An Iowa audience was quickly introduced to some of small-town Nebraska’s most accomplished prep athletes. Sullivan is certainly one of those, and the Wayne State signee had a field day as South Central NE 18 Black’s go-to ‘M1.’ The Hastings St. Cecilia graduate has a unique ability to score on slower tempos, which hearkens back to her time as a pin on the high school stage. Last weekend’s runner-up finish is the perfect setup for 18 Black’s AAU Nationals preparations.

Payton had a dominant week at the net, helping lead her St. Cecilia squad to a perfect 5-0 record and a championship title at their home invitational tournament. The 6’1” senior middle hitter and Wayne State College commit was nearly unstoppable, hitting at a blistering .646 efficiency while averaging 4.5 kills per set. On the season, she’s hitting .454—currently second in Nebraska across all classes in hitting efficiency, with a real shot at claiming the top spot when official stats update. She’s also just nine kills away from reaching 1,000 career kills, a milestone she’s expected to hit incredibly soon. Already a GJNC All-Tournament honoree, a Class C All-State selection, and named to the AVCA All-American Watch List, Payton continues to prove she’s among Nebraska’s elite.

Sullivan has been an exceptional representative for Nebraska’s small-town gems. The Wayne State commit took another step in her prep career by helping Hastings St. Cecilia secure an upset bid in the state quarterfinals. High school venues have revealed Sullivan’s effectiveness as a go-to outside hitter, but she also wields a wicked arm as a middle blocker with South Central NE. Sullivan and her team repeated history with a Show Me championship appearance and another deep run at USAV Nationals–the perfect setup for a swan song season this fall.

Sullivan is another gem from the South Central NE pipeline who took a big step forward as a junior. She has made her name as a terminal middle blocker but has also scored on the left side for Hastings St. Cecilia. This versatility yielded nearly three kills per set and a 0.324 hitting clip as the Bluehawks clinched an upset berth to Lincoln. Sullivan thereby makes her debut in our Top 10.

Payton, a JUNIOR, led her team to a 4-1 record this week (14-4 overall)with their only loss coming to the number one team in the state, in a bigger class. She had a .476 hitting efficiency for the week with 47 kills and 13 blocks, in 12 sets, as a middle hitter. She currently leads the state of Nebraska, all class, in hitting efficiency, at .449.

Sullivan gave us everything we’d expect from such a decorated middle blocker. The South Central NE athlete was an all-tournament honoree at GJNC after helping 16 Black reach its second consecutive podium finish. Hastings St. Cecilia has already embraced the strategy of giving Sullivan as many swings as possible. Sullivan made the most of her La Vista reps and found unique ways to score. Expect big numbers from the junior attacker.

An all-tournament performer has to be on this list. Sullivan made her mark on the 16 Liberty race as South Central NE notched its second consecutive podium finish at USAV Nationals. This Hastings. St. Cecilia prep star brings a balanced game to the 16 Black lineup, meaning she can influence matches in various ways. She is a go-to option for South Central’s in-system offense, but Sullivan also has a knack for churning out positive block touches for her teammates. We’ll repeat a previous observation: 16 Black operates through the middles. Sullivan proved it once more.