Nebraska 2024 Rankings Update: In-State College Commitment Guide

One more Class of 2024 rankings update. It's been quite a ride.   It's hard to believe this group is wrapping up in the next few months with the 18s club season. We've already put a bow on the high school side for the 2024s, and many of Nebraska's most heralded seniors walked off with state titles. Countless others left a permanent mark on the state's remarkable prep landscape.   For many, though, this isn't the end of the line. Nebraska's Class of 2024 has a large list of college commitments--which can now be called "signings" for most of these athletes.   So, with this being the last 2024 rankings update, it's worth revisiting some headlining players about to become the future of collegiate athletics. And we're starting with the Nebraska colleges, of course.     <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/IMG_1840-edited.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-492720" style="width:388px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mauch</figcaption></figure>   The D1 Trio   Admittedly, we're partial to in-state commits. So many of Nebraska's dominant collegiate volleyball programs build their success through homegrown talent. It's evident at every level. All three of Nebraska's D1 programs--Nebraska, Omaha, and Creighton--appeared in the NCAA Tournament this year. Wayne State and Nebraska-Kearney remain dominant on the D2 side. The list goes on and on, as we'll see here. Let's kick it off with D1.   The Huskers, which were this year's D1 runner-up, nabbed Bennington libero [player_tooltip player_id='109590' first='Olivia' last='Mauch'] as part of the team's two-player 2024 signing class. Nebraska has a habit of hauling elite defenders from its own borders, and Mauch joins the fray right away in January.   Another in-state early enrollee is [player_tooltip player_id='104975' first='Nora' last='Wurtz'], the DC West prep star who makes the short hop to Creighton. Wurtz became known for her eye-popping hitting efficiencies with the Falcons and had the same kind of impact with Nebraska Elite. We're looking forward to the combination of Wurtz and Norris defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='105001' first='Alivia' last='Hausmann'], who is another major haul in the Bluejays' signing class.   And, just like Creighton, Omaha has signed an in-state middle blocker and defensive specialist for next year. Norris High School re-enters the conversation with middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='105000' first='Celia' last='Spilker'] joining the Mavericks. Spilker brings so much physicality and potential along the net, so it's no surprise to see her get a shot at the next level. And, in the backcourt, Omaha snagged an early commitment from [player_tooltip player_id='187679' first='Sarah' last='Galligan'], the Elkhorn South libero who carried on a family tradition of D1-caliber defense.     D2 Dominance   The state's D2 powerhouses had no problem nabbing top-tier in-state talent. That's nothing new.   It's only fitting to start with Wayne State, which held the #1 rankings for much of the 2023 season. The Wildcats are bringing in some absolute gems who have been atop Nebraska's statewide stat sheet for multiple years. That includes middle blockers [player_tooltip player_id='105006' first='JoLee' last='Ryan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='122806' first='Chloe' last='Hanel'], both of whom ended their careers with an appearance in the state title match in their respective classes.   Ryan won it all with Overton this year, and it felt like a long time coming. The six-rotation middle blocker, who could also play outside hitter at the next level, finished her prep career with a championship and a career hitting percentage of around 0.400. That'll win you a lot of matches. Hanel put up similar numbers with Clarkson/Leigh, a program that became a state tournament fixture behind its star attacker.   Wayne State wasn't stopping there. Elkhorn North standout [player_tooltip player_id='152906' first='Ava' last='Spies'] joins the 2024 crew, and her story is perhaps the most fascinating in this Wildcat signing class. She swapped from middle blocker to outside hitter for her final year with the Wolves and managed to play her best volleyball yet at a new position. That's the kind of player who's built for the big time.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/IMG_7339-edited.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-492721" style="width:398px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bruning</figcaption></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='104976' first='Anna' last='Borner'] completes the quartet of Nebraska prep representatives heading to Wayne State. Borner's multi-year reign at DC West and Nebraska Elite kept getting better and better. She was one of our biggest late stock risers in the 2024 class, and this talented libero got rewarded.   Nebraska-Kearney is next. Fittingly, the Lopers get four of their own to match Wayne State.   Nebraska Christian setter [player_tooltip player_id='152907' first='Ali' last='Bruning'] is a major recruiting win for UNK. This talented setter put her distribution skills on display whether it was with the Eagles or as a member of [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last='']'s club teams.   Bruning wasn't the only addition from outside Nebraska's biggest cities. Pin hitters [player_tooltip player_id='104983' first='Haedyn' last='Hoos'] (Grand Island) and [player_tooltip player_id='124771' first='Addison' last='Johnson'] (Columbus) add a ton of firepower to the Loper lineup and will also boast an extensive six-rotation repertoire.   The backcourt gets a boost with Papio defender [player_tooltip player_id='492293' first='Julia' last='Davenport'] adding to the UNK in-state crew. We were all there to watch the Monarchs make an improbable run to the Class A championship match, and Davenport played a big part in that effort with her stingy defense.   Don't forget about Chadron State! The Eagles are often first in line to snag some of its western Nebraska neighbors, and that's the case again in 2024. Panhandle pin hitter [player_tooltip player_id='256640' first='Danika' last='Hassel'], who helped put Bayard on the map as one of Class C2's best, joins Chadron State after a stat-stuffing prep campaign. Nebraska's next collegiate stars can come from anywhere--even the western extremes of the Cornhusker State.     On and On   We're far from done here.   Let's bring out Nebraska's lone D3 representative, Nebraska Wesleyan. The Prairie Wolves get a local star with Norris defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='187687' first='Grayson' last='Piening'] signing on. You can never go wrong with a libero from this defensive powerhouse, but Piening has also demonstrated her adept backcourt skills with Premier Nebraska on the club side. We'll run it back one more time for the 18s season.   Hello, NAIA. We have a ton of future NAIA athletes on our radar with eight Nebraska schools carrying the torch at this level.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/103_Summer-Bojanski-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-255226" style="width:402px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bojanski</figcaption></figure>   Concordia is getting a 2024 haul with Lincoln Lutheran outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='109592' first='Sophie' last='Wohlgemuth'] and Lincoln East outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='104986' first='Shandy' last='Faalii'] heading to the Bulldogs. The future is bright in that frontcourt, and both have multiple years of state championship experience.   Midland remains a major factor. Archbishop Bergan attacker [player_tooltip player_id='152901' first='Paige' last='Frickenstein'] has been committed to the Warriors for a while, and her length and physicality will translate well to the next level. Fittingly, the Warriors made a late add via Frickenstein's high school teammate, libero [player_tooltip player_id='152865' first='Summer' last='Bojanski']. Bojanski's injury comeback has been extraordinary, and Fremont is keeping its biggest stars right at home.   How about Hastings College? It's hard not to get excited about the addition of [player_tooltip player_id='109591' first='Mikah' last='O'Neill'], a six-rotation middle blocker who capped her high school career with a state title at Sumner-Eddyville-Miller. We have to marvel at O'Neill's progression, as she even repped the Great Plains Region at the 2022 USAV All-Star Championships.   Look out for [player_tooltip player_id='172607' first='Lainey' last='Benson'] at Hastings, too. The Hastings High School product generated enormous dig totals that were bound to draw attention from local colleges. Of course, the hometown Broncos were quick to pounce.   Peru State will boast a pair of Lincoln-area standouts with [player_tooltip player_id='187686' first='Eden' last='Moore'] (Waverly) and [player_tooltip player_id='187808' first='Samantha' last='Chesley'] (Lincoln Pius X) coming in. Moore was known for playing just about any position imaginable during her prep career, while Chesley gained a ton of late momentum at the setter spot.   York gets its 2024 setter with Diller-Odell veteran [player_tooltip player_id='172600' first='Keira' last='Hennerberg'] becoming a Panther. Diller-Odell just knows how to crank out quality setters, right? Hennerberg is another addition to a long line of setting stars from this high school program.

One more Class of 2024 rankings update. It's been quite a ride.