Liberos Dig In at Nebraska Top 250 Expo

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's bring the hype for the backcourt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At these showcase events, it's easy to mentally sort players by position group. All the players of a single position are bunched together in early drills, giving us a quick glimpse at the talent in each niche. And, right away, we learned that this year's Nebraska Top 250 Expo had no shortage of standout liberos.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, our positional tour continues. Here's a look at some of the big-play defenders from our La Vista showcase.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["256658"],"_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":"Hedman's name jumped off the page on our entry list. We've already seen plenty from this 2024 libero on some of Nebraska's biggest prep stages. She locked down the Grand Island Central Catholic backcourt in 2022 as the Crusaders added a state title to its ever-growing trophy case. Hedman's leadership persisted for her final prep season as she tallied an astonishing 6.9 digs per set and led GICC to yet another tournament appearance. Saturday's showcase was a perfect venue to remind us why Hedman is one of the state's most statistically productive liberos in this year's senior class.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["189902"],"_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'll feature a few players here who were making repeat trips to a Prep Dig Showcase, and Goes is one of those prior participants that we got to see last weekend. The 2025 prospect had an extraordinary junior season with Freeman High School and compiled a career-best 5.6 digs per set in the contrasting jersey. Her performance at the Top 250 Expo reinforced Goes' natural ability to read opposing attackers and place herself in position to make a play. The 2024 fall season will offer a chance at redemption as Goes and the Falcons look for that elusive state tournament berth.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["213983"],"_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":"Hofer has been here before, too. The Fremont junior has taken big steps forward throughout her prep career, culminating an expanded role in the 2023 Tigers lineup. Hofer has proven to be particularly effective as a middle-back defender who can sub in and make an immediate impact. However, our Top 250 Expo allowed Hofer's defensive range to show up in just about any zone imaginable, both in positional drills and during six-on-six action. That should be the prelude to more milestones in 2024.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["253921"],"_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":"Vlasek has a chance to be a major 2025 stock riser when she competes with Club Legacy 17 Alpha next spring. Before that, though, this Omaha Marian junior was a high-impact performer at our Top 250 Expou002du002dand it wasn't Vlasek's first showcase, either. Vlasek was strong in any situation she was put in during last weekend's expo, whether she was tested defensively or in serve receive. Keep an eye on that 17 Alpha squad.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["349411"],"_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":"Melendez is the kind of libero who makes the difficult plays look easy. We noticed this right away when she represented Premier Nebraska in the 2023 club season, so Melendez's continued dominance at last weekend's expo was no surprise. She is particularly adept at filling any gaps in the u0022campfireu0022 and picking up tips and rolls in front of her. Melendez keeps improving upon these strengths, so 2024 ought to be a big year for the soon-to-be junior.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["349456"],"_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":"Talbott's return to the court was a welcomed sight. She had a strong start to the 2023 club season with [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 15 Black before being sidelined with an injury. Not only was Talbott back in action at the Top 250 Expo, but she also reminded us of her positional versatility at the event. Talbott was listed as a defensive specialist but did her share of left-side attacking along the net. This explains her excellent instincts in Zone 6, and Talbott will likely bring a similar impact in the upcoming club campaign.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["349463"],"_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":"Halweg represents the next wave of defensive specialists who are poised to make a splash at Elkhorn North. This 2026 libero was no stranger to the Top 250 Expo environments and picked up right where she left off in previous events. And, like Vlasek, Halweg is gearing up for the next club season with Club Legacy and will be playing up with the 17s. It's the perfect venue to keep climbing the ladder.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_player":["446330"],"_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":"Why not bring Dakota Valley back into the discussion? We mentioned this South Dakota high school's serious frontcourt firepower in our GameChangers feature, but the future is bright in the backcourt, too. Kimbell carried the torch for defensive specialists in the Class of 2027, and she worked well in tandem with anyone who was next to her. Dakota Valley and [program_tooltip program_id='429192' first='MVP' last='United'] are in good hands at just about every position, so we're eager to follow this squad for years to come.","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":8,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-656d6e3fae5a4"} /--> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1730973755550113979?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1730973755550113979?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->