Five Nebraska 16s Teams Ready for the Bid Hunt
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What about those 16s teams? Our trip to the Northern Lights Qualifier brought the 18s, 17s, and 15s into the spotlight. It was a lot to take in, but we haven’t even seen the 16s in the qualifier spotlight, either.…
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Continue ReadingWhat about those 16s teams?
Our trip to the Northern Lights Qualifier brought the 18s, 17s, and 15s into the spotlight. It was a lot to take in, but we haven’t even seen the 16s in the qualifier spotlight, either. We’re ready to change that.
Let’s put a few 16s teams on your radar today. These are teams with a lot to gain and the pieces necessary to make it happen. When we dive into qualifier coverage at the 16s level, we’ll be sure to get eyes on these squads right away.
It’s bid-hunting time.
Premier Nebraska 16 Black
How about a repeat?
Last March, Premier Nebraska 15 Black took NLQ by storm with a runner-up finish and a bid-earning triumph in 15 USA. We’re ready to see this group chase another GJNC berth, albeit with a new-look lineup in 2024.
Familiar standouts are still here, however. Evynn Olsen Evynn Olsen 5'8" | OH Bennington | 2026 State NE is a tremendous all-around player who can play libero or outside hitter. She is accompanied on the outside by Kayelyn Liebentritt Kayelyn Liebentritt 5'11" | RS Skutt Catholic | 2026 State NE , who is quickly emerging as a terminal force. Keep an eye on Scotlyn Erwin Scotlyn Erwin 5'11" | MB Millard South | 2026 State NE in the middle and the setter duo of Maggie Miller Maggie Miller 5'8" | DS/L Gretna | 2026 NE and Sarah Faust Sarah Faust 5'9" | S Omaha Skutt Catholic | 2026 State NE . Premier 16 Black can plug and play a ton of different lineups, so let’s see which one rises to the forefront when the stakes get higher.
Nebraska Elite 16-1
Nebraska Elite’s top 16s team is built around rising Omaha-area stars who are ready to take the next step.
The 2023 high school season offered a stock boost for many of 16-1’s athletes. Outside hitter Mylee Tichota Mylee Tichota 5'11" | OH Yutan | 2026 State NE showed us her incredibly high ceiling when she lifted Yutan to the state semifinals. The lifeblood of 16-1’s offense might be in the middle with Blair Boehlke Blair Boehlke 5'11" | MB Fremont | 2026 State NE , Taya Thaden Taya Thaden 6'1" | MB Millard West | 2026 State NE , and Makenzie Wingett Makenzie Wingett 6'0" | OH Millard North | 2026 State NE all coming off productive sophomore seasons.
Finding the right combinations for all this frontcourt firepower could be the key to getting Nebraska Elite 16-1 into the GJNC spotlight.
Nebraska ONE 16 Black
Big gains are on the horizon for this group.
Take a moment to look back at the highlight tape for last year’s Nebraska ONE 15 Black team. You’ll see a lot of multi-position stars who can adapt to just about any lineup. That identity hasn’t changed in 2024, but it’s starting to look even more cohesive for 16 Black. It’s easy to see how this team could be riding a wave of momentum after late-season triumphs in 2023, including a trio of wins at the Great Plains Bid Tournament.
16 Black’s left-side hitter duo of Lily Wohlgemuth Lily Wohlgemuth 5'8" | RS Lincoln Lutheran | 2026 State NE and Evelyn Timmons Evelyn Timmons 6'0" | OH Fairbury | 2027 NE is already finding new gear. Meanwhile, Bella Sjuts Bella Sjuts 5'10" | S Lincoln Lutheran | 2026 State NE still carries the setter-middle-opposite niche that she executes so well. This squad boasts stellar ball control with Sjuts, Sydney Hengelfelt Sydney Hengelfelt 5'11" | S Cross County | 2026 State NE , and Brenly Noerrlinger Brenly Noerrlinger 5'3" | DS/L Lincoln Southwest | 2026 State NE locking down first and second contacts. No matter the lineup, 16 Black will be a qualifier contender.
VCNebraska 16 Black
VCNebraska ‘s 16s teams are a fascinating wildcard for us. Many of the club’s 2026s have shuffled around for this year’s club season, and several new faces enter the fray. It could yield the right recipe for 16 Black.
Piper Petersen Piper Petersen 5'8" | DS/L Lincoln Southwest | 2026 State NE has brought an instant backcourt spark in the libero jersey. She is accompanied by the smooth setting of Kaitlyn Bodnar Kaitlyn Bodnar 5'8" | S Duchesne | 2026 State NE , who is one of those new additions to the VCNebraska gym. Other proven standouts with this group include outside hitters Hannah Pearson Hannah Pearson 5'6" | RS Lincoln Northwest | 2026 State NE , Lauren Eggerling Lauren Eggerling 5'10" | OH Crete | 2026 State NE , Raleigh Bowen Raleigh Bowen 5'10" | OH Lincoln North Star | 2026 State NE , and Rallie Boyer Rallie Boyer 5'10" | OH Columbus Lakeview | 2026 State NE . All of these names will factor into future movement within our 2026 rankings.
South Central NE 16 Black
We couldn’t leave this one out. This South Central NE team put us all on notice by winning the 15 Liberty title at last year’s Show Me Qualifier. The good times didn’t stop there, as 15 Black ended its 2023 journey on the GJNC podium. Small-town stars showed out on the national stage.
That’s a high bar to set, but the gang is back together in 2024. Reagan Meyers Reagan Meyers 6'2" | MB Superior | 2027 NE and Payton Sullivan Payton Sullivan 6'1" | MB Hastings St. Cecilia | 2026 State NE are South Central’s physical anchors in the middle. They are flanked in the frontcourt by high-volume scorers like Shelton’s Jalyn Branson Jalyn Branson 5'8" | OH Shelton | 2026 State NE and David City’s Kambri Andel Kambri Andel 5'6" | OH David City | 2026 State NE . Look for versatile athletes like Isabel DeJonge, Courtney Carlstrom Courtney Carlstrom 5'9" | RS High Plains Community | 2025 State NE , and Taytum Perdew Taytum Perdew 5'6" | OH Nebraska Christian | 2026 State NE to play multiple positions this year.
Time to run it back.