Previewing 17/18 Open Championship Sunday at Prep Dig Iowa Clash

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're gearing up for good one in Des Moines.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Dig Iowa Clash has already delivered all the drama, storylines, and standout players we'd expect from a club showdown in the Hawkeye State. Saturday's morning wave brought the 17/18 Open division into the spotlight, and now we have a Gold bracket for the final push.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What are we watching for when quarterfinals kick off? We have a few quick pointers for you.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Meeting of the Elite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Well, this is fitting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nebraska Elite brought a couple of its best to the Iowa Clash. Nebraska Elite 17-1 entered the weekend with a bevy of positive momentum following a divisional championship at the ASICS Presidents' Day Classic. Meanwhile, the “overachievers” from Nebraska Elite 15 Apex jumped a couple of age groups for this circuit event. Now, the two will face off in Sunday's Gold bracket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's the present and the future on display. We're eager to see the setter matchup featuring [player_tooltip player_id='458183' first='Kherington' last='Snider'] and [player_tooltip player_id='765196' first='Sofia' last='Meister'] for 17-1 and 15 Apex, respectively. Their distribution will be a key factor in the result of this intra-club grudge match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Look for [player_tooltip player_id='773394' first='Brielle' last='Carmichael'] and [player_tooltip player_id='521226' first='Callie' last='Petersen'] to pace the scoring for the 17s. [player_tooltip player_id='904781' first='Hensley' last='Harlan'] will counter on the other side of the net.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/kingsleyatk/status/2025291040857510263?s=46u0026amp;t=-7Z9Ur7KPGe54Sv3Zb4G3A","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://twitter.com/kingsleyatk/status/2025291040857510263?s=46u0026amp;t=-7Z9Ur7KPGe54Sv3Zb4G3A </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Right at Home</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Prep Dig Iowa Clash is hosted by the Horizon Events Center, the home of Iowa PowerPlex. It's no surprise to see three PowerPlex squads in the Gold running heading into Sunday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Any one of these talented groups could claim the tournament title. Iowa PowerPlex 17U Brogean began the weekend as the No. 1 seed and has lived up to the billing through pool play. [player_tooltip player_id='490016' first='Raquel' last='Risk'] runs a smooth, balanced attack featuring [player_tooltip player_id='493601' first='Piper' last='Ladwig'] and [player_tooltip player_id='500340' first='Kaylie' last='Klein'], among many others.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/kingsleyatk/status/2025239942348013780?s=46u0026amp;t=-7Z9Ur7KPGe54Sv3Zb4G3A","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://twitter.com/kingsleyatk/status/2025239942348013780?s=46u0026amp;t=-7Z9Ur7KPGe54Sv3Zb4G3A </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brogean's 17U counterparts are faring well, too. PowerPlex 17U Mendoza soared to a perfect Saturday behind the effective termination of [player_tooltip player_id='555796' first='Lydia' last='Burrell'] and Skyler VanDerPol. Everyone is getting involved.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finally, we have the 18U crew. 18U Rodriguez locked in its bracket berth with a 2-0 start and showcased some of the Iowa Region's hardiest veterans. [player_tooltip player_id='843934' first='Nia' last='Finn'] was particularly impressive while anchoring the net in the middle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Will home court advantage prevail?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Surprises and Underdogs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're all about Cinderella stories.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All of the aforementioned teams are juggernauts, but we have a few more scrappy competitors looking to knock them off. We're immediately drawn to Manhattan Mayhem 17P, a Heart of America Region challenger that repped Kansas well in Des Moines. Bailey Busch, Gretchen Bott, and Grace Ostmeyer helped engineer a perfect start in an ultra-competitive pool group. This was our big surprise of the AM wave.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/kingsleyatk/status/2025235083007762476?s=46u0026amp;t=-7Z9Ur7KPGe54Sv3Zb4G3A","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://twitter.com/kingsleyatk/status/2025235083007762476?s=46&amp;t=-7Z9Ur7KPGe54Sv3Zb4G3A </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Manhattan Mayhem wasn't the only club to rack up miles en route to Des Moines. Fusion 18 Nationals carries the banner for the Badger Region and hopes to knock off our top seed. Likewise, SWI3D 17 Black joins the list of Great Plains teams thriving on the Iowa side.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We settle it on Sunday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->