Which Players Made the Biggest Climb in Nebraska’s 2025 Rankings?
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We’ll repeat a familiar refrain: it’s never too late to raise your recruiting stock. You can find a reminder of this in our updated Nebraska Class of 2025 rankings. Several players have climbed the ladder based on early 2024 results—or…
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Continue ReadingWe’ll repeat a familiar refrain: it’s never too late to raise your recruiting stock.
You can find a reminder of this in our updated Nebraska Class of 2025 rankings. Several players have climbed the ladder based on early 2024 results—or because we’ve had a chance to revisit film from last fall. Either way, we’ve identified several athletes worthy of a rankings boost.
Let’s discuss a few of them here.
Premier 17 Black has reached a new level in 2024, and it all starts with Lund’s steady leadership in the back row. The Gretna East libero has been a consistent stock riser over the past year, and her command of 17 Black’s libero spot is as good as ever. Lund compiled an impressive highlight tape at January’s Northern Lights Qualifier with her perfect passes and sprawling defensive saves. Nebraska’s 2025 defenders keep reaching new heights.
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Smith earned a shoutout in yesterday’s feature on uncommitted gems. We knew we had to boost Smith’s rankings position after she made an immediate impact with Nebraska Elite at the Northern Lights Qualifier. Being a six-rotation outside hitter is tough, but carrying this role on a new team is even more difficult. Smith has handled this task well and is climbing the 2025 hierarchy as a result.
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Nebraska Elite gets another one. Odvody has been part of a roaring start to the 2024 season for Nebraska Elite 17-2. It’s a squad that wins matches through physical dominance at the net. Odvody will gladly participate in this effort with her extraordinary length and high contact point. Omaha Westside has seen a variety of contributions from their veteran middle, and that’s translating to the club side, too. Nebraska Elite has depth in the Class of 2025.
Goes keeps proving her readiness to climb the 2025 rankings. We saw it last fall as Goes put up monster defensive numbers for Freeman High School. The talented libero has carried that dominance into prep venues with Nebraska Juniors, particularly at the most recent Midwest Power League. Small-town liberos have a knack for standing out in club competition, and this is yet another example.
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Abel is still rocketing into the spotlight after a breakout junior season with Lincoln Pius X. She anchored the Thunderbolt defense while the team made its long-awaited return to the Class A tournament. These high-level reps have prepared Abel for a quick 2024 start with VCNebraska 17 Black. It was hard to miss this savvy defender as VCN dominated its division at the ASICS Presidents’ Day Classic. Upcoming qualifiers will offer another big litmus test on one of our biggest 2025 stock risers from the Lincoln area.
We’re not done with VCNebraska 17 Black. Porter is another VCN athlete who has shown exceptional growth in early-season action. Her quick left arm has evolved into a go-to option for the 17 Black offense, especially against physical teams at January’s Northern Lights Qualifier. The Lincoln Southeast product is a natural opposite who is ready-made for the big stage.
It’s hard to ignore what Emery has accomplished over the past several months. Last fall, she ran the Bellevue West offense as the Thunderbirds climbed back into the state tournament. That success put Emery near the top of Class A’s assists leaderboard next to several other elite distributors. Now, Emery is back in the River City Jrs gym where her development keeps yielding more results. She can even take reps as a frontcourt opposite. Keep an eye on River City’s top 17s bunch with Emery leading the way.
Let’s bring a talented River City Jrs libero into the mix, too. Schuka ascends into the rankings after a strong showing at last month’s Presidents’ Day Classic. She made several improbable saves throughout the tournament and brought the kind of pinpoint passing you’d hope to see from your libero. Under-the-radar prospects like Schuka will continue to emerge as we approach another wave of important events.
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Club Legacy boasts a few stock risers that we’ll cover throughout the week. Vlasek gets a shoutout here after she’s been on our 2025 radar for a while. She made huge plays in Omaha Marian’s backcourt last fall, and we’ve seen the same impact with Club Legacy 17 Alpha. Vlasek’s consistent passing will help her team find its stride heading into a big wave of mid-season events. It’s a chance to raise this libero’s stock even further