VCN 15 Elite Achieves Perfection in AAU Championship Run
What a week for VCNebraska 15 Elite. Personally, I started my week by writing up a pre-Nationals breakdown of this team. Perhaps that was based on some premonition that this squad had a fair bit of success ahead of it…
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Continue ReadingWhat a week for VCNebraska 15 Elite.
Personally, I started my week by writing up a pre-Nationals breakdown of this team. Perhaps that was based on some premonition that this squad had a fair bit of success ahead of it in Orlando.
Okay, I won’t take any of the credit. In any case, VCN showed up at AAUs and quickly signaled that they planned to take over 15 Open. This team reached a new level in one of the biggest events of the season. The results were extraordinary.
So, here’s a look at VCN’s championship Friday. Of course, we’ll also be giving credit to the players who elevated their game when it mattered most.
The Championship Bracket
I went deeper into VCN’s pool play run in some previous AAU recaps, but if you hadn’t heard, this 15 Elite team plowed through three days of group competition without a single defeat.
Now, there were some intense three-set matches mixed in throughout the week, but 15 Elite always came in clutch at the end. They defeated Bonneville after an 18-16 third set and later toppled Mizuno Northern Lights by a third set score of 19-17. Time after time, 15 Elite thrived in tight contests.
The battle-tested VCN squad surely looked forward to Friday’s challenge in the championship bracket. Upon receiving a first-round bye, 15 Elite was slated to begin its gold medal run against OVA. Two more narrow set victories over the Florida team quickly thrust VCN into the semifinals.
Another team from the South was next on the schedule. A5 saw plenty of success across multiple age groups in Orlando, and now they were set to face VCN in 15 Open. True to form for VCN, the match was another three-set battle. Again, though, 15 Elite prevailed.
The 15 Open championship match was a rematch of first-round pools. VCN had defeated K2 Adidas in three sets to wrap up competition on Tuesday. Now, they’d meet again for the trophy.
VCN pounced first with a 25-19 victory to lead the championship match. Then, in the spirit of VCN’s journey to the title, they took a narrow 28-26 win to secure the win.
Key Players
Now that I’ve set up VCN’s journey to glory, let’s revisit some of the big talents that helped make it happen. Of course, we’ve already taken a tour of this roster in my preview earlier this week. However, many of these players saved their best stuff for the big stage at Nationals.
One such player is Malayah Long Malayah Long 6'0" | S Lincoln Southwest | 2024 State #142 Nation NE . In addition to putting up consistent, smooth sets for her teammates to attack, Long is also a stout right-side blocker. She frequently stuffed balls in tandem with Abbie Appleget, another long middle blocker who dominated at the net for this team. It’s an intimidating lineup, especially in 15s.
Macy Roth Macy Roth 5'10" | OH Lincoln North Star | 2024 State NE lived up to the billing, too. She’s the out-of-system outlet for 15 Elite and can always be relied upon to take a tough swing. The same can be said of Tia Traudt, an incredibly athletic 2025 who we’ll surely be watching for a long time.
Then there’s Mallorie Meyer. This libero was all over the court defensively. She was picking up line, crosscourt, and diving to pancake a ball in the campfire. Meyer is so comfortable moving her platform to place the ball perfectly toward her setter. That’s the kind of player you want on your team.
It was exciting to see VCN march toward the 15 Open title, and it’s likely a sign of more titles to come. This group is only just getting started.