New Middle Blockers Invade Nebraska 2026 Rankings

We always have room for more athletes in our rankings—especially after these middle blockers dominated the high school circuit this fall.   Our Nebraska 2026 rankings are still evolving, as we started to discuss with our tournament stock-riser feature. We also have plenty of fresh faces to cover with the middle blocker position well represented.   This has been an excellent week to bring middles into the spotlight, so let's do it again.    We couldn't forget about this rising star from the Class C2 runner-up. Havel carved up opposing defenses en route to the C2 title match and hit indefensible angles in front of the setter. She put down nearly 2.5 kills per set this fall while upping her career hitting efficiency by about 100 points. The Titans graduate some impactful seniors from this year's squad, but Havel should be the unquestioned veteran leader in 2025.     This feature will have some strong small-town influence, and Riley adds to the trend after an impressive junior campaign at Pleasanton. The veteran middle blockers racked up over three kills per set while terminating on an impressive 0.297 clip. Riley is also willing to extend her range and take clutch sideout swings on the pin. The Bulldogs were firmly in the wildcard hunt this season and are likely to building on 2024's winning effort.     St. Mary's has been a perennial postseason contender with athletes like Williamson leading the way. This multi-sport star racked up 3.6 kills per set this year while shouldering swings from just about anywhere. Williamson's physicality makes her an ideal fit for the middle blocker position, where she can put a lid on opposing attackers from pin to pin. St. Mary's is also eager to vary tempos and give Williamson a wide array of balls to swing at. Her upward trajectory could lead to even bigger output next fall.     We're expanding our reach in the Omaha area to include this high-flying athlete from Omaha Benson. Newson embraced the fierce competition that embodies Class A volleyball. She put down nearly three kills per set for the Bunnies and worked hard to make herself available in transition. This junior athlete also exhibited tremendous vision to work around or through any hands in front of her. We're eager to watch the next stage of Newson development, but landing on the watch list is already a big milestone.     The North Platte frontcourt made big strides in 2024. Williams anchored this surge by amassing over 250 kills in the middle of the net. She has all the skills to be a go-to M1 and is not afraid to vary her routes in two-hitter rotations. All of these accomplishments have come with Williams and North Platte competing against some of Nebraska's most formidable dynasties, so this group is surely battle-tested for future seasons.     The middle blocker position was undoubtedly a strength for this year's Kearney Catholic squad. Wright fortified the net for the Stars and hit nearly 0.300 during KCHS's return journey to the postseason. Wright's length also produced plenty of positive block touches to set up Kearney Catholic's lethal transition offense. Veteran leadership is mounting as the Stars focus on extending their tournament streak.     Our middle journey ends in central Nebraska with an emerging athlete from Bertrand High School. Schoene has made frequent appearances in the Bertrand lineup since her freshman year, and now she's a steady leader at the middle blocker spot. She piled up kills at a 0.253 clip and also chipped in with half a block per set. This well-rounded effort helped the Vikings post an 18-13 record in the ever-competitive Class D2 field.

We always have room for more athletes in our rankings—especially after these middle blockers dominated the high school circuit this fall.