Fast Start in Third Set Sends Nebraska ONE 17 Titanium to Title

<p><em>Fallon Stutheit (Johnson-Brock) of Nebraska ONE 17 Titanium goes up for a kill against the block of Lauren Walenz (Millard South), left, and Kelsey Olson (Millard South), right, of Nebraska Elite 17 Razee during Saturday's tournament. (Photo by Berk Brown)</em></p> <p>In the decisive third set of the championship match of the Next Level 18 Gold Tournament at Nebraska Elite on Saturday, <strong>Marriah Buss</strong> (Lincoln Lutheran) made sure Nebraska ONE 17 Titanium got off to a fast start and never looked back against Premier 17 Gold.</p> <p>Buss, a Wichita State recruit, had four kills for Titanium during a 6-1 start to the third set and finished the match with 20 kills total as Nebraska ONE downed Premier 17 Gold 25-17, 19-25, 15-9 to win the match between two of the top 17s teams in the Midwest. </p> <p><strong>Bailey Wilson</strong> (Millard West) got hot for Premier in the third set and had four kills that accounted for all of Premier's points during a stretch when it cut the Titanium lead to 9-6, but a kill from <strong>Kamryn Willman</strong> (Grand Island Central Catholic) and another from Buss helped Nebraska ONE build its lead back up to 12-6. </p> <p>Premier 17 Gold would cut the lead to 13-9 on a solo block from <strong>Jessica Hendrix</strong> (Papillion-LaVista South), but back-to-back kills from Nebraska recruit <strong>Fallon Stutheit</strong> (Johnson-Brock) and Buss ended the match.</p> <p>In the first set, Nebraska ONE got off to a similar quick start and built and early 7-2 lead on a combo block from Stutheit and Camryn Opfer (Seward). and Premier never got closer than three points the rest of the way.</p> <p>The second set was much different, though. A pair of kills from Creighton recruit <strong>Megan Skovsende</strong> (Skutt Catholic) and an ace from Wyoming recruit <strong>Hailey Zuroske</strong> (Omaha Marian) put Premier up 9-5 early in the second. Nebraska ONE, however, battled back and took the lead back at 14-13 on a Premier hitting error.</p> <p>A pair of kills from Zuroske and ace serve from <strong>Bree Green</strong> (Millard West) pushed Premier back on top 17-14 and Nebraska ONE never led again in the second set.</p> <p>The 20 kills from Buss led all players in the match. Stutheit and <strong>Lauren Taubenheim</strong> (Lincoln Pius X) each finished with nine for Nebraska ONE while Midland recruit <strong>Hope Leimbach</strong> (Lincoln Lutheran) had 37 assists.</p> <p>Skovsende had a team-high nine kills for Premier while <strong>Taylor Pribyl</strong> (Omaha Concordia) had eight and Zuroske finished with seven. Omaha recruit <strong>Sami Clarkson</strong> (Omaha Concordia) had 27 assists.</p>