2023 Rankings Update: Full Positional Breakdown
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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. Consider this a broad look at some of the athletes and positions that we’ll have…
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Continue ReadingBefore 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.
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.
So, here’s one last breakdown of the 2023 rankings before club season.
Outside Hitters
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.
Even more jarring is the fact that these four athletes will represent just two different club teams this year. Grace Heaney Grace Heaney 6'2" | RS Elkhorn North | 2023 State #33 Nation NE and Destiny Ndam-Simpson Destiny Ndam-Simpson 6'1" | OH Omaha Westside | 2023 State #37 Nation NE will join forces on Premier 17 Gold, while Karli Heidemann Karli Heidemann 6'1" | OH Diller-Odell | 2023 State #124 Nation NE and Abby Wachal Abby Wachal 5'10" | OH Lincoln Lutheran | 2023 State NE will be a deadly force on VCNebraska 17 Elite. What a fun season this is sure to be.
You can look down the line and see plenty more elite attackers in this class. Channatee Robles Channatee Robles 5'10" | OH Norfolk Catholic | 2023 State NE and Carly Purdy Carly Purdy 6'0" | OH North Platte | 2023 State NE are two exciting small-town talents that continue to raise their stock. Gracie Woods Gracie Woods 6'0" | OH Grand Island CC | 2023 State NE 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.
Middle Blockers
This position has some serious depth in the Class of 2023.
Alanna Bankston Alanna Bankston 6'1" | MB Millard West | 2023 State #68 Nation NE is still our highest-ranked middle blocker, but she’s also a player who spends plenty of time on the pin. Amanda Loschen Amanda Loschen 6'2" | MB Omaha Marian | 2023 State NE , meanwhile, has been a top prospect in our rankings for a long time and continues to rack up accolades year-round.
I see a lot of middle blockers in this class that will not be considered “under-the-radar” for long. Lucy Ghaifan Lucy Ghaifan 6'1" | MB Grand Island Central Catholic | 2023 State NE just finished up a standout season with Grand Island Central Catholic, and Aspen Meyer Aspen Meyer 5'7" | MB Nebraska City Lourdes CC | 2023 State NE just did the same for Lourdes Central Catholic. Other names have surged up the leaderboard in our latest update, including Emily Huss Emily Huss 6'5" | MB Fairbury | 2023 State NE and Alivia Huxoll Alivia Huxoll 6'0" | MB Sutton | 2023 State NE .
Setters
There are so many steady leaders to talk about here. That, in a way, is a trait that defines a good setter.
Morgan Burke Morgan Burke 5'10" | S Skutt Catholic | 2023 State #132 Nation NE 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. Adison Markowski Adison Markowski 5'7" | S Lincoln Pius X | 2023 State NE and Skylar Walters Skylar Walters 5'9" | S Millard West | 2023 State NE remain the two top names in Class A competition.
Many more setters have been incredibly consistent throughout the history of our rankings. Lauryn England Lauryn England 5'7" | S Malcolm | 2023 State NE and Elecea Saathoff Elecea Saathoff 5'9" | S Lincoln Lutheran | 2023 State NE can be relied upon to produce highlight moments throughout the calendar year. Meanwhile, Audrey Behrens Audrey Behrens 5'6" | S Omaha Westside | 2023 State NE and Ivy Leuck Ivy Leuck 5'8" | S Skutt Catholic | 2023 State NE are two athletes that can play a variety of positions in addition to being skilled at setter.
Defensive Specialists
Our search for standout defensive specialists is always evolving, and the 2023 leaderboard has backcourt players from many different athletic backgrounds.
Jocelyn Healy Jocelyn Healy 5'8" | DS/L Omaha Westside | 2023 State NE and Makenzie Dyrstad Makenzie Dyrstad 5'7" | DS/L Papillion LaVista South | 2023 State NE 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 Emmalee Sheppard Emmalee Sheppard 5'4" | DS/L Fremont | 2023 State NE .
You can cast a wide geographical footprint with the defensive specialists in this class. Rheagan Stanley Rheagan Stanley 5'3" | DS/L Sidney | 2023 State NE continues to put up big numbers all the way in Sidney. Tahlia Steinbeck Tahlia Steinbeck 5'11" | DS/L Hershey | 2023 State NE has been similarly productive for Hershey. In the capital city, too, Alli Mullin Alli Mullin 5'4" | DS/L Lincoln Southwest | 2023 State NE and Faith Van Eck Faith Van Eck 5'7" | DS/L Lincoln | 2023 State NE have been backcourt warriors for several years.