First Take on Freshman Showcase

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2029's were ready to shine at the Nebraska Freshman Showcase on a steamy Saturday morning at the The Volleyball Academy in LaVista. Let's take a look at these fresh faces and how they may impact the upcoming 2025 high school season!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Right off the bat outside [player_tooltip player_id='826128' first='Lainee' last='Cook'] caught attention by her big athletic swing. The 5'8” Battle Creek product takes huge swings and does a phenomenal job of getting on top of the ball. She has a lot of range as well with her cut shot being her best shot. Her arm swing is so fast it is hard to slow down. Another off court trait that stuck out was her ability to give energy and be a good teammate. Cook also showed great volleyball IQ and was a fierce competitor. During defensive drills she also made some great plays. Look for her to make a big impact right away for the Braves!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another pin hitter in 5'10” [player_tooltip player_id='790348' first='Kyla' last='Gangwish'] has a big arm swing as well. The Gretna Dragon freshman does a great job of keeping the ball in front and has great hand contact. During defensive drills she reads the ball well and has a strong platform. Gangwish was also a strong teammate and gave energy to players around her. Look for her to push the veteran Dragon players!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another super impressive player off the bat was Maggie Nash The libero/defensive specialist had strong communication and command on the floor. The KC Power 14-1 Welding product got a hand on nearly everything and really shined when it came to popping under hard hit balls. Nash finished her floor moves with ease and confidence. During wash and scrimmage drills, she had a fantastic jump float serve that hovered over the net and was difficult to handle. The 5'4” defensive dandy will attend St. Thomas Aquinas. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A strong setting tradition will continue for Elkhorn North with incoming freshman [player_tooltip player_id='790090' first='Remi' last='Christiansen']. The 5'6” Premier 15 Gold product has great ball placement and great hands. Overall she is so smooth out on the floor and jumps sets with precision. Her one handed sets look effortless. You can tell she leads by example out on the floor and has more of a quiet and calm command of the floor. Really impressed by her ball distribution and execution!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were so many great setters at the Freshman Showcase and 6'0” Collyns Livermore stood out right away. Her energy and talk and the floor made her stand out immediately. She looked more like a veteran out on the court. Her length and quickness give her a ton of upside. Along with great hands, she squares well and has great ball placement. During wash drills she rotated from setting to right pin and she can swing well too! Very versatile and athletic. Livermore plays club ball for Shockwave Volleyball Academy 16 Black and will attend Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School in Kansas. Her ceiling and versatility are high!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br>Fallyn O'Connell can hit the seam well with her fast arm and big swing. The 5'10 outside from Marian High School has a very heavy arm and can really hit that cut shot and seam with authority. On defense she reads well and is really smooth. She does a great job of finishing her floor moves. Marian is getting a great one with O'Connell!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That was a fast first take on the Freshman Showcase and athletes that stood out right away for the morning. The Midwest continues to produce high level volleyball talent! There was a ton of talent on the court for the Class of 2029 so stay tuned for a lot more analysis and takes!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->