You get a win, You get a win, and YOU get a WIN! President's day weekend came with a ton of championship matches for our teams!
11 RED
11 Red went down to Pleasant Prairie to compete in Presidents day this past weekend in the 11/12's division.
On day 1, I AM continued their dominance with wins against Balance 11 White (25-11, 25-9)
Madtown 11 select (25-16, 25-18) and Wisconsin Juniors 12 White (25-23, 25-15).
The team was looking good with many ACE pins and consistent free ball conversions for points.
Day two, I AM 11 Red started off with a crossover match against Wisconsin Juniors 11 Blue. I AM came out very aggressive and won by a score of (25-17, 25-10). This sent them into the semi-finals of the gold bracket. 11 Red continued their dominance with a win over Wisconsin Junior's 11-1's (25-13, 25-21) to send them into the gold bracket championship match.
I AM 11 Red again started out strong and won game 1 (25-18). In game 2 Madtowns best server had a good run and I AM did their best to battle back and lost a very close set (23-25). In the 3rd game, Madtown went on an early run and took the lead. I AM continued to fight back taking multiple swings before winning points as balls continued to come back after single contacts. I AM's aggressive serves faltered near the end of the set and they lost (12-15) in the 3rd set to take 2nd place.
As a coach, I've told our players and parents that we are about progress and not always about winning the game. This weekend I was super proud of these girls as they continued to play aggressively no matter the score! We were easily the most aggressive team in the tournament. Our girls consistently brought aggressive (Jump Float and Jump Topspin) serves, and we were the only team to jump and attack the ball on the 3rd hit on a consistent basis. The team earned 2 All-Tournament players (Lucy and Lexi) and recorded their first block of the season (Isla)! I'm sure we are running out of ACE pins due to their dominance behind the line even while performing the most difficult types of serves!
Can't wait to see the progress we will make at the next tournament!
The Sky's the Limit Ladies!
12 RED
Even though this summary is about this past weekend at the President's Day tournament in Pleasant Prairie, our 3 matches of the Power League on February 9th set the tone on what our team's floor needs to be. We finished that Sunday playing an undefeated Burlington Juniors team and played extremely well for the 2 sets to sweep them. The girls played hard, ran some timely freeball variances, and served extremely effectively, while also maintaining a high level of engagement and effort. This "floor" of what we should expect from ourselves was established, this past weekend would be the opportunity to practice that consistency to start working towards our ceiling.
We began Saturday morning in pool play, and a challenge match, by dominating our competition. We went 6-0 in sets, out scoring our opponents 150-75. The pressure we put on teams from the serving line was consistent, we were in-system for the vast majority of every play, and we were able to continue running a variety of sets in serve recieve and on freeballs. This put us in the Gold Bracket, with a first round bye.
On Sunday morning, we faced a taller, more aggressive hitting team in the Wisconsin Juniors 12-1s. The girls jumped all over them right away. Our aggressive and high-paced serves really had them scrambling to get the ball over to us (Lyla McDonough punished them when her turn came!) , and when they did, in freeball form, our offense was able to end rallies with kills. In the 2nd match, things got a bit tighter, and we were in a battle in the later portion of that set. They're serving became more of a problem, and we had a few more errors, but ultimately won 25-9, 25-21. This put is in the championship match against a very good Lions 12 red from Illinois. We had one of our players ask me if they were truly a U12 team! Once I assured her that they were in fact a 12's team, the girls locked in as we spoke about playing aggressive, getting our feet to the ball, and being Ok with approaching a challenging situation; oftentimes, we encounter teams that are in the earlier stages of figuring things out. What we did was steamroll them in the first set 25-15. Our serving yielded us a lot of freeballs, which we quickly turned into points. Kennedy Hiller and Jaidyn Alexander ran a more balanced offense than ever, keeping all of our hitters engaged. Hanlee Kellerman absolutely smashed some 1-balls to set an early tone on offense, and our collective floor defense kept rallies alive; we were lightning! In the second set, we stormed out to a 18-8 lead, only to see that evaporate as our opponents began to hit their serving spots, we had more hitting errors, and we struggled to get our feet to the ball. There were tense moments, close calls, and shouting parents (and coaches, of course) that increased the stress of a championship match. We ended up falling 25-27. After some wet eyes cleared up because of the set loss, and our confidence challenged, the girls got their composure back, and the goal was to be the first to 5 points and take the 3rd set in smaller chunks. We jumped out to a 5-1 lead, and held them off 15-10 for a Championship win! Every player on our team needed to make an impactful play to pull out that 3rd set-the girls did a great job just sticking together. Hanlee, Jaidyen, and Stella Walter were named to the all-tourname
12 BLACK
12 Black had a solid weekend of competition at the Presidents Day Tournament down at the Rec Plex and Carthage. On Saturday we went 1-2, narrowly missing out on the opportunity to match up with 12 Red. Sunday we went 1-1, but we went down fighting.
Some highlights for the weekend were:
Taylor getting a block and two aces as an outside
Olivia and Lauren getting the #overpasskills
Aalysah hitting some great line shots
Grace consistently swinging from the outside
Ellis, Hazel, Arabella, Greta and Ava playing great defense and stepping up on serve receive
13 RED
After a final weekend of Badger Power League that presented many different challenges and obstacles, 13 Red was eager to use those learning opportunities at the Wisconsin Juniors Presidents Day Tournament. Going in as the #1 overall seed was a fun opportunity. It showed all the hard work is paying off and it also set the bar high for us. We were going into this tournament to play for one specific outcome...to win it all!
Day one came and went with ease. The girls did a great job of controlling all facets of the game and everyone was able to step up in their own way to support the team. A big thing that we were proud of is we didn't let our competition affect how we wanted to play and perform. We stuck to our goals and focused on our own controllables. There are some specific non-negotiables that we have been dialed in on and this weekend we saw many of those take a big step forward.
Day two started off very similarly to day one. The girls played their game in both the challenge match and the gold semifinals. We fought through some sloppy moments and some higher level of play but in the end we found ourselves in the gold finals. In the finals, we were matched up against an extremely talented and well coached Wisconsin Juniors 13-1's team. The girls knew that a higher level of play was going to be needed to compete with this team and achieve victory. In set one, the girls came out with a lot of energy and focus. Even when they didn't score the point they forced the Juniors team to earn it through high level and tough plays. In the middle of the set, we were able to dial in our serving to create easy point opportunities and extend a lead that we didn't give up. We continue to see improvements in our own high level play (bigger swings, smarter swings, bettering the ball, consistent serve receive against tough serving). In set two, Juniors stepped up their level and play to began to gain some momentum with their offense. Both teams went back and forth with aces, kills, blocks, digs...it was a wild second set of volleyball. What set us apart was our ability to extend rallies. We didn't always make the big play to finish off the point, but being able to keep the ball up and play clean volleyball in a big moment was fun to see. Through all that we were able to finish off the match in two and win the Juniors Presidents Day Tournament! Proud of how the girls stepped up and it was great to see a consistent weekend. We have a tough stretch coming up in the month of March and it is important to start and find out who we really are and who we can be to prepare for that stretch. Congratulations to Charlee Krull, Haylee Robinson, and Maddie Hagel for being named to the All-Tournament Team! Some big practices are coming up to fine tune those skills and learn as much as we can to get ready for the stretch of Badger Region Qualifier, Mideast Qualifier, and Badger Region Championships!
13 BLACK
Our team was at the Dome this weekend in the Dells! We were so proud of how the girls performed this weekend, the memories made we the Kalahari, and the experience we shared as a team! On the first day, we were undefeated 3-0! Some highlight moments from the first day, Emma Schwendimann getting a pin for her overpass kill! Sydney Massart, Taylor Kellerman, and Ellie Held received a 5 aces pin in the first game of the day! In the second game, Kennedy Bodus got an overpass kill, and Taylor Kellerman received another 5 aces pin! In the third match, Alannah Donath got a joust pin! The second day started strong with a win which led us to be confident of thinking we were going into the championship game…Until we lost in the semi-finals against a team that we could of beat. Which was a hard and sad loss for us because we knew we deserved a better outcome. Something we learned and are continuing to work on is starting strong and staying strong! Remaining consistent and making the other team work. There were many intense rallies, but we slowly let runs and silly mistakes catch up to us. A highlight from the second day, Taylor Kellerman received her THIRD 5 aces pin! Overall, we went 4-1 this weekend and took 3rd in the gold bracket! This IAM team has been known for getting third in almost every tournament…We are working on getting past that hump and making it to a championship game!!! They deserve it and work so hard, but they need to stay strong throughout the weekend, even towards the end of the day because those are usually the games that mean the most! Our well-deserved tournament MVP for the weekend goes to Emma Timm for her outstanding saves, serves, and energy she brought from start to finish! Emma’s attitude and bubbly personality encourages everyone around her to smile and laugh. She played hard and was a great teammate this weekend. Emma throughout the weekend had, 21 digs, 6 aces, and 5 back-row kills.
14 WHITE
14 White headed to the scenic Wisconsin Dells for the highly anticipated Mizuno President's Day Challenge, a premier volleyball tournament that draws teams from various states to compete at a high level. The team continued its impressive winning streak on day one of the competition, showcasing their skills and teamwork by going an outstanding 3-0 in matches and dominating the court with a remarkable 6-1 record in sets. This stellar performance allowed 14 White to secure the top position in their pool, which ultimately placed them in the coveted gold bracket. Out of a competitive field of 32 teams representing Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, 14 White emerged as one of the top 8 teams, highlighting their exceptional talent and determination. As day two unfolded, the excitement and intensity of the tournament escalated. Unfortunately, I AM 14 White faced a formidable opponent in Elite Alliance 14-1 from Minnesota, a team that had proven to be a strong contender throughout the tournament. In a nail-biting match, I AM 14 White fought valiantly but ultimately fell short in two hard-fought sets, with close scores of 23-25 and 21-25. Elite Alliance 14-1 would go on to win the entire tournament, demonstrating the high level of competition that I AM 14 White was up against. Following this challenging match, the team regrouped for the 5th place game, but it became evident that they had run out of steam after the first set. Despite their best efforts, they struggled to maintain their earlier momentum and finished in 6th place overall. This result, while not what they had hoped for, still reflected their hard work and dedication throughout the tournament. The standout player of the tournament was undoubtedly Edie Varney, who was named the MVP for her exceptional performance. Edie's contributions to the team were numerous, but one of the most remarkable highlights included an impressive string of 9 consecutive aces, a feat that left both spectators and opponents in awe. Her ability to serve effectively under pressure not only boosted her team's morale but also played a crucial role in their success during the earlier matches. Overall, the experience at the Mizuno President's Day Challenge was invaluable for I AM 14 White, providing them with opportunities for growth, teamwork, and competition against some of the best teams in the region.
15 RED
We walked into a 16's 2-day tournament this past weekend but with the #1 seed overall! This put us in the top pool but with only 3 teams so we played to matches and both teams didn't reach 15 points in any of the sets. Outstanding serving from the whole team as we picked up 24 aces in match one and 17 aces in match two.
#Shoutout to Ella Miller for picking up a serving pin in each match!
Other notable achievements pins would be Malia and Josie overpass kill pins, Brooke and Ana's pancake pins!
Day two we earned our spot in the Semifinals and played the Lion Juniors. They had a tall lefty middle and we were down our middle, Sophie. Josie stepped up and went right after their player and we shut them down in two sets. Lots of Aces again as our team picked up 11 Aces!
We finished up against 414 Elite and the last time we played them was in our first week of power league. We were eager to show how much we've grown since then. Game one was close in the beginning and we peeled away in the 2nd half. Game two we got to Brooke's serving run where she could missed if she tried! Dig after dig we kept scoring and before you know it is 21-6. We closeout the set and take 1st place overall!
One week off and then we test our might vs the top 15's teams in the state at the Badger Region Qualifier.
17 BLACK
Our team traveled north to participate in the one day FC Elite Open on 2/16. We faced a tough Medford 17s team first, and they got the best of us in a 1-2 match. Determined to turn the day around, we beat FC Elite North 17s TWICE and Spiketown Central 17s once. Overall we were 3-1 on the day.
Many girls earned pins again today! Elyse and Reese got overpass kill pins and Addie had a face kill, which earned the girls ice cream. Khiah served her way to another service pin! She's had one EVERY tournament Special #shoutout goes to Alayna, who recorded a team high 21 kills. Our offense got creative, so she was able to swing at each position and get multiple kills! Reese was also a beast all day long, earning important points when we needed them most. We stayed steady today and had fun, which was the goal. We are looking forward to more improvement at our next tournament on March 1-2 at the Prep Dig Champions Cup.
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