June 17-20, 2009. Against impossible odds, Treasure Coast 16 Blue defeated 12 teams over four days to reach the finals of the AAU Junior National Girls' Volleyball Tournament in Orlando. Then, before a raucous crowd at Disney's Wide World of Sports, Treasure Coast gave it their all to defeat Mizuno Sports Performance 16 Red of Chicago to become the 2009 national champions.
As had been the case all week, the final match was not easy. Treasure Coast lost the first game 25-19. They were down 16-23 in the second game and it appeared they would have to settle for silver medals. Then, following a time out, Chloe Briscoe fired off seven consecutive service points. Treasure Coast, refusing to lose, then pulled ahead to win the second game 28-26. They played an aggressive 3 rd game to win it 15-6. "I'm still in shock; this was a dream team that defied all odds and it was a privilege to coach them. This is an experience that no one involved will ever forget," said Coach Tiffany Snow.
Treasure Coast defeated teams from Illinois, Michigan, South Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Colorado and Puerto Rico on their march to victory. The amazing fact is this team had only seven practices before the tournament began. The regular season ended for the Treasure Coast club with no plans to play at AAU Nationals. With the help of their parents, Club Director Stephanie Skidmore and Coach Snow, a group of dedicated players formed a new team to play at AAU Nationals, never dreaming they could actually win the tournament. As the week progressed, they improved with every game. By Friday, they had moved from a 36 seed to the number 1 seed in the tournament. Captains Molly O'Neil and Nicole Walch, and players Chloe Briscoe, Morgan and Madison Lydon, Sara Loomis, Mallori Moffat, Carolyn Payne and Kelsey Tripp all contributed heavily to the team's success. In the end, it was all worth it. The team received the Championship trophy, individual players received gold medals, and Molly O'Neil, Mallori Moffat and Nicole Walch were named to the AAU All-American team. Nicole Walch was named the 16& Under Most Valuable Player.