Nebraska Bid Tracker: South Central 15 Black Wins Show Me Title
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We’re not done with Kansas City yet! While I was doing some National coverage in Chicago for the Windy City Qualifier, Kansas City was hosting the second week of Show Me Qualifier action. My focus from afar last weekend would…
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Continue ReadingWe’re not done with Kansas City yet!
While I was doing some National coverage in Chicago for the Windy City Qualifier, Kansas City was hosting the second week of Show Me Qualifier action. My focus from afar last weekend would be on Show Me’s 15 Liberty and 15 American divisions, where there would be plenty of potential additions to the Nebraska Bid Tracker. Lo and behold, we got one.
South Central NE 15 Black provided a little more small-town Nebraska representation by winning the 15 Liberty championship on the second weekend of Show Me. So, in accordance with our ongoing bid-tracking series, let’s take a look at the journey and standouts that made this all happen.
Staying Alive
15 Black had an unusual journey to the Gold bracket in Kansas City.
An odd number of teams in the 15 Liberty field yielded one pool with five teams as opposed to the four teams in the other groups. Of course, South Central was placed in the five-team pool. I’m sure you’ll hear varied opinions on the benefits and drawbacks of playing an extra match. Regardless, 15 Black had some extra work to do.
A 3-1 record in the opening round quickly put away any concerns about the bonus volleyball. That mark was good enough for second place in the unique group, placing 15 Black in Round 2 with a group featuring CTV, Invasion, and in-state rival Nebraska ONE .
Day 2 is when South Central experienced much of its Show Me drama. In short, every match 15 Black played went to three sets. The stakes got even higher in those tiebreaker sets as South Central was defeated in the Saturday opener against CTV. The team would have to get back on track quickly, and a 16-14 win in the third against Invasion was a rather dramatic way to restore momentum.
The Nebraska ONE matchup was the pool finale for 15 Black, and this was another contest that went the distance. Eventually, South Central pulled through for another hard-fought win to finish 2-1 and stay alive for the 15 Liberty crown.
All the Way
The 15 Liberty division had two bids available, and none of the teams in Show Me’s bracket were previously qualified. The objective was simple: reach the championship match.
Because South Central finished second in its Saturday pool, it entered Sunday’s Gold bracket without the luxury of a first-round bye. It would take two wins for the bid-earning triumph.
Challenge accepted. A straight-set victory over MAVS KC put 15 Black in the semifinal round with only one win needed to punch a ticket to Nationals. The opponent? Premier Nebraska 15 Red, yet another 15 Liberty frontrunner from the Cornhusker State.
Another three-set Great Plains battle unfolded for the Kansas City crowd. South Central prevailed in the first before Premier Nebraska responded in the second, setting up some of the same South Central drama we had seen on Saturday. 15 Black was conditioned for this moment and took a 15-12 win to secure a bid and reach the 15 Liberty championship.
South Central had come this far, so why not finish the job? The title matchup pitted 15 Black against FSJ, a team that had also reached the mountaintop without a first-round bye. But 15 Black had enough left in the tank–in spite of all the extra matches–to defeat FSJ in two sets and claim the 15 Liberty crown in KC.
Expanding the Recruiting Radar
Nebraska brings out gems from just about anywhere, and South Central’s run to a Show Me title offers another testament to that. We’re bringing some small-town standouts to the forefront.
Some of 15 Black’s biggest stars are already familiar to us. One of those is Jalyn Branson Jalyn Branson 5'8" | OH Shelton | 2026 State NE , a hard-hitting 2026 pin hitter who made a big debut with Shelton on the high school stage. She brings a wealth of tournament experience to the squad, so you know Branson won’t shy away from these qualifiers, either.
Isabel Dejonge Isabel Dejonge 5'8" | OH Adams Central | 2026 State NE is another 15 Black representative who has the distinction of playing in the state tournament as a freshman. The Adams Central prep athlete offers a wealth of skills both in the frontcourt and as a setter. It should be little surprise to see DeJonge thriving on the club side.
How about another one? Taytum Perdew Taytum Perdew 5'6" | OH Nebraska Christian | 2026 State NE made a splash in last year’s high school postseason with Nebraska Christian, a team that has become a regular sight in big matches. Effortless elevation and crafty angles have become a hallmark of Perdew’s game, and she’s developing further with 15 Black.
Courtney Carlstrom Courtney Carlstrom 5'9" | RS High Plains Community | 2025 State NE entered our recruiting radar in a different way. She was a participant in one of last fall’s Prep Dig Showcase events, where the 2025 athlete from High Plains Community exhibited her skills as a setter and an opposite. That positional flexibility offers a variety of lineup possibilities for 15 Black, making the team even more difficult to scout.
While we’re discussing the art of scouting, it’s likely that many teams facing South Central last weekend had a game plan centered around 15 Black’s middle blockers. The length and physicality South Central has at this position are enviable. Payton Sullivan Payton Sullivan 6'1" | MB Hastings St. Cecilia | 2026 State NE and Reagan Meyers Reagan Meyers 6'2" | MB Superior | 2027 NE lock down this position with authority, and they both have the lateral quickness to seal any block. 15 Black’s middle duo found ways to score last weekend even when facing a triple block. They’re just that good.
It also helps that Sullivan and Meyers have a wealth of other multi-talented hitters around them. Payton Bauer Payton Bauer 5'9" | RS Deshler | 2026 NE has been a key contributor on the right pin for this group, and Kambri Andel Kambri Andel 5'6" | OH David City | 2026 State NE can also be an adaptive pin hitter when needed. Depth is no problem for this group.
Of course, we round things out with 15 Black’s steady libero, Kyla Griess Kyla Griess 5'6" | DS/L Sutton | 2026 State NE . We have reason to believe that Griess will put together quite a highlight reel with Sutton once we get to the fall, but she’s already piling up big plays with South Central to start 2023. With a team that’s so eager to set the middle, Griess’s skill in the backcourt becomes even more paramount to 15 Black’s success.
The Tracker
18 Open
Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (KC MLK)
18 USA
Premier Nebraska 18 Black (Music City)
18 Liberty
Club Legacy 18 Alpha (Boston)
18 American
Banzai 18 Select (GPR)
18 Freedom
Nebraska ONE 18 Lime (GPR)
17 Open
Premier Nebraska 17 Gold (NLQ)
16 Open
Nebraska ONE 16 Synergy (NLQ)
Premier Nebraska 16 Gold (NLQ)
16 USA
MVP United 16 Red (Show Me)
15 Open
Premier Nebraska 15 Gold (Show Me)
15 USA
Premier Nebraska 15 Black (NLQ)
15 Liberty
South Central NE 15 Black (Show Me)