2023 Rankings Update: Full Positional Breakdown

<p>Before we dive deep into the next set of new rankings this week, it’s time to take one final look at the whole 2023 lineup.</p> <p>Consider this a broad look at some of the athletes and positions that we’ll have our eye on heading into the club season. This is far from the last update to come for this class, so this feature should give a good glimpse of the present and the future for Nebraska’s 2023s. Most of all, I hope to at least convey how excited I am to watch this group compete in the coming months and years.</p> <p>So, here’s one last breakdown of the 2023 rankings before club season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Outside Hitters</strong></p> <p>Pin hitters occupy four of the top five spots in our 2023 rankings. It’s a testament to the strength at that position in this star-studded class.</p> <p>Even more jarring is the fact that these four athletes will represent just two different club teams this year. [player_tooltip player_id="59201" first="Grace" last="Heaney"] and [player_tooltip player_id="59208" first="Destiny" last="Ndam-Simpson"] will join forces on Premier 17 Gold, while [player_tooltip player_id="59202" first="Karli" last="Heidemann"] and [player_tooltip player_id="59212" first="Abby" last="Wachal"] will be a deadly force on VCNebraska 17 Elite. What a fun season this is sure to be.</p> <p>You can look down the line and see plenty more elite attackers in this class. [player_tooltip player_id="83539" first="Channatee" last="Robles"] and [player_tooltip player_id="59207" first="Carly" last="Purdy"] are two exciting small-town talents that continue to raise their stock. [player_tooltip player_id="59214" first="Gracie" last="Woods"] is another great representative for central Nebraska volleyball. Collectively, this position helps demonstrate why the 2023s have had so much recent success on both the high school and club sides.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Middle Blockers</strong></p> <p>This position has some serious depth in the Class of 2023.</p> [caption id="attachment_155143" align="alignright" width="515"]<img class="wp-image-155143" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/08/IMG_1598.jpg" alt="" width="515" height="343" /> Bankston rises up for Millard West.[/caption] <p>[player_tooltip player_id="103095" first="Alanna" last="Bankston"] is still our highest-ranked middle blocker, but she’s also a player who spends plenty of time on the pin. [player_tooltip player_id="59204" first="Amanda" last="Loschen"], meanwhile, has been a top prospect in our rankings for a long time and continues to rack up accolades year-round.</p> <p>I see a lot of middle blockers in this class that will not be considered "under-the-radar" for long. [player_tooltip player_id="103091" first="Lucy" last="Ghaifan"] just finished up a standout season with Grand Island Central Catholic, and [player_tooltip player_id="83538" first="Aspen" last="Meyer"] just did the same for Lourdes Central Catholic. Other names have surged up the leaderboard in our latest update, including [player_tooltip player_id="171583" first="Emily" last="Huss"] and [player_tooltip player_id="172071" first="Alivia" last="Huxoll"].</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Setters</strong></p> <p>There are so many steady leaders to talk about here. That, in a way, is a trait that defines a good setter.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="59194" first="Morgan" last="Burke"] sits atop the setter hierarchy, but she was also a go-to attacker for Skutt Catholic this year as the SkyHawks won their seventh title. [player_tooltip player_id="59205" first="Adison" last="Markowski"] and [player_tooltip player_id="104588" first="Skylar" last="Walters"] remain the two top names in Class A competition.</p> <p>Many more setters have been incredibly consistent throughout the history of our rankings. [player_tooltip player_id="123535" first="Lauryn" last="England"] and [player_tooltip player_id="152108" first="Elecea" last="Saathoff"] can be relied upon to produce highlight moments throughout the calendar year. Meanwhile, [player_tooltip player_id="102193" first="Audrey" last="Behrens"] and [player_tooltip player_id="104586" first="Ivy" last="Leuck"] are two athletes that can play a variety of positions in addition to being skilled at setter.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Defensive Specialists</strong></p> <p>Our search for standout defensive specialists is always evolving, and the 2023 leaderboard has backcourt players from many different athletic backgrounds.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="109069" first="Jocelyn" last="Healy"] and [player_tooltip player_id="59198" first="Makenzie" last="Dyrstad"] are two Omaha-area athletes who have seen some of the biggest stages that Nebraska high school volleyball has to offer. There are plenty of other big-school liberos to follow, including Fremont’s [player_tooltip player_id="83536" first="Emmalee" last="Sheppard"].</p> <p>You can cast a wide geographical footprint with the defensive specialists in this class. [player_tooltip player_id="59210" first="Rheagan" last="Stanley"] continues to put up big numbers all the way in Sidney. [player_tooltip player_id="59211" first="Tahlia" last="Steinbeck"] has been similarly productive for Hershey. In the capital city, too, [player_tooltip player_id="171632" first="Alli" last="Mullin"] and [player_tooltip player_id="152111" first="Faith" last="Van Eck"] have been backcourt warriors for several years.</p>