Nebraska’s Top Title Contenders at ASICS Presidents’ Day Classic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're juggling a lot this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Presidents' Day Weekend brings a mind-numbing flurry of club volleyball activity. While I'm helping with national coverage in Kansas City, I'll also have my eyes peeled for all the happenings from Omaha's annual ASICS Presidents' Day Classic. Dozens of Midwest powerhouses will converge for early-season bragging rights at the CHI Health Center and beyond. Things are ramping up in the Great Plains Region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's get you primed for the action. If you're looking for some of Nebraska's divisional title favorites, here are a few safe bets in the tournament field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Nebraska Elite 18 Miami</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This crew is off to a roaring start in 2026. Why not keep the good times rolling?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nebraska Elite 18 Miami earned a shoutout after reaching the Northern Lights Qualifier's Gold bracket as an 18 American frontrunner. Now, this emergent group has a chance to defend home territory in the 18 Club division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Long-time Nebraska Elite standouts highlight the 18 Miami roster. [player_tooltip player_id='276192' first='Amelia' last='North'], [player_tooltip player_id='773336' first='Nakai' last='Lopuyo'], and [player_tooltip player_id='464933' first='Kambry' last='Kachaturian'] bring diverse experiences as members of different Elite teams over the years. Meanwhile, high-impact additions like [player_tooltip player_id='582836' first='Kaitlyn' last='Topolski'] and [player_tooltip player_id='349464' first='Annabella' last='Suljuzovic'] create even more storylines to follow in Omaha.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Nebraska Elite 17-1</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're back on the Nebraska Elite bandwagon in the 17s scene.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Competition will undoubtedly be fierce in the Presidents' Day Classic's 17 Open division. We won't commit to any champion picks from this loaded group, but Nebraska Elite 17-1 will surely be in the running.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nebraska's Class of 2027 still has so many uncommitted stars, and a lot of them can be found here. [player_tooltip player_id='458183' first='Kherington' last='Snider'] has distributed to her wide array of stars at the net, allowing [player_tooltip player_id='458184' first='Myla' last='Deats'] and [player_tooltip player_id='521226' first='Callie' last='Petersen'] to terminate at will. We also can't forget about the exceptional backcourt duo featuring [player_tooltip player_id='521215' first='Mary' last='Bahle'] and [player_tooltip player_id='458186' first='Trina' last='Schroeder'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2015443319778931083?s=20","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/2015443319778931083?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Club Legacy 17 Alpha</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17 Alpha has a title to defend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last year's Presidents' Day Classic produced plenty of stark headlines, but Club Legacy 16 Alpha's unblemished title run might have been the biggest head-turner. That's a high bar to set for 2026, but the 17 Alpha crew is back for more.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the group of Omaha Concordia all-stars led by [player_tooltip player_id='512869' first='Alyse' last='Moulton'], [player_tooltip player_id='458125' first='Breckynn' last='Snyder'], [player_tooltip player_id='521300' first='Grace' last='Samuelson'], [player_tooltip player_id='828020' first='Claire' last='Perkes'], and [player_tooltip player_id='575155' first='Addie' last='Stater']. Last fall's state tournament semifinal berth should translate to new milestones for Club Legacy's most unified lineup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Premier Nebraska 17 Red</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We have a lot of Premier Nebraska groups to choose from.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This weekend's 17 Club division boasts a long laundry list of prospective champions, so keep refreshing those early pool results. Premier Nebraska 17 Red enters as Pool 6's top seed and will leverage its grit and defense above all else.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Madelyn Stukenholtz sets the tone in the back row, allowing [player_tooltip player_id='521180' first='Drew' last='Schnabel'] to operate her balanced, efficient offense. Teagan Glomb and [player_tooltip player_id='774638' first='Grace' last='Rued'] will be among the many 17 Red terminators in the spotlight at this weekend's tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Expect a few surprise stars from this surefire contender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">[program_tooltip program_id='428728' first='River' last='City Jrs'] 16 Navy</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A medley of new names and familiar stars could yield a breakout season for 16 Navy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The ASICS Presidents' Day Classic is always a vital proving ground for [program_tooltip program_id='428728' first='River' last='City Jrs']' top teams and athletes. We expect ample River City representation in single-elimination brackets, and 16 Navy looks like an ideal candidate to lead the charge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Versatile attackers like [player_tooltip player_id='753332' first='Taylor' last='Tresemer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='774683' first='Tessa' last='Heidemann'] have made their mark on past iterations of this year's 16 Navy team. We're also looking for [player_tooltip player_id='562301' first='Darriana' last='Damper'] to find her stride as a fresh face in the front row. Cohesion and chemistry will be tested this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 16 Black</strong></span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":731186,"width":"310px","height":"auto","aspectRatio":"1.119139529512686","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/5/2024/12/39-Eva-Gutz.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-731186" style="aspect-ratio:1.119139529512686;width:310px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gutz</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Is this a dark horse pick? Maybe. But this is also a true title contender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's recall the incredible qualifier success from last year's [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 15 Black group. The team had a perfect pool run at the Northern Lights Qualifier and immediately put itself in bid contention. Many leaders from that squad return in 2026, including libero [player_tooltip player_id='625558' first='Eva' last='Gutz'] and outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='774612' first='Braylyn' last='Wood']. 16 Black also adds [player_tooltip player_id='571950' first='Adeline' last='Hunnicutt'] to the mix to give the team an additional influx of ball-control stability.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">[program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 15 Black</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's about time [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] got in on the action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've already seen [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 15 Black spar against elite foes at the Great Plains Region Gold Series, so this group is battle-tested for this weekend's tournament. Alaina McCarter sets a dynamic offense that wields no shortage of frontcourt physicality. We're looking forward to seeing under-the-radar 2029s like Tatum Kavan and Izzie Oates develop as leading attackers throughout this year's campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That development will accelerate in Omaha's 15 Open division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->