USAV Nationals Spotlight: Six Pack 16s
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I’ve got one more team I’d like to look at in the wake of USAV Nationals. Let’s step over to Iowa for this one. Six Pack’s 16s team saved some of its best volleyball for the very end. Iowa was…
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Continue ReadingI’ve got one more team I’d like to look at in the wake of USAV Nationals. Let’s step over to Iowa for this one.
Six Pack’s 16s team saved some of its best volleyball for the very end. Iowa was well represented in national tournaments over the past couple of weeks. This Six Pack squad is a good example.
As we have done throughout this series, we’ll break down Six Pack’s run through the Nationals field, as well as give credit to some of the team’s top performers.
Nationals Journey
The 16 National division brought some talented teams this year, but that didn’t stop Six Pack from racking up wins early in the competition. They started out with a convincing win over Empowered before scraping past LAV in a three-set thriller.
Saturday afternoon arrived, and Six Pack began to hit its stride. Sweeps over Nebraska ONE and Rio showed that this team from Iowa was going to be a formidable challenger at this event. Though Six Pack dropped the final match of the day to AZ Revolution, they were still in a position to make a run in the second round of pool play.
And, sure enough, that run materialized. Six Pack took down DaKine Warriors in a three-set battle and followed that with another big win over Northern Lights. Another victory awaited in the crossover match against CTV, sending Six Pack to the gold bracket.
Mintonette managed to get past Six Pack in the opening round of bracket play, but this Iowa team gave us plenty of excitement en route to a top-five finish.
Key Players
Cassidy Hartman Cassidy Hartman 5'10" | MB Iowa City Liberty | 2023 State #130 Nation IA anchors this team from the left-side hitter spot. Simply put, she can do anything. Hartman is a passer that this squad relies on in all six rotations. She can step up and take the first contact, wind up on her approach, and deliver an absolute hammer on the pin. This is a player who just finds a way to make an impact.
Another athlete who brought solid play to the front row is Madelyn Norton Madelyn Norton 5'8" | S Dike-New Hartford | 2023 State IA . Of course, this lefty opposite can attack from the backcourt, too. Norton’s high contact point presented a difficult challenge for opposing blockers throughout the tournament, and Six Pack took full advantage of that.
I want to give props to a couple of different middle blockers on this team. Libby Lansing Libby Lansing 6'0" | MB Western Dubuque | 2022 IA and Averi Weichers Averi Weichers 6'2" | MB Waverly-Shell Rock | 2023 State IA anchored a very solid Six Pack block all week. They’re equally comfortable attacking in front of the setter, ensuring that this team always had a balanced attack.
This is a team that’s on the rise and will surely be back for redemption next year. The talent is all there.