2023 NSAA State Championship All-Position Teams: Outside Hitters
In this article:
Finally, we wrap up with the outside hitters. We’ve gone all the way around the dial with setters, opposites, liberos, and middle blockers featured on our all-position teams from the 2023 tournament. It’s time to wrap up with perhaps the…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingFinally, we wrap up with the outside hitters.
We’ve gone all the way around the dial with setters, opposites, liberos, and middle blockers featured on our all-position teams from the 2023 tournament. It’s time to wrap up with perhaps the most vital position of all, and it’s another big list to take in.
Welcome to the discussion, left-side hitters.
Medeck’s career resume speaks for itself. She led the Papillion-La Vista South offense to multiple state championships, but we can’t limit the discussion to her frontcourt impact, either. The South Dakota commit brought relentless defense that made her a six-rotation mainstay throughout her career. These all-around skills have Medeck primed for an extraordinary career at the next level, and we are forever grateful for the prep memories she gave us.
Grand Island ended a decade-long postseason drought by leaning on their junior outside hitter. Traudt soared toward 500 kills this year and did it while consistently hitting above 0.300. This mind-numbing production will remain a factor as Traudt and the Islanders chase another Lincoln trip in 2024.
Faalii’s meteoric development was a huge factor in getting Lincoln East to back-to-back state tournaments. We knew about the senior’s knack for killing balls on the left side, but late-season matches also revealed other ways Faalii can transform matches. Her lethal serve yielded Lincoln East’s best individual ace total and gave opposing teams fits all year. That’s an impact player.
Highlights
When Bellevue West needed a clutch kill, Eggiman was the clear go-to. An upset win over Lincoln East in the quarterfinals gave us one more stark reminder of how clutch Eggiman can be on big stages. It was an exciting return to Lincoln after a multi-year absence, and Eggiman has helped bring the Thunderbirds back to their winning ways.
One more for Class A. Glaser has been the quintessential “team player” for Papillion-La Vista throughout her storied prep career. She has experience at both pins but really found her stride as a six-rotation left-side hitter in her final year with the Monarchs. The #8 seed marched to the championship match with Glaser surpassing 350 total kills and an equally impressive dig total.
There’s little doubt about Jelinek’s leadership status in the Norris offense. The Long Beach State commit, who was an all-tournament selection at GJNC on the club side, paced the Titans with over 400 kills and the largest share of service receptions on the team. Jelinek is the ideal fit for Norris’ quick offense that is predicated on quality ball control, and we saw that materialize again in Lincoln.
Highlights
There are no sophomore slumps here. Liebsack dominated the Class B scene like few other 2026s, as she compiled about 500 kills once Bennington’s postseason stint was done. She is a true all-around threat who also unleashed a nasty jump-spin serve that is rarely seen at the prep level. It’s scary to think that Liebsack has two more years to further expand her repertoire.
Highlights
A multi-position tenure with Elkhorn North certainly didn’t slow down Spies’ production as a senior. The converted middle blocker thrived on the left pin this year with her quick arm and fluid approach. The Wolves found creative ways to solve roster departures from last year’s team, and it resulted in another trip to the Class B semifinals.
Here’s another rising star who has seen time at both pins. While Hagedorn has previously shined as an opposite, she reached a new level on the left during Omaha Skutt Catholic’s nine-peat journey. Hagedorn was unstoppable in the crosscourt during the championship struggle with Norris, giving the SkyHawks a left-side advantage that we’ve come to expect from the dominant program.
One deserves another. West accompanied Hagedorn on the other side of the dial, giving Skutt Catholic a dominant left-side hitter in every rotation. West’s early emergence in the Skutt Catholic lineup–particularly last year–has given her the early nod as our top-ranked 2026 prospect. But that honor would not be without West’s obvious improvement this fall, as she carried a massive six-rotation workload en route to the title.
Good luck defending Haarberg’s full array of shots. Whenever Kearney Catholic needed an offensive spark in Lincoln, Haarberg was the first in line to take a swing. She elevated so effortlessly and combined that with a whip-like arm and serious range. As we look back at the entire 2023 calendar year, Haarberg was one of our biggest stock risers from Nebraska’s senior class.
Dolliver’s status as an unstoppable scorer did not change this year. She exploded onto the prep scene as a freshman and maintained her spot atop Nebraska’s kill leaderboards for another year. Dolliver terminated over 600 (!) times for Malcolm this fall and found ways to score even as opposing blocks camped out on her.
Wachholtz was Pierce’s hard-hitting go-to on the outside that brought the Bluejays to the cusp of a championship match appearance. Her power was difficult for defenders to overcome, even when they put themselves in the right pin. Pierce has several other physical hitters like Wachholtz who are ready to step up in future seasons, so look out for this group in future Lincoln brackets.
As the Class C1 tournament progressed, it became increasingly apparent that Kamery wouldn’t be denied this time. She was among C1’s top kill producers this year, even as she took on her standard role as a part-time setter. Minden’s championship effort in 2023 could be replicated next year with Kamery returning alongside a wealth of other veterans.
Highlights
Wohlgemuth’s outstanding performances at this year’s tournament were not surprising. She’s done it before. The Lincoln Lutheran senior was a vital piece throughout the team’s three-year championship streak, so it’s only fitting that Wohlgemuth’s career ends with a trophy. Her aggression in the frontcourt was matched by her similar assertiveness as a server and defender.
Elmwood-Murdock may not have had the tallest lineup in the tournament, but multi-talented athletes like Vogler made up for this deficit. The senior outside hitter frustrated teams with her quickness and instincts—in both the frontcourt and the backcourt. Vogler was a sure bet to rack up plenty of digs as the Knights rode their defense to the semifinals.
Helzer’s development as a six-rotation star has been a persistent storyline this year. She proved it with Nebraska Elite during the club season and picked up right where she left off with Oakland-Craig this fall. The talented junior has now demonstrated postseason excellence in each of her three years with the Knights, and Helzer will be determined to make if four-for-four in 2024.
Prickett and Amherst had no problem playing spoiler for the past two years. After last year’s upset bid to the state semifinals, the Broncos went one step further with a berth in the Class D1 championship match. Prickett was a vital contributor in that effort with 300 kills and a fiery, competitive spirit that has defined Amherst’s winning style.
Ashlynne Charf
Ashlynne Charf
Elgin Public/Pope John’s emergence in the Class D1 semifinals wouldn’t have been possible without Charf. This athletic outside hitter instantly changed the dynamic every time she rotated into the front row. Few players in the D1 bracket wielded such a quick arm, giving EPPJ a matchup advantage throughout the postseason.
Every #1 seed needs its workhorse outside hitter. Kent filled that niche for Cambridge in her senior season and posted 300+ totals in both kills and digs this year. She was a hitter who excelled on slow tempos that allowed her length and high contact point to take over.
Branson has now lit up the postseason scoreboard in two consecutive seasons–and she’s just getting started. The sophomore outside hitter broke out on the club scene this spring with a bid to Nationals with South Central NE. That carried into another brilliant year with Shelton, as Branson easily exceeded 400 total kills and a team-leading dig count.
Kendyl Flaming Kendyl Flaming 5'9" | OH Wallace | 2024 State NE
Kendyl Flaming Kendyl Flaming 5'9" | OH Wallace | 2024 State NE
Flaming was a focal point for Wallace in more ways than one. Like a few of the outside hitters on this feature, Flaming racked up team-bests in both kills and digs while also absorbing plenty of first contacts in serve receive. This production was the catalyst to Wallace’s first trip to Lincoln in a decade.
While Overton’s middle blockers rightfully got a lot of hype this year, we also can’t leave out Ryan’s important role at the outside hitter spot. Because Overton seldom used substitutions all year, Ryan was asked to bring a complete game that you normally wouldn’t expect from an underclassman. The sophomore delivered, however, helping the Eagles finally earn that coveted title.
Meridian’s senior star returned to the postseason spotlight and reminded us how dominant she can be. Stewart guided the Mustangs back to the Class D2 bracket with over 400 kills in the regular season–and somehow tallied even more digs than that. It’s no coincidence that Meridian is enjoy one of its best volleyball eras in program history, and they’ll be looking for the next rising star to fill Stewart’s role.