Chris Tobolski

As loaded as the 17 Open division is in 2022, predicting how any qualifier may play out is as difficult as it’s ever been. The only thing that was known for sure was that the three available Open bids were sure to go out at Show Me but it was anyone’s guess how it would all play out. If anyone had Premier Nebraska 17 Gold running the table and producing a perfect weekend at 10-0 in matches and 20-0 in sets then congratulations on that pick. Of course, Premier Nebraska secured its bid way back in January at the Northern Lights Qualifier so there were still the qualifying spots to fill out. Those went to second-place MN Select 17-1, third-place Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite – who tied with MAVS KC 17-1 – and fifth-place Mintonettte Sports m.71, who didn’t benefit from trickle down and needed to defeat Iowa Rockets 17 in bracket play to secure its bid. Below, we tell the tales of how those teams’ weekend played out. PREMIER NEBRASKA 17 GOLD (FIRST, 10-0) Day 1: d IPVA 17 Black 25-13; 25-14; d TIV 17 Asics Black 25-15, 25-7; d NKYVC 17 Tsunami 25-17, 25-13 Day 2: d Illini Elite 17 Cardinal 25-20, 25-17; d NE Elite 17 Vici 25-19, 25-15; d MAVS KC 17-1 25-20, 25-23 Day 3: d Iowa Rockets 17 25-21, 25-12; Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite 25-19, 25-22; NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami 25-19, 25-20; d MN Select 17-1 25-15, 27-25   The Northern Lights 18s Qualifier had a bit of twist this season by adding 17 Open and offering three bids back in January. Premier Nebraska joined 1st Alliance 17 Gold and MAVS KC in taking advantage and qualifying early. For Premier Nebraska, the only national tournament in between that one and this past weekend at Show Me was Triple Crown in February. If rust was of any concern, Premier Nebraska didn’t show any and instead played like a team eager to get back to competition and stake its claim as one of the title contenders come Nationals. “The biggest thing this weekend was already having the bid sometimes teams start looking at the finish line instead of continuing getting better,” Nebraska Premier coach Joe Wessel said. “We already had the bid but we didn’t want to take that for granted. We needed to prove why we earned the bid and show we can be one of the best teams in the nation.” The fact that Premier Nebraska was moving through the weekend without losing a set was on their minds but it remained unspoken about until sweeping MN Select in the final and completing the perfect weekend. The run also included beating NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami twice, plus MAVS KC and Rockwood Thunder. “They kept it quiet until we beat MN Select,” Wessel said. “Then it was the first thing they said was that they didn’t lose a set all weekend. We went 20-0 but no one made a big deal of it until it was over.” There’s a lot to like about Premier’s lineup, starting with vballrecruiter.com five-star recruit and right side Grace Heaney. She’s just one of many options Premier throws at opponents, with four-star recruits Destiny Ndam-Simpson and Alanna Bankston being two more. Then there’s middles Kailey Hrbek and Brooklyn Fuchs and outside Stella Adeyemi for setters Ivy Leuck and Reese Booth to utilize as well. Olivia Mauch – a five-star Class of 2024 recruit – and Makenzie Dyrstad can take turns trading off between libero and DS. “We can make changes to our lineup,” Wessel said. “We have an athletic, versatile team. Some matches we can play girls on the right side. Other matches we can play them on the left side. We have two really good defensive players that we switch up at times too. We don’t really have a set lineup. We do run a true 6-2 so all 10 girls can showcase their talents.” *** MN SELECT 17-1 (SECOND, 8-1) Day 1: d Co Jrs 17 Kevin 25-10, 25-22, 25-17; d HPSTL 17 Royal 27-25, 25-22, 25-23 Day 2: d Madfrog 17 Black 25-21, 25-14; d Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite 25-16, 25-23; d KC Power 17-1 19-25, 25-23, 18-16 Day 3: d Dynasty 17 Black 21-25, 25-16, 15-11; d MAVS KC 17-1 18-25, 25-21, 15-6; d Mintonette Sports m.71 25-20, 30-28; l Premier Nebraska 17 Gold 25-15, 27-25   Last month at MEQ, MN Select needed to win its gold pool – one that included Circle City 17 Purple – to have a shot at qualifying. At Show Me, it wasn’t so cutthroat for MN Select, which merely needed to finish in the top three in its gold pool to stay in the hunt for a bid. MN Select ended up taking matters into its own hands, downing Dynasty 17 Black, MAVS KC and Mintonette before falling to Premier Nebraska in the final to qualify without any trickle down. “We cut down on our errors,” MN Select coach George Padjen said. “We have some physical hitters and we can be really good offensively. We have a great setter but if we can’t pass we can’t get good swings. We were passing better and Stella (Swenson) was making good decisions getting everyone looks.” MN Select redesigned its roster that finished 13th in 16 Open last summer. Among those back are outsides Avery Bolles and Marlie Hanson. Plus middle Kate Simington and libero Kate Thibault – both three-star recruits. That left room for many newcomers, including the five-star recruit Swenson and her sister and outside hitter Olivia Swenson – a three-star recruit. Another key addition was 6-4 right side and four-star recruit Sydney Schnichels. Joining the trio was also L/DS Sophia Johnson and middles Annika Veurink and Kaia Caffee, a sophomore like the Swenson sisters and another five-star recruit. The focus moving forward for the group is continuing tightening up its play and taking some of the close sets that have gone against them. In the team’s last four qualifier losses

Going into 15 Open at the Show Me Qualifier in Kansas City all three bids had to be awarded out as trickle down could only extend to sixth place and no further. It was just a matter of how previously-qualified teams in Dynasty 15 Black, Nebraska One 15 Synergy and Circle City 15 Purple would factor into the mix. The answer was heavily. Nebraska One wound up defeating Dynasty in the final in straight sets, while Circle City tied for third place with NE Elite 15 Matrix. That gave NE Elite the first bid. The last two went to fifth-place finishers in Northern Lights 15-1 and HPSTL 15 Royal. Here’s a rundown of the teams’ path to their finishes. NEBRASKA ONE 15 SYNERGY (FIRST, 8-2) Day 1: l MAVS 816 15-1 25-19, 15-25, 15-10; d FRVBC 15 Black 25-16, 25-14; d ECJ 15-1 25-12, 25-20 Day 2: l MAVS KC 15-1 25-20, 25-20; d Skyline 15 Royal 25-18, 25-22; d OP2 15-1 25-14, 25-18 Day 3: d HPSTL 15 Royal 19-25, 29-27, 15-8; d Mich Elite 15 Mizuno 25-21, 25-22; d NE Elite 15 Matrix 25-13, 25-21; d Dynasty 15 Black 25-16, 25-15   As long as Nebraska One wasn’t playing a MAVS team, it proved untouchable on its way to winning the 15 Open division. Having clinched an Open bid previously at Northern Lights, there was no pressure on Nebraska One in terms of finishing in a spot to qualify. However, long before Nebraska One was in a position to finish on top of the field, it was simply looking to survive Day 1 after losing its opening match of the weekend to MAVS 816 15-1. It wasn’t reason to panic necessarily but another loss in pool play would knock out Nebraska One much earlier than anyone expected. That was never in danger of happening with the way Nebraska One responded, sweeping FRVBC 15-1 Black and ECJ 15-1 to take second. The loss did put Nebraska One in a much tougher Day 2 pool and again the Great Plains Region club received an early-morning wakeup call with a setback to MAVS KC 15-1 in straight sets in its first match. With Skyline 15 Royal up next, there was no guarantee Nebraska One would advance. But once again, Nebraska One found its form and swept past Skyline and OP2 15-1 to move into gold pools. Once there, there was no stopping Nebraska One on Day 3. Nebraska One fought past HPSTL, Mich Elite 15 Mizuno and NE Elite to make the final, where Nebraska One swept Dynasty, 25-16, 25-15, to claim the championship. Nebraska One was in position to make the final at Northern Lights but fell to Drive Nation 15 Red in its final gold pool match. That left Nebraska One in a showdown with Northern Lights for the final bid. Nebraska One took that contest in straight sets, 25-10, 25-22, to secure its bid. Outside of 6-4 middle blocker and vballrecruiter.com four-star recruit Natalie Wardlow, Nebraska One doesn’t have the size of some other teams in the division. It also relies on seventh-grade setter Malorie Boesiger to run the show and she definitely plays with a maturity beyond her age. Outside hitters Mattie Kamery and three-star recruit Anna Jelinek are both steady with a knack for scoring against bigger blocks. Kacey Porter helps balance the offense with her attacking on the right side, while Nebraska One relies on Kendall Cose in the other middle position. Also, Keri Leimbach showed herself to be one of the more impressive liberos in the division flying around the court making plays. *** DYNASTY 15 BLACK (SECOND, 8-2) Day 1: d Synergy 15-1 25-23, 25-18; d Nebraska Jrs 15 Black 25-12, 25-16; d Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite 25-19, 25-16 Day 2: NE Elite 15 Matrix 25-22, 25-19; d Premier Nebraska 15 Gold 25-16, 23-25, 15-10; d MKE Sting 15 Gold 26-24, 25-19 Day 3: d Northern Lights 15-1 25-17, 25-10; d Circle City 15 Purple 11-25, 25-22, 15-13; l MAVS 15 KC 15-1 25-23, 25-23; l Nebraska One 15 Synergy 25-16, 25-15 We were on hand at MEQ in Indy when Dynasty captured first place and clinched its 15 Open bid. There, Dynasty reeled off victories in its last five outings and kept it going in KC, where it took its first eight matches before dropping its final two, including in the final to Nebraska One. Dynasty also lost to MAVS KC in gold pool play but had already clinched first place and its spot in the final. It was Dynasty’s defense and ability to extend rallies and take advantage that led to its success in Indy and the Heart of America Region club continued on with that style of play in KC. Dynasty is not an overly big team but has one of the most reliable outsides in the division in three-star recruit Lauren Lopez. The attack was helped out by Jenna McClure, who showed some strong play at outside as well. Setters Ella Florez and Emma Christian also had middles Epifania Salamasina and Isabel Glover to work with, as well as right sides Leah Russell-Bova and Ashlee Chavez. Hadley Porter was her usually steady self at libero to anchor the defense and set the tone. Up next for Dynasty is Windy City, where it opens as the No. 1 seed and will look to triple qualify. *** CIRCLE CITY 15 PURPLE (T-THIRD, 7-2) Day 1: d Premier Nebraska 15 Gold 25-11, 18-25, 15-13; d Team Momentum 15 Navy 25-8, 25-17; d OT 15 Meg 25-19, 25-20 Day 2: l HPSTL 15 Royal 25-19, 16-25, 15-7; d Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite 19-25, 25-15, 15-11; d Tulsa Power 15-1 26-24, 29-27 Day 3: d MAVS KC 15-1 25-20, 20-25, 15-11; l Dynasty 15 Black 11-25, 25-22, 15-13; d Northern Lights 15-1 25-16, 25-22 After defeating Legacy 15-1 Adidas in the third-place match at MEQ, Circle City arrived knowing there would be no such dramatics in terms of bidding at Show Me. That’s

Dynasty 16 Black was untouchable in its first two qualifiers of the season – winning both Northern Lights and MEQ. The Heart of America Region club was continuing its dominance into Day 3 at Show Me until NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami finally found a way to solve it in their gold pool meeting. The huge victory not only eventually gave NKYVC a bid, it helped propel the squad into the final. There, however, NKYVC ran into a red-hot Circle City 16 Purple group that wasn’t going to be denied as the Hoosier Region club finished off its undefeated run to the 16 Open championship and earned its bid as well. With Dynasty, KC Power 16-1 and Premier Nebraska 16 Gold already having bids and finishing in the top six, it created trickle down with OT 16 Roberto taking advantage and earning the final qualifying spot on the weekend. Here’s a look at these teams’ weekends in Kansas City. CIRLCE CITY 16 PURPLE (FIRST, 10-0) Day 1: d USA South 16 Premier 25-18, 15-25, 15-10; d MKE Sting 16 Gold 20-25, 30-28, 15-6; d HPSTL 15 Royal 25-15, 25-18 Day 2: d Nebraska Jrs 16 Black 25-22, 25-13; d Pohaku 16 25-17, 25-17; d NKYVC 16 Tsunami 25-18, 21-25, 15-12 Day 3: d Premier Nebraska 16 Gold 25-22, 18-25, 15-9; d HPSTL 16 Royal 25-16, 25-20; d KC Power 16-1 21-25, 25-22, 15-13; d NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami 25-22, 22-25, 17-15   At MEQ, Circle City put itself in a position to get a bid in its hometown but went 0-2 in gold pools with straight set losses to 1st Alliance 16 Gold and NKYVC. It was part of a rough finish in Indy, where after winning its first five outings Circle City dropped three in a row. With the grit and determination Circle City played with at Show Me, it was bound not to let that happen again. The path to the bid was not without its challenges as Circle City needed to pull out three-set victories six times, including in four of its final five matches. Two of those types of victories came against NKYVC – once on Day 2 and then again in an exciting conclusion in the championship match as Circle City won 17-15 in Game 3. Circle City also picked up impressive victories over previously-qualified Premier Nebraska and KC Power – both in three as well. The weekend kicked off in that fashion too, with Circle City going three in victories over USA South 16 Premier and MKE Sting 16 Gold on Day 1. Circle City went with the same lineup at MEQ and Show Me. Five-star recruit Ava Utterback was a featured part of the attack with her explosiveness on the outside. Sophia Mayo also had a strong effort at the other outside position, as did right side and three-star recruit Alexis Maesch. Setter and three-star recruit Emery Moore was also finding Caroline Frost, Scarlett Kimbrell and Dakota Elliott in the middle. Kimbrell and Elliott are three-star recruits, along with libero Alleigh Dutton. Dutton was part of a steady back row that also featured defensive specialists Rachel Vorst and Chloe Gilley. *** NKYVC 16-1 TSUNAMI (SECOND, 8-2) Day 1: d KC Power 16 Red 25-21, 25-13; d IPVA 16 Black 25-12, 25-4; d OP2 16-1 25-17, 25-15 Day 2: d Pohaku 16-1 25-21, 25-21; d Nebraska Jrs 16 Black 25-5, 25-12; l Circle City 16 Purple 25-18, 21-25, 15-12 Day 3: d Six Pack 16 25-17, 22-25, 15-9; d Dynasty 16 Black 25-19, 15-25, 15-11; d OT 16 Roberto 25-11, 26-28, 16-14; l Circle City 16 Purple 25-22, 22-25, 17-15   Few teams were as eager to get another crack at qualifying as NKYVC was. Its only setback at MEQ – a 15-13 loss in Game 3 to 1st Alliance – cost NKYVC its bid in Indy. Even then it wasn’t like NKYVC put it on its opponents en route to qualifying at Show Me. There was a definite grind to its second-place showing as NKYVC went three sets in its final five contests, including losses to Circle City on Day 2 and again in the final. However, NKYVC picked up arguably the most impressive victory of the season so far when it handed Dynasty its first loss in qualifying play. But given the wackiness of qualifiers the triumph over Dynasty still left NKYVC needing to beat OT or else NKYVC could finish third in the pool. Either way, NKYVC was still looking at a bid but no doubt deserved better after upsetting Dynasty. NKYVC pulled it out against OT in three – 16-14 in Game 3 – to finish its gold pool on top and reach the final. “I think it was exciting,” NKYVC coach Tyler Collins said. “It was a fun weekend going 8-2 and beating the No. 1 team in the country. We just missed the mark at MEQ. We were just a hair shy and we went back to practice working on different things.” Dynasty had NKYVC’s number at Triple Crown and NKYVC was determined to put up a better showing this time around. One key focus was trying to attack Dynasty from the service line and it worked. “We really served them hard,” Collins said. “We have a lot of respect for Skyler (Pierce) and their right side Abigail (Mullen). They have another really good outside too (Carlie Cisneros). We wanted to go really aggressive on serves against them. It helped tremendously. It limited their middle exposure and that allowed our middles to cheat and put up a better block.” Collins said he could talk about each individual in detail. The weekend was that good. Yet, he did want to make sure setter Abby Yoder – a three-star recruit – received just due. “I think people look past her but she did a phenomenal job,” he said. “She’s IQ heavy and was able to make the different sets that needed to be made. She finds our middles often and that relates

The Show Me Qualifier proved to be one of the best ones we’ve been at yet. vballrecruiter.com spent time throughout the three days watching and observing as many teams and players as we possibly could. Below are the outside hitters who caught our attention the most. 15 OPEN Ava Ball, Northern Lights 15-1 – This 5-11 outside is also listed as a libero on Lights’ roster because she can pass well and strong ball skills. She’s a three-star recruit with a nice swing and hits with good pace. Lauren Lopez, Dynasty 15 Black – Lopes is a 5-10 three-star recruit. She jumps well and can really light it up when she gets a hold of one! Ava Tilden, NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami – Tilden seems to have a tall ceiling as she continues to improve. She’s 6-0 with a fluid swing and is a good option on the left for NKYVC. Shay Heaney, Premier Nebraska 15 Gold – There’s tons of upside to Heaney’s game. She’s currently a three-star recruit but this 6-1 outside could move up as she develops. She’s lengthy with a smooth swing and can hammer the ball. Logan Bell, Circle City 15 Purple – A 5-11 three-star recruit, Bell has a whip for an arm. She’s an aggressive hitter who uses the block well. Madison Hooper, Ozark Jrs 15 Elite – Don’t give Hooper an open look because she can rip it! She can score in a variety of ways. This 6-1 outside has plenty of upside! Hannah Leftridge, HPSTL 15 Royal – We saw Leftridge at MEQ earlier this season and this 5-9 outside knows how to compete. She hits all around and has great ball control and defense. Hannah Taylor, HPSTL 15 Royal – HPSTL was down a starting outside from MEQ but qualified anyway at Show Me in part because of Taylor’s contributions. She was solid on the outside and proved to be a reliable scorer who was taking aggressive swings and challenging the block. Kierstin Bevelle, OT 15 Meg – Bevelle was showing good passing skills out of serve receive. She also has an easy swing when she was attacking. Kelsie Thompson, ECJ 15-1 – Thompson is a 5-11 wirey outside and currently a three-star recruit. She’s a strong six rotation player who is capable of delivering some big kills. 16 OPEN Aowyn Schrader, Premier Nebraska 16 Gold – A 6-1 three-star recruit, Schrader can play on the left or in the middle. She’s a physical player who can pound the ball down. Ava Utterback, Circle City 16 Purple – Few in the gym impress in the ways Utterback does. It’s clear to see why this 6-0 outside is a five-star recruit. She touches 10-0 and is absolutely explosive on the attack. Sophia Mayo, Circle City 16 Purple – Filling out the outside spots for Circle City is Mayo. She’s 6-2 with a strong arm and gives Circle City another solid option on the left. Reis Baune, Northern Lights 16-1 – This 6-0 outside was passing well out of serve receive nad keeping Northern Lights in system. She also has a quick arm and can generate pace on her shots. Tia Traudt, VCNebraska 16 Elite – VCNebraska has a good one in Traudt. She’s 6-0 and playing up an age group. She has a nice swing and really gets after it attacking the block and hitting with pace. Fallon Stewart, OT 16 Roberto – Stewart is part of a strong outside duo for OT. She’s long at 6-2 and she doesn’t back down. Her future is bright! Amina N’diaye, OT 16 Roberto – The sky is the limit for N’diaye! She’s a freshman playing up and is a four-star recruit. At 6-1, she gets up very well and can take over in stretches. Ava Spachek, Pohaku 16-1 – Pohaku can cause problems for anyone. Part of that is the play of this 5-10 outside. Spachek isn’t as big and physical as some other outsides but she makes up for it with hard, aggressive swings that pressures the defense. Payton Petersen, Six Pack 16 – Petersen plays a big role as a six-rotation outside for Six Pack. She’s 6-0 and the go-to hitter who Six Pack turns to when it really needs a point. She has a great arm and hits with authority. Alivia Skidmore, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – Skidmore was playing at an MVP level on Day 3 in helping NKYVC reach the final and earn its bid. She’s 5-10 and touches 9-10 and was causing Dynasty 16 Black all sorts of trouble in their gold pool meeting. Skyler Pierce, Dynasty 16 Black – Pierce is no doubt a next-level talent. At 6-2 and already touching 10-3, she’s a five-star recruit with a limitless future. She’s an electric scorer with delivers some eye-popping kills. Carlie Cisneros, Dynasty 16 Black – It’s hard to find a better outside duo in this age group than Dynasty has with Pierce and Cisenros, who is a four-star recruit. She’s 6-0 and almost touches 10-0. She’s solid in the back row and is a smart attacker who is tough to slow down. 17 OPEN Ava Hoying, Mintonette Sports. m71 – A three-star recruit, Hoying is a steadying six-rotation player who does just about everything for Mintonette. She’s 6-0 and is very strong and powerful when she goes on the attack.   Reagan Fox, KC Power 17-1 – A 6-2 outside committed to Rutgers, Fox is a three-star recruit. She provides KC Power with steady and consistent scoring on the left with her smooth swing. Samantha Laird, NE Elite 17 Vici – Committed to South Dakota, Laird is 6-0 and plays an important role in the NE Elite attack. She has a fluid swing and is a smart attacker. Caitlyn Little, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite – Little helped Rockwood Thunder to a bid with her strong play. She’s a 5-10 three-star recruit who jumps well and hits with power. Ava Siefke, NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami – This 6-1 outside

The Show Me Qualifier proved to be one of the best ones we’ve been at yet. vballrecruiter.com spent time throughout the three days watching and observing as many teams and players as we possibly could. Below are the right sides who caught our attention the most. 15 OPEN Mesaiya Bettis, Northern Lights 15-1 – Bettis is still raw and that’s scary! This 6-0 four-star recruit touches 10-1 and has incredible upside. Add she grows and adds some muscle she’s going to be a very difficult cover on the right side. Carly Gilk, Synergy 15-1 – College coaches are already talking about Gilk! She’s a 6-2 four-star recruit who already has physicality to her game. She plays all the way around and is even part of serve receive for Synergy. Gabby Orlet, HPSTL 15 Royal – It was a great weekend for HPSTL, which earned its Open bid despite having some key injuries. Helping make up the slack was this 5-10 lefty. She hits a heavy ball and allowed HPSTL to balance out its attack. Ava Wilson, Tulsa Power 15-1 – We didn’t see a whole lot of Wilson and her smooth swing. But what we did see it looks like this lefty has potential to make noise in the future! Ashlyn Paymal, NE Elite 15 Matrix – This 6-3 three-star recruit certainly impressed! She was unstoppable at times and a key part of the NE Elite attack. They line her up all across the front row, allowing her to hit from the left, middle and right side and she has all the shots. 16 OPEN Alexis Maesch, Circle City 16 Purple – A 5-11 lefty, Maesch can get after it at times and smack down some impressive winners. She’s a three-star recruit. Kananihokuao “Nele” Misipeka, Pohaku 16-1 – Misipeka is incredibly fun to watch! This three-star recruit makes things look easy on the court. She’s really physical and though she’s undersized is a strong blocker with great timing. Jillian Huckabey, KC Power 16-1 – Huckabey impresses with her pure arm swing and ability to launch balls. She’s a 5-11 three-star recruit with potential to move up the rankings. Abigail Mullen, Dynasty 16 Black – Mullen is special! It’s that simple with her. She has an unassuming way about her. That’s okay because her game does all the talking. She’s a 6-3 five-star recruit playing up an age group. She has a heavy arm and pounds balls. She’s also a menacing blocker on the right. 17 OPEN Lauryn Bowie, Mintonette Sports m.71 – A three-star recruit headed to Virginia, Bowie is 6-2 and touches 9-11. She’s as physical as they come on the right side. She’s capable of coming up with some resounding stuff blocks that are something to see! Elizabeth Goodenow, MAVS KC 17-1 – We’ve written about Goodenow – a three-star recruit – before. She’s committed to Yale and has the potential to do special things in the Ivy League. She’s a 6-0 lefty with a powerful arm and ability to take over matches at times. Gabriella Placide, Co Jrs 17 Kevin – Placide is 6-2, touches 10-5 and is committed to Northern Colorado. She can liven up the Co Jrs attack in a hurry. She delivers some eye-opening kills at times! Claire Morrissey, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite – This 5-11 right side is playing up a year and has potential to make waves as she continues on. She plays all the way around, hits a pretty heavy ball and is active in the back row. Avery Van Hook, S/RS, Iowa Rockets 17 – A 5-11 lefty, Van Hook is fun to watch as she plays with lots of energy and passion. She’s strong as both a setter and a hitter and Iowa Rockets wouldn’t be the same without her. She’s committed to South Dakota. Sydney Schnichels, MN Select 17-1 – Schnichels – a 6-4 four-star recruit committed to Minnesota – shined throughout the weekend. She’s plays all the way around and even passes in serve receive. She has an easy swing that generates plenty of pace and with her length can go over blocks effortlessly. Grace Heaney, Premier Nebraska 17 Gold – Heaney is 6-2 but seems to play even longer than that! She’s a five-star recruit committed to Purdue who touches 10-2. She rips from the right side with a fluid swing.

The Show Me Qualifier proved to be one of the best ones we’ve been at yet. vballrecruiter.com spent time throughout the three days watching and observing as many teams and players as we possibly could. Below are the middles who caught our attention the most. 15 OPEN Natalie Wardlow, Nebraska One 15 Synergy – What tremendous potential this 6-4 middle carries in her future! She’s a four-star recruit and helped lift Nebraska One to the 15 Open crown. With her height she can hit over the block and score with ease. Keira Schmidt, Northern Lights 15-1 – This lanky middle is 6-5 with lots of upside to her game. She can hit straight down and makes it tough on defenders to pick up her tough angles. Reanna Lee, Boiler Jrs 15 Gold – A 5-10 middle, Lee is a three-star recruit. Though she’s not as tall as some other middles she faces, she is an efficient scorer with a nice swing to her. Epifania Salamasina, Dynasty 15 Black – This 5-10 middle has some physicality to her. She gets up pretty well and is capable of bashing one down when the option is there. Reese Dunkle, Circle City 15 Purple – At 6-2, Dunkle is a three-star recruit. She moves well and has a very fluid swing. She’s one to keep tabs on! Ellen Zapp, Circle City 15 Purple – Zapp was playing well in KC. She’s 6-0 and can fill different spots for Circle City, including on the right or in the middle. She has a quick swing and isn’t afraid to go for it. Tara Greenberry, HPSTL 15 Royal – This 6-2 middle can really drop the hammer when she gets a hold of one! She’s a physical presence in the middle who should continue to develop and grow. Faith Venable, VCNebraska 15 Elite – Venable runs the slide smoothly. She has a nice swing and hits well on the move. 16 OPEN Mia Tvrdy, Premier Nebraska 16 Gold – A 6-0 three-star recruit, Tvrdy has flashes of dominance! She’s athletic and jumps well. She can really get on top of the ball and crush it down with her strong arm. Melae Lacy, Iowa Rockets 16 – This 5-10 middle could be a bit of a sleeper and a great get for someone down the road! She plays basketball as well and you can see it in the way she jumps and gets after it on the attack. Reese Ptacek, Northern Lights 16-1 – Keep an eye on Ptacek! She’s 6-3 and touches 10-0. She runs a great slide. Alexis Alexander, Pohaku 16-1 – This 6-1 middle is a three-star recruit. She gets off the ground well and is a physical hitter who Pohaku likes to run on the slide too. Julia Hunt, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – Hunt is definitely one to know about! She’s a four-star recruit with plenty of upside. She’s 6-2 and touches 10-2 with a powerful arm. 17 OPEN Eloise Brandewie, Mintonette Sports m.71 – Brandewie plays with a looseness about her but that’s not to be mistaken for the impact she makes. She’s the real deal! She’s a 6-3 five-star recruit committed to Ohio State and touches 10-2. She’s an effective scorer as Mintonette looks to go to her as much as possible. And she also makes her presence felt defensively with her blocking. Calissa Minatee, Dynasty 17 Black – This 6-0 middle was awarded a golden ticket at the Under Armour Next Camp Series ahead of Show Me and will be part of the UA All-America game. She’s a five-star recruit committed to Minnesota and she is lighting quick with a dynamic jump who can impact the game with her attacking and blocking. Jaya Johnson, PVA 17 Elite – PVA doesn’t have a lot of size outside of this 6-2 middle. It’s crucial they get her involved in the attack but it changes the dynamic of the offense. She’s committed to Creighton. Kaitlyn Sellner, Northern Lights 17-1 – Sellner is one to follow. She remains uncommitted but is going to help some program immensely. She’s a handful in the middle. She moves well, is 6-1 and touches 10-2.

The Show Me Qualifier proved to be one of the best ones we’ve been at yet. vballrecruiter.com spent time throughout the three days watching and observing as many teams and players as we possibly could. Below are the setters who caught our attention the most. 15 OPEN Logan Parks, S/RS, MAVS KC 15-1 – Few players light up a gym like Parks! This five-star recruit is electric and plays a dual role for MAVS setting and hitting. She’s a physically strong setter capable of making some sets others can’t at her age. She’s also springy and gets off the ground well on her attack and can really rip it. Ella Florez, Dynasty 15 Black – An eighth-grader playing up, Florez is a smooth operator helping run a 6-2. She has an easy delivery with pin point accuracy and can really fling it behind her to catch defenses off balanced. Isabelle Brown, Circle City 15 Purple – This three-star recruit does a good job running the offense. There’s really not any flash to her game, she just gets the job done keeping the defense honest with her ability to mix it up and get her hitters good matchups. Peyton Meyer, NE Elite 15 Matrix – Meyer is also a three-star recruit and she’s similar to Meyer in she just knows how to run the offense. There’s not a lot of flash – which trust us isn’t a bad thing! – she’s just solid and steady and calming presence at the position. Ella Keeven, HPSTL 15 Royal – There’s an effortlessness about the way Keeven sets. She’s smooth with nice hands and puts the ball in a nice window for her hitters. 16 OPEN Reagan Hickey, Premier Nebraska 16 Gold – Hickey does well getting all her hitters involved with the offense is in system. She has good touch on the back set and going against the flow so defenses can’t totally lock in on one hitter. Emery Moore, Circle City 16 Purple – This three-star recruit is a competitor! She has a look in her eyes that she’s not backing down. She delivers a consistent ball too and makes some strong defensive reads as well. Janelle Green, KC Power 16-1 – This three-star recruit belongs on the all-attitude team. She’s always smiling and is cheery with her teammates. Oh yeah, and she also sets and directs an offense well! Reese Messer, Dynasty 16 Black – A freshman playing up, Messer is a rare five-star recruit. She’s quick and can get under balls others might not be able to. She can jump set and brings some athleticism and flair to the position. 17 OPEN Logan Jones, MAVS KC 17-1 – Jones is undersized but she’s a gamer and hustler! She’s quick and can really flick the ball around the court. Ella Swindle, KC Power 17-1 – There’s so much to love about this five-star recruit heading to Texas. She was invited to the Under Armour All-America game after receiving a golden ticket at the UA Next Camp series the day before the tourney started. At 6-2, she’s long, smooth and has great hands! Annika Sokol, S/RS, Co Jrs 17 Kevin – Sokol is a two-player for Co Jrs, hitting and setting. She’s a bit undersized at 5-10 when she’s in the front row hitting, but she’s heady and knows how to score. Ashley Mullen, Dynasty 17 Black – Some consider this five-star recruit committed to UCLA to be the best in the class. She’s silky smooth, can run tempo and rarely misses her spots. She’s a next-level talent for sure! Brynne McGhie, Dynasty 17 Black – McGhie is part of a 6-2 with Mullen. One of McGhie’s strength is her ability to mix up her sets and moves the ball around to keep defenses guessing. Juliette Myrick, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite – This 6-0 setter is a four-star recruit committed to Army. She’s a gamer with a strong competitive drive and connects well with her hitters. Ava Blascziek, Northern Lights 17-1 – The 5-10 Blascziek looks like she’s having fun when she plays! She’s a three-star recruit who does a good job of getting her hitters involved with her distribution. Stella Swenson, MN Select 17-1 – It’s not surprising that this 6-1 setter is a five-star recruit. She has a high IQ and great touch. And there’s not a set she can’t make!

The Show Me Qualifier proved to be one of the best ones we’ve been at yet. vballrecruiter.com spent time throughout the three days watching and observing as many teams and players as we possibly could. Below are the liberos who caught our attention the most. 15 OPEN Keri Leimbach, Nebraska One 15 Synergy – Leimbach’s play helped Nebraska One to the 15 Open title. She’s very quick and flies around the court making up ground and tracking down balls.   McKenna Garr, Northern Lights 15-1 – It was a good weekend for Northern Lights in clinching a 15 Open bid. Garr – a three-star recruit – made some of her ups look too easy! She was also on point in serve receive with consistent first-ball contact. Avery Baker, MAVS KC 15-1 – MAVS has to rely on its ball control and defense to be competitive. Baker is not a flashy libero but she’s even-keeled and makes plenty of plays in the back row. Hadley Porter, Dynasty 15 Black – Porter is the backbone of the Dynasty defense. Her game has an intensity to it where it looks like she loves to compete and she’s just real steady in what she does. Julia Grace, NKYVC 15-1 Tsunami – Unfortunately for NKYVC, it didn’t advance as far as it would’ve liked. However, there’s no doubt Grace was a standout. She’s a four-star recruit and the first word that comes to mind is smooth. Avery Freeman, Circle City 15 Purple – Circle City is built on its ball control, with Freeman the anchor of the defense. She’s another three-star recruit who’s willing to sacrifice her body to keep rallies alive. Emma Ortiz, OT 15 Meg – OT couldn’t push itself into gold pool play but it wasn’t without effort. Ortiz was not missing her mark out of serve receive, consistently getting OT into system. 16 OPEN Faith Frame, Premier Nebraska 16 Gold – Frame was a standout everywhere this weekend. She garnered one of the MVP awards at the Under Armour Next Camp and performed consistently well throughout the weekend. She has a stoic demeanor on the court but has great command of the position. She’s a three-star recruit with potential to move up to four or even five stars in due time. Alleigh Dutton, Circle City 16 Purple – Dutton is another three-star recruit and showed why in helping Circle City to the 16 Open title and its bid. There aren’t many plays she doesn’t make and teams are reluctant to challenge her in serve receive. Luca Bredenberg, Northern Lights 16-1 – This three-star recruit was passing dime after dime in serve receive. She has a good platform and keeps things simple. Annalise Grant, Six Pack 16 – There were definitely moments where Grant was owning the position. She has a calm, easy-going approach with lots of upside to her game. Elizabeth Tabeling, NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami – What a weekend it was for NKYVC in taking second and qualifying. When on, Tabeling was as good as anyone in the division this weekend. She’s a four-star recruit with good range and she’s not afraid to stand in and dig big shots. Ryan McAleer, Dynasty 16 Black – This was a strong division for liberos and McAleer is yet another who stood out. This four-star recruit is very consistent and steady and is difficult to get balls past. Mya Bolton, KC Power 16-1 – Yet another three-star recruit making noise this weekend, Bolton is fun to watch with the spirit she plays with. This Power team has a scrappiness about it and Bolton is at the heart of it with her defense. 17 OPEN Jonna Spohn, Mintonette Sports m.71 – This Ole Miss commit is a three-star recruit. She can cover some ground around the court and is typically on point with her passing and defending. Alayna Pearson, KC Power 17-1 – Pearson is a three-star recruit committed to Texas AM. She flies around the court. And she brings tons of energy and excitement to the position! Heidi Devers, Dynasty 17 Black – Devers is another spirited libero with good energy. She also can cover well with her quickness. Jocelyn Healy, NE Elite 17 Vici – It felt like Healy was one of the more energetic liberos in the division. At the times we caught her, she was digging a ton of balls and extending rallies. Ava Roth, Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite – One of the things that came to mind watching Roth is she’s a hard worker and leaves it all on the court. She also showed great passing skills out of serve receive. She’s a three-star recruit committed to Arkansas. Meg Berkland, Iowa Rockets 17 – It was a great weekend for Iowa Rockets, which came within a victory of qualifying. Rockets is not a big team and has to rely on ball control and defense to hang. Berkland, who is a sophomore playing up, fits right in with her ability to pass dimes out of serve receive and keep plays alive with her effort. Kate Thibault, MN Select 17-1 – A three-star recruit committed to Oregon, Thibault had a good weekend holding down the back court. Her serve reception was on and she consistently made plays to give the offense another shot.

The first weekend of the Show Me Qualifier is in the books, with bids going out in 15, 16 and 17 Open. We’ll have more about what took place in those divisions in the next day or two, plus our standout players list featuring some of the top talent we witnessed in action. For now, here’s a quick rundown of how Day 3 played out. Dynasty 17 Black – which qualified originally at NEQ and captured first place the weekend before Show Me at the Sunshine Classic – had a rough Day 3 in gold pool play in Kansas City. In going 0-3, Dynasty finished in fourth place in Pool 2 and helped set up the only bracket match with a bid on the line in any of the three Open divisions. Premier Nebraska 17 Gold defeated MN Select 17-1 in the championship match. MAVS KC 17-1 and Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite ended up tied for third. With Premier Nebraska and MAVS already qualified, bids went out to MN Select and Rockwood Thunder. The third and final qualifying spot came down to the fifth-place match between Mintonette Sports m.71 and Iowa Rockets 17. Mintonette swept to land the final bid. Iowa Rockets was involved in prior drama even before getting to the fifth-place contest. Iowa Rockets was 0-2 and needed to defeat Rockwood Thunder in the 3 v 4 meeting in Pool 1. Iowa Rockets came through in three sets. When NKYVC 17-1 Tsunami fell to Premier Nebraska in the 1 v 2 match, Rockwood Thunder, Iowa Rockets and NKYVC ended in a three-way tie at 1-2. Rockwood Thunder took the second-place tiebreaker, with Iowa Rockets getting third and NKYVC taking fourth. Had Iowa Rockets lost to Rockwood Thunder, NKYVC would’ve played Mintonette for the final bid. In 16 Open, Circle City 16 Purple not only qualified but it took home top honors after outlasting NKYVC 16-1 Tsunami in three sets in the championship match. NKYVC, which earned a huge victory over Dynasty 16 Black in pool play, also earned its bid. Dynasty tied for third place with Premier Nebraska 16 Gold. Both already had bids. KC Power 16-1 and OT 16 Roberto tied for fifth. With KC Power already having a bid as well, OT Roberto picked up the final bid in 16 Open. Nebraska One 15 Synergy lost its first match on Day 1. Then lost its first match on Day 2. However, the Great Plains Region club was standing on top at the end after sweeping Dynasty 15 Black in the 15 Open final. Both already had bids so trickle down was in effect. Circle City 15 Purple and NE Elite 15 Matrix tied for third place. Circle City already owned a bid, but NE Elite did not and earned itself one. The last two bids went to Northern Lights 15-1 and HPSTL 15 Royal, who tied for fifth place. Northern Lights ended in third place in Pool 1 on the strength of a head-to-head victory over MAVS KC 15-1. Both finished 1-2. In Pool 2, the 1 v 2 match came down to HPSTL facing Mich Elite 15 Mizuno. Both were 0-2 and the winner would earn the last bid. HPSTL swept to make it happen.

One day remains at the Show Me Qualifier in Kansas City after Day 2 saw the hunt for the Open bids tighten up. vballrecruiter.com will have plenty of coverage in the days ahead, including our substantial standout players list when the three-day event concludes. Some of the players we saw today who are sure to be featured include Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite right side Claire Morrissey, NE Elite 17 Vici libero Jocelyn Healy and Illini Elite 17 Cardinal outside Kenna Wollard. A few more include NE Elite 15 Matrix right side Ashlyn Paymal, Six Pack 16 libero Annalise Gergen and Circle City 16 Purple right side Alexis Maesch. Below, we look at three storylines from Day 2 action. PATH TO A BID Three previously-qualified clubs began in each 15, 16 and 17 Open and all nine are in their respective gold pools for Day 3. The most intriguing division is 17 Open, where Premier Nebraska 17 Gold is in Pool 1 and MAVS KC 17-1 and Dynasty 17 Black are both in Pool 2. Joining MAVS and Dynasty in Pool 2 are Mintonette Sports m.71 and MN Select 17-1. What makes this division the most intriguing is seeing if MAVS can make the top three in its pool or not. Dynasty is favored to finish in the top three, as is Premier Nebraska in Pool 1. If all the teams with bids already land in the top three of their pools, then it takes the bracket matches out of play in terms of bidding as trickle down will go to sixth if needed. However, if MAVS – or Dynasty or Premier Nebraska for that matter – finish last in the pool then either the third or fifth-place match becomes a must-win contest for the final bid. In both 15 and 16 Open we seem destined to have the bids decided by the time gold pools end. In 15 Open, Dynasty 15 Black and Circle City 15 Purple share Pool 1. Nebraska One 15 Synergy is in Pool 2. It would take some big upsets in either pool for one of those three to finish in fourth place in their pool. It’s much more likely all finish in third place or better and that would have trickle down in play to sixth place if needed. It’s the same scenario in 16 Open. Dynasty 16 Black is in Pool 1, while KC Power 16-1 and Premier Nebraska 16 Gold are in Pool 2. Some crazy results would have to take place for one of those three to finish in fourth place in a pool so we seem to be looking at all three making the top six. *** WILD RIDES Outside of top-seeded Dynasty the results were all over the place in 15 Open on Day 2. Dynasty went 3-0 in Pool 1, where NE Elite 15 Matrix finished 2-1 as the No. 3 team to advance. NE Elite swept a showdown with Premier Nebraska 15 Gold in the 3 v 4 outing to secure second place. In Pool 2, HPSTL 15 Royal posted a 3-0 mark as the No. 3 team. HPSTL opened its day by topping Circle City and kept going from there with victories over Tulsa Power 15-1 and Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite. It left Circle City needing to beat Tulsa Power in the 1 v 2 match just to advance. Circle City swept and finished 2-1. MAVS 816 15-1 was the story of Day 1 and the team controlled its own fate as the No. 1 seed in Pool 3. MAVS squared off with Northern Lights 15-1 in the 1 v 2 contest, with the winner getting second place and a spot in the gold pool. Mich Elite 15 Mizuno had already earned first place by going 3-0 as the No. 4 team and setting up the must-win meeting between MAVS and Lights. Lights swept though, ending MAVS’ run. MAVS 816 upsetting Nebraska One on Saturday dropped Nebraska One into the No. 4 slot in Pool 4. That threw a wrench into that pool, as Nebraska One went 2-1 and grabbed second place. MAVS KC 15-1 and Skyline 15 Royal met in the 1 v 2 contest with both still having a chance to move on. But the only way Skyline could advance was by sweeping MAVS. MAVS captured the first set then eventually the match in three to finish 3-0 and take first place. But had Skyline swept, Nebraska One would’ve taken first and Skyline second. Granted, 17 Open wasn’t as wild a ride as 15 Open was, but it hardly played out according to seed. NKYVC 17 Tsunami started the fun by upsetting top-seeded Dynasty in the first match of Pool 1. NKYVC finished 2-1, losing its final match to PVA 17 Elite in three games. But NKYVC already had first place clinched regardless of the result based on tiebreakers. As for Dynasty, it faced MKE Sting 17 Gold in the 1 v 2 outing. Both were 1-1, so the winner advanced and the loser was eliminated. It was Dynasty sweeping to take second. Mintonette Sports m.71, the No. 1 team in Pool 2, made it out unscathed at 3-0. But it was Iowa Rockets 17, the No. 4 team, which managed to land in second by going 2-1. Iowa Rockets picked up key victories against Northern Lights 17-1 and Co Jrs 17 Kevin to make the gold pools. The No. 1 team in Pool 3 in KC Power 17-1 wasn’t so fortunate. Losses to Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite and MN Select 17-1 ended Power’s bid hopes. MN Select, the No. 2 team, rode a strong day to a 3-0 showing as the No. 2 team. Rockwood made it out at 2-1 as the No. 3 team. In Pool 4, both MAVS and Premier Nebraska were guaranteed spots in the gold pools by the time they met in the 1 v 2 match. Still, Premier Nebraska, the No. 2 team, took that one to finish