An Out of State Perspective of 5 Great Things About Nebraska Volleyball
Over the course of the past couple months, I have been able to see volleyball clubs from across the country to compete in some of the top tournaments in the nation. Seeing the clubs out of Kansas City to Minneapolis,…
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Continue ReadingOver the course of the past couple months, I have been able to see volleyball clubs from across the country to compete in some of the top tournaments in the nation. Seeing the clubs out of Kansas City to Minneapolis, the depth of Chicagoland clubs, the strength of Milwaukee Sting in Wisconsin, and some of the small town kids playing on the big time stage in Iowa. However, there are some general observations about watching Nebraska clubs play that make me smile, again, each state has their own niche, but with Nebraska it is something special.
The All Around Skill
I grew up in Iowa, coaching experience in Wisconsin, and now in the heart of the Twin Cities I obviously know of the college powers of Nebraska, but this is the first time getting a glimpse of the club programs in Nebraska. Skill wise, these players can do it all. They are able to set, swing, and all can play defense. The training and high quality coaching is so apparent. I know Amber and Kadie Rolfzen are an anomaly when it comes to all around skill, but for them to switch positions and make it look easy at Nebraska is unheard of. I have to think that the training they received when they were younger allowed them to be put in a variety of positions where they had to learn it all. I see that with a lot of these clubs that they are all around solid, there is very little weakness, which again, goes to the superb all around training seen through the high school and club programs.
Coach Carrow and Nebraska Elite 15 KoaThe Passion
I love watching teams that play with a genuine energy, and a passion for the game. From the players to the coaches to the parents. With as much volleyball that I’ve watched this past club season I’ve seen the flip side where teams, very good teams, that just seem a little bit robotic. The energy seems forced, the celebrations seem overly rehearsed because that’s what is expected after a point, and quite frankly, it’s hard to watch. This past weekend seeing Nebraska Elite 16 2.0, NE Premier 17 Red, and even going back to last weekend with NE Elite 15 Koa and seeing Premier take the title at Triple Crown it was hard not to feel the energy with all these teams. They are so passionate about every point, they celebrate for each other, and they play at such a fast pace it wins them points over time, they breakdown their opponents. No one likes to play a team that’s on fire and from these clubs it seems like the fire is always lit.
Allison Gray of @NebraskaElite Running such an efficient offense. Lot of weapons on this team and they get the ball in the right spot every time. Money!!! pic.twitter.com/MGFU9GXhVl
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) April 27, 2019
Allison Gray
I had yet to see Nebraska Elite 16 2.0 play live this season. Sometimes the way schedules are set up I end up seeing teams over and over again while others it just never works out. What a treat to see Allison Gray play on Saturday. I went into this match with a clean slate, didn’t know a lot about the individuals, and just wanted to observe. Wow. What a motor, what a leader, and the confidence she plays with and the smile to go with it – she’s the type of player you don’t want on the other side of the net. Her sets are spot on, defense is solid, but she has the X-Factor of being the gamer who will just will her team to win. Then I see that she goes to Skutt Catholic with so many other great prep players in Nebraska – whoa. Scary dominate.
Ball Control
Everyone can pass, obviously some better than others, but this goes back to my first point of these athletes trained to play an all around game. The offenses ran are crisp because the first contact is so on point. Every Nebraska team I’ve watched has had a really legit libero, but even their pins can pass extremely well. These all seem like small details and some teams have players who just play front row, but when pass to attack is not an option it really throws the offense out of system. When teams can pass, and by teams, I’m saying when they can all handle the ball it makes the offense look like an orchestrated dance.
The Present and Future is Bright
So many times I find even myself saying, “Wow, they are going to be so good”. Well, for a lot of these athletes, they already are. I think sometimes we get so wrapped up in the future that at times we forget about what is going on now. Nebraska volleyball is healthy, there are players who can play at all levels, and not only can they play, but they have the passion to go with it. Keep celebrating the big points. Keep training to be an all around player. Keep Nebraska volleyball strong!