Class of 2019 Updated Player Rankings: #31-40

With the start of the summer high school camps and conditioning just around the corner, it’s time to update our player rankings as we prepare for the start of the 2018 high school season.

Each day we will release more Class of 2019 (can you believe it, you guys are finally seniors!) rankings until we get to the top. We’ve increased the number of ranked players to 210! Remember, these lists are fluid and updated often, so if you are ranked, congratulations and just know that people will be gunning to take your place wherever you are ranked. If you are not ranked, please remember that we do the best that we can to see and evaluate as many players in the state as possible during the high school and club seasons. Just because you aren’t ranked now doesn’t mean you won’t be in the future. 

For now, here are the players that are ranked #31-40. Congrats and best of luck this upcoming summer and high school season. Thanks for all you did to make high school volleyball in Nebraska so amazing!

#40 – Anna Gregerson, 6’0, MH, Papillion-LaVista South (Nebraska Juniors) – committed to Palm Beach Atlantic

What makes her so good: She’s as athletic as pretty much any middle in the state and her raw ability made her an early target in the recruiting process that led to her committing to one of the top Division II programs in nation. She’s extremely efficient as a blocker and attacker. Has all-state level potential.

She can move up if: She becomes a dominant force in the middle for the Titans this year. She has all the physical traits, but is she ready to carry the burden of needing to be one of the best middles in the state for Papio South while maintaining her consistency, both attacking and blocking.

#39 – Sydney McDermott, 6’2, RS, Skutt Catholic (Premier)

What makes her so good: McDermott has made big strides in her development each year. It’s easy to overlook her with all the other Division I talent Skutt has, but her ceiling is very high and she can put up one of the strongest, most physical blocks in the state and has really improved as a terminator. 

She can move up if: Lateral quickness could be better for McDermott as well as her vertical, but that’s just being picky. If she can be a blocking machine and hit close to .400 this year, Skutt could be looking at a national-championship kind of year.

#38 – Kamryn Schuler, 5’11, OH, Gretna (Nebraska Juniors) – committed to Nebraska-Kearney

What makes her so good: Schuler has that easy athleticism about her that allows her to make some thing look easy. She’s a dynamic jumper and her efficiency as an attacker improved greatly over the last 12 months, as has her back row play. Plays much higher than her 5’11 height.

She can move up if: Back issues have somewhat plagued Schuler the last handful of years as it seems like she hasn’t been able to play a full season at 100% If she can raise her hitting percentage up from the .275 from a year ago and stays healthy, she can wind up being one of the best full-rotation outsides in the 2019 class. 

#37 – Morgan Christiansen, 6’0, MH, Lincoln Pius X (Nebraska Juniors) – Fort Hayes State

What makes her so good: Christiansen has great length and natural blocking ability in the middle. She October of 2017 she has been easily one of the five best true middles in the class of 2019. Her 12 kill, eight solo block performance in the first round of the state tournament last year is an indicator of how dominating she can potentially be. 

She can move up if: Pius X will be one of the best – if not the best – teams in Nebraska this fall if Christiansen continues improving as she has. If she can be a consistent double-figure kills middle and cause havoc by getting touches on everything, she could potentially be a top15-20 player in the class.

#36 – Bree Burtwistle, 5’10, Setter/RS, Stanton (VCNebraska) – committed to Midland University

What makes her so good: She is one of the state’s most multi-faceted weapons and her skill set reminds me a lot of former Diller-Odell standout Madison Jurgens – now at South Dakota. As starter since her freshman year, Burtwistle has career averages of 3.2 kills, 3.4 digs and 5.8 assists in leading Stanton’s program to new heights. 

She can move up if: Even more will be asked of Burtwistle this year after some key graduations, so as a setter, is she going to be able to put young, inexperienced hitters in a position to be successful while keeping the defense guessing.

#35 – Emersen Cyza, 6’1, OH, Alliance – committed to Wyoming

What makes her so good: The first thing you notice about Cyza is how athletic and strong she is. She had more than 500 kills last year for Alliance and has more than 1,200 career kills to go with 850 digs. She is one of the most prolific terminators in the state.

She can move up if: Sometimes being that great of an athlete and not playing a competitive schedule can be dangerous. Consistently playing at a very high level and with energy at all times combined with a break through match against a really good program would boost her considerably. 

#34 – Sophia Moes, 5’1, Libero, Omaha Marian (Nebraska Elite)

What makes her so good: Moes has exceptional quickness and lateral movement and her ability to play a stellar back row has been a huge key to Omaha Marian’s success in her two years as a regular in the back row. 

She can move up if: With the graduation of Louisville recruit Maggie Mullen, Moes should be leader in the libero jersey race at Marian. If she can earn that jersey and continue the tradition of excellence at that position at that school, Moes’ stock will go up.

#33 – Michaela Bartles, 6’0, MH, Bennington (Nebraska Elite) – committed to Nebraska-Kearney

What makes her so good: What makes Bartles so good is that she’s one of the best leapers in the state and has a good, quick arm swing that causes problems for her opponents. The fact that she has so much room for improvement, though, means her best days probably will be played out in college.

She can move up if: Bartles had double-digit kills in six of her last nine matches last year. The three times she didn’t were against Class C-1 champion Wahoo, Class B runner-up Omaha Duchesne and Class B champion Skutt Catholic. To be a top 20 player, Battles needs to be able to play bigger in those big matches. 

#32 – Maddie Wieseler, 5’10, OH/Libero, Hartington Cedar Catholic – committed to Midland University

What makes her so good: The fact that she is an absolute beast as an attacker and good enough defensively that Nebraska offered her a walk-on spot that she turned down to take a scholarship to Midland. She’s also a standout setter in the high school ranks, although she will be a full-rotation outside for Midland. 

She can move up if: Wieseler is one of the best passers in the state and while she is a difference maker as an attacker, a reduction in the amount of hitting errors would make her one of the most complete players in the state and a top-20 kind of player.

#31 – Emma Gabel, 5’7, Libero, Lincoln Pius X (VCNebraska) – committed to Nebraska

What makes her so good: Gabel has been one of the hardest working players in the state for the last several years and being that kind of grinder has set her up for great success as she’s been a constant riser in the rankings. She has great court awareness and isn’t afraid to stick her nose into the court for a ball.

She can move up if: Gabel has shown a lot as the libero of probably the state’s best club team this spring and summer and if she can take over the libero spot at Pius X this fall, which is likely, will she be able to continue her high level of play while wearing the label of “Nebraska recruit.”