Part 2: Players Primed for Breakout Seasons in 2019
For the most part, it’s officially summer. The calendar is about to turn to June, and with that comes a bevy of summer camps, high school conditioning and open gyms. While there is technically a few weeks left on the…
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Continue ReadingFor the most part, it’s officially summer. The calendar is about to turn to June, and with that comes a bevy of summer camps, high school conditioning and open gyms. While there is technically a few weeks left on the club season, it’s never too early to jump into the high school season!
So, with that in mind, here’s the second of a multiple-part look at players primed to go from good to great or great to super stars during the 2019 high school season. The players’ grades are listed as what they will be in the 2019-20 high school season.
Anna Koehler, 5’8, Sr., OH/DS, Platteview
Koehler might be one of the best all-around athletes in the state. She’s a standout on both the volleyball and basketball courts and earlier this spring she finished second in the Class B high jump by clearing 5’6, was a member of the Class B champion 400 meter relay team, finished seventh in the Class B 200 meter dash and was on the third-place 1,600 meter relay team. Simply put, the kid is a winner and a heck of an athlete.
Last season, she had 280 kills for the Trojans while adding 355 digs and 33 ace serves. Because of her commitment to being a multi-sport athlete at her school, she really hasn’t gotten the notice she deserves on the recruiting trail, but that should all change soon. She’s the perfect example of a great talent that’s hidden away in Nebraska but will be found by a NAIA or Division II or III program and have an amazing college career. She’s the kind of player local colleges have built their foundations for national success on.
Payton Kirchhoefer, 6’0, Sr., OH, Omaha Marian (committed to Northwest Missouri State)
A school that has really upped its game and snuck into the state to snipe some of the best recruiting targets Nebraska has is Northwest Missouri State. The Bearcats got themselves a gem when they got a commitment from Kirchhoefer, who has kind of been flying under the radar at Marian. She only saw action in 38 sets a year ago, but made the most of it and had double-digit kill performances against two of the best teams in the nation last year – Millard North and Ankeny Centennial.
Her. .270 hitting percentage last year was actually better than Wyoming recruit Hailey Zuroske and just under what Creighton recruit Emily Bressman did. Kirchhoefer is long and athletic and with both Zuroske and Bressman graduated, Kirchhoefer will likely – or at least should – be a top attacking option for the Crusaders in the fall.
Adi Wood, 5’6, Sr., Libero, Kearney (committed to Nebraska-Kearney)
Kearney’s high school volleyball program is on the rise and the play of Adi Wood at libero has been a big reason for the Bearcats’ success. The University of Nebraska-Kearney recruit is another of the prototypical multi-sport athletes that doesn’t play major club volleyball, but has the skill set and ability to be a standout college player and the Lopers wasted little time in securing her commitment last year.
She’s been a starter since her freshman year of high school and has 1,537 career digs to go with 377 assists, 121 aces and a 94% service percentage and 1,020 service receptions. Look for her to make a strong push for all-state honors in the fall and help continue to push the Kearney volleyball program in the right direction.