Nebraska 2024 Rankings Update: State Tournament Additions (Pt. 1)
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This was our last Nebraska Class of 2024 rankings update, but we still took the opportunity to put some new names on our list. It only seemed fitting to lean on the 2023 NSAA State Championships for this one. The…
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Continue ReadingThis was our last Nebraska Class of 2024 rankings update, but we still took the opportunity to put some new names on our list. It only seemed fitting to lean on the 2023 NSAA State Championships for this one.
The state tournament featured a huge list of seniors who wrapped up their prep careers on Nebraska’s biggest high school stage. Many of these 2024s made significant gains as seniors, and that progress is worthy of recognition here.
So, let’s start looking at some of this year’s postseason participants who just landed a spot on our Class of 2024 rankings.
The 2023 club season was a huge turning point for Ligon, and the momentum didn’t stop with Papillion-La Vista South on the high school side. The Titans built their 2023 identity on stifling blocks and impenetrable defense. That’s where Ligon shined as an instinctive middle blocker who knew how to read opposing setters. Then, in transition, Ligon could put down some wicked slides into the crosscourt. She has the full arsenal.
Davenport clearly played some of her best prep volleyball as a senior with Papillion-La Vista, which is the perfect launching point to her collegiate career with Nebraska-Kearney. Whenever the Monarchs needed a quick spark, Davenport was usually there to serve some heat and hold down the right-back area in floor defense. This year’s upset run to the Class A title match would not have been possible without the “littles” in the ball control phase, and Davenport deserves a lot of credit in this regard.
We can’t forget about one of Class D2’s kill leaders. Paxton made Stuart a fixture in the state tournament over the past couple of years, and it was easy to see why. Her fluid approach allows her to contact the ball at the peak of her reach, and few defenses had an answer to Paxton’s range. The senior stepped off the prep stage with nearly 400 kills in her final season. Rewrite some of the Bronco record books.
Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family boasted a balanced attack in 2023, but Brandl was the unquestioned leader when the Bulldogs needed a clutch sideout. Her quickness off the floor was a major catalyst for offensive success on the left pin, and HLHF rode that wave to its first state tournament appearance since 2018. Brandl has now laid the foundation for future Bulldog squads to build a new streak.
Our post-tournament coverage heralded Carlson as the emerging senior leader for Bruning-Davenport/Shickley. The numbers back it up, too. This explosive middle blocker racked up over 300 kills in her senior season and was among Class D1’s most efficient attackers this fall. It’s only fair to reward that extraordinary effort with a spot in our rankings.