Standouts and Storylines from Midwest Power League #1
What a debut for the Midwest Power League! There are a lot of players and trends to cover after an exciting day of competition at the UBT Sports Complex. Let’s get it started. Strength of the 2022 Class on…
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Continue ReadingWhat a debut for the Midwest Power League!
There are a lot of players and trends to cover after an exciting day of competition at the UBT Sports Complex. Let’s get it started.
Strength of the 2022 Class on Display
This event had no shortage of strong 18s teams. These squads were full of athletes that have given us some outstanding volleyball over the last several years, and that excellence continued on Sunday.
Nebraska Juniors 18 Black really stood out, and their roster is kind of a “who’s who” in the Nebraska prep volleyball landscape. Madilyn Siebler Madilyn Siebler 6'0" | OH Omaha Westside | 2022 State NE consistently teed off from the left pin and played a very influential role in the backcourt. 18 Black can get really big at the net, too, with Brenna Schmidt Brenna Schmidt 6'4" | MB Elmwood-Murdock | 2022 State NE , Ital Lupuyo, and Katelynn Oxley Katelynn Oxley 6'3" | MB Lincoln Lutheran | 2022 State NE leading the attack throughout the day. I’m really excited to see more from this team.
Super impressed with the physicality from Nebraska Juniors today. This 18 Black team is legit. pic.twitter.com/55566MBn75
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) January 23, 2022
Club Ignit Select 18 Blue has a similarly stacked roster on the Iowa side. I got to see Ava Reynolds Ava Reynolds 5'11" | OH Ankeny | 2022 State #155 Nation IA take over matches from the left side, and Carly Puffer Carly Puffer 6'0" | MB Wilton | 2022 State IA was particularly impressive in the middle. Keep following 18 Blue as they improve ahead of Nationals.
Sunday was another productive day for VCNebraska 18 Elite. Hannah Allick Hannah Allick 5'6" | S Waverly | 2022 State NE continues to run that offense with such poise and finesse, while Karsen VanScoy Karsen VanScoy 5'4" | DS/L Waverly | 2022 State NE is as steady as ever in the libero spot. Kali Jurgensmeier Kali Jurgensmeier 6'1" | MB Bishop Neumann | 2022 State NE and Maddie Lewis were two vital leaders on the pins.
Leaders are also plentiful for Nebraska Elite 18 Omega. Bailey Helzer Bailey Helzer 5'11" | OH Oakland-Craig | 2022 State NE had a massive outing on the left side, and Meg Raabe Meg Raabe 6'0" | RS Marian | 2022 State NE joined the party with some big swings on the right. This firepower is the path to victory for 18 Omega.
Show-Stopping 17s
On to the 2023s!
I was really drawn to the energy and skill shown by Premier 17 Black. Ball control was a constant bright spot for this team, as Kaelyn Andersen and Anna Weberg both got the chance to excel in the libero jersey. Caitlin McCormack Caitlin McCormack 5'8" | OH Millard North | 2023 State NE was equally impactful in serve receive while also taking some nice swings on the outside. Of course, it’s also worth repeating how well Skylar Walters Skylar Walters 5'9" | S Millard West | 2023 State NE is able to distribute the ball with pace and precise location. She just keeps getting it done.
Big win and celebration from Premier 17 Black! pic.twitter.com/1yE9JbbP5P
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) January 23, 2022
Nebraska Elite 17 Vici lived up to the hype on Sunday. Much of their dominance came courtesy of the South Dakota-bound duo of Samantha Laird Samantha Laird 6'0" | OH Omaha Westside | 2023 State #171 Nation NE and Amanda Loschen Amanda Loschen 6'2" | MB Omaha Marian | 2023 State NE — something that will surely make for some happy Coyotes.
Unsurprisingly, Premier Nebraska 17 Gold is still looking sharp. Their big moments at the Power League came from their block, and middle blocker Kailey Hrbek Kailey Hrbek 6'2" | MB Elkhorn North | 2023 State NE is always a major player in that phase of the game.
16s on the Rise
It was impossible to ignore the great volleyball happening among the 16s teams at the UBT Sports Complex. These courts had some future (and current) stars.
Positive momentum just keeps piling up for Nebraska Elite 16 Lokahi. I was struck by the versatility of Alizabeth Jacobsen Alizabeth Jacobsen 6'3" | MB Underwood | 2024 State IA , who slots into the M1 position but can take some huge sideout swings from the left antenna. Speaking of that left antenna, Carly Ries just keeps dominating on the pin.
If there’s a team in this group that emphatically proved its contender status, it’s Club Ignit Select 16 Blue. This group soared to a first-place finish in their pool and has a lot of Iowa’s best rising talent. Kenzie Dean Kenzie Dean 6'3" | OH Dowling Catholic | 2024 State #145 Nation IA is developing some great six-rotation skills, and Brittany Bacorn Brittany Bacorn 5'10" | S Knoxville | 2024 State IA is a stout signal-caller at setter.
VCNebraska 16 Elite obviously belongs in this discussion, too. Tia Traudt Tia Traudt 6'0" | OH Grand Island | 2025 State NE , a 2025 outside hitter, continues to attack at a level far beyond her years. This roster is also built around some of Nebraska’s best 2024s, so I look forward to seeing more from them in the months to come.