Northern Lights 18 Open Kansas Preview
The second bid opportunity is upon us with the annual Northern Lights Qualifier taking place again in Omaha, Nebraska this weekend! The good news, is there are a few teams heading up I-29 with bids in hand after a successful…
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Continue ReadingThe second bid opportunity is upon us with the annual Northern Lights Qualifier taking place again in Omaha, Nebraska this weekend! The good news, is there are a few teams heading up I-29 with bids in hand after a successful MLK tournament a couple of weekends ago. That creates a strong possibility for some trickle-down action for other local team teams. Here are the Kansas-based teams looking to have a strong weekend.
Dynasty 18 Black enters as the top seed after running the table to grab an early-season bid at MLK in Kansas City. They played stronger all the way around and hope to build on that momentum this weekend. Setter Addison Beagle did a good job of spreading the ball around to the middles and pins. Gracey Janes Gracey Janes 5'8" | DS/L DeSoto | 2022 State KS and Vivian Kieffer Vivian Kieffer 5'6" | DS/L Shawnee Mission Northwest | 2022 State KS hold down the backcourt defensively.
PVA 18 Elite had a second-place finish in Kansas City, losing to local foe Dynasty along the way. They, like Dynasty , have some new faces and will continue to gel as the season continues. Ava Martin Ava Martin 5'10" | S Bishop Miege | 2024 State #77 Nation KS travels to her future home state to lead the team. McKenzie Moburg McKenzie Moburg 5'6" | DS/L Lansing | 2022 State KS is lights out defensively, look for the UMKC commit to be all over the court.
Pohaku 18-1 had a strong showing a couple of weeks ago and has the pieces in place to make a strong run to the gold pools. Kalia Morris is back for her second year on the 18s team after a strong career at Staley on the Missouri side. The team grabbed a couple of key pick-ups with the arms of Brooke Leiker Brooke Leiker 6'0" | OH Blue Valley West | 2022 State KS and Kate Brown, both all-state players for their respective schools and states.
KC Power 18-1 had what they may consider a disappointing weekend a couple of weeks back going 4-5 and finishing 7th. They will look to rebound behind the arm of Auburn-bound Isabel Zimmerman and the middle play of Kansas 5A player of the year Olivia Mae Van Der Werff Olivia Mae Van Der Werff 6'0" | OH Lansing | 2022 State KS .
Dynasty Academy 18 Adidas grabbed an open bid a year ago in 17s and hope to do it again this weekend. They were 4-4 at MLK and have some favorable matchups in pool 5. They have a strong setter in Caitlin Bishop Caitlin Bishop 5'8" | S Lansing | 2022 State KS , who will look to feed Madi Corf along the way on the pin.
We doubted all the Kansas teams a week ago. We don’t do that again. We think Dynasty and PVA both double qualify after another stellar weekend. We think Pohaku makes a play for a bid via trickle-down.