Standout 2028s from Nebraska’s Most Improved Teams (Pt. 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Year-over-year improvement is a staple of our fall coverage, and our newest feature series doubles down on that motif.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Individual growth often yields greater team success. That's not new in sports, but this trend often gets magnified at the prep level. Junior-level athletes often make major jumps from one season to the next, shaking up a state's team hierarchy along the way. Nebraska fans know this ebb and flow well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, every fall campaign gives us the chance to find athletes taking their respective squads to the next level. We have no shortage of rapidly rising teams to choose from, and their newest upperclassmen have been pretty good, too. This one's for the 2028s.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["877295"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad28092ed6ab"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">On the surface, Red Cloud seemingly wouldn't have much room for improvement after reaching last year's state tournament. But after breaking into the bracket as a "Cinderella" team last year, the Warriors are now a clear frontrunner in the Class D1 wildcard hierarchy. Rust has kickstarted this development by posting her second consecutive season tallying over three kills per set. She leads Red Cloud in that category, but Rust contributes well beyond her frontcourt scoring. Consistent first contacts along the end line have allowed her teammates to generate their own highlight moments en route to a 20-5 record.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1016696"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad28092ed72c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">North Central has to be in the discussion among Nebraska's biggest breakout teams this fall. The Knights finished right at 0.500 in 2025 but have raced to a 22-4 mark a year later. Hoffman deserves a share of the credit for this upheaval after upping nearly all of her averages from her sophomore tenure. She's putting down about two-and-a-half kills per set as a junior, but we have to center the narrative around her floor defense. Hoffman is a natural leader in the middle-back area but can mix up her responsibilities from match to match. These six-rotation stars are often the driving force behind meteoric rises.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["774597"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad28092ed794"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Moving up to Class A has not slowed Lincoln Standing Bear's progress. Rather, Pedersen and the Grizzlies are playing their best volleyball yet while sparring with established big-city powerhouses. This veteran libero had a tremendous spring season with VCNebraska 16 Elite, and she rejoined many of her club teammates for sustained prep success with Standing Bear. Her 4.3 digs per set have set the tone as the Grizzlies claw toward Class A's top ten.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["806196"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad28092ed7f6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Speaking of stars from the club season, we won't soon forget about Wemhoff's influence with AVC 17 Blue, helping the team clinch a GJNC berth through the Great Plains Region. Playing up a year did not stop Wemhoff from churning out big numbers on the left antenna, so we shouldn't be surprised to see the same storyline at Kearney Catholic. She has been the Stars' go-to terminator in some huge matches, including wins over Lincoln Lutheran and Omaha Concordia.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["766750"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad28092ed85d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">We might have had a sneak preview of this dominant junior season. Ramirez-Rousseau scored at will during our summer showcase, setting the bar for further additions to the highlight film with Lincoln Pius X. This physical middle blocker leads the Thunderbolts in hitting percentage and has also upped her blocking ledger in the front row. This gives Lincoln Pius X an all-around force who can also tee off on the pin if needed. The team's 20-8 record has it lurking in a wildly competitive Class B gauntlet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["877289"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad28092ed8e2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">We can't imagine a more stark breakthrough than this. Bloomfield fielded a solid 18-10 squad last fall, but who would have predicted a 23-0 onslaught to kick off 2026? Mlady has been a key figure throughout this growth arc, compiling over 400 total kills in the past two seasons. Her attacking percentage has crept closer to 0.300 this fall, and Mlady remains a terminal threat from anywhere. She blocks in the middle but delivers floor-denting swings on the outside, giving opposing blockers plenty of pin-to-pin responsibilities when facing the Bees.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["800805"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad28092ed945"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Perhaps the rise of Shelby-Rising City is on-brand. Puns aside, the Huskies have leveled up from a 21-10 record last fall to the current 23-3 barnstorming campaign. We can usually find a steady libero behind this progress, and Escobar-Schaefer readily fills that niche. She has accumulated over three digs per set and delivers the pinpoint passes needed to fuel Shelby-Rising City's high-powered offense. That entire operation could get the ultimate test at November's state championships.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->