2023 NSAA State Championship All-Position Teams: Opposites
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Time to move the right pin. In many of our prior features, we haven’t made much distinction between left- and right-side hitters when discussing these “all-position” or “all-tournament” teams. But, with so many talented pins to choose from in this…
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Continue ReadingTime to move the right pin.
In many of our prior features, we haven’t made much distinction between left- and right-side hitters when discussing these “all-position” or “all-tournament” teams. But, with so many talented pins to choose from in this year’s talented postseason field, and separate feature for opposites feels warranted.
Check out our nominees among setters, liberos, and middle blockers if you haven’t already. The lists keep growing.
This is an easy one. Rink was an indispensable part of Lincoln Southwest’s championship effort and put together her best season for the very end. Whenever the Silver Hawks moved to their three-hitter rotations, you knew Rink was going to get a heavy dose of up-tempo sets. The Northern Colorado crushed with serious range, indicating her readiness to take on the Division 1 scene.
Paymal has clearly established herself as one of Nebraska’s most lethal opposites–and she did it at a new school this year. The Creighton commit moved to Omaha Westside for her upperclassman years and immediately led the Warriors with over 300 kills in 2023. Her reign continued at the state tournament as Paymal carved sharp angles that opposing defenses simply couldn’t reach. This could be a new torchbearer in Class A next year.
Highlights
Topolski’s development with Lincoln East was a joy to watch. The dynamic senior took another step forward this fall with a steady role in all six rotations, where Topolski contributed as an attacker and a defender. Not many prep teams deploy the ‘D’ ball pattern out of the right-back area, but Topolski remained a back-row threat in this zone and expanded the Spartan offense immensely. She capped her career with two historic postseason appearances with Lincoln East.
Highlights
Here’s a bit of a wildcard pick. Uhlir has made her mark as a setter during her storied Bennington career, but she also emerged as one of the team’s best opposites en route to another semifinal berth. The Badgers took advantage of Uhlir’s quickness and athleticism whenever she moved into the frontcourt. That yielded Bennington’s second-best individual kill total in addition to Uhlir compiling over 500 assists.
Highlights
It’s the Swiss army knife. Moore has played a little bit of everything throughout her prep career, but her senior year was largely settled at her natural position on the right pin. The senior delivered with a team-leading 250 kills in the regular season and was also an anchor to Waverly’s formidable block. It’s no wonder why the Vikings are staking a seemingly permanent spot in the Class B tournament.
Highlights
Skutt Catholic regularly deployed a pair of opposites this year, so there are options available here. We’re going with White, the high-flying sophomore who has also spent some time at middle blocker in past seasons. The SkyHawks leaned on White early and often in the postseason as she quickly climbed toward 200 total kills on the year. Aside from her ability to terminate, White brings unmatched energy that fits the kind of on-court persona that Skutt Catholic is known for.
Highlights
We were able to marvel at how well Gothenburg spread the ball around this year. While other teams get disproportionately skewed toward their left sides, Gothenburg sets against the grain well enough to let O’Hare take over matches. The junior neared 300 kills from the right side this season and also tallied lofty totals in blocks and aces. There’s a lot of graduating talent in the 2023 lineup, but O’Hare will be one of the constants next year as she transitions to senior status.
Don’t overlook Land’s steady presence at the opposite position. Whenever the opposing block started to camp out on Minden’s left sides, Land would emerge to reestablish the team’s scoring presence on the other side. Land also absorbed volume in serve receive, placing her among the limited number of opposites who help out with passing.
Welcome to the Cornhusker State. Jurevicius hiked from Ohio to join the fray at Lincoln Lutheran, and her Nebraska debut ended in championship glory. The Warriors made full use of Jurevicius’ heavy arm, but the all-around contributor gave so much more than an offensive spark. She was also a stellar right-back defender who expanded on her passing repertoire in the back row. Next year’s senior campaign could be a fun one.
Faith Korth
Faith Korth
Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family gets a shoutout after the Bulldogs reached their first state tournament since 2018. Korth played a big part in that effort as she put away over 150 kills from the opposite position. Better yet, she has another year with the rising small-town program to develop her skills further.
Claflin is another one of those unsung heroes who walked off with a state championship when the dust settled. She generated some clutch kills during Sumner-Eddyville-Miller’s four-set slugfest with Amherst, but Claflin’s influence didn’t cease in the backcourt. Aggressive serving was an aspect of Claflin’s game that turned the tides toward S-E-M in the championship bout.
Gracyn Luther Gracyn Luther 5'5" | RS Overton | 2024 State NE
Gracyn Luther Gracyn Luther 5'5" | RS Overton | 2024 State NE
Overton had seniors all over the place, including at the opposite position. Luther’s ball control prowess was just as valuable as her standard fare of kills as a front-row hitter. The Eagles wielded unique serve receive patterns that allowed Luther to showcase her brilliant defensive instincts–something that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a right-side attacker.
Reagan Pelster
Reagan Pelster
Wallace should have plenty of positive momentum after reaching its first state tournament in a decade. Pelster was part of a transformative senior class that made this triumph possible. Like some of the other small-town entries on the list, Pelster embraced a non-traditional opposite role which had her controlling first contacts and defensive touches. It was a success throughout the 2023 season.