2022 Club Season Spotlight: Nebraska Juniors 15 Black

<p>Another Nebraska Juniors spotlight is on deck! It’s a doubleheader day here on the Nebraska site.</p> <p>We’re covering Nebraska Juniors 15 Black and 16 Black today, as we got to see both of these squads make the trip to NLQ last weekend. These features are especially timely as we’ll be looking to make updates to our 2024 and 2025 Nebraska rankings in the very near future, so we want to set those up by talking about some of the recent scouting efforts we’ve been making for players in these classes. I’m excited to add many of these Nebraska Juniors athletes to the mix when those updates drop. Stay tuned!</p> <p>Now, let’s take a tour of Nebraska Juniors 15 Black!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Leading Attackers</strong></p> <p>15 Black has a variety of attackers that the team can lean on moving forward.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="155057" first="Taryn" last="Ottemann"]</strong> is usually a safe bet. The Johnson-Brock area is building a tradition of strong middle blockers, and Ottemann appears to be the next in line. She’s as physical as they come in the 2025 class and will continue to be a go-to option in front of the setter. Likewise, <strong>Taylor Schuster</strong> is another middle that 15 Black wants to set whenever the opportunity is there.</p> <p>15 Black’s left sides will also get plenty of attacking volume in any given match. Players like <strong>Callie Showers</strong> and <strong>Kate Denker</strong> have consistently been stepping up for this squad, and both of them have also shown their prowess in middle-back defense in a six-rotation role. These are the kind of versatile athletes that you can build a team around, so 15 Black will keep leaning on Showers and Denker for continued production.</p> <p>Also, keep an eye on <strong>Gabrielle Hern</strong> on the right pin. Not only did she put down some solid swings throughout the NLQ weekend, but she was also a reliable blocking anchor on her side of the net. Opposites have the big task of slowing down strong opposing left sides, and Hern is built to carry out this task.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>A Whole Lot More Versatility</strong></p> [caption id="attachment_187415" align="alignright" width="407"]<img class="wp-image-187415" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/03/IMG_7944-crop-3005x1973-1648312037-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="407" height="267" /> Banker attacks for 15 Black.[/caption] <p>Multi-talented athletes have almost become a hallmark of Nebraska Juniors teams, and there are a few 15 Black players that fit under this umbrella.</p> <p>For example, both of 15 Black’s setters have shown that they can also take on attacking roles at the net. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="155045" first="Brooke" last="Banker"]</strong> and <strong>Kennedy Johnson </strong>are far from blocking liabilities at the net, so you can be comfortable with putting either one of them in a 5-1. Combine that with the strong right arms of both of these players, and why not run a "true 6-2" with both setters playing all the way around? 15 Black is willing to do that.</p> <p>Backcourt defense is also a standout trait for this team. <strong>Jayden Meyer</strong> and <strong>Reagan Ashby</strong> seamlessly traded the libero and primary defensive specialist roles throughout NLQ. Whether they were tasked with anchoring the crosscourt or defending middle-back in place of one of the left sides, Meyer and Ashby formed a formidable duo that could adapt to many different situations. <strong>Adriana Van Eck</strong> also adds a layer of defensive skill to 15 Black while also being able to step into the frontcourt to take some swings. In short, 15 Black’s lineup can keep evolving throughout the 2022 season as these players put their wide-ranging skills on display.</p>