Courtesy Photo Abi Heller and Ashley Knight are organizing the second annual Nets for Nets volleyball fundraiser on May 6.

The second annual Nets for Nets Volleyball Tournament fundraiser will be held on May 6 at the Oasis

"It is going to be bigger than ever," said organizers Ashley Knight and Abi Heller, who are freshmen at Elkhorn South. "Last year, we raised money to purchase bed nets that protected children in the Sudan from disease spreading insects. After sending 750 nets to the Sudan with last year’s proceeds, we are ready for a new challenge. This year all of the funds raised through our tournament, clinic and silent auction will go towards building a well for clean drinking water in the Sudan. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to cover the cost of drilling a well in a 9th world country. We hope you will participate in this fun day of volleyball!"

Last year, Knight and Heller's fundraiser raised $5,500 to purchase over 700 bed nets for children of the Sudan to protect them from life-threatening insects.

LINCOLN - Three members of Nebraska's 2012 signing class recently earned honors for their prep success. Lauren Sieckmann, who enrolled at Nebraska in January, and Kelsey Fien and Alexa Strange, who will both join the Huskers in August, were each named to Volleyball Magazine's FAB 50 list.

Sieckmann graduated from Elkhorn South High School early and will participate in the Huskers' upcoming spring drills. She is a two-time Super-State setter who played at both Marian High School and Elkhorn South High School. Considered one of the top prospects nationally in the class of 2012, she has played on the U.S. Youth national team and was part of a Nebraska Junior club team that won the 16-and-under open division at the USA Volleyball junior national tournament last year. An outstanding all-around player, Sieckmann was picked as a MaxPreps Preseason First Team All-American and guided Marian High School to the 2009 Class A state championship, while being named the top sophomore player in the country that year by PrepVolleyball.com. The Crusaders compiled a 112-16 record during the time Sieckmann guided the squad.

ELKHORN – Since finishing up her high school volleyball career at Elkhorn South at the state tournament in November, senior Lauren Sieckmann has been busy preparing for the next stage of her life as a student and volleyball player at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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Click to view story on Omaha World-Herald.

It was another overpowering season for Papillion-La Vista South, which once again dominates the All-Nebraska volleyball team.

Three Titans — twin sisters Kadie and Amber Rolfzen and Kelly Hunter — repeat as first-team selections. That trio helped Papio South finish undefeated for the second straight year, secure the school's second Class A crown and earn a No. 1 rating from two national websites.

Click to view All-State teams on Lincoln Journal Star.

Click to view Honorable Mention on Lincoln Journal Star.

Super-State

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

GRAND ISLAND - Lincoln Pius X and Grand Island Northwest began the season as the top two teams in Class B and it is fitting that the two squads will end the season in the Class B championship match.

The top-seeded Thunderbolts had a little easier time with Elkhorn South winning 25-23, 25-19, 25-16, while Northwest survived the test of the charging Omaha Skutt team to win in five sets and advance to the finals for the fifth-straight season.

The Vikings have lost to Omaha Gross the pass two championship matches and to Lincoln Pius X in the two years before that.

The official state tournament brackets will be released on Saturday morning by the NSAA.
A
Papillion-LaVista South (34-0) vs. Millard West (17-16)
Grand Island (19-5) vs. Lincoln Northeast (21-15)
Omaha Burke (30-6) vs. Bellevue East (30-9)
Omaha Marian (32-8) vs. Lincoln Southwest (29-5)

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LINCOLN - This time, Waverly found a way to close out Elkhorn South.

The No. 8 Vikings overcame a slow start and an 18-10 deficit in the third set to pull out a 12-25, 25-19, 26-24, 26-24 victory against No. 2 Elkhorn South in the B-1 district volleyball semifinals at Lincoln North Star on Tuesday night.

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