2026 Tournament Recaps - Week 9

It's time to earn some bids to Nationals! Our National teams seek a bid to get into higher divisions at USAV Nationals at our Regional Qualifier. More of our teams spread out to compete in 1 day tournaments across WI. See how they did!

13 BLACK

I AM 13 Black took first place in the Prep Dig Champions Cup!!!

It was a fantastic weekend for the team. On day one, our aggressive serving and scrappy defense carried us through the first two games. Despite a tough three-set loss to FC Elite 13 White in our final match of the day, our strong overall performance secured us a spot in the gold bracket.

On day two, despite being ranked 8th in gold, we fought our way to the championship for a rematch against FC Elite. We dominated the first set with consistent serve receive but came up short in the second. In the third set, a great serving run by Abbie Ishibashi gave us an early lead. Exceptional defensive play from our setters, Sloane Jeserig and Abby Ishibashi, along with scrappy defense by Lilly Marsh, Matilda Kunath, and Lyla McDonough, allowed us to maintain control throughout the set.

Our pins—Hazel Haan, Aalysah Hayes, Lilly Marsh, and Taylor Doherty—challenged the defense with great shots, while our middles, Elsa LaPean and Emma Pelischek, dominated with their blocking.

I am so proud of how this team worked together, and I look forward to carrying this momentum into the Badger Region tournament.

13 WHITE

The 13 White team traveled to Prep Dig in Appleton this weekend and finished with an overall 2–2 record —but the story goes far beyond the numbers.

Saturday: Learning Through Adversity

Saturday’s pool play was a battle. We went 1–2 in both matches and struggled with communication and energy. Those lapses led to some tough losses. However, even in those moments, the girls kept pushing for points and worked to keep sets close. That determination proved critical.

Because of our point differential, we earned a spot in the Silver Bracket — a huge lesson for the team that every single point matters, no matter the score or the set.

Sunday: A Complete Turnaround

Sunday was a completely different story.

The team showed up focused, energized, and ready to compete. They went 2–0 in both matches, winning by high point differentials and playing some of the smoothest volleyball we’ve seen all season. The girls truly hit a flow state in the Silver Bracket Championship match — confident, connected, and in total rhythm.

There were multiple long rallies where our athletes took control and, time after time, finished with the point. Their hustle, composure, and teamwork stood out in every rotation.

Championship-Level Volleyball

The Silver Bracket Championship was especially memorable. We had multiple coaches and spectators compliment our team’s level of play. Parents shared how fun and exciting it was to watch, and as coaches, we couldn’t agree more — it was incredible to see the girls excel and perform at the level they’re capable of.

We are so proud of how this team responded, adjusted, and rose to the occasion. If Sunday is any indication of what’s ahead, this group has something special building.

Finishing the weekend as the Silver Bracket Champion was the cherry on top of a learning weekend. We can’t wait to see what this team does next!

14 RED

This past weekend, 14 Red battled it out at the Badger Region Qualifier.

Day 1 brought matchups against teams we hadn’t faced all season. Despite some early nerves, the girls settled in quickly and cruised through pool play, finishing first in our pool. #Shoutout to Maddie, who hit over .350 and tallied 9 service aces!

On Day 2, the nerves were gone and the focus was clear: earn a bid. Our first opponent was FC Elite, another unfamiliar matchup. We handled business in straight sets behind Haylee hitting over .400 and Londyn adding 7 aces from the service line.

Next, we faced Sting Black. We came out strong and took Game 1 with a true team effort, leaving everything on the court. Our motto is “nothing touches our floor,” and the girls lived it - strong passing, aggressive hitting, tough serving, and relentless defense. We came up just short in Game 2 and lost momentum late in Game 3. Even so, we couldn’t have been prouder of how hard this group competed and rose to the occasion. #Shoutout to Aubrey for hitting over .500 in the match!

Still in the hunt for a bid and needing to win out, we matched up with Sting Gold. Once again, we started strong and took Game 1 decisively. Sting Gold responded in Game 2, fighting hard to stay alive. Our girls battled right alongside them, but we fell just short in Games 2 and 3. Though it was a tough loss, we were incredibly proud of the way they competed with some of the best teams in the state. #Shoutout to Haylee, Charlee, and Olive, who combined for 10 aces in the match!

In our final match, fatigue from two hard-fought battles set in. We found ourselves trailing, but after a timeout and a renewed commitment to energy and focus, the girls responded with poise, coachability, and determination to finish strong and win the final match of the day.

While a 7th-place finish wasn’t the bid we were hoping for, the grit and level of play this weekend put us in position for a possible trickle-down or at-large bid. We’re proud of the fight and excited for what’s ahead...Badger Region Championships in Madison!

15 RED

High expectation for this team going into the qualifier. We had a good day one taking care of both matches to secure our spot for Sunday. We beat Air VBC and Just A Game. This gave us the bye on Sunday and we played the winner of the match before us which was Sting White. We played but the spark just never lit in that match. We were always one point or play too late. Leading the other team to score 2 points to our 1. We took a beating in 2 sets that left us a bit defeated.

Our chances were not over yet...

We had to the next two to get the bid to Freedom. We played FC Elite Navy and played very efficiently. A confident team lead by playmakers kept the team ahead.

After the win vs FC, we played Sting Black. A great 3-set match with plays by both teams. Be standouts were Ava and Olivia. The coach complimented them after the game saying they are the best Rightside hitters they have faced all year! Hi Praise earned them both MVP pins for the weekend.

We didn't get our bid this weekend but 2 days later we got offered the Freedom bid and we are excited to continue this journey to NATIONALS! Back to work!

17 RED

IAM 17 red secured a bid to nationals in the American division this weekend at the Badger region qualifier. On Day 1, we played South Shore Slam-17 national and MKE Sting 17 White. South Shore Slam gave us a fight right out of the gate. We won 25-23 and 25-21. Against MKE sting 17 white, we played a clean game, keeping them out of system for most of the match, winning 25-10 and 25-11. This secured first in our poll, putting us in the quarterfinals right away for day 2.

Day 2 brought tougher competition. In the first game, we started a little slow and were not connecting well offensively. The other team took advantage of that, forcing us to work through that. Eventually, we woke up, but the other team was still battling. We won 26-24 in the first set against Club Red 17 nationals. In the second set, we were firing on all cylinders and unstoppable, winning 25-12. In the semifinals, we faced Milwaukee Jr’s 17-1’s. This is a great team that pushed us to perfect our game throughout. Once again, we had a slow start in the first, not passing the greatest and making too many errors on our side. We started minimizing those errors and pushed the score closer together, but it was a little too late, and we lost 27-29. The girls realized that they had more to give and could play a better game. Having little to no errors, being offensively steady with great connections, and some stellar serve receive, we won 25-9. The other team battled back in the 3rd set. Both teams had some great serve receiving against tough serves, and the offense of Milwaukee Jr’s kept us on our toes, but our defense was passing great, allowing our offense to go to work. We came out winners with a score of 15-13. This game is what secured our American bid.

We declined the National bid but still wanted to have an opportunity to play a good team and continued to play Sting Gold in the Championship. This game was amazing, some of the best volleyball us coaches have seen. The first set, Sting started hot, pushing us into a hole. We finally found our footing halfway through and battled with them. Our offense started finding open shots and our serve received their tough serves. We finished the game losing 19-25. The girls came into the huddle after the game still pumped up and excited to get another chance to play them. They realized that there are so many opportunities for learning with this game, even though there was no incentive to it. They remembered that this was another opportunity to play with their teammates as they reached their final years of club volleyball. This is what gives them their drive. We battled point for point the entire time. Our blocking stepped up big in this game, and it was truly amazing to see. They frustrated the other team, forcing them to tip and return us easier balls for us to then dominate on. It was great to see our setters feel more comfortable in defense, picking up some great balls. We came out winning this game 25-22. In the third game we came out hot. Siding out extremely well and going on runs. We gave ourselves a lead that helped us out. Blocking was once again a key in this set, #shoutout Grace for some amazing blocks against their strong hitters. However, you can never count out another team in any game. Sting battled back, tying it 13-13. From there, it was anyone’s game. We kept going point for point again, neither team wanting to give up, and everyone giving maximum effort. We ended up losing this game with some unfortunate serve-receive errors, and the game went all the way to 20-22.

Overall, these girls left everything on the court, and we coaches could not be more proud of how they played not only in this amazing match but the entire weekend. They proved not only to us but to themselves that they belong competing with the best teams and that we should never doubt ourselves at any moment. A lot of learning was done this weekend as we continue to push our team and get better at not only each tournament but also each practice. This is just one stop on our road to nationals, and we are excited for the season to continue.

NEXT UP… Badger Region Championships!!!

18 RED

18 Red finished the Badger Region Qualifier with a 4–3 record, but the result only tells part of the story. The bigger takeaway was how the girls competed through a weekend where the roster wasn’t consistently whole due to basketball regionals and injuries. The players didn’t have the luxury of stable rotations or perfect conditions, yet the group stayed connected, adjusted quickly, and kept fighting.

18 Red opened the weekend with a confident win over WI Flight, 25–15, 25–20. The girls set the tone with clean volleyball - steady serve receive, smart decision-making, and a fast, intentional offense. That momentum carried into the next match against Milwaukee Jr’s 18-1’s, another straight-set win, 25–17, 25–18. From the first points, the players were locked in and purposeful.

The toughest match on day one came against MKE Sting White, and it required real adaptability. 18 Red won the first set on a comeback, showing grit and focus when it mattered most. Before the second set began, one of the basketball players had to leave, forcing immediate adjustments to rotations. Before the deciding set, another player left for her basketball regional final, shifting the lineup again. Those departures required players to step into unfamiliar roles, yet the girls stayed emotionally steady and continued to compete hard despite the disruption, but unfortunately couldn’t overcome the challenge of the smaller roster (26-24, 22-25, 7-15).

Still, 18 Red earned a place in Sunday’s bracket and opened with a big win over WI Flight Onyx, 25–22, 28–26. The tight second set was handled with maturity - no panic, no rushed swings, just trust in each other and disciplined execution.

Next came matchups with both FC Elite teams - Elite and Navy - both strong opponents, while 18 Red was missing one of the middles. Although the results didn’t fall our way, the experience was valuable, exposing exactly what needs sharpening as the season progresses.

The weekend ended on a high note with a gritty three-set win over Midwest Penguins, 25–21, 20–25, 15–13. The third set came down to execution and toughness. Winning 15–13 requires composure under fatigue, discipline in key moments, and trust in one another. The girls truly earned that win!

Unfortunately, Hudl did not process a couple of the matches, so exact stats aren’t available. Even without complete numbers, certain performances stood out clearly.

Laila delivered one of her strongest weekends of the season and was a major factor in the team’s wins. She led the team in kills, remained a reliable serve-receive option even when opponents targeted her to disrupt the offense, and competed relentlessly on defense - digging every ball she could reach and keeping rallies alive.

Alayna also had an outstanding all-tournament performance. In one match, both Alayna and Laila posted an impressive .400 hitting percentage, one of the highest marks of the season. That efficiency is especially notable as 18 Red continues to implement a new offensive system. Both players have embraced the adjustment with confidence and execution.

Between the scoring impact, consistency, positivity and leadership through lineup changes, both, Laila and Alayna, earned the MVP honor for the BR Qualifier.

Overall, 18 Red proved once again that even when circumstances aren’t ideal, the girls don’t lose the I AM identity. The players adjusted, competed fiercely, and finished strong - building confidence that will carry into the next tournament and, more importantly, into their next chapter. BR Championship is in two weeks and 18 Red is excited!