February Recruiting Recap: Three of State’s Best Setters Come Off Board

Recruiting season for volleyball is in full swing, and there is plenty to recap on the recruiting front from February.

In the past week alone, three of the state’s top available setters came off the board.

Mara LeGrand, ranked as our best setter in the Class of 2019 and the #6 overall prospect, spurned some Division I offers – both scholarship and walk-on – and committed to Division II Regis University in Denver. The junior from Papillion-LaVista South and Nebraska Juniors 171 Black will join a program where former Elkhorn South standout Kelsey Green, who was the 2016 RMAC Freshman of the Year for Regis and a 2017 All-RMAC 2^nd Team selection. The RMAC includes schools such as Nebraska-Kearney and Chadron State.

Brooklynn Schram, ranked as our best setter in the Class of 2020 and the #9 overall prospect, committed to South Dakota this week. The sophomore from Papillion-LaVista and Premier 16 Gold had been on the Yotes’ radar for a while. South Dakota has a well-established pipeline into Nebraska. Currently, redshirt freshman Madison Jurgens from Diller-Odell is the only setter on the South Dakota roster, but the Yotes have a freshman setter coming in this fall to compete with Jurgens. South Dakota also has former Omaha Marian standout Elizabeth Loschen and has also gotten a commitment from Sidney’s Mattie Johnson, who we have ranked as Nebraska’s fourth best OH in the Class of 2020 and the #5 overall prospect.

Izzy Lukens, ranked as our #5 setter in the Class of 2020 and #24 overall prospect, committed to Arkansas State in the past week. The sophomore is a teammate of Schram’s on Premier 16 Gold and plays at Millard North. Arkansas State is a Division I program in the Sun Belt Conference and went 21-12 this past season. The Red Wolves lost to Coastal Carolina in the conference tournament – Coastal Carolina has former Lincoln Pius X standout Sara Boothe at setter and played at Creighton in the NCAA Tournament this past fall. Lukens in the first recruit in the 2020 class for Arkansas State state. The Red Wolves also have a setter coming in the spring as part of the 2018 recruit class.

Elly Larson, our #5 OH and #11 overall prospect in the Class of 2019, committed to Wayne State earlier this month. Larson suffered a severe knee injury playing basketball and won’t be competing in club volleyball this season, which did not scare off Wildcats’ coach Scott Kniefl. Larson helped lead Wahoo to its first state title this past fall and would have been a member of VCNebraska’s 17 Elite squad that is one of the top teams in the state regardless of age. Wayne State, one of the top Division II programs in the nation, took advantage of a very deep and talented crop of 2019s in Nebraska – landing six of our top 28 overall prospects in the class.

Riley Throener, a 5’8 OH/DS from Guardian Angels CC, committed to Midland University.

Claire Harless, a setter from Cross County, committed to Southeast CC.

Bailey Lukasiewicz, an all-state libero from St. Paul, signed with Hastings College.

Riley Sis, an OH from McCook, signed with Hastings College.

Makenna Freeman, a 6’0 OH from Omaha Westside and Nebraska Elite 18 Envy, signed with College of St. Mary.

Kiley Codner, a 5’3 setter/DS from Wood River, signed with Southeast CC.

Carley Elznic, am OH/DS from BDS, signed with Nebraska Wesleyan.

Madysyn Holloway, a 5’4 DS from Laurel-Concord, signed with Doane College

Alyssa Rezac, a setter from Bishop Neumann and VCNebraska, committed to Northwest Missouri State.

Coree Lipovsky, a 6’0 MH from Sandy Creek and VCNebraska, signed with Bellevue University.

Emily Krolikowski, a 6’0 OH from Centura, signed with Hastings College.

Hannah Heppner, a 5’11 MH from Stanton, signed with Northeast CC.

Lauren DeLord, a 6’1 MH from Meridian, signed with Southeast CC.

Gabby Sullivan, a 5’10 OH from Allen and Iowa Central CC, signed with Wayne State.

Amber Anderson, 6’2 OH from Omaha Benson and Central CC, signed with College of St. Mary.