Viva Reno: 18 Open Edition

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The final week of ball is here for 18s, and the road ends in Reno. From May 1–3, the best in the country will take the floor at the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship, with four squads from the Missouri/Kansas region chasing hardware to close out their club careers. Let's take a look at the Open Division contenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='430200' first='KC' last='[program_tooltip program_id='428794' first='Power' last='']'] 18-1</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='428794' first='Power' last=''] punched its ticket early, earning a bid on home floor with a third-place finish at MLK. They followed that with another bronze at Northern Lights and stamped themselves as a true April threat with a runner-up finish at Triple Crown.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a balanced, in-system machine. Ella Stowell and Willow Weninger handle the load on the pins, while Neely Leathers runs the offense and keeps tempo steady. When their serve-receive is dialed, and they're in system, their ball control and defensive discipline make them a tough out. Pool play matchups will matter—this group can grind and flip matches late.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Mavs KC 18 Elite</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mavs opened the year steady—7th at Show Me, then a Top 10 finish at Northern Lights. After hovering mid-pack at Triple Crown, they made their move at the Northeast Qualifier, finishing 7th and capitalizing on the trickle-down to secure their bid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Look for Catlin Shao to establish tempo early and get the middles going. Rhys Zinn and Kali Ademic are key to opening up the pins. If they can generate a consistent middle presence, it creates cleaner looks on the outside and keeps blockers honest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='515466' first='Pohaku' last=''] 18-1</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='515466' first='Pohaku' last=''] caught fire at the Southeast Qualifier, going 7-2 and finishing 3rd to lock in their bid. Their early season mirrors Mavs—solid but some rough patches (9th at MLK, 57th at Triple Crown), before finding rhythm late.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the pins, Grace Martin and Hallie Vaughn carry the scoring load, while Ella Florez orchestrates the offense. They're playing their best volleyball at the right time, and if they stay aggressive in transition, they're capable of pushing deeper than expected.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">HPSTL 18 Royal</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Out of the east side, HPSTL earned an At-Large bid from the Sierra National Qualifier after not using all of the allocated bids. They also put together a strong 7-2 run at Triple Crown. This is a veteran group with years of chemistry and reps together.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the middle, Bennett Raterman and Katherine Byergo bring size and physicality. On the pins, Ashley Theiss and Lauren Ortwerth provide balance and scoring punch. Their ceiling hinges on first contact—if the back row can deliver quality passes and digs, they'll have multiple offensive options and can play fast.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->