Nebraska's State Title-Winning Standouts: Middle Blockers

The depth of Nebraska's middle blocker position was on full display at this year's state championships. We're going to need two separate features on this group, so stay tuned.   For now, here is a look at the middles who went out on top in the state championship match. With <a href="https://prepdig.com/2022/11/nebraskas-state-title-winning-standouts-liberos/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://prepdig.com/2022/11/nebraskas-state-title-winning-standouts-liberos/">liberos</a> and <a href="https://prepdig.com/2022/11/nebraskas-state-title-winning-standouts-setters/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://prepdig.com/2022/11/nebraskas-state-title-winning-standouts-setters/">setters</a> already covered, we're keeping this series rolling with more quality athletes who anchored the net en route to a title.     Multi-Talented Trailblazers   I'm still in awe of all the talented middle blockers we saw in the Devaney Center. Better yet, these title-winning middles carried a variety of roles for their respective teams and gave fans plenty of variety throughout Championship Saturday.   If you're looking for the most impactful middle blocker among this year's state champions, it's hard not to give the nod to Grand Island Central Catholic senior [player_tooltip player_id='103091' first='Lucy' last='Ghaifan']. What a finale for the veteran. Ghaifan compiled 28 kills and four blocks in the Class C1 championship match and completely changed the dynamic every time she rotated into the frontcourt. In fact, Ghaifan's 55 swings were the most among all players in the title match despite Ghaifan only playing across the front row. When GICC's star senior was not in the match, the Crusaders were able to get some middle blocker production from both Avery Kelly and Hadlee Hasselmann thanks to the team's unique system. Both had clutch kills in the slugfest against Gothenburg.   <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/1589021860146003968?s=20&t=frmyLoqq-t-aErmkJsbiHg </div></figure>   Variety was also a prevailing theme for Omaha Skutt Catholic's middle blockers as the SkyHawks claimed their eighth consecutive state title. The offensive leader at the position was sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='155052' first='Kiera' last='Link'], who tallied seven kills in the five-set classic against top-seeded Elkhorn North. Link is a rapidly rising upperclassman who ought to have more big moments ahead of her on Nebraska's biggest high school stage.   Meanwhile, Skutt Catholic got its veteran middle blocker presence from senior Hailey Kiscoan, who tallied three kills and a team-high six blocks in the title bout. We mentioned that variety is a strength for Skutt Catholic, though, and the experience of Kiscoan was counterbalanced by freshman Avery White, who came off the bench and had two critical kills from the middle for the SkyHawks. It was a fascinating glimpse at both the present and the future for the eight-time defending champs.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/11/IMG_2087-scaled-crop-1667x1095-1668366255.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-246121" width="492" height="323" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ernstmeyer swings for Lincoln Lutheran in the 2022 Class C2 state championship match.</figcaption></figure>   Senior leadership was the big storyline for Lincoln Lutheran's middle blockers as the Warriors polished off a 40-0 season to win back-to-back titles. Class of 2023 standouts Jordan Ernstmeyer and Erika Young anchored the middle blocker spot for most of the season, and that yielded another brilliant outing at the Devaney Center. Ernstmeyer hit 0.500 with seven kills in the championship while Young added five kills of her own. Both had a hand in four blocks and helped anchor a Warrior defense that was impenetrable throughout 2022.   How about a state champion with no senior middle blockers in the starting lineup? That's what we got with Cedar Catholic, the #7 seed that made a furious charge to the Class D1 title. Junior middle blocker Lexi Eickhoff was a persistent standout for Cedar Catholic, as her dynamic offense on the quick was among D1's best. Eickhoff's seven kills and three blocks in the championship match do not even scratch the surface of her impact during Cedar Catholic's streak of upsets. Likewise, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='728402' first='Lauren' last='Bernecker'] was effective on the other side of the Trojan rotation and put away four kills of her own in the finale.   Even amid the historic 42-kill performance from senior outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='59193' first='Grace' last='Baumert'], you can't lose sight of how much Howells-Dodge's middle blockers contributed to the team's championship effort. Senior Carly Bayer had a particularly impactful state tournament, and that culminated in an all-around effort from the senior in the Devaney Center. Bayer notched nine kills, two assists, three aces, fifteen digs, and nine blocks in the five-set duel with Howells-Dodge. Middle blockers playing in the backcourt are rare, but this D2 match had a lot of that going on. When Bayer wasn't in the frontcourt, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='578477' first='Ava' last='Noyd'] took over and also had a big blocking role with five stuffs to her credit against Overton.   <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/1588928481756213248?s=20&t=frmyLoqq-t-aErmkJsbiHg </div></figure>   Finally, we've reached the repeat Class A champions. In the realm of seniors going out with a championship, the influence of Ava Greene in the Papillion-La Vista South lineup cannot be ignored. The Omaha Concordia commit has been such a reliable constant while the Titans dealt with lineup turmoil at a few other positions. Greene put down four kills and a block in the championship match.   [player_tooltip player_id='152854' first='Morgan' last='Bode'] is in line to become the next senior leader for Papio South. In the final match of her junior campaign, Bode had a whopping nine blocks in just four sets and also added eight kills. Still, you get the feeling that there's still some unfinished business for Bode before she departs for South Dakota in 2024.   <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/1589082663801212928?s=20&t=frmyLoqq-t-aErmkJsbiHg </div></figure>

The depth of Nebraska's middle blocker position was on full display at this year's state championships. We're going to need two separate features on this group, so stay tuned.