Nebraska’s Returning Stat Stuffers: Outside Hitters
In this article:
These players are bound to put up big numbers once again. Throughout the upcoming fall season, we’re going to feature players across Nebraska who are lighting up the stat sheet for their respective teams. This is a good way to…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThese players are bound to put up big numbers once again.
Throughout the upcoming fall season, we’re going to feature players across Nebraska who are lighting up the stat sheet for their respective teams. This is a good way to shine a spotlight on athletes in all of the state’s regions and classes, and it’s a chance to get a mix of youth and experience in a single feature.
Let’s get you primed on a few stat stuffers who will be back on the court this year. We’re starting with the outside hitters, a group that will surely give us a lot to talk about in 2022.
This is a stat stuffer feature, but Wachal isn’t just looking to pad her stats in 2022. The St. Cloud State commit hopes to help Lincoln Lutheran defend its state championship triumph from last year. On an individual level, Wachal has proven herself at the highest level of competition in Nebraska, and that has manifested into some incredible scoring lines to her credit. Her 32-kill performance in the 2021 state title match was one for the ages.
Barnett is a small-town talent you have to keep an eye on this fall. Southwest High School in southwestern Nebraska has gotten so much from its senior outside hitter, and Barnett still has more to give as a senior. She eclipsed five kills per set last season and will likely do it again in her final campaign with the Roughriders.
We’re staying outside the big cities for this talented hitter, too. Niemack found a completely new gear in 2021 and surpassed any expectations she had entering her junior season. Six kills per set is a difficult mark to reach at any level of volleyball, but Niemack achieved that clip with Shelton last fall and did it on a nearly .300 hitting percentage. That’s how you fill the stat sheet.
Here’s another prolific senior scorer who will be looking to defend a 2021 state title. Though setter/opposite Ellie Baumert has graduated from Howells-Dodge and is competing at the next level, younger sister Grace still has a chance to leave one last mark with the Jaguars. The Wayne State pledge will likely be one of the leading scorers in her class, and that’s nothing new for Baumert.
She’s been doing it since she was a freshman. Roth has been active in the stat sheet since she debuted in the Lincoln North Star lineup in her first year with the school. The 2022 season offers a chance for her to build off a strong club showing in which she showed her full range of shots with VCN.
Hoos’ offensive production has risen considerably since she first took the court for Grand Island Senior High. Her 3.8 kills per set bested the 2.1 kills per set she put up as a freshman. It’s particularly impressive given all the other talented attacking options that the Islanders have, and Hoos will continue to be a stat stuffer to watch in central Nebraska.
It’s worth emphasizing how rare it is to see a freshman put up big stats in high school. Still, Cotter is one player we’ll be watching as she only enters her sophomore campaign. She put down over two kills per set for Raymond Central last fall and compiled enough terminations to rank second on her team in the category. Cotter could be the team’s focal point this time around.
Parr gave Hastings St. Cecilia a big boost en route to an appearance in the Class C2 state championships. The Bluehawks are likely looking forward to a return trip to Lincoln, and another strong season from Parr would go a long way toward making that happen.