Nebraska Bid Tracker: MVP United 16 Red Takes Show Me Gold
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This group has a lot of non-Nebraska representation, but we’re welcoming it to the Nebraska Bid Tracker anyway. MVP United hails from the Sioux City area but has the same Great Plains Region designation as the rest of its Nebraska…
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Continue ReadingThis group has a lot of non-Nebraska representation, but we’re welcoming it to the Nebraska Bid Tracker anyway.
MVP United hails from the Sioux City area but has the same Great Plains Region designation as the rest of its Nebraska neighbors. So, why not include this club in the Nebraska Bid Tracker series? Besides, MVP United ‘s 16 Red team gave us plenty to talk about at last weekend’s Show Me Qualifier.
Our latest bid triumph in the Great Plains Region comes as MVP United 16 Red hoisted the gold ball in Kansas City. The team’s 16 USA championship was a surprise to many, but these players showed an air of confidence that put them firmly in the Show Me spotlight. Get these athletes on your radar!
Let’s help that cause with a breakdown of 16 Red’s journey to a Nationals bid.
Finding a Groove
MVP United started its Show Me journey as the third-overall seed in a four-team pool. This squad defied the odds from the very beginning.
Though 16 Red fell in a tough three-set battle against OP2 16-1 to open the tournament, the team showed its resilience with a dramatic 16-14 win in the third set over MN Select 16-2 to get in the win column. In retrospect, we can see that this narrow triumph was effectively a must-win to keep MVP United in the top group heading into Day 2. An emphatic sweep over ClevPRIME wrapped up the Saturday slate, and 16 Red was moving on.
Sunday offered an opening matchup against a Great Plains neighbor: Banzai 16 Select. MVP United was clearly determined to put together a faster start than Day 1’s pool, and a sweep over Banzai was the perfect way to kick it off.
The regional matchups continued when MVP United met Kairos for a battle that surely brought pride to the Iowa-South Dakota crowd. After both squads exchanged blows, Kairos escaped with a 15-13 win in the third to relegate 16 Red to a 1-1 record for the second consecutive day. We were back at a familiar scenario in which MVP United would need to win its pool finale to guarantee a second-place finish and advance to the next round.
Once again, 16 Red understood the assignment. Even after dropping the opening set to BSVBC, MVP United dominate the rest of the match to win in three and go 2-1 on the day. Survive and advance.
The Long Climb
Four teams earned in 16 USA earned first-round byes in the bracket, but MVP United was not one of them. Of course, 16 Red was not going to be deterred.
The action started bright and early with MVP United facing TAV West 16 Royal for a spot in the quarterfinals. Set 1 was a barnburner with a 28-26 decision in 16 Red’s favor, and that triumph carried a wave of momentum into the second stanza. MVP United was moving on.
How about another Great Plains meetup? Next on 16 Red’s docket was Nebraska Pride Gold 16s, a hard-charging team of central Nebraska standouts that had climbed to the quarterfinals with a first-round bye. Even without the advantage of some additional rest, 16 Red come right out of the gates with an emphatic Set 1 victory and looked equally dominant in the second. After so many close calls in pool play, something special was starting to come together for MVP United .
In this three-bid division, 16 Red suddenly stood among the final four teams in 16 USA. A win in the semifinals would assure a bid, and even a loss would offer a chance at redemption in the third-place match.
MVP United was not about to settle. With so much on the line, 16 Red roared out to comfortable leads against Northern Lights 16-2 and held firm control throughout the semifinal match. A 2-0 win clinched a bid and a spot in the championship match for a team that was once on the brink of elimination.
Such a Cinderella story has to end with the gold, right? That’s exactly what we got as MVP United earned yet another sweep against CSDP to claim the 16 USA title. Even after all the pool play drama, 16 Red did not drop a single set in bracket play against some of the best competitors in the division.
Variety!
This MVP United team is among the most unique that we’ll cover for the Nebraska Bid Tracker this year. I’m calling it now.
Incredibly, this successful 16s team features a perfectly even split of 2025s and 2026s. Such a roster composition provides depth at every position, and MVP United reaped those rewards at Show Me.
It’s hard to know where to start with this breakdown, but I’d advise readers to keep an eye on 16 Red’s collection of talented, high-flying attackers. Among those is Maliyah Hacker Maliyah Hacker 6'1" | OH Sioux City Heelan | 2025 State IA , whose length and athleticism presented plenty of matchup problems for opposing teams throughout Show Me. And, when she’s not tearing it up in the frontcourt, Hacker also brings a steady presence in the backcourt that makes her a brilliant six-rotation option.
Claire Munch Claire Munch 5'10" | RS Dakota Valley (SD) | 2026 State IA is another attacker who has made a big splash on the pin, and she’s one of those 2026s who is playing a year up with 16 Red. Her ability to thrive on either pin helps contribute to the ever-evolving nature of MVP United ‘s starting rotation.
Keep an eye on other multi-talented hitters Addie Kleis, Hollie Peterson Hollie Peterson 6'0" | S Sioux City East | 2025 State IA , and Ava Lloyd Ava Lloyd 5'9" | OH Sioux City North | 2026 State IA . This trio can take on a variety of ball-control roles if they’re not attacking at the net, giving 16 Red’s foes a lot to think about in any given match.
Middle blocker is a particularly strong position for 16 Red with Bailey Boeve Bailey Boeve 6'0" | OH Hinton | 2026 State IA and Jadyn Hofmeyer Jadyn Hofmeyer 5'11" | MB Unity Christian | 2025 State IA getting a large share of the reps at this spot. Both of these athletes connect so well with setter Kinslee Walrod Kinslee Walrod 5'7" | S Sioux City North | 2026 State IA , who is carving her own path as a leader for MVP United . If this group is passing well, look for Boeve and Hofmeyer to get involved early and often.
Finally, the backcourt is anchored by a pair of Jacksons with Ireland Jackson Ireland Jackson 5'5" | DS/L Sioux City North | 2026 State IA and Maddy Jackson Maddy Jackson 5'5" | DS/L Sioux City East | 2025 State IA representing this unit well. This region has had its share of hidden gems at the defensive specialist spot, and we can count on these two delivering similar results with 16 Red.
The Tracker
18 Open
Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (KC MLK)
18 USA
Premier Nebraska 18 Black (Music City)
18 Liberty
Club Legacy 18 Alpha (Boston)
18 American
Banzai 18 Select (GPR)
18 Freedom
Nebraska ONE 18 Lime (GPR)
17 Open
Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (NLQ)
16 Open
Nebraska ONE 16 Synergy (NLQ)
Premier Nebraska 16 Gold (NLQ)
16 USA
MVP United 16 Red (Show Me)
15 Open
Premier Nebraska 15 Gold (Show Me)
15 USA
Premier Nebraska 15 Black (NLQ)