Bellevue West Invitational Preview
The season is here. It’s game week! First of all, I want to wish every team around the state luck as the 2021 season gets underway. Athletes, teams, coaches, and parents have surely endured some unusual circumstances over the past…
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Continue ReadingThe season is here. It’s game week!
First of all, I want to wish every team around the state luck as the 2021 season gets underway. Athletes, teams, coaches, and parents have surely endured some unusual circumstances over the past year and a half. Most teams are just thankful to have a season that feels more normal. I’m excited to experience that sense of normalcy along with all of you, too.
Now, it’s time to get into in-season form. It’s go time. We’re diving straight into the season with a look at what’s to come on opening day. In short, we’ve got a lot of great volleyball ahead of us.
The Bellevue West Invitational feels like a great place to start. This tournament will host some of the top high school programs in the state. We might have a couple of future champions in this group.
So, let’s get you ready for the action. Here are a few teams and storylines to follow heading into this weekend’s Bellevue West Invite.
Pool A
The first pool at this event is spearheaded by the team that many will tab as the favorites in Class A: Papillion-La Vista South. The Titans have built a formidable roster and added a few more big pieces in the offseason. This high-caliber invite provides a great proving ground on day one.
Waverly is another team in Pool A that made last year’s NSAA postseason in Lincoln. I like the returning talent of this team despite some key losses on the left pin. If anything, the Vikings should improve as the year goes on.
This whole discussion about past tournament success within Pool A is not complete without Western Christian. Twenty consecutive tournament appearances?! Head coach Tammi Verbeek has this Hull, Iowa, program at an unparalleled level of consistency, and now the Wolfpack will test their strength against some quality competition from across the river.
Lastly, Lincoln Southeast brings a young, rising roster to Bellevue West for Pool A competition. I’m anxious to see how this team develops with some new faces in the fray.
Pool B
This group is stacked, and it starts with Omaha Skutt. Sure, the Skyhawks will have to undergo some major transitions in their starting lineup. It’s never easy to lose so much D1 talent. However, Skutt is a dynasty for a reason. They just reload. This program is never one to shy away from tough foes, and that’s not going to change because of a few new faces in the rotation.
Omaha Marian is next up in this pool. This team has a great group of experienced players who know what it takes to win against the best. Their ascent up the leaderboards in an ultra-competitive class will be fun to follow this year.
Keep an eye on Bellevue West and North Platte in this group, too. The host team will surely want to defend its turf against some familiar opponents. North Platte, meanwhile, continues to represent the western half of Nebraska well against some big-time teams.
Pool C
Pool C is interesting. It’s a Millard grudge match…plus Lincoln East.
Millard West is designated as the top seed in this group. The Wildcats have a shot to push even further through the Class A tournament than they did last year. A combination of new additions and returning talent should help make this possible.
We then move to Millard South. The Patriots are a veteran bunch that will not be intimidated by all the big names at the tournament. They’ve seen it all before.
Millard North completes the triad. The Mustangs have always been comfortable in big matches over the years, and opening weekend presents another great opportunity. Young, emerging talent will again be the story with this team.
The Millards are joined, of course, by Lincoln East. This program loves to push itself in early-season competition. Unfortunately, the start of East’s campaign last year was disrupted. This tournament is a great opportunity for the Spartans to make amends for 2020.
Pool D
The last pool of the invite has some great variety.
It starts with Omaha Westside, a team that will look to break into postseason play after landing a couple of major offseason additions. This group is poised for an entertaining debut.
Papillion-La Vista is also in this pod. Like some of the other teams at this event, the Monarchs had some senior leadership last season that will be difficult to replace. At the same time, though, you can never really count out this program.
Omaha Duchesne is another perennial power in Pool D. This team’s next wave of talent should be on display when they take the court this weekend.
Finally, we have another out-of-state challenger to wrap up the tournament field. Missouri’s Platte County team is searching for new challenges after a successful 2020 season. The Bellevue West Invite is a good place to start.