It's a Qualifier Weekend! Teams head to Minnesota and some teams stay local this past weekend. We've added another team taking home 1st place!
10 RED
The 10 Red Team traveled to the Sting Center for Vollypalooza! It was our very first tournament of the season and such a great first experience for the girls. We played 3 matches each day and had plenty of opportunities to learn the book, line judging and R2'ing. These girls did great!
We started out playing RVA 10s and took the match to 3 sets, losing the 3rd set in a close one, 16-14. We came out really strong and had some great serving runs. We then played Sting United 10 Red, best match of day, winning in 2 (25-18 both sets) with really great serving. Then a tough match against the Madtown, taking that match to 3 but in the end lost the third set 15-13. All in all, in was a super day one.
We were at it again day 2. We started mid-afternoon playing the Sting Honeybees. We started really strong and were able to win set 1 but then tired out a little and lost in the end in a close match. The next two matches were also close against OVC and Sting Bumblebees, but we just couldn't keep up the energy.
Super proud of how these girls took everything in for their first tournament and stayed resilient against each and every opponent. We definitely learned a lot and were able to start getting some 3-hit combos together which were very impressive! Shout outs to MaddieK, Abbie, and Annabelle for fantastic serving runs! #SmallButMighty
11 RED
We took part in the 2-day Volleypalooza Event at the Sting Center this past weekend. The girls have worked so hard the past few weeks to stay in-system, and as a result, we were able to consistently play recognizable volleyball. Even if our opponents are playing in a way that looks more free, we continue to focus on how we want to play. As a result, we went 3-0 on Saturday in our pool with one set loss. We defeated Midwest Penguins Black, Milwaukee Sting Silver, and Madtown Juniors Select to secure the top spot in our pool.
On Sunday, we were in one of the Gold Power Pools and played our best volleyball of the year with comfortable wins over Wisconsin Ice and Oconomowoc Volleyball Club, only allowing 13.5 points per set.
This placed us in the Gold Championship against Milwaukee Sting Black. We could tell from the start that our girls would not be pushed around. This championship match was truly a battle that was worthy of that title. We dropped the first set 22-25 after what was a back-and-forth battle, the final score was the largest lead for either team in that set. What could have been a disheartening result, was in fact, a galvanizing one. Our girls, all 10 of them, made plays in the 2nd set that clearly showed our ability to play as a team. We won set 2, 25-23. There was a lot of tension near our court as families for both teams knew that the deciding set would be similar to the first 2, and it was. The 3rd set was neck-and-neck until about 9-9, and then we were able to put together a 4-1 run giving us a 13-10 lead. They were able to get to 11 and rotated into a very good server who ended up coming at our girls in serve-recieve. Despite a couple of timeouts to slow her down and refocus our girls, we were unable to get a ball back over to them that challenged them enough and we fell 13-15, putting us 2nd out of 10 teams.
The coaches could not have been prouder of how they handled the success, and the tough defeat. It is clear that we will find ourselves in opportunities like this consistently moving forward and the girls were excited about that message. No tears, no anger, just appreciation for each other and what they can accomplish together.
All of the players had really great moments this weekend. Jaidyn Alexander continues to improve upon her skills and effort as a setter and net presence. Eden Aanonsen's diverse skills keep us in-system effortlessly. Stella Walter's play as a libero, one that consistently stands out, is such a stabilizing presence. Sarah Heitzkey and Gaby Ramos' attacking with purpose continues to give us the opportunity to score. But, this past weekend's MVP was Peyton Hemsing. This is her first year of volleyball and she has quickly become a very well-rounded player. Her quiet arms on passing, her quick first step and leaping ability, and her improved serve were on full display this weekend, and she performed well in each match we played.
12 RED
12 Red entered its second tournament of the season excited to face some of the best competition in the state.
Day one I AM 12 RED faced 608 juniors in their 1st match winning easily 25-6, 25-6 and Madtown 12-3 Select in their 2nd match winning 25-6, 25-11. During those two sets I AM continued its aggressive serving and quick transition of freeballs to keep both teams off balance and earn easy victories.
I AM 12 Red faced Sting 12 White in their 3rd match of the day and although they ended up losing 25-23 and 25-21, they were confident that they did not play their best match of the weekend and were excited about their opportunity to compete in the Gold bracket on day 2.
On day 2, I AM 12 Red faced a very spirited Madtown Select 12-1's team. They served aggressively and played with confidence, however I AM stayed confident and trusted their teammates and pushed through to win 25-23 and 25-18.
The win set-up a very anticipated match against the Milwaukee Sting's Gold team. I AM came out strong in game 1 and defeated Sting Gold 25-20. Game 2 was a back and forth game and both teams battled everypoint. With I AM up 23-22 in game 2, Sting Gold made a few good plays to sneak out the win 25-23. In Game 3 Milwaukee Sting took the momentum and started off with a 0-4 lead. I AM battled for the balance of the game eventually losing to the tournament champs 15-8.
In their final match of the day, I AM started off slow Losing to McHenry Jr's 20-25, however not willing to put a loss on their records, the team became focused and won game 1 and 2 easily 25-13 and 15-5.
It was a great learning tournament for I AM 12 Red and they realized what it's going to take to become the top 12's team in the state (#TEAMGOALS!).
#Shoutout to Maddie Hagel for her aggressive jump serves during the most stressful points in every game! (#nervesofsteel). #Shoutout to Londyn Wiskerchen for her consistent play throughout the weekend and finding her A game serve when we needed it. (#LETSGO!!!)
Coach Ryden and Coach Jarrod are so proud of how hard these ladies work and how much they support each other!!! (#TEAMFIRST)
13 WHITE
This past weekend, 13 White attended the Friscon Mo Volleypalooza in Menomonee Falls. We ended up 2-1 coming out of pool play on Saturday. The girls had a tough first opponent in a tall, Fond du lac Fusion 13s purple team but put up a fight losing both sets by only a handful of points. Our second match was a surprise to the girls in they were faced with a Sting 12-1 Boys team. Us coaches also threw them a curve ball changing our lineup from a 4-2 to a 5-1 just before the game. The girls put up a great fight with a new lineup and against a scrappy group of boys and took them to 3 sets just narrowly losing to them in the end.
#Shoutout to Emma, our setter, for running with our changes and still setting excellently! #Shoutout to Hayden for earning an Aces pin!
We ended day 1 with a strong win over Medford Storm 13-3 winning 25-15 and 25-18. Strong serving by Eve and Bri helped lead us to victory as well as smart play at the net by our middle, Ava, for a handful of tip kills.
#Shoutout to Bri for a run of Aces earning an Aces pin!
Day 2 started with an early morning match up against Madtown 132 Select in the silver bracket. The girls hustled to win two very close sets 27-25 and 27-25. Strong serving by Jovie and Hayden helped secure the win as well as consistent setting by Emma.
#Shoutout to Jovie for earning her Aces pin!
Our final match of the tournament was against Madtown 131 Select. The girls put up a good fight again a tall and experienced team narrowly losing both sets. The girls are excited to work on running a 5-1 at practices in the coming weeks and look forward to our second Power League weekend on February 10th.
13 RED | 4-1 | 3rd Place
Day 1 of Volleypalooza had 13 Red in a 3 team pool. We weren’t pushed all that much and took care of business going 6-0 in sets for the day! We were working on serving more aggressively in practice and that really showed in our matches on day 1, making it tough on our opponents. Our passers really stepped up and were very consistent with our serve receive as well.
On to the gold bracket on Sunday where we took on the Sting 12-1 boys team. We were very focused and aggressive beating them 25-13 and 25-20!
We faced a tough RVA 13 Navy team in the semifinal match. They made little to no errors making it very challenging for us. We pushed back and competed better in the 2nd set, but in the end, too many errors on our end and we lost 25-17 and 25-21.
Overall, a solid weekend finishing tied for 3rd out of 20 teams. We will continue to work on consistency and how to respond to tough competition.
13 BLACK
IAM 13 Black played in the Frisco Mo Volleypalooza Tournament this weekend. This
tournament is always a great time for the players and one that they look forward to playing each year.
To prepare for this week’s competition, we focused on mental toughness and learning how to
perform under pressure. We talked about being great teammates and rising and falling together. We talk about how not one single player is bigger than the team and that we must build each other up by celebrating players who are doing well as well as supporting those who are struggling. As a result of that preparation, Coach Megan and I believe these girls play for the first time as one unit with one mission. It was the best volleyball 13 Black has played yet and it was a true joy to watch them rise to the top. #LETSGO
Another obvious change this week was seeing these girls change from a team that played with little emotion to a team that played with excitement, passion and fire. I honestly didn’t think this bunch had it in them, but they proved me wrong, and they were LOUD and PROUD in the
extremely noisy Sting Facility. Pool play went well and this talented IAM team ended day one with a record of 2-1 sending them to the Gold Bracket.
Defeating Madtown 13-3: 25-13, 26-24
Defeating NSVBC 13 Blue: 25-26, 25-26
Falling to WI ICE 13 Purple: 27-25, 25-15
DAY TWO began against a very good RVA 13 Navy team. If we could find a way to beat this
team, we could advance and play the IAM 13 RED team. This RVA team was by far the best
competition we have seen yet this year. We knew if we wanted to win, we would have to keep
them on the move. Set 1 these girls played out of their minds! We came back from being down falling 25-21 and set 2 we fell 25-17. While we would have LOVED to have advanced, I see how much this team is growing every time they set foot on the court and that makes them winners in my book.
Brooklyn Weber who made 90% of her serves in play (27 out of 30)
Abbey Dobson who earned an Ace pin
Edie Varney who had 10 kills for the weekend and was our team’s MVP this week
15 RED | 5-2 | 9th Place
We drove out to Minneapolis, MN for a 3-day qualifier this past weekend! We didn't know what to expect but we had a blast competing and stepping up to some tough challenges. Day one we were the top dogs in our pool and we were too much for any team to handle. winning most games by 15 points. Our last match of the day was a doozie as we missed about 8 serves and still managed to win by 2 points!
Day two we advanced with other top teams from the day before. We had an inconstant match against our first opponent losing in 3 sets. This put us in danger of not advancing to the Gold Bracket on Sunday. We had the tougher opponent later that day. We handled business against the other team winning in and two. Now it came down to how well we play in our last match vs a team that had strong serving and a balanced offense. If we win in 2, we take 1st. If we win in 3, we take 2nd. If we lose at all, we take 3rd.
They knew this going and what could have been a nervous match became a powerhouse team that showed no mercy. Terminating almost every ball that came back to our side. Tough serving gave us easier looks on defense and our offense proved too much for the other team, leaving them shocked! We win in 2 sets and claimed 1st in our pool with a 3 way tie.
Last day starts us in the top 16 of the Gold Bracket. We had a good matchup and it was a battle the whole way with both teams making plays. We fell short in a 3 set match but overall were very happy taking 9th place out of 72 teams in the American Division. This was a good test to our team and we are excited to see what more we can add to our team to continue to grow and get ready for Badger Championships and Nationals in Las Vegas!
16 WHITE | 3-1 | 3rd Place
After a rough tournament last week, 16White had a great showing at the FC Elite Open in Menasha. Despite a very early start, it was our first event of the season where we started the day strong, taking down a VERY tall MVP Club team in 3. After a strong 2-0 start in pool play, we came up short against a talented Spiketown team, finishing 2nd in our pool. This put us in the Silver bracket, where we controlled the entire match and finished the day with a 2-0 win. 3rd place overall for the day.
The entire team deserves a #shoutout for stepping up their communication!
From the setters and hitters discussing tempo and running plays, to the backrow making sure everyone is on the same page, it's great to see everyone getting a little more comfortable in each match.
Overall a huge turnaround from last week, and a nice confidence booster as we prep for Power League in 2 weeks.
Pins:
MVP: Jolie
Maddie: Overpass Kill
Rylie: Joust
Alaina: Ace
Elyse: Overpass Kill, Ace
Coach Corey: Ice the Server
17 WHITE | 7-2 | 1st Place
It was a great showing for the 17 White squad this weekend at the WI Juniors Freeze Fest in Pleasant Prairie! We started the day on a roll, going 6-0 in our first three matches. We knew the championship was on the line in our final match against Milwaukee Juniors, so we were up for the challenge. We lost a passionate first set, but kept our cool to win the second. The third set was point for point, but we lost by a few. We ended the day 7-2 and after checking with the tournament hosts… were awarded 1ST PLACE! We celebrated with championship t-shirts, team photos, and Culver’s!
As a team, we stayed levelheaded and supportive of each other all day—which is awesome! Setters MJ and Bella kept the pace with 34 assists and 8 aces each. There was a consistent presence on the outside with Gretta, Maria, and Lizzi all taking turns at hitting and playing defense. Gretta led all players in kills with 19 on the day. Megan and Lexi were strong forces in the middle, surprising teams with their blocks and quick hits. Both right sides Viv and Grace had crucial kills at just the right times, giving us surges of energy when we needed it most!
#Shoutout to defensive specialists Audrey and Jenny who tallied double digit digs each and rarely let a ball hit the floor!
We can feel these girls getting better and communicate more each time they step on the court. Excited to see what we can accomplish in two weeks when we’re back in action at the Badger Region Power League!
17 RED | 9th Place
I AM Red 17’s team played in the Northern Lights Qualifier this weekend. Their playing this weekend was amazing, unbelievable, incredible, spectacular, and mind blowing. This team was up for the challenge and performed outstanding. We ended up in the gold bracket, which put us in the top 14 out of 51 teams. The first day we played Summit VC and won 25-22 and 25-14. Then we played Impact 17-2 and won 25-12 and 25-10 We came out strong with our serve receive and our digging. Our last match we came up against 305 17N Ruben and lost 24-26 and 25-27. We had to make some adjustments to our line up and the girls stepped it up. Great job to our setters playing front row and blocking #1!!
The second day we were seated 4th in our pool. We ended up coming out on top with a 3-0 record. The first team was PVA 17 National and won 25-23 and 26-24. The girls really pushed through and played for perfection the last few points. Then we played Crossfire 17-1 and won 25-19 and 25-17. Our passing and hitting was on point. The connections that the girls were making on the court were exciting to see. The last match was against Sting United 17 Red and we won 25-17, 21-25 and 15-13. The second set the girls were losing the fire but were able to bring it back to win the last set.
The third day was Championship Day and we were in the gold bracket. We came against St. Pete 17 teal. We lost 21-25 and 23-25. We just could not find the fire from the day before. We had little sparks but nothing that could keep the momentum going on our side.
These girls played with everything they had!! I am so proud of them.
Brooke- Your service receive and digging was on point this weekend. You were reading the ball and covering very well.
Gabi- Your hustle on the court was phenomenal. You really stepped up your level of play this weekend.
Mara- You were doing a great job blocking and trying to run the plays. I loved that you were hitting 3s along with the slide. It was hard for the defense to defend.
Ava- You did a great job with watching the ball when you were blocking. Your ability to adjust your hitting was great! You scored points when we needed them.
Ashlin- Your hitting was wonderful. I loved that you were mixing your shots up. You did a great job in the back row when we needed you.
Kylee- You did a great job in the back row with your reading the ball on defense. You did a great job keeping the defense on their toes with your hitting.
Anna H- You did an amazing job on the outside on Friday. You really stepped up your playing. Your blocking and covering tips were also on point.
Anna L- You did a great job running our offense. You moved the players around to get the point! You came in and ran your serves to give us the lead a lot of the time.
Kathryn- Your blocking was fabulous. You were watching the ball and stopping the big hitters on the other team. You also found ways to score points with your hitting. You did a great job stepping up and playing middle for us on Friday.
Maddie- You did a great job playing front and back row on Friday night. Your blocking was exactly what we needed. You did a great job moving the girls around on serve receive so we can get side out in one point.
18 RED
Coming Soon!