The opening 18s national qualifiers of the season this past weekend not only produced the first bids for Columbus, but it also tested our national rankings for the first time. In Chicago at the Windy City Qualifier, 16 of the 30 teams in the field appeared in our initial Top 50 Rankings, including five teams from the Top 10.

It was a smaller field in Kansas City for the MLK Tournament, with just 13 clubs vying for two bids as a result. Despite the size, eight of the teams were nationally ranked, including four from the Top 12. In the end, it was No. 11 MAVC KC 18-1 and No. 4 Premier Nebraska 18 Gold securing 18 Open bids after finishing 1-2 in a four-team pool that also featured No. 12 MN Select 18-1 and No. 40 KC Power 18-1.

As for the three 18 Open bids in Chicago, they went to tournament champion and national No. 10 Sunshine 18 LA, No. 3 Wave 18 Juliana and No. 35 Mintonette Sports m.81. The field there was loaded, featuring national No. 1 Coast 18 Ozhan, No. 9 Metro 18 Travel, No. 14 Club V 18 Ren Reed and No. 16 Circle City 18 Purple.

Coast’s hopes at earning a bid in its first try ended when it was eliminated with Day 2 losses to Club V and Sunshine. Day 3 came down to two, four-team pools between Sunshine, Mintonette, Adversity 18 Adidas and No. 36 FC Elite 18 Elite in one and Wave, No. 33 Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite, Circle City and Club V. The top-two teams from each pool would advance, with the pool winners earning bids and the second-place teams playing off for the final bid.

Sunshine and Wave both went 3-0, with Sunshine beating Wave, 28-26, 25-22, for the championship. Mintonette wound up facing Circle City for third and swept, 25-20, 25-21, for the final bid.

Here’s how the final standings looked compared to our rankings:

1. Sunshine (10)

2. Wave (3)

3. Mintonette (35)

4. Circle City (16)

5. Club V (14)

5. FC Elite (36)

7. Adversity (n/r)

7. Rockwood Thunder (33)

9. Coast (1)

10. AVC Cle (27)

11. Metro (9)

11. Mich Elite (29)

13. NPJ Forefront (30)

14. Paramount (43)

15. Legacy (26)

15. Union (49)

17. Top Select (n/r)

18. VC United (n/r)

19. Rev 18-1 (37)

19. MKE Sting (24)

22. Absolute (38)

The final day in Kansas City came down to the four-team pool of MN Select, Premier Nebraska, KC Power and MAVS KC. MAVS came out strong, sweeping both Premier Nebraska and MN Select. With KC Power going 0-2, MAVS had first place secured before facing KC Power in the 3 v 4 match and with it one of the two Open bids.

The real drama came in the pool’s last match, a clash between Premier Nebraska and MN Select. Both were 1-1, with the final bid going to the winner. Both needed three to get past KC Power, so it was anyone’s guess what would happen. It turned out Premier Nebraska swept, 27-25, 25-22, to take second and join MAVS in bidding.

Here’s how the standings there stack up with our national rankings:

1. MAVS (11)

2. Premier Nebraska (4)

3. MN Select (12)

4. KC Power (40)

5. Topeka Impact (42)

6. Dynasty (31)

7. OT John (8)