Who’s on Top in Class A? Making the Case for Each Title Contender

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Is this the year of unprecedented Class A parity?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class A volleyball naturally draws a lot of attention every fall. Nebraska's top big-city programs clash with recognizable stars going head-to-head. It's the perfect setup for elite competition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However, most fall seasons tend to have that one championship favorite. Papillion-La Vista South has taken up that mantle in recent years, but several other Class A powerhouses have filled that niche throughout the Cornhusker State's rich prep volleyball history. But do we have a runaway favorite in 2025?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No team has been invincible. The top of Class A's wildcard chart has shuffled several times over the past several weeks, and we're left to wonder who will step up when postseason pressure mounts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's lay out the arguments in favor of each frontrunner. You be the judge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Papillion-La Vista South</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perhaps we're blowing this "parity" thing out of proportion. There's a reason Papio South has won three out of the last four Class A titles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Titans have a chance to silence all these counterarguments by capturing another Class A crown this fall. Papio South is 21-9 heading into the final stretch, but this team might be more battle-tested than any other team featured here. A mid-season excursion to Las Vegas allowed Papio South to hone its skills against the nation's best. Further out-of-state contests happened at the Skutt Catholic Invite.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's not just the schedule that fuels optimism toward the two-time defending champs. Papio South's offense is also incredibly balanced, with [player_tooltip player_id='807803' first='Lyric' last='Judson'], [player_tooltip player_id='503568' first='Makenna' last='Sanders'], and [player_tooltip player_id='396751' first='Finley' last='Moone'] putting away at least 2.5 kills per set. Judson and [player_tooltip player_id='349416' first='Maddie' last='Larsen'] are hitting north of 0.300. The Titans also might have the state's top setter duo and the best senior libero.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Will we get the status quo after all?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/1961814550162088228","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/1961814550162088228 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Lincoln North Star</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last year's conclusion provided all the confidence needed to turn Lincoln North Star into a true title threat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":894654,"width":"389px","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_0300-edited.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-894654" style="width:389px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lincoln North Star competes at the 2025 LPS Classic.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Navigators arrived on the Class A scene in the early 2000s and didn't take long to log some postseason appearances. However, North Star recently experienced a multi-year rut that turned into a decade-long tournament drought. The dry spell ended dramatically last year as the Navigators scored a district final upset over Grand Island to reach the quarterfinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>North Star expects to be back. This is currently the No. 1 team in the wildcard race with a 24-4 mark. The program has not won a Class A quarterfinal contest in six tries, adding extra drive to create new milestones.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we've mentioned in prior features, club cohesion might be the secret formula for North Star. A loaded [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 16 Black team from the spring season has produced the leading trio of Navigator attackers: [player_tooltip player_id='458167' first='Delainey' last='Volkmer'], [player_tooltip player_id='807924' first='Elsie' last='Schmidt'], and [player_tooltip player_id='521266' first='Lauren' last='McKernan']. Starting ball-control gems [player_tooltip player_id='458146' first='Alex' last='Kroll'] and [player_tooltip player_id='774919' first='Marie' last='Paneitz'] also starred for that [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] group. This is a year-round juggernaut.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Will a high seeding in the Class A tournament help propel North Star to uncharted territory?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Millard South</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perhaps a tournament "newcomer" can bring a fearless attitude to the fray.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yes, we've seen Millard South in the postseason before. The Patriots last reached the big dance in 2019, but the ultimate prize has eluded Millard South through the school's history in the sport. This is a squad with every reason to play with nothing to lose.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Patriots have gone toe-to-toe with several Class A frontrunners, notching wins over Omaha Marian and Elkhorn South. And, like Papio South, Millard South added a high-profile trek and visited Phoenix in late September.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Veteran leadership is a big plus for Millard South. Senior libero [player_tooltip player_id='349472' first='Emeline' last='Myers'] is back to putting up wild numbers while also feeding perfect passes to veteran setter [player_tooltip player_id='556154' first='Bailey' last='Wyzenski']. [player_tooltip player_id='253934' first='Scotlyn' last='Erwin'] and [player_tooltip player_id='464926' first='Lexi' last='DeyErmand'] are terminating with ruthless efficiency. The prominent underclassman anomaly is Madi Jacobson, a sophomore pin hitter terminating 2.7 times per set.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Omaha Marian</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Are we gearing up for the next Marian dynasty?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most fans will remember when Omaha Marian was the trendsetter in Class A. The Crusaders won four state titles from 2013-17 and appeared in every state tournament between 1993 and 2018. This program knows how to get it done.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marian's 2025 lineup is stacked with players who embrace these lofty expectations. [player_tooltip player_id='458162' first='Taylor' last='McLeay'], [player_tooltip player_id='458163' first='Erin' last='Cramer'], and [player_tooltip player_id='458362' first='Campbell' last='Capece'] have competed together on the club stage and are upgrading their cohesion further with the Crusaders. It's not just about the Class of 2027, either. Senior setter [player_tooltip player_id='396745' first='Addison' last='Janke'] has been a perfect fit for the starting role, and fellow 2026s [player_tooltip player_id='349464' first='Annabella' last='Suljuzovic'] and [player_tooltip player_id='582839' first='Alena' last='Kehm'] add to the veteran flair for Marian.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Best of all, the Crusaders are on a six-match winning streak heading into the Metro Conference Tournament. Let's keep it going.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/1969420637468049724","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/1969420637468049724 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Omaha Westside</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Omaha Westside hasn't always been a household name in the Class A hierarchy, but we're in the middle of a Warrior renaissance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If tournament pedigree is your thing, the Warriors have made every state tournament since 2021. This was the end of nearly 20 consecutive years of missing out on the final eight. 2022 gave us Westside's second-ever trip to the Class A championship match, and things have only looked up from there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We like this team's medley of youth and experience. It's the perfect roster makeup for a postseason run. High-flying seniors like [player_tooltip player_id='276195' first='Makenzie' last='Wingett'] and [player_tooltip player_id='253928' first='Madeline' last='Lamb'] continue to operate in the frontcourt, but emerging freshmen Hensley Harlan and Sophia Meister have also been major starting contributors. Scouting this team is tough, as Wingett and [player_tooltip player_id='458184' first='Myla' last='Deats'] can flex into various positions along the net.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Warriors are hosting a big invite this weekend to pad their high-level experience before the Metro Conference Tournament. Late-season challenges are always a bonus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->