Nebraska Prep Dig Top 250: Hitters from Court 1!

I was so impressed with the players that I watched at the Nebraska Prep Dig Top 250 this weekend! I sensed the excitement building as soon as I walked in the door. So many really highly respected athletes all in one place...it was impressive. I have missed the sounds of a full gym this year during our times we were not allowed to play and I am thankful we all had an opportunity to evaluate and enjoy our time in the gym today. Let’s talk about the hitters I saw on court one this morning. 83 - Grace Nichols (2021, MH, Lincoln Southeast High School) Grace is a 5’10" MH from Lincoln Southeast High School with 1.6 KPS, 34 total blocks, and .2 DPS. Grace has a good platform in serve receive, is good at lateral moves, and knocks the ball down effectively for a kill in the middle. [caption id="attachment_115681" align="alignleft" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-115681" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/11/DSC02854-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> [player_tooltip player_id="79266" first="Carly" last="Puffer"], 2022, MH.[/caption] 94 - [player_tooltip player_id="79266" first="Carly" last="Puffer"] (2022, MH, Wilton High School) Carly is a 6’ MH from Wilton High School with 3.7 KPS, 2.7 DPS, 79 total blocks 30 of which were solo blocks, and 59 aces with an 88.7% serve efficiency in her last school season with her team finishing in the semi-finals at the state tournament losing to Dike-New Hartford in Class 2A. Today she showed her skills in spades. She has a great platform, can power the ball down, has a high volleyball IQ, is a tough block to beat, and is a really athletic player. [caption id="attachment_112183" align="alignright" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-112183" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/10/Elizabeth_Elkins_hitting_d100820-e1602655239870-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> [player_tooltip player_id="93045" first="Elizabeth" last="Elkins"], 2021, OH/MH, St. Albert, hitting from the outside against Red Oak.[/caption] 38 - [player_tooltip player_id="93045" first="Elizabeth" last="Elkins"] (2021, OH/MH/DS, St. Albert High School) Elizabeth has played on the varsity team since her freshman year and was the leading scorer since her sophomore year at her prior high school before transferring to St. Albert for her senior season this year. At St. Albert, she played MH and was an invaluable part of her team throughout the season. Her team finished in the semi-finals at the Iowa State Volleyball tournament as well, beating the top seed, Janesville, in Class 1A before succumbing to Gladbrook-Reinbeck in the semi-finals. Her team had to overcome a seven-point deficit to tie Janesville at 24 all, Elizabeth scored the 25th point hitting from the outside for her team, and then her teammate, Lauren Williams (2022, RS) scored the final point in their win. Elizabeth was digging everything today and really showing her athleticism and abilities in the back row. She is the real deal and would be a great addition to any college team. In the 2019 season, playing outside, Liz had 2.4 KPS, 19 total blocks, 2.2 DPS, and 46 aces with an 81.5% serve efficiency. This season, playing MH, Liz had 1.1 KPS, 33 total blocks, .6 DPS, and 22 aces with an 84.8 % serve efficiency. She really can play anywhere and be effective. [caption id="attachment_118958" align="alignleft" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-118958" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/12/Izzy-Kronenberg-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Izzy Kronenberg, 2021, RS, Dowling Catholic.[/caption] 65 - Izzy Kronenberg (2021, RS, Dowling Catholic High School) Izzy is a 6'0" RS from Dowling Catholic High School and had 1.2 KPS and .4 DPS. Izzy is quite a player. She can see the court really well and uses that to her advantage, she makes smart plays, she is able to limit the scoring ability of her opponents across the net, has a nasty block and a nasty hit, and she is a very versatile hitter at the net.   [caption id="attachment_118993" align="alignright" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-118993" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/12/Marissa-Meyer-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Marissa Meyer, 2022, RS, Ankeny Centennial.[/caption] 79 - Marissa Meyer (2022, RS, Ankeny Centennial High School) Marissa is a 5'10" RS from Ankeny Centennial High School who had 1.6 KPS, .4 DPS, and 33 total blocks. I have notes on Marissa that apparently I forgot to type into my document the other night...nice catch. Anyway, my notes say that she is a heavy-handed, really powerful hitter, who takes big swings, and has nice, one-handed saves. She sacrifices her body for the play to get the ball up. She has a passion for the game and a high volleyball IQ. She is good at closing the block, she has a great platform, and is versatile when hitting. Fantastic player for the next level! [caption id="attachment_30447" align="alignleft" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-30447" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2018/12/Josie-Jakubowski-20211-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Josie Jakubowski, 2021, OH.[/caption] 57 - Josie Jakubowski (2021, OH, St. Paul High School) Josie is a 5’9" OH for the Nebraska State Tournament runner-up in class C1. Josie is really quick and has a high volleyball IQ, meaning she will get balls past the block and to the floor sometimes before you know what hit you. She works hard on the court and can make things happen when least expected. She is a player ready for the next level. 5 - Liv Anderson (2022, OH, Ankeny Centennial High School) Liv is a 5'11" OH from Ankeny Centennial with 1.6 KPS, 28 total blocks, 1.8 DPS, and 12 aces with a 94.5% serve efficiency. She is really quick on her feet laterally and can get on top of the ball for a solid kill. She gets ahead of her opponents, reaches the ball first, and then uses her court awareness to hit a really well-placed ball for a kill. Liv and Ankeny Centennial finished the season in the quarterfinal match at state, losing to Ankeny, the eventual state champions in Class 5A. [caption id="attachment_101518" align="alignright" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-101518" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2020/07/Baylie-Girres-rotated-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Baylie Girres, class of 2022, OH, Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln, jersey #11.[/caption] 46 - Baylie Girres (2022, OH/MH/DS, Abraham Lincoln High School) Baylie was a varsity MB her sophomore season, with 97 total blocks, and transitioned to an OH this year. She is 5’11" and had 2.7 KPS, 44 total blocks 12 of which were solo blocks, 3.5 DPS, and 16 aces with a 92.3% serve efficiency. She is purely athletic and a really smart player. During some of her high school season games I watched her keep her team in the mix long after they should not have been. She is really good and very talented.