Final Stat Stuffer Roundup: Outside Hitters
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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. You know the drill by now!…
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Continue ReadingIt’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.
You know the drill by now! First up is our final look at the outside hitters across the Cornhusker State.
An Extraordinary Mark
Mya Larson Mya Larson 5'11" | OH Wahoo | 2022 State #168 Nation NE 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.
All the Way to State
Unsurprisingly, many of the state’s top producers at the outside hitter spot played on teams that ended up in Lincoln for postseason play.
When the dust settled, the title for most total kills in Nebraska’s 2021 season belonged to Kearney Catholic’s Ashley Keck Ashley Keck 5'9" | OH Kearney Catholic | 2022 State NE . 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.
Other small-town stat stuffers had similar success on the big stage. Kali Jurgensmeier Kali Jurgensmeier 6'1" | MB Bishop Neumann | 2022 State NE 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. Masa Scheierman Masa Scheierman 6'0" | OH York | 2022 State NE was similarly terminal for York, and Bailey Helzer Bailey Helzer 5'11" | OH Oakland-Craig | 2022 State NE capped off her amazing year with a state title for Oakland-Craig. Superior’s Shayla Meyer Shayla Meyer 6'1" | OH Superior | 2022 State #185 Nation NE , of course, had some of the most eye-popping single-match numbers all year.
And the list goes on. Ella Waters Ella Waters 6'3" | OH Norris | 2022 State NE finished as Class B’s top terminator as Norris made another impressive run to the state title match. In Class A, Destiny Ndam-Simpson Destiny Ndam-Simpson 6'1" | OH Omaha Westside | 2023 State #37 Nation NE emerged as the leader in the kills column with Shaylee Myers Shaylee Myers 6'0" | OH Lincoln Southwest | 2022 State #199 Nation NE and Skylar McCune Skylar McCune 5'9" | DS/L Gretna | 2022 State #53 Nation NE running close behind.
Clearly, having a go-to hitter on the outside is a solid predictor of tournament success.
Tomorrow’s Leaders
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.
How can you not mention Abby Wachal Abby Wachal 5'10" | OH Lincoln Lutheran | 2023 State NE 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.
Morgan Burke Morgan Burke 5'10" | S Skutt Catholic | 2023 State #132 Nation NE 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.
In the small-town realm, keeping an eye on players like Hannah Herrick Hannah Herrick 5'8" | MB Amherst | 2024 State NE , Caylin Barnett Caylin Barnett 5'7" | OH Southwest | 2023 State NE , and Dru Niemack Dru Niemack 5'11" | OH Shelton | 2023 State NE . 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.