Hot Hitters from the Nebraska Freshman Showcase

<p>There were so many excellent hitters from the Freshman Showcase that I had to dedicate an entire article to them before moving on to the older classes. Many of these athletes are around 14 years old and will grow by leaps and bounds as athletes and as people. They will encounter many changes in the next couple of years until college coaches start to approach them to commit to future teams. Let's look at them in their new and natural state as they enter high school and embark on the changes yet to come.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='769899' first='Kenna' last='Cattlett']</h2>   <p>Cattlett is a 5'7" outside hitter from Omaha South High School. Cattlett has a ton of power and passion when she hits. She is capable of tons of kills in a set and is a great teammate. She is smart in her play and does not waste energy if it is not needed. She always seems ready to go when it is her time to shine.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/07/IMG_7902-crop-1017x668-1753595025.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-848195" style="width:209px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='775942' first='Jayla' last='Green'], outside hitter from Lincoln Lutheran HS, class of 2029.</figcaption></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='775942' first='Jayla' last='Green']</h2>   <p>Green is a 5'7" outside hitter from Lincoln Lutheran High School. She has great athleticism, a high volleyball IQ, and will perform well anywhere on the court. She has big brain energy and can beat a big block with her power and her wits.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='775972' first='Leah' last='Brunssen']</h2>   <p>Brunssen is a 5'10" outside hitter from Platteview High School. Brunssen is the only player I have seen almost lower herself to the ground to dig up a ball and stay upright. That is some hard work evidenced out there to be able to do that. She has an awesome skill set offensively and defensively as well. She can hit, block, dig, and serve with ease and athleticism. One of my favorite hitters of the day, for sure.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='775345' first='Olivia' last='Stites']</h2>   <p>Stites is a 5'8" right-side hitter from Platteview High School. This athlete is cool as a cucumber and has a high volleyball IQ as well as skills on the floor. She has an innate ability to see the opening to score during a scramble on the floor and won the point for her team by tipping over a huge block that ended up being mis-timed in the end. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='716534' first='Julia' last='Flaming']</h2>   <p>Flaming is a 5'6" right-side hitter from Paxton Consolidated Schools. Flaming learns fast and displays a high IQ on the court. She has speed and power. She covers a lot of ground when in the middle of a match, and she looks as good in the back row as the front. She is an effective tool anywhere on the court and is a good listener to instructions. She hits hard and with accuracy and is a positive element on any team.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-thumbnail"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/07/IMG_7910.jpeg?w=150&h=150&crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-848201" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='790348' first='Kyla' last='Gangwish'], outside hitter from Gretna, class of 2029. </figcaption></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='790348' first='Kyla' last='Gangwish']</h2>   <p>Gangwish is a 5'10" outside hitter from Gretna, Nebraska. She was selected as a top performer at the showcase today and has a powerful swing and good vertical. She gets the job done on the court and is an effective member of her team all the time. She has a high volleyball IQ and finds the places to hit the ball to on the court that no one is covering. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='826128' first='Lainee' last='Cook']</h2>   <p>Cook is a 5'8" outside hitter from Battle Creek Public Schools in Nebraska. Cook looks innocuous at first, but once she is set, she coils up, and a beast emerges. She flies when she jumps and gets some air under her. She is deadly on the outside and seems kind of sneaky in the back row, where she attacks without a lot of fanfare but ends up with the points. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='836004' first='Hayden' last='Hopwood']</h2>   <p>Hopwood is a 5'9" outside hitter from Shelby-Rising City, Nebraska. Hopwood can jump very high. She leaves the floor with an athletic surge and hits the ball hard. She is accurate when taking shots at her favorite places and is a threat all over the court. She is as good at front row shots as she is with a back row attack. Impressive athlete.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='845825' first='Josie' last='Morrow']</h2>   <p>Morrow is a 5'9" outside hitter from Sandhills High School in Dunning, Nebraska. Morrow's defensive skills are amazing! She has a great platform used to dig up balls hit hard at her, she has soft hands, and is a hard-hitting power player as well. She is an immense talent on the court.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='847022' first='Rawley' last='Olson']</h2>   <p>Olson is a 5'7" outside hitter from Standing Bear High School in Lincoln, Nebraska. Olson has great speed and athleticism, along with a high vertical. She has great ball placement on the court when hitting powerfully from the net. She can hit the same spot on the back boundary line at least 5 times in a row and in either corner, she is spot on. She is a powerful and athletic opponent with a high volleyball IQ and will be hard to beat one-on-one.</p>   <p></p>   <p></p>

There were so many excellent hitters from the Freshman Showcase that I had to dedicate an entire article to them before moving on to the older classes. Many of these athletes are around 14 years old and will grow by leaps and bounds as athletes and as people. They will encounter many changes in the next couple of years until college coaches start to approach them to commit to future teams. Let's look at them in their new and natural state as they enter high school and embark on the changes yet to come.