Wisner-Pilger loses to Superior in first round of State

The Wisner-Pilger Volleyball Team lost 3-1 to Superior in the first round of the Class C2 State Tournament at Lincoln Southwest Thursday night in action aired on 107.9 the Bull.

The Gators lost set one 26-24 before winning set two 25-21 only to drop set three 25-18 and set four 25-17.

Lily Otten led Wisner-Pilger with 10 kills and two solo blocks, while Karrin Jindra and Rachel Otten each had nine kills. Aspin Waterman added seven. Rachel Otten added three solo blocks, Jindra had 14 digs and Emily Buhrman had 12 digs.

Aid Meyer recorded a double-double with 25 set assists and 12 digs.

Head Coach Jean Groth says her team stepped up to the challenge. "As you saw... the Meyer sisters brought a level of attack that was not matched by anyone on our schedule this year. I felt like the Gators did an excellent job of pressing the ball control of Superior. Knowing that any 'in-system" ball was coming back to us in full force. The team battled throughout the entire match and I was very proud of their performance."

Wisner-Pilger’s season ends at 22-12.

Groth says making state was an amazing feeling. "Representing their school at the State VB Tourney was a great accomplishment for this team. They were filled with pride, and deservingly so."

Rachel Otten led the team with 247 kills on the season while Jindra totaled 330 digs and Buhrman 309.

Meyer led the team in set assists with 463 for the year.

Groth says this year's senior class was special. "We have all heard many times, there is no "I" in TEAM. But there was an "I" in this team... and it was Individualism.  We had 6 seniors this season, and they each had an "individual talent" that made our team successful. They all offered that individual talent to the betterment of the team. Graduation will leave holes, and those holes will need to be filled.  There are Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshman ready to grab that challenge."

Key returners include Meyer, Buhrman, Reagan Scholting, Tymarie Ott, and Lily Otten.

There's a lot of girls returning for the Gators next season, and Wisner-Pilger should have a chance to be good once again.

This year's senior class includes Rachel Otten, Ashley Brahmer, Aspin Waterman, Jindra, and Erin McGuire.

This year's senior class will really be remembered and sorely missed for sure.

It was a very special season for the Gators, and Wisner-Pilger should be very proud of themselves.

Groth looks for this State Tournament berth to carry over some momentum into next year. "Any time your team can experience success at the end of your season, I believe it leaves a fire smoldering for the beginning of the next year."

The Gators will be breaking in many new players and will have some new faces on the floor.

Wisner-Pilger will be young next year, but making state this year should help the Gators next season, especially early on.

This year's senior class has set the bar for future success.

The returning players and newcomers now know what it takes to be successful and get to state.

Wisner-Pilger has to take what they learned from this year and apply it to their offseason workouts and conditioning.

The Gators have to really get after it and take part in as many team and summer camps and summer leagues and open gyms as possible, and have a burning passion in doing so.

Wisner-Pilger knocks off Mead in Sub-State to advance to State

The Wisner-Pilger Volleyball team defeated Mead in four sets on Saturday in David City, winning the C2-6 District Championship and earning a trip to the state tournament in action heard on 107.9 The Bull.

Going into the match, Mead was 23-1 overall and Wisner-Pilger was 21-11.

The Gators won the opening set 25-20.

The second set was a back-and-forth battle, with the Raiders picking up a 26-24 victory.

Wisner-Pilger was hot in the third set, downing Mead 25-18.

Set four was also back-and-forth as Wisner-Pilger overcame an early deficit to defeat Mead 25-23, claiming the match 3-1 and winning the C2-6 District Title.

Rachel Otten had 16 kills while Aspin Waterman totaled 12 kills and 7 digs. Karrin Jindra added 10 kills and 18 digs while Adi Meyer had 8 digs and 27 set assists.

Head Coach Jean Groth says serving and serve receive played a huge factor in the match. "The team served very aggressive. Mead had difficulty passing and that prevented them from getting into their offense. Our receive was strong... we had concern about their jump servers, but our receive was strong and our hitters hit .350."

The Gators improve to 22-11 on the season. They will be the #7 seed in the Class C2 State Tournament this week in Lincoln. They will play #2 Superior in the first round Thursday evening at 5:30. The match will be broadcast on 107.9 The Bull.

Groth says her team is battle tested, and that has paid off for them as they are at state. "It’s rewarding. It’s a recognition of their full body of work this season. The Gators have forged through a very difficult schedule. 10 teams that are at state were on our schedule or at our tourneys this season. 7 out of the team’s 11 losses were to state tournament teams. The Gators are ready for the challenge the state tourney offers!"

The Wildcats have a 6'2 girl who has committed to Nebraska. Groth says her team just has to be themselves and play the game in order to win. "There are 2 Meyer sisters that are excellent attackers. We just have to play our game (aggressiveness and low error) and know they are going to get some amazing swings. We just need to focus on what we can control."

Superior has State experience, and the Gators not having any could be an issue for and hurt Wisner-Pilger.

I think Gators can compete and hang in there and pull the upset, but the Wildcats are a very good team.

Groth says everyone is thrilled to be at State. "The school, the parents and family, and the community have been very supportive of the team. Their excitement for their Gators is “through the roof.”

I think Wisner-Pilger is very happy to be at State, but the team can't get caught up in the awe of being there, they have to play to win.

The Gators beat a very good Mead team to qualify for State, and Wisner-Pilger has to do what they did on Saturday on Thursday as well.

The Gators have played very tough competition all year long, and are prepared for a team like Superior I feel.

Everyone at State and in the field is good though so Wisner-Pilger has to be on top of their game.

The winner gets either GICC or Summerland in the Semifinals on Friday at 3:00 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Thursday night's match will be held at Lincoln Southwest High School.

I hope you can all tune in to the Bull to listen to Wisner-Pilger State Volleyball!!!

It's the Gators' first State Tournament appearance since 2010 and their 16th appearance overall.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder loses Sub-State match to St. Paul

The Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Volleyball Team was swept 3-0 by St. Paul in the C1-1 District Final at Columbus High on Saturday.

The Raiders lost set one 25-14 and sets two and three 25-15.

Emily Lewin had 11 kills while Elizabeth Hull and Dream Daugherty totaled 9 and 8 digs, respectively. Reagan Klein added 17 set assists.

The Wildcats simply overwhelmed LVSS it appears.

The Raiders end the year at 17-15.

It was a good season for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, in my opinion.

The Raiders finished with a winning record in quite some time, and that's a huge deal and accomplishment for this program.

LVSS got to a Sub-State Match, and that's a big deal.

Now the Raiders have to take steps forward in the future and build off this and do even better in the years to come.

Lewin led the team with 300 kills this season while Daugherty had 238.

Daugherty had 309 digs while Lewin had 293. Christianson totaled 240 while Hull registered 218.

Klein dished out 746 set assists.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder says goodbye to Lewin, Taylor Ruwe, Klein, Abbey Hill, Adrian Kroeker, Christianson, and Hull.

These girls meant a lot to the program and will be sorely missed without a doubt.

They accomplished a lot this year and leading up to this year.

The Raiders welcome back Daugherty, Stormy Poast, and Kristal Svehla.

Lots of talent lost to graduation, but some solid pieces to build around for next year.

This year's JV team will have to have players step up and fill voids on varsity next year left by this year's departing seniors.

A lot of new faces figure to see the floor or Logan View/Scribner-Snyder next year, and these players have to work and train hard so they are ready and prepared for next season.

The Raiders need to lift often in the offseason, in addition to taking part in Club Volleyball, open gyms, summer leagues and camps, and team camps.

The returning players and newcomers have a lot of room for growth and improvement this offseason, and need to get after it as often and quickly as possible.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has to continue to improve and must take steps forward from this season and build on what they did this year.

Wisner-Pilger sweeps Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Triangular to end regular season; beats GACC, falls to Ponca in Sub-Districts

The Wisner-Pilger Volleyball Team swept Logan View/Scribner-Snyder and Fort Calhoun 2-0 at the Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Triangular last Thursday night to end the regular season before downing GACC 3-1 in the C2-4 Sub-District Semifinals aired on 107.9 the Bull Monday night, only to lose in five sets to Ponca in Tuesday night's Sub-District Final also aired on the Bull.

The Gators defeated the Raiders 25-23 in set one and 25-17 in set two.

Rachel Otten had 9 kills while Karrin Jindra recorded 11 digs. Emily Buhrman added 10 digs while Aspin Waterman totaled 9. Erin McGuire dished out 7 set assists.

Wisner-Pilger won set one over the Pioneeers 25-16, and took set two 25-17.

Jindra posted 7 kills while Buhrman added 12 digs. Waterman added 10 digs while Adi Meyer and McGuire registered 10 and 7 set assists, respectively.

The Gators won set one over the Bluejays 25-23 and took set two 25-18 before losing set three 25-15 and winning set four 25-19.

Otten had 16 kills while Jindra recorded 9 kills and 24 digs. Buhrman added 14 digs while Meyer totaled 7 digs and 21 set assists. McGuire notched 7 digs.

Wisner-Pilger won set one over the Indians 25-15 before losing sets two and three 25-21, and then taking set four 25-20 before losing set five 15-4.

Otten had 13 kills and 10 blocks while Jindra tallied 7 kills and 21 digs. Adi Meyer registered 9 ace serves, 8 digs, and 19 set assists while Waterman and Buhrman had 17 and 14 digs, respectively. McGuire compiled 8 digs and 8 set assists.

Great play from the Gators last Thursday and in Sub-Districts.

Head Coach Jean Groth breaks down her team's as well as their opponents' play in Sub-Districts. "Against GACC, the Gators won the “serve and receive battle”. The majority of time, the Blue Jays were unable to set their ‘number one’ option within their offense in their efforts to side us out. That made it much easier on our defense. Tied to that was the efficiency of the Gator attackers. GACC made more attack errors that we did, and that was difficult for them to overcome. Against PONCA, our serve also bothered their offense. But the Ponca servers took our offense out of system more times than we had hoped for, creating more errors that aided in the Ponca win."

Wisner-Pilger (21-11) snagged the last Wildcard into Sub-State and will face Mead (23-1) at David City on Saturday in action that will be aired on 107.9 the Bull.

The Raiders swept Oakland-Craig 3-0 in the C2-2 Sub-District Final from West Point-Beemer Tuesday night.

Groth says serving could very well decide this one. "Mead is a very aggressive serving team. Those aggressive servers gave Mead the edge over OC’s ball control.  That is the same advantage we had over OC when we played them. So it may become a battle of which team can earn more points with their serve… or maybe just force the other team more times out of system."

I would add that hitting errors and hitting efficiency could greatly affect the outcome of this match as well.

Groth discusses the keys to a Gator win. "Our goal is three-fold.  #1 Earn 17 points per set. (Kills, Ace Serves, and Stuff Blocks totaled)  #2 Make fewer than 8 errors per set. (Attack Errors, Service Errors, Blocking Errors) #3 Win the “Serve/Receive” Battle."

It seems pretty clear what Wisner-Pilger needs to do to win and advance to State so the Gators have to go out there and make it happen.

I feel Wisner-Pilger's tough match against Ponca and the tough schedule they play has prepared them for this moment.

I also think being at Sub-State last year and experiencing that for the first time allows these girls to know what to expect this time around.

I look for the Gators to go out there and play well and lay it all out on the line.

I feel Wisner-Pilger can definitely win this match and has what it takes to win.

Groth says making state would be a huge deal. "Any time a team can represent their school and their community in Lincoln at the state tourney… it is a very rewarding experience. The team is looking forward to the challenge."

The girls have to dream big and visualize what it would be like to get down to Lincoln and play at Lincoln Southwest, Pinnacle Bank Arena, and the Devaney Center.

Getting to State would be really big for this program, and I hope the Gators can go out there and get the job done.

First serve from David City is set for 3:00 p.m. on the Bull.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder splits Home Triangular; wins C1-3 Sub-District

The Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Volleyball Team won 2-0 over Fort Calhoun, but lost 2-0 to Wisner-Pilger at their home Triangular last Thursday night to end the regular season before winning 3-2 over West Point-Beemer in the C1-3 Sub-District Semifinals at Wisner-Pilger Monday night, and downing Wakefield-Allen 3-1 in Tuesday night's Sub-District Final.

The Gators downed the Raiders 25-23 in set one and 25-17 in set two.

Emily Lewin had 10 digs while Tyler Christianson totaled 7. Reagan Klein added 20 set assists.

LVSS beat the Pioneers 25-15 in set one and 25-22 in set two.

Lewin had 7 kills and 8 digs while Klein registered 12 digs and 18 set assists. Christianson added 9 digs.

The Raiders took set one from the Cadets 25-18 and won set two 25-15. West Point-Beemer won sets three and four 25-20 and 25-18 before Logan View/Scribner-Snyder prevailed 16-14 in set five.

Lewin had 23 kills and 16 digs while Dream Daugherty notched 14 kills and 34 digs. Christianson added 8 kills and 13 digs while Elizabeth Hull registered 13 digs. Klein chipped in 12 digs and 41 set assists.

The Trojans claimed set one 25-17 before the Raiders won set two 25-21, set three 25-14, and set four 25-22.

Lewin had 23 kills and 12 digs while Daugherty posted 11 kills and 13 digs. Christianson tallied 15 digs while Hull compiled 13. Klein contributed 13 digs and 41 set assists.

Great job by LVSS winning the Sub-District and making Sub-State!

Head Coach Brad Schlegel says his team being veteran laden helped them prevail both nights. "Just like most of the season, our experience helped us in both Sub-District matches. WP-B & W-A both had a lot of young, hungry players on the floor. We were able to take their best shots and keep our cool. Our team has played a lot of volleyball the past 3 years and they have been in all times of situations. Having that experience made a huge difference. The individuals on the court also had a 'refuse to lose' attitude. I could see it on their faces and in their body language. Our serving really put us in position to succeed with a 95% serve rate on both nights. That was probably our highest 2 game stretch of the season. Against W-A we were also able to limit our hitting errors. They were incredibly scrappy and forced us to attack 3-6 times every point to get kills. We also held up pretty well in serve receive which allowed us to run the offense to be successful."

The Raiders (17-14) face St. Paul (32-0) at Sub-State at Columbus High on Saturday.

The Wildcats downed Columbus Lakeview 3-0 in the C1-8 Sub-District at Columbus High Tuesday night.

Schlegel on the matchup. "St. Paul is a complete team with very few weaknesses. They are big, skilled, aggressive, and explosive. They have great experience and excellent coaching. In practice this week, we are focusing on the mental aspect of facing an unbeaten team. We need to be bold and confident in our approach to this match. We have nothing to lose and are going to embrace the underdog role. We can't be afraid or intimidated. With that said, it is very hard to prepare our girls for the speed of the game that we are going to face on Saturday."

Upsets happen all the time, and Logan View/Scribner-Snyder certainly has to be optimistic about their chances on Saturday, and have a refuse to lose attitude once again.

Schlegel says it's a big deal that his team has made it this far. "The seniors are loving the ride. This is the first District final for our school in 15 years, so it is pretty special for them to be a part of it. We were a little disappointed with our showing at conference, so to qualify for this game is big for these young women. It is almost more impactful for our program. Having younger girls understand what it means to realize your potential through hard work and teamwork is immeasurable. Seeing that we can compete with most schools in C1 and that district success in the future should not be a surprise. However, we also want to keep in perspective that this isn't the pinnacle. We want to shoot higher than just MAKING it to a District Final."

This is certainly a huge deal for the Raiders just to be to this point, but Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has to go out there and play and expect to win.

The Raiders can't play not to lose or hoping to win.

Schlegel says winning on Saturday and making state would be an incredible feat for his team. "Making it to State would be a dream come true for many of these girls who have been watching it for many years from afar. Words really can't describe the level of excitement that would bring to our program and community after such a dry spell. In order to pull the upset on Saturday, we will have to have the best from all our individuals working as a team. We must stay aggressive from the serve line and on the attack. We will have to force St. Paul into situations where they aren't comfortable. I know it's cliche, but we have to walk into that gym on Saturday believing that we can do it."

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder certainly has their work cut out for them as St. Paul is a great team.

With that said, it's one match and one win to qualify for State at this point.

Anything can happen, and the Raiders have to go out there and make it happen.

First serve is set for 4:00 p.m. at Columbus High.

Oakland-Craig sweeps Cedar Bluffs, falls to Mead in Sub-Districts

The Oakland-Craig Volleyball Team swept Cedar Bluffs 3-0 in the C2-2 Sub-District Semifinals from West Point-Beemer Monday night before losing 3-0 to Mead in Tuesday night's Sub-District Final.

The Knights defeated the Wildcats 25-12 in set one, 25-16 in set two, and 25-14 in set three.

The Raiders won set one 25-16, set two 25-15, and set three 25-20.

A tough pill to swallow for Oakland-Craig, missing out on a wildcard to Sub-State by .03 points.

The Knights's season ends at 23-10.

It was still a great year for Oakland-Craig was the 23 wins the Knights accumulated are the most in school history.

The Knights say goodbye to Kennedy Benne and Mya Guzinski.

Those two are big losses, but Oakland-Craig has to be excited about the future given who all returns.

Key returners for the Knights are Bailey Helzer, Josie Richards, Ashten Rennerfeldt, Makenna Pearson, and Rheanna Paul.

I think Oakland-Craig will be really good next year as they have a lot of good and key players and seniors returning.

This season was quite remarkable though.

The Knights won 10 more games this year than they did last year and had 9 fewer losses.

That's a huge improvement and a lot of growth from last year.

That's a testament to these girls and how hard they worked last offseason.

Oakland-Craig has to work even harder this offseason to get back to and stay at the top though.

The missing out on a wildcard to Sub-State by .03 points is something that has to really motivate and fuel the Knights.

Oakland-Craig has to be on a mission to get to Sub-State and the State Tournament in Lincoln next year.

It's unfinished business for the Knights heading into next season, and that has to be their motto.

Oakland-Craig has to come ready to work hard each and every single day, and has to take their workouts and conditioning seriously.

The Knights have to give 110% effort in everything they do this offseason.

Oakland-Craig needs to have another great year of growth and development.

The Knights have to really get after if this offseason and be ready to have another memorable and spectacular season in 2020.

North Bend Central rallies to beat Columbus Lakeview in regular season finale; beats DC West, loses to Wahoo in Sub-Districts

The North Bend Central Volleyball Team went 2-1 in their final three matches of the season, winning 3-2 at home over Columbus Lakeview in last Thursday night's regular season finale and 3-1 over DC West in the C1-4 Sub-District Semifinals at Fremont High on Monday before losing 3-0 to Wahoo in Tuesday night's Sub-District Final.

The Viqueens took set one 25-17 and set two 25-16 from the Tigers before NBC won set three 25-22, set four 27-25, and set five 15-8.

North Bend Central defeated the Falcons 25-15 in set one, lost set two 25-15, won set three 25-14, and then took set four 25-19.

The Warriors won set one 25-18, set two 25-13, and set three 25-21.

Very good season for the Tigers. I think North Bend Central could of made a Sub-State match if they didn't have Wahoo in their Sub-District.

The Tigers end the season at 21-8.

North Bend Central says goodbye to Maddy Renner, Megan Ortmeier, Lauren Emanuel, Jenna Byrd, and Jessa Hellbusch.

Some good talent lost for sure, but plenty returning for the Tigers.

Key returners for North Bend Central include Cierra Kluthe, Kaitlyn Emanuel, Sydney Emanuel, and Ally Pojar.

The Tigers always seem to reload and I look for that to be the case next year as well.

Next year's team has a lot of work to do in order for the team to have as good a season if not better than they did this year.

The ultimate goal of course is to make the State Tournament, and it's going to take a lot of hard work for North Bend Central to get there next year.

I know these girls have Basketball and Track, and I know the team is expecting big things in Basketball, but they still need to make a lot of time for Volleyball.

The girls not out for a winter and/or spring sport should be in the weightroom a lot and should take part in some Sunday Club Leagues or something of that nature.

Like anything, the more you do it and the more repetition you have, the better you are going to be, and Volleyball is no exception.

The Tigers need to play a lot of Volleyball this offseason to stay sharp and be good next year.

North Bend Central has to comeback stronger than ever next season, and be ready for another good campaign.

The Tigers have a lot to be proud of this year as they had a nice season, but North Bend Central has to want more.

The Tigers have to comeback ready to work hard in the offseason, and must not take their workouts or conditioning lightly.

The sooner North Bend Central gets to work the better off they will be next season.

And the more work the Tigers put the better they will be in 2020.

Stanton beats Howells-Dodge, loses to Lutheran High Northeast in Sub-Districts

The Stanton Volleyball Team saw their year come to a close Tuesday night as the Mustangs were swept 3-0 by Lutheran High Northeast in the C2-5 Sub-District Final from Norfolk Catholic. Stanton got to the Sub-District Final by beating Howells-Dodge 3-1 in Monday night's Semifinals.

The Mustangs took set one from the Jaguars 25-19 before losing set two 25-21. Stanton went on to win set three 25-22 and set four 25-19.

Sylvia Cunningham had 14 kills while Olivia Cunningham and Kinley Pohlman totaled 10 kills apiece. Jasmine Kment added 24 digs while Ellie Locke and Marissa Remm notched 12 digs each. Emily Colwell chipped in 11 digs and 18 set assists while Morgan Remm tallied 10 digs and 20 set assists.

The Eagles topped Stanton 25-19 in sets one and three, and 25-13 in set two.

Locke posted 8 kills and 7 digs while Olivia Cunningham had 7 kills. Kment notched 32 digs while Colwell registered 13 digs and 9 set assists. Marissa Remm added 11 digs while Morgan Remm dished out 12 set assists.

I thought the Mustangs played well against the Jaguars, but for some reason couldn't carry the play over to the match against LHNE.

Stanton ends their season at 17-15.

This season wasn't quite like anything the Mustangs experienced the last 5 years, but I thought Stanton still did some nice things this season.

Locke led the team in kills on the season with 216 while Sylvia Cunningham recorded 212.

Kment had 458 digs to lead the team while Marissa Remm and Locke had 244 and 237, respectively.

Colwell led the way with 360 digs while Morgan Remm recorded 357.

The Mustangs says goodbye to Kment, Mylie Otto, Colwell, Marissa Remm, Morgan Remm, Frankie Hansen, and Kaylie Matthies.

Some good talent lost for sure, but plenty of talent back as well.

Stanton brings back the likes of Pohlman, Olivia and Sylvia Cunningham, and Locke.

I look for these four to kind of shoulder some of the load for the Mustangs next season.

Stanton figures to be relatively young so the Mustangs have a lot of work to do this offseason.

Stanton has to really get after things this offseason.

The Mustangs need to be in the gym and weightroom as much as possible, and work as hard as they possibly can.

The Mustangs have to be gym rats, and really work on their game and hone their skills in the offseason.

There's plenty of time for Stanton to improve and try and get back to the level this program was just at not too long ago.

This team has a lot to live up to as did this year's team so we'll see what the Mustangs can do in the offseason and next year.

Champions are made between December and July, not August to November.

So Stanton has to put the time and effort in between now and the start of next season, and get ready to go again in 2020.

Pender sweeps Omaha Christian Academy, loses to Fremont Bergan in Sub-Districts

The Pender Volleyball Team saw their season come to an end Tuesday night, falling 3-0 to Fremont Bergan in the D1-1 Sub-District Final at Oakland-Craig. This came after the Pendragons swept Omaha Christian Academy 3-0 in Monday night's Semifinals.

The Pendragons downed the Eagles 25-8 in set one, 25-10 in set two, and 25-18 in set three.

Ashley Ostrand had 9 kills and 14 digs while Zoey Lehmkuhl totaled 7 ace serves, 11 digs, and 18 set assists. Alyssa Geisert had 8 digs while Claire and Isabelle Felber each notched 7.

The Knights topped Pender 25-10 in set one, 25-15 in set two, and 25-10 in set three.

Lehmkuhl posted 10 digs and 9 set assists while Isabelle Felber added 10 digs. Ostrand chipped in 8 digs.

A nice job by the Pendragons winning a Sub-District Match and getting to a Sub-District Final.

Pender wraps up their year at 9-22.

It may seem like this year was a struggle for the Pendragons, but I thought this team did a lot of nice things given how young they were.

I only look for Pender to be better in the future.

Statistical leaders Olivia Nelson led the way with 56 blocks this season.

Ostrand had 411 digs while Lehmkuhl posted 296 and Isabelle Felber 226.

Lehmkuhl also had 303 set assists for the season.

Pender doesn't graduate a single player.

The Pendragons should also have Caitlyn Heise back from injury next year.

I think Pender can be much improved and get to 15-20 wins at least next season.

It takes a lot of hard work and determination to get to the top though.

The Pendragons have to work very hard this offseason, and come ready to work each and every day.

Pender's returning players and newcomers have to take part in as many open gyms and summer camps and team camps and summer leagues as possible.

The Pendragons have to push themselves and see how far they can push their bodies.

Pender needs to put in a lot of hard work and long hours in the gym this offseason.

The Pendragons have to do whatever it takes to be great and successful.

I look for the Pendragons to have a really good offseason and comeback strong next year.

I think Lehmkuhl and Heise have a chance to have really good individual seasons for Pender.

The Pendragons have a lot of returning talent, and I'm very excited to see what this team can do next year.

Tekamah-Herman loses final three matches of season

The Tekamah-Herman Volleyball Team lost 3-0 at home to Fremont Bergan last Tuesday night before falling 3-0 at Howells-Dodge Thursday night to end the regular season, and then lost 3-1 to Yutan in the C2-2 Sub-District Tournament at West Point-Beemer Monday night.

The Knights won sets one and two 25-11 and took set three 25-14.

The Jaguars took set one 25-16, set two 25-21, and set three 27-25.

The Tigers won set one over the Chieftains 25-23 before losing sets two and three 25-15, and set four 25-20.

I thought Tekamah-Herman fought very hard and valiantly all season long for only having 9 girls out for the team.

The Tigers conclude their year at 3-28.

Tekamah-Herman loses just one senior in Marissa Burt, who will be sorely missed for sure.

Not having Anna Wakehouse out for the team this year really hurt the Tigers without a doubt.

Key returners for next year include Elena Jetensky, Brynn Schmidt, Kennedy Pagels, Kaitlyn Quick, and Aubrynn Sheets.

There will only be one senior on next year's team too barring any transfers so the Tigers will be young still next season as they were really young this year.

The girls have to work really hard and really get after things this offseason.

Tekamah-Herman has a lot of work to do if they want to get back to where they were prior to last year.

This is a team with a lot of potential as they have won a lot of matches in past years.

The Tigers have to bring the lunch pail and come ready to work each and every day this offseason.

Tekamah-Herman has to take weight training, and open gyms, team and summer camps, and summer leagues seriously.

Everything the Tigers do should be done with maximum effort and nothing less.

These girls have to want to get better at the game and must have a burning passion for Volleyball.

The returning players and newcomers have to find a way to play as much Volleyball as possible, working it in around their other sports like Basketball and Track.

Volleyball has to matter to these girls, and they have to care about and have to want to get better at the sport.

I think they do and I think they will, but it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, sacrifice, and determination.

Being successful takes a lot of hard work and determination, but I know these girls can get there, there's no doubt about it in my mind.

They have to stick with it and keep working hard.

BRLD stomps Homer, loses to Ponca in Sub-Districts

The BRLD Volleyball Team swept Homer 3-0 in the C2-4 Sub-District Play-In Match from Pender in action aired on 107.9 the Bull on Monday before losing 3-1 to Ponca in the Semifinals later that night.

The Wolverines defeated the Knights 25-9 in set one, 25-19 in set two, and 25-16 in set three.

The Indians won set one 25-10 and set two 26-24 before BRLD took set three 25-22 only to drop set four 25-20.

Good strong and valiant effort from the Wolverines in Sub-Districts I thought.

BRLD wraps up their year at 19-14.

Very respectable season for the Wolverines.

I thought Allie Tietz and Paige Raasch did an excellent job in their first year as Co-Head Coaches.

The highlight of the season had to be the five set upset thrilling win over North Bend Central on October 15th.

That's one that I will always remember as a broadcaster.

I think BRLD has a lot of room for growth and improvement next year as well.

The Wolverines say goodbye to Halle Wortman, Kelsey Larsen, Tyra Bonneau, and Tori Ostrand.

These girls meant a lot to the success of BRLD Volleyball no doubt, and will really be missed.

The Wolverines have to be very excited about the future though given all who they bring back.

Key returners are Aubrey Berg, Brooklyn and Audra Nolting, Kinlee Bacon, Caragan Tietz, Alexzi Nottleman, Alyssa Buchholz, and Megan Beutler.

BRLD was pretty young this year and still managed to have a nice season.

Imagine what next year will bring given who all returns.

The Wolverines have to be excited about next season and what it figures to bring.

BRLD has to get after it this offseason and bring excellence upon themselves and their teammates.

The Wolverines have to strive to be great and excellent at everything they do.

BRLD has to devote proper time to Volleyball, in addition to playing Basketball and running track or whatever other sports these girls do.

Running and conditioning will be big and important as well I feel.

The Wolverines must have great endurance so they are the better conditioned team and don't wear out and get tired at the end of matches.

All of these things are very possible and attainable, but it takes a lot of hard work, sacrifice, and determination to make it happen.

GACC loses to Wisner-Pilger in Sub-Districts to end season

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Volleyball Team lost 3-1 to Wisner-Pilger in the C2-4 Sub-District Semifinals from Pender in action aired on 107.9 the Bull Monday night.

The Gators won set one 25-23 and set two 25-18 before the Bluejays took set three 25-15 and lost set four 25-19.

Sophia Hass had 17 kills and 21 digs while Brooklyn Bailey totaled 16 kills and 8 digs. Greta Wooldrik added 9 kills while Evelyn Wooldrik posted 7. Hannah Knobbe chipped in 13 digs and 44 set assists while Erica Engelmeyer recorded 8 digs.

Disappointing finish to the season for GACC you could say.

The Bluejays end the year at 13-12.

Hass led the way in kills with 314 while Bailey had 210.

Evelyn Wooldrik had 125 blocks while Taylor Timmerman totaled 82 and Hass chipped in 65.

Hass had 305 digs while Bailey registered 213.

Knobbe had 698 set assists.

GACC parts ways with Knobbe, Engelmeyer, Bailey, Meghan Brunsing, and Elizabeth Karnopp.

These five will be missed big time without a doubt.

Key returners for the Bluejays are Greta and Evelyn Wooldrik, Megan Plagge, Hass, and Timmerman.

GACC always has good freshmen classes too so blend in the younger and older players together and the Bluejays should be successful.

GACC has a lot of work to do this offseason to get back to an elite level though.

I think the Bluejays improved this year from their 12-16 mark in 2018.

GACC still has a lot of work to do to get back to the top, but they can definitely get there.

These girls just have to stay committed and must stick to the plan.

The Bluejays have to keep working hard and must keep working their tails off to be successful.

GACC has to mold themselves into great Volleyball players, and in Hass's case, be an even greater player than she already is.

The Bluejays need to have an excellent offseason and get ready to get back to the GACC of old.

The Bluejays can definitely get back there, but they have to come ready to work hard everyday this offseason.

Conditioning, weight training, and participation in summer camps, leagues, team camps, and open gyms are all important and critical to improving.

Every single rep no matter what it is has to be done with 110% effort.

GACC can't cut any corners whatsoever.

Emerson-Hubbard drops final match of season to Wynot

The Emerson-Hubbard Volleyball Team saw their season come to an end Monday night as the Pirates fell 3-0 to Wynot in the D2-2 Sub-District Semifinals from Hartington Cedar Catholic.

The Blue Devils won set one 25-9, set two 25-6, and set three 25-5.

Tough loss to what was a difficult season for Emerson-Hubbard.

The Pirates end their campaign at 0-28.

Emerson-Hubbard says goodbye to Madison Gunderson, Katie Ahlers, Addison Mackling, Raegan Reifenrath, and Isabella Parker-Diaz.

Some very talented girls lost for sure. They will really be missed no doubt.

Key returners for the Pirates include Brianna Bousquet, Brynn Schock, and Hadley Houfek.

These girls figure to be the top 3 players for Emerson-Hubbard next season.

I'm kind of surprised the Pirates struggled as much as they did this season.

I feel there was talent there to win at least like 5 or 6 matches, but things just didn't come together for Emerson-Hubbard for whatever reason.

The Pirates definitely have a lot of work to do in the future as their program is continuing on as Emerson-Hubbard.

As I mentioned before, there will no longer be a coop with Wakefield and Allen now as Wakefield shot it down.

I think this hurts Emerson-Hubbard Girls Athletics, but I think it's a good thing for all three schools as a whole for the time being.

So the Pirates will have to continue to operate as themselves and Volleyball and Girls Basketball will have to find enough girls to go out again next year.

It's too bad Emerson-Hubbard is struggling like this, but this seems to be happening a lot in these small, rural communities.

The Pirates have to make due with what they're handed next year, and try and build something.

I feel Emerson-Hubbard has a good core group of players back who can do big things and contribute a lot next season.

The Pirates really need those key returners to step up and produce next year though.

Emerson-Hubbard really needs to find an offensive game in the offseason if anything.

The Pirates have to develop some attackers...some girls who can record kills and hit the ball with absolute steam and authority.

Winnebago drops final three matches of season

The Winnebago Volleyball Team went 0-3 in their final three matches of the season, losing 2-1 to Homer and 2-0 to Wakefield-Allen at their home Triangular Thursday night before falling 3-0 to the Trojans in the C1-3 Sub-District Semifinals from Wisner-Pilger Monday night.

The Indians took set from the Knights 25-14 before losing set two 25-17 and set three 25-21.

The Trojans won set one over Winnebago in the first meeting 25-17, and took set two 25-19.

Wakefield Allen defeated the Indians 25-11 in set one, 25-15 in set two, and 25-21 in set three in Sub-Districts.

Tough ending to what was a successful season in many ways for Winnebago as the Indians went just 1-6 in their last 7 matches.

Winnebago ends the year at 13-16.

The Indians say goodbye to Tia YellowThunder, Savannah Fierro, Kiana Lewis, Jaidan Payer, and Summer Snow.

Some big losses among that group as they will all be sorely missed for sure no doubt.

Key returners for Winnebago include Natasha Deal and Keisha Snyder.

Not a ton of experience back for the Indians next season, but it will be interesting to see what young talent can emerge, grow, and blossom.

I think Winnebago can turn their program around and be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

I think the Indians took a lot of steps in the right direction this year.

I'm hesitant to say Winnebago will continue it next year just due to how many key players they lose to graduation, but I think this is a team that can be very good in 2 or 3 years.

I think a lot of it hinges on player development and what the Indians have coming up.

Volleyball has to become big in Winnebago like basketball is.

Volleyball has to matter to these girls and they have to work really hard at it.

The returning players and newcomers have to be begging for the gym to be unlocked so they can go out there and get some reps and hits in.

Proper weight training and good weightroom participation is key as well.

These girls have to want to be in the weightroom and in the gym and have to want to improve and get better.

Volleyball has to be or become a passion for these girls.

It can't be just a game or just something they do for fun.

It has to be something they want to excel and be great in.

The Indians have to find that spark, and have that will, drive, and determination to improve and become great at the sport of Volleyball.

Hard work, perseverance, and being great at the sport has to matter to these girls.

West Point-Beemer loses in five sets to Logan View/Scribner-Snyder in Sub-Districts to end season

The West Point-Beemer Volleyball Team fell 3-2 to Logan View/Scribner-Snyder in the C1-3 Sub-District Semifinals from Wisner-Pilger Monday night to end their year.

The Cadets lost set one 25-18 and set two 25-15 before winning set three 25-20 and set four 25-18 only to see the Raiders take set five 16-14.

Sidney Swanson had 17 kills and 11 digs while Rachel Groth added 8 kills. Jadyn Meiergerd added 20 digs while Katie Rainforth had 12 digs and 20 set assists. Brooklyn Weddle added 10 digs while Lauryn Hagedorn chipped in 8. Diana Cervantes totaled 7.

Heartbreaking loss for West Point-Beemer for sure. A valiant effort from the Cadets though.

West Point-Beemer's season ends at 10-20.

Not the result the Cadets were hoping for from an overall record standpoint this season, but I feel West Point-Beemer was a better team than their record showed.

The Cadets lost some close matches to some good teams.

Swanson led the way with 218 kills while Rainforth had 50 ace serves.

Meiergerd had a team-high 239 digs while Rainforth was the team leader in set assists with 276.

The Cadets don't lose a single player on their roster.

Everyone is back, and I think that is huge for West Point-Beemer.

These girls have a whole nother year together to have success and do great things.

The Cadets were young this year and it was a learning experience for them as there were a lot of growing pains and frustration for sure.

Hopefully the close losses and what West Point-Beemer learned this year though will result in more wins and success next season.

I know a lot of these girls have Basketball and Track and other sports and activities to work on, but if they can set aside time for Volleyball it will make a huge difference no doubt.

The Cadets have to be in the weightroom and on the court honing their skills as often as possible.

West Point-Beemer has to really get after things this offseason, and be gym rats.

The returning players and newcomers need to take part in as many summer camps, team camps, summer leagues, and open gyms as possible.

The Cadets also need good weightroom attendance and participation.

West Point-Beemer has to work hard if they hope to get where they want to be come next year.

The Cadets have a lot of work to do between now and August if they hope to be successful next season.

The sooner West Point-Beemer gets to work the better they will be and the more success they figure to have next year.

Howells-Dodge falls to Stanton in Sub-Districts

The Howells-Dodge Volleyball Team saw their year come to an end Monday night as the Jaguars fell 3-1 to Stanton in the C2-5 Sub-District Semifinals at Norfolk Catholic.

The Jaguars lost set one 25-19 before taking set two 25-21 only to drop set three 25-22 and set four 25-19.

Riley Pokorny had 11 kills and 7 digs while Grace Kreikemeier recorded 10 kills. Alyssa Coufal added 8 kills and 35 set assists.

Howells-Dodge came close to winning Monday night, but couldn't quite do it.

The Jaguars end the year at 18-13.

I felt the season as a whole was a good one for Howells-Dodge.

Coufal was the team leader in set assists with 377.

Howells-Dodge says goodbye to Coufal, Kreikemeier, Taya VanLengen, and Madyson Cech.

These four seniors meant a lot to the success of Howells-Dodge Volleyball, and will be missed.

Key returners for the Jaguars include Brooklyn Macholan, Pokorny, Jayda Bazata, Lexie Brester, and Cassie Pieper.

There's a lot of talent coming back that can lead this team. Coufal will be very difficult to replace although Brester contributed a lot in the assists department as well.

I look for Howells-Dodge to be even better and more improved next year.

The Jaguars have a good core nucleus coming back, and these girls have to work hard together to achieve greatness.

I felt Howells-Dodge did a lot of nice things this year, but has a lot of work to do to get back to that elite level they were at 3-4 years ago.

The Jaguars have to put a lot of time and effort in during the offseason.

Volleyball isn't an August to November sport it's a year round deal.

Howells-Dodge's returning players and newcomers need to play the game as much as possible in the offseason and get in the weightroom often.

The Jaguars have to give up certain things to get that workout or game in.

Being successful in sports and in the classroom for that matter often leads to success in life.

So these girls have to continue to grow as young people and student athletes.

It's important to have fun and rest and all of that, but the team has to challenge and push themselves between now and next year.

The more offseason activities the returning players and newcomers take part in the more successful they are going to be in 2020.

Clarkson/Leigh beats Madison, falls to LHNE in Sub-Districts

The Clarkson/Leigh Volleyball Team ended their season Monday night at the C2-5 Sub-District Tournament at Norfolk Catholic, sweeping Madison 3-0 in the play-in match before losing 3-0 to Lutheran High Northeast in the Semifinals.

The Patriots defeated the Dragons 25-13 in set one, 25-10 in set two, and 25-18 in set three.

Cassidy Hoffman had 10 kills while Kennedy Settje added 8 kills and 7 digs. Bailey Lemburg added 11 kills while Makenna Held totaled 9 digs and 31 set assists. Brittney Urbanek chipped in 8 digs.

The Eagles topped Clarkson/Leigh 25-13 in set one, 25-20 in set two, and 25-19 in set three.

Kayden Schumacher had 10 kills and 20 digs while Hoffman registered 7 kills. Urbanek recorded 17 digs while Settje notched 13. Lemburg had 10 while Held posted 10 digs and 30 set assists.

Great and valiant effort from the Patriots, but LHNE proved to be too much.

Clarkson/Leigh's season ends at 16-16.

The Patriots really struggled at the end of the season, going just 2-8 in their last 10 matches.

I still think it was a respectable season for Clarkson/Leigh though as I felt the Patriots did a lot of nice things this year.

Statistical leaders Hoffman led the way with 259 kills while Schumacher had 200.

Hoffman also led the team in blocks with 100 while Kim Stodola had 55.

The digs leader was Settje with 329 followed by Schumacher, who had 317.

Held had 721 set assists on the season.

Some good and impressive stats put up by these girls.

Clarkson/Leigh says goodbye to seniors Ashlynn Novotny, Taylor Larson, Urbanek, Stodola, and Reagan Settje.

The Patriots missed Novotny this season and I think she would of made a huge impact this year for Clarkson/Leigh. It's too bad she was injured.

Key returners include Held, Kennedy Settje, Schumacher, Lemburg, Hoffman, and Alissa Kasik.

There is a lot of talent coming back for the Patriots next season.

Clarkson/Leigh has to work hard in the offseason and use how this season ended as motivation to perform well and get back to the top.

The Patriots can get back to the elite level they were at in 2017 and 2018, they just have to work hard and believe.

I think this season was headed that way at one point and had that potential, but Clarkson/Leigh went in a downward spiral instead of an upwards one.

Perhaps that will change next year and the Patriots will finish 2020 stronger than they did 2019.

I think it definitely can happen, and feel Clarkson/Leigh has a lot to look forward to next year.

It was kind of a bit of a rebuilding year this year for the Patriots in a way so I fully expect Clarkson/Leigh to be back and ready to rock and roll in 2020.

Emerson-Hubbard goes 0-3 in Lewis and Clark Tournament

The Emerson-Hubbard Volleyball Team lost 2-0 to Homer and Osmond in the first round of the Lewis and Clark Conference Tournament at Osmond on Saturday before losing 3-1 to Walthill in a tournament consolation match on Monday.

The Pirates fell 25-13 in set one to the Knights, and dropped set two 25-12.

Emerson-Hubbard lost set one to the Tigers 25-22, and dropped set two 25-5.

The Blujays won set one 25-22 and then the Pirates took set two 25-23 only to see Walthill win set three 25-21 and set four 26-24.

Tough for the Pirates not to be able to win a match in this tournament.

Emerson-Hubbard (0-27) battles Wynot (21-3) in the D2-2 Sub-District Tournament at Hartington Cedar Catholic on Monday.

The Blue Devils won the Tournament Championship, sweeping Ponca 3-0 Tuesday night.

Very difficult matchup and match the Pirates are facing.

There's been monumental upsets in the postseason before though and Emerson-Hubbard has to join the club.

The Pirates have to do whatever they can to avoid making the kind of history you don't want to make, which is going winless.

It looks like that could very well happen for Emerson-Hubbard though unless the Pirates pull off the complete shocker.

Emerson-Hubbard has to go out there and try and make history.

That's what these players have to be thinking anyways.

The Pirates have to dream big and believe that there is no mountain too tall to climb.

Wynot is a great team, but Emerson-Hubbard has to give it their all Monday night.

This is it for the Pirates, this is their season.

Lose and Emerson-Hubbard is done for the campaign.

The Pirates have a good number of seniors on the team so those players in particular need to do everything they can to keep the season going.

It has been a long and tough season for Emerson-Hubbard, but the Pirates are still going and need to keep things going if at all possible.

Emerson-Hubbard has to be confident and their abilities and believe that they can pull the upset.

The odds may not be in the Pirates' favor, but as long as Emerson-Hubbard believes that's all that matters.

The Pirates have to go out there and give things their best shot on Monday and see what happens.

Opening serve is set for 5:30 p.m.

Howells-Dodge 3-3 in last 6 matches

The Howells-Dodge Volleyball Team went 2-2 at the East Husker Conference Tournament, defeating West Point-Beemer 2-0 before losing 2-1 to Wisner-Pilger at Wisner last Thursday night in the first and second rounds, and then beating Clarkson/Leigh 2-0, but losing 2-0 to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family in consolation matches at Pender on Saturday. The Jaguars then lost 3-1 at home to North Bend Central Tuesday night, and beat Tekamah-Herman 3-0 at home Thursday night.

Howells-Dodge defeated the Cadets 25-19 in sets one and two.

Alyssa Coufal had 9 set assists.

The Jaguars took set one from the Gators 26-24 before losing set two 25-19 and set three 25-22.

Brooklyn Macholan had 10 kills while Riley Pokorny notched 7. Coufal added 21 set assists while Lexie Brester had 9.

The Patriots won set one 25-17 before Howells-Dodge claimed set two 25-22 and set three 25-19.

Grace Kreikemeier had 11 kills while Macholan and Taya VanLengen each had 9. Coufal chipped in 22 set assists while Brester totaled 10.

The Bulldogs took set one 25-20 and set two 25-18.

Kreikemeier had 7 kills while Coufal dished out 11 set assists.

NBC won sets one, two, and four 25-14 while the Jaguars won set three 25-21.

VanLengen recorded 7 kills while Coufal and Brester had 14 and 9 set assists, respectively.

Howells-Dodge defeated Tekamah-Herman 25-16 in set one, 25-21 in set two, and 27-25 in set three.

Macholan had 13 kills while Kreiekemeier and Pokorny had 8 and 7, respectively. Coufal totaled 16 set assists while Brester notched 13.

Good, tough, and strong play from the Jaguars in recent matches.

Howells-Dodge (18-12) battles Stanton (16-14) in the C2-5 Sub-District Semifinals at Norfolk Catholic Monday night.

The Mustangs lost 3-1 at home to Lutheran High Northeast Tuesday night to round out the regular season.

Stanton defeated the Jaguars 3-0 at home on October 8th.

Howells-Dodge probably needs to win this Sub-District to have any shot at making Sub-State.

The winner gets either Lutheran High Northeast or Clarkson/Leigh or Madison in Tuesday's Sub-District Final.

Playing the Eagles would be a big challenge, but the Jaguars have to focus on getting past the Mustangs first.

Stanton figures to be tough being a four-time defending State Qualifier and everything.

Howells-Dodge has a big challenge on their hands so massive preparation is key.

The Jaguars have to be ready to go mentally and physically Monday night.

This is the season for Howells-Dodge, and the last chance for a handful of these players to make a postseason run.

The Jaguars have to try and prolong their season as long as possible, and have it go past Monday.

Easier said than done though given how tough the Mustangs are.

Both teams have lost to some good teams here at the end of the regular season so we'll see which can team can come through after some tough losses.

I think what helps Howells-Dodge is they won their last regular season match, and Stanton has lost three in a row.

The Mustangs still figure to be an awfully tough out though so the Jaguars have to come out and turn in a stellar performance.

Monday night's match is scheduled to start at 6:15 p.m.

Tuesday's Sub-District Final will begin at 7:00 p.m.

GACC sweeps Crofton; goes 1-2 at Mid-State Conference Tournament

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Volleyball Team swept Crofton 3-0 at home last Thursday night before losing 3-0 to Hartington Cedar Catholic in the first round of the Mid-State Conference Tournament at Battle Creek Monday night. The Bluejays then beat Boone Central/Newman Grove 3-0 at Pierce on Tuesday before losing 3-2 to O'Neill at Battle Creek on Thursday for 5th place.

GACC topped the Warriors 25-17 in set one, 25-13 in set two, and 25-16 in set three.

Sophia Hass had 11 kills and 13 digs while Brooklyn Bailey totaled 10 kills. Greta Wooldrik added 7 blocks while Hanna Knobbe registered 29 set assists.

The Bluejays dropped set one to the Trojans 26-24, lost set two 25-20, and fell 25-19 in set three.

Hass posted 13 kills and 8 digs while Bailey notched 12 kills. and 11 digs. Wooldrik added 8 blocks while Erica Engelmeyer tallied 12 digs. Knobbe chipped in 9 digs and 30 set assists.

GACC downed the Trojans 25-19 in set one, 25-17 in set two, and 25-12 in set three.

Hass recorded 17 kills and 13 digs while Bailey had 8 kills and 8 digs. Megan Plagge compiled 7 digs while Knobbe posted 7 digs and 31 set assists.

The Eagles won set one 25-21 before the Bluejays took set two 25-14 only to see O'Neill win set three 25-15 and set five 15-10 after GACC took set four 25-22.

Bailey totaled 18 kills and 14 digs while Hass had 15 kills and 21 digs. Evelyn Wooldrik added 10 kills and 11 blocks while Plagge had 14 digs. Knobbe chipped in 14 digs and 44 set assists while Engelmeyer and Taylor Timmerman each had 7 digs.

I thought GACC played well as a whole in all four matches.

The Bluejays (13-11) battle Wisner-Pilger (20-10) in the C2-4 Sub-District Semifinals at Pender in action that will be aired on 107.9 the Bull Monday night.

The Gators downed Logan View/Scribner-Snyder and Fort Calhoun 2-0 at the Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Triangular Thursday night.

GACC topped Wisner-Pilger 2-0 at the Wisner-Pilger Triangular on October 10th.

So the Bluejays know they can definitely beat the Gators having already done it once this season.

GACC has to absolutely be on top of their game come Monday night though.

The Bluejays need to win this match to have any hope at making a Sub-State match.

It is do or die time for GACC, and the Bluejays need to come out and play and perform well.

I fully expect GACC to come out ready to play and be tough as nails.

The Gators are playing good ball right now though so beating them doesn't figure to be easy by any stretch of the imagination.

I'm sure Wisner-Pilger will be very hungry, motivated, and determined to win, and get back to Sub-State for the second year in a row.

The Gators may even still make it in with a loss, but Wisner-Pilger doesn't want to rely on that I'm sure.

It's the Bluejays' job to make sure the Gators are left in limbo after Monday night's match.

The season is on the line for GACC, and the Bluejays have to come out and play like there is no tomorrow.

I think knowing they have to win to advance their season is an advantage for GACC as opposed to Wisner-Pilger, who knows it could still continue with a loss.

I expect the Bluejays to be a very tough out this postseason, and do everything in their power to make a run.

Monday night's match is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. on the Bull.

Tuesday's Sub-District Final will begin at 7:00 p.m., and that match will be aired on the Bull as well.

Pender goes 2-2 in EHC Tournament; falls to BRLD in regular season finale

The Pender Volleyball Team lost 2-0 to Clarkson/Leigh but beat Madison 2-0 in the first and second rounds of the East Husker Conference Tournament at Stanton last Thursday night before downing Tekamah-Herman and losing to West Point-Beemer 2-0 in Saturday's Consolation Matches at Pender. the Pendragons then lost 3-1 at home to BRLD Tuesday night.

The Patriots won set one 25-19 and set two 25-10.

Ashley Ostrand had 11 digs while Isabelle Felber added 10. Zoey Lehmkuhl notched 9 digs and 8 set assists.

Pender took set one from the Dragons 25-11, and won set two 25-23.

Olivia Nelson had 8 kills while Ostrand notched 20 digs. Lehmkuhl totaled 11 set assists.

The Cadets beat the Pendragons 25-21 in set one and 27-25 in set two.

Ostrand had 7 kills and 14 digs while Trista Hansen had 11 digs. Lehmkuhl added 13 set assists.

Pender topped the Tigers 25-23 in set one and 25-13 in set two.

Ostrand recorded 8 kills and 15 digs while Hansen had 10 digs. Lehmkuhl contributed 10 digs and 20 set assists while Felber posted 9 digs.

The Wolverines downed the Pendragons 25-19 in set one before Pender took set two 25-23 and BRLD took set three 25-21 and set four 25-14.

It was good to see Pender pick up a couple more wins.

The Pendragons (8-21) battle Omaha Christian Academy (13-11) in the D1-1 Sub-District Tournament at Oakland-Craig Monday night.

The Eagles lost 3-0 to Cedar Bluffs, but beat Cornerstone Christian 3-0 at the Frontier Conference Tournament on Monday.

OCA hasn't really beat anyone good this year so I think Pender is going to win this match.

The winner likely gets Fremont Bergan in Tuesday night's Sub-District Final.

If it wasn't for the Knights I would say the Pendragons might win this Sub-District, but Bergan is top notch and the real deal.

Still though to win a Sub-District match and get to the final would be a huge deal and step in the right direction for this program.

I feel like Pender has made some strides this year and this postseason will be valuable experience.

The Pendragons have to play to win and must go out there and play a great match or great matches in Sub-Districts.

If Pender plays Bergan the Pendragons can't back down from the Knights.

Pender has to fight for their season and push Bergan to the brink.

This Sub-District appears to be a cakewalk for the Knights, but the Pendragons have to do something about that.

Pender has to show Bergan they're no pushover if in fact the two teams meet.

The Pendragons have to play and serve aggressive, and must go out there and play a great match.

Pender has to take care of business against OCA first though.

The Eagles will be fighting and battling for their postseason lives too so the Pendragons must do the same.

Pender is used to Oakland-Craig's gym and have less traveling to do so I think that is an advantage for the Pendragons.

It won't be if Pender plays Bergan, but for Monday it will be.

Monday's match is set to start at 6:00 p.m.

Stanton goes 2-2 in East Husker Conference Tournament; drops regular season finale to Lutheran High Northeast

The Stanton Volleyball Team went 2-2 in the East Husker Conference Tournament, downing Madison and Clarkson/Leigh 2-0 in the first and second rounds at home last Thursday night before losing 2-0 to Wisner-Pilger in Saturday's Semifinals at Pender, and 2-1 to Oakland-Craig in the third place match. The Mustangs then lost 3-1 at home to Lutheran High Northeast Tuesday night to conclude the regular season.

The Mustangs downed the Dragons 25-11 in set one and 25-12 in set two.

Sylvia Cunningham had 9 kills while Morgan Remm notched 9 digs.

Stanton defeated the Patriots 25-16 in set one and 32-30 in set two.

Ellie Locke registered 12 kills and 9 digs while Cunningham had 8 kills. Olivia Cunningham chipped in 7 kills while Jasmine Kment had 19 digs. Marissa Remm totaled 8 digs while Emily Colwell notched 7 digs and 18 set assists. Morgan Remm added 10 set assists.

The Mustangs lost set one to the Knights 25-20, and dropped set three 25-22 after winning set two 25-22.

Olivia Cunningham recorded 10 kills while Locke had 7 kills and 11 digs. Sylvia Cunningham added 7 kills and 8 digs while Kment compiled 18 digs. Morgan Remm had 11 digs and 12 set assists while Marissa Remm and Kaylee Matthies each posted 8 digs. Colwell chipped in 7 digs and 16 set assists.

The Gators topped the Mustangs 25-19 in set one and 25-13 in set two.

Morgan Remm totaled 11 digs while Kment compiled 9. Colwell and Locke each had 7.

The Eagles won set one 25-16 before Stanton took set two 25-22. LHNE took set three 25-20 and set four 28-26.

Locke had 16 kills and 23 digs while Olivia Cunningham recorded 12 kills. Kinley Pohlman had 7 kills while Kment registered 24 digs. Marissa Remm posted 14 digs while Colwell had 13 digs and 17 set assists. Matthies added 11 digs while Morgan Remm chipped in 26 set assists.

Tough few matches to conclude the regular season.

Stanton (16-14) takes on Howells-Dodge (18-12) in the C2-5 Sub-District Semifinals at Norfolk Catholic Monday night.

The Jaguars swept Tekamah-Herman 3-0 at home Thursday night to conclude the regular season.

The Mustangs swept Howells-Dodge 3-0 at home on October 8th.

Both teams have been kind of up and down since that time so we will see what happens on Monday.

It's never easy to beat a team more than once in a season, but Stanton can definitely do it.

I think the Mustangs will find a way to win this one and at least get to the Sub-District Final.

Stanton will not be making a Sub-State game this year unless they win the Sub-District though.

The Mustangs can definitely win this Sub-District I feel as they played the Eagles really tough Tuesday night.

I think it's a matter of adjusting a few things in practice and having good postseason preparation.

Stanton has to bring it on Monday and play like there is no tomorrow.

The season is on the line for the Mustangs, and Stanton has to come out and play extremely hard and well.

The Mustangs have to try and keep their state streak alive, and try and make it back for the 5th straight year.

Stanton has their work cut out for them, but they have to create some magic and believe.

The Mustangs have to forget about losing on Saturday and Monday, and use it as fuel and motivation for this coming Monday.

Stanton has to come out on fire on Monday, and electrify everyone in the crowd if at all possible.

The Mustangs have to be ready for a stiff challenge from the Jaguars, and do everything they can to advance to Tuesday night's Sub-District Final.

These girls can do anything they put their minds to and have to really believe that.

Monday's match is scheduled to start at 6:15 p.m.

Tuesday's Sub-District Final is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Clarkson/Leigh goes 1-3 at EHC Tournament; drops regular season finale to Oakland-Craig

The Clarkson/Leigh Volleyball Team beat Pender 2-0 in the first round of the East Husker Conference Tournament at Stanton last Thursday night before losing 2-0 to the host Mustangs in the second round. The Patriots lost 2-1 to BRLD and Howells-Dodge in Saturday's Consolation matches at Pender. Clarkson/Leigh was then swept 3-0 at home by Oakland-Craig in Tuesday night's regular season finale.

The Patriots downed the Pendragons 25-19 in set one and 25-10 in set two.

Cassidy Hoffman had 9 kills while Kennedy Settje registered 10 digs. Kayden Schumacher notched 8 digs while Brittney Urbanek posted 7. Makenna Held totaled 16 set assists.

The Mustangs won set one 25-16 and set two 32-30.

Schumacher had 13 digs while Held notched 11 digs and 16 set assists. Urbanek and Bailey Lemburg recorded 9 digs apiece.

Clarkson/Leigh took set one from the Wolverines 25-9 before losing set two 25-19 and set three 25-15.

Hoffman had 10 kills while Kim Stodola recorded 7. Schumacher added 22 digs while  Urbanek chipped in 12. Alissa Kasik posted 11 while Held had 9 digs and 24 set assists. Settje compiled 8 digs.

The Patriots won set one 25-17 over the Jaguars before losing set two 25-22 and set three 25-19.

Schumacher had 8 kills and 11 digs while Hoffman totaled 8 kills. Lemburg contributed 14 digs while Settje recorded 11. Urbanek added 9 while Held dished out 25 set assists.

The Knights took set one 25-22, set two 25-16, and set three 33-31.

Some tough and heartbreaking losses down the stretch for Clarkson/Leigh.

The Patriots (15-15) battle Madison (3-25) in the C2-5 Sub-District Play-In Match at Norfolk Catholic on Monday.

The Dragons beat Schuyler 2-0, but lost 2-0 to Humphrey St. Francis at the Humphrey St. Francis Triangular to conclude the regular season Tuesday night.

Clarkson/Leigh has really stumbled down the stretch as the Patriots are just 1-7 in their last eight matches.

Clarkson/Leigh has been a different team ever since the win over Humphrey St. Francis.

The thing is though the Patriots can win this Sub-District.

Clarkson/Leigh has competed well against the top teams in this Sub-District, and should be able to beat Madison.

I wouldn't rule out an upset of Lutheran High Northeast should the Patriots get past the Dragons.

So I guess what I'm saying is the Patriots can't be discouraged despite their past recent struggles.

Clarkson/Leigh has to regroup and regather themselves for the postseason.

The girls have to rediscover themselves and rediscover the team that beat Humphrey St. Francis and Howells-Dodge earlier this month.

The Patriots lost 2-1 to the Eagles in that stretch as well so Clarkson/Leigh knows it can compete with anyone in this Sub-District.

The girls have to rediscover that confidence and find that competitive edge once again.

This is the season for the Patriots.

Clarkson/Leigh will not make a Sub-State match unless they win the Sub-District so it is now or never for the Patriots.

I'm sure Clarkson/Leigh would have liked to have played better Volleyball to end the regular season, but unfortunately it has been a struggle as of late.

The Patriots need to forget about that and regroup.

Clarkson/Leigh needs to have good practices between now and Monday.

First serve is slated for 5:00 p.m.

BRLD goes 2-2 in East Husker Conference Tournament; beats Pender to close out regular season

The BRLD Volleyball Team went 2-2 at the East Husker Conference Tournament last week, defeating Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 2-1 before losing 2-0 to North Bend Central at North Bend Central last Thursday night. The Wolverines then lost 2-1 to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, but beat Clarkson/Leigh 2-1 in consolation matches at Pender on Saturday. BRLD then went back to Pender on Tuesday and beat the Pendragons 3-1 to conclude the regular season.

The Raiders won set one over the Wolverines 27-25 before BRLD took set two 25-23 and set three 25-19.

The Tigers took set one 25-21 and set two 25-22.

The Wolverines won set one over the Bulldogs 25-18, and then lost set two 25-15 and set three 26-24.

The Patriots won set one 25-9 before BRLD took set two 25-19 and set three 25-15.

The Wolverines claimed set one over the Pendragons 25-19, and won set three 25-21 and set four 25-14 after losing set two 25-23.

Solid play and stretch of matches for BRLD following the upset win over NBC last Tuesday.

The Wolverines (18-13) take on Homer (10-18) in the bunny bracket game of the C2-4 Sub-District at Pender on Monday in action that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

The Knights defeated Winnebago 3-2 in a consolation match of the Lewis and Clark Conference Tournament Monday night.

These two teams did not meet in the regular season.

I look for BRLD to win and earn the right to take on Ponca later that evening.

I really like the way the Wolverines have been playing down the stretch although Homer has caught fire in the late season as well.

I look for BRLD to win though because I feel they have played tougher teams and are more battle tested.

I look for the Wolverines to hold their own in this Sub-District and do well.

BRLD lost to Ponca twice in the regular season, but got out to leads in sets in the meeting in Ponca so if the Wolverines can finish off sets they might be able to pull off the upset.

BRLD knows they can do it and has the confidence after stunning the Tigers a little over a week ago.

The Wolverines have to get past the Knights first though.

No team or win should ever be taken for granted in the postseason.

BRLD has to come out and execute the game plan and scouting report, and take it to Homer the entire match.

The Wolverines have to be hungry, determined, and motivated to get that third meeting with the Indians.

It can definitely happen too, but BRLD has to go out there and take care of and handle their business against Homer.

The Wolverines have to sacrifice their bodies, play their tails off, and hustle all over the floor like they did against North Bend Central.

If BRLD does that then I feel they can beat anyone they play the rest of the season.

Having just played some matches at Pender should help the Wolverines too I think.

Monday's match is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. on the Bull.

Oakland-Craig goes 3-1 in East Husker Conference Tournament; sweeps Clarkson/Leigh to end regular season

The Oakland-Craig Volleyball Team defeated Twin River 2-1 and knocked off Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 2-1 in the first and second rounds of the East Husker Conference Tournament at Humphrey last Thursday night before losing 2-1 to North Bend Central in the EHC Semifinals at Pender on Saturday, and winning third place over Stanton, 2-1. The Knights then swept Clarkson/Leigh 3-0 on the road Tuesday night to close out the regular season.

The Titans won set one 25-21 before O-C took set two 25-19 and set three 25-18.

Kennedy Benne had 17 kills and 25 digs while Bailey Helzer notched 12 kills and 19 digs. Ashten Rennerfeldt recorded 25 digs while Josie Richards registered 14 digs and 20 set assists. Mya Guzinski added 8 digs and 11 set assists.

The Bulldogs took the opening set 27-25 before the Knights won set two 25-19 and set three 25-20.

Helzer had 28 kills and 22 digs while Rennerfeldt notched 24 digs. Benne chipped in 19 digs while Richards posted 17 digs and 16 set assists. Guzinski totaled 8 digs and 17 set assists while Makenna Pearson had 7 digs.

Oakland-Craig won set one over the Mustangs 25-20, and took set three 25-22 after losing set two by the same score.

The Knights dropped set one to the Tigers 25-15, and lost set three 25-19 after winning set two 26-24.

O-C downed the Patriots 25-22 in set one, 25-16 in set two, and 33-31 in set three.

Continued great play from the Knights.

Oakland-Craig (22-9) takes on Cedar Bluffs (20-7) in the C2-2 Sub-District Semifinals at West Point-Beemer High School Monday night.

The Wildcats beat Boys Town and Omaha Christian Academy 3-0 at the Frontier Conference Tournament on Monday.

I give the Knights the edge because they've played and beaten tougher competition.

I feel O-C will find a way to beat Cedar Bluffs.

The winner will likely get top seeded Mead in the Sub-District Final on Tuesday.

The Raiders are an amazing team and are having a very special season at 21-1.

I think the Knights could beat them, but feel it would be tougher than beating the Wildcats.

Oakland-Craig could still make a Sub-State match even if they lose in Sub-Districts though.

So the Knights and Helzer should do everything in their power to win this Sub-District, but understand that Sub-State could very well be in their back pocket should they falter.

Oakland-Craig would probably get a low seed if they didn't win the Sub-District though so winning the Sub-District would likely improve their seeding and give them a better matchup I would say.

The Knights have to go for it all and try and knock off these teams.

The Raiders and Wildcats are traditional D-1 and D-2 schools so that should help Oakland-Craig I would think.

The Knights are used to playing C-2 ball and playing many C-1 teams so I fully expect O-C to be locked and loaded and ready to go come Monday night.

That and Oakland-Craig is very familiar with West Point-Beemer's gym and it's a closer drive for the Knights.

I think those things could give Oakland-Craig an advantage and get them over the hump in this Sub-District.

Helzer and Benne have to light it up from behind the net and carry and will this team to victory Monday and possibly Tuesday night.

Monday's match is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m.

West Point-Beemer goes 1-2 in East Husker Conference Tournament; wins regular season finale at South Sioux City

The West Point-Beemer Volleyball Team went 1-2 at the East Husker Conference Tournament, losing 2-0 to Howells-Dodge in the first round at Wisner-Pilger last Thursday night before winning 2-0 over Pender and losing 2-1 to Logan View/Scribner-Snyder in consolation matches at Pender on Saturday. The Cadets then swept South Sioux City 3-0 on the road Monday night.

The Jaguars took sets one and two 25-19.

West Point-Beemer topped the Pendragons 25-21 in set one and 27-25 in set two.

The Cadets took set one from LVSS 25-15 before dropping set two 25-23 and set three 25-16.

West Point-Beemer downed the Cardinals 25-10 in the first set, 25-20 in the second set, and 27-25 in the third set.

Good for the Cadets to beat SSC to round out the regular season and finish against Pender. Unfortunate to not close out the Raiders though.

West Point-Beemer (10-19) battles Logan View/Scribner-Snyder (14-13) in the C1-3 Sub-District Semifinals at Wisner-Pilger Monday night.

The Raiders went 2-1 at the EHC Tournament.

The Cadets and Raiders split their regular season matches so this match and sub-district for that matter is anyone's ball game.

I feel this is as wide open of a Sub-District as you will find.

I think any of the four teams in it can win it.

I do feel the winner of this match has a good chance to win the Sub-District Final though.

I wouldn't doubt if the match went 5 sets with the Cadets or Raiders winning.

I feel the match is a total toss up and look for things to come down to the very end.

West Point-Beemer has to finish off Logan View/Scribner-Snyder this time around if given the chance though.

The Cadets were two points away from beating the Raiders on Saturday, they just came up a little short.

Perhaps that's not such a bad thing though because it's really hard to beat a team three times in a season.

As weird as it sounds I think West Point-Beemer has a better chance of winning Monday's match since they lost on Saturday as opposed to if they had won Saturday's match.

The Cadets will no doubt be motivated and determined to avenge the loss, and it could very well happen.

The Raiders are an experienced, veteran team though, and this year was labeled as their year to have a winning record and turn the corner.

I don't know if I would call this season Logan View/Scribner-Snyder's coming out party, but big things have been expected of the Raiders this season.

West Point-Beemer has high expectations despite being young too though, and I'm willing to bet the Cadets will come out and play a great match Monday night.

Opening serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.