Northern Lights 151 Topples Nebraska Impact Power Banzai for 15 Open Title

OMAHA – As it turns out, trying to topple Mizuno Northern Lights 151 for the 15 Open championship on Monday at the Nebraska Elite Asics President’s Day Classic was – literally – too big of an obstacle for Nebraska Impact Power 15 Banzai on Monday.

Northern Lights, which entered the tournament ranked #13 in the nation among 15s teams by PrepVolleyball.com and located in Minneapolis, used its obvious height advantage to take a 25-20, 25-20 win over Banzai in the championship match. Northern Lights has a roster with four players at 6-foot or taller and nobody on the team under 5-foot-9.

Banzai was the only Nebraska team to reach an Open division championship match in the tournament. To reach the final, Banzai started Monday with a 26-24, 25-12 win over All Iowa Attack 15 Red to secure a second-place finish in its pool and reach the four-team championship bracket.

In the semifinals, Banzai took a 25-18, 28-26 win over Nebraska Elite 15 Revolution to reach the championship.

Against Northern Lights in the finals, Banzai simply wasn’t able to find that “next gear” at the end of each set. In the first set, a kill from Taylor Skiles tied the score at 16-16. Kills by Northern Light’s McKenna Melville and Alyson Murphy put Banzai in an 18-16 hole, but a Northern Light’s hitting error made it 18-17. Northern Lights, however, then went on a 6-1 run to go up 24-18 when Banzai was called for two hits.

A kill by Sydney Morehouse and a two-hit violation on Northern Lights got Banzai within 24-20, but Murphy finished it off for Northern Lights with a kill.

It was similar in the second set, as Northern Lights got out to a 9-5 lead on another kill by Murphy. Banzai scrapped its way back to an 11-11 tie on a kill by Peyton Schendt, but then saw Northern Lights go on a 6-2 run to pull out to a 17-13 lead on a kill by Grace Persson.

Banzai, however, made a final push behind kills by Samantha McCabe and Skiles and tied the second set at 18-18 on a hitting error by Northern Lights. Banzai was unable to ever take the lead as Tara Lee had a pair of ace serves for Northern Lights in a 5-0 run that put the Minnesota team up 23-18. A kill and ace block from Morehouse cut the lead to 23-20, but a Banzai hitting error and an ace serve by Murphy gave Northern Lights the title.

A pair of Nebraska teams did win Club division titles in the younger age groups on Monday. In the 13 Club division, Premier 13 Black defeated KC Power 131 24-26, 25-21, 15-11 and in the 12 Club division, Nebraska ONE 12 Shockers defeated Nebraska Elite 12 Velocity 25-22, 25-22.

Mizuno Northern Lights 151 def. Nebraska Impact Power 15 Banzai 25-20, 25-20.

Northern Lights 151 (kills-blocks-ace serves) 

Kayla Bair 2-0-0, Madison Bremer 0-0-0, Ellie Koontz 9-0-0, Tara Lee 0-0-3, Caroline McGraw 0-0-0, McKenna Melville 2-0-1, Alyson Murphy 9-0-1, Grace Persson 4-2-0, Erica Slinde 0-0-0, Anne Wong 0-0-0.

Nebraska Impact Power 15 Banzai (kills-blocks-ace serves)

Claire Brobst 0-0-0, Sara Burger 0-0-0, Rebecca Langel 1-0-0, Samantha McCabe 2-0-0, Sydney Morehouse 4-1-0, Lindsey Muraskin 0-0-0, Eryn Reesman 0-0-0, Peyton Schendt 6-0-0, Taylor Skiles 5-0-0, Bryn Stansberry 0-0-0, Nami Surendranath 2-0-0.

Assists: Northern Lights 25 (Lee 13, Slinde 10, McGraw 2). Banzai 19 (Burger 11, Langel 8).

2015 Nebraska Elite Asics President’s Day Tournament Results 

18 Open (16 Teams)

Championship Match

Front Range VBC 181 Black def. MAVA 18-Academy 25-14, 17-25, 15-8

Nebraska Team Finishes

Premier 18 Gold – 11^th

Nebraska Elite 18 Freak Show – 12^th

Nebraska ONE 18 Lone Wolf – 15^th

18 Club (40 Teams)

Championship Match

Mizuno Northern Lights 182 def. Club ONE 18 Black 25-19, 25-17

Nebraska Team Finishes

VCNebraska 18 Elite – tied for 18^th

Premier 18 Black – 20^th

Nebraska Impact 182 Renegades – tied for 33^rd

17 Open (16 Teams)

Championship Match

KC Power 171 def. OP2 171 Smack 25-20, 25-22

Nebraska Team Finishes

Premier 17 Gold – 5^th

Nebraska Elite 17 SWAT – 9^th

17 Club (40 Teams)

Championship Match

Mizuno Northern Lights 172 def. Conway Juniors 25-22, 25-17

Nebraska Team Finishes

Premier 17 Black – tied for 5^th

Nebraska ONE 17 Crossfire – tied for 9^th

Nebraska Impact 171 Bushido – 12^th

Lincoln Teammagic 171 – 22^nd

Club Legacy 171 Rox – tied for 23^rd

VCNebraska 17 Black – 35^th

Blair Elite 171 – 40^th

16 Open (24 Teams)

Championship Match

Mizuno Northern Lights 161 def. KC Power 161 25-13, 25-14.

Nebraska Team Finishes

Nebraska Elite 161 Vici – tied for 3^rd

Premier 16 Gold – 8^th

16 Club (56 Teams)

Championship Match

Southwind U161 Red def. Mizuno Northern Lights 16B 24-26, 25-22, 15-6.

Nebraska Team Finishes

Club Legacy 161 Rox – tied for 3^rd

VCNebraska 16 Elite – tied for 9^th

Nebraska Elite 16 Pursuit – tied for 19^th

Nebraska ONE 16 Heat – 22^nd

Nebraska ONE 16 Nitro – tied for 24^th

VCNebraska 16 Black – tied for 24^th

Nebraska ONE 16 EnFuego – 29^th

VCNebraska 16 Blue – tied for 33^rd

Nebraska Impact 162 Drago – tied for 45^th

Club Legacy 162 Shattered – tied for 47^th

Nebraska Elite 16 Eclipse – tied for 54^th

Nebraska Impact 163 SWAT – tied for 54^th

15 Open (16 Teams)

Championship Match

Mizuno Northern Lights 151 def. Nebraska Impact Power 151 Banzai 25-20, 25-20.

Nebraska Team Finishes

Nebraska Elite 151 Revolution – tied for 3^rd

Premier 15 Gold – 7^th

Premier 15 Black – 14^th

VCNebraska 15 Elite – 16^th

15 Club (56 Teams)

Championship Match

Mizuno Northern Lights 152 def. Nebraska ONE 15 Krush 25-19, 17-25, 17-15.

Nebraska Team Finishes

Premier 15 Red – tied for 3^rd

Nebraska Elite 15 Fuego – tied for 17^th

Premier 15 Silver – tied for 17^th

Nebraska Elite 15 Nitro – tied for 19^th

VCNebraska 15 Black – tied for 24^th

Nebraska ONE 15 Dynomite – 29^th

Lincoln Teammagic 151 – 30^th

Club Legacy 151 Rox – tied for 31^st

Nebraska Impact 151 DV8 – tied for 31^st

Nebraska ONE 15 SMASH – 37^th

VCNebraska 15 White – tied for 40^th

VCNebraska 15 Blue – tied for 40^th

Nebraska Impact 152 Havoc – 43^rd

Club Legacy 153 Prism – tied for 45^th

Nebraska Impact 153 Matrix – tied for 47^th

Nebraska ONE 15 Blitz – tied for 47^th

Nebraska ONE 15 Intensity – tied for 52^nd

14 Open (8 Teams)

Championship Match

Mizuno Northern Lights 141 def. Topeka Impact 16-25, 25-15, 15-13.

Nebraska Team Finishes

Premier 14 Gold – 3^rd

Nebraska Elite 14 Havoc – 5^th

VCNebraska 14 Elite – 7^th

14 Club (48 Teams)

Championship Match

Performance 14 Gray def. Asics MAVS 142 25-20, 23-25, 15-13.

Nebraska Team Finishes

Premier 14 Red – tied for 3^rd

Nebraska Elite 14 Nexus – tied for 5^th

Nebraska Impact 141 Voltage – tied for 9^th

Club Legacy 141 Rox – tied for 17^th

VCNebraska 14 Black – 19^th

Nebraska ONE 14 Ignite – tied for 21^st

Nebraska ONE 14 Platinum – tied for 23^rd

Premier 14 Black – 25^th

Nebraska ONE 14 Titanium – tied for 27^th

Club Legacy 142 Shattered – tied for 29^th

Premier 14 Silver – tied for 35^th

VCNebraska 14 Blue – tied for 35^th

Nebraska Elite 14 Eclipse – 37^th

Nebraska Elite 14 Platinum – 38^th

Nebraska Impact 142 Shockers – tied for 41^st

VCNebraska 14 White – 43^rd

Nebraska Elite 14 Fury – tied for 45^th

Nebraska ONE 14 Venom – tied for 47^th

13 Club (40 Teams)

Championship Match

Premier 13 Black def. KC Power 131 24-26, 25-21, 15-11.

Nebraska Team Finishes

Premier 13 Gold – tied for 3^rd

Nebraska Elite 13 Thunder – tied for 5^th

Club Legacy 131 Rox – tied for 9^th

Nebraska Elite 13 Storm – 15^th

Premier 13 Red – 20^th

Nebraska Impact 131 Lanakila – 21^st

Nebraska ONE 13 Fusion – 22^nd

Nebraska ONE 13 Fusion – tied for 23^rd

Club Legacy 132 Shattered – 25^th

Premier 13 Silver – 26^th

Nebraska Elite 13 Moxie – tied for 28^th

VCNebraska 13 Black – 30^th

VCNebraska 13 Elite – 32^nd

Nebraska Elite 13 Synergy – tied for 33^rd

Nebraska ONE 13 Bombers – 35^th

Nebraska Elite 13 Titanium – 36^th

Nebraska Elite 13 Vortex – tied for 38^th

Nebraska Elite 13 Velocity – tied for 38^th

VCNebraska 13 Blue – 40^th

12 Club (24 Teams)

Championship Match

Nebraska ONE 12 Shockers def. Nebraska Elite 12 Velocity 25-22, 25-22.

Nebraska Team Finishes

Premier 12 Gold – tied for 3^rd

Premier 12 Black – tied for 5^th

Nebraska Impact 121 Explosion – 8^th

Nebraska Elite 12 Unify – tied for 9^th

Nebraska Elite 12 Blitz – tied for 11^th

Nebraska ONE 12 Havoc – 13^th

Nebraska ONE 11 Voltz – 14^th

Club Legacy 121 Rox – tied for 15^th

Nebraska Elite 11 Purple Fusion – tied for 15^th

VCNebraska 12 Elite – 20^th

Nebraska Impact 122 Bombers – tied for 21^st

Nebraska ONE 12 Revolution – tied for 21^st

Nebraska Elite 12 Fierce – tied for 23^rd

Nebraska Elite 12 Explosion – tied for 23^rd