MEQ weekend 1 and more tournaments downtown Milwaukee. Some teams head up north as well!
12 RED
We traveled to St. Louis this past weekend for the national qualifier. 3 days of intense volleyball in a giant venue was exciting, and exhausting for a bunch of 11 and 12 year olds. We also went without one of your players, and this required a few players to increase the weight they carry. After a wonderful late morning group outing to the Arch and lunch at a very hospitable BBQ restaurant, we made our way over to the convention center to begin pool play as the top seed in our group.
We quickly dispatched a Uno Volleyball team out of Chicago, then followed that up with a crisp performance against St Louis' High Performance club, to start 2-0. We then faced MAVS from Kansas City and won a tense match 2-1. What a great start! We got back to our hotel around 9pm, and had to get up at 6am to return for an 8 am pool start on day 2.
Day 2 would prove to be more challenging, but we were in a pool that we could handle. Unfortunately, we just didn't come out with enough energy and focus to beat the EMV club from Ft. Worth, Texas. We lost in 2, narrowly dropping the 2nd set (24-26). This put us in a tough spot; but there was still hope to advance to an upper bracket opportunity. We then faced Elevation VBC out of Cincinnati and won a hard fought 3 set match; we started slow in that match, too, but turned it on and won relatively comfortably in the final 2. We then faced Omni volleyball from the Phoenix area. They are a very strong team with skilled attackers in multiple spots. We lost in 2 sets, but played very hard. This put us in a 3-way tie for 2nd, but the set tie-breaker put us in 4th. This just goes to prove that we, and all players, need to be ready to play at all times. Winning that first match, against a team that we typically defeat, proved to be a thorn in our side.
On day 3, after the time change and an 8am start time, we entered the single-elimination phase of the weekend. The team was determined to get 3 matches in before we headed back to Wisconsin. We came out really sharp, and with joy and enthusiasm! We pretty much dominated Viper Elite from outside Memphis, and beat them in about 35 minutes. After that, the girls performed similarly against Iowa United. We earned our 9th match and played a very strong Rockwood Thunder team. We lost the first set in a close set, but played pretty well. When the 2nd set started, it was evident that the girls were losing some steam against a team that slept in their own beds each night. We really couldn't do much right and we endured one of those stinker sets that every team goes through when they play as much as we do. Overall, we went 6-3, in our girls first ever national event at a location far from home.
While there are certainly things to improve upon, the coaches are so proud of how the girls competed. For the vast majority of our time on the court, the girls played extremely hard. Reagan Vogelsang and Payton Hemsing did not come off of the court at any time (played all 786 points!) and played quite well. Isabella Pauly shifted over to MB and made some nice plays in every match and served quite well. Aaliyah Cline earned 2 ace pins, played free balls and defense effectively and consistently, while also getting her share of kills, too. Sarah Heitzkey got into a groove on the court,made so many needed plays, while also being the team's source of exuberance. When Stella Walter and Lyla McDonough play quickly, they can, and were able to keep so many rallies alive. Kennedy Hilgart stepped her defensive game up in addition to her consistent setting and serving to play some very well-rounded volleyball. Lastly, Jaidyn Alexander began to assert herself at the net as an offensive option and attacked on the 2nd contact with aggression. There were some attacks where the defense really had no chance and opposing coaches just shook their heads at what she could do. No one in St. Louis that weekend can do what she did several times per set.
We are 100% ready to win the Badger Region Championships this coming weekend. The girls have stated that this is a very reasonable goal; we are ready to have high expectations at all time.
14 RED
14 Red traveled to St. Louis for the 3-day Mideast National Qualifier! We drew the AM wave both Friday and Saturday. Day 1 started out with a bang! We went 3-0 in pool play winning each match in 2! We celebrated with a team dinner at Chicken N Pickle. We enjoyed great weather, good food and a variety of games including bags, table tennis, bocce ball, etc.
Day 2 we were in a very competitive pool and rode a rollercoaster of emotions! We started out beating Athletes Only from Arizona in an exciting 3 set match. Our next match was against Athena 14 Gold. We were down in the 1st, then fought our way back only to see it slip away losing it 24-26. Set 2 we flipped the script winning 26-24! Set 3 started out strong and we were in control. A string of errors on our end evened it up and we eventually lost a heartbreaker 16-18. We learned how quickly things can change when we don’t take care of our side of the net. For our 3rd match we played a tough Memphis 14 Elite team. They had some physical hitters and served us very tough. One of the best teams we’ve faced all year, but we hung in there with scores of 25-18 and 25-21. Even though we finished 1-2 on the day, we competed well, had many great moments, and definitely grew as a team!
Day 3 we didn’t bring our A game and lost our only match in 2 sets. Next we are getting ready for Badger Region Championships with the intention of playing more disciplined and consistently each day. Shoutout to Grace Ross-Corbett on earning MVP for the weekend!
15 GOLD
15 Gold played in the FC Elite Open this weekend! We ended up playing four games, with a record of 3-1. The first match started with a rematch from a team that we played a few weeks ago. The last time we played them, we lost in three sets, and this game continued that trend of a lot of back and forth. We lost the first set 22-25 but pushed forward in the second and won 25-21. In the third set, the girls were really focused, and we took the third 15-6! It was a great redemption from the last time we played this team. In the second game, the girls had some trouble getting out of a rut, and we lost both sets, 25-23 and 15-25. We ended up in 2nd in pool play, but with the unfortunate luck of the draw, there was no tiebreaker between 2nd place in both of the pools, and since we were in pool two, we were automatically placed in the silver bracket. Despite this frustration, the girls held their heads high as we went into the third game of the day, which ended up being the team we played first! The girls worked really hard and pulled off a two-set win, 25-15 and 25-23. I am so proud of them for finishing! The last game of the day was finished fairly quickly, with winning both sets, 25-11 and 25-13. We took 1st in silver, and I am really proud of how the girls played! Leah led the day in digs with 26, Liz led in kills with 18, Harlow led in aces with 11, and Leighton had 2 blocks. We gave out three pins: Leighton with an overpass kill and Gianna with TWO pancake pins. Way to go, Gianna! Our MVP of the day was Lauren for her great defense and for getting the second-highest number of aces, with 7.
16 BOYS
This weekend was a true test of toughness and perseverance. After spending the past two weeks battling illness, the team entered the tournament still recovering—but that didn’t stop them from competing at a high level. As the day went on, two players went down with injuries, forcing one to push through hurt and the team to finish with just six on the court. Despite every challenge, the guys played with grit, energy, and heart, proving their resilience and determination.
Alex was an absolute beast at the net, shutting down hitters with relentless blocking and delivering huge swings. Oliver stepped up in both the middle and outside, attacking aggressively and keeping our offense rolling. Gabe was everywhere, running the offense with precision, covering the floor, and making sure we stayed in system no matter the circumstances.
Jackson had an incredible tournament on the outside, crushing his swings and finding smart shot placements to keep opponents on their heels. His backrow coverage was outstanding, keeping plays alive in critical moments. On top of that, he stepped up as a leader, bringing energy, strong communication, and confidence when the team needed it most.
Defensively, Matt was locked in, reading plays at a high level and covering the court with intensity. John made some incredibly smart plays on the right side, using his court awareness to make great decisions and find ways to score. Zack proved his versatility, locking down the back row as a middle and making key defensive plays to keep us in system.
Through every challenge, this team showed what it means to fight for each other. Now, we turn our focus to the next two weeks as we prepare for Badger Region Championships and take in a college match. The work doesn’t stop!
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