Nebraska Bid Tracker: Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy’s Chicago Return
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We remember what happened the last time this Synergy group visited McCormick Place. The venue was GJNC. Nebraska ONE 16 Synergy traveled to Chicago and put on an Open run for the ages. The team secured a third-place finish at…
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Continue ReadingWe remember what happened the last time this Synergy group visited McCormick Place.
The venue was GJNC. Nebraska ONE 16 Synergy traveled to Chicago and put on an Open run for the ages. The team secured a third-place finish at Nationals and was squarely among the country’s top club squads.
Why not take a trip down memory lane in 2024? Chicago beckoned once again for Nebraska ONE , but this time for the Windy City Qualifier. It was a chance to snag the 17 Open bid that had narrowly eluded Synergy in Minneapolis. More high-stakes volleyball awaited in the shadow of Lake Michigan.
McCormick Place magic was in store for another season as Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy clinched its 17 Open bid at WCQ. This triumph featured a journey rife with familiar foes, fascinating storylines, and all the excitement you’d expect from a national qualifier.
Let’s get into it.
A Roundabout Route
Earning an Open bid is not easy. The journey is seldom perfect. Teams usually have to bounce back from low points and produce clutch performances in must-win situations. Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy’s WCQ path offers a reminder of this.
Of course, we’ve already documented Nebraska ONE ‘s roaring Friday start. Synergy posted a 3-0 record on Day 1 while only dropping one set along the way. We were already getting a glimpse of Nebraska ONE ‘s familiar championship form.
But, as we said, some adversity is inevitable in an elite venue like WCQ. Synergy pushed past VCNebraska 17 Elite to start Day 2 but fell to AVC CLE soon afterward. Nebraska ONE carried its 1-1 record into Saturday’s finale against a well-known adversary: 1st Alliance 17 Gold. The Great Lakes team, which finished runner-up in 16 Open last year, carried WCQ’s #1 seed for a second consecutive year.
17 Synergy found itself in a tiebreaker race with VCNebraska and AVC, which both finished 1-2 in Round 2. VCNebraska held the advantage among the two with three total set victories. Nebraska ONE would have the head-to-head advantage over VCNebraska but needed one set victory over 1st Alliance to make it happen. Cue one of those clutch performances.
A 25-20 Set 1 win over top-seeded 1st Alliance got the job done. The margins were razor-thin, but 17 Synergy was heading to another Gold pool.
If you like storylines and interconnectedness, we had all of that in Nebraska ONE ‘s final Gold pool at WCQ. 17 Synergy was slated to face Tribe 17 Elite Cardinal, Circle City 17 Purple, and Legacy 17-1 Adidas. All of these teams evoke memories of prior meetings, with some coming at last year’s GJNC in Chicago.
The Tribe matchup kicked off a day of drama. Both squads exchanged 25-22 set victories, setting up a thrilling race to 15. Nebraska ONE seized an early advantage and won 15-9 for a crucial opening victory.
Next up: Circle City 17 Purple. This was one of those McCormick Place encore performances. Nebraska ONE and Circle City met in last year’s challenge round of GJNC with a spot in the final bracket up for grabs. That matchup was claimed by Synergy in a three-set thriller, setting up the huge bracket run the following day.
This time, however, Circle City got revenge with a 2-0 win over 17 Synergy. Even with this setback, Nebraska ONE still had its ultimate goal within reach. Circle City was racing ahead to a first-place finish in the pool while already holding an Open bid from MEQ. This meant that the second-place finisher would receive a bid without needing to win a final crossover match.
One obstacle remained: Legacy 17-1 Adidas. Storylines, storylines, storylines. Two Nebraska commits faced off on opposite sides of the net–and a catalog of prior meetings. With both teams splitting their first two Sunday matches, this finale would decide a bid.
We got everything we could have wanted. Nebraska ONE claimed the first before Legacy stormed back in the second. Just like the Easter opener against Tribe, 17 Synergy had some extra juice in the tiebreaker to win by a 15-9 decision. Chicago would remain a place of triumph for Nebraska ONE .
Synergized Success
Familiar narratives arise when discussing the Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy roster. It’s a medley of recognizable stars and impactful new additions.
One constant for this group has been Anna Jelinek Anna Jelinek 5'9" | DS/L Norris | 2025 State NE ‘s persistent excellence at the outside hitter spot. It’s easy to hone in on her frontcourt attacking, which has made her a go-to offensive option for 17 Synergy. But Jelinek also shoulders some massive passing volume in serve receive–even in two-passer formations. It’s a lot for any outside hitter to take on, but Jelinek has always handled these responsibilities with incredible poise. Time to keep racking up accolades at the Open level.
Nebraska ONE ‘s proficiency at outside hitter is not limited to Jelinek. North Dakota commit Mattie Dalton Mattie Dalton 5'10" | OH Fremont | 2025 State NE is soaring to new heights this year and thrives in 17 Synergy’s quick offense. Her range continues to expand, giving 17 Synergy two lethal scoring threats on the left pin.
Look to the other pin to find one of 17 Synergy’s new faces. Abbie Hagedorn Abbie Hagedorn 5'11" | RS Omaha Skutt Catholic | 2025 State NE joined the crew in 2024 and has provided a multi-dimensional impact at the opposite position. Right-side hitters are not often heralded for their first contacts, but Hagedorn makes frequent trips through the Nebraska ONE serve receive formation. The Omaha Skutt Catholic prep athlete can go pass-to-attack from the right–a rare skill that has been a game-changer this season.
17 Synergy’s other new contributor is also one of Hagedorn’s high school teammates. Middle blocker Kiera Link Kiera Link 6'1" | MB Omaha Skutt Catholic | 2025 State NE boosts Nebraska ONE ‘s physicality while also being a transition attacking threat in front of the setter. We marveled at her natural blocking skills as Skutt Catholic claimed another Class B title last fall. It’s translating to the club scene, too.
Nebraska ONE has a lot of options at middle blocker. Of course, Wisconsin commit Natalie Wardlow Natalie Wardlow 6'5" | MB Lincoln Southeast | 2025 State #17 Nation NE continues her dominance along the net. We’ve seen Wardlow evolve at both M1 and M2 throughout her club career. She’s starting to morph into a lethal M1 whose slide attacks are incredibly tough to defend. Good passing becomes critical when Wardlow is at the net, as she needs as many attempts as possible.
Lexi Hasselbalch Lexi Hasselbalch 5'10" | MB Norris | 2025 State NE gives 17 Synergy a little of everything. The team can effectively run a three-middle system with Hasselbalch oscillating between the middle and right side. She also offers a wicked serve and some surprisingly effective floor defense in that rotation.
While we’re discussing defense, you always have to keep an eye on the back row with this group. Nebraska commit Keri Leimbach Keri Leimbach 5'4" | DS/L Lincoln Lutheran | 2025 State #40 Nation NE has a huge list of honors to her name, but we are constantly impressed by the intangible things she brings to Nebraska ONE . Leimbach is a clear vocal leader who always keeps things organized, especially in high-pressure situations. She works in tandem with Harper Gable, a long-time contributor to the Synergy defense. Gable is comfortable with anchoring any zone along the end line and was particularly good in the middle-back area at WCQ.
Finally, we have Synergy’s steady distributor. Malorie Boesiger Malorie Boesiger 5'9" | S Norris | 2027 NE fits right in with this team despite playing up a couple of age groups. The Norris setter slings the ball around with the pace and accuracy that only she can pull off. It’s easy to forget that Boesiger has a lot of time left in the prep spotlight. Her “Synergy era” has been a memorable one.
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 Open
Nebraska ONE 17 Synergy (WCQ)
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)