NLQ 18 Open Preview: Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin Clubs

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first weekend of January consists of a bit of a warm up heading into a “January Thaw” which means this upcoming weekend is go time for 18s with their first chance to punch a ticket to USAV Nationals that will be held in Dallas from April 26-28.  Northern Lights will be hosting the 18s National Qualifier in Omaha with some of the top teams in the Midwest as well as some from California and Arizona. Here is a look at the Minnesota and Wisconsin teams who will be competing in the Open Division at the 2019 Northern Lights 18s Qualifier. </span></p> <p><strong>Northern Lights 18-1 (MN) - #1 overall seed</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How can you not put the defending national champions as the number one overall seed?  Northern Lights won the 17 Open USAV national title last June and has much of their core back.  <strong>Kennedi Orr</strong>, the Sophomore phenom who has already committed to Nebraska (which they will not be able to watch her play due to the NCAA Quiet Period”) will be running the show with plenty of other high powered commits such as <strong>Kyndra Hansen (Iowa), Blythe Reints (Iowa)</strong>, and <strong>Ellie Husemann</strong> and <strong>Rachel Kilkelly</strong> heading to Minnesota.  The defense is backed up by Marissa Hinkle at libero who has committed to UCLA and all around player <strong>Peyton Seuss</strong> who is taking her game to the ACC to play at Wake Forest. </span></p> <p><strong>Iowa PowerPlex 18U Black - #4 overall seed</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The group qualified in open last year at the Windy City Qualifier and finished in the final four of the Northern Lights qualifier as well.  <strong>Madi Kubik</strong> will be starting early this semester at Nebraska, but this team is full of top talent in Iowa as well as the nation. Ankeny Centennial, coming off a Class 5A state championship has three athletes on the team who will be heading to division 1 powerhouses with <strong>Kenna Sauer</strong> (Mizzou), <strong>Devyn Robinson</strong> (Wisconsin), and <strong>Arin Winters</strong> (Denver).  Plex will also have two athletes heading to in-state powerhouse Northern Iowa in <strong>Emily Holthaus</strong> from Pella and Kaylee<strong> Donner</strong> from Cedar Rapids Jefferson.  One huge addition to this team Megan Renner who will be the setter and future Purdue Boilermaker. </span></p> <p><strong>MN Select 18-1 - #5 overall seed</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You could just have Northern Lights and MN Select play all day and be thoroughly entertained by the extremely high level of volleyball that will happen.  <strong>Izzy Ashburn</strong>, the top Class of 2019 recruit out of Minnesota will be the go to setter heading to Wisconsin will be running the show. Ashburn is joined by Champlin Park teammates Emma Schmidt (Northern Iowa) and <strong>Kaitlyn Weimerskirch</strong> (Illinois State).  There are some new additions to this team in <strong>Anna Wolf</strong>, a Class of 2021 recruit who is heading to Minnesota and is touching 10’5 as a Sophomore along with <strong>Mackenzie Kummer</strong> (Air Force). <strong>Syra Tanchin</strong> (North Dakota State) and <strong>Jasmine Mulvihill</strong> (Concordia-St. Paul) are extremely efficient on the pin and all around contributors. </span></p> <p><strong>Milwaukee Sting 18-Gold (WI) - #7 overall seed</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Milwaukee Sting 18 Gold came back through the weekend last year to with the NLQ 18s qualifier last year to earn their bid to USAV 18 Open.  This year’s group finished 4th at AAU 16 Open, but has some new additions to their team. They dropped a match to One Wisconsin last weekend in their opener, but will be looking to bounce back.  There is power on the pins with <strong>Brianna Scuric</strong> (Northern Illinois), <strong>Ashley Guenveur</strong> (Troy), <strong>Alayna Jansky</strong> (Eastern Michigan), and <strong>Laura Shoopman</strong> (Oral Roberts). Two big additions to the team are <strong>Caroline Dragani</strong>, the dynamic setter heading to Portland State and <strong>Ari Miller</strong>, a middle blocker going to UW-Milwaukee.  This group has always been built on their defense with Maddie Berezowitz (Kentucky) and Dru Kuck who is uncommitted right now. </span></p> <p><strong>FC Elite 18 Navy (WI) - #8 overall seed</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This group has traditionally always blazed through the Wisconsin USAV Badger Region and has been a contender in the USA National Division, always having a chance for an open bid come day 2 of qualifiers, but have not been able to break through to get the open bid.  Some new additions to this team will be <strong>Maddie Koch</strong>, the Purdue commit and Wisconsin’s top 2021 recruit in <strong>Brooke Mosher</strong> who has verbally committed to Illinois. <strong>Hannah Vanden Berg</strong> is one of the top players in Wisconsin on the outside and is committed to Marquette while <strong>Addison Barnes</strong> and <strong>Kayla Kraus</strong> will be in full force and are committed to Loyola-Chicago.  One addition for the weekend will be Hattie Bray, a Class of 2021 middle adding some depth for the weekend who is touching ten feet, a huge hidden in Wisconsin that will be a major prospect to keep tabs on at the 16s level, but this weekend will get a chance to play with the big kids! </span></p> <p><strong>Adrenaline 18 Adidas (IA) - 14th Overall Seed</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adrenaline out of Cedar Rapids has always been competitive in the open field with this group and has a bit of a new look, with some top tier talent.  <strong>Grace Tubbs (Iowa)</strong> will be one of the go to athletes out of the middle with <strong>Maddy Baxter (Drake)</strong> setting. <strong>Akeela Jefferson</strong> on the outside will be heading to South Dakota State while Class of 2020 Utah recruit, <strong>Sommer Daniel</strong> can do a little bit of everything.  <strong>Sydney Hearn</strong> from Independence was one of the top liberos in Class 4A in Iowa passing absolute nails in serve receive during the state tournament. </span></p> <p><strong>Northern Lights 18-2 (MN) - 15th Overall Seed</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This team is full of firepower and would not be surprised if they can pull off some upsets this weekend.  A roster full of division 1 players as well as high powered division 2 recruits they play loose, they have fun, and are extremely aggressive.  <strong>Gabrielle McCaa (Boston College)</strong> and <strong>Claire Neussmeier (Marquette)</strong> are a solid connection of thunder and lightning from the middle with the power and speed with McCaa being a huge threat from the middle to power through and around the block with Neussmeier being extremely dynamic going from pin to pin.  Speaking of pins there is <strong>Tori Thompson (South Dakota State)</strong> and her Lakeville North High School teammate, <strong>Macy Winter (Navy)</strong> on the right side while the dynamic left side hitters of <strong>Sarah Johnson</strong> and <strong>Kathrynn Reimann (Augustana). Brenna Hesse (Green Bay)</strong> holds down the backrow and a scrappy libero. </span></p> <p><strong>Pool 1</strong></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60901"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mizuno Northern Lights 18-1 (MN)</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60908"><span style="font-weight: 400;">FC Elite 18 Navy (WI) </span></a></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60909"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Premier Nebraska 18 Gold</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60916"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Advancement Academy Volleyball Club 18 Green</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (OH)</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Pool 2</strong></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60902"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sunshine 18 Westside</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (CA)</span></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60907"><span style="font-weight: 400;">MKE Sting 18 Gold (WI)</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60911"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nebraska Elite 18 Ying</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60913"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mizuno Northern Lights 18-2 (MN)</span></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Pool 3</strong></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60903"><span style="font-weight: 400;">AZ Storm Elite VBC18 Thunder</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60905"><span style="font-weight: 400;">KC Power 18-1</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60906"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A4 Volley 18 - Purple Joaco (So Cal)</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60914"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adrenaline 18 Adidas (IA) </span></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Pool 4</strong></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60904"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Iowa PowerPlex 18U Elite Black</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60910"><span style="font-weight: 400;">MN Select 18-1</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60912"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forza1 Volleyball Forza1 18UA Dana (CA)</span></a></p> <p><a href="https://results.tm2sign.com/event/312/team/60915"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Xceleration Volleyball Club18Blue (CA)</span></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>