Ten Nebraska Teams Gaining October Wildcard Momentum

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's all about the wildcard race.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We often hear about the desire to peak at the right time. The ideal time to gain momentum in Nebraska's high school season is quickly approaching. As we roar into the October grind, several teams are picking up steam and climbing the all-important wildcard hierarchy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This feature is for them. We're choosing ten teams on a recent hot streak and improving their status in their respective classes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Elkhorn South</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A storm is brewing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":255211,"width":"385px","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/5/2022/12/72_Paisley-Piatkowski-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-255211" style="width:385px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Piatkowski</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elkhorn South has returned to Class A's top tier with its collection of experienced, talented athletes. Senior setter [player_tooltip player_id='189370' first='Julia' last='Ringenberg'] leads a dynamic offense that gets balanced scoring from [player_tooltip player_id='292243' first='Cosette' last='Bartling'], [player_tooltip player_id='443108' first='Reese' last='Eilenstine'], and [player_tooltip player_id='189371' first='Paisley' last='Piatkowski'] on the pins. [player_tooltip player_id='275902' first='Siena' last='Sumner'] anchors the middle with a 0.315 attacking clip.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Storm have tallied recent wins over Class B frontrunners like Elkhorn North and Bennington. A marquee matchup against Papio South will close out the regular season, but Elkhorn South has already climbed to No. 5 in the wildcard standings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Omaha Northwest</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a fun Class A underdog. Omaha Northwest is knocking on the door of Class A's top ten with a 13-4 mark. The Huskies have received impressive all-around contributions from senior [player_tooltip player_id='173529' first='Grace' last='Lewis'], who leads the team in kills, hitting percentage, aces, and assists. That's a lot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Northwest rolled into October with a four-match winning streak and extended it to five with a win over Westview. The Metro Conference Tournament will be a big test of this group's aptitude against Class A's best.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Seward</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bluejays plan on returning to Lincoln after 2023's Class B quarterfinal effort. This postseason contender has reached No. 5 in the Class B standings, pushing past juggernaut teams like Bennington and Gretna East. Seward has recently tabbed impressive wins over Fairbury and York to build a ten-match winning streak.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='213980' first='Amara' last='Siebert'] and [player_tooltip player_id='269908' first='Kelsey' last='Miller'] are hovering around three kills per set in their final high school seasons. Another senior, [player_tooltip player_id='494928' first='Kennedy' last='Limback'], has stepped up with some of the best offensive production of her career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Laurel-Concord-Coleridge</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Laurel-Concord-Coleridge has earned some recent shoutouts here, but their place in the Class C1 hierarchy has kept improving since. The Bears haven't lost in nearly a month and sit No. 4 in the standings with a 19-2 record. An Oct. 1 win over Pierce helped catalyze this latest surge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='458127' first='Rena' last='Rasmussen'] has dominated en route to 4.4 kills per set. She is accompanied by the ever-reliable arms of Tali Erwin and Kaida Eriksen. Sophomore setter [player_tooltip player_id='458132' first='Carlie' last='Kvols'] ties everything together and remains one of Nebraska's overall assist leaders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Columbus Lakeview</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lakeview lurks right behind Laurel-Concord-Coleridge on the C1 list. The Vikings are buoyed by a wealth of quality wins against squads like Malcolm, Scotus Central Catholic, David City, and Waverly. So, despite having a lower overall winning percentage than some other C1 competitors, Lakeview is piling up wildcard points behind some season-altering victories.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've mentioned the meteoric rise of freshman middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='737378' first='Jaelyn' last='Mejstrik'], who has three kills per set in her debut season. Veteran attacker [player_tooltip player_id='298712' first='Katie' last='Rowe'] matches her in this category.</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>The Class C2 season has seen its share of ebbs and flows in the wildcard race. Johnson-Brock has forged ahead through this gauntlet and has a 17-5 record to show for it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='155057' first='Taryn' last='Ottemann'] is still the focal point for the Eagles and has put down 4.4 kills per set. Johnson-Brock also gets a head-spinning 6.2 digs per set from [player_tooltip player_id='462595' first='Chloe' last='Vice'], one of small-town Nebraska's most impressive defenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Elgin Public/Pope John</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>EPPJ is eager to prove that last year's semifinal breakthrough was no fluke. The Wolfpack are back in the tournament hunt with a 16-3 record, putting them near Class C2's top ten. This year's reclassification has not stopped EPPJ from entering the mix again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='253912' first='Chloe' last='Henn'] has embraced her role as the featured Wolfpack attacker. Senior outside hitter Sara Bode has also emerged with over three kills per set to boost EPPJ's balanced effort.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Nebraska Christian</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like Columbus Lakeview, Nebraska Christian is anchored by remarkable wins against top teams. The Eagles have recently picked up triumphs against Ansley-Litchfield and Sumner-Eddyville-Miller to reach No. 5 in the wildcard race--and there's more to gain in the coming weeks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='275966' first='Sheridan' last='Falk'] has elevated her game dramatically and has 3.8 terminations per set. [player_tooltip player_id='275965' first='Taytum' last='Perdew'] sits second on the team in that category while also helping run the offense from the back row. The Eagles have also wielded freshman setter [player_tooltip player_id='571950' first='Adeline' last='Hunnicutt'] to help the ball control phase.</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>Will we get a Lincoln return from Central Valley? The Cougars are 12-4 and have climbed into the latest top five in Class D2. We got a glimpse at this squad's high-end potential when it took down preseason favorite Shelton to open the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seasoned contributors like Callie Wadas and [player_tooltip player_id='582834' first='Katlyn' last='Oakley'] are major difference-makers for Central Valley. We also have to mention the influx of young talent with dynamic underclassmen like [player_tooltip player_id='591554' first='Cayle' last='Grossart'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">St. Mary's</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're wrapping up with yet another volleyball powerhouse with plenty of postseason experience.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Mary's has scrapped its way to a 12-3 record and is now in Class D2's top ten. [player_tooltip player_id='731651' first='Gracie' last='Williamson'] has found her groove with 2.7 kills per set on a 0.201 clip. October will be a proving ground for Williamson's team, as the Cardinals are due to meet tough opponents like Elgin Public/Pope John and Grand Island Central Catholic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->