FREMONT - Coach Paul Giesselmann has released his 2012 recruiting class for Midland University’s 2012-13 volleyball squad. The Warriors, coming off a 20-win season and their first ever appearance in the GPAC Semifinals, will add an impressive list of 12 new names to next year’s roster, including 10 all-state achievers and nine all-conference athletes.

“We are really happy with our second recruiting class at Midland,”said Paul Giesselmann, Midland University volleyball head coach. “When you combine this class with last year’s group, I believe it sets Midland Volleyball up to be a competitive program for several years. The class has a great mix of a couple players who potentially could help us on the varsity immediately, several players that with a couple years of training will be very strong contributors for us, and a couple players that are going to be great role players that we can plug into several positions.”

Of the 12 athletes, 10 have led their high school volleyball teams to conference championships. Seven recruits hold school records and six have led their teams to top-8 or better state tournament finishes.

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BENNINGTON, Neb. -- A Bennington teenager, injured in a crash that critically hurt one friend and killed another, says she feels lucky to be alive.

Samantha Steffes is at home recovering. She lost part or her ear and still faces painful surgery and therapy for nerve damage in her shoulder. Her friend, Kylie Remmereid, did not survive the November crash at 180th and State. Her other friend, Cassidy Collier, remains at the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital.

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Growing up as a Creighton volleyball fan, Jessica Bird was a member of the school's "Bluejay Buddy" program.

The 5-foot-11 junior outside hitter from Bennington will soon make an even more meaningful contribution after giving an oral commitment to CU head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth.

2011 Nebraska Capitol Conference Volleyball All-Conference

1st Team
Jessica Bird-Bennington**
Sami Hansen-Bennington**
Hanna Morrison-Syracuse
Katelyn O’Brien-Wahoo
Darcy Barry-Wahoo
Morgan Rieken-Ashland-Greenwood
Rachel Wald-Douglas County West

**Denotes Honorary Team Captain

Class A
(Ranking, Team, Record, Last Week’s ranking)
1. Papillion-LaVista South (41-0) 1
2. Omaha Marian (34-8) 2
3. Omaha Burke (32-7) 3
4. Lincoln Southwest (29-6) 4
5. Bellevue East (30-10) 6
6. Lincoln Northeast (22-17) NR
7. Grand Island (29-6) 5
8. Papillion-LaVista (17-20) 8
9. Millard West (17-17) 9
10. Omaha Westside (18-17) 7

Contenders: Lincoln North Star, Omaha Benson, Kearney

Sub-districts are officially one week away in the smaller classifications and that means that it is time for conference tournament and final late-season rivalries to finish up and for teams to get ready for postseason play. Below are the updated NebVolleyball.com/Jones Insurance Agency, Inc. rankings for Oct. 24.

Class A
(Ranking, Team, Record, Last Week’s ranking)
1. Papillion-LaVista South (30-0) 1
2. Omaha Marian (24-7) 3
3. Omaha Burke (24-5) 2
4. Lincoln Southwest (26-5) 5
5. Grand Island (25-5) 4
6. Omaha Westside (15-14) 6
7. Bellevue East (24-8) 7
8. Papillion-LaVista (14-17) 8
9. Millard West (12-13) 10
10. Lincoln North Star (14-13)

Contenders: Lincoln Northeast, Omaha Benson, Kearney, Bellevue West

Papillion-LaVista South was pushed to the brink of its first loss against St. James Academy in Lenexa, Kan. but survived. Columbus Scotus in C1 also was pushed but remained unbeaten. Lutheran High Northeast in C2 wasn't so lucky as Guardina Angels took down C2's last unbeaten. Paxton and Hitchcock County still are perfect in D1 but could face each other at the conference tournament. Check out all the new NebVolleyball/Jones Insurance Agency, Inc. Rankings for each classification.

Class A
(Ranking, Team, Record, Last Week's ranking)
1. Papillion-LaVista South (25-0) 1
2. Bellevue East (20-5) 4
3. Omaha Burke (23-4) 2
4. Omaha Marian (17-7) 5
5. Grand Island (19-4) 3
6. Lincoln Southwest (18-4) 6
7. Papillion-LaVista (13-10) 7
8. Omaha Westside (11-11) 8
9. Lincoln Northeast (16-11) 9
10. Millard West (9-12) 10

Contenders: Omaha Benson, Kearney, Bellevue West, Fremont, Lincoln North Star

Papillion-LaVista swept Class B's new top team Lincoln Pius X in in the finals of the Lincoln Northeast Tournament, while former Class B No. 1 Gretna was defeated for the first time this season. Earlier last week, Kearney Catholic was defeated by Grand Island Central Catholic, switching up the rankings in C1. D1 BDS lost to Class C2 Blue Hill, but remains atop in D1 as does Bertrand in D2 and Lutheran High Northeast in C2 in this week’s Oct. 3 NebVolleyball/Jones Insurance Agency, Inc. Rankings for each classification.

Class A
(Ranking, Team, Record, Last Week's ranking)
1. Papillion-LaVista South (21-0) 1
2. Omaha Burke (20-3) 2
3. Grand Island (18-3) 5
4. Bellevue East (14-5 ) 8
5. Omaha Marian (15-7) 3
6. Lincoln Southwest (16-3) 4
7. Papillion-LaVista (12-10) 6
8. Omaha Westside (8-9) 7
9. Lincoln Northeast (13-10) 9
10. Millard West (9-11) 10

Contenders: Omaha Benson, Kearney, Bellevue West, Fremont, Lincoln North Star

As the fourth week of the season concludes, team are starting to separate themselves and it is reflected in this week’s Sept. 26 NebVolleyball/Jones Insurance Agency, Inc. Rankings for each classification.

Class A
(Ranking, Team, Record, Last Week's ranking)
1. Papillion-LaVista South (15-0) 1
2. Omaha Burke (18-3) 2
3. Omaha Marian (12-4) 3
4. Lincoln Southwest (15-2) 5
5. Grand Island (17-3) 46.
6. Papillion-LaVista (10-9) 7
7. Omaha Westside (6-4) NR
8. Bellevue East (11-5 ) 6
9. Lincoln Northeast (9-7) 8
10. Millard West (8-11) NR

Contenders: Omaha Benson, Kearney , Bellevue West, Fremont

The third week of the season has come and gone. There were some more shake ups among some of the top teams in the lower classifications while most of the larger schools remained relatively unchanged in the Sept. 19 NebVolleyball/Jones Insurance Agency, Inc. Rankings for each classification.

Class A
(Ranking, Team, Record, Last Week's ranking)
1. Papillion-LaVista South (9-0) 1
2. Omaha Burke (13-2) 2
3. Omaha Marian (10-4) 3
4. Grand Island (14-1) 5
5. Lincoln Southwest (14-2) 4
6. Bellevue East (11-3) 6
7. Papillion-LaVista (6-6) 7
8. Lincoln Northeast (9-6) NR
9. Omaha Benson (12-2) 10
10. Bellevue West (10-9) NR

Contenders: Millard West, Omaha Westside, Millard North, Kearney, Lincoln North Star