Must-See 16 Open Matchups at the Nike Mideast Qualifer

As hundreds of club teams descend on Indianapolis this weekend for the Nike Mideast Qualifier, here are some players, teams, and matchups to keep your eye on in the 16 Open division.

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Munciana 16 Nighthawks vs. MI Elite 16 Mizuno

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This day one matchup features two of the 2028 class’s top setter prospects: Munciana’s Paislee Terry vs. MI Elite’s Ava Kiernan. Both are scrappy setters who use deception and quick tempo sets to set their teams up for success.

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Premier Nebraska 16 Gold vs. KC Power 16-1

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The quality of pins in this matchup will make for an entertaining and high-level slugfest. Heavy hitting pins Mya Lee of KC Power and Logann Dostal of Premier Nebraska are pin hitters who hit the ball with power no matter whether the set is in- or out-of-system.

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Mintonette 16.1 vs High Performance STL 16 Royal

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There will be plenty of impressive talent on display in this match, particularly in the middle. High Performance’s Rilynn Wingenbach is a well-rounded middle who excels both at offense and block defense, while Mintonette’s Sophia Basham’s strong serve and scrappy floor defense help round out her strong attacking in front of and behind the setter.

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Tri-State Elite 16 Blue vs. Stars Carolinas 16 ZAmy

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This is another faceoff between two great setters in their class. Tri-State Elite’s Mya Bosse and Stars Carolina’s Riley Gross are both quick on their feet and energetic setters who never fail to make their hitters look like superstars. Both set fast tempos that make it hard for opposing blockers to keep up, and do a good job reversing the flow to their right side attackers.

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TAV Houston 16 Black vs. MVA Rise Academy 61

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Scrappy defense will be the name of the game in this matchup that sees two highly promising libero prospects going toe to toe and dig for dig. Morgan Nesloney of TAV Houston and Kaila Van Drie of MVA Rise Academy both demonstrate composure and an ability to read the opposing offense, putting them in great position to dig heat down the line or cross court.