Nebraska 2024 Rankings Update: Senior Stock Risers
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It’s never too late to be a stock riser. Even with the Class of 2024 firmly entrenched in our collective memories, we still have a handful of players who surprised us during their final high school season. So, our final…
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Continue ReadingIt’s never too late to be a stock riser.
Even with the Class of 2024 firmly entrenched in our collective memories, we still have a handful of players who surprised us during their final high school season. So, our final 2024 rankings update has some movement.
Here’s a look at a few athletes who made a late jump on our list.
Grand Island’s 2023 squad had all the necessary pieces for a state tournament breakthrough. That included a stout libero to lead the defense, which is where Hansen took the reigns. The veteran was one of Class A’s most productive liberos with 4.7 digs per set in her final season–and just shy of 1,500 digs for her career. Beyond those defensive statistics, Hansen was a vocal leader in the passing pattern who played a key role in helping the offense thrive. Her time in the state tournament spotlight was years in the making.
Highlights
Foote was present in every corner of Scottsbluff’s stat sheet this fall. She played a rare dual role as a backcourt setter and a front-row middle blocker. Wearing multiple hats in the lineup did not stop Foote from racking up monster numbers, including 3.4 kills per set and a few assists per set, too.
Busteed and Elgin Public/Pope John might have been considered underdogs at this year’s tournament, but you wouldn’t know it by watching them. The Wolfpack was led by their savvy senior setter, who amassed nearly 1,000 total assists in her final prep season. Busteed’s stat-stuffing season felt inevitable after she impressed us with appearances on the Prep Dig Circuit. But this 2023 campaign was another level.
Bell was a multi-year force with both Milford High School and Nebraska Juniors. It was hard not to give a rankings bump to this Kansas Wesleyan commit after she showed the steady presence that all coaches look for in a defensive specialist. Look for Bell’s value to materialize at the collegiate level, too.
Sisco’s upperclassman years at Syracuse were highlighted by some serious volume scoring. In 2022, this dynamic middle blocker put down over five kills per set and led the Rockets to the state tournament. It’s a high bar to set, but Sisco’s production didn’t waver as a senior. Not many teams figured out how to contain this stock-rising attacker.
Gothenburg boasted a balanced attack for its back-to-back-to-back trips to the state tournament, but Evert was still undoubtedly a trendsetter. She consistently led the Swedes in kills but was perhaps even more valuable as a ball-control anchor. Building a team around these all-around skills is a recipe for success, and Evert will long be remembered for sparking a few of the best volleyball seasons in Gothenburg’s history.
One more climb up the rankings for Kearney Catholic’s star defender. Johnson has impressed us at every venue imaginable, from the mid-season Harvest Festival Invite to the bright lights of the state tournament. Her unflappable passing cannot be reflected in a box score, but it was perhaps the best aspect of Johnson’s game. The Stars got the most out of their libero in 2023.
Pierce was a point away from reaching this year’s Class C1 state title match, but we at least know that its seniors left everything on the court this year. That includes Wachholtz, a hard-hitting attacker who neared 500 kills in her swan song season. The Bluejays leaned on their senior outside hitter in clutch situations, and we always knew Wachholtz would deliver.
Kopocis, who will compete with Carroll (WI) at the next level, deserves a lot of credit for DC West’s resurgence on the prep stage. Whether she was a setter, defensive specialist, serving sub, or anything between, Kopocis was willing to do whatever it took to aid the Falcons. Her club tenure with Club Legacy was equally successful.
Trost stepped up when Lincoln Southwest needed it most, and it ended in the school’s first volleyball title. Before the 2023 season, we remarked that the Silver Hawks would need some new faces to step up at the outside hitter spot. That’s when Trost went above and beyond all expectations by pacing LSW at this position throughout 2023. Her individual progress meant everything to her team, and it’s hard to find a bigger Class of 2024 stock riser.