Which Nebraska 2029s Made Immediate Impact on Opening Week?

These are some early first impressions.   Every fall, Nebraska's high school season introduces us to a select few freshmen who immediately rise to the varsity level. The Class of 2029 is next in the freshman spotlight, and we already have several examples of first-year athletes performing well against older peers. Many of these 2029s are representing Nebraska's top volleyball powerhouses, making their freshman feats even more impressive.   Let's highlight these early risers who have lit up the scoreboard after one week of prep play.    Why not rekindle a few memories from July's Prep Dig Freshman Showcase? Zephier-Murphy was one of our top terminators from that La Vista outing, and she has brought her high-efficiency game to the Class A stage with Millard North. She soars over opposing blockers from the middle blocker spot and has made the most of her early attacking opportunities in the Mustang frontcourt. Zephier-Murphy is averaging a 0.383 hitting percentage through 20 sets of play, even as Millard North navigates a tough early-season schedule. We're setting a high bar for the next few years.     We have one more Freshman Showcase top performer to address. Green has quickly entered the starting rotation for four-time defending state champion Lincoln Lutheran. That's already an exceptional accomplishment, but Green is also putting up the numbers to justify her involvement. She is putting down nearly three kills per set while also carving out a backcourt role for the Warriors. Lincoln Lutheran had plenty of question marks heading into this year's title defense,     It's time to keep a running list of names to include in our next 2029 watch list update. Peatrowsky has rocketed to prominence through her relentless scoring onslaught for the upstart Omaha Westview program. This dynamic left-side hitter has amassed 64 kills in 18 sets to lead an otherwise veteran Wolverine lineup. Adding Peatrowsky to the mix has strengthened Westview's foothold in the Omaha scene, as the team is enjoying a winning record through the first handful of contests. We're eager to see if Peatrowsky and the Wolverines can maintain that momentum.     Being a starting freshman setter is a tremendous accomplishment, but athletes like Bolden do even more to defy expectations. She has piloted a balanced Bishop Neumann team to a 5-1 start and has accumulated 9.5 assists per set in the process. This is an impressive mark on the high school stage for any setter, let alone a first-year contributor. The Cavaliers can quickly distinguish themselves as tournament contenders with a few more productive weeks.     Byrd's well-rounded game is already making waves at Elkhorn High School. The Antlers generated headlines with a dramatic five-set win over Gretna East on opening weekend, and Byrd loomed large with 8.4 assists per set during the triumph. She can command three-hitter rotations out of the back row but is also athletic enough to lock things down at the net. Byrd will have no shortage of high-level experience to close out 2025.     Keep an eye on the Star City scene. Tallman landed on our radar through her work with [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'], and she has broken into Lincoln Southeast's lineup to kick off her prep career. She most recently produced an 18-dig effort during LSE's tiebreaker win over cross-town rival Lincoln East. Outside of the box score, Tallman is also an unflappable passer with vocal leadership skills beyond her years. She'll need to harness those skills against Class A's wealth of quality servers.     Our jump-around journey ends in Norfolk with another stat-stuffing libero facing big-city juggernauts. Kluver has logged several memorable performances through the first week of the season, including a 21-dig marathon in Norfolk's 3-2 win over Grand Island. The Panthers have also received a handful of impressive serving runs from their leading defender, adding to Kluver's value from point to point.

These are some early first impressions.