Nebraska’s Sunday Gold Contenders at Northern Lights Qualifier #2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're headed for a dramatic Sunday conclusion at this year's second Northern Lights Qualifier.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our spotlight has been on the two 15s division competing in NLQ No. 2: 15 USA and 15 American. We recently covered all the Great Plains teams competing in these groups, and now we're down to Minneapolis's last day of competition. Nebraska is still in the hunt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's an overview of Gold contenders to watch on Championship Sunday.</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=''] 15 Elite's Perfect Run</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gold contention in the 15 USA division is a rare privilege. Eight teams are left standing heading into Sunday, and [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 15 Elite is among them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An undefeated run through two days of competition has brought 15 Elite to the cusp of a bid triumph. In Round 1, [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] toppled SMV, Colorado Juniors, and Houston Skyline in straight sets. That momentum carried into Saturday as 15 Elite soared past NM Elite, SA Juniors, and MVP.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All eyes will be on [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last='']'s Sunday opener: a quarterfinal showdown with MKE Sting 15 Black. A win in this round would place 15 Elite firmly in bid contention, even if [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] falls in the semifinals. Three bids are available, and this group is two wins away from having postseason plans.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">In-State Drama in 15 American</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Club Legacy 15 Alpha has reached the final Round of 16 in 15 American, and the journey included a bit of regional flair--and a lot of dominant victories.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How about <em>zero</em> set losses through two days of play? 15 Alpha started its Minneapolis outing with sweeps against Ridgeland, Slam, and Kairos. Round 2 usually offers stiffer competition, but Club Legacy never wavered. The team kept its straight-set streak alive with wins against North Point, Iowa Impact, and 360.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However, because of 15 American's massive contingent of 100-plus teams, an additional challenge match awaited before Gold play. And, lo and behold, Club Legacy 15 Alpha faced a Great Plains foe: Premier Nebraska 15 Silver.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This Nebraska showdown ended in a seventh sweep for 15 Alpha, propelling this talent-stacked group into the final bracket. Only one bid is up for grabs in this division, so the dominance needs to continue.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>15 Alpha is built for it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Watching results roll in from Minneapolis, and we have a doozy in 15 American:</p> <p>Club Legacy 15 Alpha and Premier Nebraska 15 Silver face off in an evening challenge match for a spot in Gold.</p> <p>Plenty of Gold contenders to discuss for Championship Sunday.</p> <p>— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/1903543081862938998?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2025</a></p> </blockquote> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">VCNebraska Strikes Again</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We have another VCNebraska torchbearer in 15 American.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>VCNebraska 15 Blue played its best volleyball when it mattered most. The team opened with a 2-1 record in Day 1 pool play, securing a spot in the next round. 15 Blue replicated that record the following day, but work remained in the challenge match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A monumental matchup awaited. 15 Blue had to wait until late into the Minneapolis night to play its crossover contest against SWMVB 15-1, a team that hadn't dropped a set through two rounds of competition. However, as the clock ticked toward 10 p.m., 15 Blue scored a monumental upset with a 2-0 win. Another Great Plains crew joined the Round of 16.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">More Shoutouts</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a quick rundown of other Nebraska teams finding success in Minneapolis.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Before its setback against Club Legacy, Premier Nebraska 15 Silver rolled through its opening slate en route to a 5-1 record. This group continues to build on the strong showing we saw at last week's Nebraska Elite Classic.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Nebraska Elite 15 Heat, Club Legacy 15 Bravo, and VCNebraska 15 White have logged strong performances with three wins apiece. Depth is already building among Nebraska's top clubs in the 15s age group.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->