Championship Contenders Converge for Omaha Westside Invite
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Just another star-studded mid-October tournament in Nebraska. We love this time of year. Prep volleyball enthusiasts across the Cornhusker State will likely have their eyes glued to this weekend’s Omaha Westside Invitational. Once again, this event will serve as a…
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Continue ReadingJust another star-studded mid-October tournament in Nebraska. We love this time of year.
Prep volleyball enthusiasts across the Cornhusker State will likely have their eyes glued to this weekend’s Omaha Westside Invitational. Once again, this event will serve as a fascinating late-season barometer for a few of the state’s top title contenders. It’s also an appetizer for several more huge tournaments the following week.
So, here’s a quick look at the teams heading to Westside in search of some pre-November momentum.
The Frontrunners
This is quite the pack of championship-caliber teams.
We might as well start with the event’s host, Omaha Westside. The Warriors were a popular pick for this year’s Class A title ever since the preseason, and they’ve backed that up with a great 19-5 campaign up to this point.
Outside hitter Samantha Laird Samantha Laird 6'0" | OH Omaha Westside | 2023 State #171 Nation NE ‘s extraordinary senior campaign has helped Westside realize this championship potential. The South Dakota commit is putting down 4.6 kills per set on a searing .358 hitting percentage from the left side. Of course, the Warriors don’t skip a beat when Creighton-bound attacker Destiny Ndam-Simpson Destiny Ndam-Simpson 6'1" | OH Omaha Westside | 2023 State #37 Nation NE rotates to the frontcourt. Westside’s stout lineup is complete with a collection of steady ball-control players like Jocelyn Healy Jocelyn Healy 5'8" | DS/L Omaha Westside | 2023 State NE , Daniela Gologan, and Audrey Behrens Audrey Behrens 5'6" | S Omaha Westside | 2023 State NE .
Just across the way from Westside is Omaha Marian, another team that has seen plenty of fall success in a variety of venues. The Crusaders’ championship at last month’s LPS Volleyball Classic was particularly impressive. Like Westside, Marian gets much of its frontcourt firepower from a veteran and South Dakota commit. Senior middle blocker Amanda Loschen Amanda Loschen 6'2" | MB Omaha Marian | 2023 State NE continues to demonstrate her incredible versatility in her final prep season, and Marian setter Isabel Campie Isabel Campie 5'7" | S Omaha Marian | 2025 State NE has found a great rhythm with her leading attacker. Meanwhile, other experienced frontcourt contributors like Ashley Wilwerding Ashley Wilwerding 5'10" | OH Omaha Marian | 2023 State NE and Amelia Roth Amelia Roth 6'0" | MB Omaha Marian | 2023 State NE have also had a vital part in this team’s breakthrough 2022 run.
Now, we’ll venture down to Lincoln Public Schools for two more Class A frontrunners getting set to compete at Westside. Lincoln Southwest has been one of Nebraska’s most consistent teams this year, which is especially impressive given all the senior leaders that graduated from last year’s team. Marquette commit Malayah Long Malayah Long 6'0" | S Lincoln Southwest | 2024 State #142 Nation NE sets a physical offense that includes senior pin hitters Brinly Christensen Brinly Christensen 5'10" | OH Lincoln Southwest | 2023 State NE and Alexa Gobel Alexa Gobel 5'11" | OH Lincoln Southwest | 2023 State NE . Balance is a huge plus for the Silver Hawks when you factor in Abbie Appleget Abbie Appleget 6'0" | MB Lincoln Southwest | 2024 State NE and Emerson Lionberger Emerson Lionberger 6'0" | MB Lincoln Southwest | 2024 State NE in the middle. Teagan Little Teagan Little 5'8" | DS/L Lincoln Southwest | 2024 State NE will lock down the backcourt.
Lincoln East also joins the fray and is fresh off a five-set Monday classic against Southwest. The Spartans have put together a formidable lineup that is led by junior pin hitters Shandy Faalii Shandy Faalii 5'7" | OH Lincoln East | 2024 State NE , Megan Waters Megan Waters 5'10" | OH Lincoln East | 2024 State NE , and Brynne Topolski Brynne Topolski 5'11" | RS Lincoln East | 2024 State NE . Brooklyn Fuchs Brooklyn Fuchs 6'2" | MB Lincoln East | 2023 State NE and Sophia Weed Sophia Weed 5'11" | MB Lincoln East | 2023 State NE anchor the middle, and Aaliyah Bradford Aaliyah Bradford 5'4" | S Lincoln Southwest | 2024 State NE remains one of the state’s most dynamic 2024 setters.
The “outlier” of this frontrunner group at the Omaha Westside Invitational is Elkhorn North. Unlike all the aforementioned teams, the Wolves will be a Class B representative at this event. Obviously, no one doubts that Elkhorn North can hang with top-tier Class A competition; this team has already done it several times already this fall. Senior opposite Grace Heaney Grace Heaney 6'2" | RS Elkhorn North | 2023 State #33 Nation NE paces this 24-2 group with four and a half kills per set, while Shay Heaney Shay Heaney 6'2" | OH Elkhorn North | 2025 State NE and Ava Spies Ava Spies 5'9" | OH Elkhorn North | 2024 State NE will also contribute to the team’s multi-faceted attack. UNI commit Reese Booth Reese Booth 5'7" | S Elkhorn North | 2024 State NE is finding her groove running a 5-1 offense.
Playing Spoiler
While we’ve just hyped up these championship contenders a lot, don’t lose sight of a couple of teams looking to play spoiler at the Omaha Westside Invite. You never know what to expect when the depth of talent is so great.
I’ve been fascinated by this year’s new-look Millard North squad. The Mustangs have an awesome foundation that will likely lead to the program’s resurgence in the coming years. Senior outside hitter Caitlin McCormack Caitlin McCormack 5'8" | OH Millard North | 2023 State NE leads the Millard North offense in 2022, but plenty of younger players are also carrying major roles. Sophomore Brylee Nelsen Brylee Nelsen 5'9" | S Millard North | 2025 State NE directs a Mustang attack that features fellow underclassmen Rilyn Gish Rilyn Gish 5'10" | MB Millard North | 2025 State NE and Sydney Rogokos Sydney Rogokos 5'9" | RS Millard North | 2026 State NE .
Lastly, we have another Class B team that has been no stranger to important matches. Omaha Duchesne Academy has been a perennial contender in the state title race, and the Cardinals will bring some familiar faces to this Westside outing. Lily Snodgrass Lily Snodgrass 5'11" | MB Duchesne | 2023 State NE is hitting at an amazing .404 clip this year and is backed up by terminal attackers like Elizabeth Layson Elizabeth Layson 6'0" | OH Omaha Duchesne | 2025 State NE and Emily Love Emily Love 5'11" | RS Omaha Duchesne | 2024 State NE . Like Millard North, the Cardinals have a solid core group to keep building upon in successive seasons.