Nebraska Year-in-Review: Biggest Surprises of 2025 (Pt. 1)

Before we turn the page to 2026, let's take a look back at the year that was.   2025 gave us an infinite catalog of memories, storylines, and new names to follow around the Nebraska prep scene. The holiday season gives us a chance to step back and drum up our favorite moments from the last twelve months. Let's do that before the club chaos begins.   Surprises, surprises, surprises. We're always eager to see something we don't expect. Our enthusiasm for in-season coverage is fueled by unknowns and new perspectives. This year was full of surprises that are worthy of rehashing before 2026.   Here are the biggest hits.     15s Firepower   What a debut for the Class of 2028.   The 15s scene is always a fascinating puzzle for us. Being a varsity-starting freshman is a rare feat, so we learn a lot about a new class through the club season. The 2028s were up to bat in this year's 15s scene, and we were treated to some bold entrances.   [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 15 Elite made a huge splash through its divisional progression. The Lincoln-based crew climbed the ladder at NLQ and surprised us again by claiming a Great Plains Region Bid Tournament title. This led to some open-level opportunities that sharpened 15 Elite's skills even further. Perhaps this stacked group even surprised themselves.   Then, we have the squad from Premier Nebraska. The Open gauntlet clearly prepared Premier 15 Gold for a postseason push. Although the Open bid eluded 15 Gold in the 2025 campaign, the team made the most of its reallocated 15 USA bid from NLQ. Premier Nebraska marched to a GJNC title and laid the foundation for many of its 2028 stars to thrive as sophomores this fall. [player_tooltip player_id='575235' first='Logann' last='Dostal'], [player_tooltip player_id='737386' first='Adara' last='Fowlkes'], and [player_tooltip player_id='567542' first='Ava' last='Nowling'] make up just a portion of that star-studded cast.   Nebraska's 15s season transformed during the second weekend of Kansas City's Northern Lights Qualifier. This outing gave us the rise of South Central NE 15 and Club Legacy 15 Alpha, both of which locked up GJNC bids through championship match appearances. More on these clubs later.   <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/1911071114765218131?s=20 </div></figure>     Sustained Small-Town Success   We couldn't leave the rural scene out of this one.   It's easy to jump right into the high school season when discussing the biggest success of Nebraska's rural stars. However, we got a dose of Cinderella magic as soon as the calendar turned to 2025.   Our previous section mentioned South Central NE 15 Black, but this rural gem wasn't content with only one podium appearance. 15 Black stormed into Dallas and repeated the Show Me feat with another bracket climb at GJNC, putting these central Nebraska standouts in front of a national audience. They keep finding new ways to shock us.   Maybe we shouldn't have been surprised that South Central NE 17 Black maintained its Show Me dominance after back-to-back years of bid triumphs in Kansas City. However, this year's roster looked a bit different than prior iterations and needed some reinvention to reach the mountaintop. So, we'll chalk about 17 Black's continued high level of play as a surprise, even though another spectacular season was just par for the course.   Newcomers like Kearney Elite 16-1 and Lightning 17-1 added to the small-town intrigue in the Great Plains Region. These were effectively high school super teams that stuck together for a different venue in a different part of the calendar. Kearney Elite nearly swiped a GPR bid this April, while Lightning 17-1 gave us another outstanding glimpse at Columbus Lakeview's best.   <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/1911804023436616019?s=20 </div></figure>     Showcasing Growth   Admittedly, I wasn't sure what to expect from Nebraska's showcase circuit this year. The most notable evolution was the addition of a summer "doubleheader" featuring a Freshman Showcase and Stock Up Showcase back to back. Despite splitting up classes in this format, the tour absolutely delivered this year.   We're astounded by the volume of high-impact 2029s we met through the Prep Dig Circuit. [player_tooltip player_id='775763' first='Fallyn' last='O'Connell'], [player_tooltip player_id='884227' first='Jayla' last='Green'], and [player_tooltip player_id='557036' first='Circe' last='Tallman'] are just a few of the first-year prep standouts we covered at The Volleyball Academy in July. Positive momentum started in the summer.   December brought us the newest wave of Prep Dig events: the Exposure Tour. Dozens of athletes braved the snow and cold to participate in this one, and it was another injection of "newness" into our showcase series. Nebraska Elite stepped up to host the event, and athletes traveled from as far as the panhandle to be in the spotlight.   We're humbled, honored, and consistently surprised by how much these events have grown. The athletes within them have grown along with us.   <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/1994800920870490317?s=20 </div></figure>

Before we turn the page to 2026, let's take a look back at the year that was.