Which 2028s Made Big First Impressions at Nebraska Freshman Showcase?

This event was all about first impressions and discoveries.   The Class of 2028 is about a month away from entering the high school volleyball scene. We used USAV Nationals to get a head start on our 2028 coverage, but Sunday's Nebraska Freshman Showcase took that a step further. The future is here.   Our post-event coverage begins with a few athletes who made big first impressions at Sunday morning's showcase.    Let's start with one of our showcase's Lincoln-area participants. Stengel made an immediate impression in positional drills, especially when her first contacts were tested. The future Lincoln North Star athlete brought the kind of defensive grit that you'd normally expect from a libero. Then, Stengel made her frontcourt presence felt in team drills. Her all-around skills ought to translate well to the high school stage.     Few freshmen could match Liebentritt's physicality. The Premier Nebraska middle blocker was a force at the net in team drills, where we saw Liebentritt expand her attacking range. She quickly established herself as a threat in front of the setter, but LIebentritt didn't slow down on the slide. Her diverse route repertoire is impressive for an athlete who has yet to begin her freshman year.     Add another high-flying pin hitter to the list. Brisson is a perfect fit for the opposite position, but she wasn't afraid to rack up reps on the left side in La Vista. Regardless of which pin she was on, Brisson's heavy heat made her a tough player to stop in six-on-six drills. She also showed a knack for reading setters and placing herself in the right spot to make a block touch. Brisson is poised to start her career at Elkhorn South, a program known for its versatile wing attackers.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1815042551612576145 </div></figure>    Cederburg made the trek from Minden to join our showcase, and she took full advantage of the trip. She is one of many South Central NE athletes fresh off a successful journey to Las Vegas for GJNC. Cederburg's momentum continues after she patrolled the net at our showcase and was a lethal in-system scoring option. Her next stop is Minden High School, the defending Class C1 champs. Early opportunities abound for Cederburg at one of central Nebraska's best volleyball programs.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/KingsleyATK/status/1815046854091903476 </div></figure>    We're keeping South Central NE in the spotlight for our next entry. Staehr is an effortless flyer on the left side who quickly announced her presence during hitting lines. She continued to raise the bar when she had players on the other side of the net, making her an outstanding asset in competitive drills. Aurora High School is gaining steam with young talent stepping up in the front court, and Staehr could be next up.     Norfolk Catholic was well-represented in our showcase doubleheader. Timmerman carried the banner for the freshmen and was an early standout among the event's liberos. She quickly translated those quality warmup reps into impactful floor defense in our scrimmages. Athletes like Timmerman and Brisson have given us a look at what to expect from Nebraska Elite in future seasons. We like what we've seen.     Here's another libero to keep in mind. Nowling recently embraced the GJNC spotlight as her Premier Nebraska 14 Gold squad competed in the 14 Open division. That gauntlet prepared Nowling for everything we could throw at her in Sunday's showcase. The Gretna freshman-to-be was impenetrable in the crosscourt and could adapt to any of the three backcourt zones. Let's see if Nowling can expand on Gretna's rich history of standout liberos.     Our GJNC discussion continues. Zajicek helped Premier Nebraska 14 Black reach its final Gold bracket at USAV Nationals, so we already had her name on our radar. Sunday's showcase affirmed all the impressive moments we had seen on Zajicek's GJNC highlight tape. She was a crafty scorer in the front row who also elevated her intensity as a defender. Versatility paid dividends in La Vista.

This event was all about first impressions and discoveries.

The Class of 2028 is about a month away from entering the high school volleyball scene. We used USAV Nationals to get a head start on our 2028 coverage, but Sunday's Nebraska Freshman Showcase took that a step further. The future is here.

Our post-event coverage begins with a few athletes who made big first impressions at Sunday morning's showcase.