June Rankings for Class B
The 2019 high school season is going to creep up on you like a sunburn on a cloudy day. It’s right around the corner, so be prepared. July is when the high school team camps really kick into overdrive, and…
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Continue ReadingThe 2019 high school season is going to creep up on you like a sunburn on a cloudy day. It’s right around the corner, so be prepared.
July is when the high school team camps really kick into overdrive, and that’s when we will start to see if reality matches expectations for some teams. It’s far too early to try and pin down the top 10 teams in each class, so here is a look at the top five in each class. We will have updated team rankings in early July, early August and then the actual preseason rankings just before the start of the season.
For now, let’s take a look at my projected top five teams in Class B.
***Note that I’m trying to make educated guesses on the classes teams will be in as well. Especially in the lower classes, there is a decent chance that teams may wind up competing in a different class than what I have them ranked in.***
#1 – Skutt Catholic
I’m just gonna keep it real here. Yes, Skutt Catholic lost Lily Heyne and Sydney McDermott – two great players – but in the grand scheme of things in Class B, it really doesn’t matter. The hard truth here is that Skutt Catholic will always have the most talent on the floor this season in Class B and that will likely be the case for the foreseeable future. Not only does it appear Skutt Catholic is looking a fifth-straight state title in a row this fall straight in the face, it’s conceivable that – unless there are major classification changes at the NSAA level – Skutt Catholic is an odds-on favorite to become the first program to win more than six in a row. With the likes of Elkhorn South, Elkhorn and Gretna headed for Class A (in most likelihood), there are very few teams that can check the Skyhawks moving forward. We are simply in the midst of the reign of what will be the most dominant program in state history.
#2 – Waverly
I went back and forth between the Vikings and Omaha Duchesne for this spot, but I’m going Waverly for now. Waverly reached the state semifinals a year ago before falling to Elkhorn South and Waverly returns a lot of talent. Colorado State setter recruit Anni Evans returns for Waverly along with one of the most athletic outside hitters in the state in Whitney Lauenstein. Kelsey Perrotto and Mollie Grosshans each return after 200+ kills a year ago and the Vikings also added South Dakota recruit Atley Carey as a transfer from Lincoln East. Carey, a 6’2 senior-to-be, should be a force at the net in Class B. Karsen Vanscoy will return to anchor the Waverly back row, and the Vikings are always known as being one of the most scrappy and defensive-minded teams in the state.
#3 – Omaha Duchesne
If the Cardinals can find a way to fill the void left by the graduated setter/RS Emma Worthington, Duchesne will be right in the thick of things in the Class B title hunt. Mayah Delgado, Mary Pat Taylor, Allison Brown and Caroline Ortman all return as top attackers for the Cardinals while Sofia Bressani, who burst on the scene a year ago as one of the top liberos in the state, also is back for Duchesne. Replacing Worthington at setter will probably be either Kaitlin Neely or Kiersten Capelle – or possibly both.
#4 – Norris
There is a lot of young talent to like coming back for the Titans, which will mostly need to replace Northern Colorado setter recruit Michaela Boon. Norris went 24-12 a year ago and lost to Omaha Duchesne in the state quarterfinals, so the young core of players got of lot of experience to build on. Paige Wilkinson, Kalli Kroeker, Ella Waters and Brianna Stai all return and all had at least 100 kills a year ago. Molly Ramsey – who had 471 digs a year ago and is right with the best liberos in the state – is back and setter Maisie Boesiger returns after running a two-setter system with Boon a year ago as a freshman.
#5 – Sidney
Sidney went 26-9 a year ago and the only thing that kept the Red Raiders out of the state tournament was a five-set loss (15-13 in 5th set) to Grand Island Northwest in the round of 16. I will continue to beat the drum on Mattie Johnson as one of the top players in the state. The South Dakota recruit had 351 kills and 274 digs a year ago and if you told me I could start my own high school program in Nebraska with any player from the 2020 class not named Kalynn Meyer, Johnson would be my pick without a moment’s hesitation. Sidney does lose Payton Jung, but now it’s time for Johnson to put the team on her shoulders and she has a talented supporting cast back with Sarah Wamsley, Logan Holly and Karly Sylvester.