Which Setters Surprised Us at NSAA State Tournament?

<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/11/PD_ExposureTour_NE.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-904061" style="width:323px;height:auto" /></figure>   <a href="https://events.prepdig.com/e/2017/register/prep-dig-exposure-tour-nebraska?coupon=KingsleyPD25">Click here to register with my coupon code!</a>   Class of 2026-2029   Nov. 29, 10:00 a.m.   UBT Sports Complex (Nebraska Elite) | Elkhorn, NE   <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/11/Kingsley_Code_ExposureTour.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-904060" style="width:247px;height:auto" /></figure>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   This one's for the signal-callers.   Our most recent post-tournament coverage has been all about surprises. We've discussed star players on this year's Cinderella teams, and we also honed in on a handful of middle blockers who rose up in the Lincoln spotlight. Let's do the same at the setter spot.   A savvy distributor is essential to postseason success, and these breakout athletes brought their best while running the show during bracket play.    Here's a setter-opposite who did a little of everything at last week's tournament. We're used to seeing multi-position gems in the Sumner-Eddyville-Miller lineup, and the Mustangs unleashed Hoos in this regard. The senior logged nine kills, 20 assists, and a team-high 18 digs during S-E-M's quarterfinal win against BDS. Being active in so many phases is a challenge for any prep athlete, but Hoos had seen her share of high-level matches before. Last week's tournament was a fitting conclusion to her decorated career.     Red Cloud surprised everyone by simply reaching the tournament with a district final upset over Sandhills/Thedford. This triumph allowed us to see Faimon operate in PBA with her stacked cast of under-the-radar teammates. Aside from guiding the offense in a 5-1, Faimon also thrived as a right-back defender and adapted to the chaos of marathon rallies. Senior leadership often puts underdog teams over the top, and Faimon's emergence provides another stark example.     Speaking of senior leaders, we'd be remiss not to mention Feldman's stellar swan song season with Ansley-Litchfield. The Spartans had been on the cusp of a postseason breakthrough for a while, especially after Feldman took the reins of Ansley-Litchfield's offense as a sophomore. Two years later, she showed us her calming presence and leadership skills in a hard-fought semifinal contest. Not a bad way to close out a prep career.     Shelton was all-in on the setter-hitter revolution. Having one dual-position player in the starting rotation is always notable, but using two is a huge outlier. Lowe, along with [player_tooltip player_id='464915' first='Macy' last='Willis'], ran a "true" 6-2 and stuffed the stat sheet throughout 2025. The quarterfinal match with Central Valley made a particularly big impression, as Lowe produced three kills, 19 assists, and 17 digs in the five-set win.     Perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised by Cohee's stellar command of the GACC offense. She has been a consistent assist leader in Nebraska's Class of 2028 and has run the show since her freshman campaign. Still, stats aside, we were taken aback by Cohee's bold, dynamic sets during the Bluejay bout with Oakland-Craig. She granted split-block opportunities to her hitters and was not afraid to take chances when off the net. It's no wonder that a ten assist-per-set clip is just par for the course for Cohee.     We've alluded to the wide array of combination plays and first-ball routes that make Dundy County Stratton difficult to defend. That kind of offense needs a skilled setter at the helm, and Lutz has taken the mantle for Dundy County Stratton. The sophomore dished out 33 assists in a balanced effort against Garden County, producing a dominant sweep that propelled the Tigers to the semifinals. This historic outing puts Lutz on pace to be among the top 2028s on Nebraska's small-town circuit.     This is far more than just a setter. Frye came up one dig short of a triple-double in Yutan's extraordinary upset over undefeated Johnson County Central. And, as if that wasn't enough, Frye is only a freshman. This rising 2029 star flips between attacking and setting across the dial, giving Yutan a dynamic leader in any rotation. Frye's all-around game was a serious game-changer to bring Yutan back to the championship stage this fall.