Former Nebraska Prep Stars Taking on 2024 D1 NCAA Tourney (Pt. 1)

Perhaps you've heard these names before.

Every December, we take a little time to insert some college volleyball chatter into our prep volleyball blog. Now that the NCAA's Division 1 volleyball bracket has been released, it's time to renew that tradition.

We have all the teams and players to follow if you're looking for some Nebraska representation this weekend. This feature has the left side of the bracket.

Pittsburgh

Why not start with the No. 1 overall seed?

The Pitt Panthers have dominated the college volleyball field while wielding a true freshman from Lincoln East. Mallorie Meyer comes off the bench to deliver tough serves for one of the nation's best at that skill. Her valuable experience in 2024 could yield bigger reps in the future, and Pitt surely won't give up its spot among the NCAA's elite.

Hawai'i

2024 has been a breakout year for sophomore outside hitter Stella Adeyemi.

Adeyemi was a fan favorite at Papillion-La Vista South, and it wasn't hard to see why. Her awe-inspiring, high-flying terminations helped the Titans lock up multiple state championships. The University of Hawai'i is now enjoying some of that magic with Adeyemi racking up over 200 kills this year. The Rainbow Wahine clinched another Big West title last week and will lean on Adeyemi through the postseason push.

High Point

Allie Gray has earned her second tournament appearance in as many years with High Point.

Gray was a four-time state champion at Omaha Skutt Catholic, demonstrating her competitiveness in big moments. That has served her well at High Point, where she was named the 2023 Big South Setter of the Year after transferring in from Arizona State. The Panthers repeated as conference champions this year with Gray leading the team in assists again.

Oregon

The Oregon Ducks are stacked with talented, experienced middle blockers, but Mia Tvrdy has still seen the floor as a true freshman.

Tvrdy has earned some time in the Oregon lineup in Year 1 and even got to start against Nebraska. We have an infinite highlight reel from Tvrdy's prep days at Papillion-La Vista and Premier Nebraska, where her slide attacks were nearly unstoppable. Quick, agile middles like Tvrdy are coveted at Oregon, so expect to see her play a featured role in future seasons.

Missouri

The Missouri Tigers are surging back to volleyball prominence, and Regan Haith has been right in the middle of it.

This Lincoln Pius X grad spent her first two collegiate seasons at Illinois State before joining Dawn Sullivan's Tigers in Columbia. Haith is enjoying the best output of her career with triple-digit kills on a 0.415 clip. She owns Missouri's best individual blocking total, too.

Wichita State

Katie Galligan is the unquestioned leader of Wichita State's backcourt.

We saw the junior's impact potential when she locked down Elkhorn South's libero jersey for multiple seasons. She racked up nearly 1,000 career digs and was a staple of exceptional defenses at Nebraska Elite. Galligan has now seized the contrasting jersey at Wichita State and helped the Shockers clinch the auto-bid in The American.

Purdue

Grace Heaney's sophomore season at Purdue has been limited due to injury, but we have fond memories of her enormous impact at Elkhorn North.

This athletic lefty was part of Elkhorn North's first-ever volleyball class. She brought the Wolves to the state tournament in 2021 and went a step the following year with a trip to the state title match. Her 1,400 career kills set a high bar for every future Elkhorn North athlete to chase, and we're eager to see Heaney back on the court.

Northern Iowa

Elkhorn North is back on the board.

True freshman setter Reese Booth has had a busy debut season with Northern Iowa. She faced off against her mother, Creighton Head Coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth, in the non-conference slate. Then, Booth helped set the Panthers to an undefeated Missouri Valley campaign and a conference title. UNI deployed a two-setter system throughout much of 2024, and Booth was put in the mix right away.

Louisville

We're wrapping up the left side of the bracket with a pair of Nebraska natives at Louisville.

Like Booth, Wahoo native Elle Glock has been a focal point of Louisville's two-setter offense. Glock landed on the national radar with her incredible distribution at VCNebraska and a state championship effort with Wahoo High School. Now, she's chasing a national championship with one of the tournament's four No. 1 seeds.

Sophomore outside hitter Alanna Bankston adds to the Nebraska flair for Louisville Head Coach Dani Busboom Kelly, a native Cornhusker herself. Bankston lit up opposing offenses at Millard West and played about every position under the sun during her prep tenure.