2026 Week 4 - Tournament Recaps

More hardware coming home this weekend! See how our teams did and hear the coach's thoughts on the day.

12 BOYS

2nd place finish at the Brew City Battle

13 BLACK

Quite a day for 13 Black. The girls were able to bounce back from a tough morning and make a championship run. After a tough 3 set match, we took 2nd place. Abbie Ishibashi’s late set serving run got us back in the game with the final score being 13-15. 

A large part in our success today was getting our middles more involved in serve receive and free ball plays. Our defense was also really solid today and Taylor Doherty got the first pancake of the season! 

Now that we have a few tournaments under our belt, the girls are building up endurance and stamina. We are working to play at our level and not losing energy and aggression during the second set, as well as minimizing errors from the serving line. We are still learning how to play like a team, support our teammates even in tough moments, and be mentally strong players who don’t give up. I have all the confidence in this team and I know we’ll continue to find success. 

13 WHITE

This weekend, the 13 White team competed in the RiseMKE Tournament and delivered an outstanding performance filled with growth, grit, and confidence. They dominated the day, going 5-0, winning the 13’s division by a landslide. The girls came out strong and continued to build momentum throughout the day, applying what we’ve been working on in practice and competing hard every match.

Serving was a major strength for us, as Sophia, Lexi, and Celia earned ace pins, and the team finished the day with an impressive 68 total aces. We had two huge service runs that helped swing matches in our favor—Emma with a 13-point run and Celia with a 12-point run. The pressure we put on opponents from the service line made a big difference all day.

Offensively, we capitalized on opportunities at the net, especially on overpasses. Ava recorded four overpass kills, Rue added one, and Hailey earned an outstanding seven, showing great awareness and aggressiveness. Hailey also stepped up in a big way by transitioning from right side to middle, where she dominated at the net and became a force offensively throughout the tournament.

Our MVP pin goes to Emma, our setter. With one of our setters, Kylie, out due to injury (we miss you, Kylie!), Emma played every point of every match, proving she has the strength, composure, and skill to carry the team all day. She was our most consistent server of the day, highlighted by her 13-point service run and excellent spot serving—consistently hitting her targets. Emma also played strong defense, had several great cover pickups, and even delivered a few aggressive free balls that resulted in kills.

Our Game Changer pin is awarded to Hailey, who truly elevated our offense this tournament. Between her seven overpass kills and her intentional, confident swings, she helped keep our offense the strongest in our division and made a significant impact every time she was at the net.

Overall, this tournament showcased the team’s energy, trust in one another, and willingness to step up when needed. We are incredibly proud of the effort and growth from this group and can’t wait to get back in the gym to keep building on this momentum.

15 GOLD

I Am 15 Gold competed in the Penguin Freeze at Center Court Sports Complex and finished the day as tournament champions, playing five matches and dropping only one set.

The championship match against Adversity went the distance and was played in a high-energy, electric atmosphere. The crowd was loud on both sides, with parents fully engaged—cheering, screaming, and creating a true championship environment. The energy in the gym was high, and voices were definitely lost by the end.

On the court, I Am 15 Gold responded with composure and grit. We won the first set 25–21, dropped the second 17–25, and came back strong in the deciding third set with a 15–8 win. It was great to watch the girls pick each other up, stay focused, and respond under pressure. Timeouts were used effectively to refocus and execute the plan—play our game and win. 

Strong serving runs and improved setter–hitter connections played a key role throughout the match. Perhaps most importantly, the girls learned in real time what happens when you play as a team—and were able to apply those lessons immediately. I couldn’t be more proud of their effort, mindset, and growth today. We celebrated by eating Chick-fil A while sporting our new Championship shirts!!! 

Achievement Pin Winners:• Overpass Kill Pins (2): Dani Williquette, Eve Wille and Brooklyn Weber• Ace Serving Pins (2): Ireland• Ace Serving Pins (1): Lily Aiken, Eve Wille

Congratulations to I Am 15 Gold on a very successful tournament day.