Must-See Triple Crown NIT Matchups: 17s Power Pools
Triple Crown NIT is almost here. There's a massive sense of anticipation across the volleyball community, and the Prep Dig site will have no shortage of coverage and content.
I'll be in Kansas City this weekend with a full contingent of Prep Dig scouts. The sheer volume of teams and players going to Triple Crown is enormous, so a lot of this site's scouting power is set to converge.
Even with the huge scope of this event, I'm still committed to watching and covering as much volleyball as possible across multiple age groups. That includes an absolutely stacked field of 17s teams, and that's the group we're featuring here.
Buckle up, because it's going to be quite the ride. Let's start our Triple Crown previews with a few 17s Power Pool matchups that will surely have our attention this weekend.
Pool A
1st Alliance 17 Gold vs. Drive Nation 17-Red
Is 1st Alliance invincible?
Okay, if you followed our coverage of the Northern Lights Qualifier in Omaha a few weeks ago, you know what this is about. 1st Alliance 17 Gold steamrolled through a stacked 17 Open field at NLQ and won the division without dropping a single set. Repeating this feat would obviously be an extraordinary challenge, but 17 Gold has cemented itself as a frontrunner after what happened in Omaha. I featured this fun group of athletes here.
Drive Nation 17-Red will be the first challenger for 1st Alliance Saturday afternoon, and this is a worthy challenger, for sure. Superb high flyers like middle blocker Leah Ford and opposite Nicole Mauser will help lead the way for this surging Texas club.
Perfection!
— Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) January 31, 2022
1st Alliance VBC 17 Gold is your undisputed NLQ 17 Open champion! Zero set losses throughout the event! pic.x.com/CnjSXlgh1V
Legacy 17-1 Adidas vs. Premier Nebraska 17 Gold
If you're a fan of elite pin hitter matchups, feel free to park yourself at this match and hang out for a while. I know I'll be there.
Of course, I'm the Nebraska guy, so I've been fortunate enough to see Premier 17 Gold's players perform countless times. For those who don't live in the Cornhusker sphere, keep an eye out for opposite Grace Heaney (Purdue) and left-side hitter Destiny Ndam-Simpson, who just announced her commitment to Creighton last weekend!
Speaking of that "Cornhusker sphere," Nebraska commit Harper Murray will look to dazzle at Triple Crown once again. She is joined on the left pin by Cincinnati-bound Nina Horning, and this duo will consistently come up clutch for Legacy.
A5 Mizuno 17-Jing vs. COAST 17-1
I'm thrilled to get a live look at both of these teams for the first time this season at Triple Crown.
A5 Mizuno recently put their electric offense on display at Central Zones in Indianapolis, and now they're headed back to the Midwest for another big outing. I was really impressed with players like Jaidyn Garcia and Ashley Sturzoiu when this A5 team made the trip to Omaha last spring at 16s. They should continue to stand out.
COAST, meanwhile, is making the trek from out west to make their mark in Kansas City. BYU Claire Little has a big arm that I'm anxious to see in action this weekend.
Pool B
KIVA 17 Red vs. Skyline 17 Royal
Two big-time club programs are set to clash on Saturday.
KIVA 17 Red is led by that outstanding Texas-bound duo of Sydney Helmers and Nya Bunton. This team's big net presence will make it a dangerous competitor heading into bracket play.
On the other side, Skyline 17 Royal is a squad that I got to see plenty from at NLQ. Becca Kelley (Oregon) is the big scorer on this roster, but there are plenty of uncommitted Skyline athletes that I'll be watching closely in KC.
Elevation 17 Goller vs. Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite
Ohio gets a couple of worthy representatives in Pool B, and Elevation is surely one to follow. Kentucky commit Brooke Bultema is growing into such an imposing middle blocker and should have a hand in many plays this weekend.
Rockwood Thunder 17 Elite is also finding its stride and does not hesitate to run a two-setter offense. They've got a pair of good signal-callers in Juliette Myrick (West Point) and Caroline Keithley.
KC Power 17-1 vs. HJV 17 Elite
Many of these KC Power 17-1 athletes have made periodic trips up to Nebraska for events that I've covered lately. Ella Swindle has always had spectacular touch at the setter spot and will take that skill to Texas in 2023. Ava TeStrake and Reagan Fox will be the ones to watch on the pins.
HJV 17 Elite has no shortage of springy athletes that made a big impression at NLQ. Bianna Muoneke emerged as a reliable leader for this team, and I expect 17 Elite to put up another strong performance at Triple Crown.
Pool C
Sunshine 17 LA vs. MN Select 17-1
If you want to keep expanding your club knowledge into California, Sunshine 17 LA will be a good squad to watch. The team features a pair of Pitt commits in Torrey Stafford and Olivia Babcock. Libero Carly Greskovics (Michigan) will hold things down defensively.
And, if you haven't been keeping up with the club shuffle in Minnesota, MN Select 17-1 has had a big influx of new talent this year. The Swenson pair has made the move over to this team, joining stellar opposite Sydney Schnichels. It's a physical group that can match up with anybody.
Tstreet 17-Naseri vs. Munciana 17 Pandas
A couple of storied clubs will battle in opening pools. Tstreet 17-Naseri brings a whole list of uncommitted players that we'll surely be featuring in the coming weeks. Grace Jackson and Lois Hansen are two huge contributors in the frontcourt.
It's a similar story for Munciana, who also inserts a pair of 2024s into the mix for 17 Pandas. Expect first and second contacts to be a big focus for Munciana, as is usually the case.
Dynasty 17 Black vs. Alamo 17 Premier
I can't pass up an opportunity to see Dynasty 17 Black when that team is in the gym. They're such a fast-paced, athletic group that always seems to be getting better as the season progresses. Ashley Mullen (UCLA) helps push that pace at setter, and Calissa Minatee (Minnesota) is elevating at another level this year. We'll talk about plenty of uncommitted athletes with this team, too.
Don't overlook Alamo 17 Premier in this pool, either. This is a long, physical bunch that knows the rigors of prep volleyball in Texas. Look for SMU-bound middle blocker Hannah Whittingstall to anchor the net for Alamo.
Pool D
MKE Sting 17 Gold vs. Arizona Storm 17 Thunder
There are so many great uncommitted athletes to be found here. For MKE Sting 17 Gold, Molly Berezowitz is a libero with unmatched instincts and great poise in serve receive. Ball control will surely be a story with this team.
Meanwhile, Arizona Storm 17 Thunder has an exciting lineup of frontcourt hitters to entertain the Kansas City crowd. Kadyn Dahlke is a massive force at the opposite position, and Ali Wiest will get her share of kills on the left side.
Top Select 17 Elite Blue vs. MiElite 17 Mizuno
Our recognition of long commutes continues as Top Select 17 Elite Blue makes the journey from Florida to compete at Triple Crown. Nayelis Cabello is an incredibly skilled setter, and that name will evoke a lot of memories for Top Select fans.
Michigan Elite is another group that will likely use stout ball control to its advantage. Setter Ava Sarafa makes the whole Michigan machine run, and she'll take her talents to Kentucky next year.
Aspire 17 Premier vs. AJV 17 Adidas
We wrap up this feature with another pair of intriguing lineups.
Aspire 17 Premier has a fun group of players that I'll enjoy scouting this weekend. Outside hitter Neomi Beach is definitely a must-watch athlete on this roster, and many more will surely be featured during our live coverage.
Austin Juniors 17 Adidas will keep solidifying the strength of Texas teams in this tournament field. There are quite a few multi-talented players to be found on this roster, so keep tabs on AJV as they look to emerge in these stacked power pools.
