Sports

Toms River Teen Heads to Florida for Volleyball Championship

More than 90 teams from around the world are competing in Fort Lauderdale

Written by Carly Kilroy. 

Before she even starts her freshman year of high school, 14 year old Aubrey Binkley will participate in one of volleyball’s most prestigious events this week, the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships.

"This is the premiere finale," Aubrey's father and Ocean County Volleyball Club Director Scott Binkley said of the event held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

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Aubrey, a Toms River native, has been playing volleyball since she was in fifth grade.

The Garden Empire Volleyball Association (GEVA), which she will be playing for, held two tryouts this year consisting of various competitors drills in order to comprise both Youth and Select team's to represent the New York and New Jersey region.    

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"Each region reaches out to all their clubs and says send whoever you think will have a chance," Scott Binkley said.

More than 90 teams from all over the word will play for the championship. The weekend before the competition starts, each team hold a camp so the athletes can practice together.  

"They want you to get use to playing five games because we're not use to that," Aubrey Binkley said.

Girls Aubrey's age typically play in best-out-of-three competitions. Best-out-of-five is more commonly seen in college level competitions and the Olympics.

Even though this is the first time Aubrey will work with any of the girls on her team, she isn't worried about how she will fit into the mix.

"They are all really good and really friendly. They are easy to play with," she said.

Aubrey says she will play against many of the girls on her GEVA USA team next year when Ocean County Volleyball club starts back up.

Her parents co-founded Ocean Volleyball Club along with two of the clubs head coaches Dan Williams and Christian Williams.  

"We just had the desire to start our own club and do things the way we thought they should be done," Scott Binkley said.

The club is a non-profit organization consisting of both boys and girls teams. Anyone ages 14 to 18 are encouraged to try out and are put on teams based on their age and skill set.

"We started a couple of years ago with four teams. Last year we had seven teams," Aubrey's mother Jennifer Binkley said.

With a net set up right in their front yard, it's apparent that volleyball is the Binkley family sport.  

"These kids love it. That's all they they do is volleyball," Jennifer Binkley said.

Aubrey's older sisters, Cally, Sydney and Brandy also have reputable volleyball backgrounds and taught Aubrey everything they know about the sport.

"Aubrey has the knowledge of all of her sisters," her mother said.

Although her whole family can be credited to Aubrey's success, her mother says its her daughter’s dedication that has gotten her where she is today.

"We don't push her, she pushes herself," Jennifer Binkley said.

Sometimes that determination can get the best of Aubrey, but that's only because she wants to do her best every time she's out on the court.

"I just have to remember before I go into each set to just have fun," Aubrey said. 

For more information about the Ocean County Volleyball Club can be found online


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