Former Nebraska Prep Stars Taking on 2024 D1 NCAA Tourney (Pt. 2)

Let's move to the right side of the bracket.

Yesterday, we covered a handful of Nebraska natives preparing to compete in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 volleyball tournament. That feature was limited to the left side of the field, so we're only halfway to the finish line.

The list is complete with Part 2.

Penn State

In case you aren't keeping track, we're three-for-three on No. 1 seeds with Nebraska natives.

Alliance High School legend Jordan Hopp bolsters Penn State's strong lineup at middle blocker. Her multi-sport dominance helped put the Bulldogs on the map, particularly through the team's 2018 state tournament appearance. Hopp joined the Nittany Lions after several successful seasons at Iowa State.

Marquette

True freshman setter Malayah Long is awaiting her turn in the spotlight. Marquette has an all-American setter leading this year's team, but Long brings that kind of potential for future seasons.

The Lincoln Southwest prep star brought the Silver Hawks to new heights. Long's up-tempo, precise offense lifted LSW to its first-ever volleyball title last fall. She'll be acquainted with more high-level volleyball with one of the Big East's most consistent collegiate programs.

Texas

The two-time defending champions boast one of Nebraska's most recognizable prep names of the 2020s.

Junior outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein joined Texas during the offseason to offer her services at either pin position. Her memorable prep tenure at Waverly wrapped up with over 1,300 kills and multiple state tournament appearances. She also cemented her legendary status with the Vikings after hauling in hardware as a track and field athlete, too.

Southern California

Skutt Catholic alums are everywhere--including Southern California.

Paisley Douglas was one of many SkyHawks to win a state title in each of her four years with the Class B dynasty. She was also the only graduating senior from Skutt Catholic's 2023 championship team, so she knows how to carry high-profile leadership roles. Douglas has already seen court time with the Women of Troy and will likely contend for the libero role next year.

Ole Miss

Superior High School has seen its share of stars lately, but few brought infectious energy and passion like Shayla Meyer.

Meyer's Wildcats were always a must-see team on the small-town scene. It's no surprise to see the record-setting outside hitter thriving at Ole Miss, where she sits second on the team with 288 kills. Better yet, Meyer is heading home to compete in the Creighton sub-regional in Omaha.

South Dakota

Buckle up for this one. South Dakota punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Summit League Tournament title--and had seven Nebraskans along for the ride.

Where do we even start? USD's top two terminators are both Nebraska natives who dominated the prep scene in different eras. Kylen Sealock is a seasoned senior who elevated Lincoln Pius X to greatness during her tenure. She is accompanied by freshman outside hitter Lauren Medeck, a six-rotation star who won multiple state titles with Papio South and was our No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2024.

In fact, the Coyotes' outside hitter spot is almost exclusively anchored by Nebraskans. Omaha Westside's Samantha Laird and Norfolk's Carly Ries add to the wealth of firepower at South Dakota's disposal, and Laird has performed admirably during her starting opportunities.

What about the middle blockers? Both starters are Nebraskans there, too. Freshman Morgan Bode has led the team in blocks while working alongside Medeck, her teammate in high school and club. Omaha Marian's Amanda Loschen runs the other side of the rotation and leads USD in hitting percentage.

Graduate transfer Barrett Power joined the USD crew after four years at Colorado State. The Lincoln Christian grad bolsters the Coyotes' ball control, particularly through her aggressive serves.

Fittingly, this whole Nebraska gang is going to Omaha to face Creighton in the opening round. What a homecoming.

Creighton

How about the Bluejays?

Creighton has commanded the Big East for the last decade, so 2024 was just another conference championship for the trophy case. And, as you'd expect, homegrown talent looms large.

Senior outside hitter Norah Sis has seemingly earned every individual accolade imaginable with Creighton. The former Papio standout has been the conference player of the year, an all-American, and a participant in the NCAA's regional round. She leads the Bluejays with 394 kills on a 0.318 clip.

Sophomore pin hitter Destiny Ndam-Simpson has been willing to fill various roles throughout her collegiate career. We've seen the Omaha Westside star play on both pins and is hitting 0.410 this season. Her reps are bound to increase next year.

Gretna standout Sky McCune has also been an important contributor over the past few seasons. She was a high-flying outside hitter during her prep days, but McCune has primarily wielded her ball control prowess with the Bluejays.

Speaking of ball control, former GICC setter Katie Maser has seen some action during the 2024 campaign. Her smooth setting helped cement the growing GICC dynasty several years ago, and Maser is still going strong with another unstoppable volleyball program.

Keep an eye on native freshmen like Alivia Hausmann and Nora Wurtz. Hausmann has already weaponized her lethal serve on several occasions this year, while Wurtz is poised to make a future impact at middle blocker.

Texas A&M

Ital Lopuyo is finding her groove in the hard-hitting Southeastern Conference.

The Omaha Central grad dazzled us with her length and physicality when she competed on the prep stage. She showed her strength at the middle blocker spot, but Lopuyo has primarily played on the right side as part of Texas A&M's 6-2 variation. Her appearances have become more common during the late-season stretch, so keep tabs on the Aggies this weekend.

South Dakota State

We're back in the Summit League.

SDSU suffered a narrow defeat to their in-state rivals in the Summit League finale, but the Jackrabbits got in through their season-long resume. This was the final squad to fall from the unbeaten ranks in D1, and Annalee Ventling-Brown played a big role in that effort.

We remember watching this Lincoln East grad overwhelm opposing offenses with her blocking technique. That storyline has panned out in the college ranks with Ventling-Brown compiling nearly a block per set. Ventling-Brown is heading back home to Lincoln for an opening-round matchup with Miami.

Nebraska

Finally, we find the Cornhuskers at the bottom corner of the bracket.

It's a clean four-for-four sweep of No. 1 seeds having Nebraska natives on their rosters. The two-time defending champions have a quartet of in-state standouts with Maisie Boesiger, Olivia Mauch, Lindsay Krause, and Rebekah Allick carrying the homegrown banner.

Boesiger was a record-setting serving threat at Norris and has brought some key scoring runs behind the line at Nebraska. The former Titan arrived at the same time as Allick, a former Waverly standout who frequently faced off with Boesiger on the prep stage. Allick is fourth in the Big Ten in blocks per set.

Krause is the veteran of the group and has one more tournament journey with the Huskers. She was a key member of Nebraska's runner-up squad in 2021 and got back to that stage last year. The Skutt Catholic star's willingness to play on either pin has been the defining trait of her collegiate career.

Mauch has already carved out a major role with Nebraska as a true freshman. The former Bennington standout makes a trip across the back row as a DS and has graded among the country's best passers. She may have a future tenure in the contrasting jersey to carry on Nebraska's rich history of extraordinary liberos.