Looking Back on the Players that Defined the Class of 2019: Emily Bressman
We are about a month away from all the graduation ceremonies and parties for the Class of 2019.
I personally realize that not every athlete/family/team/coach, et al, will like me, my opinions, my work and my opinions and that’s OK. But, the reality is that the only reason I do what I do is because of the love and appreciation of the sport of volleyball in the state of Nebraska and the athletes/families/teams/coaches that make it such a great sport.
I become personally attached to so many people every year, that I truly feel joy for them when they succeed, pain for them when they fall and sadness for myself when their playing days are over. This is truly a labor of love for me.
I’m not going to lie, there will always be a special place in my heart for the Class of 2019 and the athletes in it. My youngest daughter is a member of the Class of 2019, so I’ve been watching this group of kids since they were literally 10-12 years old. In a lot of ways, a number of the kids and families have become extended members of my family and I am grateful for the relationships and experiences we’ve shared.
So, over the next few weeks I will take a walk down memory lane when talking about some of the players from the Class of 2019 and the lasting impact they made on the sport in Nebraska. This isn’t about what stats a player had, what records they broke or any of that. It’s about the legacy they leave as high school players – which goes far beyond numbers,.
Emily Bressman – Omaha Marian/Nebraska Elite – committed to Creighton
I can’t say for sure, but I’m fairly certain I heard about Bressman long before I ever saw her play. Rumors of how great of a player she was – even at a very young age – flowed through the volleyball community much like stories of a Mother of Dragons whipped through The Seven Kingdoms in Game of Thrones.
Because of how her birthday falls, Bressman was always playing “up” in club volleyball – meaning she was always playing with kids a full grade higher than her. And, yet, she dominated at those age divisions despite being the youngest. She was probably playing 13s or 14s at Nebraska Elite when I first really started to follow her.
The things that jumped out at me right away about Bressman are still the things that I love and the things that have helped her become one of the best high school volleyball players in the state over the past 5-10 years. First her absolute bulldog mentality and warrior spirit on the court. It has ALWAYS been there. It kind of reminds me a little bit of the look former Chicago Bears great linebacker Mike Singletary always had. The kind of look that said, “I’m not just going to beat you, I’m going to pound you into submission and I’m going to love it.”
I can tell you of a number of girls – and even some parents – that were absolutely frightened of Bressman because of her bravado on the court, only to find out that under that tough exterior is an extremely wonderful young woman and friend to so many.
She’s always had an incredible work ethic and has been blessed with one of the most explosive attacks you’ll ever see out of a high school player in the state. It’s no accident that she’s been successful – Bressman has absolutely worked her tail off over the year to achieve what she has.
The defensive portion has always been underrated, but she will find a way to contribute at Creighton in the back-row, I am certain of it, before her Bluejay career is over. Heck, I’ve even seen her step in as an emergency setter in an 18 Open club tournament before and helped her team to a win at that position. She’s simply a winner and a baller.
Bressman could have had a college career as an attacker at a smaller school and could have had a certain starting spot at a lot of places, but she chose Creighton because – in part – she wanted to be pushed to see if she could make it at the highest level.
Thank you, Emily, for all that you have done for high school volleyball in the state of Nebraska during your time at Omaha Marian. It’s been a pleasure to be a witness to what you accomplished and how you did it. Best of luck at Creighton, you will have so many people pulling for you.