USAV 18s Girls Junior National Championships Preview: Nebraska ONE 18 Titanium
DALLAS – For some of the top volleyball players in the state, this weekend will mark the final time they put on a club uniform to compete in one more tournament as the USAV Girls Junior National Championships for 18s…
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Continue ReadingDALLAS – For some of the top volleyball players in the state, this weekend will mark the final time they put on a club uniform to compete in one more tournament as the USAV Girls Junior National Championships for 18s gets underway tomorrow in Dallas.
A handful of years ago, USAV moved its national championships for 18s teams up to this time of the year to that it wouldn’t conflict with the summer when a large percentage of kids leave for college. At USAV Nationals, there are five different levels: Open, National, USA, American and Patriot.
Nebraska ONE 18 Titanium will compete in the 18 American division and is listed as the #16 overall seed in the 64-team tournament. Here is a look at the Nebraska ONE 18 Titanium team.
Mariah Buss, Lincoln Lutheran
Buss is one of just two juniors on the 18s team and is committed to Wichita State. The all-time kill leader in Class C-1 history and the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year in Nebraska has been able to return to Nebraska ONE this season after having surgery follow the 2018 high school season.
Kayla Haynes, Freeman
Perhaps one of the most underrated players in the state, Haynes is an athletic freak that plays high above the net and her unorthodox attacking motion can give opposing blockers fits. She’s a force at the net, and despite being a senior, is uncommitted. In all likelihood, Haynes will not be playing in college despite interest from many programs.
Whitney Jensen, Grand Island Northwest
Another very underrated player on the roster, Jensen possess great leaping ability and being left-handed allows her to create problems for opposing attackers. She is committed to Nebraska Wesleyan after a very successful career at state volleyball power Grand Island Northwest.
Lexie Langley, Archbishop Bergan
Langley has been a force in the Centennial Conference since her freshman year when she started at Archbishop Bergan in Fremont. The Augustana recruit is one of the best full-rotation outside hitters in the state and she helped lead Bergan to its first-ever state volleyball title in the fall.
Hope Leimbach, Lincoln Lutheran
It really doesn’t matter what team it is, if Leimbach is on it then she is the heart-and-soul of the team. The diminutive setter has one of the top vertical leaps of any player in the state and the Midland University recruit is a maximum-effort player any time she is on the court.
Fallon Stutheit, Johnson-Brock
You don’t really need very many fingers to count the number of people that have had a better high school volleyball career than Stutheit, who will be walking on at Nebraska this fall. She guided Johnson-Brock to three state championships during her time in high school and is the kind of player you want on your team for a variety of reasons.
Kennedy Vanscoy, Waverly
The back-row specialist from Waverly is the “newest” member of the Titanium team as she joined the group this season after a standout career for the Vikings. Vanscoy is committed to Concordia University and her presence on the team has provided Titanium with one of the most talented back-rows in the state.
Erin Williams, Lincoln Lutheran
One of the top liberos in the state the past four years, Williams has been an anchor for the Titanium back-row for quite some time now, The Omaha recruit is a ferocious and fearless defender that keeps her team in system on a regular basis and has a bright future ahead of her at the Division I level.
Kamryn Willman, Grand Island Central Catholic
If there is a volleyball player in the state that more can be more aptly called a warrior, I don’t know who it is. Willman has fought her way through various medical issues and illnesses during her high school career and she simply can’t be kept off the court. All she does is positively influence matches when she’s on the court and the team when she’s not.
Lauryn Willman, Grand Island Central Catholic
The younger sister of Kamryn, Lauryn is a back-row specialist with a killer serve and great natural instincts in the back-row. She has also started to catch-up with her six-foot sister and is developing into a legitimate attacking option from the back row as well. She is just a junior and is uncommitted.
Megan Woods, Grand Island Central Catholic
She won’t get the recognition she deserves for this from state-wide media outlets, but Woods is one of the best pure athletes in the state and what I would consider a natural born winner. The Omaha recruit is a tenacious attacker on the outside with a variety of shots and her back-row game and leadership are both outstanding.