Qualifiers Galore: The Teams Who Got Their Bids

Between the Easter holiday and the sheer number of qualifier events, this past weekend could not have been busier for thousands of girls, parents, and staff. We’ve got the scoop on the outcomes of the qualifiers in Anaheim, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta.

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West Coast Qualifier

The two teams at the top of standings–ID Crush 16 Bower and SG Elite 16 Roshambo–each were already qualified coming into Anaheim. ID Crush was led to victory by who else but the inimitable Bower sisters, both of whom are playing above their own age levels, but 2028 setter Kali Lewis also deserves credit for well-placed and timed sets during her setting rotations.

SG Elite was led to double qualification by its main weapon, Elite Red outside hitter Saylor Halvorsen, who takes powerful swings and has a lot of success with her serve. Fellow outside Lucy Stillwell also contributed nicely in her front row rotations.

With both the top two teams having already qualified, the bids trickled down to third- and fourth-place squads OMNI 16 National and Coast 16-1 Nilay. For OMNI, no one stands out more than outside/opposite Jazmin Ojo, who made racking up kills look easy. Setter Lauren Kim also did a nice job getting Ojo the ball while making sure to involve her other hitters as needed.

Coast is a scrappy squad with lots of weapons, allowing them to run a balanced offense between pins like Simone Hobbs and Aliyah Bowser as well as middle blocker Antonella Romo, who brings both diligent blocking and a highly effective serve.

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Windy City Qualifier

Some of the country’s most dominant teams descended on Chicago this weekend, so it’s no surprise that the standings leaders from the Windy City Qualifier all joined the multi-bid club. Circle City 16 Purple continued to elevate its game and went 9-1 on the weekend to earn its third bid, with 2028 outside hitters Blaine Adams and Elite Orange Audrey Utterback proving very effective on the left pin.

In second place was WAVE 16 Scott and Metro 16 Travel both of whom also joined the multi-bid club. It ended up being Union 16 Black who, in tying for third place, upgraded its bid and earned their ticket to nationals in the 16 Open division. The stars of the show for Union was 6’2” middle blocker Isabella Manos, whose consistent availability in transition was vital for her team’s success. Fellow middle blocker Tresdan McAfee also proved to be an effective attacker and contributed many positive block touches.

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Lone Star Classic

Down in Houston, Alamo 16 Premier went undefeated and earned its second 16 Open bid. It’s no surprise that this team has double-punched its ticket to nationals considering what an embarrassment of riches it has in terms of talent. Elite Orange 2028 prospects Claire Bolton and Brooke Oney along with Elite Red Piper Pease all stood out with heavy arms and tough serving.

Like Alamo, Dallas Skyline 16 Royal-Paul also earned its second bid. The second-place team’s offense was successful by being concentrated around its two excellent outsides, Red-level Aleah Edmond and silver-level Taylor Johnson. Both are all around players who showed no issue passing heavy serves, with Johnson having quite the nasty topspin herself.

The three bids trickled down, landing with third place finishers Houston Skyline Royal, seventh place TAV 16 Black Josh, and eighth place The Woodlands Skyline 16 Royal. Standouts from these bid earners include TAV’s Finley Orr, a middle blocker and kills machine, as well as The Woodland Skyline’s Kenadie Gibson, who hit sharp angles and took smart swings to end long rallies. 

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Big South Qualifier

Elevation 16 Renfro earned its ticket to nationals in the 16 Open division. The team benefited from impressive performances by pin hitters Mina Radaszewski, a Green-level 2028 outside hitter, and Reagan Draper, a Green-level 2028 opposite. Radaszewski in particular has a big arm and a powerful swing, and adds to it with a strong serve. Not to be overlooked is 2028 setter Kelsey Green, who smoothly distributed the ball.

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VCNebraska also earned its 16 Open bid. 2028 Green outside hitter and go-to scorer Ava Janulewicz did a nice job using the opposing block to her advantage, whether it was to recycle the ball or hitting off of it for a kill.