National Champs! 864 Elite 13U George Makes History!

864 Elite wins its first National title at AAU Nationals

June 17, 2025 -

ORLANDO, FL - In a run as dominant as it was historic, 864 Elite 13U George powered through all 13 of its matches at the 2025 AAU Nationals to capture the club’s first-ever national title. The Upstate South Carolina squad capped off the perfect run in emphatic fashion, dominating Top Select 13U by scores of 25-20, 25-9 in the championship match.

“Heading into the finals I didn’t know what to expect from Top Select,” said head coach George May. “We hadn’t seen them play. We approached the game the same way we did throughout the tournament. Focus on us. Trust the preparation and play with energy.”

Behind standout performances from middle hitter Mary Grace Mitchell and outside hitter Bailey Perry—both named AAU All-Americans—the team rode the clutch play of outside hitter Rylan Nichols, who earned MVP and AAU All-American honors for the tournament.

“Rylan’s fearless,” May said. “No situation is too big for her. She has the ability to take over a match and she did that numerous times during this tournament run. She deserved to be MVP. Mary Grace is one of the most competitive players I’ve ever coached. She had an amazing tournament. She draws a lot of attention at the net that opens other options for us. Bailey’s a high IQ player. She was able to keep teams off balance, mixing up her serves and attacks. A high percentage of our points flow through Bailey.”

With the national title in hand, 864 Elite finishes its campaign with its ninth gold championship of the year, a jaw-dropping 75–7 overall record, and a scorching 53-match winning streak to close the season.

“It’s been such a special season, not just because of the wins, but because of the growth and maturity I got to witness,” May reflected. “We were a good team out of the blocks, but we weren’t a great team. Something was off a little. It took time but eventually we became the team that won a National Championship. We became a team that started to pull for and support each other. It’s not easy to let go of yourself a little, but that’s what happened and when it did the team took off. We ended on a 53 match win streak. I still can’t get my head around that.”

The championship also marked the final victory in May’s 27-year coaching career, as he steps away from the sideline on top.

864 Elite 13U George

George May (Head coach)
Amanda Seder (Assistant coach)
Reagan Bundrick Setter
Ava Davidson Outside
Emily Mercuri Opposite
Mary Grace Mitchell Middle
Rylan Nichols Outside
Bailey Perry Outside
Maycee Seder DS/Libero
Lindsay Sparks Setter
Kolbi Wilson Outside