Halloween Special: “Scary” Underdog Teams at the 2022 Tournament

It happens every year. It’s inevitable. A few lower seeds in Nebraska’s state tournament defy their placement in the bracket and make an unexpected run.

Last season, we saw two six-seeds and one seven-seed win their opening-round matchups to reach the semifinals. One of those six-seeds, Sutton, climbed all the way to the state championship match. With how tight the top teams are in several classes this year, I’d anticipate a continuation of these upsets.

So, in the spirit of Halloween, we’re breaking down some of the “scariest” underdogs that have a chance to bust some brackets this November.

Millard West

Millard West was a popular pick to make it back to Lincoln after appearing in last year’s Class A championship match. While that prognostication has panned out, 2021’s second-overall seed is heading into this season’s tournament as a seventh-seeded underdog.

That definitely doesn’t mean this squad should be counted out, however. The Wildcats get #2 Lincoln Southwest in the opening round, and fans of both squads will be quick to recall the five-set thriller these teams produced in late September. The Silver Hawks escaped in that meeting, but Millard West’s frontcourt firepower makes it a dangerous seven-seed. Veteran pin hitters Alanna Bankston Alanna Bankston 6'1" | MB Millard West | 2023 State #68 Nation NE and Evan Glade Evan Glade 5'11" | OH Millard West | 2023 State NE will loom large as Millard West takes on a new role in this year’s bracket, and it might start with a big upset in Lincoln.

Douglas County West

Any time you have a seven-seed with only three losses, you know there’s some upset potential in the opening round.

DC West’s impressive 29-3 campaign is no fluke. Creighton commit Nora Wurtz Nora Wurtz 6'4" | MB DC West | 2024 State #110 Nation NE remains one of the most effective terminators in the entire state, compiling nearly five kills per set on a staggering 0.535 hitting percentage. Other experienced attackers like Keira Murdock Keira Murdock 5'8" | RS DC West | 2023 State NE and Aubree Liss Aubree Liss 5'10" | OH DC West | 2024 State NE have helped turned the Falcons’ offense into a formidable force in Class C1.

Pulling off a win against a stacked Minden squad is surely no easy task. But, few #7 seeds would seem as well-equipped to score the upset as DC West.

Clarkson/Leigh

The Patriots have been here before. Let’s see if they can make some noise from the #7 spot.

Like DC West, Clarkson/Leigh has a multi-talented feature attacker in junior Chloe Hanel Chloe Hanel 5'11" | MB Clarkson/Leigh | 2024 State NE . This dynamic athlete can play on the outside and in the middle, and that versatility has yielded 5.6 kills per set on a near-.400 clip. Senior Korbee Wendt will also get a large share of swings for the Patriots in Lincoln.

Clarkson/Leigh has one prior meeting with Archbishop Bergan, last year’s D1 runner-up. Though the Knights took a 3-1 win in that late September duel, we’re heading to a whole new venue with the added pressure of Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Nebraska Christian

The Eagles were one set away from a bid in last year’s Class D1 championship match. This year, Nebraska Christian enters the tournament as D1’s #8 seed.

Yes, we rarely see 1-versus-8 upsets in the opening round of the tournament. Still, Nebraska Christian enters the tournament with a scary combination of talent and experience. Senior outside hitter Reghan Flynn Reghan Flynn 5'9" | OH Nebraska Christian | 2023 State NE has been putting down 4.4 kills per set this season, and Ali Bruning Ali Bruning 5'8" | S Nebraska Christian | 2024 State NE is as steady as ever at the setter spot. If there’s any #8 team that can put together a run in Lincoln, it’s this one–even if top-seeded juggernaut Norfolk Catholic stands in the way.

Falls City Sacred Heart

I keep marveling at the stacked field of teams we have in Class D2. Case in point, defending champion Falls City Sacred Heart enters this year’s postseason as the sixth-overall seed.

A lot of the same championship-winning talent is back on this year’s squad, too. Olivia Eickhoff leads the offense on the outside, and seniors London Nachtigal and Macy Keller have reached a new gear in 2022. The Irish recently exhibited their championship readiness by going toe-to-toe with Diller-Odell in districts, and I’d expect more high-level play in Lincoln.

And, as if we needed more intrigue around Sacred Heart, the Irish find themselves in a rematch of last year’s D2 championship in the opening round of this year’s tournament. Humphrey St. Francis will be eager to avenge 2021’s five-set finale loss, but Sacred Heart’s firepower and experience cannot be overlooked.