Qualifier Roundup MEQ and Colorado, HOA 15 America Bids

<p>I had a busy weekend of volleyball officiating myself and didn’t get to watch many matches live. I spent a little time last evening and tonight catching up based on what I saw in pool and bracket play results. None of our coverage teams earned a bid at the qualifiers this weekend.<strong> PVA 18 Elite</strong> did have a second-place USA finish at MEQ, but they had previously earned a National Bid. In USAV, the National bid is higher and the one they must accept unless they earn an Open. There were some bids handed out in the 15s age group within the Heart of America region during their regional competition. <strong>Shockwave 15 Black</strong> was the champion and grabbed one of the American Division bids. The runner-ups and earning their bid was <strong>Mizuno Club North 15-1.</strong>  </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Colorado Crossroads</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Shockwave Adidas 18 Scott</strong> was one win away from earning their bid with a 5th play finish. With one team already qualified, a 3rd place finish would have given them a berth to Ohio next month. It looks like they will give it a run in the Open division in Kansas City at the Show Me National Qualifier. <strong>Shockwave Adidas 18 Ryan</strong> also would finish 5th in the American Division. In this division, only one team walks away with a bid. <strong>KC Power 18-1</strong> ran the table on the final day to capture the 18 Open Bronze Division and finish 7-3. They also will battle it out in the Open division in Kansas City next month. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Nike Mideast Qualifier (MEQ)</strong></span></p> <p><strong>KC Power 17-1</strong> was still in the hunt after a second-place finish in the 17 gold pools. With two of the four teams in the final gold bracket already with bids, the four-second place teams would play a bracket round to get the 5th place winner and final bid in a trickle-down. They would lose in two to Circle City. OH <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="41813" first="Sydney" last="Handel"]</strong> was enfuego the last two days. She had some tremendous shots and kills on the final day when her team needed a point. Her play defensively has been most impressive, as she has grown as a six-rotation player. </p> <p>In the <em><strong>17 USA Division</strong></em>, We thought <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="119200" first="Emerson" last="Walter"]</strong> for <strong>Dynasty 17 Blue</strong> was steady from the setter position. We saw her for the first time this fall helping lead Platte County to a final four run. She is calm and collect on the floor and really solid defensively. We mentioned her play the other day, but <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="41803" first="Kate" last="Brown"]</strong> continues to shine for this club. She had primarily played in the middle and has made the transition to a six-rotation pin and looks good doing so. We already knew she could score and now she can play good defense along the back row. </p> <p>For <strong>Rockwood Thunder 17 Navy</strong>, MB <strong>Anna Sommer</strong> brought the power this weekend. She is explosive on the swing and does an excellent job of finding the floor. She has good size and a good motor. We love defenders who fly all over the court and give up their bodies for the team. We saw that watching <strong>Thr33 Volleyball 17-2</strong>. Libero <strong>Hannah Wahlquist</strong> and DS <strong>Emily Young</strong> were fun to watch. They made the easy plays and produced some highlight-worthy plays in the match we checked out. On the right side, we love the fire and play of <strong>Paige Whiteside</strong> from <strong>HPSTL 17 Orange</strong>. As a righthander, we love her angle and approach to the ball and the ability to hit many different shots. </p> <p>Moving on to <em><strong>17 American</strong></em>, <strong>Rockwood Thunder 17 White</strong> had a good showing and finished the weekend tied for 3rd. They played well all weekend and only dropped one match. They had many players who shined at times. We really liked the connection between setter <strong>Sienna Wright</strong> and MB <strong>Maya Esparza</strong>. Esparza is quick and gets off the floor fast. Wright has good hands and seems to be in command at all times. Libero <strong>Olivia Grothe</strong> brings a lot of energy to this team defensively and an efficient passer. <strong>417 Columbia 17-1</strong> earned themselves a 9th place finish. MB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="119190" first="Ella" last="Lewis"]</strong> was fun to watch. She has a great swing and brings the power behind it. She moves very well along the front row. Pins <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="41817" first="Jerica" last="Jackson"]</strong> on the left and <strong>Kennedy Flanner</strong> on the right had good performances over the two days we watched matches. They both have athleticism and are scoring threats every time they go up for a swing. Setter <strong>Jessica Pritchett</strong> was a treat to observe. She moved the ball around well and put her hitters in a position to be successful. From the Gateway Region and across the state line in Ilinois, <strong>Top Notch 17U Elite</strong> finished 17th. I watched one of their matches and love their heart. They don’t have a lot of size but they are technically sound. The libero was electric and moves very well laterally around the back row. She wears<strong> number 4</strong> but we didn’t see that number on the roster. OH <strong>Kylee Garrett</strong> is a gritty pin who mixes up her shots well. Setter <strong>Lauren Bloom</strong> is a smart player and a true floor general. </p>