Unfinished Business: 2019 Tournament Teams Poised for a Title in 2020 – Class B
Our “Unfinished Business” series kicked off with a look at Class A, where we analyzed a few teams who made a tournament appearance in 2019 and have their eyes on the big prize next year. The series now continues with…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOur “Unfinished Business” series kicked off with a look at Class A, where we analyzed a few teams who made a tournament appearance in 2019 and have their eyes on the big prize next year. The series now continues with Class B.
Of course, regarding Class B, it is probably best to first address the obvious: Omaha Skutt Catholic has not had a tournament loss in half a decade. The five-time defending champs have been dominant for a long time, and there’s no striking indication that things will be drastically different for Skutt in 2020.
Despite this, I gave a brief discussion in the Class A article of this series about the parity of Nebraska prep volleyball. It’s a state with so many great teams, and no one is invincible. The three teams profiled below have the talent and grit to challenge the reign of the Skyhawks and take home the Class B crown.
Norris
2019 Norris TitansAmong the teams in Class B that are on the rise in 2020, the Titans might have the highest ceiling of all. Last year’s #5 seed fell in the state semifinals to the aforementioned Skutt Skyhawks after a close, hard-fought battle. Norris entered postseason play with a 26-9 record after playing a schedule full of Lincoln-based squads. They were a perfect 5-0 in matches against teams in their district.
The Titans were an incredibly young team last year, with over half of their roster made up of underclassmen. Two seniors, Paige Wilkinson and Maddie Claus, depart. Stepping into that void is a talented trio of seniors-to-be: middle blocker Kalli Kroeker, opposite Brianna Stai Brianna Stai 5'11" | MB Norris | 2021 State NE , and outside hitter Molly Ramsey. Each of these experienced players has been a spark plug at their respective positions, and their leadership will be pivotal as the Titans shoot for a title. A rising corps of juniors will be equally impactful, with impact players like Ella Waters Ella Waters 6'3" | OH Norris | 2022 State NE at outside hitter and Maisie Boesiger Maisie Boesiger 5'5" | S Norris | 2022 State #198 Nation NE at setter. Gracie Kircher Gracie Kircher 5'11" | OH Norris | 2023 State NE burst onto the scene late last season as a freshman and will continue to improve in 2020. There is no shortage of talent on the Norris roster for next year, and they will undoubtedly expect to make an appearance in the championship this fall.
Waverly
LauensteinAnother team from just outside Lincoln to make this feature, Waverly entered last year’s Class B tournament as the #2 seed. Their 28-3 regular season included wins against several top-tier teams like Norris, Pius X, and Wahoo. Upon defeating Northwest in the first round of postseason play, the Vikings were upset by Omaha Duchesne in a five-set thriller.
It’s easy to simply write off Waverly for 2020 based on the big shoes that they have to fill. Seven seniors depart from last year’s squad, including setter Annika Evans (Nebraska), middle blockers Atley Carey (South Dakota) and Abbie Plouzek Abbie Plouzek 6'3" | MB Waverly | 2020 State NE (Nebraska-Omaha), opposite Mollie Grosshans, and libero Kelsey Perrotto. That’s a lot of great players to replace. Despite this, I still anticipate that the Vikings will make another trip to the tournament and perform well when the title is up for grabs. Much of this optimism stems from the return of outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein Whitney Lauenstein 6'1" | OH Waverly | 2021 State NE , who will have one more season with Waverly before starting her college career with the Cornhuskers a few miles away. Lauenstein is an incredibly explosive and terminal hitter who should be able to elevate her youthful Waverly squad in 2020. There are many young stars for the Vikings whose names will soon be known. This includes Karsen VanScoy Karsen VanScoy 5'4" | DS/L Waverly | 2022 State NE , who will likely step into the libero role after a standout year at defensive specialist. Waverly will continue to improve as the year progresses, and could establish themselves as a team to watch when the postseason arrives.
Sidney
Sidney Red RaidersLast year’s #3 seed in Class B was upset in the first round of the tournament by Omaha Duchesne, who made a surprise appearance in the finals after picking up another upset over Waverly. Sidney entered the postseason with a 32-3 record, and this skilled squad from the panhandle cemented themselves as one of the teams to beat in western Nebraska.
The Red Raiders graduate four players from last year’s tournament team, but they make up for this with a group of seven players who will be seniors in 2020. One of these seniors, Logan Holly Logan Holly 5'8" | MB Sidney | 2021 State NE , will likely be the leader of this squad heading into next year. This dynamic outside hitter has proven to be impactful in many phases of the game, including defense. Other younger players with significant playing experience will be asked to step into bigger roles, like senior Morgan Jaggers and junior Alecca Campbell. Success for the Red Raiders will be dictated by how well its upperclassmen can fit into their roles and fill some voids left by last season’s departures. If the new pieces of their lineup can adapt well, Sidney can continue to be the team to beat in the Wild West.