Introducing the Class of 2026: Nebraska’s Impact Freshman Hitters

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How the time flies. The Class of 2026 is starting to make a splash across Nebraska's high school volleyball scene, so we might as well get this conversation started.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of course, this is just the beginning of our 2026 discussion. It's hard to be a varsity starter as a freshman, especially in the ultra-competitive environment that Nebraska offers. It will take a while before we even think about watch lists or rankings for this class. We're just taking a moment to enjoy the great talent on display this fall, and I hope you'll join me for many more features in the years to come.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For now, here are a few freshmen attackers who have already found some time in the spotlight this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>In the Frontcourt</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A select group of 2026s has found its way into starting lineups across the state, and many of those players occupy attacking roles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Addison West</strong> is a name that jumped out right away on opening weekend. Being a freshman outside hitter for a seven-time defending state champion seems like a daunting proposition, but West has not been phased in her debut season with Omaha Skutt Catholic. West put up some highlight moments in the tough gauntlet of the Bellevue West Invitational, and we're only seeing the start of this outside hitter's prep career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Myla Emery</strong> is another freshman who came up big in an event I visited earlier this season. This Minden athlete got a mention in my post-Harvest Festival Invite features, but a lot of that discussion focused on Emery's skills as a back-row setter. The Whippets get a lot more than setting prowess from Emery, though, as she doubles as a frontcourt hitter in Minden's effective two-setter system. It's a testament to Emery's abilities that she can step right into the lineup for a Minden team that has been so dominant this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":230240,"width":487,"height":320,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/09/IMG_5880-scaled-crop-800x526-1664302408.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-230240" width="487" height="320"/><figcaption>Emery (2) competes with Minden at the 2022 Harvest Festival Invite.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's stay on the small-town talent trend and mention the dominant freshman campaign from Malcolm outside hitter <strong>Halle Dolliver</strong>. The Clipper newcomer is putting down a staggering 5.8 kills per set so far this season, and it's easy to see where this success comes from. Dolliver already has a knack for hitting some incredible angles and uses her spectacular range to find any open spots in the opposing defense. She will just get even better as she gets more reps with her talented team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watching a new class enter the high school scene also allows us to identify some familiar names and sister duos. I've got a couple of instances to share here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Daisy Ryan</strong> has cracked the starting lineup for Overton and is carrying on the success of older sister JoLee, who is the Eagles' junior superstar in the frontcourt. The freshman Ryan iteration is putting down over two kills per set for her dominant Overton team, which is fairly unsurprising given the family history of success with the program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elmwood-Murdock has also gotten plenty of frontcourt contributions from <strong>Annie Backemeyer</strong>. Readers here will probably know that [player_tooltip player_id='124779' first='Tatum' last='Backemeyer'] still locks down the Knight back row in the libero jersey, but younger sister Annie is starting off her career as a hybrid player who can play middle or outside. The future of this team remains bright.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lastly, we can't forget to mention the player who currently leads all Nebraska freshmen in total kills this year. <strong>Ashley Beethe</strong> has stepped into a feature role with Johnson County Central and has already tallied over 150 kills this season in fewer than 50 sets played. Small-town representation is certainly strong among the state's early 2026 contributors, and this is only the start of our journey with this group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->