USAV Nationals Spotlight: Premier Nebraska 17 Black

<p>The 16s and 17s are in full swing at USAV Nationals, so this spotlight series will keep rolling. We’re looking up and down the leaderboard to give a shoutout to the teams looking for a triumphant finale in Las Vegas.</p> <p>This feature looks at the Premier Nebraska 17 Black team currently competing in the 17 National division. I’ve got a chance to see this squad several times throughout the year, so I’m excited to write a "conclusion" to their exciting club season. 17 Black has several players that I look forward to seeing in high school ball this fall, too.</p> <p>So, let’s recap the team’s first two days of competition and get a look at some players who help the team prosper.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Nationals Journey</strong></p> <p>The first thing to mention here is that 17 Black was placed in a very competitive pool. This group has no shortage of talented teams that could be title contenders by the end of the tournament.</p> <p>Premier kicked off Nationals with a strong sweep over Union. After encountering setbacks in the following two matches against OJVA and FH Muscle, 17 Black entered Friday’s slate looking for a rebound.</p> <p>A win over Legacy to begin Friday play was exactly what this team was looking for. Premier claimed the win in a three-set slugfest to start the evening on the right now. 17 Black looked sharp in the succeeding match against Renovators, but ultimately fell in a three-set battle.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Key Players</strong></p> <p>I first want to give a nod to two of 17 Black’s setters, because they both saw plenty of action in the team’s system. <strong>Olivia Reitsma</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id="58795" first="Makayla" last="Fleming"] seamlessly traded the setter spot in Premier’s 6-2, and that allowed 17 Black’s arsenal of hitters to flourish.</p> <p>Speaking of those hitters, 17 Black always has a trio of great options in the frontcourt. [player_tooltip player_id="134934" first="Marisa" last="Lootens"] and Ivy Isenberg are a solid right-side</p> [caption id="attachment_123153" align="alignright" width="225"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-123153" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/12/Od2f6tc0.jpg-medium-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Riggs[/caption] <p>tandem in the two-setter tandem. They can both be relied upon to take a lot of swings, especially in transition. [player_tooltip player_id="58790" first="Laci" last="Abendroth"] is a middle who can also rip it on the opposite pin when needed, so 17 Black has a bevy of capable attackers behind the setter.</p> <p>While we’re on this discussion of dynamic duos, [player_tooltip player_id="58773" first="Samantha" last="Riggs"] and [player_tooltip player_id="82209" first="Kate" last="Galvin"] have proven to be quite the pair in the back row. Galvin is an expert at patrolling middle back, while Riggs has no problem digging heat in any rotation as the libero.</p> <p>Lastly, I can’t leave out [player_tooltip player_id="58800" first="Taylor" last="Bunjer"]. She impressed me during last fall’s high school season and has brought her heavy arm to club competition for 17 Black. Bunjer will continue to provide a lot more excitement in the months to come.</p>