Instant 17s Standouts at the Great Plains Region Bid Tournament
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On to the 17s. 15s and 17s were competing shoulder-to-shoulder at The Courts during the Great Plains Bid Tournament, making this an enticing event for some volleyball viewing. I’ve already covered some immediate star power in the 15s age group,…
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Continue ReadingOn to the 17s.
15s and 17s were competing shoulder-to-shoulder at The Courts during the Great Plains Bid Tournament, making this an enticing event for some volleyball viewing. I’ve already covered some immediate star power in the 15s age group, but let’s leave no stone unturned. These 17s came to play.
So, with bids up for grabs, here are a few 17s who made a quick entrance into last weekend’s spotlight.
Premier 17 Black has received so many positive contributions from its setters over the past few seasons, and Dyrstad kept that trend going at the Great Plains Bid Tournament. Her ability to set against the grain was nearly unmatched in the 17s age group, which set up 17 Black’s hitters for extraordinary success. Dyrstad is a state champion who knows how to compete on these big stages.
Let’s talk about one of those Premier 17 Black hitters. Pribyl has been a mainstay in the team’s lineup this year, and it’s hard not to like the power and versatility she brings to the offense. Whether she’s positioned on the left pin or the right, Pribyl has the athleticism to terminate with authority. That was a huge factor in elevating 17 Black to the top of the board last weekend.
Good luck trying to track Ligon along the net. Her lateral quickness and athleticism off of one foot was a huge part of Premier 17 Red’s offense last weekend. Ligon can run designed routes behind the setter before transitioning in front of the setter later in a rally, giving opposing middle blockers a lot to think about when she’s in the frontcourt. This was a huge breakout tournament for the 17 Red attacker.
While Ligon was tearing it up in the middle, Eggiman was become a game-wrecking force on the pin. It’s been incredible to watch Eggiman’s game elevate with every passing season, and now she is an unquestioned leader in the Premier 17 Red lineup. Some of the most impressive floor-denting hits of the Great Plains Bid Tournament came directly from Eggiman’s right arm.
Margaret Haarberg
Margaret Haarberg
Haarberg was the star of the show in what became an extraordinarily successful weekend for Nebraska Pride. The way Haarberg can pop off the floor and get on top of the ball left opposing teams struggling to figure out how to get a block touch on her. A discussion of some of central Nebraska’s best up-and-coming athletes has to include Haarberg after this standout performance.
Big venues are nothing new for Ryan. She’s fresh off an appearance in the state championship match with Overton last fall, and now she’s bringing that high-level experience to Nebraska Pride on the club side. Ryan is a quintessential hybrid player who can be equally efficient on the pin or in the middle, allowing Gold 17s to open up its offense when she’s in the front row.
Shelburne remains an impact player for Nebraska ONE 17 Black, a team that represented itself well at this year’s bid tournament. This Gretna athlete does most of her damage at the middle blocker spot but can adapt to some other positions whenever needed. Along with Nebraska Pride, Nebraska ONE has evolved into a torchbearer for some of the state’s best under-the-radar 2024 talent.
Here’s a Banzai defender who has the distinction of already being committed to play at the next level. Distefano has been a standout in the Banzai gym for as long as she’s been there, and now she adds another impressive bid tournament to her resume. 17 Select clearly rallies around its Central Christian-bound libero for backcourt leadership, and Distefano is always there to deliver.
What a year for Snyder. She asserted herself into the conversation right away with a stout performance at NLQ back in January, and this high-flying outside hitter hasn’t let off the gas since. Snyder has a knack for burying balls through the seam and finding any available gap that opposing blockers give her. She makes up the foundation of Club Legacy’s top 17s squad, and that won’t change any time soon.
We’re adding a little Class of 2025 representation to this 17s feature. Lowe has been a major stock riser among her peers in the last several weeks, and her pin-hitting dominance continued at the bid tournament with Premier 17 Silver. This is an agile, adaptable hitter who can run the variety of routes and combination plays that 17 Silver has implemented this year. That all culminates in Lowe being a can’t-miss prospect among Nebraska’s athletes who are playing up.
Highlights
Cogan gets a shoutout here for her indispensable work as VCNebraska 17 Black’s libero. This instinctive defender has been a star in the VCN gym for a while, so it’s no surprise that she continued her upward trend as last weekend’s bid tournament. Passing and floor defense are equally strong elements of Cogan’s game, yielding an all-around libero that 17 Black can always rely on.