Champions and Bids at Show Me Qualifier: 15 Open

One more Open division to recap from the Show Me Qualifier! Check out our summaries of <a href="https://prepdig.com/2022/04/champions-and-bids-at-show-me-qualifier-17-open/">17 Open</a> and <a href="https://prepdig.com/2022/04/champions-and-bids-at-show-me-qualifier-16-open/">16 Open</a> if you haven't already. There was plenty of action to cover in those two groups. Now, though, we're finishing our look at Show Me champions and bid winners with 15 Open, a group that gave us a big medley of surprises and incredible storylines. Let's break it down.   Championship Monday Gold Pool 1 of 15 Open had a ton of big-name firepower with Dynasty 15 Black, MAVS KC 15-1, Northern Lights 15-1, and Circle City 15 Purple making up this group. With Dynasty and Circle City coming into this event having already secured bids at MEQ, every matchup would be pivotal. The first match pitted Dynasty against Northern Lights, and the Kansas City squad defended its home territory with an iron grip. Dynasty picked up a quick 2-0 win to continue what was an undefeated weekend up to that point. MAVS KC and Circle City were next in the spotlight. This is where we started to get some of the three-set drama that seemed to permeate every Open division at Show Me. Circle City picked up a hard-fought three-set win over MAVS KC before Dynasty returned the favor and added a three-set win over Circle City. Now at 2-0, Dynasty looked poised for a "double qualification" for Nationals. The logjam behind Dynasty set up for a huge set of matches as Monday progressed. Northern Lights met MAVS KC next, and the trend of tiebreaker thrillers continued. Eventually, Northern Lights prevailed in three and gained some all-important positioning heading into a matchup with Circle City. In that match, though, Circle City proved why it was already a national qualifier and picked up a 2-0 sweep. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Another clutch third set for <a href="https://x.com/nlightsvball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nlightsvball</a> 15-1! The upcoming contest with Circle City will be a big one. <a href="https://t.co/rNdh8zBLVe">pic.x.com/rNdh8zBLVe</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1513569744963751941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   The pool finale was a bit of a surprise, as MAVS KC picked up a narrow sweep over Dynasty. Tiebreakers still favored Dynasty after the loss, though, and 15 Black was set to participate in another Open championship match. So, let's get into that other pool. HPSTL 15 Royal, MiElite 15 Mizuno, Nebraska ONE 15 Synergy, and Nebraska Elite 15 Matrix made up this one. Like Pool 1, this second group kicked off with a three-set battle. Nebraska ONE 15 Synergy rebounded from an opening-set loss, took the second set in deuce fashion, and pulled away in the third set to defeat HPSTL 15 Royal. Another Nebraska team would find success afterward, as Nebraska Elite 15 Matrix took a big step forward with a sweep over MiElite. Margins were narrow once again as Nebraska Elite faced HPSTL. Being on the court for back-to-back matches didn't stop Nebraska Elite from emerging victorious in a three-set grind. Suddenly, at 2-0, 15 Matrix was likely on the cusp of a bid. Of course, the day wouldn't be complete without a Nebraska battle featuring 2-0 Gold pool teams. It was a spirited match that, of course, brought a lot of pride to my Nebraska roots. Nebraska ONE 15 Synergy pulled through in the end and took an unblemished record to the 15 Open championship. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Ah, perfect. Nebraska Elite 15 Matrix. Nebraska ONE 15 Synergy. Both teams 2-0 on the day. Winner to the 15 Open championship. <a href="https://t.co/vdNpLDPHbz">pic.x.com/vdNpLDPHbz</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1513573815019872257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   I mentioned that every pool match would be important, and HPSTL 15 Royal wrapped up the day with a sweep over MiElite to lock up third place in this group. More on that later. National qualifiers Dynasty and Nebraska ONE would conclude the day with a championship match featuring a lot of Midwestern power. Though, by the end of the match, you could feel that Nebraska ONE would not be denied. After finishing third at NLQ last month, 15 Synergy did a couple of spots better in Kansas City. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Wow, what a run!<a href="https://x.com/We_are_NEONE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@We_are_NEONE</a> 15 Synergy puts together an unbelievable weekend to claim the Show Me Qualifier 15 Open championship! <a href="https://t.co/dRnfTdje5N">pic.x.com/dRnfTdje5N</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1513613704922906639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   The Bids Let's get to that bid breakdown. I just mentioned that the championship match between Dynasty and Nebraska ONE featured two teams that already Nationals bids heading into Show Me. So, keep looking down those Gold pools. Nebraska Elite 15 Matrix's impressive second-place pool finish was more than enough to become a national qualifier. I'll have much more to say about the incredible journey this team had in KC. Across the way, though, second-place pool finisher Circle City could already claim a Nationals bid from MEQ. This means we must scan down to the third-place teams with two bids still available. Northern Lights 15-1 and HPSTL 15 Royal pick up the last two bids. It's a stark reminder that once we get down to Gold pools, every result matters!