MAVS KC 17-1 Business As Usual Heading To NIT Elite Eight

Business as usual for MAVS KC 16-1 as they stuck to their brand of volleyball with a 2-0 sweep over Houston Juniors 17 Elite to advance to the elite eight of the NIT by Triple Crown.

What’s the brand for this MAVS squad? Ball control, tempo, speed, and a close attention to details.

“This is something we work really hard on everyday.  We practice meticulous things to improve that.  Our identity is our defense and our scrappiness.  For us, turning defense into offense is what we are about.  We like to frustrate teams with our defense and our offense takes care of itself,” said MAVS 16-1 Head Coach Beau Barnthson. 

In order for this to happen there has to be a level of trust established within the players and opposite hitter, Elizabeth "Betsy" Goodenow talks about the repetition and time together that has established that relationship among the team. 

“We’ve really come along.  I trust our defense a lot, that is why we are in system so much and I think that’s why we can execute so well,” said Goodenow, a Yale commit.  

Houston Juniors is an extremely physical and athletic squad with athletes who are jumping and touching the rim of a basketball hoop. These two have faced off before with MAVS winning 2-0 at the Northern Lights Qualifier at the end of January, eventually claiming a bid to 17 Open.

MAVS will put pressure on the other side of the net starting with the serve. They will serve the seams, with a lot of details of where and what type of serve to attack the opponent.

On the MAVS side of the net, everyone can pass, even the middle blockers can handle the ball where they can get it to Arkansas commit Logan Jones Logan Jones 5'10" | S Carl Junction | 2023 State #57 Nation MO who always has an eye through the net where she can distribute to her plethora of attackers in system that include Goodenow, Lily Dudley Lily Dudley 5'10" | OH Rock Bridge | 2023 State #192 Nation MO , and Reagan Barth Reagan Barth 6'0" | OH Shawnee Mission West | 2023 State KS on the pins.  This group has established themselves as a frontrunner in every tournament they enter. 

“We head into Monday just like any other day. One point at a time.  We go into a tournament and our expectation is to win it, anything less is not good enough. We had our bumps yesterday (Saturday) on day one and they came back today resilient and its all about one point at a time for us,” said Barnthson.

MAVS will head into Mondays elite eight maintaining the Kansas City standard where multiple KC area squads are in the elite eight on Monday. When asked what it’s like to play in her home area there is definite comfort, but also a pride and a battle tested feel for these clubs.

“A lot of the teams here are really good.  Our power league to prepare is really good with the level of competition.  I’m glad we have that to test us before big tournaments like this,” said Goodenow. 

For Goodenow and many of her MAVS teammates, this is their home tournament. 

“It’s really nice to be able to sleep in our own bed.  I went to Starbucks this morning, went to my brother’s basketball game, I can stay in routine rather than staying in a hotel,” said Goodenow. 

Goodenow can make her Starbucks trip for pre-game enroute to the Convention Center where they will face another tough task when they face one of the most physical and athletic teams in the 17s field in A5 Mizuno 17 Jing out of Atlanta at 9:30 AM Monday morning.  Three wins separate the elite eight teams from a championship that will be crowned with the title match at 2:30.