Can Millard North repeat? Can Omaha Marian start a new string of state titles? Is this the year a team from Lincoln keeps the Class A state championship trophy in town?
We’re about to find out as the state championships get underway in Lincoln this afternoon. Here is a look at the four quarterfinal matches in Class A.
#1 seed Omaha Marian (35-2) vs. #8 seed Lincoln Southeast (24-12)
Behind junior Creighton recruit Emily Bressman, Marian is primed for a return to the top of Class A after falling in the semifinals a year ago. Bressman leads the Crusaders with 377 kills – more than double any other teammate – and is second with 274 digs. Wyoming recruit Hailey Zuroske, Lauren Isenberg, New Hampshire recruit Maddie Wiedenfeld and Iowa recruit Sarah Wing each have more than 170 kills with SMU recruit Lily Heim directing the offense as setter. Lousivlle recruit Maggie Mullen leads Marian in digs with 328 and she is joined in the back row by Grace Hern and Sophia Moes.
A pair of UMKC recruits lead Lincoln Southeast as Melanie Brecka is one of the most athletic and explosive middle attackers in the state and leads the Knights with 427 kills and 26 ace blocks. Libero Maddie Renn, also headed to UMKC, anchors the defense with 588 digs. Cassidy Plooster has 848 assists. Brittany Wulf, Cecily Liphardt and Peyton Rhode round out the kill leaders for Southeast.
#4 seed Lincoln Pius X (25-10) vs. #5 seed Papillion-LaVista South (29-9)
Lincoln Pius X provides the Capitol City with one of its best shots at keeping the state title in town. Delaney Humm leads the team with 314 kills while Anna McLain, Lauren Taubenheim and Morgan Christianson each have more than 200. Setter Grace Gokie has 955 assists on the season and Lindsay Nottleman has 661 digs.
Papillion-LaVista South came up just short of the Class A title in 2016 but is back and looking to go one step further this year. North Dakota recruit Taliyah Flores leads the Titans with 401 kills and 384 digs while Army recruit Peyton Schendt has 273 kills and Moe Bianchi has 166 and 97 blocks. Mara LeGrand has a team-high 859 assists and Peyton Moore has 174. Libero Leah Palensky has 308 digs.
#3 seed Papillion-LaVista (25-11) vs. #6 seed Millard West (24-7)
Freshman outside hitter Norah Sis leads the Monarchs with 331 kills while Sydney Fitzgibbons has 314 kills and 71 ace blocks while being nearly impossible to stop on slides. Chloe Paschal has 266 kills and 323 digs and Ally Glaser has 150 digs. Setter Brooklyn Schram has 1,059 assists on the year and libero Carly Lindenmeyer has 389 digs.
For Millard West, senior Ashley Bush leads the way with 320 kills followed by several players with more than 150, including Hailey Petersen, Bailey Wilson and Gabi Nordaker. Libero Jaiden Centeno has 439 digs and setters Bree Green and Syd Daniels run the Wildcats’ 6-2 offense.
#2 seed Lincoln Southwest (30-3) vs. #7 seed Millard North (25-12)
In what shapes-up as the most intriguing first-round match-up of the day, Wayne State recruit Rachel Walker and Jaden Ferguson leads Lincoln Southwest against the defending state champions. Walker has 891 assists, 80 kills and 211 digs for the Silver Hawks while Ferguson, a 6’0 junior, leads the team with 440 kills. Hannah Kelle has 235 kills and 42 blocks for Southwest while Paige Silverberg has 123 kills. Katie Siefkes leads Southwest with 462 digs.
Eve Fountain has exploded for the Mustangs in the second half of the season and the sophomore outside has 202 kills and 241 digs while 6’1 sophomore McKenna Ruch has 304 kills and 74 blocks. Emmy Grant has 182 kills and 108 blocks while Paige Holdsworth has 173 kills and Allie Kerns has 168. Sophomore setter Izzy Lukens has 1,042 assists and Madi Evans has 482 digs.
