USA, American, Liberty, and Freedom play for HOA 16s

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's keep the tournament previews rolling by introducing the teams set to play in the USA, American, Liberty, and Freedom divisions at the Girls Junior National Championship set to kick off soon! USA. Liberty and Freedom bids come from qualifier action, while American can come from qualifiers and regions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">USA</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='[program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='[program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='PVA' last='']' last='']' last=''] 16 Elite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Northern Lights was where [program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='[program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='[program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='PVA' last='']' last='']' last=''] traveled to grab their USA bid in March. They came back home with a gold ball after going 8-1. After already having a USA bid, they moved up to Open for their next tournament and was respectable with a 10th place finish. [player_tooltip player_id='227605' first='Alex' last='Myers'] has had a breakthrough season in the middle. [player_tooltip player_id='261113' first='Macey' last='Jackson'] also has feasted off of sets by [player_tooltip player_id='219710' first='Marly' last='Burbach'] and [player_tooltip player_id='219708' first='Audrey' last='Wills']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CSDP 16-1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Community Sports Development 16-1 is ready to take on the competition after solidifying their spot at Show Me. The Springfield, Missouri program wasn't too far away from getting their bid at MEQ a couple of weeks prior. [player_tooltip player_id='493000' first='Hannah' last='Gardner'] keeps the offense flowing from the setter position. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mavs 816 16-1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 1 team from 816 16's didn't have to travel far to capture their bid, traveling to downtown Kansas City to play in Show Me. A third place finish was in store for this team. One thing they showed was consistency finishing in the top 10 in this division in three consecutive qualifiers. [player_tooltip player_id='219779' first='Delaney' last='Rhoden'] is a setter we highlighted earlier this season due to her good play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mavs 816 16-2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2 team went all the way down to the wire to get their USA bid at Lone Star in April. They had a 5th-place finish but the trickle down reached them and they happily accepted this turn of events. [player_tooltip player_id='222247' first='Jordyn' last='Krebs'] is a player who can swing from both pins and find the floor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Liberty</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Club North 16-1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Northern Lights bid reallocated to Club North 16-1 and they will play in the Liberty division at the championships. They played in the Liberty in Florida at Sunshine Classic and left with a 5th place showing, so they are capable of competing in this division. During [program_tooltip program_id='428794' first='[program_tooltip program_id='428794' first='Power' last='']' last=''] League they showed they can play with some of the top teams in the country after a 7th place finish. [player_tooltip player_id='261299' first='Grace' last='Blacklock'] and [player_tooltip player_id='219760' first='Megan' last='Bishton'] are both quality middles who affect the game positively. Karlee RIggs is an all-state performer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">American</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Topeka Saints 16-1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Topeka Saints continue to show they are one of the best kept secrets in the state putting teams in nationals year after year despite being a smaller local program. 16-1 will compete in the American division after grabbing a bid at MEQ. They were the last team standing out of over a hundred teams, going 11-0 over the weekend. Their roster is filled with players who had all-league and all-state performances last fall in [player_tooltip player_id='219715' first='Campbell' last='Chabot'], Maegan Mills, and [player_tooltip player_id='219725' first='Jo'Mhara' last='Benning']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>417 Columbia 16-1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The trip down I-70 allowed 417 Columbia to get their national bid in Kansas City. They are set this week to play at AAU National Championships as well. But back tracking to Show Me, they won the American division going a perfect 11-0. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>417 Juniors 16-1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The region bid championships after a perfect weekend, 417 Juniors will get a crack at the competition at the national championships. [player_tooltip player_id='485510' first='Kennedy' last='Hartman'] and Isabella Parrish are a couple of back row players who show good defensive aptitude. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mavs KC 16-2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second region bid went to Mavs KC 16-2 after falling to 417 in the title match. They wrapped up their qualifying season with a 9th place Liberty division showing. Makensie Pickert runs the offense from the setter position and will look to keep defenses off balance. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Freedom</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kansas United 16-1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kansas United were second place finshers in the region's Freedom bid tournament in late April. They dropped two matches over the weekend but to their credit, didn't let the first one derail their attempts at grabbing a bid. This was also after a 5th place finish at Show Me leaving them on the outside looking in. They will look to carry their late season momentum into the tournament. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KC Legends 16-1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8-0 in the bid event gave KC Legends the title and bid to nationals, dropping two sets along the way. Kailee Hansen and Brooke Reyes hold down the middle for this talented bunch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->