Clean Sweep: Premier Nebraska Drafted in Every TC NIT Power Pool
Triple Crown is almost here! You can expect tons of volleyball coverage here at Prep Dig as the nation’s top clubs converge on Kansas City for the annual Triple Crown National Invitational Tournament. A lot of that coverage will live…
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Continue ReadingTriple Crown is almost here!
You can expect tons of volleyball coverage here at Prep Dig as the nation’s top clubs converge on Kansas City for the annual Triple Crown National Invitational Tournament. A lot of that coverage will live on our newly minted National page as we look to expand our reach to include as many teams and players as possible. It’s an exciting time to be a volleyball fan!
There’s also cause for excitement if you’re part of the Premier Nebraska program. TC NIT’s power pools were just announced Wednesday, and it’s fair to say that Premier will be well represented in Kansas City. In every age division present at Triple Crown (14s through 18s), Premier Nebraska is fielding a team that’s been selected in every power pool.
So, before we get into all our national preview chatter for Triple Crown, let’s get some local perspective on Premier, the power pool format, and more.
A Word on Power Pools
What are these power pools all about?
Triple Crown NIT uses a unique format that gives special recognition to the teams and clubs that have an impressive track record. Power pool selection is based on past major tournament placements, regional rankings, and input from volleygeeks like us. The goal is to reward the teams that are widely seen as the best of the best.
Teams that are placed in a power pool will automatically advance to Sunday’s single-elimination bracket in the Elite division — the top division at the event. In other words, an 0-3 start on Saturday does not derail a power pool team’s hopes of winning it all. So, Saturday’s matches are all about seeding for Sunday and beyond.
Of course, we’ll have more details and analysis once the eight-team pools are released. For you faithful fans of Nebraska clubs, it should be noted that playing against other teams in your region or division during pools is generally avoided. Save those rivalry matches for the bracket!
Good as Gold
This discussion of power pool collection criteria helps illustrate just how strong Premier Nebraska has been — and how advantageous these placements can be for Premier’s TC NIT championship hopes.
Indeed, Premier appeared in every age group from Wednesday’s announcement, with 18 Gold, 17 Gold, 16 Gold, 15 Gold, and 14 Gold making the power pool field. That’s a lot of gold.
We still await the matchups that these teams will have to open play next Saturday, but there are some familiar names for Premier in the power pool lineup. In the 18s division, 18 Gold is joined by fellow NLQ national qualifiers Club V 18 Ren Reed and Northern Lights 18-1. On the 17s side, Premier could eventually get a bracket play rematch with 1st Alliance VBC 17 Gold, a team that bested 17 Gold twice at NLQ and dominated en route to a title.
We’re only just starting to scratch the surface of what is going to be an exciting weekend of volleyball in Kansas City. Premier Nebraska will is obviously showing up with a lot of firepower. There are countless more teams to see at TC NIT, and I’m excited to bring coverage to Prep Dig on both a national and regional scope. Stay tuned!
Bid secured!@premier17gold finishes 3-0 in Gold pools, locking up a spot in the 17 Open finals and a trip to Nationals! pic.twitter.com/QW8ziKrGCc
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) January 31, 2022
Ticket punched!
It was a long, wild weekend for @Premier_18Gold, but they’re heading to the 18 Open finals at NLQ! pic.twitter.com/LZIJUrP8hr
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) January 31, 2022