These 15 Players Aren’t NCA All-Stars, But They Should Have Been
The annual Nebraska Coaches Association All-Star Volleyball Match is tonight at Lincoln North Star and it is routinely a great celebration of high school volleyball in Nebraska. It really is an impossible task that the selection committee has for selecting…
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Continue ReadingThe annual Nebraska Coaches Association All-Star Volleyball Match is tonight at Lincoln North Star and it is routinely a great celebration of high school volleyball in Nebraska.
It really is an impossible task that the selection committee has for selecting the participants. The committee annually does a great job of blending very talented individuals from every class level and from every corner off the state. Because those things are a priority – as it should be – and because there will always be a little bit of politics that determines a few spots – as well as kids that can’t compete because of college commitments – you’re never truly going to have a year when all the most deserving players are on the rosters.
With all of that having been said, here is a team that I would select from those that are not taking part in the NCA All-Star Match tonight. I also think this team would win it 😉
Outside Hitters
Lily Heyne, Skutt Catholic (Tulsa)
Cece Beahm, Hastings (Hastings College)
Jessie Brandl, Stanton (Wayne State)
Paige Holdsworth, Millard North (Bellevue University)
It’s my understanding that Heyne is not an All-Star because of commitments to Tulsa that would have made playing in the match unlikely. If I’m simply being blunt, how in the world neither Beahm, Brandl or Holdsworth are playing tonight is beyond me. Beahm is absolutely one of the most athletic and fun kids to watch on the court and she also happens to represent a whole lot of what’s good about high school sports as a person. Stanton deserved to have two players in the match, even if it is a Class C-2 school. Brandl is legit and could easily hang with any outside that’s in the game. Holdsworth will forever be one of my all-time favorites and in many ways was the most important player for the Class A champs from Millard North.
Middles
Maggie Brahmer, Pierce (Wayne State)
Morgan Christiansen, Lincoln Pius X (Fort Hays State)
Marlee Taylor, Sandhills-Thedford (Hastings College)
Kamryn Willman, Grand Island CC (College of St. Mary)
Brahmer is probably the best volleyball player – and one of the best all-around athletes – you’ve likely never seen or heard of. A solid 6’0 or taller, she was also one of the top hurdlers in the state and her athleticism is off the charts. Christiansen might have been one of the top two or three blockers in the state last year and has the ability to pretty much shut down anyone. Taylor had an absolutely amazing high school career and she has the potential to be a real beast in the GPAC for Hastings. To me, Willman is the kind of kid that the NCA All-Star Match is about and her absence is glaring, in my opinion. The kid fought through life-threatening illnesses, is such a great ambassador for young people and a helluva player. She should be there tonight.
Rightsides
Emma Grunkemeyer, Millard North (Iowa)
Mary Nibbe, Red Cloud (Concordia) *injured*
When healthy and when on her game, no player in the 2019 Class could absolutely take over a match at the net the way Grunkemeyer could and can. I get that you don’t want a bunch of kids from the same school in the game, but when a group has played in three straight Class A finals – winning two of them – it’s probably because there are really good players. In a way, it’s punishing kids for being part of a really talented group. Nibbe never got the respect she deserved during her career at Red Cloud, helping the program reach heights it never had before. She’s a solid 6’1 or 6’2, athletic, puts up a big blocks, sets a nice ball and has a powerful arm. Unfortunately, she would not have been able to play tonight anyways after getting hurt on a vacation this summer.
Setters
Gracie Gokie, Lincoln Pius X
Alyssa Rezac, Bishop Neumann (Northwest Missouri State)
Michaela Boon, Norris (Northern Colorado)
There were SO many great setters in this graduating class that it would have been impossible to squeeze more onto the rosters than what there already are. In just about any other year, the above mentioned players would have been locks to be All-Stars. Gokie was such a stabilizing and consistent presence for Pius X during its run to the Class A finals and her setting skills were probably never as recognized enough. Rezac was one of the grittiest and competitive players in the state regardless of position and she was one of the very best at turning an average or poor pass into a perfectly-placed set. She is going to have a monster career at Northwest Missouri State (and rumor has it, she could make a cameo appearance in Bearcat roommate Jaden Ferguson’s annual Christmas video spectacular). Boon wasn’t a statistical machine for the Titans, but she did it all as both an attacker and setter. She always found a way to make the big play at the biggest times.
Libero/DS
Erin Williams, Lincoln Lutheran (Omaha)
Jordan McCormick, Elkhorn South (Wayne State)
Ask any high school coach what the most important aspect of the game is in order to have success and 90% or more will tell you, “serve and pass.” Yep, that’s where it all starts – and ends if you aren’t able to pass and play ball control. So, you might understand why I find it both funny and odd that an All-Star Match put on by the coaches association will be played tonight with just one – ONE – true libero/DS. Granted, Emma Gabel was selected but now the Husker recruit is not able to play because of an injury, but it’s a shame coaches themselves don’t even give back row players the love they deserve. Especially when two phenomenal liberos like Williams and McCormick aren’t there. Williams has been one of the best liberos in the state since her freshman year and without her, Lincoln Lutheran doesn’t come close to the success it has had the past couple years. McCormick started her career as a six-rotation outside for Millard West as a freshman and eventually transitioned to full-time libero at Elkhorn South where she helped guide the Storm to the Class B finals last year. Both are big-time players that are going to make big impacts at their college programs.