Upset-Minded Teams to Watch at 2024 NSAA State Championships

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've already seen plenty of upsets through Nebraska's districts and sub-districts. Why not keep the streak going at the state tournament?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Underdogs and Cinderella teams will be the prevailing storylines as we watch this year's state tournament unfold. This is especially true after all the parity among top teams in the regular season, so good luck filling out those brackets before Wednesday morning.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's consider a few upset-minded teams before the action begins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Class A - #6 Elkhorn South</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Storm were due for a postseason return. Let's see how far the 2020 champs can climb.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Consider 2024 as the culmination of a multi-year grind for Elkhorn South. This powerhouse program fielded young squads over the past few years, eventually yielding an experienced group this fall. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='189370' first='Julia' last='Ringenberg'] runs the offense at the setter spot and has several effective options in the front row. Class of 2025 standout [player_tooltip player_id='173520' first='Ava' last='Stone'] leads the charge in the middle and is accompanied by rising 2026 star [player_tooltip player_id='275902' first='Siena' last='Sumner']. [player_tooltip player_id='173519' first='Isabel' last='Junior']'s backcourt leadership ensures that these middles get plenty of in-system opportunities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elkhorn South meets Fremont in the quarterfinals. Expect a battle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Class B - #8 Lincoln Pius X</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've been building up Lincoln Pius X's late-season charge for a while, culminating in a district final triumph and a tournament bid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Thunderbolts returned a handful of impactful players from last year's team that earned a berth in the Class A quarterfinals. However, Pius took a while to find its footing as a Class B squad while playing one of the state's most intimidating schedules. Though the team endured several low points throughout the regular season, the Thunderbolts became a battle-tested group that found its form at the right time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pius has eye-popping performers in every phase of the game. Senior hybrid attacker [player_tooltip player_id='189362' first='Faith' last='Venable'] leads the offense with 5.4 kills per set on a 0.295 clip. The University of Nebraska Omaha commit has developed as a strong pin attacker for Pius, even if her native position might be at middle blocker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='495060' first='Emilia' last='Reiling'] has put up astonishing numbers at the libero position. Her 6.8 digs per set rank among the best in the Cornhusker State. She also churns out the quality passes that won't show up on a box score.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":715086,"width":"412px","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/5/2024/11/IMG_9408-edited.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-715086" style="width:412px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Yutan competes at the 2023 NSAA State Championships.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lincoln Pius X gets another shot at No. 1 Norris after coming up short against the Titans in last week's sub-district final.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Class C1 - #6 Wahoo</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wahoo is eager to restore its championship tradition. The Warriors got closer after securing a big win over Holdrege in Saturday's district finals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offensive production is the big storyline with this No. 6 seed. Wahoo has three attackers averaging over three kills per set, and they're all seniors looking to go out on top. [player_tooltip player_id='173526' first='McKenna' last='Smith'] is building off a strong club campaign with 3.8 kills per set this fall. [player_tooltip player_id='269932' first='Gretchen' last='Seagren'] and [player_tooltip player_id='516729' first='Chloe' last='Kasischke'] are not far behind. The entire group is tied together by [player_tooltip player_id='173537' first='Audrey' last='Waido'], another senior who is dishing out perfect sets with amazing consistency.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Up next: a tournament showdown with Scotus Central Catholic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Class C2 - #5 Yutan</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yutan thrived during last year's tournament, so this might not be as much of an underdog pick as the rest. Still, the Chieftans are a force to be reckoned with at the No. 5 spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This squad's trio of captains will loom large in another postseason race. Junior outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='497412' first='Mylee' last='Tichota'] leads the offense. [player_tooltip player_id='512044' first='Mckenna' last='Jones'] and [player_tooltip player_id='495055' first='Gabi' last='Tederman'] have also contributed to the team's balance and ball control en route to a 28-1 record.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Such a successful season doesn't often yield a No. 5 seed, but that's how stacked Class C2 has been.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Class D1 - #8 Diller-Odell</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Diller-Odell has an excellent track record in recent tournament appearances, but this year's journey feels a bit different than the rest. This path starts with a matchup against the top seed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Griffins pushed past Weeping Water and Tri County to start its upset charge through the postseason. These results were not a fluke. Diller-Odell toppled Nebraska Christian in the district finals to give us a rare tournament berth for a No. 13 district seed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='173559' first='Myleigh' last='Weers'] and [player_tooltip player_id='269939' first='Baileigh' last='Vilda'] will lead proceedings in Lincoln. This senior duo combines for over nine kills per set while adding much more scoring in the blocking phase. Junior setter [player_tooltip player_id='275969' first='Berkelee' last='Beekman'] will lean on both veteran attackers as Diller-Odell battles undefeated Bartley Southwest in the opening round.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Class D2 - #7 Wynot</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wynot knows how to perform on the championship stage. Last year's semifinal triumph was just the start for the Blue Devils, as Wynot has just clinched another bid in the Class D2 bracket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This No. 7 seed looks to [player_tooltip player_id='497421' first='Kenna' last='Oligmueller'] to anchor the offense. She's a versatile junior attacker who is putting down nearly four kills per set this season. She captured our attention last fall and has kept rolling since that breakthrough trip to Lincoln.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='495095' first='Sophia' last='Geisen'] sets the offense while [player_tooltip player_id='731662' first='Jaylin' last='Geisen'] leads the backcourt defense. This family-oriented cohesion will be on display when Wynot battles defending champion Overton in the quarterfinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->