Nebraska Results Recap: Opening Day 2024

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We have a lot to discuss after an eventful opening day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Earlier this week, we previewed a handful of marquee Thursday matchups to watch as Nebraska began its 2024 high school campaign. Those contests delivered on the hype, but we have so many more results to discuss, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's break it all down in our first Nebraska Results Recap of the 2024 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Five-Set Reprise</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of last year's most thrilling openers was the five-set bout between Waverly and Lincoln Lutheran. The two teams ran it back in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I was fortunate enough to visit Lincoln Lutheran Thursday night for another classic clash between these storied volleyball programs. This rich history was evidenced by the pre-match unveiling of Coach Zeigler Court, honoring the Lincoln Lutheran head coach entering her 27th year with the Warriors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The visiting Waverly Vikings were undeterred by the pomp and circumstance. This is a Class B program with its own legacy of volleyball success, and the Vikings quickly stormed out to a 2-0 lead on the road. A massive group of sophomores led the way, spearheaded by star setter [player_tooltip player_id='458165' first='McKinley' last='Moser'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1829319540637077711","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1829319540637077711 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Moser made her much-anticipated debut in the 5-1 offense and guided a quick, efficient offense. This smooth transition to a starting role was aided by some familiar faces in the Waverly offense. Moser showed an innate connection with club teammates [player_tooltip player_id='458123' first='Hallie' last='Lauenstein'] and [player_tooltip player_id='458124' first='Gracie' last='Lauenstein'] on the outside. Both Lauensteins recorded double-doubles in Thursday's match and firmly established their six-rotation dominance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1829329967768895742","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1829329967768895742 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The sophomore revolution continued with [player_tooltip player_id='521256' first='Emmalyn' last='Quinn'] locking down the libero spot. She tallied 20 of Waverly's 67 team digs and worked alongside fellow sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='575157' first='Ansley' last='Real'] in the backcourt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waverly didn't wield many upperclassmen, but the ones we saw were impactful. Senior middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='342617' first='Renae' last='Landon'] was a force on 'gap' sets, providing some vital balance to the Viking offense. Likewise, junior opposite [player_tooltip player_id='497417' first='Aubrie' last='Lierman'] gave Waverly an additional scoring threat behind the setter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1829325755903357105","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1829325755903357105 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite a quick start from the Vikings, Lincoln Lutheran mounted a charge on its newly renamed home court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Warriors quickly revealed their intention to operate through the left-side hitters. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='152042' first='Ava' last='Jurevicius'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='275943' first='Lily' last='Wohlgemuth'] didn't take long to reach double-digit kills, and they kept going from there. This duo gets on top of the ball quickly, allowing senior setter [player_tooltip player_id='342613' first='Jillian' last='Donovan'] to deliver the ball with a blazing pace. Jurevicius spent much of 2023 on the right side but has clearly embraced her new role on the outside.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1829334122319466993","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1829334122319466993 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='453482' first='McKenzie' last='Sidlo'] has become Lincoln Lutheran's new opposite and was an effective terminator Thursday night. She was accompanied by the ever-present middle attack of [player_tooltip player_id='349457' first='Bella' last='Sjuts'] and Wilber-Clatonia transfer [player_tooltip player_id='349486' first='Lauren' last='Kuhlmann']. Of course, these middle blockers were aided by the stout ball control of senior libero [player_tooltip player_id='155029' first='Keri' last='Leimbach'], allowing the team's in-system offense to go to work.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1829335779522330733","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1829335779522330733 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lincoln Lutheran took over Set 3 and won a hotly contested fourth to force the tiebreaker. But, in another dramatic reversal, Waverly had enough left to ward off the comeback bid and win in five on the road.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1829346064341610872","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1829346064341610872 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Triangular Triumphs</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thursday's slate featured various triangulars across the Cornhusker State. Let's see who handled these marathon meetings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Norris soared to victories over Wahoo and Aurora. Senior attacker [player_tooltip player_id='189322' first='Kendall' last='Cose'] had big outings against both squads and totaled 14 kills with a hitting efficiency above 0.600.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gretna East traveled to Omaha Duchesne and left with two wins over Omaha Westview and the hosting Cardinals. A large group of Griffin seniors contributed to the effort with [player_tooltip player_id='342514' first='Maddie' last='Schnell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='173540' first='Paige' last='Prentice'] having strong hitting performances. Veteran setter [player_tooltip player_id='230003' first='Nyah' last='Potthoff'] tied everything together.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Visiting teams kept racking up wins in triangular settings. Yutan was victorious against Weeping Water and Elmwood-Murdock, giving the Chieftans an early win against one of last year's tournament participants. We'll also mention Exeter-Milligan/Friend's fruitful visit to Pawnee City, culminating in a 2-0 record. Junior outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='231947' first='Kaydence' last='Haase'] posted 12 kills in two sets against Lewiston.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">One-Off Classics</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Waverly-Lincoln Lutheran battle wasn't the only opening match to go the distance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lincoln East traveled to Grand Island and won a five-set gauntlet against the Islanders. The Spartans overcame a monstrous performance from GISH senior [player_tooltip player_id='155042' first='Tia' last='Traudt'] and got major production from multi-talented attacker [player_tooltip player_id='189413' first='Alexandra' last='Rasmussen']. What a nerve-wracking start for two of last year's Class A tournament entrants.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elsewhere in Class A, Omaha Westside claimed a massive road tilt against fellow conference competitor Millard West. The Warriors bounced back from a Set 4 loss to claim the fifth in 15-13 fashion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Five-set drama was also present in the small-town scene. Bishop Neumann made a massive early statement with its 3-2 win against Ashland-Greenwood. We'll also note Sandhills/Thedford's five-set triumph against Anselmo-Merna, especially with the first four sets being decided by five points or fewer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->