Nebraska ONE 15 Synergy Shows Resilience in Show Me Title Run
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Nebraska ONE 15 Synergy already had a Nationals bid in the back pocket heading into the Show Me Qualifier. For some teams, this might be an incentive to take it easy for an event or two. If that’s not enough,…
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Continue ReadingNebraska ONE 15 Synergy already had a Nationals bid in the back pocket heading into the Show Me Qualifier. For some teams, this might be an incentive to take it easy for an event or two.
If that’s not enough, 15 Synergy went into the Kansas City trip without middle blocker Lexi Hasselbalch Lexi Hasselbalch 5'10" | MB Norris | 2025 State NE , a strong leader for this squad all year at the M1 position. Middle-opposite hybrid player Kendall Cose Kendall Cose 6'0" | RS Norris | 2025 State NE would have been a natural fit to fill in at that vacant spot, but she was also unavailable for much of the event. It would have been totally excusable for 15 Synergy to have an off weekend given the circumstances.
But that’s just not what 15 Synergy is all about. Every time these players go out on the court, you can see their desire to win. You can also see the trust and cohesion that has been built through years of these players competing together, regardless of what lineup is on the floor or which players are available. It’s a sort of, well…synergy.
So, with that context in mind, let’s see how it all played in Kansas City.
The Right Combinations
It didn’t take long for adversity to surface for 15 Synergy. An opening matchup with MAVS 816 15-1 ended in a three-set defeat as Nebraska ONE tried to find its bearings with a new lineup.
Let’s talk about that lineup shuffle. Going without Hasselbalch for the entire weekend and Cose for the majority of the event would be a challenge. Both of these athletes thrive in the middle, and Cose has made also made a big impact at opposite this year.
These circumstances prompted some significant role changes for a couple of 15 Synergy players. Matthew Hampton Gable Matthew Hampton Gable 5'10" | DS/L Norris | 2025 State NE , normally a defensive specialist for Cose’s three backcourt rotations, would now spend most of Show Me playing all the way around at the opposite position. I’d like to think that most defensive specialists dream of getting a shot in the frontcourt, and this was Gable’s chance.
But, there’s still that vacancy in the middle. This is where Kacey Porter Kacey Porter 5'8" | RS Lincoln Southeast | 2025 State NE stepped up and made the most of an unfamiliar situation. She’s normally a right-side hitter who can also slot into the outside hitter spot if necessary. The bigger complicating factor here might have been that Porter is left-handed, meaning the ball has to travel across her body before attacking any middle quicks in front of the setter.
You might not think that a team would be able to overcome these changes at a national qualifier, but we started to see 15 Synergy find a groove as opening day progressed. Sweeps over FRVBC and ECJ helped atone for the loss to MAVS 816 and put Nebraska ONE into the next round.
Sunday started much like Saturday, though, with 15 Synergy falling in the day’s first match against MAVS KC. Maybe this was just a MAVS-related vex, though, because Nebraska ONE then picked right back up with its winning ways. Wins against Skyline and OP2 were enough to assure a trip to Gold pools. Somehow, through all the adversity, this squad came together and was in championship contention on Monday.
It has been a weekend of adversity and lineup shuffles for @We_are_NEONE 15 Synergy, but this nationally qualified team is on the board with a Sunday win! pic.twitter.com/LTc306YdSZ
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) April 10, 2022
15 Synergy hit a new gear when that trophy was on the line. Not only were Gable and Porter rising to the occasion in their new roles, but the players in familiar roles elevated their level of play even more to help offset all the tough circumstances. Anna Jelinek Anna Jelinek 5'8" | DS/L Norris | 2025 State NE put her pass-to-attack prowess on display throughout the weekend, which is nothing new for the six-rotation star at outside hitter. Her counterpart on the left side, Mattie Kamery Mattie Kamery 5'10" | S Minden | 2025 State NE , has also emerged as a go-to scorer and, like many of her teammates, has proven her ability to play a variety of positions at any time. Natalie Wardlow Natalie Wardlow 6'5" | MB Lincoln Southeast | 2025 State #17 Nation NE unleashed her offensive onslaught from the middle blocker spot once again, while Keri Leimbach Keri Leimbach 5'4" | DS/L Lincoln Lutheran | 2025 State #40 Nation NE and Zoe Rademacher Zoe Rademacher 5'6" | DS/L Norris | 2025 State NE held things down in serve receive. Of course, Malorie Boesiger ties all this together at setter with consistency and finesse that allows her attackers to flourish no matter what position they’re playing.
This tight-knit group promptly put together a Monday run that could not be slowed down. HPSTL 15 Royal gave it a good run in the day’s opening match, but 15 Synergy still prevailed in three sets to put the team in title position. Two subsequent sweeps over MiElite and in-state competitor Nebraska Elite punctuated 15 Synergy’s improbable run to the championship match.
A little adversity never slowed down @We_are_NEONE 15 Synergy!
Despite having to wield an unconventional lineup this weekend, Nebraska ONE is going to the 15 Open championship! pic.twitter.com/BF0tI6sSyR
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) April 11, 2022
From there, you know Nebraska ONE would not be denied. I saw this team’s resilience in a bounceback third-place finish at NLQ in March, and now it was showing up again as Nebraska ONE competed for Gold. Another sweep over fellow national qualifier Dynasty 15 Black sealed the deal. The lineup shuffle was golden.
Wow, what a run!@We_are_NEONE 15 Synergy puts together an unbelievable weekend to claim the Show Me Qualifier 15 Open championship! pic.twitter.com/dRnfTdje5N
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) April 11, 2022