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<p>Oh, we do this every year.</p>
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<p>It's spooky season. It's also time for the district finals. Halloween will be the final gathering date for most of Nebraska's state tournament hopefuls, and we have so many surprises lurking in the shadows.</p>
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<p>That's especially true on the rural scene. Nebraska's 'C' and 'D' classes always deliver district final drama, and we can see some frightful matchups on Saturday's slate. Of course, in our case, "scary" contests are those with serious intrigue and a ton of talent on both sides of the net.</p>
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<p>So, on the eve of Halloween, we peer ahead to the ghoulish delights that await.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/10/Reese-Timmerman-edited.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1058017" style="aspect-ratio:1.5015246748397535;width:322px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Timmerman</figcaption></figure>
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<p></p>
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<p><em>C1:</em> <strong>No. 5 Malcolm</strong> vs. <strong>No. 12 Norfolk Catholic</strong></p>
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<p>Two powerhouses collide.</p>
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<p>Malcolm and Norfolk Catholic were both state tournament participants last year, albeit in different classes. Now, only one can advance.</p>
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<p>Malcolm sparked some chatter in Lincoln last November by toppling multi-year defending champion Lincoln Lutheran in the Class C1 quarterfinals. The Clippers return several star contributors from that semifinalist squad, including leading scorers [player_tooltip player_id='737392' first='Payton' last='Dolliver'] and [player_tooltip player_id='828286' first='Laurel' last='Johnson']. [player_tooltip player_id='1051347' first='Morgan' last='Wondercheck'] has provided a new layer of scoring from the freshman class.</p>
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<p>Norfolk Catholic won't be an easy out, however. Do-everything junior [player_tooltip player_id='737410' first='Ava' last='Wemhoff'] has taken command of the outside hitter spot, but the list of standouts doesn't end there. We've also watched [player_tooltip player_id='730564' first='Reese' last='Timmerman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='572651' first='Cambrie' last='Drees'] provide the first contacts needed to elevate every terminator at the net.</p>
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<p>Settle in for this one.</p>
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<p></p>
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<p><em>C1:</em> <strong>No. 7 Aurora</strong> vs. <strong>No. 10 Douglas County West</strong></p>
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<p>We have no shortage of recognizable club standouts in this showdown.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/07/39-Kaitlyn-Staehr.jpg?w=996" alt="" class="wp-image-576574" style="width:286px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Staehr</figcaption></figure>
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<p>Of course, Aurora has its South Central NE crew to lean on. The Huskies are enjoying their best volleyball season in recent memory, piloted by Omaha commit [player_tooltip player_id='570568' first='Kaitlyn' last='Staehr'] and uber-productive setter [player_tooltip player_id='572563' first='Hailey' last='Hoff']. However, we also have to give a nod to [program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] standouts [player_tooltip player_id='702898' first='Elizabeth' last='Luebbe'] and [player_tooltip player_id='961034' first='Baya' last='Chamness'] for their rapidly expanding roles in the lineup. This breakthrough wouldn't have been possible without them.</p>
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<p>On the DC West side, we're looking at a lethal medley of Club Legacy and Nebraska Elite gems. [player_tooltip player_id='521209' first='Mallory' last='Shaw'], [player_tooltip player_id='591577' first='Kinley' last='Nelson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='959025' first='Haylee' last='Campbell'] have been among the exceptional torchbearers for Elite. Meanwhile, Club Legacy setter [player_tooltip player_id='773379' first='Ava' last='Newbauer'] has run the show alongside fast-rising 2029 attacker [player_tooltip player_id='961094' first='Grace' last='Lowndes'].</p>
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<p>It's experience aplenty in Aurora.</p>
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<p><em>C2:</em> <strong>No. 8 Elmwood-Murdock</strong> vs. <strong>No. 9 Freeman</strong></p>
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<p>Postseason pedigree has peaked.</p>
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<p>Of course, we can usually expect the 8-9 matchup to be a thriller. But perhaps there's a little extra amplitude behind this clash between Elmwood-Murdock and Freeman.</p>
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<p>The defending champs are here, after all. Freeman is looking to back up last year's tournament triumph, and a few familiar faces are still in the fold. Senior outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='521297' first='Reagan' last='Rinne'] is back to piling up around three kills per set, and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='961060' first='Brecken' last='Albers Dorn'] is right there with her. [player_tooltip player_id='778151' first='Anndyn' last='Borrenpohl'] has made a seamless transition to the starting setter role.</p>
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<p>Elmwood-Murdock has its share of veterans, anchored by [player_tooltip player_id='758051' first='Ayzlee' last='Haertel'] and Hannah Bornemeier across the front row. More positive developments can be found in the Knights' setter spot, with [player_tooltip player_id='747550' first='Lucy' last='Backemeyer'] maintaining her command around the dial.</p>
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<p>But we have an underlying storyline here. These teams just played each other in the C1-1 sub-district semifinals. Freeman prevailed in that contest and now enters Saturday's meeting as the lower seed.</p>
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<p>This should be fun.</p>
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<p></p>
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<p><em>D1:</em> <strong>No. 6 Cambridge</strong> vs. <strong>No. 11 Osceola</strong></p>
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<p>Frankly, shuffling our weekly team rankings was a struggle in Class D1. Everyone was piling onto the win column.</p>
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<p>These two were persistent culprits. Cambridge, which has reached every state tournament since 2021, has returned to its winning ways with Brooklyn and Joslyn Holtze leading proceedings. We won't soon forget the kind of eye-popping numbers Brooklyn put up as soon as the whistle blew in last year's quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Kyrie Houghtelling is mounting quite a charge from the middle in the Class of 2030.</p>
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<p>This would be a much more historic breakthrough for Osceola. You have to go back to 1993 to find the last time the Bulldogs reached the quarterfinals. But this 24-5 squad is built to make amends, especially with a senior trio of [player_tooltip player_id='773433' first='Kenzie' last='Bartling'], [player_tooltip player_id='830288' first='Bella' last='Recker'], and [player_tooltip player_id='810580' first='Alexis' last='Burritt'] at the helm.</p>
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<p></p>
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<p><em>D2:</em> <strong>No. 6 Bancroft-Rosalie</strong> vs. <strong>No. 11 Meridian</strong></p>
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<p>Here's another tale of diverging postseason trends.</p>
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<p>Bancroft-Rosalie reached the Class D1 mountaintop in 2007, appeared in the next two tournaments, but hasn't reached the postseason since. Now, this Class D2 competitor has one of its best chances yet. [player_tooltip player_id='811594' first='Bailey' last='Murphy'] and [player_tooltip player_id='810467' first='Aizley' last='Dean'] have been extraordinary from the senior class, guiding stout underclassmen like middle blocker Milyn Hilsinger. Offensive balance has been the guiding hand for this group.</p>
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<p>Meridian might be the seeded underdog, but the Mustangs have also been a tournament mainstay through the mid 2020s. [player_tooltip player_id='737413' first='Jetta' last='Stewart'] and [player_tooltip player_id='778034' first='Berkeley' last='Wolfe'] have catalyzed a scoring onslaught with over six combined kills per set. [player_tooltip player_id='814278' first='Jaycee' last='Schwisow'] is not far behind that average and has expanded her late-season influence in Stewart's absence. Keep tabs on this group regardless of Saturday's result.</p>
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Oh, we do this every year.
It's spooky season. It's also time for the district finals. Halloween will be the final gathering date for most of Nebraska's state tournament hopefuls, and we have so many surprises lurking in the shadows. That's especially true on the rural scene. Nebraska's 'C' and 'D' classes always deliver district final drama, and we can see some frightful matchups on Saturday's slate. Of course, in our case, "scary" contests are those with serious intrigue and a ton of talent on both sides of the net. So, on the eve of Halloween, we peer ahead to the ghoulish delights that await. Timmerman C1: No. 5 Malcolm vs. No. 12 Norfolk Catholic Two powerhouses collide. Malcolm and Norfolk Catholic were both state tournament participants last year, albeit in different classes. Now, only one…
