January 24, 2024

We’ve been off to a flying start with our predictions for the 18s. The hot start continued last week by picking TAV 18 Black to win the Lone Star Classic, as well as calling Hou Skyline 18 Royal to qualify as well. The only miss came with Madfrog 18 Green. Instead, it was OT 18 Roberto taking home one of the three bids. OT actually beat Madfrog on Day 2 and created a three-way tie at 2-1. Madfrog ended third in the pool and failed to advance. It was Madfrog’s only loss on the weekend. Madfrog is back in action at this weekend’s Florida Fest. Below, you can find our predictions for this weekend, as well as nationally-ranked teams, 4 and 5-star players in the field and a brief outlook. FLORIDA FEST 18s Number of Teams: 28Number of Bids: 3Previously-Qualified Teams (2): Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite; OT 18 O Robertovballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (9):   vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players to Watch:   vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players to Watch:   Outlook: With 28 teams, this is the biggest field to date for 18 Open. It’s also the first weekend we have the possibility of trickle down in play as there are two qualified teams in Rockwood Thunder and OT Roberto. Rockwood Thunder qualified by taking second at the KC MLK two weeks ago, while OT grabbed second place last weekend at Lone Star. Leading the pack this weekend is Triangle, which is playing in its first qualifier of the season and is among the top contenders. Another team to watch out for is Metro, which tied for fifth at Windy City and is fully capable of earning a bid this weekend. Then there is Madfrog, which is also a real contender to qualify. Prediction: The call is Madfrog beating Triangle in the final, as both pick up bids. With OT and Rockwood in the mix, we expect trickle down to play a part, with Tribe taking advantage and earning the final bid.