2026 Week 6 - Tournament Recaps

Badger Region Power League week 2 took place this weekend. Our teams in the Elite Division play for championship and our other teams work towards the gold brackets for week 3! 13 Boys show some grit with a high finish this weekend at the OAW!

12 BLACK (Jan 25th, 2026)

This past weekend, the girls competed at the UW–Whitewater Tournament and delivered an outstanding performance. The girls went a perfect 4–0 on the day, not dropping a single match, and finished the tournament as champions, they brought home some pretty swaggy championship shirts to prove it.

The team showed incredible growth and confidence throughout the day. One of our setters, Emersyn, stepped into a new role and played a full six rotations for the entire tournament, handling the challenge like a pro. Strong, aggressive serving kept opponents on their heels, with several killer serves swinging momentum in our favor. Most of all, the teamwork, energy, and determination on the court reflected just how far this group has come in a short amount of time. We are extremely proud of their hard work and can’t wait to see what this team does next!

13 RED

Final weekend of Power League for us in the 14-Elite division, and the girls, parents, and coaches got what we had wanted so far from this season, and that was tough competition every match. The best part of it all, despite controversies, was the players' abilities to play through some challenging stretches against some bigger, more experienced, and stronger teams.  It should also be noted that it was nice to see our parents so engaged and supportive of the girls and coaches as the matches were going on!  Shout out to parents for bringing the energy!

On Saturday, we began the top bracket as a 3 seed in our half of the 8.  In order to guarantee ourselves the championship bracket on Sunday, we needed to win this match right out of the gate.  Despite the girls saying that they would be ready to play, we came out and got pushed around, and lost the first set 12-25.  We looked outmatched given our start.  The 2nd set was much more of a back and forth affair, and as the set came closer to the end, we found ourselves down 22-24.  We needed some precision serving and timely defense, and we got both, pulling out a 27-25 win to force a 3rd set.  The momentum we gained at the end of the set carried over to the 3rd as we cruised to an early 5 point lead that we were able to maintain to win 15-10.  This win matched us up against our very own 14 Red team.  Once again, we started very slow, and got steamrolled 9-25.  In the 2nd set we fared much better, got our heads back on straight, and competed in a 20-25 2nd set loss.  In the final match of the day, which turned out to be the only one remaining in the gym that started much later than scheduled, we faced the Penguins 14-1 team with the chance to enter Sunday as the overall number 3 seed.  It was a very close match!  Once again, we started slow, but ended much stronger and showed some fight, but fell 17-25.  The 2nd set, like our first match of the day, was a back and forth event, and it came down to the final rallies.  We played tough, got some blocks, picked up the tips, moved quicker, and pulled out a 25-22 victory.  In the 3rd set, we began strong and determined, and most importantly, we were tough.  We capped off a challenging day with a 15-11 3rd set victory!  

On day 2, if we were able to win our first match, we were guaranteed a top 4 finish in the division, which was a goal from the outset of the 4-day event.  We opened the afternoon playing Madtown 14-1 Select.  We did come out ready to play, but our opponents were on fire!  This was truly an epic match.  Despite our opponents' high level of play, we stayed steady, and lost a very good set one 22-25.  In the second set, it was more of the same, as the battle ensued, with incredible plays made by both teams, we found ourselves a couple of points down very late in the set, but came out of our final timeout determined, and focused to get the job done.  13 red fought like crazy and pulled out an incredible 28-26 set to force a set 3.  If ever there was evidence that this is a game of momentum, it was seen as we started game 3.  Even though it was tight in the first few points, we were able to put together a mini, mid-set run that afforded us a 3 points cushion.  We were able to hold on to this for a 15-11 victory!  This win was a huge sign of growth.  Coaches had to make mid-set subs, move liberos, re-enter middles, etc., and the girls did an amazing job showing the maturity to realize that this was needed in these moments, that in order to compete, staying ready is better than getting ready.  When a player was suddenly subbed out, there was no poor body language, when a girl was shifted on the court, there were no looks of wonderment.  It was finally a moment that the girls were willing to do whatever it took, to be willing to accept the coaching during matches, and to give it all for each other.  The coaches and parents are incredibly proud of how the girls responded!

We moved into the semifinals to once again our own 14 red team.  And although we lost in 2, we provided much more resistance for them than we did the previous day.  It was nice to see us be a problem for them at times.  This was truly the situation where a coach tells players that if they play hard, and stay engaged, then outcomes are secondary.  These are losses that teams can certainly live with, and it was against the top team in the 14-Elite division.  For the 3rd place match, we played in the latest match in the gym once again.  Wisconsin Elite 14-Elite was our final opponent, and the only team we lost to during the pool play portion of this event the first weekend; so revenge was on our minds.  To get to the end of this summary, we won in 2: 25-20, 25-22.  We played loose, together, confident, and with joy throughout the final match.  Every single player was crucial to finish off this incredibly challenging weekend (for many reasons), but it is so important to recognize Olivia Harry, who absolutely dominated their very talented and tall outside hitter, as we needed her to.  What Olivia didn't block, she touched, essentially taking her offense out of the match.  The beast that we know that lives inside of Olivia peeked its head out at a timely moment.  Also, in the middle of a tight 2nd set, Sarah Heitzkey put together a crucial,and masterful, serving run that opened up a lead that gave us the opportunity to play side-out volleyball the rest of the way; she couldn't even be slowed down by an "ice the server" timeout.  Finishing 3rd, in this event, is an amazing accomplishment, and hopefully, something the girls can build off as we continue to learn how to compete at all times.

13 BOYS

We had a very cool tournament this past weekend. Came in seeded first, ended up second at the OAW. Went first in our pool after a great win first match and a battle to 3 loss for 2nd. We were down our setter in the pool play matches so we relied on our back up setter that had been recently transitioned to outside to run a 5-1 in the morning. 

Went into playoffs with a first round bye and our OG setter back to defeat Spike after their victory over OVC. Gold match went up against the Sting 12-1s. We played fantastic in set 1 with long serving runs from our top servers, but couldn’t put the same bravado together for the 2nd and 3rd sets so ultimately dropped the champ title. Second is still podium though! Nominated Everett and Hudson for All Tournament. 

14 GOLD

14 Gold advanced into tough bracket play in the second weekend of Badger Region finishing in the top eight.  Stand out performances from Ava Roeder and her amazing reflexes and Elizabeth Weide picking it up in the back row.  With a long break in between matches 14 Gold got a chance to unwind a bit with a scrimmage 13 White (pics attached).  Special thanks to 13 white for their cheers during our last match.

15 RED

Championship weekend for the league. We had an amazing first week going 6-0 putting us in the top bracket. We had to win the first match to secure our spot on Sunday. Tough break as we lost in 3 to the Milwaukee Juniors who were having a hot streak. We matched up well but couldn't put a whole match together. But now that made it exciting for the next two matches because we HAD TO win! We played Madtown 16-1 and another close game that went 3 and we won 16-14. Phew...

One more to go and it was Midwest Penguins 16 National and game one was tight 26-24 and the 2nd set we got the jump and won 25-17. Now we can relax for the night knowing we have a shot tomorrow!

After some Alligator Bites for dinner we were ready to go! And guess what... we play our 16 Red team first round. What a great match and fun banter between teams. The 16's got the best of us (this time) and we wished them luck in the next round.

We played loose the next matches and won both matches in 2 vs Milwaukee Juniors 16-1 and 414 15 Elite. Proud of the girls 10-2 finish for the league which matched the 1st and 2nd place teams.

Standouts from the weekend was Elin's long service run vs Milwaukee Juniors 16's. Olivia's left handed tips, Brooke's hook shot and pipe ball.

Little improvements each week will add up at the end!

15 BLACK

The 15 Black team traveled to Sun Prairie for the final weekend of the Badger Power League in the 16 Elite division.

In our first match against 414 15 Elite, the girls played well but were unable to take a set from a very tough opponent. Despite the loss, our defense worked hard with 40 digs and our blocking is coming together nicely. Sophia earned a pin for an overpass kill.

Our second match was against I AM 16 Black. The inter-club rivalry was strong as both teams battled hard. After losing the first set 25-21, we increased our serving pressure and reduced hitting errors to take the next two sets for an exciting win. Sophia (2) and Grace (1) earned overpass kill pins, and Edie earned an Ace pin. A special shout-out to Edie for serving the final six points of the third set, including five aces in that run.

The final match on Saturday was against 608 Juniors 16-1. The girls fought hard in the first set but were exhausted by the second. Though we briefly held a lead, we were pushed back by their aggressive serving. The team never gave up and kept errors to a minimum, finishing with only three serving errors.

On Sunday, we braved the snow for an early start. We began with a three-set victory over WI Juniors 15 Elite. Overpass pins were awarded to Sophia (2) and Grace (1).

The second match was against a tall Madtown 162 Select team. After a close 21-25 loss in the first set, 15 Black took control in the second set with strong serving to win 25-7. Unfortunately, we struggled with serve receive in the third set and couldn't secure the win. Elizabeth earned a serving pin with six aces.

In our final match against 414 16 Blue, the players enjoyed competing against friends from school. After a narrow 23-25 loss in the first set, 15 Black took the second set 33-31 and won the third 16-14. It was a fantastic match defined by hustle and determination. Sophia earned another overpass kill pin during this round.

16 BLACK

This weekend’s tournament was another important step forward for our team. Day 1 was a tough start, ending 0–3, but the scoreboard didn’t reflect how well the girls actually played. Our passing was precise and we executed our hits with confidence. McKinley was dominant at the net, shutting down multiple attacks with superior blocking. From the service line, Sierra and Leah stood out, putting consistent pressure on our opponents.

Day 2 showed our growth and resilience. We came back stronger and more focused, committing to playing simple and clean volleyball, which led to a 2–1 finish. The energy stayed high all day, fueled by supportive sideline “nerds clusters,” and the team did a great job shaking off mistakes and responding immediately on the next point. Abby’s attacks were dynamite, Gianna covered the court relentlessly and Sierra once again proved to be a standout server. Emily had several well-placed middle attacks, finding open holes and keeping defenses guessing.

This team continues to improve with every tournament, and it’s exciting to see their confidence and chemistry build. We’re looking forward to carrying this momentum into the Presidents Day Tournament next weekend.

16 WHITE

It was a great 2nd weekend of Power League for 16White, going undefeated on Saturday and finishing the weekend 5-1 overall. We started the weekend in the bottom half of our division and ended in the top 8 overall! Huge shout-out to Amie, Hailey and Sydney for embracing some new position changes, and playing key roles throughout the weekend.

Next stop is a 2-day event in Wisconsin Dells, we're looking forward to some team bonding and new competition!

17 RED

17 Red finished up Badger region power league this weekend down at Recplex. The team went 11-1 in the 18 elite division. The team took second place overall!

This weekend the girls were a little slow to start most games but finished them strong going 3-0 day one. We played IAM 17 Black who fought us in the second game pretty hard battling to a score of 27-25. The girls had to figure out how to be strong in serve receive to give our offense the best opportunity to execute. The second match was against JAG 18-1’s where we played a smooth and solid game overall firing on all cylinders. #shoutout  Paige for going on a 10-0 serving run to start us off strong earning an ace pin. Our last game was against WI Juniors 16-1’s. This team had an amazing setter, sometimes tricking our block and playing great defense but 17 Red found the gaps in that defense and our middle blockers figured out how to work efficiently to close the block. Overall day they played well but knew they were going to have to give more the next day for championship bracket play.

Day 2 we started off with 414 17-elite who we never had played before. The girls worked hard this game to make sure to secure a spot in the upper side of the bracket. Then we faced our 17 black team again. This was a great game where the girls were all working in sync, able to execute well in both offense and defense. Our strongest aspect of this game was our serve receive. We won and moved on to the finals where we faced WI juniors 16-1’s team again. The other team gave us a run for our money. 17 Red fought hard, with our offense hitting some amazing spots and making the opposing teams defense work. We had great serve receive this game as well even though the other team sent some tough serves our way. #shoutout Claire for passing some perfect serve receive passes to put us in system a lot of the time. However, 17 Red fell short and lost putting us in second.

We learned a lot from this game and have some things to take back to the gym to work on and fine tune. We are excited to head to our next tournament in Illinois for Sky High Presidents day.

17 BLACK

17 Black Finishes 3rd at Badger Region Power League (17/18 Elite Division)

This past weekend, 17 Black competed in the second and final weekend of the Badger Region Power League in the highly competitive 17/18 Elite Division. After the opening weekend, 17 Black remained firmly in contention for a Power League championship and rose to the challenge with an impressive performance.

Day 1

17 Black opened the day against IAM 17 Red in what proved to be their most competitive match of the season. The girls battled point for point throughout, staying within striking distance the entire match. After dropping set one, 17 Black fought hard in set two before narrowly falling 25–27.

Needing two wins to stay alive in the championship bracket, the team responded in their second match against Madtown 17-1 Select. After splitting the first two sets, 17 Black closed out the match with a decisive 15–11 third set victory (25–20, 16–25, 15–11).

The final match of the day featured a rematch against SWVBC 17 Blue, a team that had defeated 17 Black twice earlier in the club season. Determined and focused, the girls came out hungry and earned a straight-set win, 25–17, 26–24. The victory secured 17 Black a spot in the championship bracket on Day 2.

Day 2

Day 2 opened with a matchup against JAG VBC 18-1 National. After a slow start, 17 Black settled in and took control, winning in two sets, 25–19, 25–22. The win guaranteed a top-four finish.

Next up was a rematch with IAM 17 Red. Despite a strong effort, 17 Red prevailed in two sets, 25–16, 25–18.

In the third-place match, 17 Black faced IAM 18 Red. In a tightly contested battle, the girls played some of their best volleyball of the tournament, rallying for a three-set win (22–25, 25–17, 15–10). With the victory, 17 Black defeated two 18s teams on Day 2 to finish 3rd overall in the Badger Region Power League 17/18 Elite Division.

Team Highlights

Amary Dione (47 assists) and Maliyah Tuszkiewicz (44 assists) ran an efficient offense, distributing the ball effectively to attackers Leilah Prichard (2.07 kills/set), Ceana Nicolaus (1.5 kills/set), and Summer Wille (1.42 kills/set).

Defensively, 17 Black was consistent throughout the weekend. Abby Barthelemy led the team with a 1.82 serve-receive rating and 69 digs, followed by Leilah Prichard (1.61 serve reception) and Summer Wille (50 digs). The team also delivered another strong serving performance, holding opponents to a combined 1.32 serve-receive rating.

The growth of the 17 Black team this season has been incredible to watch. Their excitement, enthusiasm, and competitive energy continue to elevate their play and set the tone each day.

Next up: Sky High President’s Day Tournament

18 RED

No Libero, New Lineup, Same Fight!

This weekend wasn’t perfect, but it was memorable. I AM VBC 18 Red played the entire weekend without its usual libero, yet still earned fourth place in the Elite Bracket (3–3 in matches and 8–8 in sets). This group earned each and every point through trust and teamwork. 

On Saturday our libero couldn’t play due to a medical emergency, and another athlete was out with a painful double ear infection. Seven players - no subs and no time to figure it out later. Reese put on the libero jersey wholeheartedly even though she had never played libero position in her life. She stepped in with real courage and finished the weekend with 55 digs, 74 passes and  7 aces. She earned a Game Changer Award for flipping a crisis into a fighting chance. 

The first match on Saturday, with a brand-new lineup, against Adversity-WI 17-1 was a must-win to stay in the championship bracket. 18 Red started strong and won set one 25–17, dropped set two 15–25, and won a third-set grind 19–17 by staying composed and trusting each other despite the challenging circumstances although the pressure was highest.

Next came one of the wildest sets of the weekend. Against WI Juniors 16-1’s, 18 Red dropped the first set 15–25, but answered with a 34–32 second-set win to force a third. That score tells you how hard this team competes, regardless of the adversity, and how long they’re willing to stay in the fight. The third set didn’t end how we wanted, 9–15, but the response in the second set showed the resilience of this group.

Despite the tough prior loss, 18 Red finished Saturday strong by resetting fast and handling JAG 18-1 with a confident 2–0 win (25–13, 25–21).

Sunday brought the same reality: still without our usual libero. The athlete with the ear infection returned - not fully recovered, but willing to help the team however she could. Another player was pushing through a shoulder issue all weekend.

Against WI Juniors 17-1’s, 18 Red won another three-set battle  25–23, 24–26, 15–7. We delivered in a tight first set, barely lost the second, and then took control of the third - a statement from a team that decided it was going to win.

Later, 18 Red faced WI Juniors 16-1’s again, a young but extremely fast and talented team that went on to win the entire event. It was a tough loss, but still a fight, 17–25, 21–25.

After two days of obstacles, long battles with an unusual lineup, the last match came down to mental and physical exhaustion, although the effort never disappeared. The third-place match against I AM 17 Black ended the weekend the way it was: fight first, fatigue second (25–22, 17–25, 10–15).

All weekend Laila was a constant scoring threat with 34 kills and 9 aces. Morgan contributed with 46 assists, 47 digs, and 8 aces at 95%. Alayna brought pressure serving 96%. At the net, Taylor led with 7 blocks and Grace added 6 while hitting .200. Anya earned MVP by impacting every phase: 37 kills with .237 hitting, 63 assists, a 2.46 passing when the team needed help in SR, serving 92%, 5 blocks, 6 aces and +30 points positive. 

Fourth place doesn’t fully describe what this team demonstrated. The real headline is how they handled the adversity and the toughest moments: 19–17, 34–32, 25–23 and 24-26. These are grind-it-out, trust-each-other scores. We’re excited to keep building. Next stop: Sky High Classic.