The Big Board: Top Performers from 2024 State Tourney Semifinals

Our evaluation blocks are getting a workout today.   Friday ushered in the semifinal round of the 2024 NSAA State Volleyball Championships. A long list of stars emerged to clinch spots in Saturday's title matches. So, we're going to make a long list.   These players, whether victorious or not, drew the spotlight in Friday's high-stakes contests.    Haase was not going to be denied. The junior outside hitter had led Exeter-Milligan/Friend all year with nearly 400 regular-season kills, but Friday's performance against Bartley Southwest was on another level. Not only did Haase pace the Bobcat kill column, but her tough serving carried EMF to an insurmountable lead in the deciding fourth set. Haase's efforts yield a D1 title appearance for a Bobcat program in its second season as a new co-op.     Roelle has done a little bit of everything during Leyton's undefeated run to the state tournament. The Warriors rely on their pin hitters to play all the way around the dial, and Roelle shoulders those responsibilities well. She showed a knack for finding open seams in the block and converted on clutch opportunities in tight sets. Leyton will wield Roelle in the D2 title match after a four-set win over Central Valley.     Wood's savvy setting earned her a shoutout in our Day 2 quarterfinal feature, but her impactful presence took on a new shape in Friday's semifinal. Central Valley dropped the first two sets to Leyton but clawed back in the third behind Wood's tough serving. Her driving, flat serves led to several transition opportunities for the Cougar offense, and Wood was ready to dish that offense. Her upperclassman tenure with Central Valley will be fascinating.     Bartley Southwest's perfect run ended in the semifinals, but this group will be back. Nelms is a clear reason for optimism after she carved through the EMF defense through much of Friday's match. She was especially effective in Set 3 as the Roughriders rolled to victory to keep the season alive. Nelms is the kind of middle blocker who can shift to the outside to get that key kill in crunch time. That strategy worked wonders in Lincoln.     Gegg's infinite attack patterns make Shelton a difficult team to stop. She can hammer away on the standard middle quick in front of the setter, but Gegg does so much more than that for the Bulldogs. This savvy junior also takes a ton of first-ball volume on the left side and has expanded her repertoire on the slide. This wide array of routes helped Shelton clinch an emphatic 2-0 win against Overton.     Every electrifying offense needs its steadying force in the back row. Gardner embodies this idea in the Superior lineup. The senior libero is a stout passer and is even better at placing transition digs for her setter. This allows Superior's offense to thrive, and Friday's match against BDS offered several moments like this. The result was a thrilling 3-2 win to reach the D1 championship match.     Hughes carries a rare role that is somehow familiar at Overton High School. She hits out of the middle in the front row but also plays middle-back defense along the end line. This six-rotation middle hybrid role was central to Overton's 2023 championship, but the Eagles now have new athletes carrying that banner. Hughes did it well in this year's postseason.     We're carrying on with more utility players who wear multiple hats. Sliva has made her mark as a precise setter who has played in multiple state tournaments with BDS. She also attacks in the front row while presenting tough matchups with her physical block. This talented senior represented the Eagles well in her swan song season.     Sidlo's multi-position journey has taken her to Lincoln Lutheran's right-side hitter spot. The move has generated immediate results with the Warriors wielding an unstoppable pin-to-pin attack. Sidlo's experience as a middle blocker makes her a viable option on crossing pattern and combination plays. We saw the whole route tree get deployed as Lincoln Lutheran defeated Norfolk Catholic to reach the Class C2 title match.     Quality first contacts have given Minden an edge in the team's most hotly contested matches this year. That was the case Friday as Bules delivered dimes to catalyze Minden's four-set win over C1 rival Kearney Catholic. Bules' command of the middle-back area in serve receive opens up opportunities for her hitters to score. She's also a skilled transition digger who anchors Whippet scoring runs like the ones we saw in the semifinals.     Cone gave Pierce a true 1-2 combo at the left-side hitter spot. It's easy to hone in on [player_tooltip player_id='498907' first='Nora' last='Herian']'s monster numbers from the 2024 campaign, but Cone has emerged as a true go-to threat on the other side of the dial. Her quick arm proved critical to helping the Bluejays climb from a 0-2 deficit to force five against Wahoo.     Waido's moment on the state championship stage will go one match further. She engineered a dramatic five-set win over Pierce in which the Warriors had to rebound from dropping the third and fourth sets. Waido's energy and enthusiasm are reflected in her setting style, but she is also eager to attack the ball herself. Look for all these traits to emerge as Wahoo battles Minden for the C1 title.     Havel can score on any tempo she's given--a rare skill for a middle blocker. She is most effective in front of the setter and can score on high-arcing sets as if she's an outside hitter. Havel's length can overwhelm opposing defenses, and we've seen this play out on back-to-back nights in Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Titans triumphed over Johnson-Brock to set up a C2 clash with Lincoln Lutheran.     Hasselbalch changes Norris' frontcourt whenever she rotates in. Her experience as a middle blocker and an opposite allows her to participate in the team's wide repertoire of combination plays. When Hasselbalch is given an open lane to swing though, she knows what to do with it. Even on a night when Norris faced a physical Elkhorn North block, Hasselbalch found ways to score at a high clip and complete a 3-0 victory.     We're staying in the middle for our next Class B entry. Ortmeier has been a versatile contributor with the SkyHawks for multiple seasons, and she's playing her best volleyball right now. She made exceptional blocking reads throughout Skutt Catholic's bout with Waverly. The junior also worked hard in transition to make herself available on in-system plays. The SkyHawks will go for ten consecutive Class B titles when Ortmeier and Skutt Catholic return to the floor on Saturday.     Moone is a high-impact underclassman on a Papillion-La Vista South roster loaded with frontcourt talent. This athletic sophomore uses her explosiveness to terminate without getting a full approach. The Titans use this to their advantage whenever they need to make a scramble play to the left side. Moone's biggest match is ahead in the Class A championship bout.     Elkhorn South operated through its pin hitters in Friday's 3-0 semifinal win over Grand Island. This allowed Bartling to showcase her prowess as one of the team's leaders at the position. Bartling is a rangy hitter who understands how to use the block on less-than-ideal sets. This extends to her role in the backcourt, which has steadily become a fixture in Bartling's game. These all-around skills will be vital when Elkhorn South faces Papio South for the Class A title.

Our evaluation blocks are getting a workout today.