Laurel Advocate Above, Nate Sims (l-r), Laurel-Concord/Colderidge Activities Director Scott Petersen, LCC volleyball coach Patti Cunningham and Toby Cunningham all watch while Jade Cunningham officially inks the form and agrees to go to Wayne State.

WAYNE — On Monday, Nov. 14, Wayne State College head volleyball coach Scott Kneifl announced the signings of five recruits to the 2012 recruiting class that have either signed national letters of intent or scholarship offers to attend Wayne State College and play volleyball for the Wildcats in the 2012-13 academic year. Joining the Wildcat program are Katie Beiermann of Columbus, Jade Cunningham of Laurel, Elizabeth Gebhardt of Norfolk, Katie Hughes of Seward and Jennifer Nakata of Pullman, Washington.

Katie Beiermann is a 5-10 middle hitter from Central Community College in Columbus. The Columbus Scotus graduate has averaged 2.92 kills and 2.06 digs per set so far this season, helping Central CC to a 30-9 record, a #9 national ranking and a berth in the National Junior College Division II national tournament. Last season, she was named First Team National Junior College All-American after recording 3.02 kills, 3.01 digs and 0.72 blocks per set. She will have two years of eligibility with the Wildcats.

“Katie is an explosive player that has played within a great high school program at Columbus Scotus and has excelled at the junior college level,” remarked Coach Kneifl. “She is dynamic off of one foot and will make an immediate impact for us at the middle hitter position.”

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After watching their teams lock up state volleyball titles, coaches Gwen Egbert of Papillion-La Vista South and Jake Moore of Lincoln Pius X each pointed to a regular-season match that had a major impact on their squads.

Both were against Omaha Marian.

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 - Defending Class C2 champion Lutheran High Northeast has taken the relatively easy path to the championship game with a 25-20, 25-21, 25-17 win over Twin River in the semifinals and a first-round win over Elmwood-Murdock of 25-18, 25-11, 25-20.

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HASTINGS -- Top-ranked and defending champion Lutheran High Northeast proved true the adage "more is better" Thursday in the first round of the Class C-2 state volleyball tournament at Hastings High School.

The Titans (32-1) used kills from seven different players to eliminate Elmwood-Murdock 25-18, 25-11, 25-20, while the Knights got kills from only Megan Schmale (15) and Hanna Justesen (14).

C1-1 at Plattsmouth
Friday's final: Ashland-Greenwood def. Auburn 23-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-12, 15-11

C1-2 at Seward
Friday's final: Columbus Scotus def. Milford 25-18, 25-9, 25-13

C1-3 at Oakland-Craig
Friday's final: Concordia def. Wisner-Pilger 25-15, 25-17, 26-24

It’s conference tournament time across the state with quite a few already having been completed last week, many more this week and the final ones next week. Conference Tournaments will affect the rankings in all division as many of the top teams likely will face each other. Some those results were reflected in this week’s new NebVolleyball/Jones Insurance Agency, Inc. Rankings for each classification.

Class A
(Ranking, Team, Record, Last Week’s ranking)
1. Papillion-LaVista South (29-0) 1
2. Omaha Burke (24-4) 3
3. Omaha Marian (24-7) 4
4. Grand Island (21-4) 5
5. Lincoln Southwest (23-5) 6
6. Omaha Westside (13-14) 8
7. Bellevue East (23-8) 2
8. Papillion-LaVista (14-16) 7
9. Lincoln Northeast (18-11) 9
10. Millard West (11-13) 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 Class D2 No. 5 Howells volleyball team gave C2 No. 1 Lutheran High Northeast all it could handle on Tuesday night, but fell 26-24, 23-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-8.

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