Tournament Recaps - Week 11

National Qualifiers and Badger Championships this past weekend. We may need to buy another trophy case...

12 RED

Badger Region Championship weekend was full of growth for I AM 12 Red as the team competed in the Open Division.  After a strong week of practice we were excited to see the team in action.  However, as we started pool play on Saturday versus Sting White the confidence, communication, and movement we had seen at practice was not quite there.  Nonetheless, the team made it happen when needed in the third set to start out the day 1-0.  The team improved in the second match against MVP Blue and went up 2-0 on the day.  The final pool play match of the day was against a season long undefeated Oconomowoc.  Both teams knew that they would be heading to the gold bracket, but this game would decide on the seeding.  Despite a strong effort, I AM fell short in this match and we knew that we would have to come back on day two with more confidence than we had shown on day one.  Here’s the thing- the team sure did!  Gold bracket play started against a solid 414 12 Blue team and the athletes played the kind of volleyball we knew they were capable of, with aggressive serving, smart defense, fast transitions, and smart swinging.  It was fun to watch the girls come alive in this match.  The momentum continued against another talented team (FC Elite 12 Navy) with some key serving runs from Lexi and Maddy to pull out this semi-final win.  This put I AM 12 Red in the championship match against no other than Oconomowoc again.  We had some incredible highlights from the match - diving defensive plays and hard earned kills.  While we didn’t pull out the win, we are proud that the girls tightened the scores from Saturday against the strong serving and passing OCVB team.  Congratulations to the girls on earning second place at Badger Region Championships! 

13 RED

13 Red entered the Badger Region Championships as the 1 seed in the Open division, and we played like it for the majority of the weekend.  Our serving, balance on offense, and improved first contacts provided too much for our opponents to overcome.  We knew that if we took care of our side of the net, and if the girls fulfilled their role, we would win the championship.

We dropped one of our sets in pool play due to some uninspired efforts and careless mistakes, to then finish off our final pool opponent in a dominating 3rd set.  On day 2, which was crazy long!  Playing 2 matches in 5 hours makes for a lot of down time.  We pushed our semi final opponents around, Eclipse VBC, despite a spirited effort on their part, and won in 2 by convincing scores.  After a long wait, and a thinning number of teams and spectators as the event wound down, we finally played in the title match against FC Elite White.  We watched them in their semi final match and recognized that they had some good height, disciplined defense, and ran some more tempo on offense, so we anticipated a good match up.  However, we steamrolled them.  We practiced all week on cleaning up our first contacts, especially when we get freeballs, and serving to locations with more purpose.  This was in the hopes of us being able to be more aggressive and push the pace of our offense, which we certainly did.  Strong digs by Stella Walter, clean and softer first contacts by Reagan Vogelsang (who turned in up offensively, too), and earlier arrival to balls by Payton Hemsing, allowed our setters to dish the ball to whoever made their set call.  It was actually a thing of beauty! Being able to run 3-1's at this age, with some C's, and back sets that allow our right sides to hit over blocks, all start with clean first contacts.  Accompanying this offensive effort were extended serving runs by Kennedy Hiller and Sarah Heitzkey, which ultimately provided us even more freeballs that allowed us to have the fun we sought with our big and ferocious attackers!  We earned the title with a 25-11, and 25-9, route!  

As we were finishing up the handing out of medals, pictures, and reflecting on the weekend, one player mentioned out loud, "when we play like that, we are really good!".  A parent heard that and said, "you CAN always play like that!"  No lies detected!

14 BLACK

14 Black went into the Fondy DIG tournament with some high hopes and big expectations. We started the tournament seeded third which was a bit of a shock because we had just lost to the fourth seed the previous weekend. The day started with two fairly comfortable wins in straight sets to set up the rematch with River City 14 Blue. Last weekend 14 Black was defeated in three sets but this time they got their revenge and won in three sets! The third set was close until about half way through when Bella Masse took over and led her team to victory with some big time swings. Carrying the momentum from winning the pool into the gold bracket 14 Black made quick work of their opponent in the semi finals to set up what looked to be a very exciting championship. Set one saw Wisconsin Blaze 14 Red lead most of the way until some very timely serving and tough defense pushed I AM 14 Black to the victory. Set two was close until the end but I AM had just enough to finish the job in straight sets. This gave the team their first championship of the season and first of Coach Jordan's coaching career. We have juggled our lineup a lot all season and we might have found one that works. Ellie Held and Alannah Donath flipped to the other pin and both played really well all day. Emma Schwendimann made the biggest change switching from front row setter to back row setter and hitting on the right side and she was great. Our DS combo of Roxy Ehley and Emma Timm held down the back court and passed consistently the entire tournament. The middles Elizabeth Heinz and Kennedy Bodus worked hard and got a lot of touches and our setters Tess Ries (along with Schwendimann) did an excellent job of finding the hot hitters. Coach Kevin is really proud of this team effort and they were very deserving of this championship. 

15 RED

Our first 3-day tournament down in St. Louis for MEQ! What a fun way to hangout with the team and the families. Live music, casino runs, and outdoor pickleball/bags.

This weekend brought the drama (In a fun way) Finding competition on day two and 3 we were challenged to be efficient on offense and keeping our serve and pass game at it's best.

Day two we had a great match against Premier from Nebraska. A 3 set match where offense from both teams were on display. We came up short which put us on the other side of the gold bracket. Nonetheless, we made it to Gold!

We had a play-in game against MJVA and we went 3 with them and we had a a major comeback when they ad 14 and we had 11...

#Shoutout to Grace and Ava for coming in and switching the tides.

Great serving by Reagan put us in position to steal the game 16-14!

We played Circle City and their consistency and ball location kept them in control most of the match. They eventually made it to the finals. Premier lost in the semifinals. This just shows how close we are to the teams going the distance. We have yet to hit our full potential!

Ended taking 9th for the weekend but we are heading in the right direction! We are due for a big championship win soon!

16 RED

The 16 Red team had an outstanding weekend at MEQ in St. Louis! The girls finished top 16 out of 120 teams making it to the Gold bracket of the Liberty division! The girls went 7-0 the first two days winning both pools and their crossover match before losing a heartbreaker in the gold bracket finishing the weekend 7-0 and 14-2 in total sets! The team really played as one unit this weekend with every player doing their job and playing their role well!

Brooke Zoromski had a standout weekend passing over a 2.4 and holding down our backrow!

The girls look to get back to work to prepare for the Freedom bid of Nationals that they earned at the in-state qualifier!

16 BLACK

It was a great one-day tournament—finishing 2nd in the Gold bracket is something to be proud of.

With all the lineup changes and a long day of playing five matches, reffing one, and sitting for three, the girls handled it really well. They kept a positive attitude the entire time, brought consistent energy, and showed why they love the game.

Abby, Aubryn, and McKinley had strong serving runs that helped us build momentum and take the lead. Leah and Abby both stepped up with great back row attacks that put points on the board. Abby and Grace did a phenomenal job filling in at middle while we were short, and really held things down.

Leah also had a strong corner swing, while McKinley and Grace capitalized on overpasses with some big kills. McKinley was especially dominant at the net.

17 RED

The IAM 17 Red volleyball team finished the Badger Region Championships with an impressive 5–1 record and a strong championship performance.

On Day 1, IAM faced MadTown 17 Select and Wisconsin Elite 17 Red, winning both matches. Their final match of the day was against WI Juniors 17-1, where they suffered their only loss of the tournament. The team was battling through some adversity, with a few players sick and others recovering from colds. While they didn’t play their cleanest volleyball, their effort and resilience earned them a spot in the Gold Bracket for Day 2.

Day 2 brought a noticeable improvement in performance. IAM defeated Wisconsin Elite 17 Elite and SWVBC 17 Blue to advance to the championship match. In the finals, they faced WI Juniors 17-1 again—the same team that handed them their only loss on Day 1. This time, IAM came out strong and played clean, disciplined volleyball from the start. They controlled the match with strong serving, excellent serve receive, and a well-organized block that shut down their opponent’s biggest hitter. IAM secured the championship with a convincing 25–14 and 25–20 victory, finishing the tournament on a high note.

The girls are now heading to Indiana for the 3-day MEQ to earn a bid to nationals in the Liberty Division.

17 BLACK

Following a challenging weekend at the BR Qualifier, 17 Black aimed to improve their performance at the recent Badger Region Championships. The team competed in the 17 Open division.

Day 1

17 Black opened the tournament against MWP 17-1. The team started slow, losing the first set 12-25, but made a comeback to win the second set 25-20. In the third set, the players battled hard but ultimately fell 10-15.

In their next two matches, the team faced 414 17 Elite and Wisconsin Elite 17-Elite. Against 414 17-Elite, 17 Black controlled the game from the start and won convincingly in two sets, 25-12 and 25-18. The final pool play match was against Wisconsin Elite 17-Elite, a strong and competitive team. The first set was highly competitive and extended beyond regular points, ultimately ending 29-31. The team lost the second set 15-25.

17 Black finished pool play in a three-way tie for second place. Using the tie-breaker criteria, they secured second place and advanced to the gold bracket for Day 2.

Day 2

In the first gold bracket match, 17 Black faced Milwaukee Jrs. 17-1 in a rematch from the Badger Region Qualifier. After a slow start losing the first set 16-25, the team responded with strong offensive and defensive execution, winning the next two sets 25-17 and 15-7, and advancing to the semifinals.

In the semifinal, 17 Black competed against WI Jrs. 17-1. Facing a taller and physically larger team, the players demonstrated resilience and scrappy defense but ultimately fell in straight sets, 20-25 and 21-25.

For third place, 17 Black faced SWVBC 17 Blue for the fifth time this season. The match was highly competitive from the start, with the first two sets split 22-25 and 25-19. In the third set, despite showing grit and determination, the team narrowly fell 9-15.

Day 2 was particularly demanding, as the team played three matches consecutively without a break. Despite fatigue, including two three-set matches, 17 Black displayed perseverance and effort, leaving everything on the court.

Team Highlights

Offensively, the team was led by Leilah Prichard (2.46 K/S), Stella Fernald (1.6 K/S), and Ruby Fernald (.297 Attk %). The standout match was against Milwaukee Jrs 17-1, during which 17 Black achieved a team attack percentage of .309, led by Leilah Prichard (11 kills, .625 Attk %), Ruby Fernald (.625 Attk %), and Stella Fernald (.364 Attk %). The team also maintained pressure on the opponents, holding them to a .154 Attk % and achieving a serve reception rating of 1.37.

Defensively, 17 Black executed several impressive hustle plays. Against Wisconsin Elite 17-Elite, Stella Fernald made a key dig following an overpass kill attempt, and Ruby Fernald made an effective stuff block after Wisconsin Elite attempted a second overpass kill. Ruby Fernald finished the tournament with 4 solo blocks and 3 block assists. In the match against SWVBC, Abby Barthelemy, Summer Wille, and Leilah Prichard combined to chase down the ball and keep it in play, leading to a critical point.

The team continues to demonstrate strong resilience on defense, with Abby Barthelemy (63 digs), Leilah Prichard (49 digs), and Summer Wille (43 digs) contributing substantially. The team remains a strong serving team, with Leilah Prichard (18% aces) and Maliyah Tuszkiewicz (11% aces, 95% serving efficiency) leading in serving performance.

Overall, 17 Black continues to perform at a high level. With their fourth-place finish this weekend, the team once again earned a spot in the gold bracket during tournament play.

Next up:FC Elite Tournament

18 RED

18 Red delivered an impressive two-day run at the BR Championships, finishing runner-up in the 18 Open division.

Due to inclement weather, one team from the pool dropped, which meant 18 Red had to play two full three-set matches to start the tournament - no easy task. On Saturday, 18 Red opened pool play against Hartford 18-1 and came out strong, taking the first set 25-19. Hartford responded by winning the next two sets 25-20 and 25-15, handing 18 Red a tough three-set loss.

18 Red bounced back with a hard-fought win over NSVBC U18 Select, taking the match 25-16, 21-25, 25-16. That close three-set victory proved critical, as it earned 18 Red a place in Sunday’s Gold bracket.

On Sunday in the quarterfinals, 18 Red defeated Wisconsin Elite 18-Elite in straight sets 25-18, 25-18, using aggressive serving, disciplined defense, and intentional offense to control the match. Wisconsin Elite entered the quarterfinals undefeated, but 18 Red delivered one of its strongest performances of the season and played nearly flawless volleyball.

The semifinal against Fusion 18 Nationals became one of the defining moments of the tournament. After dropping the first set 22-25, 18 Red battled back to take the second 25-22 and then won the decisive third set 15-12. Late in the third set, Morgan stepped up with a clutch serving run that helped close out the match and secure 18 Red a spot in the championship game.

In the championship match, 18 Red faced 414 – 18 Elite, a team we had previously defeated at WCQ. The team competed hard but fell short this time 18-25, 25-27. The second set was especially competitive, pushing deep into extra points before narrowly going the other way.

One of the biggest storylines of the tournament was Lily stepping into the middle position while the team was missing one of its middles all weekend. Lily rose to the challenge in a new role and delivered an outstanding performance throughout the tournament. She finished with the most blocks on the team while also recording double-digit attacks and digs. For her dominant all-around play and positive attitude, Lily earned Tournament MVP honors.

Morgan also played a major role in 18 Red’s run, serving 96% across almost 50 serves and delivering one of the biggest momentum swings of the weekend in the semifinal. For her consistency and clutch play under pressure, she earned the team’s Game Changer Award for BRC.

18 Red’s runner-up finish was powered by strong contributions across the entire lineup.  Multiple players delivered standout performances - Laila and Alayna led the offense with 35 kills each, while Anya added 29 kills and posted the team’s highest attacking percentage at .342. From the service line, Grace, Emy, and Reese led the team in aces, while Reese and Alayna each served 93% this tournament. Defensively, Emy and Anya each recorded over 50 digs, anchoring the backcourt with consistent ball control. At the net, Grace, Morgan, and Anya were strong blocking presences throughout the tournament, helping slow opposing offenses in key moments.

Finishing runner-up in the 18 Open division at BRC was a significant accomplishment for this group, especially considering the lineup adjustments. Over two days, 18 Red responded to adversity, played some of its best volleyball under pressure, and fought its way into the championship match.

With MEQ in Indianapolis next weekend, the team now turns its focus to the next exciting challenge and is ready to build on the momentum from a strong performance all season long.