It’s Been A Minute…So Let’s Play Catch Up
It’s been a minute! But I am excited to get back to some volleyball. As I shared on social media, April and May are the busiest time of the year for me with my job that pays the bills! Add…
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Continue ReadingIt’s been a minute! But I am excited to get back to some volleyball. As I shared on social media, April and May are the busiest time of the year for me with my job that pays the bills! Add in track season for my children and high school graduations it’s been tough to focus on volleyball. We are grateful for a couple of scouts who spotlighted some Missouri/Kansas players in their recaps! Oh yeah, starting next month I will be spending more time covering the Kansas players and teams! So look for some things from us on the Kansas page starting in June. On deck this weekend is the Triple Crown NIT taking place in Kansas City. Due to Missouri State Track and Field Championships and more graduation parties, I won’t be in attendance but will be tracking social media since these games won’t be on BallerTV. Anyway, today I want to spotlight the teams who have qualified in the Heart of America Region for nationals later this summer.
15s
Two of the top 15u teams in America are qualified in the Open Division in KC Power 15-1 and Dynasty 15 Black. Dynasty has triple qualified and has a tremendous run the last month and a half. Both of these teams have the ability to compete for a national title. The Nationals bids both sit Lenexa, KS with the Mavs KC organization. The 15-1 and 15-2 teams earned the two HOA bids that come from their Power League play. Two teams earned bids in the USA Division at National Qualifiers this spring. Dynasty 15 Blue punched their ticket at the Mideast Qualifier. Shockwave Volleyball 15-1 traveled up I-35 from Wichita to Kansas City to clinch a bid at Show Me in April. In regional play, Mizuno Club North 15-1 and Apex Volleyball 15-1 walked away with the HOA allocated American bids. Rounding out the 15s are Summit Volleyball 15-1 and Missouri Juniors 15-1. Both teams went what we like to call one of the tougher routes, winning the 1 sole bid at a qualifier in the American division. Like Dynasty 15 Blue, Summit did their work at the Mideast Qualifier. Missouri Juniors was successful at Northern Lights last month!
16s
What many consider the Big 3 in the region, KC Power 16-1, Mavs KC 16-1, and Dynasty 16 Black all head to Las Vegas with Open bids. Power did it first at MEQ. Mavs KC followed with a battle-tested Windy City Qualifier. Dynasty not to be outdone took care of business at Northern Lights. Two other teams capable of playing in the Open division should be strong contenders to capture a national title in the National division in Mavs 816 16-1 and PVA 16 Elite. Both teams played tough during the qualifier season. Dynasty 16 Blue was able to snatch up one of the three USA bids at Colorado Crossroads. After a tough regional tournament, 417 Juniors 16-1 and Invasion 16 Black emerged as the one and two teams left standing to sign off on the region’s American bids. PVA 16 National went to Colorado Crossroads and came back to Kansas with an American bid.
17s
Dynasty Academy 17-1 holds the lone open bid from the HOA region captured at Show Me last month. Many of their players are multi-sport athletes so keep an eye on this team as many of their spring sports are coming to an end. The National bids from Power League went to two dangerous teams capable of making a deep run at nationals in PVA 17 Elite and Dynasty 17 Black. Mavs KC 17-1 went down to Texas and came back with a USA bid in April. I applaud this team and their coaches for making the adjustment to compete in USA after starting the season in the Open. A very strong Dynasty 17 Blue team won regionals to grab the first American bid and is a favorite in my book to win it all. Mavs 816 17-1 played strong volleyball in March to get the second bid. Rounding out the bids is Mizuno Club North 17-1. They started their season in Northern Lights grabbing the bid to kick off the season.
We will do deep dives into these teams leading up to Nationals next month!