Three Set Thriller in 15’s Power Pool A at Triple Crown NIT

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most anticipated tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Triple Crown NIT because of all of the talent that will be under one roof.&nbsp; It is being held in Kansas City, MO this weekend, February 15-17^th.&nbsp; It brings together the toughest competition from all over the country.&nbsp; There are many storylines coming out of day one and we were front and center for one of them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The fifteens age group is always fun because it is unpredictable.&nbsp; Any team can go on a run at any time.&nbsp; Two of the teams in Power Pool A went to war on the court in their second match of the day.&nbsp; Alamo 15 Premier is fresh off of a championship at the prestigious Tour of Texas tournament a few weeks ago where they ran the table amongst the best squads in Texas.&nbsp; They looked to continue their winning ways against Coast 15-1 Rodrigo but it wasn't easy at all.&nbsp; Both teams looked very springy in the warm ups and had tons of energy.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That energy transferred very nicely into the first set as both teams stood toe to toe in the middle of the ring and traded some heavy punches.&nbsp; It almost seemed as if every player was trying to one up each other and see who could get their head over the net higher.&nbsp; That is how much bounce was going on by both teams throughout set one.&nbsp; Alamo middle [player_tooltip player_id='722075' first='Charlie' last='George'] played with such a high motor as she patrolled the net and transitioned from block to attack with quick tempos.&nbsp; Her swings were filled with a violent force that was unleashed onto the ball as she made contact.&nbsp; No one could get more than a two point lead throughout the entire first half of the set.&nbsp; Coast pin [player_tooltip player_id='720339' first='Summer' last='Tukua'] played some rotations on the left and some on the right as she continued to punish the defense with attacks.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='569555' first='Alice' last='Burgett'] was dealing the ball to all of her Coast teammates.&nbsp; She had no problem running a solid 5-1 offense for Coast.&nbsp; Just when you thought the Californians were going to pull away in the middle of the set, Alamo's setter/outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='482109' first='Sydney' last='Whisenton'] would come flying through the air as if she jumped on a trampoline to attack on the left side pin.&nbsp; The score continued to be tight as the set came to a close and Alamo pulled away for the four-point victory, 25-21.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alamo was riding high off of the first set win and their fans were feeling it too.&nbsp; But then as set two began, it was almost as if their wind was knocked out of them fast.&nbsp; They didn't come out with the same energy that they ended the first set with and Coast made them pay.&nbsp; The offensive barrage from Coast middle [player_tooltip player_id='727060' first='Makenna' last='Grieshaber'] and super 8^th grader [player_tooltip player_id='700675' first='Baylee' last='Wilson'] was just too much for Alamo to handle.&nbsp; Makenna had some amazing overpass kills that felt like they were worth more than one point.&nbsp; Their crowd erupted with emotion as the ball crashed to the ground.&nbsp; Miss Wilson was brilliant in the second set as she led all scorers.&nbsp; Although the score was 25-17 Coast, it felt like a rout.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Neither squad was going out without a fight in set three.&nbsp; They traded points back and forth again similar to set one and it was going to be a nail-biter.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='523942' first='Piper' last='Pease'] was putting up a wall on the right side and libero [player_tooltip player_id='482103' first='Sara' last='Gonzalez'] had shovels for arms as she dug everything that was hit her way for Alamo.&nbsp; The rallies were long and everyone was on pins and needles to see who would end it.&nbsp; Claire Bolton came up huge with a block and a kill to give Alamo some cushion as they were up a few points toward the end of the deciding set.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='482086' first='Kya' last='Flores'] also played some amazing defense for Alamo all match.&nbsp; The final score ended up being 15-12 with Alamo coming away with the three set victory.&nbsp; It was hard fought and we fully expect to see the same fight from both teams as they finish up the pool tomorrow.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always stay tuned for more articles on your favorite athletes.&nbsp; If you have anyone you think we should watch out for, please shoot me an email with some info at <a href="mailto:Michael@prepdig.com">Michael@prepdig.com</a>.&nbsp; Also don't forget to help these kids get more exposure by sharing our stories with your friends.&nbsp; Help us help them by simply retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook.&nbsp; Thanks for following us, Prep Dig Family!&nbsp; Don't be afraid to interact with us.&nbsp; We love the likes, shares, and quotes/comments.&nbsp; Keep them coming!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->