Standout 2028s from Nebraska’s Most Improved Teams (Pt. 2)

October is the perfect time for juniors to get their due credit.   We're inching closer to district play and the all-important state tournament, but we still have so many more storylines and standouts to address. The flurry of postseason volleyball will inevitably bring new stars into the spotlight. But before we get there, we ought to give a nod to the players generating wholesale growth for their respective programs.   And the 2028s have led the way. Part 1 led off this feature series with a handful of juniors propelling their programs to the next level.   Time for a few more.    Millard North is on a late-season hot streak. The Mustangs have tallied a host of high-profile wins in October, including a pair of wins over Millard West and triumphs over Lincoln Standing Bear and Bennington. Todd has loomed large during this Millard North resurgence, providing enviable physicality at multiple positions. This versatile athlete has ample experience on the right side, and gets her share of swings on the pin. But Todd has also showcased her range in the middle and has developed a wicked slide in two-hitter rotations. Opposing teams have to prepare for different looks from Todd as the dial spins from one rotation to the next.     The Dukes are back. York has never been afraid to square up with Class B powerhouses, and Wardyn has helped her team make tremendous strides en route to a 21-7 mark. She is on track to soar past 200 total kills this fall, replicating her output from both of her underclassman campaigns at York. We've seen some of Wardyn's best work behind the setter, but don't discount her ability to work on the left side, either. This 2028 terminator has been at her best against elite competition, including a season-best 14 kills against defending C1 champ Milford.     The first edition of this feature series covered a few teams that have rapidly improved despite moving up in the NSAA's classifications. Valentine is another perfect example, as the Badgers have posted a stellar 20-5 record while ascending to Class C1. Janssen has been the ultimate team player during this thrilling journey. We haven't forgotten about her early days as Valentine's top scorer as an outside hitter. Now, Janssen has donned the libero jersey and logged multiple years as the Badgers' defensive anchor. Her backcourt production and pinpoint passes have been just as valuable as her first-year terminator role.     This is a familiar name in recent Johnson-Brock lore. Stutheit has found her stride for the Eagles, and a recent 15-kill performance against Diller-Odell was just another notch on the stat sheet. Teams usually have two blockers camped out on this junior middle blocker, but Stutheit can hit the ball with indefensible pace and power. First-ball situations are a green light for this multi-talented attacker to tee off on the outside, adding to her overall volume. Best of all, Johnson-Brock is back in Class C2 contention with an 18-6 record.     Perhaps Arapahoe has flown under the radar while climbing the Class D1 ladder. The Warriors had a solid 16-win output last year, but they've already cleared that bar with this year's 19-4 effort. Roskop has commanded plenty of attention on the outside, leading Arapahoe in kills and hitting efficiency. Like many six-rotation stars on the small-town circuit, Roskop is not satisfied with merely providing a scoring outlet. She is a stout perimeter defender who carries the unique responsibility of anchoring the left-back area. Roskop doesn't need to produce big numbers to be an influential member of the Warrior lineup.     This isn't our first shoutout for Elba High in the past week, but this resurgence is clearly worthy of some hype. The Bluejays have progressed from a 13-17 mark in 2025 to an 18-11 record heading into the final weeks of this year's regular season. Barg has been constant in this upward trend. She commanded the offense as a sophomore but has elevated her game considerably in Year 3. Her 8.9 assists per set ranks among the best in Class D2, putting Elba in position to end a 20-year postseason drought. That warrants some mid-October chatter.

October is the perfect time for juniors to get their due credit.

We're inching closer to district play and the all-important state tournament, but we still have so many more storylines and standouts to address. The flurry of postseason volleyball will inevitably bring new stars into the spotlight. But before we get there, we ought to give a nod to the players generating wholesale growth for their respective programs.

And the 2028s have led the way. Part 1 led off this feature series with a handful of juniors propelling their programs to the next level.

Time for a few more.