We’re going to Kansas Metropolis, the place the Triple Crown NIT is on the town.
For greater than a decade now, the NIT has been synonymous with the very best ladies’ membership volleyball within the nation.
Bar none.
It truly is a “Who’s Who” of the very best the game has to supply, with dozens of future collegiate All-Individuals and positively a few sometime Olympians (or extra) on the courts at Bartle Corridor showcasing their expertise.
Triple Crown, nevertheless, is about far more than three days of volleyball in Kansas Metropolis. It actually is a triple menace.
Risk No. 1: The Expertise
In “Faculty of Rock,” the long-lasting 2003 movie starring Jack Black, the main focus is on enjoying one nice rock present.
“One nice rock present can change the world.”
On the NIT, the principal focus is on the game of volleyball and the abundance of expertise enjoying in a single venue. Yearly that I’ve attended, I’ve been shocked at how the pace, ability and energy of those athletes have accelerated to remodel the sport into the fast-paced thrill present it’s. Would William Morgan acknowledge this as the game he invented in 1895 for gents in Holyoke, Massachusetts, as a noonday alternate to the extra vigorous basketball being performed up the street in Springfield?
The reply, most actually, is “No.”
There can be 104 18s groups beginning play Friday in a single large division and, except for Circle Metropolis and Metro VB, who anchor parallel tournaments in St. Louis and Washington, D.C., each different distinguished membership will ship their greatest groups to the NIT, and, for some golf equipment, their greatest two groups. This contains, for the primary time, the vaunted Sports activities Efficiency membership, from the Chicago space, that for a protracted stretch twenty years in the past featured the very best 18s crew within the nation.
This yr’s SPVB 18 Elite crew can be one in all 32 enjoying Friday in 4 Energy Swimming pools of eight. By advantage of their play to this point this yr, these Energy Pool groups have earned the correct to play onerous matches the primary day with out worrying about being knocked from competition.
Sports activities Efficiency, which options OH Bella Bullington, MB Sidney Hamaker and libero Morgan Asleson; is in Energy Pool 4, with the likes of NKYVC (MB Julia Hunt and OH Alivia Skidmore), OTVA Tampa (Taylor Parks) and Six Pack (Payton Petersen).
The highest general seed, TAV 18 Black, heads Energy Pool 1. The Dallas-area crew options most of the greatest pure athletes within the nation, together with pins Cari Spears, Suli Davis and Jadyn Livings and MB Favor Anyanwu. Dwelling crew KC Energy, which has two Open qualifier titles to its credit score, is also within the pool, as are perennial bully Munciana Samurai, which boasts an outrageous again courtroom; tall and athletic Triangle and San Diego’s Coast, one other current qualifier winner.
SCVC, the defending age group USAV Junior Nationwide Open champion, is in Energy Pool 2, together with a WAVE crew that final week gained the Salt Lake Metropolis Showdown. A5, with all of its athletes; and Imaginative and prescient, a crew with sturdy setting (Maya Baker) and first-contact prowess (libero Whitney Wallace).
NPJ, representing the Pacific Northwest, is a part of Energy Pool 3, a grouping of groups that additionally contains Membership V and high-flying center Taylor Harvey; Mizuno Lengthy Seashore and the very best senior setter within the nation in Charlie Fuerbringer; Metropolis, with unstoppable proper aspect Kennedy Osunsanmi; and Milwaukee Sting, with loopy good Anna Bjork, Sophia Wendlick and Lilly Wagner.
The expertise doesn’t on the Energy Swimming pools, nevertheless. There are 72 different groups, sorted into swimming pools of 4, which are also fairly good. Solely the pool winner and a choose variety of second-place finishers will stay in competition after Day 1, however that shouldn’t be a difficulty for the likes of Momentum, which options three members of the 2023 nationwide highschool champions at Mater Dei; KiVA, with dynamic outsides Charlotte Moriarity and Chloe Smith; Miami Hype, which has a terrific center in Jaqueline Taylor, daughter of late NFL nice Sean Taylor; Workforce Pineapple, with highly effective OH Morgan Gaerte; and San Gabriel Elite, with its spotlight reel participant Taylor Yu. Additionally look ahead to K2 and FaR Out, two groups that excelled as 18s final yr with largely underclassmen. They are going to be robust.
Now, I may repeat this for the groups within the different three age teams we cowl (17s to 15s), however there’s a flight to catch (and packing to do and breakfast available). Simply know that the very best of the very best are right here, together with defending 16 Open champion Arizona Storm Elite 17 Thunder (wonderful outsides Teraya Sigler and Devyn Wiest), defending 15 Open champion Dallas Skyline 16 Royal (highly effective center Keoni Williams; spark plug libero Kiley Brooks; unstoppable RS Taylor Clarke) and defending 14 Open champion TAV 15 Black (S/RS Brynn Stephens and the Livings twins, Naomi and Nyla). You’ll additionally discover 16 gamers, scattered throughout virtually as many golf equipment, who had been a part of the USA Volleyball U19 pipeline, together with nice setter Campbell Flynn (Legacy 17s), the Dynasty 17s duo of Reese Messer and Abigail Mullen and 1st Alliance’s imposing OH Abby Vander Wal.
Make no mistake: at Triple Crown, the celebs of the present are the gamers themselves.
Risk No. 2: The Recruiters
The Triple Crown web site predicts that 500 school coaches will attend the NIT, however the quantity is definitely increased. EVERY Division I program within the nation that recruits exterior of its rapid space, together with many DII, DIII, NAIA and JUCO colleges, will ship no less than one consultant to the Coronary heart of America. Heck, even the College of Phoenix might ship somebody this yr and it doesn’t actually have a crew!
That is additionally the primary weekend that the NCAA permits Division I coaches to exit and recruit, so they’re rarin’ to go.
The underside line is THIS is the premier recruiting match within the nation. It occurs in February, which is early sufficient for seniors nonetheless trying to discover properties. And, due to the comparatively new modifications to the Division I and II recruiting calendars, it’s the first likelihood for a lot of applications to observe gamers in 2024. Any participant diligently exploring next-level alternatives, and never simply the blue chippers, can and can be seen and evaluated at Triple Crown. Goals will come true and lives can be modified over the subsequent three days within the Paris of the Plains.
Risk No. 3: The Barbeque
You’re in Kansas Metropolis and, fortuitously, there are extra hours within the day than these dedicated to pool or bracket play. Barbeque MUST be in your menu!
I’m a fan of Q39, which has two places exterior the downtown slot however are definitely worth the drive. The one time I went there, each meat and each aspect was THE BEST I’d ever had. Oh my gosh! So good!
Others desire Joe’s or Jack Stack or Arthur Bryant’s. It doesn’t matter. You’re within the Metropolis of Fountains. Barbeque should be had. Possibly greater than as soon as!
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My flight will land at 9:30 tonight, climate allowing (60 % likelihood of snow). I’m excited to see the brand new MCI airport, too. However I’m extra excited to see outdated school and membership teaching pals, eat barbeque and watch the very best gamers and groups on this nation compete to be NIT champions.
Thanks Triple Crown!