Small-Town Nebraska Teams Surging into Postseason Play (Pt. 2)

We're back for more.   Yesterday, we posed that ever-present question that looms over the late stages of Nebraska's high school season: Who's peaking at the right time? Every year, a team comes out of nowhere to seize some October momentum and shake up the postseason picture. That's especially true on the small-town stage, where parity is always prevalent.   Part 1 has already dropped, but more rural contenders are stepping up.     <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/07/115-Evelyn-Timmons.jpg?w=897" alt="" class="wp-image-576648" style="width:287px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Timmons</figcaption></figure>   Fairbury   We've frequently framed Fairbury as one of Nebraska's "on the cusp" programs. The Jeffs have been so close to breaking a tournament drought dating back to 2005. Another chance awaits this fall.   Fairbury has been the model of consistency since mid-September, winning 17 of its last 19 matches. A challenging early slate did not derail the team's progress, and Fairbury has climbed to the No. 16 spot in the wildcard race. This is as dangerous a team as you'll find outside the top ten.   [player_tooltip player_id='365054' first='Evelyn' last='Timmons']'s takeover potential is the key to Fairbury's high ceiling. The junior outside hitter is terminating 5.9 times per set, but she's not the only go-to attacker in the frontcourt. [player_tooltip player_id='850985' first='Micah' last='Friesen'] has exploded for 4.6 kills per set while expanding her role in a six-rotation capacity. This has precipitated sky-high assist numbers for [player_tooltip player_id='809463' first='Taryn' last='Hinman'], who has a knack for finding the hot hand.     Malcolm   Sure, the Clippers aren't sneaking up on anyone. The Clippers were tournament participants in 2022 and 2023, but this fall is about atoning for last year's hiatus. The goal is within reach.   Malcolm sits fifth in the Class C1 race and has won 11 of its last 12 matches. This second-half heater includes head-turning wins over Centura, Norfolk Catholic, Ashland-Greenwood, and Platteview, among many others.   The Dolliver duo is still all the rage for the Clippers. Sophomore outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='737392' first='Payton' last='Dolliver'] boasts 4.9 kills per set, while fourth-year veteran [player_tooltip player_id='832563' first='Halle' last='Dolliver'] is putting down 4.1. [player_tooltip player_id='828286' first='Laurel' last='Johnson'] anchors a physical middle blocker spot and is hitting nearly 0.300.   More Lincoln highlights could be imminent.     Oakland-Craig   The Knights are back at it again.   Oakland-Craig won its first-ever volleyball title in 2021 and has reached the postseason every year since. So, on the surface, it's easy to dismiss another excellent season from the Knights and their current 22-6 record. However, this team has some reinventing to do after losing several transformative athletes from the 2024 squad.   They've figured it out. Oakland-Craig has won nine of its last ten contests behind the sister duo of [player_tooltip player_id='830464' first='Briar' last='Ray'] and [player_tooltip player_id='737406' first='Hilary' last='Ray']. This outside hitter combo has collectively racked up 9.6 kills per set on some eye-popping efficiency clips. Mia Thomsen has stepped into the setter role to maintain a long history of O-C excellence at the position. Another senior, [player_tooltip player_id='796601' first='Madeline' last='Pearson'], locks down the end line.   This is not a rebuilding year.     <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/10/IMG_4724-edited.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-894615" style="width:381px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Yutan competes in the 2024 Class C2 state tournament.</figcaption></figure>   Yutan   Here's another program that expects to be in this position.   Yutan is working off back-to-back tournament appearances and has maintained its high standards in 2025. The Chieftains underwent an early adjustment period this fall after losing a few of last year's stars to graduation. Those reps are now paying dividends during Yutan's best stretch of the season.   The Chieftains have won five in a row and have only dropped two matches since Sept. 10. Veteran pin hitter [player_tooltip player_id='808058' first='Mylee' last='Tichota'] still anchors the operation with five kills per set, but the emergence of [player_tooltip player_id='575227' first='Jersey' last='Daniels'] and [player_tooltip player_id='790274' first='Ava' last='Frye'] has also boosted Yutan's offense. [player_tooltip player_id='800371' first='Emmy' last='Tederman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='575238' first='Morgan' last='Long'] handle the first two contacts to let these athletes thrive.     Silver Lake   We recently alluded to Silver Lake's big upcoming tilt with Exeter-Milligan/Friend, but let's recognize how strong the Mustangs have been lately.   Silver Lake enters the regular season's final week on a win streak that dates back to Sept. 25. This eight-match string has launched the Mustangs into the No. 15 spot in the Class D2 wildcard hierarchy, and there's more ground to gain with major contests looming.   Under-the-radar attackers like Makenna Karr, Libby Soucek, and [player_tooltip player_id='833640' first='Kamille' last='Karr'] are paving the way for Silver Lake. We've also given a recent shoutout to [player_tooltip player_id='800565' first='Sophie' last='Schmidt'], whose eight digs per set rank among the state's best. [player_tooltip player_id='830586' first='Brooklyn' last='Himmelberg'] is the go-to anchor in the middle.

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