Wisconsin Bid Tracker – Who qualified in January?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With 18s nationals happening in April, qualification starts right away. For some teams, a qualifier is one of their first tournaments. And for teams to play at such a high level early in the season is something special. Two teams have qualified so far, and only one is an 18s team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>608 Juniors 18-1</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>608 Juniors 18-1 qualified in the USA division when they took 2nd place at the Windy City Qualifier. Despite the club name change, the core of this team has been together for years, and it showed in their chemistry on the court. I have been covering these athletes for the past four years, and seeing them succeed early in the season is awesome. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='122560' first='Andi' last='Spies'] is both a setter and offensive weapon for 608. She is an explosive and powerful athlete with an incredibly high volleyball IQ. [player_tooltip player_id='91952' first='Evinae' last='Jordee'] is the other setter on this team. She is quick, smart, and precise. She is also a talented defender and does a great job moving the ball around. On the pin, [player_tooltip player_id='91856' first='Ellie' last='Gustafson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='91883' first='Jordan' last='LaScala'] are six rotation athletes. They are strong defenders, can earn points from anywhere on the court, and add a lot of consistency to the team's play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Libero [player_tooltip player_id='119399' first='Amelia' last='Albers'] runs the backcourt. She plays high-level serve receive and is disciplined on defense and in coverage. She is exactly the kind of libero you want behind you playing defense. [player_tooltip player_id='149572' first='Eliana' last='Ross'] played defensive specialist and was an impact player every time she stepped on the court. In the middle, [player_tooltip player_id='149575' first='Sierra' last='Pertzborn'] and [player_tooltip player_id='91884' first='Rowan' last='Schreiber'] are disciplined and put up a massive block. They both are powerful with their swing and mix up their shots. [player_tooltip player_id='91910' first='Ally' last='Saleh'] was on the right side. Not only does she put up a great block, but she also has awesome ball control on her swing. She is an athlete you can trust to put the ball over and in, even on the toughest scramble plays. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 17 White</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] won the American Division at the Northern Lights Qualifier last weekend. They battled through some very talented teams, including [program_tooltip program_id='428662' first='Wisconsin' last='Ice'] 17 National, Mizuno Northern Lights 17-R, and Club Legacy 17 Alpha. They went 9-0 on the weekend and only dropped two sets. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='144816' first='Mariah' last='Potter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='181810' first='Grace' last='Fruzen'] were both key players. Mariah is gritty and runs a fast-tempo ball. She is coming off a State Championship run with her high school team. Grace has a quick touch on the ball and isn't afraid to be aggressive and earn points. [player_tooltip player_id='257833' first='Trinity' last='Pearce'] can earn points in the middle and on the right side. She is fast and loves to run fast-tempo plays. [player_tooltip player_id='179730' first='Marin' last='Grossman'] put up a massive block and slowed down attacking opponents. Libero, [player_tooltip player_id='151740' first='Laurin' last='Hamann'] was all over the court. She put up a consistent out-of-system ball and was scrappy on defense. Pin hitter [player_tooltip player_id='211449' first='Bella' last='Ricci'] manufactured points on the pin. She was impactful on offense and mixed up her shots well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This entire roster is full of talented athletes that helped propel them to a championship in Minnesota. They are gritty and experienced and, if this is any indication, will have a very successful season ahead. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->