Which Nebraska Teams Shined at ASICS Presidents’ Day Classic?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even while I was busy at Triple Crown NIT, you know I had my eyes on what was happening in Omaha.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The annual ASICS Presidents Day Classic draws in a wealth of Nebraska clubs, many of whom find themselves at the top of the leaderboard by the end of the weekend. That's certainly the case in 2024, as several Great Plains Region representatives were in the championship running at the CHI Health Center. Many hoisted the gold.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're preparing several player-based features as we review the film from this one. First, let's give a wholesale shoutout to the Nebraska teams who ran the show at the ASICS Presidents Day Classic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Nebraska Elite 17 Mamba</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's start at the top with one of Presidents' Day's "overachievers."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playing up an age group did not stop Nebraska Elite 17 Mamba from climbing to the top in 18 Open. This talented squad scored wins against 18s teams from across the club landscape: [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'], [program_tooltip program_id='428716' first='Nebraska' last='Jrs'], CIA, and others. It's no surprise to see 17 Mamba amass a 7-1 overall record, even while climbing the division ladder. If you're looking for some uncommitted 2025s for your radar, 17 Mamba has plenty of good ones. More on this soon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 18 Black</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perfection was the prevailing storyline for VCN 18 Black last weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>18 Black finished its tour of the 18 Club division with a flawless 9-0 record--and an 18-2 set count. It's a feat that highlights [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last='']'s depth in the 18s age group, especially as VCN 18 Elite climbed to the final bracket at Triple Crown NIT.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 17 Black</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another nine-match win streak for a VCNebraska group. This one was earned by 17 Black, a team that has revamped its lineup for the 2024 season. It's already paying dividends and giving us more standouts to cover.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The only team to stop 17 Black was Vital 17-2 Royal in the championship match. Momentum keeps building after this VCN squad saw more national success at the Northern Lights Qualifier. Keep tabs on these 2025s.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1751295819804729550?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1751295819804729550?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">[program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 17 Black</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's think back to Midwest Power League #2, where [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 17 Black looked the part as a dominant force with plenty of offensive balance. Now, that has translated into an extraordinary championship run in Presidents' Day's 17 Open division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17 Black battled past several unfamiliar foes with its only Great Plains Region matchup coming against Nebraska Elite 17 Koa. This regional variety did little to quell [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE']'s momentum all the way to first place. A nail-biter against Mizuno Northern Lights 17-2 in the Gold group was a reminder of how clutch this [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] team can be. We've seen it at past qualifiers, but this team is performing at an even higher level this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1756700596726374748?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1756700596726374748?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">[program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 16 Black</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] swipes another division championship. No surprises here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16 Black has all the tools for a deep qualifier run, and last weekend's event was a display of the team's peak form. We're immediately drawn to [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE']'s Gold pool victory over Nebraska Elite 15 Revolution, the 15 Open champion at the Northern Lights Qualifier. That two-set triumph eventually propelled 16 Black to the 16 Open championship. There's a lot of continuity and cohesion on this roster that will yield many more exciting tournament moments this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 16 Black</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>VCNebraska's 2026s keep getting better.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is another one of those VCN teams that looks a little different from last year's iteration. Still, it seems these roster movements are panning out as 16 Black finished second at last year's tournament. It's a runner-up journey that includes significant Great Plains victories over Club Legacy 16 Alpha and Premier Nebraska 16 Red. Lock down those regional bragging rights.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">[program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 15 Black</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's bring [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] back into the spotlight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We still have a lot of unknowns to resolve in the 15s age group, and [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 15 Black will be a future scouting subject for us. That's especially true after the team earned a podium finish in Omaha's 15 Open group. A medley of emerging 2027s made this possible, and we have a list of new names to add to our next 2027 watch list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Premier Nebraska 15 Red</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a group of 15s at Premier Nebraska.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Premier 15 Gold and 15 Black dueled at Triple Crown NIT with both putting up <a href="https://prepdig.com/2024/02/no-power-pool-no-problem-nebraska-underdogs-thrive-at-2024-nit/">great performances in Kansas City</a>. Meanwhile, Premier 15 Red carved its own path to a 6-1 record in the 15 Club division at the Presidents' Day Classic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Five of those six victories came via dominant two-set sweeps. We have another testament to the depth of Premier's 15s, and we're only just getting started in the 2024 campaign. More bids are on the horizon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1751609203402121632?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1751609203402121632?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->