Trip to Salt Lake City Will Provide Serious Challenge for Four Premier Teams

Chances are really good that there will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 40ish volleyball players from Premier that find their way to Salt Lake City’s East High School. That, of course, is real life “East High” where the High School Musical movies were shot.

Oh, and they will probably find some time to sneak away for some volleyball as well.

Premier’s 14, 15, 16, and 17 Gold teams will be competing in the Triple Crown Volleyball National Invitational Tournament this weekend. It is the first time Premier has had teams compete in the invite-only tournament. In past years, Nebraska Juniors has had its teams participate, but that club now competes in the Asics President’s Day Classic in Omaha.

If Premier hopes for a Troy and Gabrilla-type performance this weekend, it’s going to have to get through some competition that is much more difficult than Ryan and Sharpay Evans. The Triple Crown NIT routinely brings in some of the best competition in the nation and this year is no different.

Premier 17 Gold is one of 64 teams competing in the 17 Open division. 17 Gold – ranked #38 nationally – is seeded #27 overall, but will have its hands full on Saturday in the first round of pool play. Sunshine 17 Elite of Los Angeles is ranked #9 nationally and is in Premier’s pool, as is Excel 17 National of Dallas, which is ranked #46. Renovator VBC of Spokane, Washington, also is in Premier’s pool but is not ranked.

Premier 16 Gold is taking part in the 16 Elite division, which is loaded with 24 of the top teams in the nation. The group is divided into three pools of eight for pool play and Premier 16 Gold – ranked #31 nationally itself – finds itself in a pool where seven of the eight teams are ranked in the top 45 nationally.

In 16 Gold’s pool will be #7 Skyline 16 Royal, #10 Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold, #12 A5 Mizuno, #21 Seal Beach 161, #25 Houston Juniors, #43 Aspire and unranked Rockstar 16s.

The schedule is just as brutal for Premier 15 Gold, which also is playing Elite division. All eight of the teams in its pool are ranked in the top 33 nationally.

Milwaukee Sting 15 Gold is the highest ranked at #6 followed by Coast 151 at #10, KIVA 16 Red at #16, Premier 15 Gold at #18, Wave 151 at #22, Munciana 151 Lorax at #26, San Gabriel Roshambo at #27 and Colorado Juniors 15 Shannon at #33.

While there are no national rankings for 14s, you can bet the competition is still just as fierce for Premier 14 Gold in the 14 Open division. Premier 14 Gold will open competition on Saturday in a four-team pool in which it will take on Munciana 141 Chipmunks, Sunshine 141 and Club Utah 141.

Other than these four teams, a vast majority of Premier’s other squads are taking part in the Asics President’s Day Classic in Omaha.