Breaking Down Top Pin Hitters in the LPS Classic Gold Bracket
In this article:
Another pin hitter feature! I mentioned in our review of Harvest Festival pin hitters that we had a lot of tournament volleyball to discuss. The morning after my trek out west to Gothenburg, I visited Lincoln Southeast for bracket play…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAnother pin hitter feature!
I mentioned in our review of Harvest Festival pin hitters that we had a lot of tournament volleyball to discuss. The morning after my trek out west to Gothenburg, I visited Lincoln Southeast for bracket play in the annual LPS Volleyball Classic. It’s no surprise that this event featured some impressive firepower, and we’re going to start breaking it down here.
So, just like yesterday, here are a few pin hitters to follow in the wake of last weekend’s tournament.
Power on the Pin
First off, we give a nod to the event’s champion, Omaha Marian.
We kept harping on the idea that the Crusaders could enter 2022 with some extra energy, and that has absolutely materialized. You can see it in the way Marian’s pin hitters fearlessly attack the ball and work hard on the defensive end. Several different pin hitters have contributed for the Crusaders this year, but veterans like Amanda Draper Amanda Draper 5'8" | DS/L Omaha Marian | 2023 State NE and Ashley Wilwerding Ashley Wilwerding 5'10" | OH Omaha Marian | 2023 State NE really stepped up for the LPS Classic. Then there’s Amanda Loschen Amanda Loschen 6'2" | MB Omaha Marian | 2023 State NE , whose native position is middle blocker but can take plenty of first-ball swings on the left pin. After Marian spent some time adjusting to youth and inexperience for the past couple of seasons, the Crusaders now have a formidable veteran core that can make a serious push at a state championship.
Let’s address the LPS Classic runner-up. Lincoln Southwest had a few question marks this fall after some pin hitter graduations from last year’s team, but the Silver Hawks have now left little doubt that they’re still a top-tier Class A competitor. Talent on the pins still abounds for this squad, and the senior duo of Brinly Christensen Brinly Christensen 5'10" | OH Lincoln Southwest | 2023 State NE and Alexa Gobel Alexa Gobel 5'11" | OH Lincoln Southwest | 2023 State NE brought a lot of the heat over the weekend. Veteran leadership at the outside hitter spot seems to be a good omen.
But, we can’t leave some younger stars out of this discussion. Elle Heckenlively Elle Heckenlively 5'10" | OH Gretna | 2025 State NE has switched to the left-side hitter position for Gretna and takes on a variety of new responsibilities in serve receive and floor defense. As we’ve discussed before, this kind of change is a clever way to get Heckenlively involved in the offense as much as possible. It’s looking good.
Norris is also building up some young pin-hitting talent to complement the experience of attackers like Gracie Kircher Gracie Kircher 5'11" | OH Norris | 2023 State NE and right-side hitter Celia Spilker Celia Spilker 6'5" | OH Norris | 2024 State NE . Club teammates Anna Jelinek Anna Jelinek 5'9" | DS/L Norris | 2025 State NE and Kendall Cose Kendall Cose 6'0" | RS Norris | 2025 State NE have embraced their roles on the pins and fit in well with the Titans’ unique system.
Another bunch of Titans visited the LPS Classic alongside Norris. Papillion-La Vista South deployed a variety of personnel throughout the weekend, allowing us to get an extended look at a few new faces. Shealie Wiebers Shealie Wiebers 5'9" | RS Papillion-La Vista South | 2023 State NE has taken on a bigger role this year at the opposite position, and sophomore Chloe Livingston Chloe Livingston 5'7" | OH Papillion-La Vista South | 2025 State NE got involved on the left pin throughout the tournament. Of course, Lauren Medeck Lauren Medeck 5'10" | OH Papillion-La Vista South | 2024 State #31 Nation NE still looms large in all six rotations. After seeing these lineup variations at the LPS Classic, it will be fascinating to follow the development of Papio South’s pins as the season progresses.
Don’t forget about our other Papio school. Papillion-La Vista have produced some strong moments in early-season action, and Morgan Glaser Morgan Glaser 6'0" | OH Papillion-La Vista | 2024 State NE is leading the way in the kill column. Also of note is Anna Sis Anna Sis 5'11" | OH Papillion-La Vista | 2023 State NE , who is having the most efficient stretch of her career up to this point of the 2022 season.
Lincoln East represented LPS well at this tournament. No surprises there. Shandy Faalii Shandy Faalii 5'7" | OH Lincoln East | 2024 State NE has continued her feature role in the Spartans’ offense, but juniors Megan Waters Megan Waters 5'10" | OH Lincoln East | 2024 State NE and Brynne Topolski Brynne Topolski 5'11" | RS Lincoln East | 2024 State NE are also finding a groove to help Lincoln East establish some nice balance on the pins. The battle between East and Southwest to be the top team in the Star City is only just getting started, and the pin-hitting matchups will remain a major storyline.
We might as well stay in Lincoln to talk about Pius X’s performance at this event. The Thunderbolts are discovering a little balance of their own with Lanie Brott Lanie Brott 6'0" | OH Lincoln Pius X | 2023 State NE and Sidda Hagedorn Sidda Hagedorn 5'11" | OH Lincoln Pius X | 2024 State NE anchoring the outside attack. Unsurprisingly, this pair has also demonstrated some stout defensive skills and will make Pius X an intimidating team to score against.