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ELKHART - They don't pick just anybody for the U.S. Junior National Volleyball Team. But Elkhart Central's Azariah Stahl fits the mold.
"How high she jumps, her athleticism, and she's a smart player," said Yolanda Stahl, Central's volleyball coach and Azariah's mom. "You combine all those things, you basically have the ultimate volleyball player."
Her selected essentially says that Azariah Stahl is one of the 12 best volleyball players in the entire country under the age of 20.
And last month, Azariah and the rest of Team USA competed in an international tournament in Nicaragua, and took second.
"It honestly does kind of humble me, instead of make me more cocky," Azariah said. "It's great to know. I know what I'm capable of as a player and to be said to be on the Junior National Team, it's crazy, and it's like one of the best things that's ever happened to me."
There's a good chance that it might be replaced by an even better one a few years from now.
"This is the Women's Junior National Team," Yolanda said. "The next team to be on is the National Team."
That's right, the Olympics.
"A lot of Olympians did go through the same process as I and other girls on this team are going through," Azariah said.
Stahl will play for Purdue next fall, and after finishing college, the goal is the 2020 Games.
"As a coach, I'm glad she's training," Yolanda said. "She comes back here and shows what she's learning on the court. And then as a mom, I'm just totally proud of her."