The Bids Keep On Rolling

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are deeper into the qualifier season now that we hit mid-March. And that means more teams adding to their summer plans with trips now scheduled for Junior Nationals. Here is the latest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>15s</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In St. Louis, the Mideast Qualifier saw [program_tooltip program_id='430200' first='KC' last='[program_tooltip program_id='428794' first='Power' last='']'] go undefeated to secure the gold ball and an open bid, going 10-0 and only dropping 3 sets along the way. I received a text from someone in attendance who said, "[player_tooltip player_id='938175' first='Brylie' last='Milo'] was insane"! The word is she hit .446 on the weekend with over 250 swings against a loaded field. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] 15 Black and HPSTL 15 Royal finished tied for 5th, just one spot from a bid, with one team already coming in with a bid. Jumping to the USA Division, Mavs 15 Elite fought their way to a runner-up finish in the USA Division to earn a bid. They went 9-1 with their sole loss coming in the final. Last, in American Blue, the mighty Manhattan Mamba team ran the table, going a perfect 10-0 to win the division. Thanks to the parent who livestreams the matches! I was able to watch good portions of their matches on the final day. I left impressed with the play on the outside from [player_tooltip player_id='938649' first='Madison' last='Ahlers'] and [player_tooltip player_id='750130' first='Vivian' last='Thompson']. Also, libero [player_tooltip player_id='937918' first='Ella' last='Kurtz'] played well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16s</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We go up North with Northern Lights. [program_tooltip program_id='428889' first='Dynasty' last=''] 16 Black became Open-bound after their first-place finish. They went 8-1 over the weekend to upgrade their National bid. From some of the videos I saw, I thought Chole Seals looked really good in the middle, both in front and behind the setter. And speaking of the setter, [player_tooltip player_id='808106' first='Sophia' last='Sturdy'] was on the money with many of those balls. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>18s</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Out in Philadelphia, Mavs KC 18 National won the Liberty division with a 9-0 record, upgrading their American bid. Staying in Philly, a 7th-place finish was just enough for Mavs KC 18 Elite to claim an Open bid after the trickle-down. They went 4-4 over the tournament. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->