More Monster Middles from Nebraska’s 15s at AAU Nationals
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This one’s for the middles. Yesterday, we started our post-Wave 2 discussion with some breakout performers on the pins. Nebraska’s 15s teams brought the heat in Orlando, and that position group deserves a lot of credit. But let’s not forget…
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Continue ReadingThis one’s for the middles.
Yesterday, we started our post-Wave 2 discussion with some breakout performers on the pins. Nebraska’s 15s teams brought the heat in Orlando, and that position group deserves a lot of credit. But let’s not forget about these impactful middles, either.
Expand your recruiting radar with a few standout Nebraska middles from Wave 2 of AAUs.
Rowe keeps making waves with VCN 15 Elite, and she’s a perfect fit for all the things 15 Elite likes to do. Expect to see a wide range of routes and patterns when Rowe rotates into the front row. She is a natural attacker wherever she is along the net, and 15 Elite took full advantage of that flexibility in Orlando.
Boehlke is the cornerstone of Nebraska Elite 15 Phoenix’s physical frontcourt. Her length is an asset both in the blocking phase and as an attacker in front of the setter. We’ve already seen what Boehlke can accomplish as an upstart freshman. Now, she’s bringing that same dominance to the club stage with Nebraska Elite.
Thaden’s skillset makes her an ideal fit for the M1 position. She can stretch out the offense with some effective slide attacks in two-hitter rotations. Moreover, Thaden is not afraid to dish out clutch serves and digs when her number is called in Rotation 6. 15 Phoenix is set for future success at this position.
Backemeyer was a recent addition to our 2026 watch list, and she is still on the rise after AAU action. Pin-to-pin quickness is perhaps the most noticeable strength for this versatile attacker. Here’s a small-town talent poised for a significant breakthrough on the prep side.
Faith Wiechman Faith Wiechman 5'9" | MB NE
Faith Wiechman Faith Wiechman 5'9" | MB NE
Wiechman is one player we haven’t yet covered from River City Jrs 15 Navy. Let’s fix that. This dynamic middle blocker has made a habit of producing memorable moments through her strong defense at the net. Whether it’s a positive block touch or a straight-down stuff, Wiechman has established herself as a major defensive contributor for 15 Navy.
Kadence Pieper
Kadence Pieper
Reliable middle blockers bring so much value at the club level, and reliability has been Pieper’s strength at recent events. Her termination in front of the setter has made her a go-to target on good passes, and 15 Red benefitted from that consistency throughout AAUs.
Stradal has found her stride during the late-season grind. That culminated in a standout series of matches with Nebraska Elite 15 Prime, where Stradal showed her ability to make a big impact in the middle. She was always available to attack in transition and generated effective block touches, too.
Aubrey Walz
Aubrey Walz
Put another future 2026 watch list addition on your list. Walz has made her presence felt with River City Jrs 15 Red, yielding another impressive showing in Orlando. This middle blocker is one of the most physical athletes in the 15 Red front row, making Walz a natural choice to lock things down from the middle.
Melanie Richardson
Melanie Richardson
Richardson has recently surged onto our 2026 radar, so this is yet another name you can expect to see on our next rankings update. 15 Extreme has made sure to give Richardson plenty of attempts whenever the circumstances allow it. Richardson will usually deliver.