Live Eye from BRC 15 Open
The last weekend of the Badger Region Championships was in full swing with about 100 15s teams and all the boys’ divisions. It was a great tournament with some awesome competition. Here are some initial observations from the 15 Open…
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Continue ReadingThe last weekend of the Badger Region Championships was in full swing with about 100 15s teams and all the boys’ divisions. It was a great tournament with some awesome competition. Here are some initial observations from the 15 Open division of the Badger Region Championships.
The Setters were incredibly high level
Seriously. The first thing I said after watching one match was “wow, these setters are so talented.” They are quick and savvy on the court and some of them ran the court like pros. It was fun to watch the speed and strategy behind the setters. Billie Reiter Billie Reiter 5'11" | S Greendale | 2025 State WI and Jordan Czajkowski Jordan Czajkowski 5'11" | S DSHA | 2025 State WI (Sting Gold) play take their team to a whole new level. Madison Marx Madison Marx 5'7" | S Franklin | 2025 State WI (Sting Black) was impressive in every single match and was tough for opposing blockers to read. Greta Shadewald Greta Shadewald 5'11" | S Sauk Prairie | 2025 State WI from Madtown Juniors was a dynamic setter and key hitter in the front row. I was also very impressed with the consistency of MVP’s setters Delaney Eldridge Delaney Eldridge 5'6" | S Kettle Moraine | 2025 State WI and Sylvia Marlock Sylvia Marlock 5'8" | S Kettle Moraine | 2025 State WI .
Defense was on fire
Some of the defensive plays this weekend were amazing. There was never a guarantee that a ball was down on any side of the court. Alexis Gardner Alexis Gardner 5'7" | DS/L Mukwonago | 2025 State WI (MVP)was a standout all weekend. She read the court very well and made some truly incredible plays. Kati Berezowitz Kati Berezowitz 5'3" | DS/L Burlington | 2025 State WI (Sting Gold) was a leader on the court and has a high volleyball IQ and great court awareness. I was also impressed with Ashley Hutter Ashley Hutter 5'6" | DS/L Pewaukee | 2025 State WI (Sting Black), Isabella Pulvermacher Isabella Pulvermacher 5'3" | DS/L Arrowhead | 2025 State WI (Penguins), and Emma Groff (RVA).
The competition was fierce
So many matches this weekend went to three sets. Capital took four of their five matches to three and beat Motion who ended up third in the tournament. The Motion vs Sting black semifinal was a head-to-head battle from the very first point. It was a high-level match. Myla Unterweger Myla Unterweger 5'11" | OH Arrowhead | 2025 State WI was on fire offensively on Sting’s side and Motion was scrappy on defense. It was an awesome match. Matches were tight across the board in pool play and brackets.
The future is bright
The 15 Open division was impressive from start to finish. Athletes on every team have a ton of potential. It was great to see the development of some teams throughout the season. Capital and Midwest Penguins have made huge strides from the beginning of the season. Capital challenged every team they came up against this weekend. Penguins made it to the gold bracket after battling through some great matches on day one. Sting Gold and Sting Black were both playing at a high level with some top talent on their teams. RVA and Motion, who played for third place bring a lot of intensity to the court and should have an awesome end of the season.