Opening Day Preview: Omaha-Area Matches to Follow
Back at it again! We just took a look at some Thursday matches to keep an eye on in the Lincoln area, and now it’s time to move up I-80 and into the Omaha metro. In case you missed it,…
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Continue ReadingBack at it again! We just took a look at some Thursday matches to keep an eye on in the Lincoln area, and now it’s time to move up I-80 and into the Omaha metro.
In case you missed it, we already talked about a big tournament happening in the area this weekend. Before that happens, though, there’s a lot of teams around the state that are starting their season this Thursday. Opening day presents a fun medley of one-off contests and talent-rich tournaments. What a way to kick things off.
So, let’s get you primed for some of the season openers to follow. On to Omaha!
Elkhorn North vs. Elkhorn
This cross-town matchup should have a lot of people’s attention.
It’s hard for me to refrain from using the “new school versus old school” trope given that Elkhorn North is literally a new school. In any case, the Wolves have a year under their belt now and are looking to challenge some of the metro’s top foes. Talented players like Grace Heaney Grace Heaney 6'2" | RS Elkhorn North | 2023 State #33 Nation NE and Reese Booth Reese Booth 5'7" | S Elkhorn North | 2024 State NE should help make that possible.
Elkhorn North’s first test comes against Elkhorn, a team that will look to rebuild after losing a lot of senior leadership from last year’s tournament team. This area has no shortage of talent, though, so the Antlers might not need a ton of time to bounce back.
Omaha Roncalli Catholic vs. Archbishop Bergan
Here are a couple more teams with some tournament aspirations in 2021.
Roncalli surely has some important departures from the 2020 campaign, but there’s a lot to like about who’s returning. Skylar Needham is back at setter. Libby Hubschman returns and can take on a big role in this offense. We’ll see how sharp they look on day one.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Bergan is looking to go one step further this year. Last year’s state runner-up has a great chance to get back to where they ended last year. Kaitlyn Mlnarik Kaitlyn Mlnarik 5'7" | MB Bergan | 2023 State NE returns after a productive sophomore campaign, and Kennedy Bacon will be an important leader for the Knights. Paige Frickenstein Paige Frickenstein 6'1" | OH Archbishop Bergan | 2024 State NE was also a big contributor as a freshman.
The journey back to the state championships starts here.
Omaha North vs. Omaha Westside
Storylines abound.
For Westside, this is the debut of a new-look roster. The addition of two high-level transfers from inside the Omaha metro has generated some buzz. There’s returning talent, too, with Samantha Laird Samantha Laird 6'0" | OH Omaha Westside | 2023 State #171 Nation NE on the outside and Kensington Tekrony Kensington Tekrony 6'0" | MB Omaha Westside | 2023 State NE in the middle. How good can this team be?
And, for Omaha North, this is simply about returning to the court after Omaha Public Schools barred its school from competing in the 2020 season. We don’t really know what to expect from a lot of these teams. Thankfully, we’re going to find out soon enough!