Ten 2025 Tourney Stars to Watch in Nebraska's Fall Season

Let's run it back.   Postseason pedigree extends far beyond <a href="https://prepdig.com/2026/08/emerging-nebraska-2028s-to-watch-for-defending-state-champs/" data-type="link" data-id="https://prepdig.com/2026/08/emerging-nebraska-2028s-to-watch-for-defending-state-champs/">defending champions</a>. I was fortunate enough to partake in my yearly "campout" in Pinnacle Bank Arena, and we were treated to a multi-day stretch of brilliant volleyball. Even if players didn't wear the gold medals at the end of the journey, their standout performances in the Lincoln spotlight have not been forgotten.   We might as well relive a few of those memories before the fall campaign revs up later this week. Here are ten returning tournament gems on our coverage radar as we chart the path back to the NSAA State Volleyball Championships.    This is likely the new leading terminator for the Cross County crew. The Cougars have some offensive production to replace from last year's quarterfinalist crew, but Pruter can step in and become the new trendsetter in the frontcourt. She piled up 3.8 kills per set in her junior campaign while hitting north of 0.200 on the outside. Pruter's influence was felt far beyond the front row, as she bolstered the team's floor defense and serve receive, too. Senior stars will be a prevailing storyline for Cross County once again.     Cambridge is moving up to Class D1 this fall, but don't expect that to halt the Trojans' progress toward yet another postseason berth. Holtze's performances in Lincoln provided plenty of optimism for 2026. The senior setter-hitter led Cambridge with 4.1 kills per set last fall, but she was at her best in the final bracket gauntlet. We won't soon forget her 19-kill output in a sweep, or the 28 terminations she tallied against Sumner-Eddyville-Miller. That's big-time.     Wood is fully accustomed to the tournament spotlight by now. This savvy senior setter has taken part in back-to-back postseason appearances with Central Valley, dishing out quality second contacts the entire way. She amassed nearly 8.6 assists per set as a junior while also leading the Cougars in the dig column. Wood will find any way to better the ball, and we wouldn't expect anything less in her swan song season.     It may be easy to focus on the departure of Johnson County Central's exceptional seniors from last year's top-seeded team, but the Thunderbirds still boast ample talent. Wellensiek looks to be the centerpiece of future JCC efforts after standing out on the club circuit with Premier Nebraska. Her smooth sets yielded a gaudy 10.8 assists per set last year, and Wellensiek is ready to pilot a new era for her small-town crew.     Exeter-Milligan-Friend's 2026 class was special. Last year's seniors led the newly formed consolidation to back-to-back tournament berths, including a trip to the 2024 title match. Ricenbaw is an ideal candidate to keep the good times rolling. This pin hitter found her stride on the biggest stages, culminating in a 12-kill performance in a quarterfinal sweep over Ansley/Litchfield. Ricenbaw can expect even more volume as an upperclassman.     We always have to marvel at how quickly Elkhorn North has grown since its inception at the beginning of the decade. That evolution takes on a new form this fall with Morgan and the Wolves making the jump to Class A. Recent reps in the Club Legacy gym have primed Morgan for an all-around role with her ever-climbing school. She eclipsed a triple-digit kill total in her sophomore season and cemented her role as an offensive threat.     Sumner-Eddyville-Miller is known for its do-everything athletes, and we ought to add Hrasky to the list. She made some first-year impressions in 2024, gaining some valuable experience as a pin hitter. The narrative flipped a year later as Hrasky donned the contrasting jersey and put up enormous defensive numbers for the Mustangs. Her 4.7 digs per set guided S-E-M back to the Class D2 quarterfinals, and she hopes to go one step further this fall.     Lincoln Southeast made its long-awaited return to the Class A tournament last fall, and Tallman was at the center of it all. She immediately rose to prominence in her first season along the LSE endline. Her incredible 20-dig Week 1 performance against Platte County was the prelude to many more highlights to come. Tallman's command in the contrasting jersey has the Knights eyeing a repeat in 2026.     Lincoln Lutheran has a hefty postseason streak to uphold, and Green can help keep the Warriors in the hunt. She didn't wait to make a splash as a freshman, posting well over 200 kills while demonstrating her terminal arm on both pins. Green's explosiveness flourished again as Premier Nebraska 15 Gold earned its Open bid to GJNC. Her ceiling rises further in Year 2.     We might as well visit with one of Green's co-conspirators in the 15 Gold lineup. Curnyn's big breakthrough may have been USAV Nationals, where she anchored 15 Gold's libero jersey and dimed passes in the back row. However, this sophomore's ball control influence takes on a different form with Omaha Marian. Curnyn morphs into a signal-calling setter, and she's due for escalating starting reps as a sophomore. The Crusaders are ready to climb the Class A hierarchy yet again.

Let's run it back.