February 3, 2024

The different format for 15, 16 and 17 Open at the Central Zone Invitational made for an incredible Day 1 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. That’s because it allowed for the top teams to get together in the afternoon while fighting for seeding in the 16-team gold bracket set for Day 2. While 14 and 18 Open uses a more traditional format, those divisions also provided their share of excitement as two rounds of pool play left teams competing for a spot in the gold bracket as well. There were no shocking results in that all the top seeds made it through and remain in contention on Day 2. The closest thing came with Rock City 16-1 downing Tri-State Elite 16 Blue and eliminating Tri-State from contention. However, there were big-time slugfests all-around produced by the modified power pool format. One example were two top contenders in 16 Open in Mintonette Sports m.61 and Legacy 16-1 Adidas facing off. Legacy survived that one in three, 23-25, 29-27, 15-10. Another high-level 16 Open encounter saw Team Pineapple 16 Black fending off Boiler Jrs 16 Gold, 25-14, 22-25, 18-16. Team Pineapple then swept NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami, 26-24, 25-20. There was also a 17 Open clash between MKE Sting 17 Gold and Circle City 17 Purple. Sting prevailed in three, 25-19, 20-25, 15-9. In the other power pool, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno downed Legacy 17-1 Adidas, 17-25 25-18, 15-9. In 15 Open, Tri-State Elite 15 Blue went toe-to-toe with Legacy 15-1 Adidas and earned the sweep, 25-17, 27-25. Munciana 15 Blue also had a great Day 1, capping it off by sweeping Elevation 15 Tony, 25-23, 25-23. Most of the drama on Day 1 centered around not the power pools but the play-in pools. Teams not making the power pools had to fight to stay alive by winning a three-team pool to make the 16-team gold bracket. In 17 Open, teams like NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami and Mintonette Sports m.71 took advantage to remain in contention. In 16 Open, we mentioned Rock City coming through. Other clubs earning a spot in the gold bracket included Elevation 16 Goller, Rev 16-1 Fury, Adidas KiVA 16 Red and Team Indiana 16 Elite. Circle City 15 Purple, Mintonette Sports m.51, Michio Chicago 15 National and MKE Sting 15 Gold earned spots by winning their three-team pool in 15 Open. The way 14 Open went was different, as two rounds of pool play led to one more round of pool play Sunday morning before breaking out into a four-team gold bracket. It sets up an exciting morning as clubs like Circle City 14 Purple, NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami, Elevation 14 Molly, Legacy 14-1 Adidas and more are still in the hunt. As for 18 Open, two rounds of pool play Saturday set up the gold bracket for Day 2. Tri-State Elite 18 Blue took over the No. 1 seed from SPVB 18 Elite. Adidas KiVA 18 Red starts Sunday as the No. 2 seed. Others alive include SPVB 18 Elite, Circle City 18 Purple, Union 18 UA Black, Team Pineapple 18 Black, SPVB 18 Kahl, Team Indiana 18 Elite and Circle City 18 Black. *** Below, we highlight the individuals who made us take notice the most with their outstanding play Saturday and feature them in our Day 1 Show Stoppers. DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS Kelsey Green S Elevation 14 Molly: Green is a smooth disher with a soft touch and clean release. She’s also steady with her location. Avery Brannon RS Elevation 14 Molly: Brannon brings plenty of offense when she’s front row. She uses her height to her advantage, going over blocks. She also moves around, taking swings out of the middle. Abbie Powell MB Munciana 14 Chipmunks: There was a different dynamic to the attack with Powell in the front. She has a solid arm and was delivering with consistency when called upon. Brooke Neale L/DS Munciana 14 Chipmunks: There was lots of defense being played all over and Neale was included in it. She was passing dimes out of serve receive and controlling the ball well. Vanessa Mancini OH Circle City 14 Purple: Mancini brings size and power to the attack. She carries a big arm and thundered shots to the ground. Audrey Utterback OH Circle City 14 Purple: A six-rotation outside, Utterback is another key cog in the offense. She has a strong arm and swings front and back row. Lauren Doney OH Pursuit 14 Elite: Doney was another six-rotation standout. She’s the go-to hitter and for good reason. She has a solid swing and can really connect. Lucy Waleskowski S/RS NKYVC 14-1 Tsunami: Waleskowski is an up-and-coming player. Her length is an attribute in her two-way role setting and hitting. She does a nice job delivering consistently to her hitters and can also turn around and swing for points. Tegan Loechler RS MKE Sting 14 Gold: Loechler was among the 14s standout who also has lots of size to impact the match with. She extends well and it allows her to hit over blocks on the regular. Ashlyn Pelon L/DS Legacy 14-1 Adidas: Pelon brought a defensive edge to the lineup with her steady passing and putting balls on target. *** Lola Loncar L/DS AVC Cle 14 Red: Loncar was also a defender who caught our eye with her on-point deliveries and hustle keeping rallies alive. Grace Regula OH AVC Cle 14 Red: Regula was impressing with her quick arm and ability to rip shots from sideline to sideline. Carsyn Chitty L/DS Mintonette Sports m.41: Chitty brings tons of energy to the court. She’s a vocal defender and was doing well keeping plays alive. Lauren Williams MB Tri-State Elite 14 Blue: Williams is a lanky middle with a knack for scoring. She’s a legit threat when the team is in system and defenses need to be ready. Jillian Turvey MB Elevation 15 Tony: Turvey was a factor in the middle with her ability to impact play on both sides of the ball