Nebraska’s Early 2023 Breakout Teams
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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…
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Continue ReadingWhich 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 Hayden Hart Hayden Hart 5'10" | MB Gretna East | 2025 State NE and Hailey Levinson Hailey Levinson 6'1" | MB Gretna East | 2025 State NE in the middle. But there’s also a lot of due credit for players like Maddie Schnell Maddie Schnell 5'9" | OH Gretna East | 2025 State NE , Halle Nienaber Halle Nienaber 5'8" | OH Gretna East | 2026 State NE , and Taylor Kubesa Taylor Kubesa 5'8" | RS Gretna East | 2025 NE who have been so steady in 2023. We’re also looking at emerging underclassmen like Reese Blankenau Reese Blankenau 5'10" | MB Gretna East | 2026 State NE and Ava 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 Marlee Ervin Marlee Ervin 6'0" | S Ogallala | 2024 State NE 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 Laney Caskey Laney Caskey 6'1" | MB Ogallala | 2026 State NE are also bringing big contributions to the Ogallala offense. It’s also worth watching freshman Alex Ervin Alex Ervin 5'10" | RS Ogallala | 2027 NE , 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 Audrey Erhart Audrey Erhart 5'6" | S Palmyra | 2026 NE , 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.
Danika Hassel Danika Hassel 6'0" | RS Bayard | 2024 State NE 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. Alicia Johansen Alicia Johansen 5'10" | MB Freeman | 2026 State NE is building off a stellar club season and can make a splash as a middle or a pin hitter. Rilyn Otto Rilyn Otto 5'7" | MB Freeman | 2025 NE also brings a wealth of experience along the net.
We’ll also give a nod to Freeman’s excellent backcourt specialists. Ruby Goes Ruby Goes 5'6" | DS/L Freeman | 2025 State NE and Kinley Speth Kinley Speth 5'6" | S Freeman | 2025 State NE 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.
Jaala Stewart Jaala Stewart 5'9" | OH Meridian | 2024 State NE 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 McKenzie Hofstetter and Jaylee Sobotka.