Going Gauntlet | Team Preview: Madtown 171 National

Madtown 171 National has played a tough schedule this season and shown tremendous growth and improvement throughout. This is a team with immense talent and experience. They placed 2nd in the Capital City Classic, 6th at LOVB Fest, and 7th at the Badger Region Qualifier. At the qualifier, this team went 3-0 in straight sets to make it to day two, then took down a talented Motion 17 Blue team to advance to the second round of bracket play. They then matched up against the eventual tournament winners, Sting 17 Gold. When playing out the rest of the bracket, Madtown went 1-1, both in three-set thrillers. They dropped their match against [program_tooltip program_id='428591' first='FC' last='Elite'] 17 Navy and beat ClubRed VB 17 National.   The offense for Madtown 171 is explosive. Their middles are incredibly athletic and are huge difference-makers on the court. [player_tooltip player_id='510462' first='Olivia' last='Quinton'] is a 2x Badger Region HP All Star, and it shows in her dynamic attacks. She has a powerhouse swing to the left, which is very tough to defend. [player_tooltip player_id='565655' first='Makennah' last='Peterson'] is an all-around talented middle with great court awareness and explosive movement. She is a high-level blocker who can close the block pin-to-pin even on fast-tempo sets. She is committed to North Dakota State University. [player_tooltip player_id='949350' first='Macy' last='Robinson'] is the third middle and rounds out the trio very well. She is a solid, reliable athlete who gets the job done on the court. Her discipline and quickness keep her engaged on both offense and defense.   The pins are also huge weapons for this team. [player_tooltip player_id='553214' first='Haylin' last='Arnold'] can manufacture points on the right side. She is a powerhouse athlete who consistently finds holes in opponents' defenses. [player_tooltip player_id='806436' first='Liza' last='Studebaker'] can swing effectively on both pins. She has a high vertical and makes smart shots. Outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='807913' first='Ella' last='Fetherston'] is a high-flying pin with high contact on the ball. She is a high-risk, high-reward athlete on offense with massive kills on tough plays. On serve receive, though, Ella's form is simple, clean, and controlled. Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id='724656' first='Lexi' last='Hanzel'] is a well-rounded pin. She is a really solid defender and makes big contributions on offense as well. She thrives in six rotations and in pass to attack situations.   The defense for this team puts in a lot of work in the backcourt. [player_tooltip player_id='516005' first='Jillian' last='Kessler'] and [player_tooltip player_id='580080' first='Carrie' last='Becraft'] both have clean control in serve-receive and are fearless on defense. They never stop working for their team, whether they are on the left or in the middle back. Jillian is a player who just keeps battling and works to prevent a team from earning points the same way twice. Carrie can cover a lot of space in the back court and is quick to react and cover her teammates.   The setters are the glue that connects the offense and defense together. I think the setters on this team do a great job balancing the flow of the game while pushing the tempo. [player_tooltip player_id='724659' first='Tessa' last='Reed'] has a quick and clean touch on the ball. She is very tough to read and does a nice job getting her feet to the ball. [player_tooltip player_id='435879' first='Amy' last='Denkert'] has a lethal serve and brings a lot of experience, being a leader for Waunakee at State this past fall, where they survived two rounds of incredible volleyball. Both Tessa and Amy keep all of their hitters involved and have consistent placement. They have a deep understanding of the game, and it is an asset.   Madtown will be a fun team to watch at the Gauntlet. They have played a really tough schedule this season, including in the Open division at the Show Me Qualifier, the USA division at the MidEast Qualifier, and at Triple Crown. They are battle-tested and will be strong and cohesive heading into the Gauntlet and then nationals.

Madtown 171 National has played a tough schedule this season and shown tremendous growth and improvement throughout. This is a team with immense talent and experience. They placed 2nd in the Capital City Classic, 6th at LOVB Fest, and 7th at the Badger Region Qualifier. At the qualifier, this team went 3-0 in straight sets to make it to day two, then took down a talented Motion 17 Blue team to advance to the second round of bracket play. They then matched up against the eventual tournament winners, Sting 17 Gold. When playing out the rest of the bracket, Madtown went 1-1, both in three-set thrillers. They dropped their match against FC Elite 17 Navy and beat ClubRed VB 17 National.