Long Beach Mizuno volleyball wins national title

The Long Beach Mizuno 17s had a weekend to remember, claiming a title in Minneapolis at the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships.

Competing in the National Division, the second-highest of five brackets at the tournament, Mizuno swept through to the championship. The team, made up mostly of players about to enter their senior years of high school, featured some local talent in Poly senior Kalyah Williams, who is verbally committed to Washington State, and Lakewood’s Meris Ewell.

Williams, a middle blocker who also played some outside hitter with Mizuno, was named MVP of the tournament.

“It was really exciting,” she said. “It kind of hasn’t hit me, winning gold and getting the award. It was an amazing trip.”

Two other Mizuno players were named to the all-tournament team — Redondo’s Kira Zimmerman and Lakewood’s Brooklyn Schirmer, who is transferring from Redondo.

With Mizuno’s 14s team winning a national title as well, it’s a nice sendoff for club founder and director Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer, who last week accepted the Long Beach State women’s volleyball head coaching job. She and husband/Mizuno co-founder Matt Fuerbringer will both be taking a step back from Mizuno in order to focus on LBSU.

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