Nebraska 18s Teams Taking on MLK Qualifier in Kansas City
This has always been a very unique characteristic of club season: the high-stakes matches and tournaments start right away. A talented group of 18s teams will be one of the first in the spotlight as Kansas City hosts a USAV…
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Continue ReadingThis has always been a very unique characteristic of club season: the high-stakes matches and tournaments start right away.
A talented group of 18s teams will be one of the first in the spotlight as Kansas City hosts a USAV National Qualifier during the upcoming holiday weekend. The pressure always seems to mount when there’s a bid on the line, and these teams will be tested early.
Luckily, these Nebraska teams have the talent to succeed in KC. Let’s take you through the 18s teams who will be making the trip.
18 Open
Premier Nebraska 18 Gold
Fittingly, the Cornhusker State will have more than one team fighting for an Open bid this weekend. For Premier 18 Gold, the Nationals journey begins in Kansas City after a chance to hone their skills at the Premier Showcase last weekend.
This is such a battle-tested group that will not be intimidated by the big stage this early in the season. I’ve previously done a club spotlight on this team, and it’s easy to see the talent stacked on this roster. Kansas City will be fun.
18 Gold opens play on Saturday morning with matches against UPVBC, Dynasty, and Northern Lights. The pool finishes the following day with PVA and Dynasty Academy.
VCNebraska 18 Elite
VCN will join Premier in the Open bid hunt this weekend. These clubs are in two different opening pools, so it will give us Nebraska viewers some nice variety for at least the first couple of days of action.
Here is the spotlight I wrote on 18 Elite. This is a team with a great mixture of lethal attackers and savvy ball control players. The journey for VCN begins with Shockwave, COAST, and VC United on opening day. KC Power and Pohaku await 18 Elite on Sunday.
18 USA
Nebraska ONE 18 Black
I got to see this 18 Black compete last weekend at the aforementioned Premier Showcase, and I left anxious to see what they could accomplish in this tournament.
My Premier Showcase recap mentioned that this is a group full of seasoned veterans who have dominated the Nebraska prep scene for a long time. They have a great shot to do it again on the club side this year, and Kansas City is a good starting point.
Saturday afternoon’s schedule has 18 Black facing off with UEPA, Ozark Juniors, and Iowa PowerPlex. Pool play will conclude with two more matchups featuring Fight Club and OP2.
Good to see Nebraska ONE in the Premier gym this morning.
Plenty of athletes on this 18s team who have just finished making a big impact on the high school side, including Brianna Lemke Brianna Lemke 6'0" | MB Mead | 2022 State NE and Raegan Holle Raegan Holle 5'5" | DS/L Lincoln Lutheran | 2022 State NE . pic.twitter.com/qWUhaFDJzG
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) January 9, 2022
Premier Nebraska 18 Black
This is definitely a team that I’ll be spotlighting in the near future. 18 Black’s performance this weekend might justify getting a spotlight out there soon, too!
18 Black is anchored by several players who are going to make an impact at all levels in the college game. From terminal attackers to precise passers, I’m looking to see a lot of balance and poise from this group over the weekend. Their test begins with OK Charge, Dynasty, and CIA before following up with Webfoot and Northern Lights.
VCNebraska 18 Black
18 Black’s previously published spotlight is here. I was excited to cover this team, too, because there’s a lot of standouts on this roster.
Chemistry will be another theme to watch with 18 Black. As I alluded to in the spotlight, there are a lot of high school teammates that will be joining forces to compete together at VCN. That cohesion might make a difference on the court, especially early in the season.
18 Black starts pool play with contests against OP2, TIV, and KC Fireball. Club Ignit Select and STATC await on Sunday.
18 Liberty
Banzai 18 Select
Lastly, we have another team that I got to see last weekend at the Premier Showcase.
Banzai has a great collection of versatile athletes, and that shows with this 18 Select team. Some players were able to play some unconventional positions at the showcase, and they succeeded in doing so. Look out for a spotlight on this team soon.
It all starts Saturday as 18 Select battles ARVC, Rise, and MAVS 816.
Nebraska Elite 18 Crossfire
Crossfire surely has to be a major contender in this division.
Once again, you can anticipate a spotlight on this team in the coming weeks. This roster has some serious under-the-radar scorers, some of whom will be moving up to play at the college level. For Crossfire, the contests begin with a tripleheader against TIV, Texas Heat, and ACA.