Round 1 - Central Valley Cougars looking for back-to-back state tournament appearances

2019 Central Valley, Photo Credit to Ord Quiz. TEAM: CENTRAL VALLEY COUGARS CLASS: D1 LOCATION: Central Nebraska in Greeley County NSAA TEAM ENROLLMENT (female, grades 9-11): 33 CONFERENCE: Goldenrod COACH: Skylar Nekoliczak Finishing up the Sun Regional of the 2020 Nebraska Prep Dig Team Series is a matchup between D1 Central Valley Cougars and C1 Ashland-Greenwood Bluejays in the first round. To hear more about your favorite team, hop over to our Twitter feed @nebhsvolleyball to vote them to the second round until 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 24! <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/05/Nebraska-Prep-Dig-Team-Series-Bracket-5.pdf">Nebraska Prep Dig Team Series Bracket</a> Another up and coming team in the bracket! Central Valley’s record is as follows: 2016, 5-24; 2017, 16-12; 2018, 24-7; and 2019, 24-8 and their first-ever state appearance! Using a wild card to get into district finals, the Cougars advanced to state with a 3-0 win over Maywood/Hayes Center. And when season 2020 rolls around, they have all but one player returning with a talented freshman group arriving looking for a back-to-back state appearance. Coach Skylar Nekoliczak on 2019, “This year was full of growth and success. We had a huge rebuilding year that turned into much more than just rebuilding. I started 3 sophomores, 2 juniors, and the 1 lone senior on the team. I had a group of girls that would put in the extra work and really started to excel at the end of the year!” Coach on the upcoming season, “With the return of 5 of the 6 starters, the 2020 season is looking like a fun one. With the improvement we saw through the year last year, I know we will see it again this year because this is a group of girls who work together and want to get better and be successful. They felt that state feeling and want more than just one game down there! With our senior setter gone, we will be looking to fill that position.” A spirit animal? Coach on a fun tradition for all, “Every year we have a spirit animal to guide us through the season. Someone gets the animal after every game and practice. Whoever has it, gives it to another person they think was worthy of it and explain why they gave it to them. It keeps us together as a team and helps the girls see all the good everyone is doing. Last year our spirit animal was a penguin.” Returning Starters: [caption id="attachment_94184" align="alignright" width="200"] 2019 Central Valley, Photo contributed and credit to Ord Quiz.[/caption] ⇒[player_tooltip player_id="82692" first="Ashlyn" last="Wright"] | 2021 | 5’7 OH | UNCOMMITTED and Interested! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10326982/5e6ae1efbd758f11a8a1ac17">HUDL Highlights </a>Club: South Central Volleyball 2019 Awards: D1 Honorable Mention LJS/OWH/GI Independent, Second-team All-Conference 2019 Stats: 360 digs 30 aces 22 blocks 261 kills Coaches Comments: All-around player who gets better each year. A strong attacker. Ashlyn on a favorite volleyball memory, “Definitely making it to state last year. We had gotten a wildcard for District Finals and the game was in Kearney. The gym was full of supporters and family members. The atmosphere was great and all of us on the court played one of our best games. It was surreal winning the last game point and everyone running to the middle of the court. The rest of the night everyone was laughing and smiling. It still makes me smile ear to ear.” ⇒Dani Wadsworth | 2021 | 5’8 RS Club: South Central 17 Red 2019 Awards: Third-team All-Conference 2019 Stats: 320 digs 34 aces 19 blocks 170 kills 48 assists Coaches Comments: Great defensive player. Improved dramatically and works very hard. Dani on what makes her team special, “We all have the determination to make our team better and the want to win!” ⇒[player_tooltip player_id="78664" first="Neleigh" last="Poss"] | 2022 | 5’7 OH Club: South Central Volleyball 2019 Awards: Honorable Mention All-Conference, Honorable Mention GI Independent, OWH, LJS 2019 Stats: 365 digs 42 aces 27 blocks 171 kills 27 aces Coaches Comments: A very consistent player who strives to be better and better each day. Our go-to girl at the end of the year. Neleigh looks forward to 2020 with her sister on the team, “I think our connections on the team are very unique. Most of us have played together since we were little. So in many situations it is like we know what some of us will do. This upcoming season my sister Natalie will be a freshmen. I am so excited to finally play High School Volleyball with her. We all have been friends since we were little so that also plays a big role on the court when we are all out there.” ⇒[player_tooltip player_id="78665" first="Vanessa" last="Wood"] | 2022 | 5’9, MH Club: South Central Volleyball 2019 Awards: 1st team all-conference, 4th team GI Independent, Honorable Mention OWH/LJS 2019 Stats: 318 digs 55 blocks 40 aces 225 kills Coaches Comments: Very athletic and strong. Very powerful upfront but can play all the way around. Other letter winners: ⇒[player_tooltip player_id="78653" first="Dilynn" last="Wood"] |2022 | 5’9 MH <a href="https://www.hudl.com/new_library/t/197601">HUDL Highlights </a>Club: South Central Volleyball A possible 2020 team slogan for the Cougars, “Heart over Hype. This slogan would fit our team because we all have our hearts in the game. We all love this sport and no matter what people say about us or what they think we’re capable of, we will always do what we know we are capable of doing. When people tell us that we are going into a game that we have a very slim chance of winning, we play with our hearts and work our hardest for a win.” ⇒McKenzie Johnson | 2021 | 5’6 Setter Club: South Central Volleyball McKenzie on her volleyball career, “Going from my freshman year to now I have learned so much not only about the game, but how to become a leader and help others. Being able to play with the upperclassmen is super important because you are able to get introduced to the speed of the game quickly. I really haven’t switched positions. I have always been a setter or back-row player.” Want more information on the Central Valley Cougars and their incoming freshman class? Vote for them on Twitter @nebhsvolleyball to push them to round 2!

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Round 1 – Central Valley Cougars looking for back-to-back state tournament appearances

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