MLK 18 Open and USA Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first qualifier for the year for many Missouri teams kicks off as teams converge onto Kansas City for the MLK Qualifier. This will be the first shot for teams to earn their bid to Nationals in April. Here are some of the Missouri teams to keep an eye on in the top two divisions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>18 Open</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are no "pure" Missouri teams in the division for this weekend but a handful of Kansas City metro teams with players on the Missouri side of the state line. Dynasty 18 Black has [player_tooltip player_id='153934' first='Emma' last='Christian'] and [player_tooltip player_id='219779' first='Delaney' last='Rhoden'] as Missouri prep players. They are the top seed in pool 1 joined by another local team PVA 18 Elite. Dynasty is solid defensively with Hadley Porter and Alex Klukvin. Jillian Gregory is a new addition making the travel up from the Wichita area. Reese Messer recently was named Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Staying in Pool 1, PVA 18 Elite returns a veteran bunch. St. Michael's [player_tooltip player_id='219755' first='Epi' last='Salamasina'] had a strong high school season and will look to put a ribbon on her club career by punching a ticket in the Open division. They should bring a strong front line with Alex Myers and Bria Dawson on the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mavs 18 Elite is in the second pool as the top seed. They are another team that had success as 17s and returned some key components. Park Hill South's [player_tooltip player_id='219763' first='Peyton' last='Liming'] recently committed to Austin Peay for her college career. [player_tooltip player_id='540290' first='Janaya' last='Weitkemper'], a Columbia product is another Missouri player contributing to this team. [player_tooltip player_id='493090' first='Kamryn' last='McDonald'] had a strong prep career at Lee's Summit West. The 2023 Kansas Volleyball Player of the Year, Logan Parks has been a mainstay on this team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>KC [program_tooltip program_id='428794' first='Power' last=''] 18 Roschitz is in the third pool and could be in bid contention as they return many pieces from a team that fared well at nationals last year. Addison Gardner just finished her prep career at Truman and had a strong senior season. [player_tooltip player_id='493000' first='Hannah' last='Gardner'] joins the team from Springfield and will play collegiately at Missouri State. Alea Goolsby, who played in the UA All-American match is back on the pin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>18 USA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>HPSTL 18 Royal will enter Pool 2 as the second overall seed. This team lost some players to early college enrollment but returns some experience and should make a deep run in the division. [player_tooltip player_id='207576' first='Harper' last='Highfill'] has been a staple on this team for years and will be depended on to do a lot. Katelyn Diani is a talented setter and will keep the offense flowing. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>MOVA UA 18 Gold is also in Pool 2 with HPSTL. They made some noise in the 17s division and will look to make a splash early in the season. A familiar name on their roster is [player_tooltip player_id='487567' first='Khloe' last='Heberle'], a 2027 defender playing up with 18 Gold. She has made a name for herself as a hard-nosed defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='428799' first='Rockwood' last='Thunder'] 18 Navy will attempt to earn a bid as the 10th seed and start as the second team in Pool 3. [player_tooltip player_id='174407' first='Megan' last='Lawson'] is a strong defender and will be in the city of her future college days as a UMKC pledge. [player_tooltip player_id='207269' first='Mallory' last='Sell'] and Myah DeRossett are a couple of players to keep an eye on offensively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pool 5 will feature [program_tooltip program_id='428820' first='Team' last='Momentum'] 18 Navy, another team that played well in 2024. They are the third seed to begin when action starts on Saturday afternoon. Ohio Dominican University pledge Logan Rubel will be a player to check out if visiting their court. She is not the only weapon as [player_tooltip player_id='493032' first='Megan' last='Wood'] will make some noise. She will play at the University of Tennessee-Martin. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The final Missouri team you will find in Pool 6 with Mavs 816 18 National. They are another team that found success last club season. [player_tooltip player_id='219770' first='Jaelynn' last='Tunley'] had an all-state year for Blue Springs South. She will take a lot of swings over the weekend. [player_tooltip player_id='223890' first='Avery' last='Patton'] is another player on the front line who should make an impact. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->