Nebraska Teams Taking on 2024 Show Me Qualifier
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See you in Kansas City…again! The annual Show Me Qualifier is always a must-visit on my calendar. Most readers here will already know how important this event is for Nebraska club teams. But, in case you aren’t acquainted with that…
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Continue ReadingSee you in Kansas City…again!
The annual Show Me Qualifier is always a must-visit on my calendar. Most readers here will already know how important this event is for Nebraska club teams. But, in case you aren’t acquainted with that yet, this feature should help lay it all out.
We’ve led into the past few qualifiers by looking at all the Nebraska teams competing at each event. Those lists pale in comparison to the group we’re about to introduce in this one. The Show Me Qualifier is on deck this weekend, and we’re preparing for a Great Plains takeover.
Here it is.
17 Open
Nebraska Elite 17 Mamba
Nebraska Juniors 17 Black
Premier Nebraska 17 Gold
We start with a classic trio in 17 Open.
Nebraska Elite, Nebraska Juniors, and Premier Nebraska will all be vying for an Open bid in the 17s age group. We have fond memories of the 2022 Show Me Qualifier, where this Nebraska Elite group snagged a 15 Open bid in a hotly contested tournament. 17 Mamba has changed since then, but that venue showed us the potential of rising stars like Ashlyn Paymal Ashlyn Paymal 6'2" | RS Omaha Westside | 2025 State NE and Elizabeth Layson Elizabeth Layson 6'0" | OH Omaha Duchesne | 2025 State NE .
All three teams have a lot to gain here. Expect plenty of firepower from Premier Nebraska’s Shay Heaney Shay Heaney 6'2" | OH Elkhorn North | 2025 State NE and Nebraska Juniors’ Paige Meister Paige Meister 5'10" | OH Skutt Catholic | 2025 State NE .
17 USA
MVP United 17 Red
Nebraska Elite 17 Koa
Nebraska ONE 17 Black
Let’s rekindle a conversation we had last year.
MVP United might not be a Nebraska club from a geographical perspective. It lies in the corridor between southeastern South Dakota and northwestern Iowa while drawing in talent from both states. But MVP is also designated as a Great Plains Region group, so we’re including them here.
And how can you not talk about last year’s champs? MVP United stormed through last year’s 16 USA field–both at Show Me and GJNC. High-flying attackers like Maliyah Hacker and Bailey Boeve need to be on your radar. This is still a title favorite in 2024.
Nebraska Elite 17 Koa and Nebraska ONE 17 Black are also great picks to make the final bracket. The pressure is off for Nebraska ONE , which has already secured a USA bid via last weekend’s Windy City Qualifier. The Cornhusker State is bringing serious quality in 17 USA.
17 Liberty
Nebraska Elite 17 Prime
Premier Nebraska 17 Red
Nebraska Elite and Premier Nebraska will carry the banner in 17 Red.
Under-the-radar 2025s are a major storyline here. Nebraska Elite 17 Prime has seen big reps from Katie Woodford Katie Woodford 5'10" | RS Platteview | 2025 State NE and Chloe Kasischke Chloe Kasischke 5'10" | MB Wahoo | 2025 State NE in the front row. Ava McCarthy Ava McCarthy 5'7" | DS/L Omaha Duchesne | 2025 State NE will anchor the back row. Meanwhile, Premier Nebraska 17 Red is due for a breakout performance with Keatyn Liebsack Keatyn Liebsack 6'0" | OH Bennington | 2025 State NE and Tessa Reitsma Tessa Reitsma 5'8" | OH Bellevue West | 2025 State NE heating up.
17 American
NE Top Flight 17 Gold
Nebraska Juniors 17 Red
South Central NE 17 Black
VCNebraska 17 Black
17 American brings some new names into the mix.
How about NE Top Flight making its qualifier entrance? This club features a solid list of Bellevue-area prep standouts, including Mia Toelle Mia Toelle 5'8" | MB Bellevue West | 2025 NE and Mya Weber Mya Weber 5'11" | MB Bellevue East | 2025 State NE . We’re prepared to expand our radar after watching 17 Gold compete in KC.
South Central NE is another group we can’t wait to see at Show Me. We all remember this club’s 15 Liberty title in 2023, but South Central has a chance to strut its club-wide depth this weekend. Look out for small-town stars like Hayley Sliva Hayley Sliva 5'11" | RS BDS | 2025 State NE , Hannah Fiala Hannah Fiala 5'7" | MB Adams Central | 2025 NE , and Jacee Haight Jacee Haight 5'10" | RS Sutton | 2025 NE .
Nebraska Juniors 17 Red and VCNebraska 17 Black will contend for the title, too. 17 Red impressed us at recent Midwest Power League weekends with Kinzley Bohling Kinzley Bohling 5'9" | MB Bruning-Davenport/Shickley | 2025 State NE and Callie Showers Callie Showers 5'7" | OH Lincoln East | 2025 NE finding their stride. VCNebraska has a wicked setter duo featuring Audrey Waido Audrey Waido 5'8" | S Wahoo | 2025 State NE and Lauren Pearson Lauren Pearson 5'8" | S Lincoln Southwest | 2026 State NE –along with a wealth of attacking options.
16 Open
Nebraska Elite 16 Lokahi
Premier Nebraska 16 Gold
Bring on 16 Open. This will be a good one.
Show Me is where it all came together for Premier 16 Gold last year. The prevailing storyline now is “redemption” after coming so close to securing a bid at NLQ two weeks ago. This group is hungry.
Nebraska Elite 16 Lokahi will set the bar high. We’ve been thrilled to see this group come together with a mixture of firepower and ball control. Liberos Elena Estudillo Elena Estudillo 5'6" | DS/L Fremont | 2026 State NE and McKinzie Brandt McKinzie Brandt 5'7" | DS/L Fremont | 2026 State NE should be valuable catalysts to 16 Lokahi’s Show Me success.
16 USA
Nebraska Elite 16 Nova
Nebraska Juniors 16 Black
Nebraska ONE 16 Black
Premier Nebraska 16 Black
River City Jrs 16 Navy
VCNebraska 16 Elite
This is where the divisional lists expand to head-spinning proportions.
Six Great Plains Regions teams will clash in Show Me’s 16 USA field. This is our chance to give a nod to River City Jrs , which is bringing one of its strongest lineups to Kansas City for a shot at a huge triumph. We’ll be watching abundantly athletic attackers like Tre’sor Porter Tre’sor Porter 5'6" | OH NE , Faith Wiechman Faith Wiechman 5'9" | MB NE , and Kaylee Wray for 16 Navy.
Nebraska ONE 16 Black has its multi-talented lineup ready for a big step in the division ladder. The constant growth of players like Lily Wohlgemuth Lily Wohlgemuth 5'8" | RS Lincoln Lutheran | 2026 State NE and Bella Sjuts Bella Sjuts 5'10" | S Lincoln Lutheran | 2026 State NE will have 16 Black ready for the challenge.
VCNebraska 16 Elite will take its new-look lineup into 16 USA. This team soared through February’s ASICS Presidents’ Day Classic, so we know what 16 Elite can accomplish against regional competitors. All-around outside hitters like Brooklyn Stehlik Brooklyn Stehlik 5'9" | MB Platteview | 2026 State NE and Kaydence Haase Kaydence Haase 6'0" | OH Exeter-Milligan | 2026 State NE bring a lot to VCNebraska ‘s 16s stable.
Of course, any of the other teams listed here could climb to bid contention. Premier Nebraska 16 Black earned a bid through qualifiers in 2023, and repeat performance could be on the horizon.
16 Liberty
ENVY 16-1
MVP United 16 Red
Nebraska Juniors 16 Red
Nebraska ONE 16 Lime
Nebraska Pride Black 16s
Premier Nebraska 16 Red
South Central NE 16 Black
South Central NE 16 Red
How about an octet?
The magic number is eight in 16 Liberty. We finally get to mention ENVY, the second-year club cropping up in the Omaha area. The Show Me Qualifier will be a golden opportunity to expand our radar as we build an in-person scouting report on ENVY’s 16s.
South Central NE brings a double stack into 16 Liberty. As we alluded to earlier, South Central NE 16 Black is the defending Show Me champion in this age group. How will the team embrace a frontrunner role? Look for Jalyn Branson Jalyn Branson 5'8" | OH Shelton | 2026 State NE , Payton Sullivan Payton Sullivan 6'1" | MB Hastings St. Cecilia | 2026 State NE , and Reagan Meyers Reagan Meyers 6'2" | MB Superior | 2027 NE to run the show along the net.
Nebraska Pride is here! This crew will expand our reach on stock-rising 2026s. We’re anxious to see how this club evolves from the Show Me Qualifier to the Great Plains Region Bid Tournament.
MVP returns to the fold along with Premier Nebraska, Nebraska Juniors, and Nebraska ONE . Depth at the 16s level will be tested.
16 American
Banzai VBC 16 Performance
Nebraska Elite 16 Heat
Nebraska ONE 16 Grey
Premier Nebraska 16 Silver
VCNebraska 16 Black
Five more teams for the 16s list.
Banzai VBC makes its debut on our feature. 16 Performance has gained some high-level experience lately and will take it a step further in Kansas City. The roster has a healthy medley of 2026s and 2027s, so check those lineups carefully.
Nebraska Elite is going three-deep across the 16s age group. 16 Heat brings a solid collection of stock-risers to this division, including Haley Mattox Haley Mattox 5'8" | RS NE , Claire Barrett Claire Barrett 5'10" | RS Omaha Skutt Catholic | 2026 NE , and Julia Perrotto Julia Perrotto 5'7" | RS NE .
Meanwhile, Premier Nebraska is bringing the full 16s armada with a four-team lineup. Watch for 16 Silver’s strong ball-control contributors with Kailynn Melendez Kailynn Melendez 5'3" | DS/L Gretna | 2026 State NE , Mia Stevens Mia Stevens 5'5" | S Omaha Skutt Catholic | 2026 State NE , and Danielle Vallinch Danielle Vallinch 5'6" | DS/L Papillion-La Vista South | 2026 NE paving the way.
Nebraska ONE deserves a lot of credit for bringing three squads to the mix. VCNebraska joins the fray with 16 Black, a group with tons of momentum after February’s ASICS Presidents’ Day Classic.
15 Open
Nebraska Elite 15 Revolution
Nebraska Juniors 15 Black
Premier Nebraska 15 Gold
VCNebraska 15 Elite
Here’s the superstar lineup in 15 Open.
Three of Nebraska’s four 15 Open entrants won’t feel a lot of tension. Nebraska Elite 15 Revolution locked up its GJNC plans with a Northern Lights Qualifier championship back in January. VCNebraska 15 Elite followed it up with a bid-earning triumph at the Mideast Qualifier. The trinity was complete with Premier Nebraska 15 Gold’s podium finish at the Windy City Qualifier. Here comes another chance to hone your skills and get valuable Nationals prep.
Nebraska Juniors 15 Black enters the batter’s box. Terminal hitters like Alex Ervin Alex Ervin 5'10" | RS Ogallala | 2027 NE and Lilly Goodwin Lilly Goodwin 5'9" | OH NE will showcase their sky-high potential this weekend. Kansas City is this weekend’s spot for so many top-tier Nebraska 2027s.
15 USA
Nebraska Elite 15 Prime
Nebraska Juniors 15 Red
Nebraska ONE 15 Black
Nebraska Pride Gold 15s
Premier Nebraska 15 Black
VCNebraska 15 Black
Show Me’s first weekend cuts off at 15 USA, leaving us with six more Nebraska teams in this age group.
Every club listed in 15 Open will bring another team to compete in 15 USA. It’s the ultimate contest for bragging rights with so many elite athletes separating themselves at Nebraska Elite, Nebraska Juniors, Premier Nebraska, and VCNebraska .
We have Nebraska Pride Gold 15s circled in this division. Bring out the next wave of under-the-radar standouts. Similarly, Nebraska ONE 15 Black will roll out a medley of athletes from the Lincoln area and beyond. Successful club teams can pull players from anywhere.