16s Ready to Take on Nationals: Liberty, American, and Freedom

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Teams from across Missouri and Kansas City are finishing their final practices as they prepare for a trip to Texas for the USAV Junior National Championships. Here is a preview of the teams competing in the Liberty, American, and Freedom Divisions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16 Liberty</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='430200' first='KC' last='[program_tooltip program_id='428794' first='Power' last='']'] 16 Stout</strong> is the lone team competing in the division. They will begin their quest for a title in Pool 4 as the 4th overall seed. During the qualifier season, they had good showings in the USA Division and should be in the hunt on the final day. [player_tooltip player_id='525973' first='Dakota' last='Fraase'] is a player we discussed last week as making big strides in her game, and also look for [player_tooltip player_id='556998' first='Paisley' last='Hudson'] to make an impact on the pin. Hadley Cleavinger is a talented defender and one to keep an eye on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16 American</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mavs 16 Elite </strong>and <strong>KC [program_tooltip program_id='428823' first='Voltage' last=''] 16-1 </strong>will represent the Heart of America region in the American Division. Mavs enter as the 9th seed and will be settled among eight teams in Pool 4. They played a heavy Open qualifier schedule and should be primed to be in the mix when the dust clears entering the final day. [player_tooltip player_id='478871' first='Maryn' last='Dean'] is one of their featured setters and a standout at Bishop Miege. Defense is their calling card with players like [player_tooltip player_id='485632' first='Leighton' last='Benne'] and Lochlar Obleness navigating the backcourt. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>KC [program_tooltip program_id='428823' first='Voltage' last=''] looks to make the most out of their trip to Dallas and will start the tournament as the 54th seed nestled in Pool 6. They have played well all season with a 5th place showing in the Liberty Division at MEQ and a runner-up finish in the American at Show Me. [player_tooltip player_id='770347' first='Ava' last='Lane'] is a standout defender, and the play in the middle from [player_tooltip player_id='485567' first='Tandee' last='Hiser'] and [player_tooltip player_id='773267' first='Laney' last='Rowe'] has helped propel them to a successful year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16 Freedom</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] 16 Navy</strong> and <strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] 16 Blue</strong> will represent their respective regions in the Freedom. Rockwood has the 11th seed while [program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] is not far behind at 14. Rockwood has a strong record entering the tournament, sitting at 52-14. They had multiple top 10 finishes in the Liberty Division. The duo in the middle of Kara Stephens and [player_tooltip player_id='733016' first='Amanda' last='Heine'] has provided steady play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] played most of their qualifier play in the USA Division and should be competitive in the Freedom. They closed qualifier play with a 9th-place weekend in the Liberty. Setters [player_tooltip player_id='583726' first='Addison' last='Webb'] and Grace Dunning will look to run an efficient offense and keep the defense off balance with their decision-making. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->