Nebraska's Early 2023 Breakout Teams

Which teams are surprising us so far? We can name a few.   Much of our in-season coverage focuses on teams and players exceeding expectations and climbing the ladder. We're focusing on teams for this one, and several breakout squads have caught our eye so far. Of course, we'll also give credit to the players who helped make it happen.   Here are a few "overperforming" teams that we're already following in early September.     Gretna East   How about we start with the new school on the block?   To be fair, this isn't an ordinary first season for a new program. Gretna East has pulled in a lot of proven talent that we've discussed in both high school club venues. A 13-1 start is impressive either way.   We've recently given shoutouts to some of Gretna East's dynamic attackers like [player_tooltip player_id='209291' first='Hayden' last='Hart'] and [player_tooltip player_id='189352' first='Hailey' last='Levinson'] in the middle. But there's also a lot of due credit for players like [player_tooltip player_id='342514' first='Maddie' last='Schnell'], [player_tooltip player_id='349417' first='Halle' last='Nienaber'], and [player_tooltip player_id='395083' first='Taylor' last='Kubesa'] who have been so steady in 2023. We're also looking at emerging underclassmen like [player_tooltip player_id='349451' first='Reese' last='Blankenau'] and [player_tooltip player_id='458077' first='Ava' last='Waters'] who have tallied strong performances in the kill column. The Griffins boast some serious depth, especially for a school that just finished construction.     Ogallala   On to Ogallala. The orange-clad Indians are 5-0 so far and look like a tight-knit group ready to chase a tournament appearance.   There's little doubt that senior standout [player_tooltip player_id='105003' first='Marlee' last='Ervin'] still runs the show for Ogallala. She'll do it in more ways than one, as Ervin is a setter-hitter who puts up massive numbers in almost every statistical category. Ervin is hitting 0.393 with 4.7 kills per set and is adding over four assists per set to her docket for good measure.   Mallory Murphy and [player_tooltip player_id='476960' first='Laney' last='Caskey'] are also bringing big contributions to the Ogallala offense. It's also worth watching freshman [player_tooltip player_id='498996' first='Alex' last='Ervin'], who will likely carry on the family tradition of high-level volleyball.     Palmyra   Our next nod in this feature goes to Palmyra, a Lincoln-area school that has pieced together a 6-2 start to the 2023 campaign.   The Panthers are spreading the ball around well, meaning there's a lot of credit to go around for the early-season success. Haylie Volman and Rylie Walter have become “co-leaders” for Palmyra with both putting up nearly identical kill numbers. Kayley Thompson is not far behind this duo, either. This operation is all tied together by [player_tooltip player_id='464921' first='Audrey' last='Erhart'], a sophomore setter whose knack for even distribution has given the Panthers a huge boost in 2023.     Bayard   The Tigers have put everyone on notice in the small-town scene with a 5-0 start. Important district matchups are on the horizon for Bayard, but this has been a solid prelude.   [player_tooltip player_id='256640' first='Danika' last='Hassel'] is a must-see talent in the Bayard lineup. The senior outside hitter is thriving with over four kills per set during the unblemished run. Hassel has also become a major blocking force on the wing alongside fellow senior Joslyn Hopkins in the middle.   Experience is the big storyline for the Tigers. Starting setter Aleah Nesbitt is another senior who is rallying extraordinary numbers with over ten assists per frame. Libero Dani Harter is guiding the backcourt in her final prep season. The stars have aligned in 2023, allowing Bayard to push toward a coveted postseason bid.     Freeman   The Falcons are ready to take the next step. Freeman sits at 7-1 and shows no signs of slowing down against neighboring volleyball powerhouses.   Recognizable names are all over the roster. [player_tooltip player_id='184283' first='Alicia' last='Johansen'] is building off a stellar club season and can make a splash as a middle or a pin hitter. [player_tooltip player_id='342578' first='Rilyn' last='Otto'] also brings a wealth of experience along the net.   We'll also give a nod to Freeman's excellent backcourt specialists. [player_tooltip player_id='189902' first='Ruby' last='Goes'] and [player_tooltip player_id='342567' first='Kinley' last='Speth'] have been on our radar for a while, and the team's hot streak offers further testament to their impact.     Meridian   Sure, this group made an appearance at last year's state tournament. But we've been impressed enough with this group's consistency to put the Mustangs on this list.   [player_tooltip player_id='393556' first='Jaala' last='Stewart'] is still the ringleader here. The high-flying senior can regularly put up over four kills per set and runs a variety of frontcourt routes in the process. She'll dial up some big plays in the back row, too.   Kaira Niederklein is showing her savvy touch as Meridian's senior setter. She has plenty of worthy attacking options outside of Stewart, including the junior duo of [player_tooltip player_id='462351' first='McKenzie' last='Hofstetter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='728384' first='Jaylee' last='Sobotka'].

Which teams are surprising us so far? We can name a few.