Nebraska Bid Tracker: Premier 15 Gold Seizes Moment at Show Me

After coming up just short of a bid at the Northern Lights Qualifier, Premier Nebraska 15 Gold had a quick turnaround on the path to redemption.   15 Gold recalibrated its focus from Minneapolis to Kansas City for another chance to punch its ticket to Nationals. The bid chase among Nebraska teams is always fierce at the Show Me Qualifier, and this Premier Nebraska group was hungry for that coveted Open bid. Redemption was coming.   So, as we've done throughout the qualifier season, let's take you through the standout players and moments that yielded another addition to the Nebraska Bid Tracker after Premier 15 Gold's Kansas City breakthrough.     The Opening Gauntlet   Show Me's 15 Open division was unique. It was a relatively small group featuring 18 teams, meaning the three available bids in Open divisions were pared down to two for this year's Kansas City event. The margin for error was small, and teams were put into six-team pools to start all the action.   That means Premier would face a multi-day grind with the possibility of a challenge match looming in the background.   15 Gold immediately faced adversity with a three-set loss to Northern Lights to open the tournament. With so many teams vying for pool positions in a single group, a quick recovery became paramount after the early setback. Fortunately, Premier fought off a hard-charging Oklahoma Peak Performance team that entered the event having already qualified in 15 USA. A three-set win put 15 Gold on the right track.   A sizeable break between matches did not stop 15 Gold from keeping that momentum and sweeping IPVA and finishing Saturday with a 2-1 record. But, again, the end of the first day was not the end of the first round. Sunday offered new challenges with the standings precisely as they were after Day 1.   Another three-set struggle broke out when Premier returned to the court Sunday morning. Skyline 15 Royal, the top seed in the pool and a prior bid holder from Red Rock Rave, snuck past Premier in a back-and-forth thriller that ended with a 15-12 decision in the third.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1642519612414734338?s=20 </div></figure>   Scoring a win in the pool finale became vital for 15 Gold to stay among the division's top teams. Premier responded well to that pressure with a sweep over Shockwave to finish 3-2 in the group. Narrow tiebreaker margins kept 15 Gold ahead of Northern Lights in set win percentage with the same overall record, yielding a third-place finish behind Skyline and OP2. We had to break out the calculators for this one, but sometimes that's all it takes to find qualifier success.   But the work wasn't over. The top four finishers in each pool would face the notorious challenge round for a chance to compete in Gold pools. Premier was slated to face Integrity 15 Intense Blue, the second-place finisher in 15 Open's chaotic Pool 2. Despite being the seeded underdog in this 2-versus-3 matchup, 15 Gold played perhaps its best volleyball of the weekend and swept Integrity for a spot in the final round. The stage was set for a push to the finish.     Winning the Big One   Two bids were up for grabs, and 15 Gold understood the assignment.   A pair of three-team pools were set. The aforementioned Skyline, along with fellow Texas representative TAV 15 Black, were the top seeds in their respective Gold groups. This was significant, as TAV and Skyline were also the two teams in Show Me's 15 Open field that had already earned bids. If one of these two teams won its pool, a third-place match would take place between the second-place pool finishers to decide the last bid. If both TAV and Skyline both won their pools, both of the second-place pool finishers would earn the two available bids without a third-place match.   With this scenario in mind, it was perhaps fair to say that one of 15 Gold's Monday matches was more important than the other. Premier started the day against Skyline with a chance to avenge Sunday's loss in Round 1. But, in a spooky mirror of that prior loss, Premier fell by another 15-12 scoreline in the third set as Skyline assumed the driver's seat in the final round.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1642877297379139587?s=20 </div></figure>   15 Gold knew the task before it, though, and immediately turned toward the crucial matchup with MAVS 816. Premier could still finish in the top two of the pool and remain in the bid hunt, but this had to be a win. And, just like the high-pressure performance in the challenge match to reach this pool, 15 Gold dominated under pressure once again. An emphatic win over MAVS 816 lifted Premier back into the win column. Skyline then provided a helping hand by defeating MAVS 816 and securing Premier's spot in second.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1642897189327319042?s=20 </div></figure>   Attention could now shift to the other Gold pool, and more good news awaited Premier here. TAV pulled away to win its group, leaving both prior bid earners in the championship match. This meant Premier had its bid in hand with a third-place match off the table. The win over MAVS was enough, and 15 Gold pulled through when it mattered most.     Repping the Class of 2026   Premier 15 Gold now joins its 15 Black counterparts in the bid club, further elevating Nebraska's up-and-coming 2026s.   The versatility within 15 Gold's lineup is something to behold. Look at a player like [player_tooltip player_id='253907' first='Avery' last='White'], who spent much of her debut high school campaign at middle blocker but plays opposite for Premier. White's ability to terminate at either pin leaves us all convinced that there isn't a frontcourt position she can't play.   15 Gold's two-setter offense also brings [player_tooltip player_id='275934' first='Sydney' last='Schram'] into the spotlight on the right pin alongside White. There's a smooth transition between both of these opposites that allows the team to keep flowing regardless of personnel. This kind of chemistry is remarkable, particularly at the 15s level.   The middle blocker spot also exhibits players with a similar style. [player_tooltip player_id='275936' first='Paighton' last='Erb'] and [player_tooltip player_id='275902' first='Siena' last='Sumner'] have formed an imposing duo that does most of its damage in front of the setter, given 15 Gold always has a right-side hitter on the floor. It also helps that this Premier squad makes a very concerted effort to set the middles whenever the opportunity arises. Perhaps that's just a testament to how efficient Erb and Sumner have been.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/04/IMG_7532-crop-4800x3152-1680667820.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-367464" width="500" height="328" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">West attacks for 15 Gold at the Show Me Qualifier.</figcaption></figure>   We've already alluded to 15 Gold's frequent use of a two-setter offense, but the roster has three players with setting backgrounds who can make an impact with this group. [player_tooltip player_id='275901' first='Hayden' last='Booth'] is helping carry the family tradition of success with Premier Nebraska, and she will surely be a name to know in Nebraska's Class of 2026. In addition to Booth's mature ability to run an offense, her defensive instincts in the right-back area make her a natural choice to run a 6-2. And, speaking of defense, [player_tooltip player_id='458134' first='Millie' last='Mauch'] is another one of 15 Gold's starting setters whose backcourt prowess seems to run in the family. Like her older sister, Mauch is playing up a year, so keep this 2027 athlete bookmarked.   [player_tooltip player_id='275937' first='Ella' last='Eymann']'s role on this team has been fun to follow. She could be considered a third setter on the roster, but she has also been showcasing her versatility as a primary defensive specialist in the middle-back area. It's not unprecedented to see a setter-DS hybrid player in Premier's arsenal, and Eymann fits that role perfectly.   This squad has so many other standouts in the backcourt alongside Eymann. [player_tooltip player_id='275896' first='Kami' last='Dyrstad'] stands out right away, and it's no surprise to see her thriving after contributing to Papillion-La Vista South's latest state championship as a freshman. As if her excellence in passing and floor defense weren't enough, Dyrstad also brings some serious energy that keeps her teammates at peak performance. Many successful squads have at least one player like that.   The left-side hitters will help out in the backcourt, too. [player_tooltip player_id='275935' first='Addison' last='West'] is a six-rotation mainstay who has taken her game to another level since starting on Omaha Skutt Catholic's title-winning squad last fall. Likewise, attackers like Nora Konz and [player_tooltip player_id='253928' first='Madeline' last='Lamb'] have spent their share of time in the back row in addition to be standout frontcourt hitters.   This wealth of talent is only going to keep meshing and improving, which is a dangerous prospect for the rest of the 15 Open field. Enjoy the next few years with this group.

After coming up just short of a bid at the Northern Lights Qualifier, Premier Nebraska 15 Gold had a quick turnaround on the path to redemption.