) turned the tables in their final match of the day Thursday at the 2026 Amateur Athletic Union National Volleyball Championships in Orlando, Florida, and earned an impressive straight-set victory.
IM 13U started the day off on the wrong foot, dropping their first two matches. The girls got out to an early lead in the first set in their first match of the day against Missouri Volleyball Academy 13 Black (MOVA), but could not sustain the lead, dropping the set (25-16).
The second set was competitive midway through the frame before MOVA put the game away with a five-point run. IM 13 lost (25-16). In their second match of the day, Miami Bombers defeated IM 13U (25-5), (25-19). In their final match against Charlotte Flying Fish, the first set was close until Scarlett Poss stepped in the serving box with IM 13, nursing a slim (16-15) lead. Poss proceeded to serve seven points, effectively securing the (25-18) win. The second set was the same script, but a new lead as Nila Gardner stepped into the serving box with her team up (19-16). When she was through serving, the Flying Fish were done as IM 13 won that set (25-16) and the match in straight sets.
IM 13U (2-7) will play York Replay (4-5) in the single elimination tournament Friday on Court 70 in the North Concourse of the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC).
Island Mixx 12U (IM 12U) girls followed the lead of their older club mates by losing their first two matches before winning their final match of the day.
In their first match, IM 12U just couldn’t find their bearings as Synergy 12 Blizzard defeated them (25-14), (25-19). The island girls started their second match against a solid A5 team, jumping out to an early (9-5) first set advantage. The coach for A5 then called a timeout and had his team run sprints for the entire timeout. That woke his team up as they went on a 16-3 run, propelling A5 to a (25-19) first-set victory. IM 12U never recovered, losing the second set (25-9).
Initially, it seemed like the third match would follow the pattern of the first two matches as IM 12U found themselves down (1-7) early in the first set. However, IM 12U buckled down to win that set (25-21). Captain Annabel Boschulte was the star of the second set, serving seven straight points to open the set. IM 12U pushed the lead to more than 10 points. They cruised to a (25-17) second-set victory.
IM 12U (3-6) will face FTL 12U Atomic Chris, who also have a (3-6) record for the tournament. This will start the single-elimination tournament for IM 12U. The game will be on Court 13 in the North Concourse of the OCCC.
