Powerhouse Triangular Jamboree

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Class B State Runner Up Norris Titans&nbsp; hosted 9 time defending Class B State Champion Omaha Skutt Skyhawks and the defending Class A State Champion Southwest Silverhawks in a preseason jamboree on Thursday night. The jamboree game is a fundraiser for the Nebraska State Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Lots of familiar faces and a few new faces to take a peek at before the season officially kicks off. High quality volleyball all around for an early season triangular made fans excited for the season to get started!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first game of the triangular was a rematch of the Class B State Championship last November as Skutt and Norris battled it out. You knew going into tonight it was going to be a brawl and have State Final vibes.&nbsp; Norris won the first back and forth set 26-24. The Skyhawks took down the Titans in set two 25-21.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to keep an eye on for the Titans:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Norris' Libero [player_tooltip player_id='189328' first='Rya' last='Borer'] was all over the floor Thursday night. She kept so many rallies going and was pesky for the Titans on defense. Borer was also tough behind the endline in serving as well. Freshman Loryn Piening started off her prep career strong at Middle Blocker. She runs a nice slide and is very athletic in the middle. Piening showed some great flashes of greatness on Thursday. As her comfort level and confidence continues to grow, keep her on your radar.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='155030' first='Anna' last='Jelinek'] was her usual athletic self as a great six rotation player. She does such a phenomenal job of finding shots and then mixing power into her arsenal. The Titans will rely heavily on her experience as a veteran being a three year starter. Sophomore Ali Bornschlegl has a heavy arm on the outside. She too, is super athletic with long levers and can elevate. She has added more shots as well.&nbsp; Sophomore Kaeylynn Lottman played Bornschlegl's back row as a defensive specialist and got on a nice serving run and was strong on serve receive.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to keep on radar for Omaha Skutt:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6'1” [player_tooltip player_id='275935' first='Addison' last='West'] is so fun to watch. She brings a lot of joy and energy to the court. Her passion shines on the floor. She has such a heavy arm and just continues to get stronger each year. The North Carolina commit will be hard to stop this fall on the pin. She has the ability to take over a game. Another athlete that was all over the floor and scrappy was 5'7” Setter/Defensive Specialist  [player_tooltip player_id='389408' first='Anya' last='Kolli']. Her defense and hustle was really contagious to her teammates. Kolli is another breakout player to keep an eye on for the Skyhawks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Setter/Defensive Specialist [player_tooltip player_id='173517' first='Meghan' last='Anderson'] was also solid on the floor for the Skyhawks. She has great leadership skills out on the floor, great hands and a solid serve. She is also super scrappy on defense. Overall the Skyhawks are pesky on defense. [player_tooltip player_id='173527' first='Abbie' last='Hagedorn'] was also strong on the pin. She has so much power and strength. Hagedorn can tool off the block or hit a cut shot around the block. The Sacred Heart University commit will be a force again for the Skyhawks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defending State Champion Lincoln Southwest showed State Title form flashes on Thursday as well.  The Silverhawks relied heavily on senior Middle Emily Jochmun. She was strong and athletic and gave her team a big spark. 5'10” Junior Setter [player_tooltip player_id='251144' first='Ellie' last='Eckman'] was a great leader on the floor and distributed the ball so effectively. Junior Alivia Gustfason is athletic on the pin and in the middle. She does a nice job of planting behind the ball and finding the floor for a kill. Whether it is high hands or a deep shot Alivia showed some great finesse. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lefty [player_tooltip player_id='349484' first='Piper' last='Bellamy'] also did some nice things on the pin. The 5'10” junior is aggressive at the net and can hit a line shot or cross court shot. 5'11” Middle [player_tooltip player_id='189377' first='Taylor' last='Schuster'] is athletic and explosive. She can run tempo well. Southwest has a lot of weapons at the net! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season kicks off on Thursday and this was just a Mini State Tournament Triangular. It was a fantastic measuring stick to see where each team stacks up early on. It will be fun to see how the season plays out in their respective classes!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->