USAV Nationals Spotlight: Premier Nebraska 15 Gold
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It’s here: USAV Nationals. Las Vegas is the host for this year’s national championship put on by USA Volleyball. The event’s large, talent-rich field has us feeling like the old days of bustling club tournaments have returned. One other thing…
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Continue ReadingIt’s here: USAV Nationals.
Las Vegas is the host for this year’s national championship put on by USA Volleyball. The event’s large, talent-rich field has us feeling like the old days of bustling club tournaments have returned.
One other thing has returned, too: Premier is looking like a championship threat again. Indeed, Premier Nebraska won the GJNC 18 Open title this April with a roster that was hastily pieced together at several key positions. Now, it’s the 15s who are already looking like a title contender in Sin City.
After the opening day of the 15s wave came to a close, I decided it would be appropriate to give 15 Gold its deserved credit. This team will surely be one to watch in this division for the next few days. So, I wanted to focus on some storylines and key talent to look for as this squad hunts for gold.
Opening Day Success
Let’s dive a little bit deeper into that initial wave of pool play I mentioned earlier.
15 Gold’s GJNC journey began Sunday morning with a matchup against TX Performance. Premier impressed right out of the gate. A comfortable victory quickly gave 15 Gold some positive momentum heading into the morning’s next battle.
And, yes, it was a battle. Premier’s second match of the day was against Lions, and it proved to be quite a test for this skilled 15 Gold squad. After Premier claimed the opening set 25-21, Lions clawed right back to win the second 25-15. 15 Gold was unfazed, however, and took a narrow 15-13 win in set three to move to 2-0 on the tournament.
Premier continued to find its stride and defeated Flyers to wrap up a 3-0 record in Sunday’s action. 15 Gold faces Alamo and WAVE Monday morning to finish play in this pool.
Rising Talent Leads the Way
There were plenty of players who came up big en route to this 3-0 start.
Lauren Medeck Lauren Medeck 5'10" | OH Papillion-La Vista South | 2024 State #31 Nation NE is as terminal as ever. Of course, she was one of the late additions to the aforementioned 18 Gold team that charged to the title in Columbus. Now she’s back to her native age group and tearing it up on a national stage again.
This team can attribute a lot of its success to a tandem of Laurens on the outside, actually. Lauren Jones Lauren Jones 5'9" | OH Millard West | 2024 State NE had some clutch moments in the front row that elevated her team to some of those close set victories. That’s a quality you want in your left sides.
You can also see Reagan Hickey Reagan Hickey 5'8" | S Papillion-La Vista | 2024 State NE gaining confidence as her team gets more in-game reps. Hickey has never been one to shy away from big roles early in her prep career, and she has naturally taken the reins of this offense. This talented setter continues to work tempos into the 15 Gold attack, and that makes this team even more formidable moving forward.
It also helps that Hickey has such a complete corps of hitters around her. Aside from the Laurens, Josie Cleveringa Josie Cleveringa 5'10" | OH North Bend Central | 2024 State NE and Mia Tvrdy Mia Tvrdy 6'0" | MB Papillion-La Vista | 2024 State #35 Nation NE are still on a tear that probably started at the very beginning of this club season. They’re both so lethal behind the setter, and they do a great job of spreading out opposing blocks even when they’re not getting the set. That’s a tough thing to stop.
We’ll likely have a lot more on this 15 Gold team in the coming days. Their run is just getting started.