Outside Hitters Light Up the Harvest Festival Invite

We've got a lot of tournament volleyball to break down after this weekend. Let's get right into it.   My first stop of the weekend was all the way out in Gothenburg for the Harvest Festival Invite. I previewed the stacked field of teams heading to this tournament, and the talent there certainly lived up to the billing. Some of small-town Nebraska's top athletes were represented in Gothenburg, so it's time to review some of our observations.   First in the spotlight are the event's standout pin hitters, a position with no shortage of quality options.     Pin Power   Just about every team at this event flexed its muscle at the outside hitter spot.   It should be no surprise that the Harvest Festival Invite champions, the 16-0 Minden Whippets, had some brilliant hitting displays from its pins. [player_tooltip player_id='173530' first='Mattie' last='Kamery'] continues to lead the way for this dominant team as a do-everything outside hitter. On the other pin, we saw [player_tooltip player_id='269931' first='Kinsie' last='Land'] put down some impressive swings from the opposite position, adding to the balanced attack that has propelled the Whippets through some tight matches.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1570853976085757952?s=20&t=G84Kv7hy2AkSFayuyo51rw </div></figure>   Gothenburg has plenty of pin attackers worthy of recognition after the Swedes hosted this stacked event. [player_tooltip player_id='104982' first='Clara' last='Evert'] has quickly emerged as the team's top attacker, but she can also lean on a strong supporting cast of fellow pin hitters. We got to see a little of the multi-dimensional role that [player_tooltip player_id='173534' first='Taryn' last='O'Hare'] continues to carry for the Swedes. Her versatility bodes well for Gothenburg's postseason aspirations, and tough tests like the Harvest Festival help, too.   Kearney Catholic's [player_tooltip player_id='172601' first='Aibrey' last='Mandernach'] is as strong as ever for the Stars. She doesn't mind taking a high volume of swings in a big match, but Mandernach has still been an efficient scorer despite all the swings. Keep an eye on this junior as Kearney Catholic works to make a triumphant state championship return.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1570865913565708288?s=20&t=G84Kv7hy2AkSFayuyo51rw </div></figure>   Another Class of 2024 small-town star to keep in mind is Ogallala's [player_tooltip player_id='105003' first='Marlee' last='Ervin']. In both club and high school venues, we've watched Ervin do just about anything you can possibly do on a volleyball court: set, hit on both pins, and play floor defense. When she puts on the Ogallala orange, though, Ervin is one of the most intimidating left-side hitters in the western half of Nebraska. The heat she brought on the pin over the weekend was nearly unparalleled.   Don't forget that we also saw a bit of Class B representation with the York Dukes making the trek to Gothenburg. I was particularly impressed with York's left-right frontcourt tandem of Mia Burke and Kelly Erwin. The depth of York's pin lineup remains impressive, so younger players like [player_tooltip player_id='462535' first='Cynley' last='Wilkinson'] are also stepping up in crucial moments for the Dukes.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1570874785353314308?s=20&t=G84Kv7hy2AkSFayuyo51rw </div></figure>   It's hard to believe that St. Paul's [player_tooltip player_id='78669' first='Jenna' last='Jakubowski'] is already a senior, but this Wildcat veteran is clearly keeping up her hard-hitting ways this fall. She was the catalyst for St. Paul's three-set slugfest against Gothenburg which could be considered the most intense match of the weekend. The Jakubowski name has had an indelible mark on St. Paul's volleyball program lately, and that isn't changing in 2022.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1570870862060072960?s=20&t=G84Kv7hy2AkSFayuyo51rw </div></figure>   Like St. Paul, Aurora has a senior outside hitter who has been thrilling us since her prep career began. [player_tooltip player_id='122752' first='Lexi' last='Jones'] has made a habit of piling up big numbers for the Huskies, and she didn't slow down at the Harvest Festival Invite. When Jones is on, this squad can hang with a lot of teams.   Lastly, I want to give a nod to Chadron's impressive collection of hitters. The Cardinals are flexible enough to mix up lineups and positions, but players like [player_tooltip player_id='104972' first='Demi' last='Ferguson'] and Kaylee Sprock are terminating regardless of the circumstances.

We've got a lot of tournament volleyball to break down after this weekend. Let's get right into it.