Gateway Region Bid Weekend: Celebrating Our Champions

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Gateway Region recently hosted its highly anticipated Bid Weekend, showcasing intense competition across all age divisions. Teams battled fiercely, and while many rankings held true, the tournament brought some thrilling surprises. Here's a recap of the tournament winners from this exciting weekend. Congratulations to all of the bid winners.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>13u: </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>STl High Performance 13 Royal</strong> went undefeated, finishing with a record of <strong>7-0</strong> and <strong>14-0</strong> in sets to claim their national bid.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>14u: </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>STl High Performance 14 Royal</strong> also went undefeated, achieving a <strong>7-0</strong> record and <strong>14-1</strong> in sets. They defeated [program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] 14 Elite with scores of <strong>25-14, 25-23 </strong>to win the title. In the quarterfinals, they narrowly escaped No Coast 14 Pacific, winning 31-29, 25-21, and then triumphed over HP Illinois 14 National in the semifinals, <strong>22-25, 25-19, 15-11</strong>.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>15u: </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] 15 Elite</strong> claimed the title, defeating NLVA 15-Girouard <strong>25-21, 25-17</strong>. HPSTL 15 Royal fell in the semifinals, with [program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] edging them out <strong>21-25, 25-17, 15-11</strong>. NLVA 15-Girouard advanced to the finals by overcoming No Coast 15 Wave, winning <strong>22-25, 25-19, 15-9</strong>. NLVA 15-Girouard, in their first season, also earned their bid to nationals. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16u: </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>BSVBC 16 Black</strong> dominated the 16s division, first defeating FC United 16 Black <strong>25-11, 25-11</strong>. They continued their success by sweeping [program_tooltip program_id='428760' first='Core' last='STL'] 16 Navy <strong>25-23, 25-11,</strong> and then overcoming [program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] 16 Elite in the semifinals <strong>25-20, 25-19</strong>. In the finals, they bested the top-seeded HPSTL 16 Royal <strong>25-23, 25-22</strong>.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>17u: </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] 17 Elite</strong> showcased an impressive performance, finishing the tournament <strong>7-0</strong> with a perfect set record of <strong>14-0</strong>. They defeated NSSC 17 Nike <strong>25-10, 25-14</strong>, FVA 17-1 <strong>25-11, 25-9</strong>, and HP Illinois 17 National <strong>25-13, 25-15</strong> before overcoming the second-seeded HPSTL 17 Royal <strong>25-20, 25-19</strong> to secure their national bid.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>18u: </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] 18 Elite</strong> triumphed in the 18s division with an <strong>8-1</strong> overall record and <strong>16-3</strong> in sets. They avenged an earlier loss to BSVBC 18 Black, winning <strong>25-20, 25-23</strong>, and secured their victory in the IF Game with a 25-21 score. This marks their second national bid, following their 18 USA Bid.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->