Must-See Triple Crown NIT Matchups: 18s Power Pools

Our Triple Crown NIT previews roll on! We started off this morning with a look at the <a href="https://prepdig.com/2022/02/must-see-triple-crown-nit-matchups-17s-power-pools/">17s Power Pool field</a>, and there was a lot of ground to cover there. Now, of course, the same thing applies to the 18s. So, just like we did with the 17s, we're giving you just a few matchups to keep an eye on during Saturday's action. These power pool teams will be vying for a good placement heading into bracket play, so expect some excitement!   Pool A A5 Mizuno 18-Marc vs. Sunshine 18 LA A conversation of the top 18s contenders has to include these two teams. A5 Mizuno 18-Marc comes into Kansas City with a great wealth of talent, as is usually the case with A5 teams. Marianna Singletary (Texas) is an absolute force in the middle, while D1-bound athletes Cheridyn Leverette (UCLA), Caylen Alexander (Hawai'i), and Alexa Markley (Penn State) will be tough to slow down on the pins. Even with such a spectacular group of players, it's still not an easy task to take down Sunshine 18 LA. This group returns with a ton of championship experience from last year, and the duo of Elia Rubin (Stanford) and Kerry Keefe (Duke) will always be worth the price of admission.   FC Elite 18 Elite vs. COAST 18-1 Triple Crown will be an intriguing barometer for both of these teams. [caption id="attachment_174699" align="alignright" width="455"]<img class="wp-image-174699" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/01/Saige-Damrow.jpg" alt="" width="455" height="303" /> Damrow[/caption] FC Elite 18 Elite pounced on a very early opportunity to secure their Nationals bid in Chicago, and now they'll look to develop and grow against some of the nation's top competition. Physical pin hitters like Kennedy Martin and Brianna Cantrell will be big at the net, while Wisconsin commit Saige Damrow takes care of the backcourt at libero. COAST 18-1 hopes to solidify its standing as one of California's top teams. Another elite libero headlines this group, with Gala Trubint heading to Southern Cal this fall.   Munciana 18 Samurai vs. Northern Lights 18-1 Two more wildly successful clubs are set to face off here. Both of these teams have shown their might at events already this year. Munciana's big moment came at JVA Rock 'n' Rumble, where Samurai looked nearly unstoppable from start to finish. Meanwhile, Northern Lights overcame some up-and-down moments to surge forward and claim the Northern Lights Qualifier 18 Open title last month. High-level volleyball is effectively a guarantee.   Pool B Arizona Storm 18 Thunder vs. OT 18 O Felix These teams never fail to bring the heat. On the Arizona Storm side, a lot of that heat will come from Jordan Middleton, a USC commit who is firmly entrenched as one of the best 2022 prospects in the country. This team already has a brilliant track record in Kansas City, but facing off against any one of two OT teams in this pool will be a challenge.   Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite vs. Mizuno Long Beach 18 Rockstar J Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite is among the big group of 18s teams at Triple Crown that has already secured their trip to GJNC this April. It's a squad that's particularly stacked at middle blocker, with Vanessa Polk and Madilyn Sell frequently leading the 18 Elite offense. We've talked about a couple of California entries already, but it would be foolish to overlook Mizuno Long Beach in the 18s division. The USC duo of Adonia Faumuina and Rylie McGinest can take over matches, and Mele Corral-Blagojevich is one of the nation's best uncommitted 2023s.   Adversity G18 Adidas vs. Premier Nebraska 18 Gold Ball handling will be a top priority for both of these teams. Adversity has had an enviable amount of setter talent come through the program over the last several years. Katie Hurta is surely a must-see athlete on this G18 roster, and she'll spend some time playing opposite in the frontcourt, too. I've seen a lot from Premier 18 Gold lately, and that backcourt is something to behold. Creighton commit Skylar McCune can lock down the libero jersey or hit on the left as a six-rotation outside. Estella Zatechka (Missouri) has also seen greatness in the Nebraska prep volleyball scene.   Pool C [caption id="attachment_178642" align="alignright" width="483"]<img class="wp-image-178642" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/02/IMG_6825.jpg" alt="" width="483" height="322" /> Jepsen (10) at the Northern Lights Qualifier.[/caption] AVC CLE Rox 18 Red vs. Club V 18 Ren Reed A big net duel is shaping up here. AVC CLE Rox 18 Red has assembled an intimidating pair of Big Ten-bound left sides in Kathryn Randorf (Northwestern) and Caroline Jurevicius (Nebraska). On the other side, middle blocker Rachel Jepsen recently announced her commitment to Pittsburgh and, at nearly the same time, helped secure Club V's GJNC bid at the Northern Lights Qualifier.   OT 18 T Chad vs. Vital 18-1 Gold Indeed, it's on OTVA double entry in this pool, and 18 T Chad will have a good shot to climb up the seeding hierarchy on Saturday. One of the team's on OT's opening slate is Vital 18-1 Gold, a team that was incredibly impressive at NLQ last month and was a mere handful of points away from claiming a Nationals bid in 18 Open. Redemption may be coming at Triple Crown.   Dynasty 18 Black vs. KIVA 18 Red Few teams had a faster start to the 2022 season than Dynasty 18 Black, as a quick trip to the MLK Qualifier in Kansas City last month resulted in a Nationals bid. It's a team with a solid mixture of committed and uncommitted athletes, and we'll be talking about both of these groups over the weekend. KIVA 18 Red features the kind of elite ball control that you'd expect from this club. Audrey Whitworth and Emma DeSensi are two defensive specialists that you want across the end line, and they should be a crucial component of 18 Red's success.   Pool D Tri-State Elite 18 Blue vs. PVA 18 Elite A large roster for Tri-State Elite 18 Blue is matched by their equally big potential. We've talked about a lot of future college teammates, and Cammy Niesen and Tessa Jones form another good one for Tri-State before they depart for Ole Miss in the fall. Lucy Trump will also keep swinging away on the left pin. PVA 18 Elite is a bid owner already, and this cohesive Overland Park team has a knack for defending their home territory. Outside hitter Ava Martin should draw quite the crowd once again.   Academy 18 Diamond vs. Illini Elite 18 Cardinal NC Academy is fond of its trips to big Midwest tournaments, and 18 Diamond should put up another good performance in Kansas City. It's a roster with a lot of high school ties, too, so that year-round familiarity might pay off. Illini Elite 18 Cardinal is also poised to make some noise in this pool. Ohio State signee Anna McClure is one of those ball control players who can do just about anything, even if it's in the front row.   AZ EVJ 18N1-Tempe vs. MiElite 18 Mizuno We're exploring opposite ends of the country for this last matchup. Arizona's strong representation at this event is expanded by East Valley Juniors. Kate Morin is a terrific libero on this roster, and Addison Haluska can score in the middle or on the outside. We go way up north to Michigan now, where MiElite appears again in the 18s age group. NC State commit Ava Brizard is an important anchor for this team, and plenty more 18 Mizuno players will be the subject of features this weekend. Stay tuned!