Underdog Era: 20 Players to Watch on Lower-Seeded Teams at State

We're all-in on the underdogs.   The state championship bracket is here, and we have so many angles to cover before the chaos ensues on Wednesday. We also have to remember how we set the final field. Last Saturday's district final preview highlighted several dark-horse teams to watch, and several of those underdogs turned upset potential into wins.   So, it's only fair that we revisit the underdog motif for the quarterfinal round. Anything can happen under the bright lights of Pinnacle Bank Arena, and lower seeds are dangerous across the board. That's especially true given the list of star athletes we're about to discuss.   We're pushing this watch list to 20. Bring on the underdogs.    Why not start with a freshman? We've hyped up Lincoln Southeast's hard-hitting frontcourt in recent weeks, but don't forget about Tallman's game-changing backcourt presence. The [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] gem leads LSE with 3.6 digs per set and commands an ever-improving serve-receive lineup. Knight Pride is back in the postseason for the first time since 2017.     Gregg has been a plug-and-play lineup addition for Class A's defending runner-up. She's hitting nearly 0.300 on the year and has the strength and length to post up against any opposing hitters. That blocking prowess will be needed as the Storm battles Millard South in the quarterfinals.     Beware of Gering's junior outside hitters. Cochran is averaging 4.4 kills per set for his entire career, amounting to almost 1,300 terminations on the Bulldog ledger. She has found a new gear in 2025 and has added a wicked serve to her repertoire, too. Gering draws a tough opening-round matchup with Norris, but efficient sideout scoring should be expected.     Froehlich has been perhaps the most improved member of Gretna's star-studded sophomore cast. Her attacking percentage has exploded to 0.339 while logging over 150 kills more than her freshman production. Her well-rounded efforts are required to contain a lightning-fast Waverly offense.     Liebsack has been on this stage before, but 2025 has given us her best outing yet. The Metropolitan State commit is putting down an astonishing six kills per set while also piling up 72 aces with her jump-spin serve. This is a high-impact athlete in any rotation.     Here comes the Lakeview crew. Greisen and her team drew early headlines while competing under the Lightning 17-1 banner during the club season. The Vikings have ridden their explosive scoring to many wins, but Greisen holds down the fort with her stout defense and serve receive.     An all-GJNC performer enters the state tournament picture. Johnson had an exceptional club season with South Central NE 15 Black, culminating in a climb to the podium in Dallas. This has translated to prep success with Holdrege and 300 kills to show for it. The Dusters may be the No. 8 seed, but Johnson makes them dangerous.     If you're looking for the next wave of defensive stars in the Cornhusker State, Class C1 might be your venue. Bridges has garnered praise through her contributions with one of [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last='']'s best lineups, but her fall influence with Ashland-Greenwood is just as great. Expect a host of sprawling backcourt efforts as the Bluejays make the short hop to Lincoln.     It feels right to see DeJonge and Adams Central back in the big dance. This multi-talented star makes her Lincoln return after popping off for almost four kills per set on a 0.283 average. This spring's club circuit offered a reminder of DeJonge's high-end potential when she played around the dial for South Central NE 17 Black.     Malcolm's outside attackers draw plenty of attention in opposing scouting reports, but Johnson has long been an unsung hero for the Clippers. The six-foot-two athlete has accumulated a career-best 226 kills this season and is the anchor to a stifling Malcolm net presence. Her club experience with [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] is paying off, too.     In a sign of Nebraska's year-to-year parity, we're talking about one of 2024's runners-up as an underdog this fall. Havel was a can't-miss middle blocker in last year's C2 bracket and has soared to a 4.1 kill-per-set average as a senior. She can adapt to multiple positions and will swing from anywhere that allows the Titans to rack up kills.     Oakland-Craig has been bringing "big gun" outside hitters to the tournament throughout the 2020s. Ray is this year's go-to for O-C with a staggering 6.1 kills per set on a 0.241 clip. We've also seen this senior flourish in the back row with four digs per set in three consecutive seasons. The stat-stuffing campaign continues in Lincoln.     Get used to seeing Rasmussen's name on the stat sheet. The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge attacker has soared past 500 kills this year, placing her among Nebraska's top scorers in any class. We've seen this L-C-C breakthrough building up over multiple seasons, so this feels like a long time coming for Rasmussen and the Bears. Time to capitalize.     Cross County has been anchored by senior leadership this year, but the team's x-factor might be its performers from the Class of 2028. Donnelly has paced the Cougar sophomores with 145 kills and an enormous 60-block total this year. We're used to seeing Cross County bring physicality at the net, and now it's turning into postseason breakthroughs.     It feels like it was just yesterday that Billeter was a breakout freshman in last year's tournament field. The Bartley Southwest setter is back with the Roughriders but will embrace the "hunter" role this time around. Perhaps that will ease the pressure and produce some of Billeter's best volleyball yet.     Branson is back. The Shelton outside hitter was limited by injuries early in the 2025 calendar year, but she has returned to lift Shelton to another tournament appearance. The defending Class D2 champs are the No. 6 seed in this year's D1 field, but Branson's terminal arm will make Shelton a frontrunner yet again.     Red Cloud's upset triumph over Sandhills/Thedford has put Rust and her high-flying teammates into the tournament. Rust has amassed the biggest terminal numbers with 3.9 kills per set, and her effortless elevation makes her a great out-of-system outlet. A new challenge awaits in a quarterfinal faceoff with top-seeded Wynot.     Stanczyk has finally added a postseason berth to her career resume. The Garden County veteran is closing in on 1,000 career kills as the Eagles roll into Lincoln with a 29-3 record. Despite seeing a ton of attacking volume, Stanczyk is also putting down balls at a sky-high 0.383 clip.     Bruning-Davenport/Shickley has given us its familiar brand of balanced, efficient volleyball en route to another tournament appearance. Hinrichs has contributed to the effort with two kills per set and a wealth of positive passes.     We're closing out with a setter who has had the reins of Mullen's offense for a while. Licking carved out a starting role with the Broncos as a freshman, and that experience has yielded nearly eight assists per set in Year 3. She produced over ten helpers per set during Mullen's district final sweep over Archangels Catholic, giving the Broncos positive momentum heading into Lincoln.

We're all-in on the underdogs.