Nebraska 2025 Rankings Update: New Additions (Part 1)

It’s about time we added Petersen to the mix after her brilliant work with Banzai VBC 16 Select this spring. The Papio pin hitter’s incredible versatility makes her the ideal L1 who can terminate on either side of the net. Petersen’s success has been a major catalyst to this year’s Nationals breakthrough, so our conversation on 16 Select is not over yet.

Backcourt talent has become quite plentiful for both Millard West and Premier Nebraska. Fichtl adds to the growing list for these programs, and her breakout 2023 club season has warranted her addition to the 2025 rankings. Whether it’s in the libero jersey or as a primary DS, Fichtl has been a reliable contributor for 16 Red since the year began.

We’ll bring another standout defensive specialist into this feature with Bules looming large in the Nebraska Pride Gold 16s lineup. The Minden libero surged in late-season competition as Gold 16s emerged as the best among its peers at the Great Plains Bid Tournament. Chicago is sure to offer another great litmus test.

Woodford has really hit her stride lately as a go-to attacker for Nebraska Elite 16 Koa. It makes us excited to see what she can bring to the frontcourt for Platteview–a program that is no stranger to producing some under-the-radar stars.

River City Jrs has been bringing some of its own frontcourt talent to the forefront lately, and Hjemvick is a perfect example. This multi-talented outside attacker is a six-rotation mainstay in the 16 Navy lineup who does far more than lead the offense. Her stout floor defense in the middle-back area have provided a big boost that propelled 16 Navy to some impressive results this spring.

Teter is another athlete who elevated her game with Banzai VBC 16 Select en route to a Nationals bid. Her command of the back row never wavers no matter which area of the court she’s asked to lock down. Banzai will continue to lean on its seasoned libero as the stakes reach a new height this summer.

Our first mention of South Central NE comes with Janssen soaring into our latest 2025 rankings. This Columbus prep star has already put up some impressive numbers in high school venues, but she’s now carried that into a big club campaign with 16 Black.

We’ll stay with 16 Black to discuss Kropatsch, another emerging talent along the net for 16 Black. Length and physicality are big advantages for this Osceola native, and this year’s uptick in production has landed Kropatsch firmly in our rankings.

The ever-evolving lineup of Nebraska Elite 16 Koa has brought a few new names to our attention. Studnicka is one of those. We’ve seen her excel at digging heavy heat in the crosscourt, but she can also shift over to Zone 6 and lock down the passing formation from there. Studnicka’s complete game is rounded out with some excellent out-of-system setting when 16 Koa is out of system.

If you haven’t noticed by now, there’s a lot of Minden representation for Nebraska Pride Gold 16s. Like, almost the entire team. Betty is another one from that pipeline to get plugged into our rankings, and we’re fascinated to see how this middle blocker keeps developing. That development will continue at Nationals and lead right into this year’s widely anticipated high school campaign.

VCNebraska gets a mention here with Kosmicki joining the fray from 16 Black. This setter has had a long-lasting prep impact with Lincoln Christian and is now compiling quite a highlight tape on the club side.

We’ll wrap up the first part of our ‘new additions trilogy’ with a River City Jrs attacker who has burst into the rankings with a 2023 surge. Anselmo’s steady presence on the right pin has offered a little extra boost for 16 Navy this year, and we can expect the same at Bellevue West before long.