There are two main things I typically watch for on the opening day of qualifiers. One is upsets. Two is how those upsets impact the next day’s pairings. The biggest shake up on the first day of Show Me in Kansas City came in 17 Open.
The largest came with No. 4 overall seed Adrenaline 17 Ben, which entered ranked No. 25 in the nation in our Top 50 Rankings. However, Adrenaline lost to both unranked Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite and Premier Nebraska 17 Gold and finished 2-1. Instead, both those clubs advanced and remain in contention.
Adrenaline was not the only ranked club to get knocked out on Day 1. Both No. 42 Academy 17 Tsunami and No. 48 KC Power 17 Black didn’t move on either from their respective pools. Meanwhile, the top three seeds, as well as our four highest-ranked clubs in Hou Skyline 17 Royal, Mich Elite 17 Mizuno, Dynasty 17 Black, plus Northern Lights 17-1, all went 3-0 without dropping a set.
Something to watch for on Day 2 comes out of Pool 1, where previously-qualified Hou Skyline is matched with both No. 37 Austin Skyline 17 Royal and No. 47 HPSTL 17 Royal. It figures to be a tough day for Austin Skyline or HPSTL as it’s unlikely both will advance.
The only other qualified team in the field in No. 30 MAVS KC 17-1 is the No. 2 team in Pool 3 with Dynasty. That pool also includes Front Range 17 Black and Premier Nebraska. So one of those two teams is going to need to spring an upset to remain in the hunt.
The last ranked team we haven’t mentioned is No. 35 GP 17 Rox. GP lands in Pool 2 with Mich Elite, as well as PVA 17 Elite and MN Select17-1. I would have counted both Mich Elite and GP among the teams I expected to qualify this season in 17 Open, so we’ll see how it plays out with those squads on Day 2.
I found it slightly less chaotic in 16 Open. But there were still two big storylines to me. One came with HJV 16 Elite taking second in Pool 4. The Lone Star Region club came in with a bid and was ranked No. 24 in our latest Top 50. Yet, unranked Dynasty 16 Black scored the upset to win the pool.
What it really did was create a difficult Pool 5 for Day 2, that also features No. 34 Premier Nebraska 16 Gold and No. 23 Pohaku 16-1.
The other storyline was No. 36 TAV Houston 16 Adidas falling to both No. 41 OP2 16-1 Elite and unranked Ozark Juniors 16 Elite and being eliminated. I actually predicted TAV Houston coming through and earning the final bid here this weekend, so their result Saturday definitely caught me off guard.
Another top seed being bumped from contention was No. 42 Kairos 16 Alpha. OT 16 Roberto, Temecula 16 Viper and Kairos all tied at 2-1, but Kairos took third in the tiebreakers.
As for 15 Open, Pool 1 was the one that intrigued me the most on Day 1. That’s because along with No. 4 Skyline 15 Royal, it featured No. 30 MN Select 15-1 and No. 35 PVA 15 Elite. While Skyline wen 3-0, PVA outlasted MN Select in three sets to advance. That left MN Select eliminated. Like I said in the preview, qualifiers take luck and that was an unlucky pool for the first day.
The biggest surprise, though, was unranked Paramount 15 Nick going 3-0 as the No. 3 team in Pool 4. Paramount upset No. 23 KC Power 15 Black, which managed to advance at 2-1. KC Power losing created a local-flavored Pool 2 for Day 2. Along with national No. 3 OT 15 Randy – which has its bid already – the pool contains Heart of America region clubs in PVA, KC Power and No. 41 Dynasty 15 Black. Given OT is in the pool, two of those other hopefuls are unlikely to advance. That’s a tough break as well.
Kairos 15 Alpha – at No. 34 – was knocked out. Kairos was in the same pool as Paramount and KC Power and went 1-2.
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DAY 1 SHOW STOPPERS
Molly Bokenkroger L/DS PVA 15 Elite: Bokenkroger is a energetic libero who brings a defensive edge to the lineup. She was passing nails and covering sharply at the net.
Presley Kreter MB PVA 15 Elite: Kreter is part of a strong 1-2 punch in the middle for PVA. She can get out on the slide and hammer balls with her big arm.
Evelyn Igbenebor MB PVA 15 Elite: Igbenebor is the other half defenses need to worry about. She has a fast swing and moves well. She can get up in a hurry and rip shots down past helpless defenders.
Elleora Utecht OH Northern Lights 15-1: A 3-star recruit, Utecht is a smart hitter who can frustrate defenses with her scoring prowess. She has a solid arm and knows how to beat defenses.
Kaelyn Bjorklund S/RS Northern Lights 15-1: Bjorklund – a 4-star recruit – plays an integral role setting and hitting. She’s strong at both, locating her sets consistently. She can also bring it on offense with a powerful arm.
Peyton Kubik OH Dynasty 15 Black: Kubik – a 5-star recruit – is a lanky outside with a scoring touch. She has a fluid swing and can rocket winners when the chance arises.
Bo Bronson OH KC Power 15 Black: A 3-star recruit, Bronson is a springy outside who elevates quickly. Combined with a big arm, she can light it up in a hurry.
Anniston Clark MB KC Power 15 Black: Clark was coming through and providing key offense. She has a heavy arm and was booming shots.
Taylor Harrington MB Paramount 15 Nick: Harrington – a 3-star recruit – has huge upside with her length and reach across the front row. She not only puts up a big block, she’s a legit scoring option who can score over the top of the block.
Erin Cramer MB Premier Nebraska 15 Gold: Cramer is another middle who was giving her team a lift on both sides of the ball. She was blocking for points as well as finding holes in the defense and recording kills.
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Ailanni Sellers S OT 15 Will: Sellers – a 3-star recruit – does well moving the ball around. She showed a nice touch and ability to connect with all her hitters.
Josalyn Samuels S Kairos 15 Alpha: Samuels – a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2028 – is a silky-smooth setter with all the tools to excel at the next level. She has soft hands and is deceptive in terms of where she’s going with the ball.
Ruthie Robinson MB Kairos 15 Alpha: Robinson is a handful to deal with out of the middle. She has a lively arm and can let loose in providing an offensive punch to the front row.
Kacie Schulte RS MN Select 15-1: Schulte – a 3-star recruit – is a mega-contributor. She’s a six-rotation right side who passes out of serve receive. She also is a backrow threat with a solid arm which provides its share of offensive production.
Olivia Branum S OP2 16-1 Elite: A 3-star recruit, Branum gets the job done. She runs a diverse offense, getting her hitters involved and moving the ball around with ease.
Skylar Brady OH OP2 16-1 Elite: Brady – also a 3-star recruit – brings it on the outside. She has a strong arm and can crush thundering winners at times.
Piper Batie S/RS Ozark Juniors 16 Elite: Batie is a fun setter to watch. She has a soft touch and sets a clean ball consistently. She also hits across the front row showing her versatility.
Milan Sayles MB No Name 16 Kevin: Sayles brings length to the front row. Lots of it. She puts up a massive block and is tough to navigate around.
Kaia Ciszewski OH Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar: Ciszewski is a bit undersize on the pit. However, she is a fierce attacker who takes big, aggressive cuts and doesn’t back down.
Reese Stringer S Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar: Stringer is an orchestrator who brings leadership to the court. She stays steady and delivers consistently.
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Madilynn Benne L/DS MAVS 816 16-1: Benne was among the standout defenders. She was passing dimes out of serve receive. She also plays under control and knows how to keep her side in rallies.
Leah Robinson OH MAVS 816 16-1: A 3-star recruit, Robinson is a force an offense. She shoulders a big role in the attack and for good reason. She’s a reliable scorer with a sound arm.
Miranda Como L/DS Pohaku 16-1: Como is a quick defender who covers ground quickly. She always seemed to be positioned to make the necessary play.
Ellery DeBoer S MN Select 16-1: DeBoer did a nice job running a 5-1. She locates well. She also showed a clean touch and release.
Allie Davison S/RS Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Davison – a 3-star recruit – is part of a combo that allows Mich Elite plenty of flexibility and versatility. She’s a two-way contributor who can make a mark both setting and hitting.
Emma Keeping S/RS Mich Elite 16 Mizuno: Keeping also can set and hit and adds to the varying lineups Mich Elite can run.
Taylor Stanley RS Dynasty 16 Black: Stanley – a 4-star recruit – is a six-rotation outside who adds a punch to the offense. She’s long, can extend high and hit over blocks.
Rayna Christianson S/RS Northern Lights 16-1: Christianson – a 5-star recruit – is a big-time prospect. She’s a smooth setter with a great touch and ability to put her hitters in winnable situations. She’s also a heady attacker who knows how to exploit defenses.
Sydney Maue RS Adrenaline 17 Ben: An Arkansas commit, Maue is an explosive attacker with a fast arm. She can absolutely unload in a flurry and drill shots from sideline to sideline.
Kate Shafer S Adrenaline 17 Ben: Shafer was doing her thing, directing the offense and bringing steadiness to the floor. She dishes well, putting the ball in the window consistenly.
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Taylor Cripe OH Boiler Jrs 17 Gold: Cripe – a 3-star Central Michigan commit – is a legit scoring option. She has a heavy arm and can power balls down, through or off blocks.
McKenna Garr L/DS Northern Lights 17-1: A 3-star Minnesota commit, Garr is a fearless defender who holds up against the biggest of hitters. She’s a sharp passer and reads and reacts well.
