Metro 14 and Paramount 16 Earn Open Bids

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a killer weekend for a number of Chesapeake Region teams in Qualifiers. <strong>Metro 14</strong> and <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] 16</strong> got themselves open bids. This should shake up those age categories and perhaps open the door for another Chesapeake team to compete in Nationals. <strong>MVSA Sparks 16</strong>, who already secured a USA bid played in the American Division. They took first place over 127 other teams playing in that Division. Finally, <strong>Metro 17</strong> took second place in the Show Me Open Qualifier. This would have won them an Open bid, however they already owned one. The first they earned through trickle down. This one would need no trickle down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A number of clubs fell a couple wins short of earning a bid. They qualified for gold bracket play giving them an opportunity to snag one but fell short. Below are the clubs that earned bids and those that came close.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Show Me Qualifier in Kansas City</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":589253,"width":"305px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/113-Alyssa-Kumah.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-589253" style="width:305px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='435745' first='Alyssa' last='Kumah']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] 16</strong> earned a trickle down Open bid. They did very well in bracket play, the most critical win a 16-14 nail biter over MAVS Elite. A loss in that set would have dropped them down to third place in their pool. This would have eliminated them from gold bracket contention. They also swept past CUVC Open, pulling out a 31-29 second set victory. That second round win clinched them a second place finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To grab a spot in the final four of the gold bracket Paramount needed to win their pool. Unfortunately, they came up short with a second place finish. Good fortune shined on them though when three of the four teams advancing to the gold bracket already captured Open bids. This generated a battle with KC Power to play for the remaining bid. Paramount beat the KC Power 25-22, 25-19 to earn the bid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Four players from [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] rank in our top 20 in the class of 2027. They are [player_tooltip player_id='296486' first='Taylor' last='Harrington'] (1), [player_tooltip player_id='435745' first='Alyssa' last='Kumah'] (3), [player_tooltip player_id='528707' first='Annika' last='Dandridge'] (6) and [player_tooltip player_id='435748' first='Aaliyah' last='Green'] (12). Last year three of those four players suited up for different clubs. Paramount did a good job of powering up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Metro 17</strong> had already snagged an Open bid at the Northeast Qualifiers with their fifth place finish. Their second place finish at the Show Me in Kansas City qualified them again for Open, however with no trickle down attached. In bracket play Metro swept past all their opponents with the exception of Pohaku. Pohaku bounced Metro for their first loss, taking them in three.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Metro earned a spot in the final four after winning their gold bracket pool. In the finals Boilers Juniors Gold swept them 25-21, 26-24. Metro carries six players in the top 20 in the class of 2026, as well as one player in the top five in the class of 2027. Those players are [player_tooltip player_id='301696' first='Nadiya' last='Johnson'] (1), [player_tooltip player_id='303701' first='Caydence' last='Doolan'] (2), [player_tooltip player_id='227251' first='Morgan' last='Williams'] (4), [player_tooltip player_id='238357' first='Claire' last='Mo'] (5), [player_tooltip player_id='238341' first='Teodora' last='Stamenkovic'] (8) and [player_tooltip player_id='220923' first='Soleil' last='Rancourt'] (18) as well as class of 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='265167' first='Laila' last='Chadwick'] (4)..</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] 15 and the [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] 16 second team made it to the gold playoffs. The 15 team earned a spot in one of the two four team pools to advance to the finals of the Open Division. Unfortunately, they lost all three of their matches, with two of them going three. The [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] 16 second team won a first round match against Mizuno in the American Division gold bracket play 25-22, 26-24. In their next match Club MVP beat them 25-23, 25-18.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] 15 relies on their pins [player_tooltip player_id='554770' first='Rujuta' last='Singh'] (10), [player_tooltip player_id='569865' first='Eireni' last='Scott'] (12) and [player_tooltip player_id='550688' first='Sienna' last='Mitchell'] (14) for their success. Those three players rank in the top 20 in the class of 2028. The 16 second team lacks players ranked in the top 20. What they do have are a couple players ranked in the top 100 in the class of 2027 starting with 6'2" right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='390169' first='Katherine' last='Russell']</strong> (29) as well as 6'0" left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='496044' first='Cat' last='Batcheler'] </strong>(80).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Northeastern Qualifier</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":729633,"width":"186px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/25-Ela-Yilmaz.jpg?w=906" alt="" class="wp-image-729633" style="width:186px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='706453' first='Ela' last='Yilmaz'] [program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] Tony</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With <strong>Metro 14</strong> capturing an Open the club now has three age groups playing Open this year in Junior Nationals. Metro 14 will join the 18 and 17 teams in the Open Division. In their first eight matches the only loss for Metro came against Maryland Juniors, who beat them 25-23, 28-26. Interesting that the four team pool in the second round included three Chesapeake Region teams, [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] (Cozad), Metro and Maryland Juniors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both Maryland Juniors and [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] went 1-2 in their pool, with [program_tooltip program_id='476729' first='Paramount' last=''] beating Maryland Juniors 25-20, 25-23. Both teams lost to GP Rox. The last match of the day pitted Metro against GP Rox. A win would give Metro first in the pool while a loss would create a three way Chesapeake Region tie for second. Metro battled for a couple tight 25-23, 26-24 wins. While all matches in the pool resulted in sweeps, eight of the 12 sets were won by just two points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the gold bracket pool Metro finished in a three way tie with Dynasty and Circle City for first at 2-1. The tie breaker rules dropped Metro to third place. With the top two teams already securing Open bids while the third place team in the other pool also took an Open bid the last bid trickled down to Metro.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Metro 14 is led by setter/right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='746506' first='Carolyn' last='Maria']</strong> and left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='750050' first='Raquel' last='Telly']</strong>. No rankings exist yet for the Class of 2029 but they are being formalized.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In my opinion, one of the hardest Divisions to win a Qualifier is American. They usually have over 100 teams enter and only one of those teams earns a bid. <strong>MVSA Sparks</strong> topped 127 other teams to win the American 16 Division. Because they already scooped a USA bid the lone American Division bid trickled down to the second place team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a good tune-up for Sparks to prepare for their Junior National competition in Dallas in the USA Division. They earned that spot after a fourth place finish in the Big South. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>MVSA Sparks are led by libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='491007' first='Ana' last='Djordjevic']</strong>. She ranks as the only MVSA player in our top 20 in the class of 2027. When looking outside the top 20 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='465322' first='Siyena' last='Fitsum']</strong>, a 6'3" middle ranks at 30 while left side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='438097' first='Haile' last='Ma'] </strong>ranks just below her at 32.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some additional teams who did well to make the gold bracket lost in the first round to finish in 9th place. <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='494409' first='Blue' last='Ridge'] 14 </strong>finished 9th in the USA Division. Their first round loss came against the eventual first place winner GJ Nicole.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three teams finished 9th in the 16 American Division. They were <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] Tony</strong>, <strong>Metro North</strong> and <strong>MEVC Premier</strong>. For both [program_tooltip program_id='498081' first='Loudoun' last='Elite'] and Metro North their only losses came in the first round of the gold bracket playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the Liberty Division 15, <strong>Liberty Elite National</strong> and <strong>Maryland Jrs Elite Black</strong> finished ninth as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->