By Chris Fitzgerald
Got a game, got a chance. Triple Crown NIT is in its second year of running “Battle to Bartle” which is a tournament within a tournament where teams compete Saturday at the AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk for a chance to earn their way to the Bartle Convention Hall at the Kansas City Convention Center to compete in the Select Division on Sunday.
This is a chance for teams to find some early success. A chance to generate momentum heading into the rest of their season.
Take for example Iowa Premier. The club out of Des Moines competed in Battle to Bartle as 15s in 2025, advancing to Bartle and winning some matches that really sparked the rest of their season. They would go on to earn an open bid at the Show Me Qualifier, being among the top 32 teams in the country. As 16s, they recently were among the 16s field, going 2-1 in pool play advancing to a 16 Elite challenge match.
Who would be the next to find the spark in their “Battle to Bartle”?
Two 15s teams from Wisconsin were among those fighting for a change to get to Bartle on Saturday.
For Milwaukee Sting 15 Black and Madtown 15 National out of Madison, they survived the three match gauntlet on Saturday (Madtown won four) for a spot in the select pools on Sunday.
Chad and Stacie Kuck, coaches for Milwaukee Sting 15 Black talked about the reality of the event as well as the opportunity.
"Coming into Saturday our mindset was simple: stay together and compete for every point. We were honest about being nervous and a little scared walking in, but we talked about how we can turn that into energy and focus."
That they did, defeating Kairos 15 Beta, NPJ Bend 15 National, and a three set thriller against OMNI 151N1 out of Arizona.
"Seeing the growth in all of girls has been special. This is where our kids can build team chemistry and realize the difference between good and great. We don't want our best to be in February, but we are building trust and culture by playing for each other. In a large event like this we can see what we are made of."
So what now for Sting 15 Black?
"We want to play free! We want the same approach; one match at a time, stay composed, and play for each other. We'll enjoy the moment. We will get to play against some amazing clubs from around the country. This is a great chance for us to push past our comfort zone and prepare for regional and national qualifiers"
Milwaukee Sting has been a perennial power for years, a club that has been coming to NIT since the beginning. Madtown has only been in existence since 2020. This is a chance for them to prove themselves against top competition.
This 151 National team found out they can win the close matches. They gained four wins on Saturday and in dramatic fashion. Three of their wins were in three sets 17-15, 15-13, and 15-12.
The battle continues for both of these teams as they will head to the Badger Region Qualifier in two weeks.
