2024 Rankings Positional Breakdown: Ball Control Experts
We’re going to keep the 2024 position-by-position breakdowns going. Frontcourt attackers were the first under the microscope, and now it’s time to check out some athletes who anchor the ball control phase of the game. Hopefully, this feature helps portray…
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Continue ReadingWe’re going to keep the 2024 position-by-position breakdowns going. Frontcourt attackers were the first under the microscope, and now it’s time to check out some athletes who anchor the ball control phase of the game.
Hopefully, this feature helps portray the depth of talent among Nebraska’s 2024 setters and defensive specialists. Our rankings contain dozens of players at these positions who have already made a massive impact at the high school and club level. It’s easy to envision many of these athletes raising their recruiting stock even further during the fast-approaching 2022 club season, and we’ll be here to cover all the action.
So, here’s where the 2024 rankings stand right now at setter and defensive specialist.
Setters
This class of setters is seriously stacked in the Cornhusker State, and the rankings tell much of the story.
Reagan Hickey Reagan Hickey 5'8" | S Papillion-La Vista | 2024 State NE remains our top-ranked setter among the 2024s. She stepped into a starting role with a storied Papillion-La Vista program as a freshman last year. It’s a daunting proposition, but Hickey has handled it incredibly well from day one and hasn’t looked back.
With four other setters in the overall top ten besides Hickey, it’s clear that this is the position to follow for the Class of 2024. Carolyn Maser Carolyn Maser 6'1" | S Grand Island Central Catholic | 2024 State NE and Malayah Long Malayah Long 6'0" | S Lincoln Southwest | 2024 State #142 Nation NE bring unmatched physicality to the setter spot and will never be a blocking liability at the net. Kyla Dyrstad Kyla Dyrstad 5'6" | S Papillion-La Vista South | 2024 State NE , meanwhile, is a do-everything type of player who can set and play backcourt defense, the latter of which she did for Papillion-La Vista South this year. Then, you have Reese Booth Reese Booth 5'7" | S Elkhorn North | 2024 State NE , who helped set a young Elkhorn North team to a thrilling run in the Class B tournament.
Of course, you shouldn’t forget about many of the under-the-radar setters and stock risers in this group. Aaliyah Bradford Aaliyah Bradford 5'4" | S Lincoln Southwest | 2024 State NE was a consistent standout as she took the reins of the Lincoln East offense, and Keira Hennerberg Keira Hennerberg 5'6" | S Diller-Odell | 2024 State NE carved a similar path with Diller-Odell. And, surely, there will be more names to add to this list once club season gets rolling.
Defensive Specialists
We saw a surge of 2024 liberos in this fall’s high school season, and many of those players occupy high spots on our leaderboard.
A few of the top defensive specialists in this class were just mentioned in our stock risers feature. Olivia Mauch Olivia Mauch 5'7" | DS/L Bennington | 2024 State #49 Nation NE , Paisley Douglas Paisley Douglas 5'5" | DS/L Omaha Skutt Catholic | 2024 State #123 Nation NE , and Faith Frame Faith Frame 5'6" | DS/L Papillion-La Vista | 2024 State #167 Nation NE all had outstanding high school seasons that warranted their ascent in the 2024 rankings. Mallorie Meyer Mallorie Meyer 5'5" | DS/L Lincoln East | 2024 State NE is another libero that I really enjoyed watching during last year’s club season, and I look forward to watching her build on that success this winter.
Other big names stand out as you move down the list of defensive specialists. Haylee Wolf Haylee Wolf 5'7" | DS/L Elkhorn North | 2024 State NE was a key contributor in helping Elkhorn North put together an incredibly encouraging season for the future of the program. Yet another important defensive specialist for a high school volleyball powerhouse was Alivia Hausmann Alivia Hausmann 5'5" | DS/L Norris | 2024 State NE , who helped hold down the end line for Class B runner-up Norris. Her teammate Sydney Guthard Sydney Guthard 5'3" | DS/L Norris | 2024 State NE is another good candidate to raise her stock in the coming months.
And, indeed, potential stock risers are everywhere in this group. Identifying the next wave of talent in the Class of 2024 is part of what makes us excited for the new year.