Updated Class of 2021 Players Rankings: #1-10

Since practices and tryouts for the 2018 high school volleyball season start on Monday, I guess it’s time to update our player rankings for the state of Nebraska.

Today we start to take a look at the top players in the sophomore class of 2021. We’ve increased the number of ranked players from 35 to 87 for this class and that number will likely increase quite a bit more following the upcoming season. 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. This is especially true for the younger players.

For now, here are the players that are ranked #1-10. We will release the first Class of 2022 watch list later today. Congrats and best of luck this upcoming high school season. Thanks for all you do to make high school volleyball in Nebraska so amazing!

#10 – Gina McGowan, 6’3, MB, Nebraska City Lourdes (Nebraska ONE) – uncommitted

Of all the players on in the top 10 of the 2021 class, McGowan has the greatest gap between the player that she is now and what she could become. She got her first taste of competitive club volleyball this past year, and while her development is a little behind schedule compared to the best in her class, her overall potential is not. 

#9 – Emily Kaup, 6’0, MB, Omaha Duchesne (Nebraska Elite) – uncommitted

Kaup is an athletic and springy middle that should burst more onto the high school scene this fall. She had just 36 kills in 28 sets last fall, but we caught a glimpse of her potential in a match against Lincoln Pius X when she had seven kills on 11 swings and three block assists. 

#8 – Brilee Wieseler, 5’9, Libero/Setter/RS, Skutt Catholic (Nebraska Elite) – uncommitted

It’s difficult to say where Wieseler fits into Skutt’s plans for this upcoming season, but she’s going to somewhere. The Skyhawks return their top six attackers and have Allison Gray ready to take over at setter, which probably puts Wieseler in the back row. At just about any other school, though, Wieseler would likely be a starting setter or right side 

#7 – Shayla McCormick, 5’11, OH, Skutt Catholic (Nebraska Elite) – uncommitted

McCormick really had a break out at the AAU National Championships this summer in leading her team to the national championship match in the 15s division. A long and athletic attacker with a powerful arm, McCormick had just 45 kills last year for Skutt, but look for that number to increase by a lot this fall. 

#6 – Allison Gray, 5’9, Setter, Skutt Catholic (Nebraska Elite) – Arizona State

Another of the very talented Skyhawks that didn’t see much court time last year at the varsity level, Gray sat behind all-stater Delaney Saucier last fall, seeing action in just 21 sets and delivering 29 assists in the that time. She’s an athletic playmaker, though, and will immediately be one of the top high school setters in the state this fall.

#5 – Alexis Markowski, 6’3, MB, Lincoln Pius X (VCNebraska) – uncommitted

Last summer, Markowski looked like she was going to be a dominant force as a freshman, but a foot injury kept her out the entire year. The sophomore looks like she is starting to get back to that level again, and if she does, Pius X will be loaded at every spot. She has the chance to be a very special player and her best volleyball is still quite a ways in front of her.

#4 – Norah Sis, 6’0, OH, Papillion-LaVista (Premier) – uncommitted

Several of the best high school players to ever play the game in the state hail from Papillion and Sis looks to be prepared to have herself be remembered among that group. As a freshman she stepped in and led the Monarchs with 353 kills. She plays pretty high and has a great arsenal of shots and is one of the best full-rotation outsides in the state regardless of class. 

#3 – Elle Glock, 6’0, Setter, Wahoo (VCNebraska) – USC

The state got to know Glock last year as one of the best right sides in Nebraska as she had more than 200 kills and 20 solo blocks as a freshman for Wahoo’s state championship team. Now, with the graduation of Kinsley Tinglehoff, Glock will become the starting setter. She has shown on the club circuit that she is one of the top setters in the nation in her class.

#2 – Rylee Gray, 6’3, MB, Elkhorn South (Nebraska Elite) – Nebraska

It’s scary to think about how good Gray is when you consider just how much better she could potentially be. Her blocking ability separates her from the rest, but she also had 308 kills with a .439 hitting percentage last year. That having been said, she still has a very slight frame and once she starts adding more strength, she’ll become an even more powerful attacker and blocker.

#1 – Lindsay Krause, 6’3, OH, Skutt Catholic (Premier) – Nebraska

It’s impossible to try and summarize Krause’s skill set in one paragraph, but I will give it a shot. She’s probably the most physically gifted athlete playing high school volleyball in the state right now. And, she has that big-game mentality you look for in superstar players. Consider that she had double-digit kills in 10 of Skutt’s 37 regular-season matches. She then had double-digit kills in each of Skutt’s six postseason matches, averaging 15 kills in those matches while hitting a combined .500. She has a very real chance to be Nebraska’s first-ever, three-time Gatorade POY, if she starts playing in the back row this year.