Checking in on Nebraska’s 2024 Middle Blockers
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Here’s another one of Nebraska’s positions groups that gets me all fired up. This year’s high school season has brought numerous talented middle blockers to the forefront, many of whom reside in the junior class. So, with a decent sample…
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Continue ReadingHere’s another one of Nebraska’s positions groups that gets me all fired up.
This year’s high school season has brought numerous talented middle blockers to the forefront, many of whom reside in the junior class. So, with a decent sample size of fall matches behind us, this feels like a good time to get in a few more positional check-ins.
Bring on the middle blockers.
Quack Quack!
We have another recent commitment to talk about.
Mia Tvrdy Mia Tvrdy 6'0" | MB Papillion-La Vista | 2024 State #35 Nation NE , the dynamic Papillion-La Vista middle blocker who had an outstanding club season with Premier Nebraska, is the latest 2024 domino to fall with her commitment to Oregon. The Ducks program has had so much success with middles who fit Tvrdy’s playstyle. The junior’s quickness off the floor and lethality on the slide evokes memories of Oregon great Ronika Stone, and I have no doubt that Tvrdy will be a great fit in this high-level offense.
It’s also been an electric start to the fall 2022 campaign for Tvrdy, as she is hitting a scorching 0.419 on nearly four kills per set. You don’t often see a middle blocker leading the team in kills, but that’s what we have here. Tvrdy is just getting started.
Small-Town Prodigies
While we’re talking about high hitting percentages, we have plenty of other 2024 middle blockers who are accustomed to efficient performances–and a lot of those are not from the big-city powerhouses.
Overton’s JoLee Ryan JoLee Ryan 5'9" | OH Overton | 2024 State NE remains one of Nebraska’s most exciting small-town attackers. Her incredible 0.456 efficiency so far this year is really just par for the course for Ryan, and she doesn’t just get it done in the middle. If the Eagles need a quick side out, look for Ryan to split out to the left pin and show her versatility as an outside attacker. And, if Ryan is not available in the frontcourt, fellow junior Natalie Wood Natalie Wood 5'10" | MB Overton | 2024 State NE can also take over as a middle-outside hybrid.
Nora Wurtz Nora Wurtz 6'4" | MB DC West | 2024 State #109 Nation NE carries a similar role for DC West. The Creighton commit just keeps producing mind-boggling numbers, and it’s hard to even fathom hitting 0.523 on almost five kills per set. As long as we’re featuring Nebraska’s 2024 middle blockers, Wurtz will usually find a way to get a mention.
The small-town talent just keeps rolling in. Chloe Hanel Chloe Hanel 5'11" | MB Clarkson/Leigh | 2024 State NE has been another popular name on prior features, and her numbers remain lofty this fall. Her 5.8 kill per set mark is among the state’s best regardless of class, and it also helps demonstrate the number of ways that Clarkson/Leigh can get the ball to Hanel. Once again, this is another middle blocker who can easily get her kills on the outside.
Finally, another shoutout for Mikah O’Neill Mikah O’Neill 5'11" | MB Sumner-Eddyville-Miller | 2024 State NE . I loved seeing the Sumner-Eddyville-Miller star compete for the Great Plains All-Star team, and the junior has not let up during the high school season.
On the Rise
Let’s fit in a few more emerging names from Nebraska’s 2024 leaderboard.
Hope Seip has been a revelation in the Nebraska Christian this season. The Eagles can run their junior middle blocker in a variety of tempos and gaps, making the offense that much more difficult to defend.
Syracuse is learning to lean on Kadyn Sisco Kadyn Sisco 5'11" | MB Syracuse | 2024 State NE this year, and that strategy is yielding some huge numbers. Sisco is putting down a clean five kills per set and is clearly embracing her increased responsibilities. Let’s see if that culminates into another tournament appearance.
Lastly, keep an eye on Crete’s Marin Rasgorshek. If you had to identify a go-to attacker for the Cardinals’ in-system offense, the junior middle blocker would be a great choice. Her heavy swings on the quick have been hard for opposing teams to defend, and Rasgorshek is just building on a strong spring on the club side.