Clarkson/Leigh finishes 4th at State

 

It was a season to remember for the Clarkson/Leigh Volleyball Team as the Patriots took 4th Place at State, sweeping Howells-Dodge 3-0 last Thursday night in the 1st round from Pinnacle Bank Arena in action aired on 107.9 the Bull before losing 3-2 to Lutheran High Northeast in Friday afternoon's Semifinals from PBA also aired on the Bull, and then falling 3-0 to Overton in Saturday's 3rd place match from Lincoln Southeast.

Clarkson/Leigh defeated Howells-Dodge 25-17, 30-28, 25-17.

Chloe Hanel had 11 kills for Clarkson/Leigh. Makenna Held recorded 28 set assists and 12 digs. Also notching double digit digs were Alissa Kasik with 19, Kayden Schumacher with 16 and Kennedy Settje with 11. Schumacher and Settje each had 8 kills. 

LHNE had lost only one game and just six sets all season heading into the game with the Patriots.

Clarkson/Leigh stunned the Eagles early, by coming out and winning the first set 25-23.

LHNE responded with a vengeance in set two, winning 25-13.

The Patriots battled back to claim set three 25-22.

The Eagles again ran away with set four, 25-14, sending the game to a fifth and deciding set.

The teams fought back and forth early in the set when LHNE started to create a little separating.

Clarkson/Leigh came back and were able to fend off multiple match point attempts by the Eagles, before LHNE was able to eventually win 17-15, taking the match 3-2.

Hanel had 17 kills and 8 digs for the Patriots, going along with 15 kills from Cassidy Hoffman. Schumacher added a double-double with 13 kills and 29 digs, while Settje had 7 kills and 23 digs. Held handed out 48 set assists and also had 10 digs. Kasik registered 28 digs while Bailey Lemburg posted 15.

The Eagles won Saturday's match 25-16, 25-23, 25-18.

Chloe Hanel had 12 kills for the Patriots, Schumacher had 9 kills and 9 digs, Hoffman had 8 kills with Kennedy Settje recording 16 digs and Makenna Held handing out 28 set assists. Kasik added 14 digs.

Clarkson/Leigh ends its season at 22-9 overall, and as the fourth place team in Class C2.

The Patriots picked up two big wins over Howells-Dodge, two big wins over Pender, three big wins over BRLD, and other big wins over High Plains, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Hartington Cedar Catholic, Mead, Fremont Bergan, Wisner-Pilger, and Oakland-Craig.

It was truly a season to remember for the Patriots, according to Head Coach Becky Schneider. Oh, we are extremely proud of them!! It was so awesome to see them put the pieces together that we had laid out for them all season!! They played out of their minds and left everything on the court!! These girls have worked so hard and they deserve everything they have accomplished!!

A big reason for that was this year's Senior Class consisting of Hoffman, Schumacher, Gracelyn Baumert, Kasik, and Lemburg.

Coach Schneider talks about what she will miss the most from these Seniors. "Everything! I cannot say enough great things about our seniors! They are absolutely incredible and have been such a huge part of our success! They have grown so much these past four years and have been outstanding leaders especially to the underclassmen! They have shown them what it takes to be successful and that nothing comes easy! Everything these girls accomplished was because of hard work and dedication made not only during the season but in the off-season as well! They are a group that wanted to leave their mark and they have definitely accomplished that!! The relationships we have built and the success they've had these past years are definitely unforgettable! Saying goodbye to them is the most difficult part of the job and all five of them will definitely be missed!"

Key returners for next year include Hanel, Held, Settje, Kasik, Korbee Went, and Sammy McEvoy.

Coach Schneider says she's very excited for the future. "It's really exciting!! We return four players with varsity experience who were all big contributors to our success! We expect those four to step up and push themselves and their teammates in order to reach the goals they set! We have no doubt that these girls will be motivated and will have the drive to do whatever it takes to accomplish those goals!"

Of course we can't forget the near upset of LHNE in the Semifinals this year. Coach Schneider says her team really stepped things up in that match and played to their full potential. "Yeah, that match was unbelievable! It definitely speaks volumes about our program and the culture we have built! These girls have totally bought in and they want to be successful and they want to put the work in in order to reach that success! The whole season, we talked a lot about the potential they had and we've seen glimpses of it throughout the season, so we knew it was there! But the way these girls performed down at State was phenomenal! They all played to their potential and then some, like I can't even begin to describe it! They made it look so effortless! It was so amazing and so fun to watch them at their absolute best! "

Of course this past season was different due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Coach Schneider says she is thankful the team was able to make it through the entire season. "We are beyond thankful that we were able to complete our season the way we did! We were all in a very unique situation, and we were constantly reminding the girls to do their part, social distance, mask up, be mindful of where you go, who you hang out with, etc., because we knew we had a good thing going and we didn't want to jeopardize any part of it! We are blessed with such great players who are selfless because every single one of them did their part not only for themselves but for their teammates!!"

Here's to hoping things are back to normal by the start of next season and the Patriots get a good chunk of their offseason Coronavirus free.   

Howells-Dodge loses to Clarkson/Leigh in 1st round of State

 

The Howells-Dodge Volleyball Team fell 3-0 to Clarkson/Leigh last Thursday night in the 1st round of the State Tournament from Pinnacle Bank Arena in action aired on 107.9 the Bull.

The Patriots defeated the Jaguars 25-17, 30-28, 25-17.

Grace Baumert led Howells-Dodge with a double-double, recording 14 kills and 12 digs. Ellie Baumert had 19 set assists and 8 digs, and Jayda Bazata had 11 digs. Riley Pokorny added 8.

The year came to a close at 25-5 for the Jaguars.

Great season for Howells-Dodge. Anytime you make State it is a special year.

The Jaguars picked up big wins over Hartington-Newscastle, Pender three times, Elgin Public/Pope John, BRLD, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Wisner-Pilger, North Bend Central, West Point-Beemer, GACC, and South Loup.

Notable team accomplishments this year include winning the East Husker Conference Tournament, Sub-Districts, and a District Final.

A great season with so much potential for even more growth in the future for this team, in my opinion.

Grace Baumert had a team leading 432 kills and 57 Ace Serves on the season.  Ellie Baumert led the way with 695 assists.

Both these girls are over 6 foot and figure to be a major force for the Jaguars again next year.

Howells-Dodge loses Cassie Pieper, Logan Fiala, Pokorny, Bazata, Janessa Schmidt, Audrey Coufal, and Lexie Brester to graduation.

Key returners include Grace and Ellie Baumert, Blair Fiala, Brooklyn Macholan, Carly Bayer, and Natalie Pieper.

So a lot of talent lost to graduation, but a lot of talent back for the Jaguars as well.

I simply expect Howells-Dodge to reload next year.

Hopefully the pandemic is over by the start of next year and things are back to normal.

And hopefully the Jaguars can get a good chunk of their offseason in pandemic free.  

GACC falls to Overton in 1st round of State

 

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Volleyball Team lost 3-0 to Overton in the 1st round of the State Tournament at Pinnacle Bank Arena last Thursday night in action aired on 107.9 the Bull.

The Eagles won the sets 25-18, 25-19, 25-19.

Sophia Hass had 9 kills for GACC, with Megan Plagge handing out 20 set assists. Isabel Hass and Erica Engelmeyer each record double digit digs, with 16 and 11, respectively.

Good job by the Bluejays making State.

GACC ends their year at 16-11 overall.

Sophia Hass led the way with 343 kills on the season while Taylor Timmerman had a team-high 63 blocks. Isabel Hass had a team-high 458 digs while Sophia Hass totaled 439. Plagge dished out 702 assists on the season.

The Bluejays picked up big wins over Fremont Bergan, BRLD, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, O'Neill, Bishop Neumann, Hartington Cedar Catholic, Battle Creek, and Wisner-Pilger twice.

I feel like GACC definitely took some more steps and made some more big strides towards becoming a power once again.

The Bluejays lose just one Senior in Evelyn Wooldrik.

With everyone else back next year I look for GACC to be a major force.

I think the Bluejays will be a huge force to be reckoned with next season.

GACC should and figures to have a really good year next year, or at least you would think so.

Hopefully this pandemic is cleared up by the time next season rolls around, and hopefully the Bluejays can get back to normalcy.

Hopefully the pandemic ends in time for GACC to have some really good offseason work.

The sooner it ends, the better. 

Clarkson/Leigh knocks off BRLD in C2-4 Sub-State Final

 

In action aired on 107.9 The Bull, Clarkson/Leigh defeated BRLD in four sets for the C2-4 title in Clarkson on Saturday. 

Scores of the match favored the Patriots 25-19, 25-19, 24-26, and 25-18.

Kayden Schumacher had 13 kills and 27 digs while Chloe Hanel totaled 12 kills and 11 digs. Cassidy Hoffman totaled 12 kills while Kennedy Settje recorded 8 kills and 28 digs. Alissa Kasik added 15 digs while Makenna Held notched 13 digs and 41 assists. Bailey Lemburg posted 12 digs while Korbee Went chipped in 9.

Head Coach Becky Schneider says the Wolverines made her team earn it. "We came into there knowing we had already beat BRLD twice. And so they always say it's hard to beat a team three times. And BRLD definitely gave us a run for their money. They really stepped it up, and I mean we could of had it, we could of swept em. But they didn't give up that 3rd set, and pulled that set out. And then they did end up leading most of the 4th set too so they definitely took it to us, but we were able to overcome and our girls really wanted it."

The Patriots (21-7) take on Howells-Dodge (25-4) at the State Tournament at Pinnacle Bank Arena Thursday night in action that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

The Jaguars won 3-0 over South Loup at Central Valley High School in Greeley in the C2-6 Sub-State Final on Saturday.

Clarkson/Leigh beat Howells-Dodge 3-1 at home in their season opener on September 1st.

Coach Schneider on the rematch. "I thought they did well, but Howells-Dodge has definitely improved throughout the season, but so have we. I feel like we have continued to grow, and it's definitely going to be a battle of Highway 91 that first game out. And I don't think anybody's going to go down lightly. It will be a tough one. But if our girls continue to play the way they have and just play with each other and for each other I think we should be okay."

I tend to agree with Coach Schneider on that one.

I think as long as the Patriots stick together and stay unified they will be okay.

Howells-Dodge boasts Grace and Ellie Baumert, but it will be interesting to see which team plays together the most.

The Jaguars have made a lot of nice improvements since the beginning of the season, but I feel like Clarkson/Leigh is confident coming into this one.

The Patriots already beat Howells-Dodge once this year so Clarkson/Leigh knows it can be done.

One thing I will say though is I feel like the Patriots were more prepared for the Jaguars in the opener than Howells-Dodge was for them then, but feel like it's even now.

May the best team win is all I have to say.

Clarkson/Leigh is making their first state appearance since 2017.

First serve is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on the Bull.

Howells-Dodge sweeps South Loup in C2-6 Sub-State Final

 

Howells-Dodge swept South Loup 3-0 in the C2-6 Sub-State final from Central Valley High School in Greeley on Saturday, winning 25-14, 25-19, and 25-20.

Head Coach Taryn Janke on the win. "Well we went in and we were very focused when we came. We had great practice all week, we knew what we wanted to accomplish, and we pretty much got the job done."

The victory earned the Jaguars (25-4) a spot in this week's State Tournament, which has them squaring off against Highway 91 rival Clarkson/Leigh (21-7) in the 4 and 5 seed game at Pinnacle Bank Arena Thursday night in action that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

The Patriots defeated BRLD 3-1 at home in the C2-4 Sub-State Final on Saturday in action that was also aired on the Bull.

Clarkson/Leigh also beat Howells-Dodge 3-1 at home early in the season on September 1st.

Coach Janke says her squad is a much different team now than they were then. "We're pretty excited about this matchup. The first time we played them we weren't on our game. We made a lot of errors. It just wasn't our best game. And we've improved a lot from the beginning of the season so we're ready to go and show what we can do."

I would agree with Coach Janke on that one.

Both teams have made a lot of strides as the year has gone on so it should be a great match.

I feel it could definitely go five sets.

Coach Janke says her team is on a roll right now. "We're playing at a top level right now. We didn't start off that way and we were kind of rocky at first, but now we've got a groove going and we hope to keep it going."

The Jaguars are 17-1 in their last 18 matches so this is definitely true.

Howells-Dodge is making their first appearance at State since 2015.

It should be a great match no doubt about that.

Grace and Ellie Baumert have to step up and perform for the Jaguars. Those two are the X-Factors in my mind. It is their stage to shine, in my opinion.

Opening serve is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on the Bull. 

GACC sweeps Fullerton in C2-8 Sub-State Final

 

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Volleyball Team punched their ticket to Lincoln by defeating Fullerton 3-0 at home in the C2-8 Sub-State Final on Saturday.

The Bluejays won set one 25-16, set two 25-17, and set three 25-19.

Sophia Hass had 11 kills and 19 digs while Isabel Hass notched 22 digs. Megan Plagge added 11 digs and 26 assists while Erica Engelmeyer and Kelsy Steffen each had 8 digs.

Head Coach Kate Hagemann says her team was ready. "Our girls came out with great energy and excitement for the day. And we knew in Fullerton's scouting report that they had three big hitters. And we don't always matchup great to big, aggressive hitters, but we had a great scouting report on them, we did a great job funneling their balls to some our best diggers, and because of that we were able to be successful."

Hagemann says the team did a great job of just playing in the moment, not getting too high or too low. 

GACC (16-10) battles Overton (26-2) in the first round of the Class C-2 State Tournament at Pinnacle Bank Arena Thursday night in action that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

The Eagles swept Gordon-Rushville 3-0 in the C2-3 Sub-State Final from Ogallala on Saturday.

Coach Hagemann says Overton is the real deal. "It will be a tough matchup for us. They're a really high quality team. That shows just in their record and some of the teams that they've beat throughout the year. They have some aggressive hitters, some really good middle hitters that we're going to have to matchup with and try to contain a little bit. I think just overall from top to bottom they're just a really solid team. You really can't identify too many weaknesses in them. So we're just going to try be the aggressor and be on the attack and try to keep them out of system as much as possible." 

Overton won 3-1 over Kearney Catholic, a C-1 school who is 30-5, so you know the Eagles are for real.

With that said, GACC is a traditional power so it will be interesting to see what happens Thursday night.

The Bluejays are making their first trip to the State Tournament since 2016.

It will be very interesting to see what happens.

I think GACC and Norfolk Catholic could very well meet up in the Semifinals with the Knights perhaps winning that one.

The Bluejays could reach the State Championship Match, but so could Overton.

Lutheran High Northeast is probably the clear cut favorite to win it all, but anything can happen at the State Tournament.

First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. on the Bull. 

BRLD falls to Clarkson/Leigh in C2-4 Sub-State Final

 

Clarkson/Leigh defeated BRLD in four sets for the C2-4 title from Clarkson in action aired on 107.9 The Bull on Saturday. 

Scores of the match favored the Patriots 25-19, 25-19, 24-26, 25-18.

Good season for the Wolverines.

BRLD ends the season at 20-13.

BRLD picked up big wins over Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Wisner-Pilger, Wayne, Ponca, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Omaha Roncalli, North Bend Central, and Pender twice.

The Wolverines definitely took more steps in the right direction this season.

BRLD says goodbye to Aubrey Berg, Brooklyn Nolting, Audra Nolting, Caragan Tietz, Kinlee Bacon, and Alexzi Nottleman.

Some very talented Seniors lost for sure.

Key returners include Megan Beutler, McKenzie Murphey, Bella Bonneau, and Alyssa Buccholz.

Some really good players and talent to work around next year.

I think how good the Wolverines are next year and the type of season they have largely depends on the growth and development of the younger and incoming players.

I look for BRLD to reload and be solid once again next year.

The Wolverines had a Senior Class this year that accomplished a lot and revamped and took this program to new heights.

I really feel like these Seniors elevated the program, and brought it a step further.

Now it's the job of future teams to get over the hump and get past Sub-State and make State.

That can definitely happen too as long as BRLD continues to progress and improve in the coming years, which they should.

Oakland-Craig falls to Broken Bow in C1-8 District Final

 

The Oakland-Craig Volleyball Team came up one match short of making Sub-State, losing 3-0 to Broken Bow in the C1-8 Sub-State Final from Boone Central on Saturday.

The Indians won set one 25-19, set two 25-20, and set three 25-23.

Bailey Helzer had 19 kills and 14 digs while Josie Richards totaled 8 digs and 28 assists in her final match in a Oakland-Craig uniform. Fellow Senior Ashten Rennerfeldt and Shea Johnson each had 7 digs.

A tough way for the Knights to go out after such a great season, but still a great season nonetheless.

Oakland-Craig ends their year at 22-7.

The Knights picked up big wins over Howells-Dodge, North Bend Central, West Point-Beemer 3 times, Pender twice, BRLD twice, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family twice, GACC, Wisner-Pilger, and Clarkson/Leigh.

It was a season to remember for the Knights for sure.

Helzer finished the year with 502 kills and 301 digs to lead the team while Richards had a team leading 843 assists.

Oakland-Craig says goodbye to Richards, Rennerfeldt, Makenna Pearson and Marissa Mulder.

Key returners include Helzer, Maycie Johnson, Shea Johnson, Laryn Johnson, and Sadie Nelson.

The Knights lose some key pieces and players, but return a lot of key pieces and players as well.

I look for Oakland-Craig to be really good once again next year and for Nelson to have a bigger role on next year's team.

The Knights have to work hard over the offseason to get back to Sub-State and make state next year if they are to do it.

Oakland-Craig had their chance this year, but came up a little bit short.

Hopefully it's sweet redemption for the Knights next season.

Oakland-Craig was definitely good enough to make it to State this season, it just wasn't in the cards for them this year.

Clarkson/Leigh loses to Oakland-Craig and Norfolk Catholic

 

The Clarkson/Leigh Volleyball Team fell 3-2 at Oakland-Craig in last Tuesday night's regular season finale before losing 3-0 to Norfolk Catholic in the C2-6 Sub-District Semifinals at Lutheran High Northeast Monday night.

The Patriots won set one 25-19 and set two 25-18. O-C took set three 25-20, set four 25-22, and set five 15-13.

Chloe Hanel had 19 kills while Cassidy Hoffman posted 12. Kayden Schumacher had 10 kills and 26 digs while Kennedy Settje registered 10 kills and 14 digs. Alissa Kasik recorded 15 digs while Makenna Held registered 14 digs and 45 assists. Bailey Lemburg chipped in 7 digs.

Norfolk Catholic won set one 25-23, set two 25-21, and set three 25-19.

Schumacher had 14 kills and 14 digs while Hanel registered 10 kills. Settje added 9 kills and 17 digs while Hoffman notched 7 kills. Kasik totaled 15 digs while Held registered 10 digs and 36 assists.

A couple of tough losses for Clarkson/Leigh.

The Patriots (20-7) take on BRLD (20-12) in the C2-4 District Final from Clarkson in action that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull Saturday afternoon.

The Wolverines beat Pender 3-2 in Tuesday night's C2-4 Sub-District Final from Bancroft-Rosalie.

Clarkson/Leigh beat BRLD twice in the regular season.

The Patriots stand a good chance to win this one again I feel.

I know Clarkson/Leigh is just 3-5 in their last 8 matches, but the losses were to top teams.

I feel as long as the Patriots relax and play their game that they will win being at home and everything.

Clarkson/Leigh has to hit the reset button and put the last handful of matches behind them.

The past is the past, and it can't be changed, but the future can be whatever the Patriots want it to be.

Is another State Tournament berth in Clarkson/Leigh's future? I think there's a good chance it is as long as the Patriots play their game on Saturday.

Clarkson/Leigh has be calm, cool, and collected throughout the match.

Remember deep breaths whenever there are nerves if there are any at all.

The Patriots can't put added pressure on themselves or feel the pressure.

Clarkson/Leigh has to play Patriot Volleyball and go out there and shine.

Opening serve is set for 1:30 p.m. on the Bull.

BRLD 3-0 in last three matches

 

The BRLD Volleyball Team won 3-2 over Pender twice, beating the Pendragons in last Tuesday night's regular season finale at home before beating Pender in Tuesday night's C2-4 Sub-District Final, also at home. The Wolverines also beat Omaha Nation 3-0 at home in Monday night's Sub-District Semifinals.

Pender took set one from BRLD the first time around 25-17 and won set two 28-26. The Wolverines won set three 25-21, set four 25-17, and set five 15-10.

Caragan Tietz had 20 kills and 20 digs while Alexzi Nottleman and Megan Beutler totaled 11 kills apiece. Alyssa Buchholz added 7 kills and 9 digs while Aubrey Berg had 39 digs. Kinlee Bacon added 15 digs and 19 assists while Bella Bonneau added 14 digs. Brooklyn Nolting notched 12 digs and 19 assists while Nottleman and Beutler compiled 10 and 9 digs, respectively.

BRLD won set one over the Chiefs 25-5, set two 25-3, and set three 25-4.

In the second meeting with BRLD, the Wolverines won set one 25-21. Pender took set two 25-16 before BRLD won set three 25-8. The Pendragons claimed set four 27-25 and set five 19-17.

Great job by the Wolverines, who are headed to Sub-State!

BRLD (20-12) takes on Clarkson/Leigh (20-7) in Clarkson in the C2-4 District Final on Saturday afternoon in action that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

The Patriots lost 3-0 to Norfolk Catholic in the C2-6 Sub-District Semifinals at Lutheran High Northeast Monday night.

Clarkson/Leigh is just 3-5 in their last 8 matches.

Granted the Patriots have lost to some great teams, but still they have struggled some lately.

It's a Golden opportunity for the Wolverines to breakthrough and win and get to State.

It would be such a huge step for this program if they're able to beat Clarkson/Leigh.

The Patriots are at an advantage being at home and everything, but BRLD can definitely win this one.

Clarkson/Leigh beat the Wolverines twice in the regular season though so it won't be easy.

The Patriots could very well get back on track in and win this one.

I'd say BRLD is a better matchup for Clarkson/Leigh than Pender is.

The Pendragons beat the Patriots in Clarkson though so the Wolverines know they can do it too.

It's tough to beat a team 3 times in a season so we will see what happens come Saturday.

Opening serve is set for 1:30 p.m. on the Bull.

Howells-Dodge wins C2-3 Sub-District

 

The Howells-Dodge Volleyball Team won the C2-3 Sub-District, defeating Tekamah-Herman 3-0 at home Monday night in action that was aired on 107.9 the Bull before downing GACC 3-1 at home in Tuesday night's Sub-District Final aired on the Bull.

The Jaguars took set one from the Tigers 25-9, set two 25-17, and set three 25-21.

Grace Baumert had 13 kills while Riley Pokorny notched 8 kills and 10 digs. Ellie Baumert added 9 digs and 28 assists while Jayda Bazata notched 7 digs.

Against GACC, the first set went the way of the Jaguars 26-24. The Bluejays got out to a 9-2 lead in set two and went on to win it 25-13 to tie the match at a set apiece

GACC got out to a strong start in set three before a Grace Baumert kill ignited Howells-Dodge, pulling the Jaguars to within two at 8-6.

The two teams went back and forth the rest of the set with Howells-Dodge prevailing 26-24.

Set four went the way of the Jaguars 25-16.

Grace Baumert had a match-high 20 kills and posted 18 digs for Howells-Dodge while Pokorny totaled 17 digs. Ellie Baumert added 16 digs and 41 assists while Lexie Brester and Bazata posted 9 and 7 digs, respectively.

Heck of a job by the Jaguars winning the Sub-District.

Howells-Dodge (24-4) battles South Loup (22-7) in the C2-6 District Final from Central Valley High School in Greeley Saturday afternoon.

The Bobcats beat Hi-Line 3-0 in the C2-11 Sub-District Final in Callaway Tuesday night.

I feel like the Baumert transfers will be too much for South Loup to handle.

I look for Howells-Dodge to win on Saturday and get to State and play Overton potentially.

I feel like the Jaguars have an opportunity to get to the State Semifinals if not the State Championship Game in Class C-2.

First things first Howells-Dodge has to beat South Loup, but I think everything I just mentioned could potentially happen.

The Jaguars are a great team and have something special going on this year.

I look for the train to roll on all the way to Lincoln next week with an opportunity for Howells-Dodge to do some damage at State.

This Saturday's match is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. in Greeley.

GACC 2-1 in last three matches

 

The GACC Volleyball Team won 3-0 over Battle Creek in the Mid-State Conference Tournament last Thursday at Norfolk Catholic before beating Wisner-Pilger 3-0 in the C2-3 Sub-District Semifinals from Howells-Dodge Monday night. The Bluejays then lost 3-1 to Howells-Dodge in Tuesday night's Sub-District Final.

GACC beat the Bravettes 25-12 in set one, 25-14 in set two, and 25-18 in set three.

Greta Wooldrik had 10 kills while Sophia Hass notched 9 kills and 18 digs. Evelyn Wooldrik chipped in 7 kills. Isabel Hass had 20 digs while Erica Engelmeyer totaled 18. Megan Plagge had 13 digs and 27 assists while Kelsy Steffen posted 9 digs.

Sophia Hass had 13 kills and 14 digs while Taylor Timmerman totaled 10 kills. Isabel Hass added 18 digs while Steffen recorded 15. Plagge added 14 digs and 28 assists. Engelmeyer added 8 digs while Reese Throener chipped in 7.

The first set went the way of the Jaguars 26-24. The Bluejays got out to a 9-2 lead in set two and went on to win it 25-13 to tie the match at a set apiece.

GACC got out to a strong start in set three before a Grace Baumert kill ignited Howells-Dodge, pulling the Jaguars to within two at 8-6.

The two teams went back and forth the rest of the set with Howells-Dodge prevailing 26-24.

Set four went the way of the Jaguars 25-16.

Sophia Hass registered a team-high 17 kills and 14 digs for the Bluejays. Timmerman and Evelyn Wooldrik added 7 kills apiece. Isabel Hass had 36 digs while Plagge totaled 16 digs and 40 assists. Engelmeyer registered 13 digs while Steffen recorded 10. Throener chipped in 7.

I thought the Bluejays played really well against Battle Creek and Wisner-Pilger, and well for parts of the match against Howells-Dodge.

GACC (15-10) qualified for Sub-State and hosts Fullerton (15-3) on Saturday in the C2-8 Sub-State Final.

The Warriors won 3-1 over Centura in the C2-9 Sub-District Final at home Tuesday night.

I think the Bluejays will win this one.

GACC plays tougher competition than Fullerton does, and the Warriors were in Class D-1 for a long time. 

That and the match is in West Point so you have a recipe for a Bluejay win.

GACC has to come out and be ready to play Championship Volleyball on Saturday.

It's one win to go to State, and the Bluejays have a great chance to get back to Lincoln.

It's an opportunity to play at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the home of the Huskers.

That's a big deal, and would be awesome should GACC get and play there.

Sophia Hass needs to have a big match for the Bluejays as does Isabel Hass and Plagge.

It has to be a total team effort from GACC.

The Bluejays have to put forth their best effort and play their best match on Saturday.

I feel like GACC will do that too.

First serve is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. 

Oakland-Craig 3-0 in last 3 matches

 

The Oakland-Craig Volleyball Team got back on track last week with a 3-2 win at home over Clarkson/Leigh last Tuesday night before winning 3-0 at home over Logan View/Scribner-Snyder in C1-5 Sub-District Action Monday night, and 3-2 over West Point-Beemer in Tuesday night's Sub-District Final.

The Patriots won set one 25-19 and set two 25-18. O-C took set three 25-20, set four 25-22, and set five 15-13.

Bailey Helzer had 37 kills and 13 digs while Ashten Rennerfeldt notched 9 kills and 13 digs. Maycie Johnson had 13 digs while Josie Richards totaled 11 digs and 50 assists. Laryn Johnson added 11 digs while Shea Johnson had 7.

The Knights topped the Raiders 25-17 in set one, 25-13 in set two, and 25-11 in set three.

Helzer notched 20 kills and 12 digs while Shea Johnson totaled 11 digs. Maycie Johnson added 10 while Rennerfeldt compiled 7. Richards added 29 assists.

The Cadets won set one 33-31 before Oakland-Craig took set two 25-23. West Point-Beemer then won set three 25-23 before the Knights won set four 25-18 and set five 15-13.

Great stuff from Oakland-Craig.

The Knights (22-6) take on Broken Bow (28-4) in the C1-8 District Final from Boone Central Saturday afternoon.

The Indians beat O'Neill 3-1 at home Tuesday night in the C1-10 Sub-District Final. 

Broken Bow is a very good team as they own wins over Wayne and Kearney Catholic, among others.

Oakland-Craig definitely has a challenge on their hands that is for sure.

The Knights can definitely win this one though.

Oakland-Craig has to play inspired, especially Helzer.

The Knights have to step up and play great Volleyball on Saturday.

The location is an advantage for Oakland-Craig I feel as the Knights played in a tournament there earlier this year.

It has a chance to be a very special day for the Orange and Black of Oakland-Craig.

This is the Knights' Golden opportunity to make state and play at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Oakland-Craig has to go out there and capture the moment and achieve all they ever wanted.

First serve is slated for 2:00 p.m. in Albion.

Tri County Northeast beats Wausa, falls to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family in Sub-Districts

 

The Tri County Northeast Volleyball Team won 3-1 over Wausa in the D1-3 Sub-District Semifinals from Humphrey Monday night before losing 3-1 to the host Bulldogs in Tuesday night's Sub-District Final.

The Vikings took set one from the Wolfpack before Tri County Northeast won set two 25-23, set three 25-18, and set four 25-16.

H/LHF won set one 25-13 and set two 25-23 before the Wolfpack took set three 25-19. The Bulldogs closed out the match with a 26-24 set four victory.

Strong finish to the season for Tri County Northeast following a slow start.

The Wolfpack ends the year with a 12-16 record.

Tri County Northeast caught fire in the last few weeks of the season, going 8-4 in their last 12 matches.

I thought the Wolfpack had a chance to win the Sub-District, and they were close, but it wasn't meant to be.

The win over Hartington-Newcastle was probably the biggest win of the year for Tri County Northeast.

Alli Jackson and Carly Dickens are the only two seniors graduating for the Wolfpack, but they are big losses.

Key returners include Jordyn Carr, Jazmin Delatorre, Katie Utech, Brynn Shock, Getsemani Ferrusca, and Brianna Bousquet.

The future looks bright for Tri County Northeast, especially when you include this year's Freshman Class in there as well.

I look for the Wolfpack to build off what they did in the latter part of this season, and have another good year next year.

Jackson and Dickens will be tough to replace though so Tri County Northeast will need someone to step up and fill those big shoes and those roles, but I feel like the Wolfpack has players capable of stepping up and doing just that next season.

Hopefully next season brings good health and happiness and an end to the coronavirus pandemic.

One can only hope and be optimistic about things heading into next year both from a Volleyball and pandemic standpoint.

Pender falls twice to BRLD in five sets, beats Wakefield in final three matches of season

 

The Pender Volleyball Team lost 3-2 at BRLD in last Tuesday night's regular season finale before beating Wakefield 3-1 in the C2-4 Sub-District Semifinals at Bancroft-Rosalie Monday night only to lose 3-2 to a second time to the Wolverines in Tuesday night's Sub-District Final.

Pender took set one from BRLD the first time around 25-17 and won set two 28-26 only to lose set three 25-21, set four 25-17, and set five 15-10.

Olyvia Nelson had 15 kills and 8 digs while Ashley Ostrand totaled 14 kills and 25 digs. Caitlyn Heise added 8 kills and 18 digs while Zoey Lehmkuhl notched 27 digs and 35 assists. Rylie Bonneau added 15 digs while Isabelle Felber and Brie Bruns notched 9 and 7, respectively. 

The Pendragons took set one from the Trojans 25-21 and set two 25-15 before losing set three 25-22. Pender closed out the match with a 25-18 set four win.

In the second meeting with BRLD, the Wolverines won set one 25-21. Pender took set two 25-16 before BRLD won set three 25-8. The Pendragons claimed set four 27-25 and set five 19-17.

What a great season for Pender and a really hard fought valiant effort in going out.

The Pendragons end the year at 17-14.

Really impressive season for Pender, a big turnaround from last year no doubt.

The Pendragons picked up some big wins over North Bend Central, Cross County, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family twice, and Clarkson/Leigh.

Pender was so close to making Sub-State, and getting there has to be a goal heading into next year.

The Pendragons say goodbye to Lehmkuhl and Ostrand.

Two very good and incredible and amazing Seniors in those two.

It honestly felt like both of them were there forever too.

Key returners include Kirsten Frey, Alyssa Geisert, Bruns, Bonneau, Nelson, Felber, Claire Felber, and Heise.

So a couple of great players lost who will be sorely missed, but so much young and upcoming talent to work with next year.

And as great as this season was I feel like next year has a chance to be even better for Pender.

I feel like the sky is the limit for the Pendragons moving forward.

West Point-Beemer goes 2-2 in final four matches of season

 

The West Point-Beemer Volleyball Team went 1-1 in last Thursday's Wakefield Tournament, beating Winnebago 2-0, but losing 2-1 to the host Trojans. The Cadets then beat North Bend Central 3-1 in the C1-5 Sub-District Semifinals at Oakland-Craig Monday night, but lost 3-2 to Oakland-Craig in Tuesday night's Sub-District Final.

The Cadets defeated the Indians 25-13 in set one and 25-17 in set two.

Rachel Groth had 13 kills while Brooklyn Weddle totaled 8 digs. Reece Snodgrass added 16 assists.

Wakefield won set one 25-16 and set two 25-17 after losing set three 25-23.

Groth had 11 kills while Weddle notched 12 digs. Snodgrass posted 10 digs and 14 assists while Meg Anderson had 7 digs.

The Cadets took set one from the Tigers 25-17 before losing set two 25-23. West Point-Beemer then went on to win set three 25-18 and set four 25-20.

Jadyn Meiergerd had 30 kills and 15 digs while Groth added 21 kills. Weddle compiled 22 digs while Snodgrass registered 14 digs and 49 assists. Katie Rainforth totaled 9 digs while Sidney Swanson had 8.  

West Point-Beemer won set one 33-31 over Oakland-Craig. The Knights took set two 25-23 while the Cadets won set three by the same score. Oakland-Craig won set four 25-18 and set five 15-13.

Really tough way to end the season if you are West Point-Beemer knowing you were so close to making Sub-State. Tough pill to swallow if you are the Cadets. Still a great season nonetheless though.

West Point-Beemer ends the campaign at 22-10.

The Cadets picked up a lot of big wins this year, including victories over Wayne, North Bend Central three times, Wisner-Pilger, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Battle Creek, Fremont Bergan, DC West, BRLD, and Pender.

West Point-Beemer should be very proud of the season they had and all that they accomplished.

This was a great Cadet team, and they did a lot of nice things this season.

West Point-Beemer says goodbye to Snodgrass, Weddle, Swanson, and Groth.

Key returners include Meiergerd and Emily Toelle.

Some talent to work with next year, but some very good players being lost to graduation.

Hopefully next year will return to normal and the pandemic is gone by the start of next season.

This was a different season in many ways for everyone, and I think we're all ready for some sense of normalcy to return whenever that happens.

North Bend Central loses final two matches of season

 

The North Bend Central Volleyball Team lost 3-0 at Columbus Lakeview in last Thursday night's regular season finale before falling 3-1 to West Point-Beemer in the C1-5 Sub-District Semifinals at Oakland-Craig Monday night.

The Tigers lost set one to the Viqueens 25-12, dropped set two 25-19, and set three 25-18.

NBC won set two over the Cadets 25-23 after losing set one 25-17, and after losing set three 25-18 and set four 25-20.

Kind of a tough way to end the season for the Tigers.

North Bend Central ends the year at 15-13.

The Tigers did some really nice things this year, including beating Oakland-Craig in the East Husker Conference Tournament.

North Bend Central also picked up big wins over Fremont Bergan, GACC, and Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family.

I just think Lakeview and West Point-Beemer were difficult matchups for the Tigers.

North Bend Central says goodbye to Cierra Kluthe, Kendyl Boyce, Ally Pojar, and Kaila Lorence.

Key returners include Kaitlyn Emanuel, Josie Cleveringa, and Madelyn Gaughen.

Some tough losses no doubt, but some good and solid returners to work with as well.

I look for Emanuel and Cleveringa to really have nice seasons next year.

There's no doubt the Tigers will be solid once again next season.

This was just an interesting year with the pandemic and everything so I'm sure NBC was just glad to be able to play the season. 

Here's to hoping that things are back to normal by the time next season rolls around and that everything is back to the way it was before.

Wisner-Pilger goes 1-2 in final three matches of season

 

The Wisner-Pilger Volleyball Team lost 2-1 to Fort Calhoun, but beat Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 2-0 at the Fort Calhoun Triangular last Thursday night before falling 3-0 to GACC in the C2-3 Sub-District Semifinals at Howells-Dodge Monday night in action aired on 107.9 the Bull.

The Gators beat the Raiders 25-15 in set one and 25-22 in set two.

Lindsey Kneifl had 8 kills while Emily Buhrman totaled 7. Reagan Scholting added 10 digs while Cameryn Bellar notched 7 digs and 21 assists.

The Pioneers won set one 25-21 and set three 25-18 after Wisner-Pilger won set two 27-25.

Kneifl, Scholting, and Lily Otten each registered 10 kills while Alexia Martin had 18 digs. Kneifl added 13 digs while Buhrman had 11. Bellar posted 10 digs and 36 assists while Scholting recorded 8 digs.

The Bluejays won set one 25-13, set two 25-12, and set three 25-22.

Bellar totaled 14 digs and 21 assists while Kennedie Ott had 14 digs. Scholting and Buhrman had 13 and 11, respectively while Martin chipped in 7.

Not a bad season for the Gators, just kind of back and forth and up and down throughout.

Wisner-Pilger ends the year at 17-15.

The season was no doubt different for the Gators with the pandemic and passing of Legendary Head Coach Jean Groth.

I think the wins over Pender, BRLD, and Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family are wins Wisner-Pilger can build on and carry with them moving forward.

Bellar had 420 digs on the season for the Gators while Adi Meyer had 374.

Both players return next year, and I look for more big and great contributions for them in 2021.

Wisner-Pilger says goodbye to Scholting and Tymarie Ott.

Key returners for next year include Bellar, Martin, Meyer, Kneifl, Buhrman, Otten, and Kennedie Ott.

The Gators were relatively young this year, and I look for Wisner-Pilger to get back to 20+ wins next year.

Hopefully things are back to normal by the start of next season.

Hopefully this pandemic dies out and goes away and we can all get back to normal lives.

I'm sure the Gators and everyone else would like that.

In the meantime, Wisner-Pilger has to get after it as much as possible with their Winter, Spring, and Offseason Activities. 

Winnebago loses final three matches of season

 

The Winnebago Volleyball Team lost 2-0 to West Point-Beemer and 2-1 to Homer at the Wakefield Tournament Thursday night before losing 2-0 to Homer in the C1-6 Sub-District Tournament at Wayne High School Monday night.

The Cadets took set one 25-13 and set two 25-17.

The Indians took set from the Knights 25-17 the first rime around before losing sets two and three 25-19.

Tough end to the season for Winnebago.

The Indians end the year at 5-12.

A shortened season due to the coronavirus pandemic was unfortunate, but not surprising given the fact everyone knew that was a possibility.

At least Winnebago got to finish the year though.

Key losses include Natasha Deal and Keisha Snyder.

Key returners include Lakaylah Kearnes, Auriah Means, and Kelsi DeCora.

Some talent back for the Indians next year, but a couple of key players lost to graduation as well.

I thought Winnebago did a nice job competing this year given everything they had to deal with with the coronavirus pandemic and all.

Hopefully next year will get back to normal so the Indians can just simply play and focus on playing Volleyball.

I'm sure Winnebago and everyone else would like some sense of normalcy to return before next season rolls around.

Let's hope it happens and that the coronavirus goes away before next season begins.

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

 

The Stanton Volleyball Team beat Madison 3-0 before losing 3-0 to Lutheran High Northeast in the C2-6 Sub-District at Lutheran High Northeast Monday night.

The Mustangs topped the Dragons 25-12 in set one, 25-17 in set two, and 25-9 in set three.

The Eagles took set one 25-19, set two 25-20, and set three 25-11. 

Good win for Stanton over the Dragons, and a good job competing against LHNE the first two sets.

The Mustangs end the season at 8-21.

It was a tough season for Stanton.

The Mustangs say goodbye to Madison Wragge, Bridgett Jensen, Haylea Nelson, and Ellie Locke.

Key returners include Olivia Cunningham, Arynn Spence, Kinley Pohlman, and Sylvia Cunningham.

Stanton has a good core group of Sophomores who will be Juniors next year.

I feel that group of kids has a lot potential.

The Mustangs were young this year, but return quite a bit next year.

Stanton loses some talent too, but overall a lot of players return.

The Mustangs have to look to retool and get back to where they were just a couple of years ago.

It's not easy, but can be done with a lot of blood, sweat, tears, perseverance, and determination.

Stanton can definitely get back to that elite level they were once at they just have to work extremely hard and believe.

The Mustangs have to do as much as they can this offseason while monitoring the coronavirus pandemic.

Hopefully the pandemic ends before the start of next season cause I'm sure Stanton and the rest of us could use some normalcy in our lives again.

Tekamah-Herman falls to Howells-Dodge in Sub-Districts

 

The Tekamah-Herman Volleyball Team lost 3-0 to Howells-Dodge at Howells in the C2-3 Sub-District Semifinals in action aired on 107.9 the Bull Monday night.

The Tigers dropped set one 25-9, set two 25-17, and set three 25-21.

I thought Tekamah-Herman did a nice job of competing with each passing set.

The Tigers end the year at 6-23.

Tekamah-Herman loses Reese Hansen to graduation otherwise everyone else is back.

Key returners next year for the Tigers include Brynn Schmidt, Elena Jetensky, Preslee Hansen, Rylee Lawson, Kennedy Pagels, Kaitlyn Quick, and Aubrynn Sheets.

The Tigers will have a lot of Seniors next year and figure to be much improved.

Tekamah-Herman made a lot of nice improvements from last year to this year I thought, and I look for the Tigers to make an even bigger jump next year.

Tekamah-Herman has to work as hard as possible and as often as they can this offseason.

What that will look like is unknown cause of the coronavirus pandemic, but hopefully the pandemic ceases before the start of next season.

I'm sure the Tigers, along with everyone else, just want a sense of normalcy back in their lives.

I thought Tekamah-Herman really competed well in the second half of the season this year, and look for them to contend even more next year.

I don't see why the Tigers can't at least double their win total next year if they have a good offseason.

I think Tekamah-Herman will be a team to be reckoned with and look out for in 2021.