Instant Stars at 2025 NSAA State Volleyball Championships: Day 2

Let's run it back.   Thursday's tournament slate brought Class C2, D1, and D2 into the quarterfinal fray. As expected, we saw much of the same drama, intensity, and standout performances that defined <a href="https://prepdig.com/2025/11/instant-stars-at-2025-nsaa-state-volleyball-championships-day-1/">Day 1</a>.   A new wave of top performers awaits.    Oligmueller was as advertised. Good luck trying to put a positional designation on Oligmueller, as she can carry any role for Class D2's top seed. Wynot used their star senior as a pin hitter and a middle blocker at the net, exploiting whichever matchup was most favorable. Oligmueller is lethal in the middle, but she also rotates into the middle-back area to provide persistent defense and scoring at the end line. Her stat-stuffing campaign continues in Friday's semifinals.     The youth movement is here. We wondered which freshmen would shine brightest under state tournament pressure, and Jones delivered for second-seeded Sumner-Eddyville-Miller. This middle-pin hybrid player notched a double-double with 11 kills and 17 digs, exhibiting her full range around the dial. Jones reminds us of other recent Mustang legends with her ability to move around the net and terminate in any gap. The quest to repeat 2023's triumph continues.     Cambridge's all-around leader produced another gem in Thursday's quarterfinals. We've seen her wield positional range as a setter and a hitter, but there's no question Holtze is the go-to terminator on this year's team. She exploded for 19 kills in the Trojans' straight-set win over Mullen and wanted the ball in every situation. Holtze also dished out a handful of assists to her teammates and finished one dig shy of a double-double. She's an easy choice for your all-tournament team, but unfinished business remains.     Spargo's meteoric rise reached new heights in the biggest match of her career. The sophomore middle blocker's explosiveness and range were immediately apparent as the Tiger offense soared against Garden County. Spargo was an indispensable piece of Dundy County-Stratton's quick patterns and combination plays, giving opposing blockers a lot to think about in transition. The 2028 standout was also a defensive force with a team-leading five blocks, thrusting Dundy County-Stratton to the D2 semifinals.     Mitchell's inclusion on this list is no surprise. She led Class D1 No. 1 Amherst with 3.5 kills per set this year, but she managed to rocket past that total in her 2025 tournament return. The high-flying pin hitter registered 18 kills during Amherst's grueling four-set battle with Cross County. Mitchell's entrance into the frontcourt was the Broncos' cue to run points, and they did just enough to win Thursday's duel.     Cross County has leveraged plenty of senior leadership on this year's squad, but Pruter is the next in line to take that mantle. The junior stayed in lockstep with fellow outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='219728' first='Sydney' last='Hengelfelt'] in the kill column, producing double-digit terminations before the end of Set 3. This balanced effort helped the Cougars push Amherst to its limit in the 1-versus-8 contest.     Overton has boasted a lot of terminal scoring during its multi-year streak of state tournament appearances. Florell fills that niche for the Eagles and didn't take long to reach her season average in the kill column. However, we also have to give a nod to the collective effort of Florell and her teammates to dig heat in the back row. Overton overcame a flurry of Bartley Southwest haymakers to win in four and secure its spot in the next round. This one didn't come easily.     The Class of 2028 is carrying a heavy burden for Central Valley. It's a scary thought for Cougar opponents in the coming years, but Central Valley is ready to be "ahead of schedule" in its title pursuits. Dugan led the corps of sophomore sensations with over a dozen kills as Central Valley and Shelton battled to a fifth set. The Cougars came up short, but they'll be back.     No surprises here. Haase's 13-kill, 15-dig outing lifted Exeter-Milligan/Friend to a dominant quarterfinal win over Ansley-Litchfield. The Bobcats were already primed for tournament success after last year's runner-up effort, but Haase and her team have seemingly raised the standard further in 2025. We saw what Haase could do on big club stages with [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] this spring, so she will not be daunted by another title hunt at PBA.     Shelton's never-give-up attitude was embodied by Willis' play at the libero position. She logged over 30 digs during the absolute slugfest with Central Valley, producing several thrilling rallies in tense moments. Willis also brought a steady platform to the serve-receive pattern and allowed the Bulldog "big guns" to go to work. The end result was a dramatic five-set win that tested the resolve and resilience of the defending D2 champs.     Was there ever any doubt about Ray's greatness? She was already putting up some of the state's most awe-inspiring attacking numbers, but the Oakland-Craig senior took it to another level in Thursday night's win over No. 2 Guardian Angels Central Catholic. Ray piled up a whopping 39 kills and did it from anywhere: left side, right side, and in the middle-back area. She also churned out 17 digs and was a focal point of the passing rotation. Oakland-Craig's tournament experience continues to pay dividends in the 2020s.     It takes a village to upset an undefeated team. It might have been easy to write off Yutan in its matchup with Johnson County Central, but veterans like Tederman embraced the challenge. This six-rotation star comfortably logged a double-double against the Thunderbirds, slowly instilling belief on the Yutan side. That belief turned into one set win, then another, then the upset of the tournament. Tederman and the "giant killers" are in the semifinals after beating the unbeatable.     Laurel-Concord-Coleridge's tournament breakthrough was a few years in the making--especially after Kvols took the reins of the offense as a freshman. Now, in her junior campaign, Kvols is dishing out new milestones for the Bears with a 3-1 quarterfinal win over Norfolk Catholic. The junior setter put out almost 12 assists per set on Thursday night, adding to one of Nebraska's best setting averages. Kvols will keep adding to the ledger in the semifinals.     Norfolk Catholic's extraordinary season may be over, but Wemhoff's presence instills plenty of optimism for the future. This sophomore attacker found gaps through, over, and around the L-C-C block. She produced one of Thursday's best double-double outings with 26 kills and 16 digs. Even in a lineup loaded with seniors, Wemhoff took the leadership initiative on Nebraska's biggest prep stage.     The Freeman offense is humming, and we have to give some credit to Bartunek for running the show. We saw this sophomore setter compete at the Open level with [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 15 Titanium this spring, so Bartunek was battle-tested heading into this fall campaign. That positive momentum led to back-to-back tournament appearances for Freeman. However, the Falcons are going deeper than last year after Bartunek accumulated 48 assists in Thursday's win over defending runner-up Thayer Central.

Let's run it back.