The opening weekend of Northern Lights was back in January, when the 15, 17 and 18 Open divisions took place. Ahead this weekend in Minneapolis is the 14 and 16 Open divisions. The 14s have been behind the other age groups in terms of qualifiers. However, they will start to catch up this coming weekend with Northern Lights one of three 14 Open qualifiers taking place. Below, we look at both divisions, nationally-ranked teams, players to know and offer predictions on how it all will play out.
16 OPEN
Number of Teams: 24
Number of Bids: 3
Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a
Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (8):
- 3. TAV 16 Black TX
- 6. Hou Skyline 16 Royal TX
- 19. MN Select 16-1 MN
- 28. MKE Sting 16 Gold WI
- 30. HJV 16 Elite TX
- 37. Premier Nebraska 16 Gold NE
- 43. Vital 16-1 Gold MN
- 50. 1United 16 Blue TX
5-Star Players to Know:
- Nadi’ya Shelby RS Hou Skyline 16 Royal
- Halle Thompson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal
- Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1
- Elena Hoecke MB MN Select 16-1
- Layla Austin OH TAV 16 Black
- Kinsley Young MB TAV 16 Black
- Danielle Whitmire S/RS TAV 16 Black
4-Star Players to Know:
- Henlee Moszkowicz L/DS Hou Skyline 16 Royal
- Jayden Robinson OH Hou Skyline 16 Royal
- Blair Thiebaud S Hou Skyline 16 Royal
- Lacy Tinnell MB Hou Skyline 16 Royal
- Anna Flores S/RS TAV 16 Black
- Julianna Hernandez L/DS TAV 16 Black
- Caroline Huseman OH TAV 16 Black
- Kylie Kleckner OH TAV 16 Black
- Sarah Hickman RS HJV 16 Elite
- Madeline Kraft L/DS Northern Lights 16-1
- Margaret Czajka MB/RS MKE Sting 16 Gold
- Marlee Sivak OH MKE Sting 16 Gold
- Eva Swenson S/RS MN Select 16-1
Outlook: It’s a little surprising to see that no qualified teams are in attendance. That’s a big deal as it eliminates any hope of trickle down and forces teams to finish in the top three to secure a bid. With 24 teams in the field, it’s the bare-minimum in order to make three bids available. One thing that stands out to me is the apparent separation in the division between teams like TAV and Hou Skyline and the rest of the field. TAV and Hou Skyline are going to be heavy favorites this weekend, not only when it comes to qualifying but winning it all. After that though, it is anyone’s game, or so it appears. Qualifiers aren’t usually as cut-and-dry as they appear on paper and upsets along the way shake up seedings and force results earlier than expected. Still, it’s a great opportunity for at least one of the other ranked teams, or even someone unexpected, to grab a bid where it might not be able to elsewhere.
Prediction: I’m not going with any out-of-the-box picks here. I think Hou Skyline tops TAV in the championship match with both qualifying in the process. The final bid is where all the drama is going to take place. In a bit of a surprise, I’m taking Vital to beat MKE Sting in the third-place match for the final qualifying spot.
*****
14 OPEN
Number of Teams: 16
Number of Bids: 2
Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a
Vballrecruiter Nationally-Ranked Teams (9):
- 4. TAV 14 Black TX
- 7. Hou Skyline 14 Royal TX
- 19. Premier Nebraska 14 Gold NE
- 21. OT 14 O Alex FL
- 27. TAV Houston 14 Adidas TX
- 36. Excel 14 National Red TX
- 41. Northern Lights 14-1 MN
- 42. Kairos 14 Alpha SD
- 46. MKE Sting 14 Gold WI
5-Star Players to Know:
- Sarah Floyd RS TAV 14 Black
4-Star Players to Know:
- Caitlin Carrizales L/DS TAV 14 Black
3-Star Players to Know:
- Tegan Loechler RS MKE Sting 14 Gold
- Olivia Kelley OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas
- Cooper Binderup OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas
- Brynn Lagasse OH TAV Houston 14 Adidas
- Ava Lazar OH OT 14 Alex
- Elianiz Rodriguez OH OT 14 Alex
- Addison Musgrove S/RS Hou Skyline 14 Royal
- Jada Skinner OH Hou Skyline 14 Royal
- Hailey Tinnell MB Hou Skyline 14 Royal
- Peyton Barnes OH Hou Skyline 14 Royal
- Hana Penberthy S Hou Skyline 14 Royal
- Norah Hicks MB TAV 14 Black
- Olivia Permenter OH TAV 14 Black (2027)
- Katie Wawersich MB TAV 14 Black
- Evann Beville S TAV 14 Black
- Abigail Bond MB TAV 14 Black
- Trinity Johnson OH TAV 14 Black
- Madison Kutch L/DS TAV 14 Black
- Sadie Lovato S Excel 14 National Red
- Stella Sanford S Excel 14 National Red
- Ella Zieske OH Northern Lights 14-1
Outlook: The 14 Open division this weekend in Minneapolis is an interesting one. For starters, it’s a smaller field with just 16 teams. That means just two bids are going to be handed out and one will go into the at-large pool to be handed out after qualifying season ends. With it, however, is the fact that nine of the 16 clubs are ranked in our Top 50. So it’s a smaller field but one with relative depth to it. Another factor in play is that there are no teams with bids already, so the only way to qualify is simple. Teams have to reach the championship match to grab one. TAV was in contention at Triple Crown and will have a target on its back this weekend. TAV is a top contender. Hou Skyline has been competitive all season and is another contender as well. It’ll take some upsets and surprises for anyone else to breakthrough. At this age group, there’s a likelihood that will happen because of the unpredictability of the division.
Prediction: Like 16 Open, I’m going with TAV to hold its seed and win out. The question is which squad faces TAV in the final? I’m going with another surprise, with TAV topping OT Alex in the final as both earn bids.
