Spreading out a little more this week. Some teams head downtown and some head up to Appleton and some in between! See how our teams did against their competition this week.
10 RED
The 10 Red Team waited patiently for their first tournament. We played in the Revolution Open at Center Court. All of the teams were also 10’s teams which was a great way to kick off the season. We started at 8 am against the Sting Bumblebees and we played them so tough. For our first tournament, the girls didn’t really know what to expect, but they didn’t disappoint. We lost a close set 1 and then rallied back for set 2 to win 30-28. The third set was tough, and we lost but definitely had good momentum going into the rest of the day. Our next match was against RVA, which we won so then on to bracket play. Up first was Midwest Penguins which we won in 2 sets and next was Oconomowoc. It was a very exciting match, and we were down by a lot in the first set but pulled it out and eventually won in 3. That took us to the championship match where we faced once again, the Sting Bumblebees. We were a force in that match, and they couldn’t return our awesome serves. We ended up winning in 2. What a great way to start – as tournament champs! All of the girls did great, especially our servers, and we got a lot of compliments from other coaches on our game play and the officials on our work teams. One big thing we had to overcome was not having a single break all day – they were either playing or working – so I am super proud of how resilient they were. We are heading off this weekend to a two-day Frisco Mo Tournament and I am excited to see how we compete against older teams. Stay tuned!
13 RED
After a great start to the first weekend of Badger Region Power League, 14 Red was ready to keep the momentum going at the Prep Dig Resolution at the Community First Champion Center in Appleton. Going in as the #2 overall seed we had high expectations about where we wanted to be at the end...championship game or bust.
As we began play on Saturday afternoon, we found ourselves head and shoulders above our competition in our pool. The quality of our serve, first contact, and overall ball control kept all of our opponents off balance. We mixed up our lineup all day to continue our beginning season goal of becoming total and complete volleyball players. We also know that with any team, everyone needs to be ready to step in to help the team with whatever is needed at any moment. The girls continue to handle these challenges with open minds, positivity, and are being successful while doing so.
After going undefeated on the first day in set and match play, the girls earned a bye into the semifinals. We wanted to improve our energy and body language from day one. Nothing was negative on the first day, but we knew we needed to get to the next gear to win this tournament. The girls stepped up in a big way. After another decisive 2-0 victory in the semifinal, we were matched up against the #1 overall seed FC 13 Navy in the final. Just like us, they hadn't been challenged much throughout the tournament so we were both ready for an exciting and hardfought match. In set one, we got them off balance early with some incredible serving and efficient offense. All front row players had big swings to earn us big points when we weren't getting aces. Our serve receive and back row defense played with an intensity that we hadn't seen yet this season to lead us to a set one win. Set two was a different story. Back and forth from the beginning, our opponent began to clean up their side of the court and put up a formidable block. Both teams scrapped out points in many different ways throughout the set. In the second set our setters showed up big, getting to many tough second balls to keep us in system to allow our hitters to put continued pressure on their defense. Through this and some tough endgame touches we were able to finish the job in two sets to become Prep Dig Resolution Champions! We were again able to accomplish so much in one weekend and getting a championship so early on is an exciting accomplishment. We couldn't imagine a better two week stretch to start our season. We now have a few weekends off to go back to work, fix some crucial mistakes, and continue to grow our level of play and expectation. This is all going to be needed in a big way because next up is our final weekend of Badger Power League! Can't wait!
13 BLACK
Another great weekend of volleyball! 13 black was at Prep Dig in Appleton where we went undefeated on the first day and advanced to the gold bracket. In our first match of the second day, we lost a game in three against ICE (1s team), then came back after a tough loss and won the next one against ICE (2s team) to end the day on a positive note!! The key for this team was to be consistent and control the controllable! Going into the weekend, we had a goal to play at our level and not down to other teams. We wanted to perform exactly what our best is and try out new and challenging things! The girls have been working on consistent zone serving, and HOLY MAN these girls love to take their zone serving seriously! They love to feel that challenge and try to test their talents! Our tournament MVP this weekend was given to Emma Schwendimann because of not only her 2x 5 aces in a match but her consistency and energy to her teammates was something that was noticed! Emma comes to practice every day and wants to improve her skills, she always listens to feedback and asks questions on what she can do to be better! She takes those skills that we work on in practice and she applies them in the game! Other awards deserved after this tournament were 5 aces in a match pin to Ellie Held and Sydney Massart.
We are learning what it takes to win and to lose in tight matches and that consistent passing and tough serving are so important to be able to control our side and be aggressive! A goal I have for the girls in the upcoming tournaments is to focus on continuing to be smart where we are placing the balls being aggressive when we can and controlling the ball if it is off!
#shoutout to Taylor Kellerman for hustling for every ball, SHE WAS FLYING!
#shoutout to Emma Timm for being extremely vocal and encouraging towards her teammates!
Excited to get back in the gym and continue to keep working!
14 RED
14 Red competed in the 14 open division in the Prep Dig Resolution this past weekend. We faced the toughest competition we had seen so far this year. While our record didn’t show it, we played some of our best matches of the season!
We have been working on our blocking and net presence and really saw some positive results because of that. We are getting more aggressive at the net and are implementing different sets for our hitters. While there are some growing pains with new things, we will continue to work on this and get more confident in those areas.
Day 1 we started off beating Wisconsin Blaze 2-0. Our 2nd match we faced Wisconsin Ice. We took care of business in set 1, but stumbled after that losing 15-13 in the 3rd set. Our crossover match has us up against a solid Heat 14 Flame team. We pushed them in the 2nd set, but their aggressive serve took us off our game and we lost 25-23 to end the day 1-2.
Still in the gold on day 2 we started off against WI Elite and played our best matches of the year! A win here took us to the semis vs. FC Elite. We played them tough but didn’t have quite enough losing 27-25 and 25-22. Our last match had us taking on Heat again. We played much better taking them to 3 sets, but ended up losing 15-12.
A lot of progress was made and I really enjoyed seeing us play against some tough competition! We are learning what it takes to win in tight matches and that consistent passing and tough serving is so important to set the tone in a match.
14 BLACK
14 Black continues their strong start to the season with 3rd place this weekend. We started a bit slow in the first match as we struggled with our serve receive efforts. Strong right side attacks from Sophia, sharp shots from Zoe and patient defense carried us through for a 2 set win. During our remaining matches on Saturday, we continued to increase in confidence and begin executing new offensive skills learned during the week. Our awesome setting duo of Eloise and Abby had the middles running slides off of serve receive. We were also able to succeed in multiple attempts on a set freeball play to overload through middle defenders. I continue to be impressed with the flexibility of these girls and how they have no problem trying new skills. We completed the next 2 matches of the day with 2 wins. And then celebrated with PIZZA and bonding time.
Sunday we rolled through our first match off of strong serving and our continued aggressive attacks. Unfortunately the serve receive monster showed up and kicked us around a bit in the semi finals match. We could not keep any rhythm and lost a tough 2 set match. While disappointed with the end results, there are lots of positives from the weekend. Our blocking defense is starting to appear and will improve our already good back row defense. The sparks we saw in offense are just the beginning.
The important things:
Serving Pins - Eloise received 2 and Reagan earned 1. Kylie and Haley each received an overpass kill. MVP: Sophia - aggressive attacking and serving while playing well outside of her comfort zone.
14 GOLD
Strong serving and quick transitions allowed for the 14gold team to win all six of their matches for the first weekend of badger power league. The team supported each other and were able to build off of each other's successes. I would especially like to highlight Peyton and Eve's passing game as well as Maggie's growth as a setter. Keep up the great work 14gold.
15 RED
This week is an appreciation post to everyone on this team! Everyone had a moment during this tournament in Appleton. We played in the 15's division at the PrepDig Resolution. We played new teams all weekend like FC Elite, Elevate, WI Blaze, and Spiketown. Day 1 was a short day with only 2 matches but played 3 sets each time. A few serve receive slumps added some drama to our match but thankfully we were doing everything else really well to make up for that. We went 2-0 and earned bye in bracket play.
Day two we played 3 matches and we balled out on all fronts! Here are some highlights!
Ana - Great shot selection and tagging a player down the line!
Malia - Clutch side outs in time of need that turned the tides in our favor
Emma - Ability to score off and through the blocks
Josie - Big blocks against opponents best hitters giving our defense easier looks
Jessie - unbelievable service runs, over 10 in a row!
Sophie - Monster hits that set the tone for each match.
Nora - Quickness and scrappiness that kept way more balls in the air that should have been points for the other team.
Libby - Consistently getting all our hitters in the right place to score. Crafty with the setter dump taking the wind right out of the other team.
Charlotte - Discipline on playing only the balls hit in bounds both in serve receive and defense. She put a perfect ball off one of the biggest hits of the weekend
Brooke - aka The Ghost, was everywhere. Not only make plays look effortless, but taking some big shots to keep the ball alive. FEARLESS and our Tournament MVP!
Tournament CHAMPS!
15 BLACK
We started out the weekend with a 2 match winning streak. Unfortunately, we finished Saturday with a tough 3 set loss to the #6 seed, Shock. We showed up to play on Sunday stronger even than Saturday with a healthier and fully rostered team. I Am 15 Black started the day off with a win against Spiketown 15-2 team which propelled us into battle against Spiketowns' 15-1 team (#2 seed). Sadly, we fell to that team in 3 sets. But we did take one set from them! We regrouped and played hard again, competing against the #3 seed Wisconsin Elite. We took them to 3 sets as well and tried our very best!! It felt great to take 1 set from both of those teams. Our serving game was definitely helpful in our wins both days. We had many plays that took quick thinking from the setters and many others to get the ball over the net. Most often ending in a point for us. "How'd they do that?" SMH. =) Many great kills, many great digs and saves from our defense. Besides a couple coaches ice pins =), we had 1 Serving Ace pin to hand out from this weekend.....way to go Sophie! Also, MVP's for the weekend were Brianna and Sunny. Both these ladies were beasts at the net and showed up big time for us. Both are working on their timing and accuracy of their hits. Congrats to all of you on a great performance this weekend!! On to the next competition where together we will continue to achieve great things!!
16 RED
This weekend the team headed to the Winter Classic at the Baird Center. It was a great test for the team, as the Open Division had some of the best teams from Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Saturday started off with a 2 set win over Lions SWest Prairie 16-1 25-16, 25-13. Next up was Sports Performance 16 Red and I AM took the match easily 25-19, 25-16. The third match was against rival MOD Elite G16 Blue. It was a back and forth battle with big offense coming from both teams. MOD took the match in 3 sets, 20-25, 28-26, 15-10.
#shoutout to Claire and Morgan for their tremendous serve receive both Saturday and Sunday!
Ending the pool play 2-1 meant Sunday would begin with a Gold bracket crossover match against 1st Alliance 16 Silver. Offense once again was at full strength for both teams, but Alliance had the final push, taking it 25-19, 25-17. Moving to the Silver bracket, I AM came out strong and beat Kokoro Volleyball 16-1 in 2 sets, 25-22, 26-24. This set up the final match of the day for the Silver Championship against Sting 16-Black. I AM had a strong first set that came down to the wire, but the big block of Sting gave them the win 25-23. The second set had the team on the ropes early. A big push late gave them an opportunity to take the set, but it was too little too late and Sting took the second 25-16. This challenging tournament was a great opportunity to see how we matched up with some of the best, and a 6th place finish in the Open was a great finish!
#shoutout to Paige and her incredible weekend of hitting. Her attack found the floor over and over again and was key to helping the team score crucial points!
16 BLACK
16 Black started the Winter Junior Classic strong on Saturday going 3-0 for the day with minimal serving errors and lots of aces! Amary Dione walked away with the top server pin while Ava Peterson and Olivia Kormanik got us pumped up with overpass kills! Maddie Katte played incredibly smart, displaying her strong volleyball IQ.
Finishing 7th overall for the weekend, Ava Peterson displayed her aggressive float serve, earning the serving pin on day two, and Leilah Prichard led the team in kills. While it wasn’t the result we hoped for, it’s a solid foundation for us to build on. This is just the beginning. We achieved 87% serving accuracy, making a notable improvement from our last tournament. This progress is a testament to the hard work and focus we’ve put into refining our skills. We’ll focus on learning from every match and improving every single day. Together, we’ll grow stronger, smarter, and more prepared for the challenges ahead. The camaraderie is strong with this team and it’s clear that we’re growing not only as individual players but also as a unified team.
16 GOLD
16 gold had another success filled weekend! The girls started strong and set the tone by winning all 3 games on Saturday! Two of the games the girls won with a dominating force and did a great job keeping the lead throughout the games. The girls did a great job keeping the intensity high and playing at their level, controlling the game and guaranteeing the wins. The second game was an absolute battle and went all three sets. After losing the second set, the girls came back swinging and fought through the long rallies to secure the win!
Sunday, the girls were ready to finish what they started. I’m super impressed by their ability to make in game corrections to help the team continue to score! They fought hard the whole day and even came back to win a set after starting down 11-18! They prove their resilience more and more each game, and have really come together as a team to win.
With the team going 6-0 on the weekend, everyone is excited to see how far they can grow as a team. By staying committed and focusing on specific goals, we can strive to pursue a competitive season!
16 BOYS
This past weekend, our 16 Boys team took another big step forward in our season, showing tremendous improvement across all skill areas. From the first tournament to now, the growth has been evident, and we’re proud of the strides we’ve made together.
One of the biggest improvements was in our serving—our consistency and aggression from the service line put us in a much stronger position throughout the day. Additionally, our net play became significantly smarter, with better decision-making and improved execution on both offense and defense. The team is beginning to play with greater confidence, and it’s clear that our hard work in practice is paying off.
Shoutouts from the weekend:
Gabe & Alex – Their quick thinking at the net and relentless drive to better the next ball made a huge impact in crucial moments.
Matthew – Stepped up big with his ability to read seams and take control of backrow communication, keeping the team organized and prepared.
We’re also excited to hand out many skill pins this week in recognition of the players’ hard work and dedication!
While there is still work to be done, this weekend showed just how much potential this group has when we commit to playing together, communicating, and trusting our training.
The progress made is only the beginning, and we’re excited to continue building toward even greater success in the tournaments ahead!
17 BLACK
Our team joined the hundreds playing in the Winter Classic at the Baird Center this weekend. We started pool play on Saturday with playing a tough team in Milwaukee Sting 17 Silver. We lost but vowed to get the energy going. Our second game was a loss to CI Elite 17 Red. We came back to close out the day with a 2-set win over 608 Juniors 17. Sam helped lead us to victory by serving 5 aces and earning a service pin. Taking 3rd in our pool, we were placed in the Bronze bracket for Sunday.
Sunday's play started with a thriller against Club Fusion 17s. We won the first set, dropped the second, and went into the third ready to dominate. We crushed it in the third set by a score of 15-6. Khiah led the way with 8 (yes EIGHT) aces in the match. She was unstoppable behind the service line! Our day ended by playing in the Bronze bracket championship. While we started strong with a narrow win over Balance 17 White, they ended up getting the better of us in the last two sets to win the match. We learned a lot this weekend and are excited to continue growing.
#Shoutout goes to Alaina for owning the libero spot and being a back row leader during serve receive.
Tournament MVP pins go to Khiah and Sam for aggressive and impressive serves all weekend long.
18 RED
This past weekend, I AM 18 competed in the Winter Classic at the Baird Center in Milwaukee. The team faced a ton of highly skilled opponents throughout both days of the tournament. They finished the weekend 1-4 but learned a lot on and off the court. Saturday, they faced up against Far Out, Sting, and MOD. The team battled back and forth but could not finish on top.
Sunday morning, I AM came out strong and dominated their first match. Aggressive serving, was putting the other team out of system, our defense was all over and the offense executed at an extremely high percentage. After a few hours off, I AM came up in the championship of the bracket. This match was very competitive and I AM fell in set one to Hometown Heat but did not give up. They came back in set two and forced a third set, 25-20. Unfortunately, I AM could not capitalize on their moment from the set prior and ended up losing the match.
I AM will get their first break of tournament season since early January, and will have their next tournament in the beginning of February.