Nebraska Teams On Easter Bid Hunt at Windy City Qualifier
One day remains at Chicago’s Windy City Qualifier, and we still have a lot of Nebraska teams in bid contention. We led into this major qualifier with a look at all the Nebraska teams making the eastward trek to Chicago.…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOne day remains at Chicago’s Windy City Qualifier, and we still have a lot of Nebraska teams in bid contention.
We led into this major qualifier with a look at all the Nebraska teams making the eastward trek to Chicago. After two days of action, many of those squads have made the final Sunday group for their divisions.
Easter is a time for celebration, togetherness, and high-stakes volleyball. Let’s get after it.
Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy
Just another Gold pool for 17 Synergy. No surprises here, right?
This Nebraska ONE group is no stranger to performing in the national spotlight, but the team has seemingly found a new gear in recent weeks. This championship form was reinforced on Day 1 of WCQ, when 17 Synergy compiled a perfect Friday record against Six Pack, Mintonette, and Houston Juniors.
The stakes always rise in Round 2, and Nebraska ONE was greeted with a few familiar faces. Saturday started with a two-set win over in-state competitor VCNebraska 17 Elite. Despite taking a sweep loss to AVC in the next matchup, 17 Synergy wasn’t out of the hunt. Nebraska ONE regrouped and claimed the one set victory it needed over 1st Alliance to assure a second-place finish. On to Sunday.
It’s a tough road ahead, but Synergy is all about these pressure tests. Circle City, Tribe, and Legacy await for Easter volleyball, and it’s a 17 Open group stacked with storylines, connections, and more. Get ready.
Nebraska ONE 17 Black
Did we mention this club has depth in the 17s age group?
Nebraska ONE 17 Black is running in lockstep with its 17 Synergy counterparts by locking up a spot in the final 17 USA bracket. Better yet, 17 Black already has a spot in the quarterfinals while other teams are tasked with a play-in match.
Friday was highlighted by a 2-1 start with straight-set triumphs over NRG VBC and Five:1. However, Nebraska ONE ‘s best volleyball showed up a day later. 17 Black scored wins over big-name clubs like Legacy and Mintonette to kick off Round 2. A clutch three-set win over TVC capped off a perfect second round, propelling Nebraska ONE into its favorable bracket spot.
17 Black now has a rematch of its first WCQ contest. NRG VBC is on the Sunday morning docket, and Nebraska ONE hopes to replicate Friday’s 2-0 result. This is a must-win to stay in bid contention, but the path gets much nicer after that.
Premier Nebraska 17 Black
Another 17 USA quarterfinalist joins the conversation.
We have a simple conclusion after perusing Premier Nebraska 17 Black’s first two days of competition: this team was ready. 17 Black has been an unstoppable force in Chicago and carries a flawless 6-0 record into the final bracket.
It all started with Friday victories over HP Illinois, Chi City, and NOVA Juniors. Two of these three contests came by three-set decisions, so Premier Nebraska was tested early. That was the perfect prelude to three more wins in Round 2–two of those in straight sets.
17 Black meets Tribe 17 Elite Navy in a momentous morning matchup. As we mentioned with our other 17 USA competitor, this is the contest you have to win to stay alive.
Banzai VBC 17 Select
We knew this squad could make some noise.
Banzai VBC 17 Select has earned its way into Chicago’s 17 Liberty bracket. This squad is familiar with the surroundings at McCormick Place, so why not make the most of another stay?
Two Friday sweeps over Top Select and Unified sent 17 Select into the next round. Now, we find another Nebraska team that got sharper as the event progressed. Banzai VBC posted a 3-0 Saturday record and cemented some Great Plains representation in the Gold group.
The Liberty division brings two bids to the table. 17 Select is two victories away from this triumph and will await the winner of a contest featuring two Sky High teams.
Club Legacy 16 Bravo
Club Legacy is getting plenty of memorable moments out of its lone WCQ entry.
16 Bravo managed to wade its way through a large 16 American field to end up in the final 16-team bracket. The team’s resilience would face an immediate test following an opening three-set loss to Blue Crab. Remarkably, that would be the final loss for Club Legacy through two days of action.
After cementing a Round 2 spot with a 2-1 record, 16 Bravo soared through its Saturday group and went 3-0. But, with that large contingent of American teams, the work didn’t stop there. Club Legacy then had an extra crossover match to stay alive in the Gold hunt. Fortunately, a straight-set victory over Lions SWest did the trick.
Prepare yourself for the bracket. This is a single-bid division that’s sure to deliver some drama.
Premier Nebraska 15 Gold
The ascent continues.
Premier Nebraska 15 Gold has been building toward this moment for a while. We’ll go back to the team’s breakout performance at Triple Crown NIT against some of the nation’s top 15s squads. 15 Gold belongs on these big stages, and it could yield a GJNC bid.
This squad has dispatched all challengers so far. It started with a win over L2. Then, Premier Nebraska won a 16-14 third set over Adversity to improve to 2-0. The end of Day 1 was just as dramatic as 15 Gold claimed a hotly contested match over TAV.
That TAV matchup seemed to be a lead-in to more Texas matchups. The Great Plains crew was undaunted as it took down Premier (of North Texas) and Austin Skyline. Add a win over Sky High. 6-0.
Premier Nebraska’s Gold pool has some serious Midwestern flair. Dynasty and HPSTL are in there. Florida’s Tribe team is the outlier. We’re prepared for a memorable Easter with more than one Open competitor carrying the torch for the Great Plains Region. Look out, Chicago.