2024 Nebraska Bid Tracker: Premier 18 Gold on the Board First

The bid tracker is back. Let the GJNC journey begin.   It's not surprising to see an 18s team start this year's bid tracker mania, but it's perhaps even less surprising that Premier Nebraska 18 Gold did the honors. This group has climbed to the biggest stages that club volleyball has to offer. 18 Gold entered the 2024 season with a multi-year streak of Open bids. And, even as many top-tier 18s teams lost talent to early college enrollment, Premier 18 Gold kept most of its stars for a swan song 18s season. It's already paying off.   Here's a look at Premier Nebraska 18 Gold's bid-earning journey at Kansas City's Martin Luther King Day Tournament--along with the high-profile veterans who helped make it happen.   18s in the Spotlight   The 18s were the only age group vying for GJNC bids at this event. It's typical for an early-season event with the 18s season only going until late April. This put Premier Nebraska 18 Gold in the spotlight in 18 Open, and this group was ready.   18 Gold was placed in a unique three-team pool, meaning that both of its Round 1 matchups would be played in a best-of-five format. An opening sweep over Team Momentum 18 Navy proved to be the difference-maker, even after a setback against the talented MAVS KC 18-1 squad. On to Round 2.   This is where things get chaotic. 18 Gold was the third-seeded team in its group of four, but the lower seeds found success on Day 2. Top-seeded A5 18-1 Marc looked unstoppable in the first round, but Premier 18 Gold started Sunday with an emphatic sweep over the physical Atlanta squad. That was followed by a three-set triumph over Pohaku to effectively ensure Premier's spot in Gold pools. The clutch factor we've seen from this team over the past several years was coming out again.   Pressure was dialed to another level in Monday's final group. Premier 18 Gold was grouped with a pair of familiar regional foes: MN Select 18-1 and Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite. This is a trio packed with past history. It's only fitting that Premier's contest against Rockwood Thunder went down to the wire with both teams exchanging deuce set wins. Eventually, 18 Gold pulled away in the deciding third to put a crucial Gold victory on the board.   The contest with MN Select was another three-set classic, but this one went the other way. In the end, all three teams finished the final round with a 1-1 record--exactly as it should be, right? Rockwood Thunder rallied to claim first place with two-set win over MN Select, giving 18 Elite a set percentage advantage. That also locked Premier 18 Gold into second place, but the task wasn't complete, either.   This pool finish meant Premier would play a third-place match to determine the last Open bid. The opponent? MAVS KC 18-1. Indeed, we had a rematch of the Day 1 matchup in which 18 Gold was defeated in straight sets. But, we mentioned how clutch this team can be in high-pressure situations, and that was most apparent in the tournament's final match. Premier 18 Gold raced past MAVS KC in dominant fashion to claim a GJNC bid in mid-January. That's an early statement.     The Veterans   This roster has always been a "who's-who" in Nebraska's Class of 2024. We have a few more months to enjoy their extraordinary impact on the Nebraska prep scene.   Let's start with a couple of injury comebacks. One of our lasting memories from last year's Premier 17 Gold group is the lineup shuffles necessitated by unfortunate injuries. Strength was regained last weekend.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/01/IMG_6492.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-501169" style="width:367px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tvrdy attacks on the slide.</figcaption></figure>   Midland commit [player_tooltip player_id='104996' first='Lauren' last='Jones'] is back at the outside hitter spot. It's exciting to see the Millard West product back in action after she missed almost all of the 2023 campaign. Her explosiveness on the left pin is a welcomed addition that will keep 18 Gold in the national conversation all the way to 18s GJNC in Baltimore.   We have another triumphant on the other pin, too. [player_tooltip player_id='105002' first='Josie' last='Cleveringa'], who will take her talents to Washburn this fall, returns to the picture at opposite. Her 2023 injury came near the end of North Bend Central's basketball season, and that loss had plenty of ripple effects on 17 Gold's lineup. The team preferred to run a 6-2 but had to get creative after losing two pin hitters.   Cleveringa is back, and so is the 6-2. [player_tooltip player_id='109593' first='Reese' last='Booth'] and [player_tooltip player_id='109586' first='Reagan' last='Hickey'] command the setter spots after completing storied prep careers at Elkhorn North and Papillion-La Vista, respectively. Cleveringa's counterpart at opposite is Tanith Roush, a North Dakota State commit who stepped up in big moments during last year's injury strife. She became a go-to in 2023, and she's thriving a year later.   The middle blocker position has its familiar cast of future D1 stars. Oregon commit [player_tooltip player_id='109603' first='Mia' last='Tvrdy'] is tearing up opposing defenses, and we're always excited to see the ways Premier gets her involved in the offense. 18 Gold runs crossing patterns to get Tvrdy attacking off of one foot, even if the 6-2 always puts three hitters in the frontcourt. You can't pass up that slide termination.   South Dakota-bound middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='152854' first='Morgan' last='Bode'] is as physical as ever. This is another player who changes the team's dynamic when she's a full strength.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/111_Quinn-Groves-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-255233" style="width:370px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Groves</figcaption></figure>   Of course, top-ranked 2024 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='109585' first='Lauren' last='Medeck'] anchors all phases of the game. She will join Bode at South Dakota later this year, but there's unfinished business on the club side. We'll always think fondly of Medeck's own injury comeback at the 16s level to place herself on the 16 Open all-tournament team. She can pass, play defense, and is everything you'd want from an outside hitter--particularly in a 6-2 system.   All this frontcourt talent is backed up by some of the best defensive specialists in Nebraska's 2024 class. Cincinnati pledge [player_tooltip player_id='104984' first='Faith' last='Frame'] is back to lock down the libero position, and her accolades speak for themselves. Like Medeck, Frame has racked up her share of individual accolades at GJNC. We anticipate a few more this year.   [player_tooltip player_id='183983' first='Quinn' last='Groves'] and [player_tooltip player_id='105830' first='Sydney' last='Guthard'] have represented a few different Premier teams over the years, but 2024 is bringing their big opportunity with 18 Gold. It's a perfect fit, too, and we got a good look at their roles at KC MLK. Premier can also lean on Creighton commit [player_tooltip player_id='105001' first='Alivia' last='Hausmann'], who is a familiar face in the backcourt. A medley of new and familiar has led 18 Gold to the mountaintop yet again.   On to Baltimore.     The Tracker   This is where we'll list all the teams addressed on the bid tracker so far. The first team enters.     18 Open   Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (KC MLK)

The bid tracker is back. Let the GJNC journey begin.