Which Nebraska 2024s Made Big Gains at NLQ?
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This was a huge outing for Nebraska’s Class of 2024. The annual Northern Lights Qualifier always offers a great preliminary look at some top 17s talent from around the Great Plains Region. Nebraska teams compete for bids against dozens of…
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Continue ReadingThis was a huge outing for Nebraska’s Class of 2024.
The annual Northern Lights Qualifier always offers a great preliminary look at some top 17s talent from around the Great Plains Region. Nebraska teams compete for bids against dozens of other elite teams from across the Midwest, and that’s where stars are bound to emerge.
So, I perused through my fellow Nebraska representatives in Minneapolis, here are a few 2024s who caught my eye in this early-season gauntlet.
Nebraska Elite 17 Top Gun has a formidable lineup of backcourt specialists, and Borner continues to be a name to follow. Her expertise is in middle-back floor defense and serve receive. Get used to seeing #42 locking down Zone 6 for Top Gun, as Borner is the kind of defensive standout you can’t leave off the floor.
Hausmann stepped up when the team needed it most. Perhaps the most dramatic moment of the weekend was Premier 17 Gold’s winner-take-all match against Rockwood Thunder to decide the third 17 Open bid. A huge comeback in the deciding third set was keynoted by Hausmann’s fearless serving and back-to-back aces to bring up match point. Don’t tell me defensive specialists can’t make winning plays.
Brislen’s standout run of club events continues. We’re used to seeing this Omaha Westside athlete in a six-rotation capacity with Premier, and that isn’t going away anytime soon. Her vocal presence in the serve receive allows 17 Black’s serve receive to keep thriving, which bodes well for the team’s bid aspirations.
Faalii just keeps performing at a high level. Her stock rose considerably last fall with Lincoln East, and now she’s showing a bit of her flexibility in the Premier 17 Black lineup. She’s primarily a left-side hitter, but we also saw some of Faalii’s assertive swings on the right side last weekend.
Highlights
Lily McCroden
Lily McCroden
McCroden has been up and down the age ladder and played a variety of positions throughout her prep career. Last weekend, we saw what the Sutton standout can do in the libero jersey for VCNebraska 17 Black. It was a roaring success, as McCroden consistently passed dimes that allowed the 17 Black offense to flourish in Minneapolis. Versatility is a huge plus that lands McCroden on this feature.
We mentioned before this event that Eggiman would be surrounded by some new faces with 17 Red this year. That’s not slowing her down at all. In fact, Eggiman has taken her game up a notch as hard-hitting outside attacker who can score on any pin in any situation. This sudden spark of offense will carry 17 Red far this year.
While Eggiman is the leading terminator for 17 Red, there’s no doubt that Ahrens is the one who ties the whole operation together. Put simply, she’s the kind of player you want as your setter and floor captain. Ahrens has a mature feel for tempo and location that allows her hitters to be in the best positions possible to make aggressive plays. 17 Red will be back for redemption after coming one spot short of a bid at NLQ.