Nebraska’s Division Champions from ASICS President’s Day Classic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, we pivot to Omaha.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While we were knee-deep in coverage of Triple Crown NIT, dozens of Great Plains Region contenders were defending home territory at Omaha's President's Day Classic. This annual event is often a bellwether for which Nebraska teams are finding their stride early in the club volleyball season. Champions usually emerge, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This year's slate gave us a pair of triumphant squads to cover after a long gauntlet of matches in Omaha.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Banzai VBC 18 Select Prevails in 18 Club</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This Banzai VBC 18s crew has several recognizable prep stars on its roster. A strong outing at last month's Northern Lights Qualifier set the stage for an even bigger breakthrough in Omaha.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>18 Select's journey began with a 3-0 record in the opening round of pool play. Two of these triumphs were three-set thrillers that tested Banzai's resolve--and one of these was an in-state showdown with [program_tooltip program_id='428716' first='Nebraska' last='Jrs'] 18 Black.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Banzai kicked off Day 2 with another pair of wins before dropping its first match of the weekend to Northern Lights. However, fate would give 18 Select a chance at redemption.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2-1 record was enough to put 18 Select in the Gold bracket, and the wins kept rolling in from there. The team took down Cobras and OK Charge to set up a rematch with the same Northern Lights squad that had tripped Banzai up a day before. 18 Select pounced on the second opportunity and hoisted the 18 Club trophy at the President's Day Classic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>18 Select has flourished behind a collection of seasoned veterans with vast high-level experience. Midland commit [player_tooltip player_id='189374' first='Abree' last='Plueger'] has become a trendsetter in the frontcourt and can score on either pin. Multi-position standout [player_tooltip player_id='155055' first='Lilly' last='Pillay'] runs routes in the middle and on the right side, reflecting her do-everything mentality on the volleyball court. The ball control phase is anchored by standouts like [player_tooltip player_id='495052' first='Margaret' last='Williams'], [player_tooltip player_id='155056' first='Raeghan' last='Craven'], and [player_tooltip player_id='253924' first='Jordyn' last='Hill'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Look for us to go in-depth on more of 18 Select's leaders throughout the week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">Checking on <a href="https://twitter.com/Banzaivb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Banzaivb</a> 18 Select in the top 18 Liberty group.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='189374' first='Abree' last='Plueger'] skies for the kill on the outside. A clear trendsetter for this team. <a href="https://t.co/iEfertKMJK">pic.twitter.com/iEfertKMJK</a></p> <p>&mdash; Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/1885717420586709293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p> </p> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Club Legacy 16 Alpha Achieves Perfection in 16 Club</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a statement weekend for Club Legacy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This club's 16 Alpha squad has flexed a lot of potential since the beginning of last year, and now it's materializing into head-turning results. 16 Alpha entered Omaha's 16 Club division and did not drop a match en route to the championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A back-and-forth win in Saturday's first match against Ohana set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Many of 16 Alpha's other matches would not be as dramatic, as Club Legacy rolled to wins in several of its other pool matches. The team also scored in-state triumphs over Premier Nebraska 16 Silver and [program_tooltip program_id='428716' first='Nebraska' last='Jrs'] 16 Black.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The regional wins kept coming as 16 Alpha toppled [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 16 Black in the second round of the Gold bracket. Emphatic sweeps over KC Voltage and CVC completed the weekend, putting Club Legacy at an incredible 10-0 mark.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's a lineup dominated by Omaha Concordia High School stars like [player_tooltip player_id='512869' first='Alyse' last='Moulton'], [player_tooltip player_id='458125' first='Breckynn' last='Snyder'], [player_tooltip player_id='521300' first='Grace' last='Samuelson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='575155' first='Addie' last='Stater']. We've also been impressed by the development of Bellevue West sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='773342' first='Claire' last='Ana Monjarez-Palermo'] in the back row.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These 2027s are ready to jump into the rankings, and 16 Alpha has a lot more team accomplishments to notch before the season is over.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->