Nebraska 15s Teams Taking on AAU Nationals
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Eyes on Orlando! AAU Nationals is about to ramp up for many of the age groups we cover on Prep Dig, and the 15s are about to take a sizeable chunk of the spotlight. So, we want to give these…
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Continue ReadingEyes on Orlando!
AAU Nationals is about to ramp up for many of the age groups we cover on Prep Dig, and the 15s are about to take a sizeable chunk of the spotlight. So, we want to give these teams their due with some previews and breakdowns of all the action. Standout players are sure to emerge from this event. Stay tuned.
So, as a primer, here are a few 15U Great Plains teams I have on my radar heading into the next few waves at AAU Nationals.
Nebraska Elite 15 Phoenix
We’ll start in the 15 Open division with a Nebraska Elite squad that could loom large among its peers.
Nebraska Elite 15 Phoenix has proven that it can hang with Open-level competition. Now, 15 Phoenix’s journey starts in a pool featuring Tribe, Kokoro, and T2VB. It’s a stacked group, especially after the impressive outing from Tribe at NLQ back in March. But Nebraska Elite will be ready.
Keep an eye on this Nebraska Elite frontcourt. Makenzie Wingett Makenzie Wingett 6'0" | OH Millard North | 2026 State NE has been impressive on the pin while Taya Thaden Taya Thaden 6'1" | MB Millard West | 2026 State NE and Blair Boehlke Blair Boehlke 5'11" | MB Fremont | 2026 State NE have locked things down in the middle. Several other up-and-coming athletes will likely surge into the spotlight, too.
VCNebraska 15 Elite
Here’s another serious competitor in the 15 Open field.
Like 15 Phoenix, VCNebraska 15 Elite has tested its mettle against Open teams at a variety of big qualifiers. It’s time to bring that experience to the AAU stage with matchups against EVA, Caroline Rogue, and EU on the way.
I’ll be looking for ball control gems to make big contributions for 15 Elite. Piper Petersen Piper Petersen 5'8" | DS/L Lincoln Southwest | 2026 State NE has excelled in the libero jersey, and Eleanor Griffin Eleanor Griffin 6'0" | S Lincoln Southwest | 2026 State NE is a multi-talented setter who can do some attacking, too. Kaydence Haase Kaydence Haase 6'0" | OH Exeter-Milligan | 2026 State NE and Peyton Svendsen Peyton Svendsen 5'10" | OH Lincoln Southeast | 2026 State NE should be on your radar on the offensive end.
Nebraska Juniors 15 Black
On to Nebraska Juniors!
15 Black has been battle-tested to a similar extent as the previous two teams we’ve mentioned. This squad will be taking on the 15 Premier division in Orlando, where the opening pool features BSVBC, RCVA, and Kali.
Many familiar names will rise to the forefront when 15 Black takes on AAUs. Sophie Gleason Sophie Gleason 5'9" | OH Beatrice | 2026 NE has been an effective terminator for this squad alongside Annie Backemeyer Annie Backemeyer 5'9" | MB Elmwood-Murdock | 2026 State NE . Sidonia Wattier Sidonia Wattier 5'10" | S Norfolk Catholic | 2026 NE leads the offense at setter and can transition into an opposite role in the frontcourt.
Nebraska Juniors 15 Red
Another one is on the board for Nebraska Juniors.
We’ll see the depth of this club in Orlando as Nebraska Juniors 15 Red competes in the 15 Club division. The team has been given a top seed in its pool with Freeze, NPJ Seattle, and Uno looking to challenge.
This will be a great event to build our scouting report on this team. Nadia Zuhairi Nadia Zuhairi 5'3" | DS/L Lincoln Northeast | 2026 NE has been an early standout at the libero spot, and Josephine Bennett runs a nice offense on the second contact. These are athletes that will factor heavily in our next 2026 rankings update.
River City Jrs 15 Navy
Expectations should be high for this group.
We’re staying in the 15 Club division to address our first entry from River City Jrs. 15 Navy has been a scrappy bunch at Midwest events and qualifiers, particularly the Show Me Qualifier in Kansas City. The team’s first AAU group has American, Chicago Elite, and MWVC.
You can pick and choose so many potential standouts here. Mariah Dutcher Mariah Dutcher 5'5" | S Omaha Gross Catholic | 2026 State NE and Ella Frandson Ella Frandson 5'5" | S Millard West | 2026 NE are two stout setters. Brooklyn Stehlik Brooklyn Stehlik 5'9" | MB Platteview | 2026 State NE has done great work in the frontcourt alongside Jazmin Garcia-Alvarez Jazmin Garcia-Alvarez 5'9" | MB Omaha South | 2026 NE in the middle.
Nebraska Elite 15 Prime
More for Nebraska Elite!
15 Prime is next in the spotlight. This rising squad completes a trio of Great Plains teams in the 15 Club division, and 15 Prime is slated to face ESVBC, WVBA, and OTVA.
An impressive collection of frontcourt talent highlights this team. Players like Reese Blankenau Reese Blankenau 5'10" | MB Gretna East | 2026 State NE and Halle Mason Halle Mason 5'8" | RS Gretna | 2026 NE will surely be a factor. Likewise, we’ll be watching Rayna Batholet’s expert distribution as one of the team’s standout setters.
River City Jrs 15 Red
We now move to 15 Aspire to find the other 15s entry for River City Jrs.
15 Red awaits Round 1 matchups with Atlanta Extreme, TCVA, and CVA. As the group’s #2 seed, 15 Red is positioned to make some noise here.
Nadia Arul has recently made some big strides at libero for River City. Riley Homan will be worth following at setter, while Hope Preston remains a big scoring threat on the right pin. Again, this is a team we have bookmarked for our next 2026 rankings update.
Nebraska Elite 15 Xtreme
Finally, we finish the Nebraska Elite triad with 15 Xtreme.
This team resides in 15 Spirit and shares an initial group with UpOnTop, Xtreme, and Top Flight. With a huge volume of teams in this division, anything is possible!
The defensive specialist spot is a major strength for 15 Xtreme, and players like Raisa Halweg Raisa Halweg 5'4" | DS/L Elkhorn North | 2026 NE and Kenley Froehlich Kenley Froehlich 5'6" | DS/L Gretna | 2026 NE are big trendsetters. Morgan Zabloudil Morgan Zabloudil 5'9" | RS Gretna | 2026 NE and Emily Fulton Emily Fulton 5'9" | OH Omaha Concordia | 2026 NE should get their share of kills along the net.