Surging Sophomores from the 2023 NSAA State Championships (Pt. 2)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's finish the job.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yesterday, we featured some emerging state tournament <a href="https://prepdig.com/2023/11/surging-sophomores-from-the-2023-nsaa-state-championships-pt-1/">sophomores from Class C2, D1, and D2</a>. That leaves three more classes to address, and the talent is stacked in these groups, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On to Class A, B, and C1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["253928"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Not many of Class A's 2026s could match Lamb's production at the outside hitter spot. The Omaha Westside sophomore easily eclipsed 200 kills this year and was second on the team in kills and digs. Lamb also absorbed more service reception than anyone on the Warrior lineup, demonstrating her willingness to anchor first contact without letting it affect her offense. Westside's hard-hitting frontcourt should be just as formidable next year.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["396746"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"We couldn't stop at one Omaha Westside sophomore. While several of Class A's tournament teams boasted veteran-laden lineups, the Warriors relied on young talent at key positions. Kubat donned Westside's libero jersey this year and racked up over 350 digs with plenty more volume in serve receive. She showed a special knack for reading opposing setters that is not common among underclassman defenders. The Warriors have to feel good about their returning core of stars that should help keep the postseason streak alive.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["276212"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"The Markowski name bears a lot of weight for Lincoln Pius X, and this latest iteration is pretty good, too. The Thunderbolts got an outstanding season out of their sophomore left-side attacker, who compiled over 200 kills and 300 digs. We saw Markowski's all-around potential when she competed with [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] this spring, and that six-rotation impact is quickly panning out on the prep side. Best of all, Markowski is in the perfect spot to return to the tournament spotlight with Pius X bringing back much of its 2023 lineup.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["464932"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Berger knows how to compile quite a highlight reel at the libero position. Her improbable sprawling saves and one-handed stabs were hard to miss as Bellevue West battled to this year's Class A semifinals. It isn't all about flashy plays, either, as Berger regularly handled tough serves and set up Bellevue West's offense with quality transition digs. This is another Class A squad that can keep building on its momentum with a wealth of returning talent. Berger is in the middle of it all.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["187703"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Bennington is no stranger to impactful six-rotation attackers, and Olsen certainly falls into that category. She has set herself apart from other 2026s with her superlative defensive skills from the outside hitter position. Olsen could wear the libero jersey and not skip a beat. However, her athleticism in the front row has garnered her an attacking role which produced triple-digit kills this season. More production is on the horizon in 2024u002du002dregardless of position.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["349417"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Versatile players like Nienaber have put Gretna East in the Class B postseason discussion right away. This do-everything sophomore can carry a few different hats on the volleyball court, from attacking as a pin hitter to filling in as a defensive specialist. Nienaber's multi-faceted role yielded 150 digs this year and a handful of tallies in almost every other statistical category. There's more to come in Year 2 of the Griffins program.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["275901"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Booth filled a unique niche in the Elkhorn North lineup. We had seen her shine as a setter on the club side, similar to her older sister, Reese. But, with Reese running the show with the Wolves, the younger Booth still found her way into the lineup as a high-impact defensive specialist. It's always fun to watch athletes with setting backgrounds get a shot in serve receive, and Booth answered the call for Elkhorn North this fall.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_player":["349409"],"_player_evaluations_7_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"Omaha Skutt Catholic found perfect ways to use Ortmeier in the front row. She's a dynamic attacker who can score in the middle or on the right, making Ortmeier an ideal fit for the wide array of crossing patterns in the SkyHawk offense. This versatility opens up seams for Ortmeier to hit through, and she'll take advantage every time. Her familiarity with the Skutt Catholic program will only grow in 2024 with almost everyone coming back.","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_8_player":["396767"],"_player_evaluations_8_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"Look out for the Haarberg pipeline. Hazel's sudden burst of production was a big factor in lifting top-seeded Kearney Catholic to the Class C1 championship match. She found her rhythm in late-season matches as the Stars established themselves as the most formidable group in the class. As Haarberg becomes an upperclassman, her responsibilities in the Kearney Catholic lineup will drastically expand.","_player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_9_player":["464916"],"_player_evaluations_9_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"Sophomore setters seemed to be a prevailing theme at the 2023 state championships, particularly at the smaller schools. Powell was a second-year player who stepped in for Malcolm and brought the Clippers back to Lincoln for the second consecutive year. Her 800 total assists were among C1's best at the end of the regular season, and there's room to keep growing in 2024.","_player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_10_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_10_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_10_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_10_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_10_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='497392' first='Abigail' last='Cone']","_player_evaluations_10_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_10_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_10_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_10_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_10_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_10_player_details_position":"32925","_player_evaluations_10_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_10_player_details_school":"Pierce","_player_evaluations_10_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_10_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_10_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_10_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_10_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_10_evaluation":"Cone had flown under our radar for a while in Nebraska's Class of 2026, but one trip to the state tournament quickly changed that. An effective right-side attack can be an unstoppable weapon at the prep level, and Cone brought that presence as Pierce nearly reached the C1 title match. Even when the Bluejays were out of system, they were able to force the ball to Cone and put her in a spot to succeed. This late-season development puts Pierce on a very high platform in our way-too-early 2024 prognotications.","_player_evaluations_10_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_11_player":["257188"],"_player_evaluations_11_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_11_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_11_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_11_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_11_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_11_evaluation":"Stehlik entered the 2023 fall season after tearing it up on the club side, so her breakout season with Platteview seemed inevitable. She responded with 150 kills and an impressive block total as the Trojans ended a multi-year postseason drought. We'll now see Stehlik take on a leadership role as Platteview hopes to sustain that success over the next couple of years.","_player_evaluations_11_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":12,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6557030f85bc8"} /-->