Nebraska 2027 Watch List Update: Lethal Hitters to Watch in Club
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The past few days have been dedicated to new additions, but what about the 2027s that have been on our radar for a while? Let’s start addressing those players here. Sure, we don’t have any numerical rankings for this group…
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Continue ReadingThe past few days have been dedicated to new additions, but what about the 2027s that have been on our radar for a while? Let’s start addressing those players here.
Sure, we don’t have any numerical rankings for this group yet. But we also have some high-level athletes in mind that we’ll be watching as the club season gets rolling. This feature will address some of those players, and we’re starting in the frontcourt.
Here are a few must-see 2027 attackers as the 15s enter the picture.
Timmons was a very early addition to our Class of 2027 radar, and it all started during last year’s club season. The Fairbury High School product played up a year with Nebraska ONE 15 Black, where Timmons showed her willingness to be a go-to attacker on the left side. That carried into her debut campaign with Fairbury that was highlighted by a whopping five kills per set to lead the team–and all Nebraska freshmen. Timmons is back with the same Nebraska ONE group at the 16s level, and there’s little doubt about her readiness to play up.
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Sidlo is no stranger to the spotlight, even if her prep career is in its early stages. She was an indispensable part of Lincoln Lutheran’s 2023 championship run, as Sidlo started at the middle blocker spot and provided an instant spark along the net. Her termination in front of the setter was a joy to watch, and that story should play out again with VCNebraska this spring. Sidlo’s 15 Elite squad has our attention.
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Wallraff’s move from Arizona to Nebraska has quickly transformed the Class of 2027 landscape in the Cornhusker State. Teams simply didn’t have an answer for what this middle blocker brought to the Elkhorn North frontcourt last fall. The Wolves worked Wallraff to the tune of 4.3 kills per set–a huge tally for a three-rotation hitter. Wallraff has already established herself as one of Nebraska’s best slide attackers in any class, and that ability to spread opposing blockers is a game-changer. We can’t wait to see how this shifts the dynamic for Premier Nebraska 15 Gold this year.
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Thayer-Mencke is one of Nebraska Elite’s fascinating small-town additions to the 15s age group. She represented Fort Calhoun last year and put down some floor-denting kills for the Pioneers. Physicality is a huge strength for Thayer-Mencke, so her presence at opposite could be the perfect formula to slow down opposing left-side hitters. We’re about to learn a lot more about Thayer-Mencke and her Nebraska Elite counterparts this year.
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Why not bring MVP United into the conversation? It’s a Great Plains Region group, after all. Pick joined us for last December’s Prep Dig Top 250 Expo in La Vista, where her potential at the middle blocker spot was immediately apparent. She already took the high school game by storm with nearly two kills per set with Ponca in 2023. Now, it’s time to bring the heat for MVP United , which has found plenty of recent national success.
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Nebraska Juniors has a knack for pulling in some of the best talent from south of the Star City. Here’s another example. Meints made an immediate impact with Beatrice by racking up 2.3 kills per set on a 0.211 hitting efficiency. She did not shy away from ball control responsibilities, either, and we know that Nebraska Juniors values its six-rotation outside hitters. Meints is ready to fill that niche.
South Central NE is looking for more. Meyers is another 2027 who played up with the 15s last year, and the experience was worth more than anyone bargained for. The Superior middle blocker helped South Central get all the way to the GJNC podium after winning a Show Me title during qualifiers. It’s a high bar to set heading into 2024, but Meyers is prepared for another breakout year.
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David City is home to a lot of impressive hitting talent, and Vandenberg expands on that list at Aquinas High School. On the club side, this versatile outside attacker is heading to Nebraska Elite and provides a ton of positional flexibility. We can also cite this as another example of Nebraska Elite pulling in small-town stars from the 2027 class.