If you think there isn’t much for Premier 18 Gold to play for this weekend at the January Thaw USAV GJNC qualifier at CenturyLink Center, you would be wrong. With it’s second-place finish in the USA division of the MLK…
Access all of Prep Dig
Subscribe for access to all premium articles and rankings.
Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inIf you think there isn’t much for Premier 18 Gold to play for this weekend at the January Thaw USAV GJNC qualifier at CenturyLink Center, you would be wrong.
With it’s second-place finish in the USA division of the MLK Qualifier earlier this month in Kansas City, Premier 18 Gold has already earned a bid to the GJNC in that division. Now, as the top seed in this weekend’s USA division, coach Nate Mongan would like to see his squad take care of business.
A total of three bids to the USA division of the GJNC are available this weekend in the 18-team tournament.
“The mindset going into this weekend’s qualifier is to re-qualify. We are the number one seed in USA this weekend, and our expectations are to maintain that seed,” Mongan said. “I want to see a strong focus on the serve and pass game this weekend. We have very qualified passers on this team, and I would like to see a strong growth this weekend on keeping us in system. We will play Open (division) from here on out at Presidents Day and Crossroads. I’d like to see 18 Gold challenge themselves to be in the discussion for an Open bid.”
At the MLK tournament, Premier 18 Gold fell in three sets to Northern Lights 182 in the championship match. That Northern Lights team is playing in Open this weekend, so there is no shot at payback, but there is still plenty of opportunity to show improvement.
“This weekend I wool really like to see players taking their game to a higher level. Not being content with “good” volleyball, but striving for great volleyball,” Mongan said. “I want to see players challenging themselves to make the play that they don’t think they can make. Increasing the pressure on teams with our serve game will be a big focus this weekend for 18 Gold.”
If anything, Mongan said, already having a bid to nationals should allow 18 Gold to be more relaxed and fearless.
“I like having the bid pressure of our back early. It allows for me to give consideration to move players into different positions that they may be looked to play in college, versus playing the position needed that is best for 18 Gold. A drawback that we will have to avoided from being qualified so early is just “coasting”, and not continuing to get better with each practice,” Mongan said. “ Keeping the young ladies focused and dialed into the mindset that we have to get better with every touch of the ball will be our focus as the season continues. I thought our practices since MLK have been good, the ladies definitely like having that qualifying pressure of their backs.”
Here are a look at the top teams and players competing this weekend in the 18 USA division.
Top Five Seeds
#1 – Premier 18 Gold.
#2 – IPVA 18 Black
#3 – Asics MAVS 181
#4 – Topeka Impact 181
#5 – Rocky Select 18 Jackie
Noteable Players
ASICS MAVS 181 – #11 – Ally Barnhardt, 6’3, MH, South Florida
ASICS MAVS 181 – #23 – Kailea Carrier, 6’4, MH, Kansas (#80 recruit in nation)
ASICS MAVS 181 – #9 – Mary Chafee, 6’1, OH, Xavier
ASICS MAVS 181 – #8 – Jana Owens, 5’9, Setter, Appalachian State
Club Legacy VBA 18 ROX – Sabrina Starks, 6’3, MH, Pittsburgh
Club Legacy VBA 18 ROX – Kinsley Tingelhoff, 5’7, Setter, College of St. Mary
Iowa Select VBC 18 Vital – #9 – Alexis Hayes, 5’10, OH, Minnesota State
IPVA 18’s Black – Riley Dolphin, 6’1, MB, Drake
IPVA 18’s Black – Brianna Hartman, 6’2, MB, Army
Milwaukee Sting 18 Black – Emily Matson, OH/RS, Murray State
Milwaukee Sting 18 Black – Abigail Koenin, OH, UW-Milwaukee
Milwaukee Sting 18 Black – Sarah Klobuchar, Setter, Doane College
MN North 18-1 – #1 – Sierra Bolen, 6’1, MB, Illinois-Chicago
MN North 18-1 – #5 – Meredith Sutton, 6’0, OH, Minnesota-Duluth
MN North 18-1 – #6 – Kate Kleinschmidt, 6’1, RS, Regis University
MN North 18-1 – #7 – Lexi Ahrens, 6’1, MB, North Dakota
MN North 18-1 – #10 – Marissa Rossi, 5’7, Setter, Southern Illinois
MN North 18-1 – #13 – Alexis Rengel, 5’4, Libero, Minnesota-Duluth
NSSC Volleyball Club 181 – #9 – Krysten Garrison, 5’11, Setter/RS, New Mexico State
Premier 18 Gold – #5 – Taliyah Flores, 5’9, OH/Libero, North Dakota
Premier 18 Gold – #8 – Clara Lamb, 6’3, RS, Illinois-Chicago
Premier 18 Gold – #3 – Mckenzie Michalek, 5’7, Libero, Omaha
Premier 18 Gold – #4 – Delaney Saucier, 5’7, Setter, Arkansas Tech
Premier 18 Gold – #9 – Sydney Fitzgibbons, 6’0, MH, Washburn
Premier 18 Gold – #10 – Brooke Fredrickson, 6’0, OH, Midland
Six Pack VBC 18U – #3 – Jenna Brandt, 5’10, Setter, Iowa State
Six Pack VBC 18U – #24 – Claire Gerdes, 6’1, MH, South Dakota
Six Pack VBC 18U – #33 – Taylor Lynch, 6’0, OH, Illinois State
The Diff 18 Black – Kelsey Milkowski, OH, UMKC
The Diff 18 Black – Tyler Lindgren, Setter, Temple
The Diff 18 Black – Hannah Bagley, OH, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
Please type in your name below to claim or create your Prep Dig player profile.
