2022 Club Season Spotlight: Nebraska Juniors 17 Black
The Midwest Power League just keeps yielding spotlight opportunities. In case you missed it, we just did another club season spotlight on one of our other Power League #2 participants, Nebraska Elite 15 Matrix. Now, it’s time to shift over…
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Continue ReadingThe Midwest Power League just keeps yielding spotlight opportunities.
In case you missed it, we just did another club season spotlight on one of our other Power League #2 participants, Nebraska Elite 15 Matrix. Now, it’s time to shift over to Nebraska Juniors and see what 17 Black is bringing to the court this year.
The success of Nebraska Juniors’ 18s team is well documented, but let’s not lose sight of their 17s counterparts. 17 Black put some quality volleyball on display in Omaha last weekend and has a variety of names on the roster that you’ll surely recognize. These are players who have made their mark on the high school side and are doing it again in club.
Let’s meet Nebraska Juniors 17 Black!
High School Connections
I just mentioned the high school success within 17 Black’s roster, so let’s focus on some fall teammates that are joining forces at Nebraska Juniors this spring.
The Grand Island Central Catholic roots are strong on this team, and you can never go wrong with having some Crusaders on your side of the net. Carolyn Maser Carolyn Maser 6'1" | S Grand Island Central Catholic | 2024 State NE leads the way at setter for 17 Black and continues to provide a strong physical presence at the net. Naturally, Maser has a strong connection with GICC teammates Lucy Ghaifan Lucy Ghaifan 6'1" | MB Grand Island Central Catholic | 2023 State NE and Gracie Woods Gracie Woods 6'0" | OH Grand Island CC | 2023 State NE . Ghaifan locks down the middle blocker spot with great skill and a penchant for big blocks, while Woods keeps developing as a hard-hitting left-side hitter. Joining Woods on the left side is six-rotation standout Evan Glade Evan Glade 5'11" | OH Millard West | 2023 State NE , a former GICC star who has taken her high-flying style to Millard West. Collectively, these are some of the top uncommitted prospects in the state, and the Grand Island connections of 17 Black are almost unmatched in the Nebraska club scene.
There are also plenty of Norris ties on this roster. Celia Spilker Celia Spilker 6'5" | OH Norris | 2024 State NE has been making plenty of early contributions in 2022 with her dominant presence at the net and energetic personality. She showed her ability to play on the right pin with the Titans last fall, and she thrives in the middle for Nebraska Juniors. Also listed on 17 Black’s roster are Norris standouts Gracie Kircher Gracie Kircher 5'11" | OH Norris | 2023 State NE and Anistyn Rice, though they’ve been busy tearing it up on the basketball court for much of 2022. The grind never stops!
All Around the Map
Aside from all the high school ties, there are athletes from a variety of other schools that make big plays for 17 Black.
Let’s start in the Star City. Lincoln East defensive specialist Samantha Olson Samantha Olson 5'5" | DS/L Lincoln East | 2023 State NE got a lot of reps in the libero jersey last weekend, and her defensive skills shined through much of the Power League. She has some Lincoln compatriots on the left pin, too, with Lincoln Christian’s Lauren Swan and Lincoln Southwest’s Alexa Gobel Alexa Gobel 5'11" | OH Lincoln Southwest | 2023 State NE frequently providing big swings in the frontcourt.
Lexi Jones Lexi Jones 5'11" | MB Aurora | 2023 State NE also plays a vital role on the left pin and has been an Aurora standout for several years now. With her all-around skills and relentless pursuit on the volleyball court, Jones is one of the best representatives of Nebraska’s small-town talent.
We’ll hop over to Minden to find another important defensive player on this team, Bailey Rogers Bailey Rogers 5'6" | DS/L Minden | 2023 State NE . This libero is particularly adept at defending the left-back area of the court and can effortlessly dive into the campfire to pick up balls in the middle of the court. Her stock will continue to rise.
Finally, we move to Omaha Burke to highlight another player that made big strides at last weekend’s Power League. Saniah Shannon can play in the middle or at opposite, and she succeeded at both when I watched 17 Black in Omaha. This kind of versatility embodies what Nebraska Juniors has in its 17s team, and I’m excited to follow them into the rest of 2022.