Final Stat Stuffer Roundup: Outside Hitters

<p>It’s time to wrap up a recurring series from the 2021 high school season. We’re putting a bow on our stat stuffer feature and looking at some of the most productive athletes across Nebraska.</p> <p>You know the drill by now! First up is our final look at the outside hitters across the Cornhusker State.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>An Extraordinary Mark</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="37530" first="Mya" last="Larson"] eclipsed a milestone that only a select few players ever attain: 2000 career kills. It’s a testament to the unbelievable consistency and efficiency that Larson displayed over her legendary career with Wahoo, and her fearless attitude will surely translate well to the next level with Montana State.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>All the Way to State</strong></p> <p>Unsurprisingly, many of the state’s top producers at the outside hitter spot played on teams that ended up in Lincoln for postseason play.</p> <p>When the dust settled, the title for most total kills in Nebraska’s 2021 season belonged to Kearney Catholic’s [player_tooltip player_id="37577" first="Ashley" last="Keck"]. Those who weren’t aware of Keck’s dominance in the regular season were surely put on notice by her stellar performances in the state championships.</p> [caption id="attachment_165746" align="alignright" width="483"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/11/IMG_3388-crop-2527x1659-1637101546.jpg"><img class="wp-image-165746" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/11/IMG_3388-crop-2527x1659-1637101546-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="483" height="317" /></a> Jurgensmeier attacks for Bishop Neumann.[/caption] <p>Other small-town stat stuffers had similar success on the big stage. [player_tooltip player_id="37535" first="Kali" last="Jurgensmeier"] displayed her terminal arm in front of the Lincoln crowd and finished the 2021 season as the only other player, along with Keck, to finish with more than 600 kills this year. [player_tooltip player_id="58791" first="Masa" last="Scheierman"] was similarly terminal for York, and [player_tooltip player_id="58776" first="Bailey" last="Helzer"] capped off her amazing year with a state title for Oakland-Craig. Superior’s [player_tooltip player_id="58771" first="Shayla" last="Meyer"], of course, had some of the most eye-popping single-match numbers all year.</p> <p>And the list goes on. [player_tooltip player_id="37542" first="Ella" last="Waters"] finished as Class B’s top terminator as Norris made another impressive run to the state title match. In Class A, [player_tooltip player_id="59208" first="Destiny" last="Ndam-Simpson"] emerged as the leader in the kills column with [player_tooltip player_id="58782" first="Shaylee" last="Myers"] and [player_tooltip player_id="58783" first="Skylar" last="McCune"] running close behind.</p> <p>Clearly, having a go-to hitter on the outside is a solid predictor of tournament success.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tomorrow’s Leaders</strong></p> <p>We’ve just mentioned a ton of names that won’t be on high school stat sheets in 2022. With all these graduating seniors occupying the top of the cumulative scoreboard, it might be nice to predict who is poised to surge to the top next fall.</p> <p>How can you not mention [player_tooltip player_id="59212" first="Abby" last="Wachal"] after the performance she had in the Class C1 title match? The 2023 outside hitter dropped 32 kills in the finale and can be expected to carry a similarly heavy load in her final season with Lincoln Lutheran.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="59194" first="Morgan" last="Burke"] is another junior outside hitter on a title-winning team who absolutely soared in the postseason. Omaha Skutt can go wherever Burke takes them, and that could culminate in a run toward eight straight.</p> <p>In the small-town realm, keeping an eye on players like [player_tooltip player_id="122819" first="Hannah" last="Herrick"], [player_tooltip player_id="104587" first="Caylin" last="Barnett"], and [player_tooltip player_id="122756" first="Dru" last="Niemack"]. These are athletes who will surely look to cap off their careers with a state championship next year, and their numbers should continue to rise.</p>