17/18 Open Gold Bracket Set for Midwest Power League Finals
This final Midwest Power League is going to be quite the celebration of Nebraska volleyball talent. After some back-and-forth action on Saturday, brackets have been set for the 17/18 Open division playoffs. Those age restrictions might be seen as a…
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Continue ReadingThis final Midwest Power League is going to be quite the celebration of Nebraska volleyball talent.
After some back-and-forth action on Saturday, brackets have been set for the 17/18 Open division playoffs. Those age restrictions might be seen as a bit of a misnomer, though, as we’ve even got 16s and 15s represented in these playoff fields. Younger teams have competed hard against their older counterparts in previous Power Leagues this season, so don’t discount anyone’s chances as we head into Championship Sunday.
Let’s set up that Sunday field! Here are the brackets, matchups, and teams to watch in 17/18 Open.
Gold
Buckle up for this group of teams. We’ve got all the usual suspects in this one, plus a couple of noteworthy “insurgents.”
That insurgency is coming from South Dakota, with Kairos 17 Adidas and Kairos 18 Adidas each placing second in their respective Saturday pools. Fittingly, this pits the two squads against each other for the first round of Sunday action.
The winner of that matchup gets a meeting with the team that has had an untouchable hot streak in all of this year’s Power Leagues: Nebraska Juniors 18 Black. It’s hard to believe these incredible 18 Black athletes are approaching the end of their prep careers, but we’ll at least see their influence in the record books for a long time. A run at the Power League finals would be a fitting addition to the list of accomplishments.
VCNebraska 18 Elite and Club Ignit Select 18 Blue face off to complete the top half of this bracket, with the winner moving on to play whoever emerges from the NeJrs/Kairos side. Once again, this is a first-round battle brimming with college-bound talent on both sides.
On to the bottom half of the bracket. This side opens up with quite an age dichotomy as Nebraska Elite 18 Omega and Premier Nebraska 16 Gold are paired up after finishing second in Saturday pools. 18 Omega has a wealth of championship experience, but the positive momentum of 16 Gold over the past few weeks has been quite a sight. Keep a close eye on this contest.
Premier Nebraska 17 Gold awaits the winner of this one. I mentioned in our April preview that it has been a bit of a “quiet period” for 17 Gold as far as big events go, but they’re getting back into the swing of things this month. Consider this another fantastic opportunity for 17 Gold to hone its skills in preparation for a big late-spring and summer stretch.
Another Elite-Premier matchup will follow as Nebraska Elite 17 Vici and Premier Nebraska 18 Gold take the stage. The path through April will be fascinating for both of these teams. 18 Gold is prepping for Nationals in Phoenix, while 17 Vici is looking to elevate their level of play before a pivotal trip to the Show Me Qualifier next weekend.
Silver Storylines
Of course, we’ll also have the silver bracket going on at the Kinetic Sports Complex. This group is comprised of third- and fourth-place teams from the opening round of pools. Here are a few things to watch on that side:
- We’ll have a VCN grudge match to kick this one off as VCNebraska 17 Elite and VCNebraska 16 Elite battle. There are plenty of “playing up” players on the 17 Elite roster, too, so the age differences here are not as large as they could be.
- There’s a 15s versus 18s matchup here as Nebraska Elite 15 Matrix gets VCNebraska 18 Black in the opening round. What a draw.
- Other talented 15s teams highlight this bracket as Nebraska ONE 15 Synergy and Premier Nebraska 15 Gold will compete here.