Curtain Call: Premier Nebraska 18 Gold Wins KC MLK Open Title

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a way to go out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The USAV 18s season is incredibly short. It's a sprint that starts in January and culminates in the final whistles at GJNC in late April. Veteran prep athletes reconvene to give us one more entry to their long list of accomplishments and unforgettable memories. Premier Nebraska 18 Gold is making the most of that opportunity.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Premier Nebraska has a long history of success at Kansas City's MLK Invitational, one of the earliest qualifiers on the 18s circuit. That tradition continued in 2026 with a title-winning triumph that put these outgoing stars back into the spotlight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is an ode to the 18s. On to Reno.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">The Climb</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kansas City has usually treated Nebraska teams well, and that favor was cast upon Premier Nebraska 18 Gold over the holiday weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>18 Gold began its journey as the top seed of 18 Open's Pool 3. It's a high bar to set out of the gate, but 18 Gold did plenty to back up its ranking. The Great Plains crew stormed through regional foes Kairos, Dynasty, and Iowa PowerPlex without dropping a set along the way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Regional flair was a common theme of Premier Nebraska's Kansas City slate. Round 2's reseed yielded matchups against KC Power, HPSTL, and PVA--all clubs within earshot of Bartle Hall. 18 Gold experienced its first adversity of the tournament after dropping Set 2 against PVA, but the team rallied to win Set 3 in its second-round debut.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From there, 18 Gold gave us more of its dominant form from Day 1. Premier Nebraska toppled HPSTL and PVA to win its Sunday pool and put itself on the cusp of a GJNC berth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most of the hard work was complete. 18 Gold merely needed to finish in the top three of its four-team pool to lock up one of KC MLK's three bids. However, Premier Nebraska was not content with settling for anything less than outright victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>18 Gold put its stamp on a remarkable weekend with three more wins over PEAK, KC Power, and top-seeded A5. The final mark was 9-0 to bring the Kansas City hardware back to the Great Plains Region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":900871,"width":"329px","height":"auto","aspectRatio":"1.5015427606683356","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/11/IMG_3838.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-900871" style="aspect-ratio:1.5015427606683356;width:329px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">West</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">The Stars</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This group has given us so much over the years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>18 Gold's core unit has remained largely intact since last year. That 17 Gold group from 2025 was a marvel in itself, particularly during the team's Open ascent at the Northern Lights Qualifier. We knew this team could elevate its play on big stages. It happened again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elite scorers occupy every frontcourt position. 2025 gave us the unstoppable 1-2 combo of [player_tooltip player_id='275935' first='Addison' last='West'] and [player_tooltip player_id='253907' first='Avery' last='White'] on the pins, and this Omaha Skutt Catholic duo has returned to form in 2026. 18 Gold's willingness to move this duo around and diversify its offense has turned the team into a scoring juggernaut.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Versatility is a prevailing theme of 18 Gold's net presence. Freeman High School state champion [player_tooltip player_id='184283' first='Alicia' last='Johansen'] has ample experience as a pin hitter and a middle blocker, giving 18 Gold plenty of options in its two-setter system. This 6-2 allows White and Johnson County Central standout [player_tooltip player_id='276202' first='Ashley' last='Beethe'] to share featured roles on the right side.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='275936' first='Paighton' last='Erb'] and [player_tooltip player_id='253934' first='Scotlyn' last='Erwin'] have been revelations in the middle. We've watched Erwin climb the ladder in the Premier Nebraska gym, and her senior season with Millard South was a transformative period for the Patriots' program. And, if you need a lethal slide hitter, Erb is the go-to for 18 Gold's lethal crossing patterns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":937347,"width":"332px","height":"auto","aspectRatio":"1.5003998026506065","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/01/IMG_9743-edited.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-937347" style="aspect-ratio:1.5003998026506065;width:332px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Booth</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='253919' first='Hayden' last='Liebsack'] adds to the list of 18 Gold standouts who have demonstrated extraordinary year-over-year development. We couldn't have imagined how quickly Liebsack would turn into a game-wrecking scorer, particularly during her prep tenure with Bennington. Look out for her lethal jump-spin serve, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The setter combination is a familiar one. [player_tooltip player_id='275901' first='Hayden' last='Booth'] and [player_tooltip player_id='275937' first='Ella' last='Eymann'] have been state tournament standouts, game-changing setters, and any other superlative you can think of. Their skill is best demonstrated by 18 Gold's consistency when rotating between the two.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of course, a high-profile Open triumph isn't possible without some lockdown defense. [player_tooltip player_id='809398' first='Kami' last='Dyrstad'] and [player_tooltip player_id='349404' first='Lily' last='Zimmerman'] take care of this phase. This combo converged last year and has meshed even more in this final act. However, there's still unfinished business.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>GJNC beckons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->