Missouri’s 14s Showcase Future Volleyball Stars at Nike Classic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 14s division at the Nike President's Day Classic was a thrilling display of emerging talent, highlighted by Missouri's impressive showing with four teams finishing in the top five: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th. Here's a closer look at the standout teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>14 Club</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The <strong>573 14 Premier</strong> team dominated the competition, finishing the weekend undefeated and not losing a single set. They allowed only two teams to score more than 20 points and clinched the championship with a decisive victory over <strong>Milwaukee Sting 14 Silver</strong> (25-6, 25-17). Key players included libero Lainyn Lochhead and Anna Daugherty, who excelled in the passing game, while setter <strong>Quinn Maassen</strong> and <strong>Ainsley Weider </strong>orchestrated a powerful offense. <strong>Lila Grzella-Skibiski</strong>, a six-rotation outside hitter, proved to be a formidable presence both at the net and in the back row. With their height and skill, this team is poised to make a significant impact on high school volleyball in the coming years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">14 Open</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HPSTL 14 Orange</strong> finished in 5th place with a record of 6-2 and 12-4. They showcased their talent in the Gold bracket, defeating <strong>Union 14 Black</strong> 25-22, 26-24, before ultimately falling to <strong>HP Illinois 14 National</strong> in a hard-fought match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">14 Premier</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HP South 14 Premier</strong> secured a strong second-place finish with a weekend record of 7-3 and 15-8. After solid Day 1 and Day 2 performances (2-1), they achieved a thrilling victory against <strong>Memphis VBAcademy 14 Red</strong> (26-24, 20-25, 15-13) during the crossover match. In the Gold Medal Pools, HP South 14 Premier triumphed over <strong>HPSTL 14 White</strong> and <strong>Circle City 14 Black</strong>, advancing to the Gold Bracket. They faced <strong>Milwaukee Sting 14 White</strong>, winning 28-26, 25-22, but ultimately fell to <strong>KIVA 14 Black</strong> in the championship match (13-15 in the third set), capping off an incredible journey as runners-up. Key contributors included outside hitter <strong>Kate Collard</strong> and middles <strong>Adalyn Piepinbrink</strong> and <strong>Audree Martin</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No Coast 14 Pacific</strong> rounded out the top three in the 14 Premier division with an impressive 8-1 and 17-5 record. They started strong, winning their first eight matches, thanks to dandy defenders <strong>Fynnlee White</strong> and <strong>Mae Montgomery</strong>, clever setting from <strong>Molly Haynes</strong>, and a formidable middle blocker in <strong>Livia Basso</strong>. Opposite lefty <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751947' first='Piper' last='Paruch']</strong> is also a player to watch, as this team is on the brink of something special.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->