Top Showdowns in the Triple Crown 16U Power Pools
The time has come and one of the hottest tournaments of the year is BACK! Triple Crown brings the best of the best from coast to coast and everything in between. As some would say, “You walk in the gym…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe time has come and one of the hottest tournaments of the year is BACK!
Triple Crown brings the best of the best from coast to coast and everything in between. As some would say, “You walk in the gym and can smell the upsets!”
This is where the magic happens and this is where some of the best volleyball in the country is this weekend.
Let’s take a look at what we can expect from the 16u Power Pools at Triple Crown!
Group A
1st Alliance | AZ STORM | COAST | Drive Nation |
Houston Juniors | Houston Skyline | MKE Sting | Surfside PV Legends |
This first power pool has a lot of that Texan flavor with a touch of the midwest and west coast. There’s going to be bloodshed in these matches. A match or two in particular to look out for is in the 1st Alliance versus Drive Nation and the MKE Sting versus COAST match. The Alliance and DN match is going to the battle of pure physicality on the pins. Alex Richter and Abby Vander Wal are two ginormous forces on the left side that can bang away with ease. Throw in Zoe Gillen-Malveaux in the middle for Drive Nation. It’s going to get wild. Coast is a smaller team out of Cali but always brings immense ball control. MKE Sting has its own big swinger with Madison Quest on the left side.
Group B
A5 | AZ SKY | Legacy | Michigan Elite |
Mizuno Long Beach | OT JASON | TAV | WAVE |
This pool is a hodge podge of every corner of the country. Michigan teams to the South and then some more west coast vibes. This line-up is going to be fun! A really fun match I’ll be front and center for is the Michigan Elite versus OT match. OT knocked out Elite in the semifinals of the 15 Open championship last year at AAU Nationals. Elite is a whole new beast this year with the addition of middles Shelby Ignash and Lauren Johnson. Another big match will be TAV versus AZ Sky. A battle between two really strong setters with Addison France (AZ Sky) and Sarah Pfiffner (TAV). Both have absolute units to work with, making for a fun brawl.
.
Group C
Absolute | Adidas KIVA | Austin Skyline | Gamepoint |
HPSTL | MADFROG | OT Roberto | Tri-State |
Just when you think you’ve seen them all, there is MORE Texas teams in this power pool! And another OT squad in the Triple Crown power pools?! A few matches to note in this one. If you’re looking to watch a defensive showdown, look no further than the MADFROG versus Tri-State match. These two libero’s are going to be hot on the market come June 15th. Maddie Smotherman (MADFROG) and Sakura Codling (Tri-State) will be keeping these rallies long and tense! If you’re looking for explosive offensive, come straight to the Austin Skyline/KIVA match, you WON’T be disappointed. Addison Gaido (Austin Skyline) is a 6’5 opposite with a cannon of an arm. Meanwhile KIVA has themselves a pretty stout middle duo with Addison Makun (6’5) and Elise Hart (6’2)!
Group D
Adidas Dynasty | ALAMO | Dallas Skyline | Munciana Blaze |
Nebraska One | NORCAL | Northern Lights | Rockwood Thunder |
This pool has a lot more of a midwest taste to it than the previous three and we are in for a real treat. A huge match to watch for is Nebraska ONE versus Dallas Skyline. ONE has one of the top liberos in the 2025 class in Keri Leimbach and she’ll have all that she can handle and more with the likes of Chichi Nnaji and Kaelynn Sims at Dallas Skyline. Alamo is another real fun squad to watch in this pool, reigning USAV Champions in 15 Open last year, they’re going to be dangerous.