Final Thoughts on Freshman Showcase

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Freshman Showcase was fast and furious on Saturday morning. Here are some final thoughts about the two hour showcase! The Class of 2029 is coming in fast and furious too with a ton of talent! Here are some final takeaways from the showcase:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall a lot of depth and talent at all positions in this class at this showcase. Here are a few more athletes to put on your radar for the upcoming season. 5 '11 " [player_tooltip player_id='738511' first='Anna' last='Bauer'] out of Grand Island Northwest is athletic. She has some raw talent and runs the slide efficiently. She reads hitters well and has a strong block. Look for her to have a breakout year for the Vikings!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5 '10 " Marian setter [player_tooltip player_id='847923' first='Andie' last='Blomenkamp'] has great ball placement. She has amazingly soft hands and strong wrists. Her jump set and timing is fantastic. She can put the ball to either pin with ease. Blomenkamp definitely betters the ball each touch. The setter also has a nasty jump top spin that keeps passers off balance. She is listed as also playing right side for her club team Premier Gold 14. Keep this highly skilled setter on your radar this fall for Omaha Marian.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A quick step close makes 6'1” [player_tooltip player_id='850372' first='Marianna' last='Zephier-Murphy'] from Millard North a force in the middle. She finds the ball well and has good body position and control with her long levers. She transitions so well and is so quick to find the ball. Loved watching her being ready to go and transition on each ball! This is another middle to keep an eye on from Premier 14 Gold.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Right side [player_tooltip player_id='775345' first='Olivia' last='Stites'] is a 5'8” lefty with a big swing! She does a fantastic job of transitioning and reaching for the ball. Stites will play for Platteview this fall and club ball for Premier 13 Black. Her opposite Trojan teammate is 5 '10 " outside [player_tooltip player_id='775972' first='Leah' last='Brunssen']. She is explosive and really stood out during defensive drills, as she reads the ball well. She has a steady platform and digs extremely well. Brunssen has a heavy arm and can tool the block. Her physicality at the net stood out too. Keep an eye on both these Trojans!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pius X has a good one in 5'4” libero/defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id='780405' first='Whitney' last='Mertens']. She does a phenomenal job of getting under the ball and has a great platform to target. Her skill set is high in finishing floor moves and great extension on balls. Mertens also reads the tip as well. Her communication and energy on the floor is high as well! Another Premier 14 Gold player to keep tabs on!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another highly skilled defensive specialist/libero was Brinley Whitney. She plays club for MAVS 14-1 Elite and will go to high school at Free State. Whitney just makes plays out on the floor. She gets under every ball and has a ton of touches. She talks and communicates well on the floor. Running through the ball on tips and roll shots is a big strength of hers! Keep tabs on her this fall!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='557036' first='Circe' last='Tallman'] is another libero/defensive specialist to keep a careful eye on. The 5'5” defensive dandy has great talk and gets a lot of touches. She was able to get under a lot of balls and pop them up. She also had a nice short serve that threw opposing teams off. She should add depth to the Lincoln Southeast Knights this fall.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One last setter to look at is 5 '5 " setter/opposite [player_tooltip player_id='847520' first='Brynn' last='Recker']. She has strong wrists and very smooth hands. Recker had great ball placement during the showcase. During club season for VCN 14 Black,&nbsp; she took some great swings on the pin and opposite. Recker is a great versatile athlete. Keep tabs on this Lincoln East Spartan to be!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This wraps up coverage for the Freshman Showcase. Hopefully this gave you a glimpse of the incoming talent around the area. It will be fun to watch as they transition from club to the high school court this fall. It should be a great 2025 high school season! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->