Standouts in Omaha: Heartland Cup
Today Nebraska teams competed in the second weekend of the Heartland Cup at Abbott Sports Complex in Lincoln and the Nebraska Elite Training Facility in Omaha. The eight teams assigned to play in Omaha revealed some incredibly talented players as…
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Continue ReadingToday Nebraska teams competed in the second weekend of the Heartland Cup at Abbott Sports Complex in Lincoln and the Nebraska Elite Training Facility in Omaha. The eight teams assigned to play in Omaha revealed some incredibly talented players as well as others that will likely progress into standouts this season. The teams that competed in Omaha are as follows: VCN 17 Black, Premier 15 Gold, River City Jrs 17 Navy, Nebraska Jrs 162, Nebraska Elite 15 Revolution, VCNebraska 16 Elite, Nebraska Jrs 161 and Nebraska Jrs 172.
Previously established players shone throughout the day as well as some unexpected or even underrated players. Here is a look at the top players from this cold and snowy Sunday in January!
The Nebraska recruit showed her strength today for Premier 15 Gold. Krause was absolutely the hardest swinger in the gym and was fearless no matter the situation, though her team was put under stress only a number of times. Not only was her arm impressive, but her platform on serve receive and defense proved to be equally admirable. Not very often do you see a 6’3″ player digging hard-driven balls with natural finesse, but this future Husker does it all. Krause is definitely one of the top recruits in the state regardless of class and she showed it today. Premier won the league today over Nebraska Elite 15 Revolution.
The #2 recruit in the 2021 class also had a good showing for one of the first outings of the 2018 club season. Gray helped Elite 15 Revolution to a championship match against Premier. The freshman middle hitter was a presence at the net just as much on defense as she was on offense. The aggressiveness of her net defense made life tough on opposing hitters and a nightmare for anyone attempting a net play against the 6’2″ athlete. Attacking in the middle can require patience and training with the setter, and as the season progresses, Gray and her team will surely rival not only the top teams in Nebraska, but the top teams in the nation.
Don’t recognize the name? That’s because she resides in Ankeny, IA. Schrader was the most precise setter with the quickest offense in Omaha today. Though she isn’t a Nebraska girl, she deserves some credit for her quick-release and beautiful distribution of the ball to Premier 15 Gold hitters like Lindsay Krause. She does her job well, and can also swing a nasty ball on the right side. Keep an eye out for her!
A defensive standout on the day, Dierks was a foundation for Nebraska Jrs 161 offens. Her solid, controlled platform proved to be a steady force for her team. Dierks, the Papillion-LaVista South defensive specialist, dug some great balls and provided her team constant chances to keep the rally going, and further, a chance to win the point. As serving in this game becomes more and more aggressive, liberos’ duties become more difficult to fulfill, and today Dierks was executing her job well.