Show Me Qualifier Must-See Matchups: 15 Open
One more Open division left to cover in our Show Me Qualifier preview series! We’ve talked about all the excitement coming to Kansas City in 16 Open and 17 Open. Now, it’s time to tackle that age group that’s notoriously…
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Continue ReadingOne more Open division left to cover in our Show Me Qualifier preview series!
We’ve talked about all the excitement coming to Kansas City in 16 Open and 17 Open. Now, it’s time to tackle that age group that’s notoriously difficult to predict.
Here are a few key matchups to follow when we open play on Saturday in 15 Open.
Dynasty 15 Black vs. Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite
The ol’ cross-state grudge match. Kansas City versus St. Louis.
Dynasty 15 Black boasts homecourt advantage this weekend, but this team is talented enough to not even need it. Show Me will also be a nice tuneup opportunity after 15 Black already secured a Nationals bid at MEQ. Emma Christian is a strong leader for Dynasty’s offense at the setter spot and connects well with high-flying hitters like Isabel Glover and Jenna McClure, so the KC squad might find a bit more qualifier success this weekend.
In the St. Louis corner is Rockwood Thunder 15 Elite, a team that uses some impressive ball control to keep the offense flowing. Danielle Moore has a fantastic command of the libero position and will dig anything coming at her in the crosscourt. And, if you’re looking for a bit of on-court energy, keep an eye on Mandy Lawson.
OT 15 O Meg vs. Premier Nebraska 15 Gold
OTVA and Premier Nebraska are two NLQ participants that will surely be looking for redemption at Show Me. With both teams still searching for that Open bid, this pool matchup will be big.
I was really impressed by the balance of OT 15 O Meg in Minneapolis last month. Laney Perdue will likely be the focal point of the offense, but this team will readily lean on other attackers for clutch scoring. Sophia Iglesias runs a nice offense and regularly gets great passing from libero Jannelize Perez.
Premier Nebraska 15 Gold, meanwhile, is hoping to join the big Premier party of Open qualifiers. Shay Heaney and Abbie Hagedorn will keep carrying a big offensive load in the frontcourt while Rya Borer handles much of the passing on the end line.
Tulsa Power 15-1 vs. Nebraska Elite 15 Matrix
These two squads are part of a larger five-team pool that should produce some excitement in 15 Open.
Tulsa Power 15-1 joins a big field of Oklahoma teams competing in Show Me’s Open divisions. This group will look to the strong right arm of middle blocker Juliana Borchers to do a lot of the scoring this weekend. Ava Wilson and Arriana Brown will also make major offensive contributions on the pins.
Add Nebraska Elite 15 Matrix to the list of teams from the Cornhusker State that are looking to gain momentum at Show Me. Physical opposite Ashlyn Paymal has had a breakout year and will run a variety of gaps and patterns to get involved at the net. Likewise, Peyton Meyer has put together a standout 2022 as the setter for 15 Matrix. With the stakes so high going into the weekend, I’d expect a little extra juice from this squad as the bid hunt moves to Kansas City.
Northern Lights 15-1 vs. PVA 15 Elite
This is an early “momentum match” that will help set the pace for opening day.
Northern Lights 15-1 is another one of those teams you’d expect to come out with some passion after narrowly missing out on a Nationals bid in their home base in Minneapolis last month. We saw the willingness of players like McKenna Garr and Mesaiya Bettis to completely take over matches, and you can count on more standout players emerging from Lights after this big qualifier.
And, once again, PVA is not a club to sleep on in the giant influx of dominant Kansas City squads. I’m anxious to have an opportunity to scout this 15 Elite group, so keep an eye on some standouts as our live coverage kicks off on Saturday.
MKE Sting 15 Gold vs. HPSTL 15 Royal
Another one of those five-team pools with everyone still hunting that bid. This should be fun.
MKE Sting is deploying some heavy hitters across Show Me’s three age groups, and 15 Gold ought to represent the club well. Libero Kati Berezowitz is sure to generate some buzz this weekend, while Emma Koceja has already demonstrated her impressive range on the outside.
Of course, HPSTL is also stacking its top-performing teams in the Show Me field. Tara Greenberry is such a fun, versatile hitter to watch on this roster. We’ll see whether she spends most of her time at outside or in the middle. In the backcourt, Harper Highfill‘s constant defensive pursuit should also produce a plethora of highlight moments.
Skyline 15 Royal vs. MiElite 15 Mizuno
You can always expect quality volleyball out of these two clubs.
We’ve already seen Houston Skyline and Austin Skyline qualify in 15 Open, so let’s see if we can complete the trinity with Dallas Skyline. It’s firepower aplenty for this 15 Royal team, too, with Alex Richter making an early push to be one of the country’s best outside hitters in the 2025 class. Middle blocker Kaelynn Sims will also put her lateral quickness on display as she hammers away on the slide.
MiElite 15 Mizuno should match up well with Skyline, though. Jessica Costlow is a versatile hitter who consistently makes the kind of smart plays that win long rallies. A MiElite team also wouldn’t be complete without an uber-athletic setter, and that’s what 15 Mizuno has in Ella Craggs.