Small-Town Nebraska Teams Surging into Postseason Play (Pt. 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've said before: peak at the right time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unfinished business remains in Nebraska's 2025 high school season. Still, the mid-October slate is the final chance to make an impression before the stakes rise in districts and sub-districts. It's also a time to find out which squads are catching fire when it matters most.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you're looking for some surprise small-town tournament entrants next month, they might come from these features. Let chaos reign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Bishop Neumann</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We can always expect some postseason intrigue from the Wahoo schools.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bishop Neumann has taken Class C1 by storm since the calendar turned to October. This rise came to a dramatic crescendo at last weekend's Centennial Conference Tournament, where the Cavaliers toppled Columbus Scotus, Lincoln Christian, Kearney Catholic, and Hastings St. Cecilia. The momentum wasn't slowed there, as Bishop Neumann picked up an additional Tuesday triumph over Class C2 frontrunner Norfolk Catholic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='568816' first='Kyler' last='Cada'] continues to build off her exceptional club campaign with [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last='']. She is averaging 4.6 kills per set while also leading the team with a 0.227 attacking percentage. Meanwhile, junior standout [player_tooltip player_id='830557' first='Brooke' last='Thiele'] has given the Cavaliers an elite 1-2 combo on the left side to eliminate any weak rotations in the starting lineup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Gothenburg</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Is history repeating itself?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Swedes have been a tournament mainstay in recent years, but their path to Lincoln hasn't always been easy. Gothenburg used a late-season charge last fall to break into the Class C1 tournament as the No. 8 seed. Another underdog run could be looming.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gothenburg has earned seven victories in the last eight outings before this weekend's Southwest Conference Invitational. Upperclassmen [player_tooltip player_id='834975' first='Lindly' last='Anderson'] and Zoe Beveridge have led the scoring with over 2.5 kills per set apiece. The Swedes have also benefited from two senior distributors, with Ruby Bell and [player_tooltip player_id='850990' first='Peyton' last='Hilbers'] running the show.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":894516,"width":"381px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/10/IMG_6926-edited.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-894516" style="width:381px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lewis competes with South Central NE 16 Black during the 2025 club season.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">St. Paul</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Never count out the Wildcats.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Paul was a common preseason discussion topic in Class C2. The Wildcats are stacked with frontcourt talent, boasting terminators like [player_tooltip player_id='807986' first='Katlyn' last='Oakley'], [player_tooltip player_id='811208' first='Aubree' last='Fitzgerald'], and [player_tooltip player_id='817741' first='Piepyr' last='Klinginsmith'] along the net. We've also watched [player_tooltip player_id='591548' first='Keislyn' last='Poss'] and [player_tooltip player_id='800227' first='Zaya' last='Lewis'] flourish in the ball control phase to give St. Paul consistent first and second contacts for its offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wildcats have won five of their last six contests heading into the final weekend of regular-season play. This stint was highlighted by a 2-0 win over Wynot, the top wildcard squad in Class D2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Bloomfield</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class D1 still has a lot to sort out before the postseason, opening up opportunities for teams like Bloomfield to gain ground.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bloomfield has won eight of its last nine matches--the perfect prelude to the Lewis and Clark Conference Tournament. Class D1 has a head-spinning number of winning teams, so the Bees still have plenty of gain potential in the wildcard hierarchy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore sensation Madison Mlady has been the star of the show with 3.5 kills per set. She is joined by fellow 2028s Kysa Loecker and Aleah James, giving Bloomfield a solid foundation for future breakthroughs. Perhaps that breakthrough comes ahead of schedule.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":255173,"width":"365px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","align":"right"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/8_Sydney-Hengelfelt-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-255173" style="width:365px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hengelfelt</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Cross County</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>More drama is brewing in Stromsburg.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cross County has made its share of treks to Lincoln lately, so this late momentum is no surprise. The Cougars are on a six-match winning streak before Thursday's clash with Meridian. Tuesday brought the team's best, as Cross County won a dramatic five-set thriller against the defending Class D2 champion, Shelton. Now, the ever-competitive Crossroads Conference Tournament awaits.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 star [player_tooltip player_id='219728' first='Sydney' last='Hengelfelt'] has returned to form. We've seen her hit and set for Cross County, but her termination has taken center stage in 2025. Hengelfelt boasts five kills per set while also being one of the Cougars' top defensive contributors. [player_tooltip player_id='735116' first='Ava' last='Pruter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='812589' first='Cortina' last='Donnelly'] have also stepped up from the sophomore ranks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even if this isn't the year for a postseason breakthrough, Cross County is set up for greatness in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Garden County</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's venture into Class D2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Garden County has seemingly flown under the radar en route to a 20-3 record. The Eagles have soared to the No. 5 spot in the D2 wildcard standings after notching wins in 15 of their last 16 matches. That's a hot streak.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='809851' first='Ridglyn' last='Stanczyk'] has continued her ascent with four kills per set in her swan song season. She also has a stellar supporting cast with sophomore libero [player_tooltip player_id='834094' first='Kenley' last='Dehning'] churning out 4.8 digs per set. Balance and ball control will remain storylines during Garden County's climb to the final eight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->