Lincoln Southeast made its long-awaited return to the Class A tournament last fall, and Tallman was at the center of it all. She immediately rose to prominence in her first season along the LSE endline. Her incredible 20-dig Week 1 performance against Platte County was the prelude to many more highlights to come. Tallman’s command in the contrasting jersey has the Knights eyeing a repeat in 2026.

Wave 3 was all about the 16s and 17s, but we still had a handful of Nebraska 2029s playing up and showing out. Tallman led that group with her outstanding backcourt command with Nebraska ONE 16 Titanium in the ever-challenging 16 Open division. The Lincoln Southeast underclassman has oscillated between primary DS spots and the libero role throughout 2026, allowing Tallman to demonstrate her match-to-match adaptability. AAU Nationals is always a grind, but Tallman and her team grew increasingly comfortable with escalating reps in Orlando. That should put the Lincoln-area crew on a solid footing heading into the fall.

Lincoln Southeast secured its first tournament berth in eight years last fall, and you’d expect that kind of breakthrough to be anchored by a veteran-laden lineup. However, young stars like Tallman played an indispensable role in taking the Knights to the next level. She tabbed 3.6 digs per set and exhibited the same ball-control prowess we saw from her at last summer’s Nebraska Freshman Showcase. Nebraska ONE is no stranger to dynamic liberos, and they have another one to rally around in the 2029 ranks.

Why not start with a freshman? We’ve hyped up Lincoln Southeast’s hard-hitting frontcourt in recent weeks, but don’t forget about Tallman’s game-changing backcourt presence. The Nebraska ONE gem leads LSE with 3.6 digs per set and commands an ever-improving serve-receive lineup. Knight Pride is back in the postseason for the first time since 2017.

Donning the contrasting jersey as a freshman is a rare feat, especially on Class A’s big-city circuit. Tallman has defied the odds with Lincoln Southeast. The hosting Knights leaned on their first-year libero throughout the LPS Classic, and Tallman opened the event with a six-dig-per-set performance against cross-town rival Lincoln East. Of course, Tallman also dished out the positive service receptions that aren’t reflected on a box score. LSE is on pace to soar past last year’s win total and could rise even more with impact underclassmen like Tallman providing year-to-year continuity.

Keep an eye on the Star City scene. Tallman landed on our radar through her work with Nebraska ONE , and she has broken into Lincoln Southeast’s lineup to kick off her prep career. She most recently produced an 18-dig effort during LSE’s tiebreaker win over cross-town rival Lincoln East. Outside of the box score, Tallman is also an unflappable passer with vocal leadership skills beyond her years. She’ll need to harness those skills against Class A’s wealth of quality servers.