All-state volleyball: It's stars in flight for this year's Super-State first team
Snapshots of the 2019 Journal Star Super-State volleyball team.
Meet the team
The 2019 Journal Star Super-State volleyball team (from left): Superior's Kalynn Meyer, Papillion-La Vista's Norah Sis, Omaha Skutt's Lindsay Krause, Lincoln Lutheran's Marriah Buss, Omaha Skutt's Allison Gray, Wahoo's Mya Larson, and Waverly's Whitney Lauenstein on Wednesday at the Lincoln Children's Museum.
Super-State Volleyball 2019
Marriah Buss
Lincoln Lutheran | OH | 6-0 | Senior
College: Wichita State.
Super level: One of the best players in state history brought her career to a fitting close in the Warriors' Class C-1 state title win against St. Paul. In her four-year career, Buss racked up 2,372 total kills, the second-most in state history. She achieved all-state honors in all four years and was the Journal Star’s selection as Super-State captain in both 2018 and 2019.
Coach's view: “She’s achieved what a lot of younger girls would love to. I’m sure that there’s girls that want to go after her records, but they’ll be hard to match.” — Lincoln Lutheran's Sue Ziegler.
Super-State Volleyball 2019
Allie Gray
Omaha Skutt | S | 5-11 | Junior
College: Arizona State.
Super level: Omaha Skutt couldn’t have claimed its fifth straight state title without the help of its offensive engine in Gray. She made a big jump from her sophomore year, totaling the second-most assists in the state with 1,225 and was an ever-consistent presence all season long.
Coach's view: “She slowly became a great leader, going from being quiet and working really hard to being confident, calm, cool and collected at all times. I knew what I was going to get from her, I wasn’t worried if she was going to be nervous, and she was the same kid game in and game out.” — Omaha Skutt's Renee Saunders.
Super-State Volleyball 2019
Kalynn Meyer
Superior | OH/MB | 6-3 | Senior
College: Nebraska.
Super level: The immensely talented Meyer fell just short of her state-title goals but led the Wildcats to another impressive season along the way. She recorded more than 500 kills for the third straight season, adding 59 aces along the way. Next up for Meyer is a college career at Nebraska.
Coach's view: "She’s always been a great hitter, but she stepped up her defense, blocking and leadership. When the games got on the line, she’d step up, and when she started talking in the huddle, her teammates would listen, and it elevated everyone to a higher level.” — Superior's Kelsea Blevins.
Super-State Volleyball 2019
Whitney Lauenstein
Waverly | OH | 6-2 | Junior
College: Nebraska.
Super level: A move from middle blocker to outside hitter a few seasons ago unlocked Lauenstein’s potential, which made a full appearance in 2019. After relying on her natural talent last season, Lauenstein played smart this year, securing another 400-kill season while her hitting percentage jumped from .281 to .407. Her improvement didn’t go unnoticed — she recently committed to Nebraska.
Coach's view: "Just the progress that she’s made in a very short time is pretty astounding. She’s worked so hard at it, and she’s one of the biggest competitors that I’ve been able to coach, and she’s a pretty special kid.” — Waverly's Terri Neujahr.
Super-State Volleyball 2019
Norah Sis
Papillion-La Vista | OH | 6-1 | Junior
College: Creighton.
Super level: The Papillion-La Vista Monarchs put together a near-perfect regular season, and they couldn’t have done it without their star attacker. Sis had fewer kills than last season, but still managed 479 for the Monarchs, averaging 4.8 kills per set. She also had 311 digs and 49 blocks.
Coach's view: “What I love about Norah is that she’s always working on her craft, she wants to get better, and that’s what makes her a great player. When the pressure’s on, that’s when she’s at her best, and when the team needs her, she’s that go-to player.” — Papillion-La Vista's John Svehla.
Super-State Volleyball 2019
Mya Larson
Wahoo | OH | 5-10 | Sophomore
College: Uncommitted.
Super level: Larson had a stellar freshman season a year ago, totaling more than 400 kills in a title-winning season for Wahoo. This year, she took her game to the next level and finished second in the state with 610 kills, just behind Buss (624). Already dominating opponents as just a sophomore, Larson has a bright future ahead of her.
Coach's view: “She wants to be low-error, she wants to always better (with) the ball and keep the ball in play if she needs to. She usually finds a way around the block or uses the block to get a kill. Just very proud of her and of her big growth from last year.” — Wahoo's Trish Larson.
Super-State Volleyball 2019
Lindsay Krause
Omaha Skutt | OH | 6-3 | Junior
College: Nebraska.
Super level: After missing the first 13 matches of the season as part of the U.S. under-18 volleyball team, Krause’s return to Omaha Skutt made the SkyHawks unstoppable. They lost just two matches, both to out-of-state opponents, with Krause on the court, and she totaled 360 kills in the abbreviated season, an impressive 5.4 kill-per-set average.
Coach's view: “You know every time she steps on the floor what you’re going to get from her. She’s low-error, she hits the ball hard, she has a variety of shots, she’s competitive, she’s a good blocker. She just brings everything, and you never have to question whether she’s going to be there, you know she’s always going to come with her best effort every day.” — Omaha Skutt's Renee Saunders.
Omaha Skutt junior and Nebraska volleyball recruit Lindsay Krause was named the Nebraska Gatorade player of the year Monday.
The state volleyball tournament will be played over four days at PBA, and the state wrestling competition appears headed in the same direction.