By Austin Kingsley
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – “Power pool parity.” That’s the alliterative phrase we’re using to describe the opening day of 17U competition at Triple Crown NIT. It’s especially true after watching MADFROG 17’s N Green secure a three-set win over Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy to conclude Saturday’s action. Let’s set this up. MADFROG entered the Saturday nightcap with an 0-2 record after narrow defeats to Mizuno Long Beach and VCNebraska. The North Texas squad remained competitive but failed to get over the hump in its four sets played to that point. Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy followed a different path. The Great Plains representative battled to a 2-0 mark after triumphs against Alamo and MAVS KC. We saw Synergy’s clutch factor in an 18-16 Set 3 win against MAVS. Heading into the final contest, Nebraska ONE was the only Power Pool D team with an unblemished record. MADFROG, meanwhile, was the lone team seeking its first win. That doesn’t sound like the recipe for a barnburner, but we can’t forget the true nature of power pools. These teams are hand-selected as the best of the best. 17’s N Green had a tough stretch but was not deterred by the setbacks. Power pools grant teams the luxury to reset and refocus, and that’s what MADFROG did to score a dramatic three-set win over Nebraska ONE. Let’s relive the chaos. Synergy Strikes Early Set 1 was Nebraska ONE’s time to back up its 2-0 start. An emphatic 25-14 win highlighted Synergy’s early display of dominance. The offense was paced by Anna Jelinek, a Long Beach State commit who plays all six rotations at outside hitter. Jelinek’s role as a primary passer is just as important as her attacking prowess, and she shouldered the bulk of Nebraska ONE’s first contacts in Saturday’s match. Ball control is a Synergy strength that stretches far beyond Jelinek’s contributions. Nebraska commit Keri Leimbach anchors the libero spot and is one of the most eye-popping defenders in the 17U age group. Her improbable digs and block coverages were a catalyst to Synergy’s wave of momentum in the first set. As first contacts were dialed in, Nebraska ONE’s offense followed. Abbie Hagedorn and Mattie Dalton terminated on the pins while Wisconsin commit Natalie Wardlow found her stride in the middle. A combination of team chemistry and offensive balance had Nebraska ONE on the cusp of a perfect Saturday. MADFROG Leaps Forward MADFROG managed to clear some lingering hurdles in the Day 1 finale, and it came against one of the hottest teams in 17U power pools. Set 2 was a clean slate after Nebraska ONE rolled in the first. That allowed 17’s N Green to claim an early advantage behind its own prolific scorers. MADFROG middle blocker Nenu Kpea started proceedings with a floor-denting kill. This drew the awe of the MADFROG cheering section, which was still determined to bring the energy late into the Kansas City night. Multi-dimensional attacker McKenzie Jones was another important leader for 17’s N Green. She did most of her work on the left side but brings a wealth of experience at other frontcourt positions. MADFROG could also go against the grain and get Ava Steffe involved at opposite. These setter-hitter connections flourished whether the offense was set by Jaleah Bauss or Sara Quigley in a 6-2 system. Most of the second set was characterized by brief scoring runs with neither team breaking away. That was until MADFROG asserted itself from the service line and put pressure on the vaunted Nebraska ONE backcourt. The tide of momentum shifted entirely as 17’s N Green claimed a 25-17 win to force a third. It was a triumph highlighted by MADFROG’s supportive audience: "We won a set!” Indeed, this was MADFROG’s first set victory at NIT after a few close calls. Now that this obstacle was cleared, why not go for more? Much like the start of Set 3, these teams were inseparable to start the third. Nebraska ONE leaned on Jelinek and Dalton as setter Malorie Boesiger pushed the tempo to the outside. MADFROG responded by keeping Jones in a rhythm. 17’s N Green had enough left in the tank, even as we raced past 9:00. Kpea skied for the final kill to give MADFROG its first win at 2024 Triple Crown NIT. The Bigger Picture The implications of MADFROG’s late breakthrough are fascinating. With this result, every team in Power Pool D finished Day 1 with at least one win and one loss. All eight teams in the group are either 2-1 or 1-2. Tournament seeding is completely up in the air for Sunday. MADFROG finished Round 1 on a high note, but the stakes get higher as we reach the challenge matches. This is where the win-and-get-in mentality starts after the momentary reprieve of power pools. 17’s N Green will face a stiff test from AVA TX 17 Adidas, their neighbors from the Lone Star Region. And, despite the loss, Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy claimed first place in Power Pool D via the set percentage tiebreaker. It’s a great thing to fall back on after a setback—and a way to benefit from so much parity. Synergy awaits NPJ Salem 17 National in the challenger round. So, dial up the pressure. Power pools were all about vying for seeding, and now it’s time to battle for an Elite berth. MADFROG and Nebraska ONE are ready. by Jamison Kruse
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- No better way to end Day 1 AM Wave than a barn burner. That’s exactly the match-up we had between Legacy 16-1 Adidas and Dallas Skyline 16 Royal. 16 Royal was cooking up a 3-0 start to the tournament coming into this one. Meanwhile, Legacy was looking to end their day with a winning record. On stadium court, this was the perfect match to have on display. Set 1 -- From the very first serve, this was a back and forth affair. Point for point until 10s, this where we started to see some separation. Legacy would make the first jump and lead 16-12. A timeout by Skyline would turn the tides and would inspire a comeback 8-1 run. The lead wouldn’t last very long as Legacy would fire back with two straight points to tie it up. In the red zone, it was back to that blow for blow action. Skyline would escape with a 23-25 set win. The name of the game in this one was the prowess of the right side for Skyline. Both Brooke Lacewell and Taylor Clarke were virtually unstoppable on the right. Clarke with the explosive left arm proved to be lethal. Her cut shot was too much to contain. For Lacewell, it was the line shot that kept coming up victorious. The two were able to close out big rallies to propel the win. Set 2 -- Very similar to set 1, set 2 was a back and forth brawl. Blow for blow, scoop for scoop, this was some of the best volleyball of the day. All points were earned in this one and no one was letting the other run away with the game. Unlike the first set, either team didn’t allow any lead larger than 3 points before the other responded to tie things up. Reversing the scoreboard, Legacy took the set 25-23. For Legacy, the defense truly shined bright in this game. Meredith Martin ‘s wheelhouse is one of the best in the game. No swing too hard or too crafty for her to not snag up. Martin’s ability to control the game from the first contact is what truly made a difference for this one. It allowed setter Eva Long the ability to run such an effective, spread out offense. Set 3 -- From what was could be described as perfect volleyball in set 2, we saw somewhat of the opposite to start off set 3. With the amount of service errors and miscues, you began to see the nerves set in for this crucial match-up. While, once again, back and forth to start things Legacy was able to not only settle in early but go running. After breaking away at 8-4, Legacy would hold onto to that four-point lead for the remainder of the match. No matter the match-up, Skyline couldn’t garner the run needed to grab control. After the slow start, Legacy was really able to capitalize on their balanced offense to propel the win. Long was finding huge success finding her middles. Ella Andrews came up huge down the last stretch pocketing the final point to win it all. Skyline Highlights -- While Skyline really hammered out the right side, they bring a whole lot of balance deep down the bench. Kiley Brooks manned down a really tough back court presence. Driving into camera poles, throwing around the floor, it was the relentless pursuit for me! Ashtyn Seay on the left pin really came along nicely as the match went on. Seay has a physical arm while taking the smart shots wisely. She had a huge presence down the stretch of set 1 and to kick off set 2 especially. Legacy Highlights-- Much to their opponents across the net, Legacy has great depth on the bench. Martin and Long had spectacular outings in this one. Long was dishing the ball super well pin to pin, keeping the middles as involved as possible opened up a lot of opportunities. Kayla Nwabueze continues to shine as the monster at the net. Anything within the plane, she’s leaving no question in that contest. by Kyle Koso
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Not every effective shot hit by the Arizona Sky 18 Gold on Saturday was delivered at 100 miles per hour, but they showed fast thinking is just as useful as fast swinging at the 2024 TC NIT. The Sky went 3-0 during pool play, capping their day with a 25-21, 25-21 victory over a tough and tricky Sports Performance-Kahl squad at the Kansas City Convention Center as the 18 Elite division kicked into gear at the event, produced by Triple Crown Sports. And while noisy kills were on the menu, the Sky mixed up flavors with accurate tips and well-placed directional shots that helped sway the result. That hunt for opportunities, wherever they might be found, guided the Sky to the lead in Set 1 after falling behind, with the team able to rebuild small leads on three occasions in Set 2 before walking off the court as victors. “In our timeout, the exact words we used were, you need to be intentional and know why you’re doing something, not just reacting,” said Arizona Sky coach Regina Mannix. “Be thinking why something should work and be ready to execute. Most of our players do a great job of that. “We did a great job running our middles; I think we had an advantage there. We say that you’re going to get better with each match, and hopefully the score will reflect a win, but sometimes it won’t. Every single match is about getting better, and if you can beat a team by 10, do it. Don’t be satisfied winning it by three.” Sports Performance had a 15-12 lead in Set 1, but the tide turned on a couple of big kills from Anne Brauckmiller, a Southeastern Louisiana commit who also had a key ace to make it 24-20. While middles Talea Mitchell and Elisa Saunders help steady the attack, the Sky found success earlier in Set 2 – Brauckmiller really had it going in terms of variety, polishing off a difficult leaping-but-gentle push shot to open space to make it 24-21 before Mitchell’s block capped the match. “We definitely believe in working smarter, not harder. When I see an open spot, whether I swing hard or not, that’s the thing you’re looking for,” Brauckmiller said. “I like both kills, either or … the big ones are more exciting, but either way. We didn’t play as well last year and were disappointed not to be in the Power Pools this time, so we want to prove ourselves again.” Another consequential piece of the Sky attack came from the service line. They had far fewer errors than Sports Performance but were still aggressive, with setter Vivianna Samaniego really jamming up the opposing offense with darting, difficult serves. “Last year I really learned with a coach from the club how to handle the ball, and this year I’ve continued to further that,” she said. “And this year my coach is also helping me. We come into every match with a game plan, and the goal is to get the other team out of system so we can control things on our side. I feel like if we see something open, we’ll go for it. I also feel that, if it’s not there, we can recycle and get them out of system. The Sky were one of three teams in the 18u division to not drop a set in Saturday’s action – they will take on North Kentucky (NKYVC) Tsunami on Sunday morning. By Chris Fitzgerald
That 3-0 feeling. Plenty of the teams competing at Triple Crown have the expectation to go 3-0 on day one at most events, but when it’s a power pool of the top teams in the country it’s a little bit different. TAV 18 Black and Triangle 18 Black came into their final pool play match 2-0. The best of the best among the top eight. On paper, TAV out of the Dallas Metro is the top 18s team in the country. A list of athletes committed to top D1 schools across the country that also includes top prospects in the 2025 junior class in Texas commit Cari Spears and BYU commit Suli Davis. The eyes of everyone would be on this team. TAV setter and Michigan commit Camille Edwards had this to say about managing those expectations. “It’s hard knowing that teams all know us and we know we have to uphold a certain standard. We try to stay grounded and focus on what we need to do to be successful.” Set one started fast for Triangle as they grabbed the early momentum. Illinois commit Laynie Smith was electric, scoring early from the outside and being an outlet in the backrow. Asia Thigpen (Kentucky) was everywhere. She was able to keep rally’s alive with her backrow play and provided plenty of points as well from the pin. Setter and Arizona commit Avery Scoggins ran an incredibly efficient offense where she was able to keep TAV off balance the entire set. Triangle would take set one 25-22. TAV would respond. After trading points to start set two it was a very small margin of error the entire way. With the set tied at 20 it was essentially a game to five the rest of the way. The stars shined bright for the Texas kids with Cari Spears dropping an off speed shot in the middle of the court from a backrow attack, two kills by Suli Davis, and a big block out from the middle in USC commit Favor Anyawu to seal the deal to extend the match with a set two win 27-25. “We brought more energy to the second and third set, we got more fired up. First set we were a little meh and knew we had to bring it for the next two sets,” said setter Carson Eickenloff, an Ole Miss commit. Set three was even to begin until Davis took over at the net scoring points with her swing as well as her block. Her stuff block to make it 12-8 took any momentum out of the Triangle side where TAV would go on to win set three and the match 15-9. TAV will head into their challenge match as the top overall seed in the tournament. For Edwards and Eickenloff it’s just one match at a time. “We take one match at a time and stay in the moment,” said Eickenloff. First serve for “Separation Sunday” at Triple Crown will be at 7:30 AM for the 18s. by Michael Deleon
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- One of the most anticipated tournaments at the beginning of each club season is the Triple Crown NIT because of all of the talent that will be under one roof. It is being held in Kansas City, MO on February 17-19th. It brings together the toughest competition from all over the country. There are many storylines coming out of day one and we were front and center for two of them. Can Madfrog Complete Back to Back Championships? Madfrog 14 National Green is the defending Champion from last season and they are looking to go back to back this year. They have been steamrolling the competition so far on day one. I was able to be present for the match against Tstreet 14 Tara. With stud outside hitter Maya Ogbogu’s golden right arm, it looks like they are right on track. Her ability to get off of the ground with ease is something to marvel at. What I love about her is that although she plays at such an elite level, her attitude is always team centered and she stays humble. Her arm speed is top notch when she swings from all locations. I love how she is able to control and contort her upper body to swing around the block while she is in mid-air. Madfrog‘s roster is littered with talent across the board. Middle Grace White is one of the best blockers in the age group. I love how she patrols the net with fast footwork to close the block with her pin blockers. She keeps her hands high throughout the entire movement, which allows her to keep fast timing on the press of the block. The best aspect about her is how she drives her feet hard toward her setter with both precision and intent to score on quick sets. With pin attackers like Katherine Clegg, Olivia Kitur and Ella McNeal on the attack, this squad is dangerous from any location at any time in the match. Setters Chloe Kim and Aleyna Bramschreiber have this team undefeated on the year for a reason. They both can thread the needle. I love how Aleyna plays defense out of the right back zone. She looks like a libero back there and not much falls to the floor near her zone. In the match I just watched, this team was absolutely dominant. The outcome was never in doubt and they look like they could compete against older competition right now! They finished the day perfect at 3-0 and look very strong. If I were a betting man, my money would be on them to be in the running on day three. Check them out and you will see what I saw today. Battle of Undefeated Squads in Power Pool A High Performance 14 Royal came into their last match of the day at 2-0 after defeating Tribe and Tstreet, both in straight sets. They looked extremely hungry during their warm up and I sat down to watch with high anticipation. They have some solid options to score on their squad. Outside hitters Adelyn Buttrum and Ries Schnuck might be a little smaller in height but they can both rise up quickly and unleash some amazing power with their talented right arms. Right side Sarah Albers has the height and power to slow down any attack coming her way. Libero Carina Buttrum was amazing covering ground so quickly and being right behind her attackers at the net while they swing is a huge plus. Middle Gillian Pfieffer is playing well moving laterally along the net to block everything that comes her way. A5 14-1 Helen was also undefeated so far in pool play on day one. The power that this entire team possesses is amazing to say the least. There is no doubt that the outside hitting of Leah Stickney is one of their biggest weapons. It doesn’t matter whether she is in the front row or the back row as she was born to play the game of volleyball. While in the front row, she has shots for days. I loved how she was able to swing hard when given the opportunity but yet she also used some awesome court vision to throw in a few off-speed shots to open areas of the court. Libero Bethany Benjamin was super fast all over the court and saved her team from many volleyballs hitting the floor. The way she covered the entire length of the floor from sideline to sideline in the back row was astounding. Middle Kennedy Davis has immense power in her upper body and let it show both offensively and defensively at the net. She was like a brick wall blocking at the net. Setter Chelsea Torrance did a fantastic job of communicating routes to her hitters and delivering pinpoint accurate sets. Set number one started off strong with both teams trading bombs back and forth. The entire set was super close until the very end with A5 pulling away 20-25. Set two started off a little different with High Performance coming out blazing to a 8-1 lead by some amazing ball control and supreme defense. A5 made a few too many attacking errors to lose the momentum they had from the set one victory. After a quick timeout from their head coach, A5 got their confidence back with some key blocks. They battled back to an 11-10 lead when HPSTL took their first timeout. It seemed as this set was going to be anyone’s game. That is until A5 flexed its muscles quite strongly and pushed to a 15-10 lead. A5 had too much firepower for High Performance to handle in the middle of the second set. But hey were not going anywhere and came back to tie it at 21 all. This match showed just how much both teams wanted to win as neither would succumb to the pressure. In order to win this, someone had to take control. Leah Stickney was all too ready to handle that role. She went on a run of amazing attacks from the left side to give her team the lead at 24-22. She then rotated to the back row and served with confidence on match point to win it for her squad 25-23. A5 14-1 Helen ended day one undefeated at 3-0 and is looking like one of the teams to beat in the age group. Stay tuned for more coverage of volleyball throughout the weekend. by Chris Fitzgerald, PrepDig
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The buzz is real. Triple Crown NIT is back with the best of the best from around the country “Where The Elite Come To Compete” this Presidents Day Weekend. Before the official whistle starts play on Saturday morning at 7:30 AM, Triple Crown hosted their “Unsigned Workout” at the Bartle Convention Center Friday night. What is an “Unsigned Workout”? This is a showcase of athletes who are looking for their future home. This could mean a lot of various things depending where they are at in the recruiting process. For 2024s, this year’s senior class, they are finishing up their recruiting process. The sand dial of time for these athletes might be starting to run out, but there are still coaches looking for 2024 seniors. Athletes get injured, transfer, change plans, as do coaches. Although cliche, its true when they say “Timing is everything”. For 2025s, this is a key year as many of these athletes will be talking with coaches of any level. Whether it’s a showcase or tournament, it’s a chance to show what they have in store for the next level. For the Class of 2026, they will be starting their recruiting journey by reaching out to coaches, attending camps and clinics, posting their highlight videos. However, they cannot officially start having coaches reach out to them until June 15 of this year. Per NCAA rules, college coaches must wait to contact a potential student athlete (PSA) after the completion of their sophomore year on June 15. Makenzie Sloan, a 2025 middle out of Indianola, Iowa and Iowa PowerPlex said, “This is a great experience, a lot of fun to be able to play with girls who are raising your level of play who are from all over. I can learn from playing against these other players as well as the coaches on each court.” Munciana co-director and coach Mike Lingenfelter directed the showcase and spoke at the end of the sportsmanship and how everyone was part of making this a positive experience. Sloan said the same, “Everyone is supporting everyone here, we’re all rooting for each other, and it’s just a really fun environment to be part of.” Dozens of college coaches were on hand to take in these position drills, getting a glimpse of what’s in store for the weekend. Matt Ebenhoe, Associate Head Coach at Waldorf University, an NAIA school in Forest City, Iowa was on hand recruiting. This was his first taste of Triple Crown. The showcase prior to the tournament is a great way to see new athletes for the weekend for Coach Ebenhoe. “We are looking for the athletes who should be on our radar for the weekend, a great way to find new names. If we see them at a showcase like this we can look for them this weekend. We can also see how they work in a practice setting and eventually a match setting,” said Ebenhoe. Waldorf University will be moving into a new conference in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) for the 2025 season. The GPAC is one of the top volleyball conferences in NAIA with schools from Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota schools including 2023 national runner up Northwestern out of Orange City, IA. This is Ebenhoe’s first time recruiting at Triple Crown and is looking forward to the high level of play. “It’s exciting to see a high skill level of volleyball with top teams from all over the country. We are looking to push our program forward as we move into a new conference where we get to see athletes that would potentially take us to where we want to go.” Sloan and Ebenhoe will be ready to go Saturday as pool play begins for all age groups with championships wrapping up the event on Monday. YETI, the leading outdoor lifestyle brand, has executed an exciting partnership with Triple Crown Sports. Triple Crown operates the NIT, the top-recruited club volleyball event in the country. This collaboration marks a significant step for both brands, promising to enhance the overall experience for athletes, fans, and participants.
The 2024 Triple Crown NIT, set for February 16-19, will feature over 560 teams in Kansas City, MO. The attendance is comprised of 15,000+ spectators, 6,000+ athletes, and 500+ college coaches. Historically, more than 70% of onsite attendees engage with food, merchandise, equipment, or other partners. Triple Crown, recognized for organizing top-tier youth, high school, and collegiate sports events, touts the YETI partnership as a natural fit that will elevate the tournament's overall experience for those in attendance. "We are thrilled to partner with YETI for the upcoming NIT event. Their commitment to quality, innovation, and adventure perfectly aligns with what is arguably the top club volleyball event in the country," said Andy Hansen, Chief Marketing Officer. "Together, we're set to elevate the experience for players and fans alike, creating unforgettable moments on and off the court." YETI is set to become the official cooler and drinkware provider for the Triple Crown NIT event. Athletes and attendees can expect to see YETI products integrated seamlessly into the tournament. BASE Sports Group, the national leader in youth sports sponsorship, facilitated the partnership between YETI and Triple Crown Sports. ABOUT YETI HOLDINGS, INC. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, YETI (NYSE: YETI) is global designer, retailer and distributor of innovative outdoor products. From coolers and drinkware to backpacks and bags, YETI products are built to meet the unique and varying needs of diverse outdoor pursuits, whether in the remote wilderness, at the beach, or anywhere life takes our customers. By consistently delivering high-performing, exceptional products, we have built a strong following of brand loyalists throughout the world, ranging from serious outdoor enthusiasts to individuals who simply value products of uncompromising quality and design. We have an unwavering commitment to outdoor and recreation communities, and we are relentless in our pursuit of building superior products for people to confidently enjoy life outdoors and beyond. For more information, please visit www.yeti.com. Fort Collins, Colo - Triple Crown Volleyball is excited to announce the 2024 NIT Power Pool Groups, sorted by age division and teams will be listed in alphabetical order. The NIT event will take place February 16-19, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri in Bartle Hall at the KC Convention Center.
Teams will be announced Saturday, Feb. 10 - Monday, Feb. 12 leading up to the full NIT schedule release. Follow @TCVolleyball on Twitter, @tcvolleyball1 on Instagram, & TCS Volleyball on Facebook for the latest updates and news! 2024 NIT Power Pool A 14u: A5 14 Helen Dynasty 14 Black High Performance STL 14 MadFrog 14 Green OT 14 T Laura TAV 14 Black Tribe 14 Elite Cardinal T-Street 14 Tara 15u A5 15-1 Kelly Arizona Storm Elite 15 Thunder Houston Skyline 15 Royal Legacy 15-1 ADIDAS Mintonette Sports m.51 TAV 15 Black Jason Tstreet 15-Naseri WAVE 15-1 Brennan 16u Arizona Storm Elite 16 Thunder Dallas Skyline 16 Royal Legacy 16-1 ADIDAS Mintonette Sports m.61 NKYVC 16-1 TSUNAMI SCVC 16Roxy TAV 16 Black WAVE 16-1 Scott 17u 1st Alliance 17 Gold ADIDAS KIVA 17 Red Arizona Storm Elite 17 Thunder Dallas Skyline 17 Royal Houston Skyline 17 Royal Idaho Crush 17 MKE Sting 17 Gold Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal 18u 1st Alliance 18 Gold COAST 18-1 Ozhan Houston Skyline Juniors 18 Royal KC Power 18-1 Madfrog 18 National Green Munciana 18 Samurai TAV 18 Black Triangle 18 Black 2024 NIT Power Pool B 14u: AZ Sky 14 Gold BORINQUEN COQUI 14-1F Dallas Skyline 14 Royal Houston Skyline 14 Royal Legacy 14-1 MAVS 14 Select Munciana 14 Chipmunks SG Elite 14 Roshambo 15u: 1st Alliance 15 Gold AZ REV 15 Premier Dallas Skyline 15 Royal Elevation 15 Tony Mizuno Long Beach 15 Rockstar Munciana 15 Blue OT 15 T Randy Tri-State Elite 15 Blue 16u: A5 16-1 Gabe AZ Sky 16 Gold COAST 16-1 Luis Elevation 16 Goller Houston Skyline 16 Royal Madfrog 16 National Green Mizuno Long Beach 16 Rockstar Tribe 16 Elite Cardinal 17u: A5 17-1 Calvin Adidas Dynasty 17 Black COAST 17-1 Rodrigo EXCEL 17 National Red High Performance STL 17 Royal HJV 17 Elite Legacy 17-1 ADIDAS MiElite 17 Mizuno 18u: A5 18 Marc City 18 Gold Dallas Skyline 18 Royal Mintonette Sports m.81 OT 18 O Roberto Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite Vision 18 Gold WAVE 18 Brennan 2024 NIT Power Pool C 14u: Arizona Storm Elite 14 Thunder AVC CLE 14 Red COAST 14-1 Luis Elevation 14-1 Houston Juniors NKYVC SASVBC G 14-1 Wave 14 Tammy 15u: AZ SKY 15 GOLD Forza1 North 15 ONE High Performance STL 15 Royal Kairos 15 Alpha KC Power 15-1 Madfrog 15 National Green Mizuno Northern Lights 15-1 Vision 15 Gold 16u: Austin Skyline 16 Royal Boiler Jrs 16 Game Point 16 Rox MKE Sting 16 Gold Pohaku VBC16 Team Pineapple 16 Black Vision 16 Gold Winter Park Volleyball Club 16 Armour Black 17u: Austin Skyline 17 Royal AVC CLE 17 Red Co Jrs 17Kevin Mizuno Northern Lights 17-1 OT 17 T Aaron Surfside 17 Legends Loriann TAV 17-1 Black Jonny WAVE 17-1 Juliana 18u: City 18 Gold Club V 18 Ren Reed Mizuno Long Beach Rockstar MKE Sting 18 Gold NPJ 18 Forefront Premier Nebraska 18 Gold The Academy 18E Rage Tri-State Elite 18 Blue 2024 NIT Power Pool D 15u: Absolute 15 Black Club V 15 Ren Kalee FORZA1 15 ONE PVA 15 Elite TAV 15 Black Fifer Top Select 15 Elite VCNebraska 15 Elite Winter Park Volleyball Club 15 Armour Black 16u: 1st Alliance 16 Gold Academy 16 Diamond AVC CLE 16 Red Club V 16 Ren Matt Forza1 North 16 ONE OT 16 T JP Premier Nebraska 16 Gold SPVB 16 Elite 17u: A4 Volley 17-Joaco Alamo 17 Premier Game Point 17 Rox Madfrog 17 National Green MAVS KC 17-1 Mizuno Long Beach 17 Rockstar Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy VCNebraska 17 Elite 18u: FC Elite 18 Elite HJV 18 Elite MN Select 18-1 NKYVC 18-1 TSUNAMI OT 18 T Tony Six Pack 18u SPVB 18 Elite Tstreet 18-Chandler Full 2024 NIT Schedule will also be released on Monday, Feb.12th! Sunday, Feb. 18 at the TC NIT marks our inaugural “Support Women in Sports” day, which offers attendees a chance to embrace the task of finding and growing opportunities for women in the world of sports.
The goal of this initiative is to celebrate and demonstrate support and encouragement to ALL of our female athletes and coaches at the most competitive youth volleyball tournament in the country. How will this look? Athletes are encouraged to use the Support Women in Sport temporary tattoos that will be handed out at the airport Friday and onsite at the tournament. Teams are also encouraged to wear peach or teal (hair ties, hair ribbons, shoelaces, etc.) to express support for this movement! Other Activities Sign the Board We have a giant Support Women in Sports board that ALL female athletes are able to sign and in return will get a FREE sticker featuring the Support Women in Sport logo! This board will be located in the KC Convention main lobby near the elevator entrance to the courts. Raffle Basket Fundraiser We will be selling raffle tickets onsite ($5 each/$15 for four) for baskets and donations from Triple Crown NIT vendors and sponsors. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the local Women Leaders In College Sport group that is focused on helping females find jobs within collegiate programs. https://womenleadersinsports.org/ Basket donations are from:
For details about this initiative or to make a larger donation to the cause, please reach out to SarahLauren@triplecrownsports.com by Michael DeLeon
Prep Dig The Triple Crown NIT is now fully underway and we had some amazing match ups in each age group. We picked a few matches to cover and this one really piqued everyone’s interest. The match I covered was Houston Skyline 16 Royal versus Coast 16-1. Both teams are no stranger to big stages and big-time play. Let’s take a closer look at how both teams fared against each other. Houston Skyline 16 Royal These young ladies are no stranger to winning as they ran through the Open level competition in three USAV National Qualifiers last year. The only thing that has changed is this star-studded squad has gotten better, faster, and stronger. Key the Kanye West song play in background as you read the rest of this article. They go ino this matchup having already played two matches against two of the toughest teams in the tourney. Last year’s USAV Open division runner up Arizona Storm 16 Thunder and their awesome outside Teraya Sigler bested Houston Skyline (25-21, 26-24). Their second match went the distance also as they fell to 1st Alliance 16 Gold (23-25, 29-27, 15-17). Anyone who knows this tournament well will tell you that every match is going to be tough. That is the beauty of it. Coast 16-1 Coast had a much different day as they went into this last match undefeated. They had already dispatched Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold (25-27, 25-17, 15-9). Coast’s second match was another tough battle with a retooled Drive Nation squad who we have seen a few times this year. Coast took the match (25-19, 25-23). Next up was another super tough Texas squad. After watching Coast today, I know one thing is certain. They will not give up without a fight. Even though both teams had different outcomes of their first two matches, this matchup was super intriguing to me. Coast’s ball control and defense is second to none and is kind of the standard operating procedure of each team in the club. Cali teams are always great at the overall game and usually wear their opponent down by digging everything that comes their way. Houston Skyline is your typical Texas team in that they are extremely explosive offensively and can bang the ball with anyone. The first set saw both teams trading punches in the middle of the ring for the first three quarters of it. Neither team would let the other go one a run as they were going shot for shot. No one had the upper hand. That is until the defense on the Houston Skyline side started playing extremely well. Taylor Porter, who is well known as an explosive point scorer on the pins, started playing phenomenally in the back row. She picked up everything that came anywhere near her zone. Ava Poinsett of Coast was the one who had an answer for every Houston Skyline point that was scored. Miss Poinsett was brilliant moving the ball around the block and finding holes everywhere. Stella Dillon was also banging away on the right side of the court for Coast. Skyline eventually pulled away and won the first set 25-18 thanks to Bailey Warren and Baleigh Minor who began to score at will. Set 2 was never close as Skyline’s Porter was throttling the ball down the line on the right side. She took advantage of a hole and Coast never adjusted. Kassidy O'Brien was brilliant as she moved the ball around so well to each of her hitters to keep Coast’s defense off-balance. I was thoroughly impressed with the play of Ella Lewis of Skyline as she routinely let some bombs loose from the back row during out of system plays. Coast went on a small run toward the end of the second set when their libero Paulina Baille started to frustrate Houston Skyline’s attackers by picking up everything that came her way. She is one of the best liberos in her grad class in the state of Cali and she showed it in this match. However, Houston Skyline eventually pulled away and won the second set 25-21, which closed out the match in two straight sets. This was a fun match to cover and both teams showed why they were invited to the power pools. Michael DeLeon
Prep Dig KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Triple Crown NIT is now fully underway and we had some amazing match ups in each age group. We picked a few matches to cover and this one was another solid matchup that intrigued me. I covered Excel 16 National Red vs Absolute 16 Black. Let’s take a closer look at each squad and how both teams fared against each other. Excel 16 National Red Excel is a team on the rise in our eyes. They might not look like much height-wise across the roster, but these young ladies can for sure play the game of volleyball. They won their way into the challenge pools by winning two matches and losing one in their opening non-power pool. They dispatched OVA 16 Black (25-7, 25-17) and also Iowa PowerPlex 16U Black (25-18, 25-23). They almost pulled out the three set nail-biter versus NKYVC Tsunami, but fell (25-27, 25-20, 19-21). They have some serious ballers on this close knit squad. Right Side Evelyn Macie Potter is one player who will garner a lot of attention in the 2026 class as she has tons of power in her right arm. Libero Piper Mickenheim is brilliant in the back row and has an amazing range defensively. She can very quickly go from one side of the net to the other as she has amazing vision for off-speed balls and also reacts quickly to deflections with awesome fast-twitch muscle fibers in her lower body. Halle Jameson is another top talent on the left side for this squad. She is able to use her great length to battle well at the net. I love how she creates and utilizes momentum into her approach in order to add some thump to the ball at contact. Outside attacker Julia Hicks may not be as tall as the others, but all this does is score points in a hurry. She has every power shot in her arsenal and scores off of the block well with it also. Lucy Cisneros is also very special and plays like a seasoned veteran at the net. She is very athletic and can bang with anyone. Absolute 16 Black I have watched this team for the past few years and they are a sight to see. Yesterday on Day 1 they played a few tough teams in the Power Pools. They lost two close matches and won their final match of the day. They are one of the top teams in Northern California due to their awesome play. They have a top tier talented middle in Isabella Ehrlich. She is dominant at the net both offensively and defensively. Teams definitely have to game-plan around her. Libero Lauren Dignan is one of their super fun to watch defenders. She covers so much ground both defensively and while covering hitters. I absolutely love how she is able to collapse her entire body on hard driven balls. Outside hitters Emma Knutson and Aveya Stone both love to swing hard and bring the heat for this wonderful team. Setter Julia Waller is phenomenal at delivering the rock to her teammates. She is not afraid to get up and battle at the net while running the 5-1 and being front row. Both teams were able to match each other’s energy and they traded punches well figuring each other out. The first set was a tough battle and it went extras as Absolute was able to win (26-24). Both teams had their “A” game and were not letting up on energy. Set 2 was close at the beginning but Excel had Absolute’s number toward the end and they pulled away to a 25-22 victory. Excel’s setters were able to spread the ball around to all of their hitters and it kept Absolute’s defense a little off-balance. This match up was destined to go to three sets as both teams are filled with studs who won’t quit. Excel seemed to have an answer for everything that Absolute threw at them in the third set. Excel was able to ride a run of awesome serves from Mickenheim as she closed out Set 3 (15-10). Her serves were stifling as they knuckled side to side in the air. Both teams battled very hard and have some amazing talent to play at the next level in a few years. By Michael DeLeon
Prep Dig KANSAS CITY, Mo. – It is time for Championship Monday at the Triple Crown NIT in Kanas City, Mo. All of the hard work over the past two days has come to the final two teams in the 13’s age group. Its Dynasty 13 Black versus Madfrog 13 National Green. Both teams were extremely hungry and proved all tourney that they belonged in the final match. Dynasty 13 Black Dynasty is no stranger to the national stage as they are always in the mix with the best of the best. The squad from Kansas was undefeated on Day 1 as they took down Munciana 13 Stingrays, Texas Advantage Volleyball 13 Black, and A5 13 Karen. Day 2 saw them dispatch Arizona Storm 13 Thunder, Sky High Adidas 13 Elite, and MAVS KC 13-1, and they stood undefeated after two days of amazing competition. If anyone thought that they were done showcasing their skills at a high level, you obviously haven’t seen these youngsters ball. They have some swag to their game and brought it for the Championship bracket. They defeated 1United 13N Bill easily in two straight sets. Next they took down Tstreet 13 Bailey in straight sets again. Some amazing players lead them to greatness in order to battle Madfrog in the championship match. Their setter Sophia Sturdy plays like a seasoned veteran as she dishes the ball to some wonderful attackers. She also doubles as an attacker as she stays in when she rotates to the front row. Outside hitter Camryn Minatee plays with so much emotion on the left side and really gets her team’s momentum going with her fire. Her offense was pivotal in the championship match for Dynasty to stand toe to toe with Madfrog. Libero Haedyn Lynnes and defensive specialist Mayley Morrison were instrumental in their squad’s run this tournament. Brooklyn Andrews was phenomenal offensively for Dynasty as she scored well out of the middle in the championship match. Madfrog 13 National Green These players seem to have championship DNA running through their blood the moment they put on a Madfrog jersey. As an organization that covers many teams across the country, we have witnessed numerous teams across all age groups dominate at the national stage. Their culture is fun and family-like in every team. The crowd they bring with them to every match is extremely supportive and it consists of other players in their club, parents, and other family members. 13 N Green did not drop a single set all tournament until the championship match. They ran through all of their opponents with flash and flare. On their way to the finals they dispatched A5 13 Karen, Legacy 13-1 Adidas, Munciana 13 Stingrays, 1United 13N Bill, MN Select, and MAVS KC 13-1. This squad is littered with future prospects. Their “go to” hitter is Maya Ogbogu and she is a problem! This young lady has the potential to be the best attacker in her age group in the nation. There is no one that even comes close. She rises up off of the ground so effortlessly and then unleashes raw power on anyone in her way. One of her setters is the amazing Aleyna Bramschreiber, who is a fantastic distributor of the rock. Another awesome aspect of her play is how effortlessly she plays defense out of right back. She is able to dig balls with her platform and her hands during overhead situations. Aleyna will be a force for the foreseeable future. Ella McNeal is a dominant right-side attacker for this squad. She has some serious hops on the opposite pin and uses her lightning quick left arm with purpose. Katherine Clegg is another left side attacker that truly stood out while I watched them in the championship match. She had some amazing timely kills in crucial situations that helped Madfrog keep the momentum on their side. One of the stars of the show had to be libero Brynli Burgess as she showed some impeccable form and technique in the back row. I loved her footwork and how she kept her upper body positioned forward before, during, and after contact of the ball. It was a picturesque showing of how to play the position. Both teams came into the championship match undefeated and full of swag. Set 1 saw multiple ties and lead changes with neither team gaining a significant advantage. All knotted up at 18-18, Dynasty used some magical defense to keep their team in every rally. Their defense flustered the Madfrog attack and caused their hitters to have a few untimely hitting errors and a shanked pass out of serve receive to end the first set with Dynasty winning 25-20. Set 2 saw Madfrog’s awesome outside Maya Ogbogu come out swinging and had them up 13-6 which caused the first timeout to be used by Dynasty. The tide certainly turned in Madfrog’s favor as their offense came alive across the board from all of their hitters. Dynasty also had hitting errors of their own during the second set as they tried to press too much. Madfrog won the second set easily 25-14 and had all of the momentum on their side. Madfrog used that momentum to start out with a four-point lead. This caused Dynasty to call their first timeout and they finally ended the run by Madfrog. But this Dallas area squad tasted the win and then went on another run to take the lead to 9-2 before Dynasty scored their next point. Dynasty then went on a run of their own to get the score to 12-7. From then on it was big kill after big kill for both squads as they had the entire championship court on its feet and cheering. The fever pitch hit its peak as Madfrog came away with the victory from a huge kill by Ogbogu to end the third set 15-12. By Austin Kingsley
Prep Dig KANSAS CITY, Mo -- What a run for the California crew. The West Coast was well-represented in Kansas City, but Surfside might not be the first name you think of when considering club volleyball dynasties from the Golden State. But this 16s group from the Long Beach area made sure you knew the Surfside name by the end of 2023 TC NIT. With the cameras rolling on Court 13, Surfside 16 PV Legends captured a two-set win in the 16U Elite championship over Houston Skyline 16 Royal, one of the popular title favorites heading into the weekend. Surfside Strikes First From the beginning of the title match, 16 PV Legends proved that they were not intimidated by the high-flying attack of Houston Skyline. While Surfside’s offense anchored much of the team’s success throughout the weekend, it was the defense that led the way early in the title bout. Middle blocker Daniela Rusich was incredibly effective in locking down seams at the net. Even when she wasn’t getting straight-down stuff blocks, she generated positive block touches that helped Surfside’s backcourt make easy touches. Right-side hitters Preslie Saunders and Similoluwa Adefemiwa took care of Surfside’s wing blocking, too. With this formidable net presence, Surfside enjoyed a 15-12 advantage at the opening set’s TV timeout. 16 PV Legends then expanded their lead after the break as another middle blocker, Kalyssa Blackshear, made some crafty shots in front of the setter. But we can’t go any further without mentioning Surfside’s big gun on the left side: Kaci Demaria. If you wanted to claim that Demaria was the most valuable 16s athlete at Triple Crown this weekend, no one would argue with you. Her long frame and fluid arm swing make defending Demaria a nearly impossible task. She has risen to superstardom in Kansas City and will be a household name for years to come. Demaria fittingly capped off a Set 1 win with a kill, putting surfside firmly in control of the match. Surging Skyline Texas teams don’t go down without a fight, and we saw some Set 2 resilience from Houston Skyline. Surfside was tasked with defending a wealth of elite attackers from 16 Royal. Outside hitter Bailey Warren certainly belongs alongside Demaria on your all-16U team, and opposite Taylor Porter complements her well on the right pin. Both of these pin hitters carried big roles in serve receive, further adding to their greatness. In a mirror image of Set 1, it was Houston Skyline that held a three-point advantage midway through Set 2. Setter Kassidy O’Brien was starting to find a rhythm, and that yielded some highlight moments from Ella Lewis on the left side and Bayleigh Minor in the middle. We were closing in on a third set. A Final Wave of Momentum Surfside responded to adversity and found an answer, just like it had done since arriving in Kansas City. Demaria still loomed large in the Set 2 comeback, and fellow outside hitter Simone Roslon also terminated well. But serving and backcourt defense started to emerge as major storylines while Surfside rallied back. Libero Olivia Foye was a huge standout in this regard, as she performed all the skills you’d like to see from your libero. She literally shed a little blood in her pursuit of the ball. Another ball control player, setter Isabella Jones, capped off the match with her own bout of strong serving. A winning ace sent Surfside 16 PV Legends into a frenzy as an improbable 16U championship run was complete. by Chris Fitzgerald
Prep Dig KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For teams to make it to the championship of Triple Crown NIT, a few things have to come into play. Athletes need to stay healthy, there has to be some depth up and down the lineup, teams have to respond when calls don’t go there way, and sometimes there needs to be a little luck involved. This is the “March Madness” of volleyball. For Drive Nation, this group of athletes fell just short in 2022, finishing second to A5. However, in 2023 and four consecutive three set wins they gritted their way to be crowned champions of the NIT 18 Elite Division with a three-set win over Coast. In set one it was all Coast, the team out of the San Diego area jumped out to a huge lead, 15-4, behind the likes of Oregon commit Noemie Glover and BYU commit in outside hitter Claire Little. In typical Drive Nation form, they chipped away, they didn’t panic. The final set score was 25-23 with Drive having plenty of momentum heading into set two where they would jump out to a quick lead, not looking back to win 25-19. Opposite hitter and Boston College commit Samantha Hoppes said this group thrives under pressure. “We thrive under the back against the wall situation. We love being under pressure and getting our competitive drive going. Especially in a third set we break it into mini-games trying to be the first team to five, to ten, and eventually 15,” said Hoppes. In set three it was back and forth the whole way. With the score knotted up at seven, teams continued to trade points, no timeouts needed with no extended run until the last five points. Coast would force a timeout at 13-11 and had the clear momentum forcing a Drive Nation timeout. The Texas team did what they had done all day playing cool, calm, and collected to tie the game at 13, and the go on the last “mini” run of the game to take the match 16-14 in set three. While the championship match had plenty of dramatics in set three, the semifinal match to get into the championship against Munciana 18 Samurai was unreal. Another back and forth third set where they even were up against match point, but somehow found a way to sneak out another victory 18-16 in set three. “I think there is a little bit of luck involved. There are so many plays, so many calls, things will go your way, sometimes they won’t. We just continue to work really hard and stick to the process of getting these wins,” said Hoppes. For all of these 18s, it’s the last hurrah for their prep volleyball careers. The wins are great, but the tone is a little bit different for these teams who are getting to play together one last time. “A lot of these girls I’ve been playing with on my team have been together since we were ten years old. We’re ready to go to college but it’s a little bittersweet,” the senior said. “I think we’re sad to go, but we’re willing to give every little bit of grit in these tough games because we aren’t playing for ourselves, we are playing for each other.” KANSAS CITY, Mo. – One thing about volleyball at the 12u level – there just seems to be a lot of room on the court between players.
That means keeping points alive long enough to do damage with finishing shots is an important concern, and the hustle was there from start to finish for the Excel National Red (Plano, TX) 12 squad, which bashed away Monday to earn the 12 Elite championship at the Triple Crown NIT event. Blessed with a tall, rangy and aggressive lineup of hitters, Excel made it through with a two-set win over A5 (Georgia) and a three-set showdown with fellow Metroplex squad Mad Frog (18-25, 26-24, 15-11) before topping Mizuno Long Beach in the final, 28-26, 25-15. In the title match, Excel trailed 17-10 in Set 1 before getting its roster in rhythm, going on a 10-0 run at that point, capped by a kill from Rhys Walker. Walker again handled the pressure late in the set with a block and kill; Excel closed the comeback with a kill from MC Crutcher and an ace by Anna Lukas, as her serve clipped the net and fell just over the other side. “We had to just keep our energy up. We didn’t want to get down on ourselves; they were acing us a lot, and we just had to get it together,” said Skye Lincoln, arguably the team’s most persistent kills leader on the day. “We’ve got people who can get kills and or middles get the big blocks – it works when we are moving our feet quicker.” In Set 2, Excel ended most of the drama early, taking an 8-1 lead on a kill from Lincoln. A couple of aces from Walker pushed the lead to 19-6, and the match concluded with a block from Reagan McDonald and a kill by Crutcher. “I liked the resilience we showed as a team. We started with A5, a really good team, and we came out with an energy and a focus on our game,” said Excel coach Libby Shewski. “Against Mad Frog, it was a real dogfight to the finish. It was a huge mental victory for us. With this one, we started off a little shaky and had a bit of nerves, but I love the fact we wanted it even though we were down. Second set, we showed our true game and played it to that level. Excel did a lot of things right, but the constant and overwhelming pressure put on the opposition via the serve jumped out throughout the final. “Serving, we’ve been working on doing it aggressively, and you can make a lot of errors that way, and we struggled for the first two days,” Shewski added. “Today we got in the second the doors opened, girls were warming up with their serves, and we said find that aggressive serves and make it consistent. At 12’s, aggressive serves and good serve-receive is the name of the game.” |
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