Austin's 2021 Volleyball Highlights

Before we step into the new year, let's look back at everything that 2021 gave us. This year brought us volleyball excitement from beginning to end. It was unusually packed twelve months that brought us a club season, a high school season, two college seasons, and the Olympic Games. These are memories that I won't be losing any time soon. In lieu of the approaching new year, I wanted to relive some of my favorite volleyball moments of the 2021 calendar year. A lot of these will be Nebraska-centric, as that's where I spend most of my time on the coverage side. Overall, this is a good way to recount my 2021 adventures with Prep Dig. Here's the rewind.   An Adventurous Club Season (and College Season) The first several months of the year had volleyball spread throughout my personal calendar. Not only was I keeping tabs on the club season, but I was also beat reporting for the Nebraska volleyball team during my last semester of college. Despite the busy schedule, I have no regrets. It's hard to nail down just a few of my highlights from the club season. I recall Premier 17 Gold's dominant run to the ASICS President's Day Challenge championship. Nebraska Elite 16 Top Gun also became one of my favorite teams to watch whenever they took the floor. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> It's a crazy battle between <a href="https://x.com/1stAllianceVBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@1stAllianceVBC</a> and <a href="https://x.com/topgun161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@topgun161</a> on Court 22! <a href="https://t.co/b93EnNGnCw">pic.x.com/b93EnNGnCw</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1393559718950473730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> The CHI Health Center in Omaha became a focal point for a couple of personal volleyball high points in 2021. In April, I had the privilege of hanging out there for over 12 hours to watch the regional final round of the spring NCAA championships. I returned to that convention center the following month to watch some awesome NLQ action on the club side. It was there that I really grew a desire to see some of the top prep volleyball talents in the country, not just in Nebraska.   A Jampacked High School Season Things continued to ramp up for me as we hit the high school season. I was anxious to see the 2021 campaign get underway, so I made a quick trip to Lincoln East on opening day. The energy in that gym was fantastic, and it really set the tone for the rest of the year. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The winning moment for <a href="https://x.com/LincolnEastVol1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LincolnEastVol1</a>! The Spartans pull away in the fourth set to claim a 3-1 victory over Grand Island. <a href="https://t.co/kx8aycNeN3">pic.x.com/kx8aycNeN3</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1431066230262145025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> There are plenty of other high school moments that stand out. I couldn't help but get excited over returning to my old stomping grounds of Lincoln Southeast to see some of Nebraska's top teams compete at the LPS Volleyball Classic. It was a tournament full of competitive energy and, once again, great moments from the faithful crowd. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> This one belongs to Papio South!<a href="https://x.com/PLSouthTitanVb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PLSouthTitanVb</a> takes a two-set victory over Norris. <a href="https://t.co/6ijCHnoxPA">pic.x.com/6ijCHnoxPA</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1439284941607432198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> In early October, Omaha Skutt help quench my desire to see some of the region's top high school teams. It was a joy to watch teams like Appleton North, West Des Moines Valley, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and St. Teresa's Academy infiltrate the Cornhusker State to battle with some of Nebraska's heavy hitters. Let's keep that going next year. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Statement win for Saint Thomas Aquinas! Betsy Goodenow crushes it to give STA a 2-0 win over Appleton North! <a href="https://t.co/FRR6oYcqzT">pic.x.com/FRR6oYcqzT</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1446904572883124227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Then, there were the state championships in November. I essentially garnered temporary residence in the Pinnacle Bank Arena as I spent countless hours watching top-tier teams compete for a title. As we moved to the Devaney Center on Championship Saturday, I was thrilled to see such a high level of play throughout the day. We crowned some new champions, too, with Howells-Dodge and Oakland-Craig being a couple of my favorite teams to watch at the event. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Oakland-Craig has done it! The Knights fought off two Sutton set points to win the third 27-25 and secure the sweep for the C2 title! <a href="https://t.co/Yruor0ew5j">pic.x.com/Yruor0ew5j</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1457077283278184455?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>   The Finale We capped off 2021 with one of the most thrilling volleyball experiences I've ever had. It was a tremendous honor to travel to Columbus, Ohio, to be a part of the NCAA Volleyball Final Four and all the other events surrounding those matches. Catching up with coaching friends and fellow Prep Dig writers and organizers is always a great bonus, too. I'll admit that, for a long time, I didn't foresee my college alma mater, Nebraska, joining me in Columbus for the event. After the improbable Husker victory over Texas, however, it made this experience that much more rewarding. In a way, it was my whole year coming full circle, and it was super fun to rekindle the <a href="https://prepdig.com/2021/12/wisconsin-vs-nebraska-fitz-and-austins-local-key-factors/">Wisconsin vs. Nebraska rivalry</a>. Let's see if 2022 can top that. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Soon. <a href="https://t.co/uH8yoUrJwN">pic.x.com/uH8yoUrJwN</a> — Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1471613104203173901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>