Tournament Recaps - Week 18
- I AM Volleyball
- 6 days ago
- 8 min read
Juniors Winter Classic downtown and LOVB Fest took place this weekend. See how our teams did!
11 RED | 2-3 | 7th Place
This past weekend, the 11 RED team competed in the Juniors Grand Slam tournament and finished in 7th place with a 2-3 record. The team showed strong competitive spirit, especially with their exceptional serving, which kept opponents on the defensive throughout the weekend. Despite being matched against some high-level 12s teams, 11 RED stayed aggressive and never backed down from a challenge. One area the team is looking to improve is serve receive, as the elevated level of play exposed some inconsistencies. They're also focusing on maintaining composure and execution under pressure in future matches. A special shoutout goes to Elsa, who earned the team’s first joust pin—a fantastic accomplishment and a proud moment for the group!
12 RED
We participated in a 2-day event downtown Milwaukee against some much needed competition. Our team began Saturday as the 4th seeded team overall. We certainly played like it from the very first set!. The energy and aggression with which we played was great to see. Lyla McDonough was outstanding with her serve and hustle, Hanlee Kellerman was dominant offensively once she started mixing up her shots, and our setters Jaidyn and Kennedy ran a very balanced offense. Our zone serving was crucial in keeping our opponents out of system, and allowed us to go on extensive runs. We won our first 2 matches very convincingly and efficiently. In our 3rd match of the day, we faced a common opponent in WIsconsin Juniors 12-1s. This opponent we have beaten several times, and there was no doubt that they felt that they let some matches get away from them, and they were fired up. They played harder, faster, more communicative, and more aggressive as they took the first set. We made some offensive and attitude adjustments prior to the 2nd set. We played significantly better in the 2nd set and won rather comfortably with some high level execution. This momentum carried us into the 3rd set where we dominated them 15-7 to win our pool.
On day 2, we played a challenge match against a Mindset team from the Great Lakes Region. Once again, we played very sharp from the first serve and rolled through the match in about 30 minutes. We talked this past week about the importance of starting strong and what we need to do as players to ensure we do that. We did just that when we faced Sting Gold 12's in the semifinals. As coaches, this is the type of match that we have been hoping to prepare the girls for. For the first half of the 1st set, we exchanged points, served them tough, and scored on offense and made some nice digs. However, we ran into a really tough series of 2-3 servers who pushed our primary passers around and we just couldn't get ourselves out of tough situations. This disappointing outcome, despite the nice start, was too much to overcome in set 2 as the pressure mounted and the girls really stopped moving and communicating (the 2 things that can never happen!); Reagan Vogelsang provided a steady effort during this match that did not go unnoticed! This put us in the 3rd place match to face Wisconsin Juniors once again. After the departure of a setter due to a family event, and an early injury to our other setter, we had to make significant changes mid-stream. We dropped the first set, and re-arranged our rotation to place Stella Walter in as our 5-1 setter for set 2. We played a much closer set, and Stella gave a wonderful effort, but we ran out of points and our weekend was over. This last match loss wasn't that hard to swallow given our situation at the time, the semifinal match outcome is what we need to learn the most from.
Despite the rough end to the day, we did secure our 51st match win of the season, we really solidified ourselves as top 2 or 3 team in the state, and we got a taste of what our last 2 events of the season.will more closely resemble.
13 RED | 4-1 | 5th Place
13 RED had one of their strongest weekends of the season, finishing 5th at the Junior Grand Slam with a 4-1 record. This tournament marked a major milestone for the team, as they secured their most impressive team win of the season against a well-matched opponent. Their energy, hustle, and unity were unmatched—they played like a team determined to grow and win together.
Throughout the tournament, players stepped up in big ways, supporting one another and maintaining high levels of communication. One of the key takeaways from the weekend was the team’s ability to stay composed and competitive across all rotations. They also showed tremendous hustle, chasing down balls and staying aggressive in long rallies.
The coaching staff noted that continued focus will be placed on situational awareness—staying alert and focused on the next play, especially in fast-paced transitions. Despite this, the weekend proved just how far the team has come, and how much potential still lies ahead.
This truly was a team weekend, with every player contributing on and off the court. The support for one another, the energy on the bench, and the execution on the floor all came together to create a memorable and rewarding tournament experience.
14 RED | 4-2 | 6th Place
14 RED had a strong showing at the Grand Slam, finishing with a solid 4-2 record and earning 6th place in a highly competitive field. The team played their best volleyball of the season, showcasing a new level of connection and cohesion on the court. Their communication and energy were contagious, and every player contributed to the team’s success throughout the weekend.
Their ability to bounce back from adversity was impressive—they stayed composed in tight sets and rallied together during key moments. The team is continuing to focus on aggressive play, especially at the net and from the service line. Coaches emphasized the importance of maintaining that intensity consistently through each match and set.
Highlights from the weekend include big overpass kills from Brooke, Olivia, and Scarlett, clutch Pancake from Grace, a Joust Champion from Olivia and the MVP goes to Elin and Brooke! It was a total team effort and a weekend filled with standout moments.
14 BLACK
Coming Soon!
15 RED | 5-1 | 3rd Place
Coming in at a 3 seed this weekend was refreshing not being the #1 overall seed. This allowed us to be on the hunt for a higher seed all weekend. I major goal for our team is to continue to prove how good we are every time we step on the court. We did a great job on Saturday vs Midwest Penguins, Rolling Thunder, and Sting White. Consistent zone serving and solid blocking and offense throughout the day. We went 6-0 with the sets all day!
One area we will continue to work on is playing our best ball at the end of each set. We tend to coast to the finish line and we will need to learn to close with dominance by the time we get to Nationals. Easier said than done... :)
Day two kicked off with a 3 set match with 414 Elite and it was a great battle and high tensions as both teams wanted all the close calls to go their way. We lost 25-27, but bounced back with a 25-22 and 15-9 win to advance us to Gold Semis.
We faced off with WI Juniors and we saw them in the first power league and they beat us pretty good then. This was. good test to see how we have improved over the season. This match went 3 as well with us winning game 2 but came up a little short in game 3 losing 11-15. Great effort but some missed assignments didn't allow us to get the edge we needed to come out on top.
Luckily we got to play a 3rd place match and we get to play Sting Gold 14's. Another great match that went 3 and we controlled most of the game. Besides being the shorter team we played with poise in set 2 and 3 after some tough love in between sets 1 and 2 of that match.
15 BLACK
Coming Soon!
16 RED
Coming Soon!
16 BLACK | 6-0 | 1st Place
16 BLACK put on an incredible performance at the Junior Grand Slam this past weekend, going undefeated with a perfect 5-0 record and taking home 1st place. Their success was rooted in smart, strategic play—players consistently made excellent decisions on when to tip, roll, or swing with power. The team’s volleyball IQ really stood out, allowing them to outmaneuver opponents and control the pace of each match.
One of their biggest strengths was their ability to adapt quickly mid-play, reading the defense and responding with confidence. Their communication was sharp, and they displayed a strong sense of teamwork and trust. While the team executed at a high level, there are still areas for growth. Coaches noted that quicker movement to the block and tighter defensive coverage will be points of emphasis going forward, especially as the level of competition increases.
A huge shoutout goes to Isabell, who has shown tremendous growth this season.
Earlier in the year, she played more reserved, but this weekend she stepped up in a big way. She played with confidence, made smart decisions, and was a key contributor to the team’s championship run.
17 RED
Coming Soon!
17 BLACK | 5th Place
17 Black had a GREAT showing at the Grand Slam tournament this weekend We were so proud of their positive energy amidst many lineup changes. Day 1 started with a match against Sting 16 Gold. They were a tough team and great competition, but we ended up losing that match. We dominated the rest of the day with wins against RVA 17 Navy, WI Blaze 17 Black, and WI Juniors 17. We were prepared for a crossover match the next day to see if we would be competing in the Gold Bracket.
The morning of day 2 brought a friendly foe... our I AM 17 Red team! Alaina was helping that team out as libero for the weekend, so we got to see a familiar face across the net. We definitely battled it out with them--as it was one of our most exciting matches yet. We dropped the first set by a close score, but came back strong to win set two. They prevailed in set three but all coaches were super proud of the effort of these two squads. Our stats were amazing that match: Alayna tallying 11 kills, Molly with 14 assists, and our front line with a whopping 5 solo blocks! Even though we were headed to the Silver Bracket, we knew we were just getting started for the day. We went on to win both of the next matches against Lakes Juniors 18 and Elevate 17. That earned us 1st place in the Silver Bracket and 5th place overall! Pretty impressive that the only two losses of the weekend were to the two teams in the championship game.
Special #shoutout to our girls who played new positions this weekend! Molly got to try her hand at libero and was excellent. Khiah helped out at outside and racked up 4 kills. Proud of the adaptability of this team and excited to continue on to our second to last tournament next month. Only a month until Nationals in Orlando!