April Qualifier Look Back For 16s: Missouri and Kansas Edition
The busy qualifying month for the 16s is a wrap with many teams across the state lines battling it out to earn that goal of competing this summer in Indianapolis. Let’s jump around the country and see how the teams…
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Continue ReadingThe busy qualifying month for the 16s is a wrap with many teams across the state lines battling it out to earn that goal of competing this summer in Indianapolis. Let’s jump around the country and see how the teams fared and if bids were earned or upgraded.
Show Me
In the Open Division, Both Dynasty 16 Black and KC Power 16-1 went in already owning bids in the top division but multi qualified again with a 3rd and 5th place finish when adding in trickle downs. Dynasty went 8-1, dropping a three-set match in gold pools. Carlie Cisneros Carlie Cisneros 6'0" | OH Liberty North | 2024 State #7 Nation MO and Reese Messer Reese Messer 5'11" | S St. James | 2025 State #6 Nation KS continue to help pace this team. Power went 7-2 themselves for a solid weekend. They were perfect through seven before falling to Circle City and Premier Nebraska. Rachel Van Gorp Rachel Van Gorp 5'9" | OH Heritage Christian | 2024 State #94 Nation KS and Jillian Huckabey Jillian Huckabey 6'0" | OH Olathe Northwest | 2024 State #74 Nation KS continue to play well. HPSTL 16 Royal just missed the trickle-down with a 7th place finish.
Mizuno Club North 16-1 had a good run in the USA division, finishing in 4th place. They had a 6-4 record over the course of the weekend. Lauren Jacobs and company scrapped out 12 set wins over the tournament. Two bids came out of the Liberty Division during the weekend. Missouri Juniors 16-M won top prize going 8-1. They lost their first match of the tournament and didn’t lose again. Autumn Bax Autumn Bax 5'11" | RS Blair Oaks | 2024 State #188 Nation MO and Bailey Braun Bailey Braun 5'10" | OH Blair Oaks | 2024 State MO are shining this spring. The runner-up squad was Invasion 16 Black out of Kansas City. They fought for a 7-2 record through the tournament.
Finally, in the American Division, no teams earned the bid but Kansas Networks Volleyball Club 16 Shazam out of central Kansas had a third-place showing.
Lone Star
Not much action in the Open Division from our region but Shockwave VBC 16 Sean made the trip to Texas and finished 17th. Hope Duncan Hope Duncan 5'8" | DS/L Smoky Valley | 2024 State KS and crew went 3-4. We highlighted Missouri Juniors in our Show Me blurb and their success in earning a Liberty bid. They took their play south in hopes of upgrading to the USA party. They gave it their all and fell a tad short, earning a 5th place finish. Their only loss came in bracket play.
Big South
Rockwood Thunder 16 Elite had quite a bit of success a season ago in tournament action, multi-qualifying over the course of the season. Things haven’t been as smooth in 2022 but they buckled down when it mattered to grab one of the three bids available in the Open Division at Big South. They went 4-5, good for a 7th place finish but with 5 times ahead of them already owning bids, they got the last one. Olivia Hasbrook Olivia Hasbrook 5'9" | DS/L Eureka | 2024 State #56 Nation MO continues to display her defensive ability.
Like their counterparts, Rockwood Thunder 16 Navy grabbed a bid in the USA Division after a second-place finish. An undefeated day 1 and 2-1 second day kept them in contention. On the final day, a third-set win over TVC 16 Black put them in a position to lock up a bid. Emma Hoing, Aaliyah Elliott, and Claire Fulton Claire Fulton 5'11" | S Visitation Academy | 2024 State MO are a few of the contributors on this roster.
Windy City
Chicago saw two teams, one Missouri and one Kansas walk away with Liberty bids after slugging it out in the final match. Dynasty 16 Gray walked away top dog, followed by HPSTL 16 Orange. Both teams went 8-1 over the tournament with matching 17-5 set records. Invasion 16 Blue had a decent showing in the American bracket making it to the Gold Bracket, settling for a 5th place finish.
We are still putting all of our money on Black come July…that is Dynasty 16 Black after another dominating showing to win the 16 Open Division. They dropped one set along the way. There aren’t many opposites in the country in the 16u game as good as Abigail Mullen Abigail Mullen 6'3" | RS Liberty | 2025 State #3 Nation MO , and she plays up.