Heart of America 17 American Regionals

Two bids were in play this past weekend in Lawrence, Kansas as teams from across the region met in the Heart of America regional championships. When the dust cleared, [program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] 17 Black emerged as the champions with a 6-0 record, defeating [program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='PVA' last=''] 17-1 in the finale in a highly contested three-set match. The champions jumped all over [program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='PVA' last=''] in set one, winning 25-14. [program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='PVA' last=''] settled in for the second set and escaped with a 25-22 win to force a third and deciding set. In the third set, [program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] jumped out to a big lead early and held on for a 15-10 win.   With both [program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] and [program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='PVA' last=''] looking to upgrade their bid, the third-place match was equally important and it saw Topeka Impact defeat Invasion 17-1 in a three-set thriller that included a 17-15 final stanza.   I was able to see a handful of matches over the weekend live, here are some players who played well in my limited time on their court.   [player_tooltip player_id='774857' first='Carissa' last='Bacon'] - S - 2026 - Optimum Volleyball   I thought Bacon did a good job of running the Optimum offense. Her decision-making on where to send the ball was good and her ball placement was on point. When she rotated to the front row, she showed the ability to swing and be effective.   [player_tooltip player_id='483941' first='Paxton' last='Damme'] - OH - 2027 - Optimum Volleyball   Damme was efficient on the pin in the match I sat through. She was able to score off the tool and by finding the open space on the floor. Defensively, she got quite a few blocks.   [player_tooltip player_id='735628' first='Jersey' last='Jones'] - MB - 2026 - Optimum Volleyball   Jones was another player who shined for me on the Optimum team. In the middle, she displayed she has potential as a scorer when the team is in the system. Defensively, she is solid in the block game with strong technique and presses well over the net.   [player_tooltip player_id='357615' first='Piper' last='Bahr'] - OH - 2026 - Invasion Volleyball   Bahr was her typical set in a couple of matches I peeked in on. I like the progress in her shot selection and her back-row play. She is a weapon on the pipe from behind the 10-foot line.   [player_tooltip player_id='496502' first='Rhys' last='Zinn'] - MB - 2026 - Invasion Volleyball   The two middles for Invasion stood out for me when checking out their matches. I was impressed with the lateral movement of Zinn along the front row. She covers a lot of ground and finds ways to get touches on a lot of balls. Offensively, she takes good swings and finds the floor.   [player_tooltip player_id='490113' first='Kali' last='Adamec'] - MB - 2026 - Invasion Volleyball   Adamec also played well at the net. She was able to affect the matches with her length. I like her ability to quickly transition off of the net and be ready for a quick set for a kill.   Charlee Milligan - OH - 2026 - [program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='PVA' last=''] 17-2   I was impressed by the tenacity of Milligan on the outside. While not the biggest outside, her ability to take big swings and power through was something her team relied on and benefited from in the match I checked out.   Emma Barrington - OH - 2026 - [program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='PVA' last=''] 17-2   Like Milligan, Barrington is a smart attacker who showed the ability to take swings from both pins and score. She came through in some big moments.   Piper Allen - S - 2026 - [program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='PVA' last=''] 17-2   Allen was steady from the setter position. I thought she was magnificent in her ability to hold the defense with her decision-making, which allowed her pins to get one-on-one matchups.   Mya Schirk - S - [program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='PVA' last=''] 17-1   I hadn't seen Schirk live before today and walked away impressed with her play. I saw her in the championship match and she was really good in the second set win.   [player_tooltip player_id='489645' first='Sofia' last='Ricci'] - RS/MB - 2026- [program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='PVA' last=''] 17-1   Ricci has a powerful arm, which was on display when she murdered an overpass. She is very active along the front row and gets touches on a lot of balls.   [player_tooltip player_id='552361' first='Caileigh' last='Kilgore'] - OH - 2026 - [program_tooltip program_id='428892' first='PVA' last=''] 17-1   Kilgore was going toe-for-toe with the outsides for [program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] and was holding her own. She is another outside who rose to the occasion over the weekend and saw her stock rise.   [player_tooltip player_id='222091' first='Avery' last='Sands'] - OH - 2026 - [program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] 17-1   Sands is a fierce competitor who is not afraid of anybody in front of her. She has a powerful swing that finds the floor often. She can score points from the back row. The thing that stood out to me in the championship match was that a mistake doesn't rattle her as she'll come back on the next play and take another big swing.   [player_tooltip player_id='222090' first='Alayna' last='Vaeth'] - S - 2026 - [program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] 17-1   There is not much I can add about Vaeth's game. She already has a reputation as one of the top setters in the state and that was confirmed with her play in the title match.   [player_tooltip player_id='355660' first='Alyssa' last='Gray'] - RS - 2026 - [program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] 17-1   I haven't seen much of Gray, but she came through often on the right side for [program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last='']. In one-on-one situations, she was nearly unstoppable and drilled some balls into the court.   [player_tooltip player_id='222096' first='Selah' last='Simien'] - L - 2026 - [program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] 17-1   Simien didn't do anything jaw-dropping, which shows how good she is. She covers a lot of ground and has great size and length, which makes tough plays look routine. Her second ball sets were strong and on point.   [player_tooltip player_id='489770' first='Gyntre' last='Fletcher'] - S - 2026 - KS Networks 17-1 Showtime   Fletcher is an athletic setter with great hands. Her ability to cover ground and still send a pretty ball to the outside I saw numerous times in a couple of matches. She is a true floor general and does a good job of keeping her team grounded.   [player_tooltip player_id='489662' first='Addison' last='Rockley'] - MB - 2026 - KS Networks 17-1 Showtime   I like Rockley's game in the middle. Her tremendous quick-twitch muscles allow her to get up quickly before the defense and score offensively. She was effective with quick sets and found the floor often.   Hanna Klein - RS - 2026 - [program_tooltip program_id='515493' first='Club' last='North'] 17 Mike   I love left-hand right sides, and Klein was one of the best I saw this weekend. She is terminal from the pin and can power through the block.   [player_tooltip player_id='222066' first='Naima' last='Makachia'] - OH - 2026 - [program_tooltip program_id='515493' first='Club' last='North'] 17 Mike   Makachia has great size on the outside for this [program_tooltip program_id='515493' first='Club' last='North'] team. She showed flashes of being a strong back-row player defensively.   [player_tooltip player_id='485579' first='Mikayla' last='Fox'] - OH - 2027 - [program_tooltip program_id='515493' first='Club' last='North'] 17 Mike   Fox continues to improve every time I see her. This weekend, I saw more confidence in her shots. She is a player who will continue to get better and better.

Two bids were in play this past weekend in Lawrence, Kansas as teams from across the region met in the Heart of America regional championships. When the dust cleared, Dynasty 17 Black emerged as the champions with a 6-0 record, defeating PVA 17-1 in the finale in a highly contested three-set match. The champions jumped all over PVA in set one, winning 25-14. PVA settled in for the second set and escaped with a 25-22 win to force a third and deciding set. In the third set, Dynasty jumped out to a big lead early and held on for a 15-10 win.