Nebraska Bid Tracker: Nebraska ONE 17 Black Reaches WCQ Podium
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It’s a Great Plains double in 17 USA! Yesterday, we discussed Premier Nebraska 17 Black’s run to last weekend’s 17 USA title at the Windy City Qualifier. With three bids up for grabs, we have to look down the leaderboard…
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Continue ReadingIt’s a Great Plains double in 17 USA!
Yesterday, we discussed Premier Nebraska 17 Black’s run to last weekend’s 17 USA title at the Windy City Qualifier. With three bids up for grabs, we have to look down the leaderboard for the other podium finishers in the division. It doesn’t take long until you find another Great Plains Region competitor.
Nebraska ONE 17 Black is heading to GJNC this summer after a third-place finish in Chicago. We had seen this group compete in Gold brackets before, but this trip to the Windy City Qualifier was extra special. This group would not be denied.
Let’s relive the journey to a 17 USA bid for Nebraska ONE .
Thriving Under Pressure
Our Sunday morning feature on Nebraska bid hunters discussed Nebraska ONE 17 Black’s journey to the USA bracket. A 2-1 start propelled 17 Black into the next round, but the team’s best volleyball was yet to come. As the competition got tougher, Nebraska ONE got better. Perfection was achieved in Round 2, setting up a trip to Sunday’s quarterfinals.
First up: the must-win contest. If Nebraska ONE wanted to contend for the podium and a bid, the Easter holiday had to start with a victory. 17 Black met NRG VBC, setting up a rematch of Nebraska ONE ‘s first WCQ outing. Just like Friday’s meeting, this ended in an emphatic 2-0 win for the Great Plains team. The first hurdle was cleared.
Now, 17 Black needed a win in the semifinals or the third-place match to lock up a bid. This is where we’d see the true resilience of Nebraska ONE . The semifinal round ended in a defeat to Club One AZ, forcing 17 Black to bounce back from its first loss since opening day. The winner-take-all third-place contest would pit Nebraska ONE against Top Select 17 Elite, which entered the weekend as 17 USA’s #1 seed. It’s a tough draw, but Nebraska ONE was familiar with the pressure.
We had a third-place match worthy of its high stakes. Top Select pounced early before Nebraska ONE responded in Set 2. That yielded an all-out battle in a race to 15 with a bid on the line. 17 Black made one final push to win 15-13 and reach the podium. It’s the most clutch scoreline you can create.
A Medley of Stars
What a group of 2025s. Nebraska ONE 17 Black features some of the state’s top uncommitted talent in this age group. They’ll now showcase their skills on club volleyball’s biggest stage.
Nebraska ONE hauls most of its athletes from the greater Lincoln metro, and many of 17 Black’s players have abundant state tournament experience on the high school side. Why not start this conversation with some state champions?
Jillian Donovan Jillian Donovan 5'11" | S Lincoln Lutheran | 2025 State NE has rocketed up the 2025 rankings lately. She took the reins of Lincoln Lutheran’s offense last fall and set the Warriors to their third consecutive state title. We learned that Donovan has no problem stepping into a high-pressure situation and embracing the spotlight. That pressure was ramped back up in Chicago, but Donovan was built for it. This is one of Nebraska’s most dynamic setters in the 2025 class.
Want another state champion with skyrocketing stocks? Check out Shelby Harding Shelby Harding 5'8" | OH Lincoln Southwest | 2025 State NE at 17 Black’s outside hitter spot. She seized a starting role with last year’s Lincoln Southwest squad and helped the program claim its first-ever volleyball title. Harding is a nimble left-side hitter who can carve around opposing blocks with ease. It’s a perfect fit for Nebraska ONE ‘s up-tempo offense.
Lincoln East is another Star City school experiencing a recent resurgence, and that’s where we find 17 Black middle blocker Brinley Falkinburg Brinley Falkinburg 5'9" | OH Lincoln East | 2025 State NE . The Spartans have compiled back-to-back state tournament appearances behind Falkinburg’s physicality and range at the net. Her role expanded at WCQ, as Falkinburg thrived on slide plays and crossing patterns for Nebraska ONE . She’s an ideal terminator in the 17 Black lineup.
Falkinburg is not the only middle who can stuff the stat sheet for Nebraska ONE . Renae Landon Renae Landon 5'10" | MB Waverly | 2025 State NE and Taytum Miller Taytum Miller 6'2" | MB Columbus | 2025 State NE have game-changing potential at this position, giving 17 Black a ton of frontcourt depth. Waverly High School knows all about the sky-high hitting efficiencies Landon can produce. She has made her mark as a ‘gap’ hitter for Nebraska ONE who can confuse opposing blockers with her routes. Miller, meanwhile, can swap between middle and opposite while bringing a ton of length to either position. Miller plays her prep ball at Columbus High School and is an extraordinary multi-sport athlete for the Discoverers.
While we’re discussing productive high school athletes, we don’t have many 2025s that can compare to Sierra Crist Sierra Crist 5'11" | OH Crete | 2025 State NE ‘s production at Crete High School. What a transformative addition for 17 Black. Crist was a do-everything athlete for 16 Synergy last year and followed it up with over five kills per set on the high school side. She is now entrenched in 17 Black’s left-side hitter spot, where she can constantly maximize her swings in every rotation. Putting Crist with this group was a colossal shakeup that led to the latest breakthrough at WCQ.
Nebraska ONE is seeing increased production across its pin-hitting arsenal. Kate Carnie Kate Carnie 5'11" | RS Norris | 2025 State NE is a steady force who has ample experience at both pins. We’ve recently seen her take over at opposite, and 17 Black is taking full advantage of Carnie’s heavy arm.
Of course, we have to discuss the army of talented defenders on the 17 Black roster. This is the hallmark of most successful Nebraska ONE teams. It’s a group anchored by Abby Covalt Abby Covalt 5'6" | DS/L Seward | 2025 State NE , a Seward standout who has been one of Nebraska’s most productive prep liberos for the last few years. She has amazing defensive instincts and a rock-solid platform in serve receive, allowing 17 Black’s offense to operate.
This group has a ton of lineup possibilities in the back row. Harlie Griffin Harlie Griffin 5'8" | OH Norris | 2025 NE and Haidyn Case Haidyn Case 5'4" | DS/L Lincoln High | 2026 NE have thrived in the right-back area, a tough spot for many defensive specialists to master. This position also allows either one to take on duties as a secondary setter. Claire Daly Claire Daly 5'6" | DS/L Omaha Marian | 2025 NE accompanies this duo in Zone 6, too. This is a subtle reminder that Daly can be a left-side hitter whenever needed.
A collective effort yielded Chicago magic regardless of the starting lineup. Look for more mix-and-match combinations as Nebraska ONE 17 Black prepares for the summer finale.
The Tracker
Here’s our tracker–pending the addition of more teams from Windy City. Stay tuned for the next couple of days as we grow the list.
18 Open
Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (KC MLK)
18 National
VCNebraska 18 Elite (GPR)
18 USA
Premier Nebraska 18 Black (NLQ)
18 American
Banzai VBC 18 Select (GPR)
18 Freedom
Club Legacy 18 Alpha (GPR)
17 USA
Nebraska ONE 17 Black (WCQ)
Premier Nebraska 17 Black (WCQ)
15 Open
Nebraska Elite 15 Revolution (NLQ)
VCNebraska 15 Elite (MEQ)
15 USA
Premier Nebraska 15 Black (NLQ)
15 Liberty
VCNebraska 15 Black (MEQ)