Updating Nebraska’s Class of 2024 Commitments

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This feels like an excellent time for a little refresher. Call it housekeeping, if you want.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Amid the flurry of event coverage and in-season content, we can often miss one of the most significant prep athlete milestones: college commitments. But while we're firmly entrenched in the new Class of 2024 rankings update, this feels like a good time to take inventory of who's going where. Above all, it's a celebration of some of the most extraordinary athletes who have graced this class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, here's a look back at some of the new 2024 commitments to come along over the past several months.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Staying Home</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nebraska colleges are thriving on the nation's biggest volleyball stages, and homegrown talent will help keep them near the top.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I haven't had a chance to give shoutouts to a pair of University of Nebraska Omaha commits who have left a huge wake in this state's prep scene. Let's fix that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='187679' first='Sarah' last='Galligan'] is one future Maverick that should absolutely thrive at the next level. The Nebraska Elite libero has carried on a family tradition of defensive excellence after older sister Katie took her talents to Wichita State last year. Sarah, meanwhile, is planning to stay right at home and play for UNO. This Omaha program is soaring up the ranks of the Summit League and is due for a berth in the NCAA tournament very soon. It's also a team that has made homegrown liberos a cornerstone of its success, with former Millard West standout Jaiden Centeno being the most recent example.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Omaha has also pulled in a Lincoln-area standout to bolster its 2024 class. [player_tooltip player_id='105000' first='Celia' last='Spilker'] had a breakout 2022 season with Norris and added a college commitment for good measure. Not only will Spilker be one to watch because of her UNO pledge, but she's poised to show her skills with a new team as she joins VCNebraska 17 Elite.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While we're hanging out in Omaha, let's bring Creighton into the conversation. The commitment of Nebraska Elite superstar [player_tooltip player_id='104975' first='Nora' last='Wurtz'] has been known for a while, creating a fun Creighton-UNO dynamic between her and Galligan. But the newer local addition to Creighton's 2024 class comes from Premier Nebraska and defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='105001' first='Alivia' last='Hausmann']. Here's another Norris product who has helped keep the Titans among Nebraska's state title frontrunners over the past few years. We documented Hausmann's clutch plays en route to a Nationals bid at this year's Northern Lights Qualifier, and those huge plays are sure to translate to the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hausmann, along with Galligan and Cornhusker commit [player_tooltip player_id='109590' first='Olivia' last='Mauch'], completes a clean sweep of at least one in-state 2024 libero going to each of Nebraska's Division 1 volleyball programs. I wholeheartedly endorse this.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Branching Out</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":340223,"width":413,"height":275,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/IMG_0077-edited.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-340223" width="413" height="275" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Long</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, let's expand our radius a little more. Time to address some of the Nebraska representatives we'll be following in the Great Plains and Midwest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of the state's best 2024 talent will be concentrated in the Northern Plains in just over a year. Of course, we have South Dakota's three-headed monster of [player_tooltip player_id='109585' first='Lauren' last='Medeck'], [player_tooltip player_id='152854' first='Morgan' last='Bode'], and [player_tooltip player_id='187796' first='Carly' last='Ries'] that has been assembled for a while. Medeck and Bode have been a year-round menace on the prep scene with Papillion-La Vista South and Premier Nebraska, while Ries has made her name with Norfolk and Nebraska Elite. Best of all, this trio will join a wealth of other former Nebraska standouts on the Yotes roster. It's a homecoming away from home.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Just down the road from Vermillion, multi-talented outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='124775' first='Tatum' last='Godinez'] will take her skills to the University of Sioux Falls. The same story applies here, too--so many opportunities to play with Nebraska natives who are already with this program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A couple more standout setters will make their name at two schools within earshot of one another. VCNebraska and Lincoln Southwest setter [player_tooltip player_id='104989' first='Malayah' last='Long'] made a splash last year with her commitment to Big East powerhouse Marquette. Her physicality will fit right in with the Golden Eagles. Then, [player_tooltip player_id='109593' first='Reese' last='Booth'] made a pledge to Northern Iowa of the Missouri Valley Conference after standout performances with Elkhorn North and Premier Nebraska. Non-conference matchups between these schools are always on the table, and I'm here for it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is also where we can give a shoutout to [player_tooltip player_id='104984' first='Faith' last='Frame'], a multi-year standout at Gretna and Premier Nebraska who will take her talents to Cincinnati. The Bearcats have surged to the forefront of the American Athletic Conference in recent years, and Frame should help keep them there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Coast to Coast</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finally, we're going <em>way</em> out. Here are the 2024 commits that are making a long trek to their college destinations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":334038,"width":406,"height":270,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/03/DSC09936.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-334038" width="406" height="270" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tvrdy</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We might as well start out west. [player_tooltip player_id='109603' first='Mia' last='Tvrdy'] is a headliner in this group, as this uber-athletic middle blocker is taking her talents to Oregon. The Ducks have been known for their high-flying middles who can terminate off of one foot, and Tvrdy fits this mold perfectly. Welcome to the Pac-12.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Be careful not to mention the Pac-12 when discussing Southern Cal commit [player_tooltip player_id='109597' first='Paisley' last='Douglas'], however. While the Women of Troy have been a perennial contender in the conference of champions, USC will depart for the Big Ten by the time Douglas gets to campus. If anything, it's a great opportunity for this Omaha Skutt and VCNebraska libero to get some homecoming trips back to the Cornhusker State during conference play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Tvrdy and Douglas are heading out west, others are going a long way in the other direction. One of those is VCN's [player_tooltip player_id='152864' first='Mallorie' last='Meyer'], another standout libero who will hope to make an impact at Pittsburgh. College volleyball fans already know about the Panthers exploding onto the national scene with two consecutive national semifinal appearances. This is a huge step for Meyer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We'll take an eastward hike from Pittsburgh to introduce one of the newest commitments from the 2024 class. Lincoln Southwest middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='152857' first='Emerson' last='Lionberger'] has committed to Navy amid an ongoing breakout season with VCNebraska. This will be a fascinating pairing to follow, and it also evokes memories of Paige Fixemer's commitment to another service academy: Army West Point. That's working out well!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finally, we're paying a visit to the Carolinas to find the college destination of Lincoln East and VCN outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='109612' first='Megan' last='Waters']. Getting Waters on board is a splashy pickup for the Camels, which won the Big South championship in 2021 and visited Lincoln in the NCAA tournament. Everything goes full circle, right?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->