Nebraska’s Biggest Questions and Storylines in 2023

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Time to set the stage for 2023. It's bound to be another exciting year for Nebraska prep volleyball fans.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of course, we're already looking ahead to some storylines and questions that might dominate the new calendar year. There are a lot of huge moments ahead, and I hope you'll join me for another year of coverage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, let's get you primed with a few storylines to follow and questions to answer heading into 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Which club teams are due for breakout seasons?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If last year is any indication, we're going to have some surprise teams this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And it doesn't take much to become a surprise team. Sometimes, it only takes a spark. A perfect storm. That's how you could describe breakthroughs like the ones we saw from Premier 16 Gold at NLQ or Nebraska Elite 15 Matrix at Show Me. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1513522587065856004?s=20u0026amp;t=D_4fhVj2jLVJjBjLs_xHUQ","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/1513522587065856004?s=20&amp;t=D_4fhVj2jLVJjBjLs_xHUQ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perhaps the best thing about covering club events is that you never know what you're going to get from one week to another.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Which 15s and 16s will we add to our radar?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is going to be a big focus for us as we dive into the new year. The landscape of 15s and 16s in Nebraska is going to evolve very quickly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the case of 15s, we're just looking to add more names to the watch list we released following last fall's high school season. We've discussed how high school competition only gives us a limited glimpse at the state's top freshmen, and this is where we really start to build our list. Expect plenty of updates down the line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16s is in a similar spot, and there is still plenty of movement within this class. It seems hard to believe, but we're racing toward the open recruitment of 2025s this summer. Because of this, our coverage and analysis of this group are about to ramp up significantly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Will we see more 18s success for Nebraska?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're not far removed from a Nebraska team winding up on top of the 18s universe at Nationals. Could we get a repeat of 2021's triumph?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>18s competition seems like more and more of a guessing game with early enrollees becoming common. There are surely many elite athletes that will be forgoing their 18s year, but the depth in this age group is still stout. Nebraska is no exception.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Premier Nebraska 18 Gold is bringing the whole gang back together after reaching the final 17 Open bracket at GJNC. I'm incredibly grateful to be able to see this group compete for another season, and this will undoubtedly be a team to watch in the quick sprint of the 18s season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1495227516726005763?s=20u0026amp;t=D_4fhVj2jLVJjBjLs_xHUQ","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/1495227516726005763?s=20&amp;t=D_4fhVj2jLVJjBjLs_xHUQ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We'll get a full grasp of Nebraska's 18s challengers when the season starts in just a handful of days. This will be one of our biggest early-season storylines when club play gets rolling.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who will be the year's biggest stock risers?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It happens every year. A handful of players will rise to the forefront and change our entire perception of their abilities. Who becomes our biggest stock riser in 2023?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2022 club season provided so many examples of players who opened our eyes and rose to star status. Think of [player_tooltip player_id='109603' first='Mia' last='Tvrdy'] at NLQ, [player_tooltip player_id='155047' first='Ashlyn' last='Paymal'] or [player_tooltip player_id='155029' first='Keri' last='Leimbach'] at Show Me, and [player_tooltip player_id='109585' first='Lauren' last='Medeck']'s big comeback at GJNC. We will inevitably see more of those superstar moments, and I can't wait to be there for it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1542873288002641923?s=20u0026amp;t=D_4fhVj2jLVJjBjLs_xHUQ","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/1542873288002641923?s=20&amp;t=D_4fhVj2jLVJjBjLs_xHUQ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Will the high school dynasties dominate again?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite all the parity we saw throughout the 2022 high school season, many familiar volleyball dynasties rose to the top in the end. Will 2023 provide a similar story?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Papillion-La Vista South, Omaha Skutt Catholic, Lincoln Lutheran, and Howells-Dodge all became repeat champions. Grand Island Central Catholic added to its vast trophy case.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It remains to be seen which teams can shake up the top of the leaderboard. Skutt Catholic graduates some impactful players, but that hasn't slowed down the SkyHawks in a while, has it? Lincoln Lutheran, Howells-Dodge, and Papillion-La Vista South have some big shoes to fill on the outside.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But good luck predicting how it will all go down this fall. I'm ready to be surprised.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1589106295919226885?s=20u0026amp;t=D_4fhVj2jLVJjBjLs_xHUQ","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <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/1589106295919226885?s=20&amp;t=D_4fhVj2jLVJjBjLs_xHUQ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->