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

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)

In the decisive third set of the championship match of the Next Level 18 Gold Tournament at Nebraska Elite on Saturday, Marriah Buss (Lincoln Lutheran) made sure Nebraska ONE 17 Titanium got off to a fast start and never looked back against Premier 17 Gold.

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. 

Bailey Wilson (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 Kamryn Willman (Grand Island Central Catholic) and another from Buss helped Nebraska ONE build its lead back up to 12-6. 

Premier 17 Gold would cut the lead to 13-9 on a solo block from Jessica Hendrix (Papillion-LaVista South), but back-to-back kills from Nebraska recruit Fallon Stutheit (Johnson-Brock) and Buss ended the match.

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.

The second set was much different, though. A pair of kills from Creighton recruit Megan Skovsende (Skutt Catholic) and an ace from Wyoming recruit Hailey Zuroske (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.

A pair of kills from Zuroske and ace serve from Bree Green (Millard West) pushed Premier back on top 17-14 and Nebraska ONE never led again in the second set.

The 20 kills from Buss led all players in the match. Stutheit and Lauren Taubenheim (Lincoln Pius X) each finished with nine for Nebraska ONE while Midland recruit Hope Leimbach (Lincoln Lutheran) had 37 assists.

Skovsende had a team-high nine kills for Premier while Taylor Pribyl (Omaha Concordia) had eight and Zuroske finished with seven. Omaha recruit Sami Clarkson (Omaha Concordia) had 27 assists.