2024 Nebraska Bid Tracker: Nebraska Elite 15-1's NLQ Revolution

We knew this year's Northern Lights Qualifier could be a big weekend for Nebraska's 15s, but they somehow managed to exceed our expectations anyway.   Nebraska Elite 15-1 was the sole Great Plains Region representative in NLQ's 15 Open division. The Minneapolis event offered an opportunity to make an early statement in the 15s race--much earlier than we're used to seeing from this age group. A big storyline heading into NLQ was the addition of the 15s to the January wave, which was traditionally reserved for 18s and 17s. Nebraska Elite 15-1 could immediately look forward to its moment in the spotlight after performing well at the Midwest Power League the week before.   That spotlight was never too bright for Nebraska Elite. All Nebraska Elite teams have their own "codename," and the chosen moniker for this 15s group is "Revolution." It's a fitting branding choice based on what we saw in Minneapolis, as Nebraska Elite conquered all obstacles en route to a 15 Open championship. If you weren't keeping an eye on this team at the start of the year, you are now.   Let's recount all the drama that led to one of Nebraska's biggest breakthroughs at NLQ.     A Roundabout Journey   Early 15 Open seeding suggested that Nebraska Elite 15 Revolution was widely viewed as an underdog. The Great Plains squad was seeded at the bottom of Pool 4 and looked up at PVA and UVC in Round 1. We know how unpredictable 15s can be, however, so let's cast that aside for a moment.   The more notable implication of 15 Revolution's seeding draw was the unusual Round 1 format. Nebraska Elite was in one of two pools that were pared down to three teams rather than four. This meant that pool play was not the end of Round 1, and an additional crossover match with a team from the other three-squad pool would help determine Round 2 seeding. Got all that?   In the end, Nebraska Elite's objective was to win. It did that. 15 Revolution swept past PVA and earned a dramatic three-set win over UVC to lock up first place. This set up a crossover with another first-place finisher, Kairos 15 Alpha. It was a Friday finale that showcased 15 Revolution's incredible resilience. After dropping a 30-28 opener, Nebraska Elite pulled away in the next two sets to carry an unblemished record into Day 2.   Saturday's format was a return to normalcy. A trio of four-team pools emerged with six spots in play for Gold groups. Nebraska Elite soared into this round with a quick sweep over Triangle. One more win would likely be enough to secure a spot in the finale, and that triumph was earned against MN Select. Despite a loss to Peak to end the day, 15 Revolution knew the task ahead.   <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/1751266204658860401?s=20 </div></figure>   <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/1751308839616405813?s=20 </div></figure>   Sunday. Here's where the stakes escalate dramatically. NLQ fielded 18 teams in the 15 Open division, which pared the number of available bids from three to two. With two Gold pools in 15 Open and no trickle-down opportunities, a bid could only be secured by teams that finished first in their final group.   Nebraska Elite was slated with two familiar foes from Round 1: PVA and crossover foe Kairos. The day started with Kairos sweeping PVA, putting additional pressure on Nebraska Elite to post a reciprocal result in its opener. That's exactly what happened as 15 Revolution dominated in the Kairos rematch to inch one step closer to glory.   15 Revolution now needed to win a single set against PVA to assure a pool victory based on set percentage. Things initially looked dire with PVA dominating the opening set. However, Nebraska Elite showed more of its clutch factor to win a 27-25 Set 2 to assure the victory and the bid.   <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/1751653123507007745?s=20 </div></figure>   Why stop there? Nebraska Elite was placed in a championship bout with Houston Skyline, the #1 overall seed in 15 Open. This contest evoked memories of some Round 1 comebacks from a resilient 15 Revolution squad. A narrow Set 1 loss was remedied by a comeback effort that put Nebraska Elite above the rest. So much for that odd Round 1 seeding. 15 Revolution was golden in Minneapolis.   <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/1751711817955430855?s=20 </div></figure>     The Rising Stars   Let's introduce you to some of the future stars of Nebraska's Class of 2027. This Revolution squad has a lot of them.   Some of the team's standouts already introduced themselves in last fall's high school season. The first name that comes to mind is [player_tooltip player_id='498907' first='Nora' last='Herian'], the high-flying outside hitter who led Pierce to a Class C1 semifinal appearance. There's little doubt that Herian is now the focal point of 15 Revolution's offense. Her spectacular range allows her to rack up kills in any situation imaginable. Herian is an in-system powerhouse and a proven out-of-system outlet, and that doesn't change when she rotates into the back row. We're going to see this name for a long time.   [player_tooltip player_id='458185' first='Emilee' last='Thayer-Mencke'] falls into a similar category after she got a quick prep start with Fort Calhoun in late 2023. She has emerged as a force on the right pin for 15 Revolution and frequently anchors some of the team's best blocks against opposing left sides. Keep adding small-town talents to your Class of 2027 radar.   Let's stick with the pin hitters for a while. 15 Revolution spends most of its time in a 6-2 offense, allowing multiple opposites to showcase their skills. We saw a combination of [player_tooltip player_id='521207' first='Kaiya' last='Gilbert'] and [player_tooltip player_id='521209' first='Mallory' last='Shaw'] on the right side alongside Thayer-Mencke, giving Nebraska Elite some extraordinary depth and lineup combinations. Shaw also has an extensive background at the middle blocker spot, so expand those possibilities even further. We're anxious to see how 15 Revolution evolves with players like Gilbert and Shaw offering so much versatility.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/01/IMG_0100-edited.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-505267" style="width:426px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Schroeder passes for Nebraska Elite 15 Revolution at the 2024 Midwest Power League.</figcaption></figure>   What about those middle blockers? Production from this position came from [player_tooltip player_id='458184' first='Myla' last='Deats'] and [player_tooltip player_id='499001' first='Madison' last='Phillips']. What a duo. Whenever we're discussing a 6-2, most of the offensive responsibilities for middle blockers lie in front of the setter. This is where Deats and Phillips are strongest, but it only encompasses a part of their impact in the lineup. 15 Revolution produced some clutch blocks that transformed high-pressure NLQ matches, and most of those game-changing plays came from the middle.   The 6-2 also means we have two standout setters to discuss. One of those is [player_tooltip player_id='458183' first='Kherington' last='Snider'], who made her presence felt in so many more ways than just her distribution on the second contact. You could easily argue that Snider was 15 Revolution's strongest server throughout NLQ. It was particularly evident as Nebraska Elite made its run through Sunday's Gold pools. Snider has a wicked float serve that drops right in front of passers before anyone can react. Scoring runs were plentiful in her serving rotation.   Nebraska Elite keeps the momentum flowing when [player_tooltip player_id='521204' first='Taylor' last='Barcel'] checks in to run the offense. Both setters are adept at finding the hot hand, even when they're fresh into the action off the bench. It's the sign of a mature player, and we saw plenty of that from Barcel in high-pressure contests.   Let's give some credit to 15 Revolution's other left-side hitter anchor, [player_tooltip player_id='521212' first='Kayla' last='Brown']. Like Herian, Brown was a force in all six rotations and could contribute in more ways than just her attacking. Her steady hand as a primary passer will have her climbing into the 2027 watch list before long.   Speaking of ball control, we can't leave out the players who transformed 15 Revolution's serve receive into a reliable strength. [player_tooltip player_id='458186' first='Trina' last='Schroeder'] was spectacular in the libero jersey. The game never moved too fast for this Bennington prep athlete, who was especially good at reading attackers and stepping into open seams. She worked well in tandem with Tess Casey, who was often used as a reliever for one of 15 Revolution's left sides. Casey has a background as a frontcourt attacker, too. Remember when we said versatility was a plus for this group? It might have been the key to winning it all.     The Tracker     18 Open   Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (KC MLK)     18 USA   Premier Nebraska 18 Black (NLQ)     15 Open   Nebraska Elite 15 Revolution (NLQ)

We knew this year's Northern Lights Qualifier could be a big weekend for Nebraska's 15s, but they somehow managed to exceed our expectations anyway.