Who’s Going DII?: Part II
A large majority of the top NCAA Division II programs reside in the Midwest, with the Northern Sun (NSIC) and Mid-American (MIAA) conferences being arguably the toughest DII conferences in the nation, housing the top ranked programs. In the final…
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Continue ReadingA large majority of the top NCAA Division II programs reside in the Midwest, with the Northern Sun (NSIC) and Mid-American (MIAA) conferences being arguably the toughest DII conferences in the nation, housing the top ranked programs.
In the final 2018 AVCA coaches’ polls, 4 NSIC teams and 4 MIAA teams secured spots in the top 25:
Check out what PrepDig ranked players will be taking their talents to the NCAA DII level this fall.
MIAA (Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
Fort Hays State University
The Tigers posted a 8-22 overall record, and fell just short of making the MIAA Tournament. With two new Nebraska recruits who dominated high school and club, they are looking to make improvements for this coming fall.
2019 PrepDig Ranked Nebraska Class for FHSU
Delaney Humm is a 5’10” outside hitter from Lincoln Pius X. She recorded 311 kills and 364 digs her senior season and currently plays for VCNebraska’s 18 Elite team.
Morgan Christiansen is a 6’0” middle blocker from Lincoln Pius X. She recorded 189 kills and 88 blocks her senior season and currently plays for Nebraska Juniors.
Missouri Western State University
The Griffins ended 2018 with a 15-17 record. They secured a spot in the MIAA Tournament and fell first-round to eventual champions, the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers.
2019 PrepDig Ranked Nebraska Class for MWSU
Jessica Hendrix is a 5’11” 6 rotation outside hitter from Papillion-LaVista South. She recorded 225 career blocks and is a current member of Premier’s 18 Gold squad.
Katherine White is a 5’9” OH/DS from Exeter-Milligan. She recorded 454 kills and 250 digs her senior season. White currently plays for Nebraska Juniors.
Allie Kerns is a 5’10” outside hitter from Millard North. She recorded 243 kills and 67 blocks her senior season. Kerns is a member of the Premier 18 Gold team.
Northwest Missouri State University
The Bearcats went 22-8 last fall, falling first-round in the MIAA Tournament to 15th ranked Central Missouri. NWMS ended the season receiving votes on the AVCA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
Entering her 8th season as head coach, Amy Woerth thinks the 2019 class will bring a championship mentality. “Our 2019 Nebraska players will bring in a background of high level volleyball. They’ve all come from high level programs (high school and club) that have played in championship matches, with many of them winning. They know how to win and work hard to go after that goal. They’ve been exposed to the championship mindset and I’m excited to see that continue at Northwest.”
2019 PrepDig Ranked Nebraska Class for NWMS
Emmy Grant is a 6’1” MH/RS from Millard North. She recorded 358 career blocks and currently plays on Nebraska Elite’s 18 Ying team.
Jaden Ferguson is a 6’0” outside hitter from Lincoln Southwest. She recorded 1,310 career kills and 846 career digs. Ferguson currently plays for Nebraska Juniors.
Sydney McDermott is a 6’2” right-side hitter from Skutt Catholic. She recorded 251 kills her senior season and currently plays on Premier’s 18 Gold team.
Alyssa Rezac is a 5’7” setter from Bishop Neumann. She dished out 2,490 career assists and 1,068 career digs. Rezac currently plays on VCNebraska’s 18 Elite team.
University of Nebraska at Kearney
The Lopers are consistently a dominant force within the MIAA. Last year, UNK held a 33-3 overall record and notched their 3rd straight regular season conference championship and 3rd straight MIAA Tournament Championship. Going into the NCAA Tournament, the Lopers clenched the #1 ranking in the central region, hosting the first 3 rounds of the NCAA Tournament. UNK fell in the first round of NCAA’s and ended the season with a #12 ranking in the AVCA Coaches’ Poll.
UNK Head Coach of 20 years, Rick Squiers, is excited to start working with the 2019 class. “2019 will be one of the larger recruiting classes we have had in several years and includes 6 incoming freshmen from Nebraska plus another in-state junior college transfer. Collectively they are a very high character and academically successful class. Nearly all positions are represented in this group with a few being potential contributors this fall. I am hopeful that the depth and versatility of our newcomers translates to both short and long term success for the Lopers.”
2019 PrepDig Ranked Nebraska Class for UNK
Kamryn Schuler is a 5’11” outside hitter from Gretna. She recorded 912 career kills and 939 career digs. Schuler currently plays for Nebraska Juniors.
Michaela Bartels is a 6’0” middle blocker from Bennington. She recorded 899 career kills and 380 career blocks. Bartels currently plays for Nebraska Elite’s 18 Ying team.
Bailey Wilson is a 6’0” middle blocker from Millard West. She recorded 207 kills her senior season and currently plays on Premier’s 18 Gold team.
Elise Volk is a 5’7” OH/DS from Omaha Concordia. She recorded 258 digs and 193 kills her senior season. Volk currently plays on Premier’s 18 Black team.
Washburn University
The Ichabods are a force to be reckoned with in Division II. Last year, Washburn won the Central Regional Tournament, making it to the semi-final round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Tampa (2018 DII National Champions). With a 33-5 season record, Washburn was tabbed 3rd in the final 2018 AVCA Coaches’ Poll.
2019 PrepDig Ranked Nebraska Recruit for Washburn
Camryn Opfer is a 6’1” outside hitter from Seward. She recorded 1,539 career kills and 1,417 career digs. Opfer currently plays for Nebraska ONE.
Other PrepDig Ranked Nebraska 2019 Division II commits outside of the NSIC and MIAA
Mara LeGrand is a 5’10” setter from Papillion-LaVista South. She dished out 2,574 career assists and currently plays for Nebraska Juniors. She will be taking her talents to RMAC powerhouse, Regis University (located in Denver, CO), who went 19-10 last season and made it to the RMAC post-season conference.
Anna McLain is a 5’10” pin hitter from Lincoln Pius X. She recorded 308 kills and 379 digs her senior season and currently plays for Nebraska Juniors. McLain will be taking her talents to Queens University this fall. Queens, located in Charlotte, NC, is a member of the South Atlantic Conference where the Royals went 14-15 last season.
Sophia Moes is a 5’1” libero from Omaha Marian. She recorded 223 digs and dished out 23 assists her senior season. She is a current member of Nebraska Elite’s 18 Ying squad. Moes will be taking her talents to Rockhurst University this fall. Rockhurst, located in Kansas City, MO, is a member of the Great Lakes Valley conference. They posted a 32-7 record, took 2nd in the conference tournament, and were tabbed 16th in the final AVCA Coaches’ Poll.