A group of local volleyball players made their mark in July at the Girls Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships in Miami.

The Kent Junior Volleyball Club U-14 team competed in the American Division at the championships and with the help of six girls from Covington and Maple Valley took home an 11th place finish out of 48 teams.

Elizabeth Eaton, Miranda Marburger and Megan Hartnett represented Kentlake while Anastasia Hicker represented Kentwood. There a pair, of Tahoma Junior High players, Mikayla Melton and Rachelle Frets, rounding out the Covington and Maple Valley players.

Linda Marburger, Miranda’s mother, said the placing at the tournament showed how much work the team had put in during “a long season and a lot of hard work that got them to the Junior Olympics.”

“It was a great experience for everyone,” Linda Marburger said. “They also got to see the U.S. National Women’s team play in the Pan American Games against Brazil, which was a rematch of the Olympic gold medal match from last year.”

That was a real highlight for the team, Marburger said, because on the roster of the American team is Courtney Thompson, a Kentlake High graduate who played her college ball at the University of Washington.

Reach Kris Hill at khill@covingtonreporter.com or (425)432-1209 ext. 5054.

To comment on this story go to www.covingtonreporter.com.