LA VISTA, NEB. — NEBPreps and Hurrdat Sports put a bow on the 2025 Nebraska high school volleyball season with our inaugural Volleyball Awards Show at Hurrdat Sports Bar & Grill in La Vista, celebrating the best of the best in all six classes.
The awards included Setter of the Year, Libero of the Year, Hitter of the Year and Player of the Year in each class as well as all-class Coach of the Year and Big Game Chain Presented by Borsheim’s Player of the Year honoring the top individual performance the Hurrdat Sports team covered in person.
The winners are as follows.
CLASS D2
Player of the Year: S-E-M senior Taryn Arbuthnot
The senior middle blocker led Class D2 in kills, averaging 5.8 per set on .304 hitting (third in the class), while adding 5.6 digs per set (second), 1.3 blocks per set (fourth), 41 aces and a .961 reception percentage. She led the Mustangs to a 28-7 record, the No. 2 seed in the state tournament and a third-place finish. Arbuthnot averaged 6.7 kills per set in the tournament, posting 31 in a semifinal loss to Cambridge and another 30 in the third-place match against DCS.
Hitter of the Year: S-E-M senior Taryn Arbuthnot
Setter of the Year: Wynot senior Haley Wieseler
The senior led the state in total assists and was second in average at 9.3 per set while adding 2.4 digs per set, 82 blocks and 44 aces. She set Wynot to a .212 hitting percentage, a 31-4 record, the No. 2 seed in the state tournament and the Class D2 title. Wieseler posted 42 assists, nine digs, eight blocks and two aces in the championship, a 3-2 win over Cambridge.
Libero of the Year: Wynot senior Jaylin Geisen
The senior finished fourth in Class D2 in total digs, averaging 4.6 per set while serving 50 aces. She helped lead Wynot to a 31-4 record, the No. 2 seed in the state tournament and the Class D2 title. Geisen racked up 26 digs and posted a .971 reception percentage in the championship, a 3-2 win over Cambridge.
CLASS D1
Player of the Year: Overton senior Daisy Ryan
The senior middle blocker averaged 4.5 kills per set on .322 hitting (third in Class D1) with 4.1 digs per set, 49 aces and a .947 reception percentage. She played all six rotations as a middle and led the Eagles to a 28-6 record, the No. 2 seed in the state tournament and a state runner-up finish. She put up 20-plus kills and 20-plus digs in all three of her matches in the tournament.
Hitter of the Year: EMF senior Kaydence Haase
The senior outside hitter averaged 6.0 kills per set on .326 hitting (both second in Class D1) with 3.9 digs per set, 57 aces and a .921 reception percentage. She led the Bobcats to a 27-6 record, the No. 4 seed at the state tournament and a third-place finish. She put up 20 kills on .538 hitting, four blocks and two aces in a sweep over Shelton in her final match as a Bobcat.
Setter of the Year: Southwest sophomore Aspen Billeter
The sophomore led Class D1 with 10.2 assists per set, adding 3.3 digs per set and 36 aces. She set the Roughriders to a .203 hitting percentage, a 28-6 record and the No. 7 seed in the state tournament.
Libero of the Year: Amherst junior Breckyn Veskerna
The junior averaged 5.2 digs per set and posted a .970 reception percentage. She led the Broncos to a 28-5 record, the No. 1 seed in the state tournament and the Class D1 state title. In the championship, a 3-2 win over Overton, Veskerna recorded 29 digs and two aces while passing 53 serves and only allowing one ace.
CLASS C2
Player of the Year: Oakland-Craig senior Briar Ray
The senior outside hitter finished second in the state and first in her class in kills, averaging 6.3 per set on .251 hitting and 4.1 digs per set with 90 aces (fourth in the state) and a .956 reception percentage. She led the Knights to a 30-8 record and a third-place finish in the state tournament as the No. 7 seed. The College of Saint Mary commit went off for 38 kills on .311 hitting in a 3-1 upset of No. 2 Guardian Angels Central Catholic and totaled 25 kills on .283 hitting in the third-place match, a 3-1 win over Yutan, averaging 7.7 kills per set in the tournament.
Hitter of the Year: Johnson County Central senior Ashley Beethe
The senior outside hitter averaged a state-leading 6.6 kills per set on .388 hitting (third in Class C2) and 3.5 digs per set while adding 47 aces. She led the Thunderbirds to a 31-1 record and the No. 1 seed in the state tournament. Johnson County Central fell in the first round, but Beethe went down swinging with 37 kills and 16 digs in the 3-2 loss.
Setter of the Year: Johnson County Central sophomore Riley Wellensiek
The sophomore finished fourth in Class C2 with 10.8 assists per set while adding 2.7 digs per set, 1.0 kill per set on .332 hitting and 58 aces. She set the Thunderbirds to a .331 hitting percentage, a 31-1 record and the No. 1 seed in the state tournament.
Libero of the Year: St. Paul junior Keislyn Poss
The junior led Class C2 in total digs (and finished fifth in the state), averaging 6.1 per set while adding 1.1 assists per set on second touches. She led the Wildcats to a 24-10 record and a district final appearance.
CLASS C1
Player of the Year: Milford sophomore Shayla Rautenberg
The sophomore middle blocker averaged 5.5 kills per set (third in Class C1) on .370 hitting (tops in the class) plus 1.9 digs and 1.2 blocks per set (also first). She added 44 aces and a .907 reception percentage, playing all six rotations as a middle. Rautenberg led the Eagles to a 33-1 record, the No. 2 seed in the tournament and the school’s first state championship. She recorded 30 kills on .407 hitting, 17 digs, four aces and four blocks in the 3-1 win over Holdrege in the final.
Hitter of the Year: Milford sophomore Shayla Rautenberg
Setter of the Year: Lincoln Lutheran senior Bella Sjuts
After playing other positions previously for the varsity squad, Sjuts took over at setter as a senior and averaged 9.2 assists, 2.7 digs and 1.2 kills per set with 53 blocks and 46 aces, showcasing her versatility. The Wayne State commit set the Warriors to a .245 hitting percentage, a 29-7 record and the No. 3 seed in the state tournament.
Libero of the Year: Omaha Concordia senior Kyra McNair
The senior was third in the class in total digs, averaging 4.9 per set, and posted a .939 reception percentage. She led the Mustangs to a 29-10 record, the No. 4 seed at the state tournament and a fourth-place finish. McNair averaged 5.2 digs per set during Concordia’s state tournament run.
CLASS B
Player of the Year: Norris junior Malorie Boesiger
The junior setter led the state in assists at 12.0 per set while adding 2.4 digs per set, 102 kills, 70 aces and 47 blocks. After missing her sophomore season with an injury, Boesiger set the Titans to a .327 hitting percentage while leading them to a 38-1 record and second-consecutive state championship. The Nebraska commit posted 48 assists, nine digs, four kills, three blocks and two aces in the title match, a 3-1 win.
Hitter of the Year: Elkhorn North junior Reagan Wallraff
The junior outside hitter led the state in kills, averaging 6.5 kills per set on .342 hitting and 2.7 digs per set with a .933 reception percentage. The Creighton commit led Elkhorn North to a 30-7 record, the No. 2 seed in the state tournament and a runner-up finish. She set a Class B single-match record for kills in a set with 42 in a five-set semifinal win over Skutt Catholic and totaled 94 kills during her tournament run.
Setter of the Year: Norris junior Malorie Boesiger
Libero of the Year: Gretna senior Lily Zimmerman
The senior led the Dragons with 4.4 digs per set while adding 42 aces and a .991 reception percentage as she was only charged with four reception errors all season. The Northwest Missouri State commit helped Gretna earn the No. 5 seed in the state tournament and finish with a 27-7 record.
CLASS A
Player of the Year: Papillion-La Vista South senior Kami Dyrstad
The senior libero averaged 5.4 digs per set (fourth in Class A) and posted a .983 reception percentage as the Titans finished 31-9 and won the Class A title. The heart and soul of the team totaled 12 digs and two aces in the championship and is committed to Rutgers.
Hitter of the Year: Papillion-La Vista South junior Lyric Judson
The junior middle blocker averaged 3.0 kills per set on .435 hitting (first in Class A and third in the state) with 90 blocks and 42 aces as the Titans finished 31-9 and won the Class A title. The Florida Gulf Coast commit finished with 10 kills on .562 hitting, five digs, five blocks and three aces in the championship.
Setter of the Year: Lincoln North Star senior Alex Kroll
The junior averaged a Class A-leading 9.9 assists and 2.4 digs per set while guiding the Gators to a .227 hitting percentage. Lincoln North Star made it to the state championship match for the first time as the No. 1 seed as Kroll led the Gators to a runner-up finish and a 32-5 record.
Libero of the Year: Papillion-La Vista South senior Kami Dyrstad
COACH OF THE YEAR
Erin Heath, Holdrege
In her first season as head coach, Heath led the Dusters to their first-ever state tournament win and state championship match appearance in school history, finishing Holdrege’s historic season with a 24-10 record and a Class C1 runner-up finish.
BIG GAME CHAIN PRESENTED BY BORSHEIM’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Elkhorn North junior Reagan Wallraff
The junior outside hitter and Creighton commit went off for 23 kills on .288 hitting and nine digs in a 3-0 win over Norris, the Titans’ only loss this season, on October 14.
