A Thrilling Championship Thursday for Metro and HAC Tournaments

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This should be a prelude to an intense postseason for Nebraska high school volleyball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Championship matches for the Metro and HAC Tournaments were played Thursday night, and both matchups featured some of the best Class A has to offer. Even Nebraska's biggest powerhouses have not been immune to the drama, making mid-October venues like these so much more exciting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, here's a quick look at the Metro and HAC Tournaments that once again put Class A frontrunners on full display.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Papio South Prevails Again</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Papillion-La Vista South set a high bar last year by winning the Class A state title without losing a single match all season. The Titans then had to replace transformative athletes like setter Ava LeGrand and libero Harlei Cole from that championship-winning squad. Now that the 2022 regular season has run its course, we can confidently say that Papio South is still primed to defend its 2021 title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All told, the Titans added yet another Metro Conference championship to its resume Thursday. The home squad notched a 3-1 win over Omaha Westside, another team that will surely be in the championship hunt this November. Senior outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='59192' first='Stella' last='Adeyemi'] led the charge for Papio South with 18 kills on an impressive .333 hitting percentage. The future South Dakota duo of outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='109585' first='Lauren' last='Medeck'] and middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='152854' first='Morgan' last='Bode'] followed closely behind. Medeck also tallied a team-leading 22 digs, an impressive feat for a six-rotation pin attacker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Omaha Westside's appearance in this Metro championship match is a testament to the team's resilience and maturity. It's been well-documented that the Warriors have dealt with injuries to three of the middle blockers on its roster. Such attrition at one position is challenging for any team at any level to overcome, but Westside has been so impressive in dealing with these unforeseen circumstances. Senior outside hitters [player_tooltip player_id='59208' first='Destiny' last='Ndam-Simpson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='103097' first='Samantha' last='Laird'] have both gotten a bit of run at middle blocker, while other experienced pin hitters like [player_tooltip player_id='124775' first='Tatum' last='Godinez'] and [player_tooltip player_id='122761' first='Eleanor' last='Brislen'] have also stepped up in their respective roles. Never count out this veteran group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LPS Rivalry Renewed</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lincoln Southwest and Lincoln East produced another instant classic. What's new?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":238231,"width":513,"height":341,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/10/IMG_0078-edited-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-238231" width="513" height="341"/><figcaption>Lincoln Southwest and Lincoln East face off at the 2022 LPS Classic.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Silver Hawks and Spartans faced off three times in 2022 prior to Thursday's meeting in the HAC championship match. The teams split a pair of best-of-three tournament matches with both contests going to a deciding third. In a best-of-five non-tournament setting, the Silver Hawks won a five-set thriller on East's home floor. These two squads seemed incapable of producing anything other than a tiebreaker gauntlet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And, in a fourth meeting in the HAC finals, that trend continued. Southwest and East produced another five-set nailbiter that fans of these squads are surely getting used to by now (okay, maybe you can't ever really get used to these!). The Silver Hawks seized some early momentum by winning the opening set, but East came storming back with victories in sets 2 and 3. An emphatic response from Southwest set up the big tiebreaker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the end, Lincoln Southwest maintained its firm grasp atop the Class A standings with another win over the Spartans. A 16-14 decision in the fifth was the perfect way to end what has been such an incredible series between these two squads.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Veteran leaders continue to pace Southwest and East. [player_tooltip player_id='83540' first='Alexa' last='Gobel'] and [player_tooltip player_id='59196' first='Brinly' last='Christensen'] have been such a dynamic pin duo for the Silver Hawks, while juniors [player_tooltip player_id='104986' first='Shandy' last='Faalii'] and [player_tooltip player_id='109612' first='Megan' last='Waters'] fill very similar roles for the Spartans. Junior setters [player_tooltip player_id='104989' first='Malayah' last='Long'] and [player_tooltip player_id='109601' first='Aaliyah' last='Bradford'] are also having monster years for their respective teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If these two meet again in the state tournament, then buckle up. You'll probably be in for the long haul.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->