Small-Town Nebraska Teams with Big Opening Week of 2024 Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our small-town shoutouts continue.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hidden gems across the Cornhusker State will be a major focus of our 2024 high school season coverage. We can approach this from a lot of different angles, and today's feature will hop around from team to team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Several small-town squads have posted strong starts in the win-loss column through one week of action. It's way too early to get a glimpse at the full wildcard picture, but these teams are already on the right track.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Bartley Southwest</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's check in with one of our preseason favorites in Class D1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bartley Southwest has added to the early hype with a 4-0 mark to open the season. The year started with a sweep victory over Bertrand. This was followed by Southwest's trip to the Cambridge Invite, where the Roughriders tallied three more wins on its ledger. A road victory over last year's Class D2 runner-up is a good way to capture people's attention, and Southwest did that with a win over Cambridge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Nelms sisters are still pacing the offense for Southwest. [player_tooltip player_id='275947' first='Kyra' last='Nelms'] is putting down 3.7 kills per set, and [player_tooltip player_id='275948' first='Anikka' last='Nelms'] is hitting at a 0.353 clip after four matches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Meridian</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Meridian is another program that has asserted itself on the small-town scene lately. That trend ought to continue in 2024, and the Mustangs have two early wins over Sandy Creek and Blue Hill. Veteran performers like [player_tooltip player_id='462578' first='McKenzie' last='Hofstetter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='728384' first='Jaylee' last='Sobotka'] remain impactful for Meridian.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mustangs will now look forward to hosting their own four-team tournament on Tuesday. This will be a chance to climb the wildcard hierarchy and stake a claim for consecutive postseason appearances.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Johnson-Brock</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson-Brock has no shortage of dynamic, hard-hitting scorers. Senior outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='155057' first='Taryn' last='Ottemann'] leads the Eagles with four kills per set. [player_tooltip player_id='731669' first='Charlotte' last='Metschke'] and [player_tooltip player_id='735080' first='Daley' last='Pelican'] accompany the senior star with two kills per set on their tallies.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This offensive production has yielded a 2-0 start with victories over Southern and Falls City. Johnson-Brock is competing in Class C2 this year and can climb the ladder among some serious small-town powerhouses. The Eagles have stepped up to this challenge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":621293,"width":"353px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/09/IMG_9142-edited.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-621293" style="width:353px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Central Valley competes in the 2023 Class D2 state volleyball championships.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Clarkson/Leigh</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a fascinating year for Clarkson/Leigh. The Patriots earned a historic runner-up finish in last year's Class C2 tournament. Clarkson/Leigh lost some transformational seniors from that squad, but 2024 is keeping the positive momentum going anyway.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As if the roster turnover wasn't challenging enough, Clarkson/Leigh has moved up to Class C1 this year. Still, the Patriots are off to a 4-0 start with a quartet of triumphs at the Centennial Invitational. This slate included winning squads like Fairbury and Bishop Neumann, giving Clarkson/Leigh some early wildcard positioning. Senior setter-hitter [player_tooltip player_id='269955' first='Izzy' last='Hollatz'] is still leading the way, and fellow veteran [player_tooltip player_id='495056' first='Brynn' last='Settje'] has become the new leader on the outside.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Pender</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pender could be an under-the-radar team to watch in Class D1. The Pendragons have secured a pair of road wins against Mead and Logan View/Scribner-Snyder to usher in the new year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The team's frontcourt is stacked with exciting talent. Kaylee Schroeder patrols the net from the middle and has become Pender's most successful blocker. She pairs well with Anastin Geisert on the pin, who has also shown her prowess as an attacker. Several pivotal home matches are on the horizon, but this was an impressive start in hostile territory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Osceola</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're staying in Class D1 for this one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Osceola is poised to claw its way up the D1 standings after two season-opening wins over Palmer and Heartland. Veteran pin hitter [player_tooltip player_id='395108' first='Eastyn' last='Kropatsch'] remains a dynamic force for the Bulldogs with nearly three kills per set. Osceola also has an impressive wave of underclassman attackers with [player_tooltip player_id='773433' first='Kenzie' last='Bartling'] and Alexis Burritt becoming major contributors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs have a pair of Class C2 bouts looming. We'll see what this team can bring against Twin River and Cedar Bluffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Central Valley</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're anxious to see if Central Valley can replicate its 2023 tournament breakthrough. The new year is off to a roaring start with wins over Neligh-Oakdale, Hitchcock County, and D2 frontrunner Shelton. The Cougars have now established themselves as a postseason threat yet again--and we're only a week into this year's campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Maywood-Hayes Center</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While we're on the topic of postseason powerhouses, Maywood-Hayes Center hopes to make amends for last year's absence. The Wolves are 2-0 after taking care of Paxton and Sandhills Valley on opening day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a sophomore-laden squad with outside hitters Grace Loomis and [player_tooltip player_id='499013' first='Caylie' last='Softley'] making big strides. Even if 2024 doesn't end in a postseason bid, the future looks bright for Maywood-Hayes Center.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->