Which Teams Surprised Us at the Great Plains Region Bid Tourney?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>High-stakes events tend to come with a few surprises.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Premier Nebraska was the place to be last weekend. Dozens of teams from around the Cornhusker State converged for the Great Plains Region Bid Tournament, hoping to snag some of the last available GJNC berths. This pressure brought out the best in many of Nebraska's bid hopefuls.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are a few groups that climbed the GPR leaderboard, along with the athletes who helped make it possible.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Club Legacy 17 Alpha</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We had to start with one of our top podium performers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Club Legacy 17 Alpha carried a strong record of qualifier success into last weekend's event, so it wasn't necessarily shocking to see this group earn a bid with a runner-up finish. However, the team's level of play during Sunday's bracket was a stark reminder of how much this group has developed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're thrilled to see how the ball control unit has meshed behind junior stars like Claire Monjarez-Palermo, Bailey Wyzenski, and Alyse Moulton. Moulton, a Concordia University commit, also had a wealth of impactful moments in the frontcourt during 17 Alpha's dramatic win over Premier Nebraska 17 Black.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17 Alpha's challenging schedule has prepared it for the road ahead in the 17 American division. Indianapolis awaits.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2045879739500708256?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2045879739500708256?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">AVC 17 Blue</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's give a nod to the small-town crew.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Antelope Volleyball Club has made considerable gains in the GPR hierarchy while highlighting some of central Nebraska's best volleyball talent. The club's 17 Blue lineup has clearly demonstrated that trend, culminating in a strong fourth-place finish at the GPR Bid Tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17 Blue operated through several recognizable stars from the rural circuit, including Kinley Wemhoff, Grace Evert, and Lena Arnold. We were especially impressed by Arnold's ability to find the hot hand while maintaining balance in the AVC offense. This is a setter to build around.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2045857628920881614?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2045857628920881614?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Omaha Fusion</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This Omaha Fusion 16s crew has a little of everything.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>GPR's fourth-place finisher continues the small-town theme brought on by AVC 17 Blue. Hayden Hopwood and Bergan Pohlman make up an exceptional duo from Shelby-Rising City and Stanton, respectively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However, big-city names like Norah Todd and Payton Palmer also join the mix here. Fusion established itself as one of the top performers in the Nebraska Juniors camp when it competed at February's ASICS Presidents' Day Classic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This bid tournament showed further progress.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Premier Nebraska 15 Red</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Depth is on the rise for Premier Nebraska's 2029s.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>15 Red joined its 15 Black counterparts to earn a sweep of the top two positions of last weekend's bid tournament. This was the perfect retribution for missing out on Show Me's Gold bracket, and 15 Red even got KC vengeance in its Sunday showdown with South Central NE.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Under-the-radar 2029s abound. Tenlei Cole had an outstanding outing in the libero jersey for 15 Red. The frontcourt was also stacked with Isabel Erwin, Grae Korver, and Natalie Martinez scoring over the top.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you're looking for a team that's peaking at the right time, this is it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2045862945171886334?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2045862945171886334?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">South Central NE 15 Black</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Show Me Qualifier turned out to be the perfect venue to gain some momentum.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>South Central NE 15 Black entered the GPR Bid Tournament fresh off an impressive effort in Kansas City. The Aurora crew reached the final 15 Liberty Gold bracket at Show Me, joining two other Great Plains contenders in the final round. That experience primed 15 Black to reach the GPR podium and lock up its GJNC plans.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pin hitters like Reese Blauhorn and Kinlee Hinton remain the trendsetters for South Central's top 15s squad. We also watched Atlie Wiedel harness her smooth second contacts, no matter what kind of pass she was given.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2045871312447680775?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2045871312447680775?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->