The Great Plains Champion: MVP United 16 Red Wins GJNC Gold

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What an occasion to revisit this group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] sits on the crossroads of Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. It's a region that is beginning to flourish with up-and-coming volleyball talent, and that became increasingly evident with this year's [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] 16 Red team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team's mid-season moment came in Kansas City for the Show Me Qualifier. 16 Red was determined to swipe their GJNC that weekend and became the 16 USA champion. That triumph leads us to last week's journey at GJNC, where [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] shined on the club volleyball's biggest stage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look back at [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] 16 Red's championship path, along with the players who helped make it happen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Title Race</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>GJNC's USA division always gives us a fascinating medley of teams. Some high seeds in USA have Open-level experience at certain qualifiers. Regional variety adds intrigue to this group, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1676308108774109188?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://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1676308108774109188?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] 16 Red was the lone Great Plains Region representative in 16 USA and was slated tenth overall in the division. This meant 16 Red was the #2 seed in Pool 4, with only SA Juniors standing above it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And while the Great Plains crew was second in its pool seeding, [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] quickly swiped the throne as the group's undisputed #1. A perfect 5-0 record highlighted an incredible opening round--something only one other 16 USA team could accomplish. Three of [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United']'s five Round 1 victories were sweeps, including the pool finale against top-seeded SA Juniors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The USA division offers the same three-team pools and challenge rounds we've been discussing at the Open level. [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] was slated to face Roots and Aspire in the next round. The good times kept rolling as 16 Red took down Aspire in straight sets. Though [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] encountered its first roadblock of the tournament in a loss to Roots, a 1-1 record was enough to advance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But that second-place finish in Round 2 meant [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] was suddenly a seeded underdog in the crossover match after going 5-0 in the previous round. 16 Red's challenger opponent was OK Charge 16 UA, which started the tournament as #3 overall seed. Fortunately, [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] recaptured the winning magic of Round 1 and swept past OK Charge to set up another Gold bracket push.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16 Red thrives under this kind of pressure. We saw it in Kansas City, and the same was true in Chicago. [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] stormed past AP 16 Adidas in the quarterfinal round and did the same against CITY in the semis. Another appearance in a championship match was on the way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] quickly got on the board with an emphatic 25-14 win in Set 1 of the title bout with TAV 16 Platinum. TAV rallied back, however, setting up a winner-take-all race to the finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>TAV rode a wave of momentum and held a late lead in the deciding set. With [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] facing multiple TAV match points, the Great Plains squad rallied an extraordinary comeback to tie the set at 14 and eventually take the lead. Finally, after a few deuce exchanges, 16 Red finished the job with a 19-17 decision in the third. GJNC champions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1677050855680352259?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://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1677050855680352259?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Lineup</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This special group gave us so many highlight moments from every player on the roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's hard not to start with the 16 USA MVP, [player_tooltip player_id='389079' first='Bailey' last='Boeve']. Her remarkable role as a pin-middle hybrid player already made her one of 16 USA's most fascinating athletes before she ever won those MVP honors. 16 Red draws up a wide array of routes and crossing patterns to get Boeve involved in the offense, and her ability to score with heavy heat made her a no-brainer selection on the GJNC podium.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":368303,"width":590,"height":393,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/04/IMG_7544.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-368303" width="590" height="393" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hacker attacks at the 2023 Show Me Qualifier.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two more [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] athletes joined Boeve on the all-tournament team, with outside hitters [player_tooltip player_id='217136' first='Maliyah' last='Hacker'] and [player_tooltip player_id='389834' first='Ava' last='Lloyd'] garnering honors. 16 Red has the luxury of never skipping a beat regardless of which left-side hitter is in the frontcourt. Hacker has long been seen as [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United']'s "big gun" who can hit some indefensible angles when she's in rhythm. Lloyd, meanwhile, is the ideal L2 who can play all six rotations and show her vast repertoire in every area of the game. This is a seriously effective duo.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The list of impactful 16 Red attackers keeps growing. [player_tooltip player_id='389837' first='Claire' last='Munch'] was a perfect complement to Boeve in the middle. She's a springy athlete who can cover plenty of space from pin to pin in a short amount of time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Likewise, [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United']'s opposites were valuable scoring outlets in high-pressure situations. [player_tooltip player_id='215457' first='Jadyn' last='Hofmeyer'] and Addie Kleis shared the right side in 16 Red's two-setter offense and provided a pair of terminal arms at that position. Don't overlook the impact of Hofmeyer and Kleis alongside the all-tournament selections on the other pin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The ball control phase had its cast of rising stars, too. We mentioned that two-setter offense, so we might as well credit the duo that dished the rock. [player_tooltip player_id='389835' first='Kinslee' last='Walrod'] and [player_tooltip player_id='215439' first='Hollie' last='Peterson'] showed a knack for putting their hitters in good spots and kept the offense flowing regardless of personnel. And, with both players playing three rotations across the backcourt, floor defense was a major strength for Walrod and Peterson.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] received defensive contributions from several more players on its roster. The "Jackson duo" of [player_tooltip player_id='389836' first='Ireland' last='Jackson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='215438' first='Maddy' last='Jackson'] locked down the end line and could do it while slated in a few different positions in the starting rotation. Whatever lineup 16 Red rolled out, the Jacksons were ready to do their part.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And that embodies the spirit of [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United']'s championship run. It's a great of tight-knit athletes who came together to play whatever role was necessary to be successful. That adaptability eventually put 16 Red atop the podium while representing [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] and the entire Great Plains Region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->