The 54th Nebraska School Activities Association state volleyball championships will begin their four day run in Lincoln on Wednesday. Classes A, B and C-1 will kick off the championships on Wednesday with Classes C-2, D-1 and D-2 playing opening round contests on Thursday.&nbsp;

Quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be played at Pinnacle Bank Arena before Saturday’s state championship matches are played at the Bob Devaney Center.&nbsp;

Four of the six 2024 champions have returned, though two have moved classes. Papillion-LaVista South (A), Norris (B), Lincoln Lutheran (C-2 champion, in Class C-1) and Shelton (D-2 champion, in Class D-1) are back for a shot at a second consecutive championship.&nbsp;

Up-to-date championship information will be delivered via the <a href="https://nsaahome.org/nsaa-volleyball-championships-central/">NSAA Volleyball Championship Central</a> page. All first round and state semifinals will be broadcast on the <a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/associations/nsaa">NFHS Network.</a> Saturday’s six championship contests will be broadcast on Nebraska Public Media.

<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQ5VSY214GQqbmZ-SdBNMwZFCIZZNsbgwnHr4pXA5xYzxvdlWSjJgQgmVvTzfMq_E0k_LjQgXe13XX_/pubhtml">All-Class State Tournament Bracket</a>&nbsp;

CLASS A: Papillon-LaVista South Seeks Fifth Title in Seven Years

The surest thing in Class A volleyball for the last decade and a half heads to the state tournament with the target on its back once again.

Papillion-La Vista South, winners of four of the last six titles, will be the favorite as the event gets underway Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Starting in 2009, Papio South has been in the finals 10 of the past 16 seasons, winning seven titles.

A check of the schedule shows that Papio South (28-9) should be the favorite again. Six of the Titans’ nine losses have come to out-of-state schools, two have come to Class B Elkhorn North, and the other came at the hands of Class B Omaha Skutt.

Against in-state Class A foes Papio South is unbeaten while dropping only three sets. Against Class A state tournament qualifiers, the Titans are 10-0 with just two sets lost. Perhaps the most athletic team in the Class A field, Papio South has six players committed to play college volleyball, led by Rutgers libero commit Kami Dyrstad. A seventh, Taryn Lewis, is Northwest Missouri State soccer commit.

While Papio South is the favorite, there are plenty of intriguing storylines. Top-seeded Lincoln North Star (30-4), enjoying the best season in school history, will try for its first-ever state tournament win Wednesday against city foe Lincoln Southeast.&nbsp;

Second-seeded Millard South is at state for the first time since 2019, when it reached the state semifinals. Lincoln Southwest, which in 2023 became the first Lincoln school to win Class A since 1998, is back for the sixth consecutive year and will try to knock off Papio South in the first round. Elkhorn South, the 2020 champion, is also in the field, as is Omaha Marian, making its 35th state tournament appearance.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Chloe Rauner (Elkhorn South), 571 set assists, 205 kills, 291 digs, 37 ace serves; Delainey Volkmer (Lincoln North Star), 365 kills, 44 ace serves, 326 digs; Haleigh Bauer (Lincoln Southeast), 443 kills, 40 ace serves, 296 digs; Ellie Eckman (Lincoln Southwest), 974 set assists, 91 kills, 47 ace serves; Bailey Wyzenski (Millard South), 986 set assists, 107 kills, 64 ace serves; Erin Cramer (Omaha Marian), 261 kills, .376 hitting percentage, 68 blocks; Mackenzie Wingett (Omaha Westside), 328 kills, 87 blocks, 30 ace serves; Kami Dyrstad (Papillion-La Vista South), 486 digs, 30 ace serves.

FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (WEDNESDAY). At Pinnacle Bank Arena (North Court) | Lincoln North Star (30-4) vs. Lincoln Southeast (20-15), 5:00 PM; Omaha Marian (29-8) vs. Omaha Westside (22-9), 7:00 PM. At Pinnacle Bank Arena (South Court) | Millard South (32-7) vs. Elkhorn South (19-13), 5:00 PM; Papillon-LaVista South (28-9) vs. Lincoln Southwest (23-9), 7:00 PM.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/tournament/I6GHTxMjaUKwyHvu0OOQ4w/ur1vzi6VqkKXPnbNve3GQw/volleyball-25/2025-nsaa-volleyball-championships-(nebraska)-class-a.htm">Interactive MaxPreps Bracket</a>

match. Both teams will take the court in the state volleyball tournament that begins on Wednesday. (Harvest Sports / Andrew Placke)

CLASS B: After Ending Skutt Reign, Norris Eyes Another

There may not be a tougher class of volleyball in Nebraska in 2025 than Class B.

And there may not be a better team in Class B than Norris.

After slaying nine-time defending champion Omaha Skutt in a five-set epic last season to win the state title, the Titans (35-1) come to the state tournament this year as the team with a target on its back.

With a 73-2 record over the past two seasons, the casual observer might say Norris has had an easy time on its climb to the top.&nbsp;

Not so fast. Especially in a historic season for Class B as a whole.

“I don’t know if ever in my coaching career has Class B been this good,” said Norris coach Christina Boesgier, now in her 26th season. “There are just some really good athletes and teams and players right now, which is fun.

“You go through the grind and it’s like, OK, who do we have next week? OK, now who do we have? And I think that part of it just helps you prepare for the postseason as well.”

Norris has done it despite losing seven seniors from last season’s 38-1 state champion.&nbsp;

“They’re just so hungry, you know? I think they felt like a little bit of an underdog when they started this season,” Boesiger said. “A lot of people were like, ‘oh, you lost seven seniors, what are you going to do? So it’s been fun to see them embrace that, but in a really positive way.”

Making the transition easier has been a trio of juniors who have committed to Division I programs in South Dakota State commit Alli Bornschlegl, TCU pledge Kaelynn Lottman, and Nebraska setter commit Malorie Boesiger, Christina’s daughter.

Lottman leads the team with 73 ace serves and 275 digs and is second with 226 kills. Bornschlegl is the top attacker for the state’s top team, with 484 kills on .418 hitting to go with 32 ace serves while standing second to Lottman with 266 digs. Boesiger, after missing last season with a knee injury, has directed the offense with 1,085 set assists to go with 92 kills of her own while also sitting third on the squad with 40 blocks.

“It’s been a year where, knowing we did lose (seven seniors), the rest of the girls could step in, no pressure. They never felt pressure on them, knowing that we have a lot of new people on our team,” Christina Boesiger said. “And so I think that was good that we never focused on how many games we were going to win. Yes, winning back-to-back (titles) has been a goal, and that’s from the beginning, but the journey we knew was going to be was going to take hard work.”

It’s been special for the Boesiger family on a personal level, too.

Malorie, expected to be the team’s starting setter last season, found out a few weeks before the year that she would have to sit out with a fracture in her kneecap that would require surgery. After a freshman season in which she had more than 1,000 set assists, and with the talent Norris knew they had in the gym, it was a tough pill to swallow for player and coach.

But both Christina and Malorie (and Chris, Christina’s husband, Malorie’s dad, and Norris assistant coach), found ways to adjust. Malorie became like another assistant on the bench, helping guide the team in a transition to a 6-2 offense with a pair of new setters.

“Last year was a hard year for her, as part of her journey. And as a mom, it just pulled at my heart knowing she was going to miss it,” Christina said. “And now this year, she walks in the gym and wants to train and wants to get better, and truly is never taking anything for granted.”

Malorie agreed, saying the year off the court helped her grow.

“Honestly, it’s just so good to be back. I think I’m just even more thankful for each time I get to step on the court,” Malorie said. “I feel like I’m definitely a different player. I learned a lot from that experience.”

Norris is hoping the experience of winning a title pays dividends over the next few days. The Titans have dropped just nine sets all season, but eight of those came to teams that made the Class B tournament, including three in a five-set loss to Elkhorn North that is the only blemish on Norris’s record.

“There has not been one day this year where they did not have smiles on their faces in the gym, and that’s hard to say for high school kids,” Christina Boesiger said. “That’s one of the things I’m most proud of them for, is just their willingness and wanting to get better every day and never settling.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Hayden Liebsack (Bennington), 530 kills, .302 hitting percentage, 72 ace serves; Grace Dawson (Columbus Lakeview), 857 set assists, 42 kills, 24 ace serves; Reagan Wallraff (Elkhorn North), 600 kills, .349 hitting percentage, 24 ace serves, 251 digs; Jacey Cochran (Gering), 481 kills, 49 ace serves, 353 digs; Maggie Miller (Gretna), 779 set assists, 47 ace serves, 30 kills; Malorie Boesiger (Norris), 1,085 set assists, 67 ace serves, 92 kills; Addison West (Omaha Skutt), 447 kills, .446 hitting percentage, 38 ace serves, 324 digs; Gracie Lauenstein (Waverly), 387 kills, 54 ace serves, 328 digs.

FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (WEDNESDAY). At Pinnacle Bank Arena (North Court) | Norris (35-1) vs. Gering (27-9), 9:00 AM; Waverly (29-5) vs. Gretna (27-6), 11:00 AM. At Pinnacle Bank Arena (South Court) | Elkhorn North (28-6) vs. Bennington (24-9), 9:00 AM; Omaha Skutt Catholic (28-10) vs. Columbus Lakeview (30-4), 11:00 AM.

<a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/tournament/I6GHTxMjaUKwyHvu0OOQ4w/L2yHnIoIcUWQhBActI0sdA/volleyball-25/2025-nsaa-volleyball-championships-(nebraska)-class-b.htm">Interactive MaxPreps Bracket</a>

CLASS C-1: Loaded Class Could Lead To Chaotic Tournament

Star power and traditional powerhouses will combine for what could be one of the most combustible of the six brackets when Class C-1 gets going Wednesday.

With two-time defending champion Minden not in the field, but three-time defending C-2 champion Lincoln Lutheran moving up a class, a new champion in C-1 will have earned its title.

The bottom half of the bracket features an electric mix — Lincoln Lutheran will take on Malcolm while trying to reach a fifth consecutive championship match and sixth in the last seven years. The Warriors won the last three C-2 titles after winning the 2019 and 2021 C-1 championships.

To get to Saturday, the Warriors (29-6) will first have to get past the Dolliver sisters of Malcolm. Halle, a senior, had more than 600 kills as a sophomore while powering Malcolm to the 2023 state tournament. After missing last season with a knee injury, she’s back, this time teaming up with sister Payton, a sophomore, to give the Clippers one of the top 1-2 punches in the class. Both Dollivers have more than 400 kills this season (Payton 453, Halle 406) while combining for a .300 hitting percentage.

The winner of that match will face the winner of second-seeded Milford and No. 7 Adams Central. Milford, of course, is led by sophomore Shayla Rautenberg, already the state’s top player. She brings the Eagles to state with a 30-1 record. As a freshman last season, Rautenberg led Milford to state for the first time since 1997, then sparkled with a 29-kill performance in a first-round loss to Pierce before going on to play for the U.S. U-19 national team in the summer. A win Wednesday would be historic for either school — Milford and Adams Central are a combined 0-8 in state tournament matches.

On the other side of the bracket, tradition-rich Ogallala, with three titles and seven total finals appearances, is back at state for the first time since 2016. They will take the court Wednesday as the No. 1 seed with a 30-3 record. The Indians haven’t lost since falling to Class B Grand Island Northwest on October 4, and head to state on a 13-match winning streak.

Ogallala will see a familiar foe in Holdrege. The teams have faced off three times already, Ogallala winning the last two meetings after a Holdrege victory September 23. The Dusters (22-9) are at state for the first time since 2007.

Don’t forget either about Omaha Concordia and Ashland-Greenwood. Concordia (29-8) is at state for the first time since 2017 while Ashland-Greenwood is making its first appearance since 2020.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Isabel DeJonge (Adams Central), 378 kills, 45 ace serves, 324 digs; Sydney Schram (Ashland-Greenwood), 320 kills, 27 ace serves, 226 digs; Carson Sundquist (Holdrege), 291 kills, 14 ace serves, 298 digs; Bella Sjuts (Lincoln Lutheran), 890 set assists, 115 kills, 53 blocks, 46 ace serves; Halle Dolliver (Malcolm), 406 kills, 55 ace serves, 333 digs; Shayla Rautenberg (Milford), 464 kills, .376 hitting percentage, 44 ace serves, 97 blocks; Alex Ervin (Ogallala), 416 kills, 26 ace serves, 245 digs; Grace Samuelson (Omaha Concordia), 182 kills, .371 hitting percentage, 41 ace serves, 85 blocks.

FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (WEDNESDAY). At Pinnacle Bank Arena (North Court) | Ogallala (31-3) vs. Holdrege (22-9), 1:00 PM; Omaha Concordia (29-8) vs. Ashland-Greenwood (23-8), 3:00 PM. At Pinnacle Bank Arena (South Court) | Milford (30-1) vs. Adams Central (24-9), 1:00 PM; Lincoln Lutheran (29-6) vs. Malcolm (23-8), 3:00 PM.

<a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/tournament/I6GHTxMjaUKwyHvu0OOQ4w/I4FyXA9f_kGphGg7oEx89Q/volleyball-25/2025-nsaa-volleyball-championships-(nebraska)-class-c1.htm">Interactive MaxPreps Bracket</a>

CLASS C-2: State’s Only Unbeaten, JCC Eyes First Title

The state’s final remaining unbeaten team brings little state tournament pedigree with them to Lincoln this week. But, Johnson County Central has been building toward this moment for the previous three years.&nbsp;

At 31-0 heading into the state tournament, the Thunderbirds can lean on previous experience of just missing Lincoln as they pursue a state championship for the first time in school history. JCC is at state for just the second time ever (2008), but Tecumseh’s (which formed with Nemaha Valley for the JCC district) only appearance in 1990 resulted in a state championship.

After losing in the district final each of the past two seasons, coach Tim Hedger’s team – led by four seniors – took the final step last week in a sweep of Elmwood-Murdock in the district final. JCC has lost just five sets all season.&nbsp;

“I think last year we had a lot of success and were close to making it to state,” Hedger said of last year’s 23-7 team that lost to Freeman in the district final. “We had most of our team returning, so going into this season we had the potential to do really well. But, we also knew we’d have some tough, tough matchups.&nbsp;

“But, I don’t think we had the expectation that we would go undefeated. The girls have shown up and just been really consistent all year.”&nbsp;

Leading the way for the Thunderbirds is Midland commit Ashley Beethe, who is fourth in the state and second in the class for kills this season at 533. A four-year starter, Hedger said that Beethe has developed more mentally as well as physically over the past season. Her leadership has carried the team in some tight matches.&nbsp;

“She’s elevated her game a little bit,” Hedger said.&nbsp; “She’s very coachable, but this year she’s just upped her game. I think a lot of that has to do with her mentality. In the past when she struggled mentally you could see it, but this year the look on her face is just very positive and very consistent.”

The Thunderbirds play around sophomore setter Riley Wellensiek. Senior Harley Lubben adds 264 kills while junior Molly Weber has 154 on the season.&nbsp;

The road to a possible finals appearance will be familiar to JCC. They will face Yutan (21-7) to start the tournament on Thursday — the Chieftains ended JCC’s 2023 season in the district final.&nbsp;

Thayer Central — the 2024 runner-up — will face Freeman in the other quarterfinal on the top side of the bracket. JCC has beaten both teams this year and Freeman defeated the Thunderbirds in last year’s district final.&nbsp;

The opponents are familiar to each other on the bottom half of the bracket as well. The four teams — GACC, Oakland-Craig, Norfolk Catholic and Laurel-Concord-Coleridge — have all played at least one of the other teams on their side.&nbsp;

“It really does look like a tournament where the team that gets hot and plays well can win it,” Hedger said. “We are obviously very familiar with the teams on our side. And you have teams familiar with each other on the other side as well.&nbsp;

“It’s going to be an interesting tournament.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Aniston Bartunek (Freeman), 813 set assists, 45 ace serves, 187 digs; Bailey Gerths (GACC), 473 kills, 334 digs; Riley Wellensiek (Johnson County Central), 872 set assists, 56 ace serves, 220 digs; Rena Rasmussen (Laurel-Concord-Coleridge), 514 kills, 39 ace serves, 40 blocks, 335 digs; Sidonia Wattier (Norfolk Catholic), 724 set assists, 55 ace serves, 162 kills, 274 digs; Briar Ray (Oakland-Craig), 541 kills, 84 ace serves, 353 digs; Piper Havel (Thayer Central), 385 kills, 65 blocks; Mylee Tichota (Yutan), 364 kills, 44 ace serves, 274 digs.&nbsp;

FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (THURSDAY). At Pinnacle Bank Arena (North Court) | Johnson County Central (31-0) vs. Yutan (21-7), 5:00 PM; Freeman (26-4) vs. Thayer Central (27-5), 7:00 PM. At Pinnacle Bank Arena (South Court) | Guardian Angels CC (28-3) vs. Oakland-Craig (28-7), 5:00 PM; Norfolk Catholic (27-5) vs. Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (31-3), 7:00 PM.

<a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/tournament/I6GHTxMjaUKwyHvu0OOQ4w/5jcLLkwC5kGvf2RbubSJiQ/volleyball-25/2025-nsaa-volleyball-championships-(nebraska)-class-c2.htm">Interactive MaxPreps Bracket</a>

CLASS D-1: Experienced Field Ready For Wide Open Tournament

There is plenty of experience in the Class D-1 field this year; it’s just that they have moved classes. Some of them anyway. Of the eight teams in the field this year, just two return from 2024 — fourth-seeded EMF and seventh-seeded Southwest. But four others were in the Class D-2 field a year ago.&nbsp;

EMF was the runner-up to Superior at the 2024 tournament, while Southwest finished fourth.

On the bottom half of the bracket Southwest will face 2023 Class D-2 champion Overton. The game features three of the top attackers in the class as twins Kyra and Anikka Nelms have combined for 959 kills for the Roughriders while the Eagles’ Daisy Ryan enters the tournament with 379. Overton has swept Southwest twice this season.&nbsp;

The winner of that match will face either Shelton, the 2024 D-2 champions, or Central Valley, which defeated Overton in the 3rd place match in Class D-2 last season.&nbsp;

A youthful Amherst team is the top-seed overall with no class D losses on the season. Setter Mackenzie Cochrane is the lone senior on the roster for the Broncos, who beat Overton three times this fall and fifth-seeded Ansley/Litchfield twice.&nbsp;

They will face Cross County who made a 668-mile round trip to Morrill for their district final and survived in five sets to advance to Lincoln. Senior Sydney Hengelfelt leads the field in kills with 507.&nbsp;

The other quarterfinal has EMF facing Ansley/Litchfield. EMF ended Southwest’s unbeaten season in last year’s semifinal and survived Sutton in five sets in the district final. The Trojans season has all six of their losses to teams in Lincoln.&nbsp;

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Caydence Feldman (Ansley/Litchfield), 688 set assists, 38 ace serves, 352 digs; Mackenzie Cochrane (Amherst), 421 set assists, 56 kills, 31 blocks, 44 ace serves; Bentleigh Dugan (Central Valley), 293 kills, 62 ace serves, 307 digs; Sydney Hengelfelt (Cross County), 503 kills, 41 ace serves; Kaydence Haase (EMF), 507 kills, 52 ace serves, 34 blocks, 329 digs; Daisy Ryan (Overton), 379 kills, 48 ace serves, 317 digs; Erin Gegg (Shelton), 411 kills, 37 ace serves, 48 blocks, 137 digs; Aspen Billeter (Southwest), 868 set assists, 53 kills, 39 ace serves.&nbsp;

FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (THURSDAY). At Pinnacle Bank Arena (North Court) | Amherst (25-5) vs. Cross County (26-8), 1:00 PM; EMF (25-5) vs. Ansley-Litchfield (25-6), 3:00 PM. At Pinnacle Bank Arena (South Court) | Overton (26-5) vs. Southwest (28-5), 1:00 PM; Central Valley (27-5) vs. Shelton (26-5), 3:00 PM.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/tournament/I6GHTxMjaUKwyHvu0OOQ4w/xttfEIr4RE66g-PfWQCtaQ/volleyball-25/2025-nsaa-volleyball-championships-(nebraska)-class-d1.htm">Interactive MaxPreps Bracket</a>

CLASS D-2: Wynot, Cambridge Headline Deep Field

With four teams from last year’s field – including three semifinalists and 2024 champion Shelton – moving up to Class D-1 this year, the Class D-2 field seems as wide open as ever. The bracket, too, is littered with teams who will come from all parts of the state.&nbsp;

Top-seeded Wynot has ascended to the top of most state rankings and brings a 28-4 record with them to Lincoln. Most known for their basketball prowess, the Blue Devils are making their 8th trip to the state tournament in the past 10 seasons, but they have yet to make a state finals appearance. They will face Red Cloud (22-9) to open the day on Thursday.&nbsp;

State track champion Dundy County-Stratton (26-6) will face Garden County (29-3) in the other quarterfinal on the top half of the bracket. The Tigers bring oval standouts Abi (234 kills, 136 blocks) and Clara (247 kills) Spargo to Lincoln and are making their fifth appearance at state, looking for their second win. The Eagles, led by senior Ridglyn Stanczyk, are back for the first time since 2019 and just the second time this century.&nbsp;

The bottom half of the bracket sees Cambridge (26-7) making their 11th overall appearance and fourth straight. In Class D-1 last year, the Trojans lost to eventual finalist EMF in the opening round. They were the state runner-up to Overton in Class D-2 in 2023. They will face Mullen (20-10) in the opening round, which returns for the first time since 2020.&nbsp;

Two teams with recent state tournament success – SEM (26-6) and BDS (22-10) – will meet in the other first round game. SEM, the 2023 Class D-1 champions, survived the rugged Fort Kearny Conference, which has three teams in the D-1 field. Senior Taryn Arbuthnot brings 488 kills to the tournament and is the all-class state leader with 156 blocks. BDS – winners of 11 of their past 13 matches – are at state for the 9th year in a row and were champions in 2018 and 2019

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Lauryn Koch (BDS), 231 kills, 34 ace serves, 344 digs; Mallory Springer (Cambridge) 279 kills, 44 ace serves, 373 digs; Emily Schack (DCS), 341 kills, 58 ace serves, 271 digs; Ridglyn Stanczyk (Garden County), 332 kills, 41 ace serves, 174 digs; Jenna Donohoe (Mullen), 259 kills, 44 ace serves, 234 digs; Alivia Rust (Red Cloud), 297 kills, 25 ace serves, 274 digs; Jaycelyn Hoos (SEM), 187 kills, 34 kills, 318 digs, 299 set assists; Kenna Oligmueller (Wynot), 387 kills, 56 ace serves, 338 digs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (THURSDAY). At Pinnacle Bank Arena (North Court) | Wynot (28-4) vs. Red Cloud (22-9), 9:00 AM; Dundy County-Stratton (26-6) vs. Garden County (29-3), 11:00 AM. At Pinnacle Bank Arena (South Court) | Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (26-6) vs. BDS (22-10), 9:00 AM; Cambridge (26-7) vs. Mullen (20-10), 11:00 AM.&nbsp;

2025 NSAA Volleyball Championships preview

&nbsp; By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/paulhammel/">Paul Hammel</a>

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/03/two-ex-husker-coaches-receive-rarely-given-nu-award/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A rarely granted honor, described as the University of Nebraska’s “highest and most prestigious award,” was recently bestowed on two former NU coaches.

The Regents Medal was given posthumously Friday to Bob Devaney, a two-time national champion football coach who helped make wearing red a state obsession, and to Terry Pettit, whose 1995 national championship in volleyball paved the way for Nebraska becoming what many call “the volleyball state.”

The medal has been given only eight times in the past 18 years and only once previously to someone involved in athletics — former NU football coach and athletics director Tom Osborne.

It is intended, NU President Jeffrey Gold said, for individuals who provided “exceptional benefits” in furthering the goals and mission of the state university system.

NU Regent Paul Kenney, who presented the awards at a banquet Friday, said both coaches set standards of excellence that carried forward long after they retired. Both programs have nation-leading sellout streaks due to work by Devaney and Pettit to promote their sports.

Mike Devaney, one of Bob Devaney’s two sons, detailed how his father, a native of Saginaw, Michigan, worked in a foundry and was planning a career as a boxer before eventually going to college and taking a job as a teacher. His hiring, he said, was on the condition that he coach the football team.

Bob Devaney coached at four Michigan high schools, winning state titles, and on Duffy Daugherty’s staff at Michigan State before becoming head coach at the University of Wyoming.

Prior to taking over at Nebraska, Mike Devaney said his father watched film of the NU team’s 1961 season. His father, he said, couldn’t believe that the team, which had talented players like Bob Brown and Larry Kramer, had won only three games that year.

Bob Devaney coached at NU until 1972, winning eight Big Eight titles, playing in nine bowl games and claiming national championships in 1970 and 1971. He later served as NU’s athletic director from 1967 to 1992.

Mike Devaney said his father criss-crossed the state to build support for the football team and make “Go Big Red” a state motto. His father, he said, was a masterful speaker and communicator who made everyone in the audience feel like he was talking to them.

Pettit, a 79-year-old native of Crown Point, Indiana, got a teaching job at Louisburg College in North Carolina on the condition that he coach the golf, tennis and volleyball teams.

In volleyball, he molded a group of players who had never played the sport, winning the state junior college title after losing the first set of the season, 0-15.

Pettit famously applied for the head volleyball coaching job at Nebraska in 1977 after the women’s basketball coach at Louisberg, Paul Sanderford (who would later coach at Nebraska), found an advertisement for the Husker opening in a waste basket.

Over 22 seasons at Nebraska, Pettit built the Huskers into a national power in a sport then dominated by teams on the West Coast. He frequently recruited players who were great athletes in other sports, training them into great volleyball players.

Pettit’s teams won 21 conference titles, qualified for the NCAA tournament 17 times, and played in six final fours, winning it all in 1995 over Texas.

Now retired in Fort Collins, Colorado, Pettit is a published author and poet who produces a regular podcast on leadership and volleyball called “Inside the Coaching Mind.”

In his comments, Pettit said Lincoln business owners never said no to helping build the volleyball program by buying tickets, sponsoring tournaments, purchasing a new scoreboard and bringing in ranked teams to play the Huskers.

Past recipients of the University of Nebraska Regents Medal:

2017 — Richard “Dick” Holland (posthumously)

2013 — Mike Yanney and Dr. Gail Walling Yanney

2011 — Robert B. Daugherty (posthumously)

&nbsp; By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/paulhammel/">Paul Hammel</a><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/03/two-ex-husker-coaches-receive-rarely-given-nu-award/">Nebraska Examiner</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762196583845.jpeg" alt="The NU Regents Medal, described as the most prestigious award granted by the University of Nebraska, was given recently to two former NU coaches.&nbsp;(Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The NU Regents Medal, described as the most prestigious award granted by the University of Nebraska, was given recently to two former NU coaches.&nbsp;(Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN — A rarely granted honor, described as the University of Nebraska’s “highest and most prestigious award,” was recently bestowed on two former NU coaches.The Regents Medal was given posthumously Friday to Bob Devaney, a two-time national champion football coach who helped make wearing red a state obsession, and to Terry Pettit, whose 1995 national championship in volleyball paved the way for Nebraska becoming what many call “the volleyball state.”The medal has been given only eight times in the past 18 years and only once previously to someone involved in athletics — former NU football coach and athletics director Tom Osborne.It is intended, NU President Jeffrey Gold said, for individuals who provided “exceptional benefits” in furthering the goals and mission of the state university system.NU Regent Paul Kenney, who presented the awards at a banquet Friday, said both coaches set standards of excellence that carried forward long after they retired. Both programs have nation-leading sellout streaks due to work by Devaney and Pettit to promote their sports.Mike Devaney, one of Bob Devaney’s two sons, detailed how his father, a native of Saginaw, Michigan, worked in a foundry and was planning a career as a boxer before eventually going to college and taking a job as a teacher. His hiring, he said, was on the condition that he coach the football team.Bob Devaney coached at four Michigan high schools, winning state titles, and on Duffy Daugherty’s staff at Michigan State before becoming head coach at the University of Wyoming.<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IMG_2620-300x200.jpg" alt="Former Nebraska volleyball coach Terry Pettit accepts the Regents Award from NU Regent Paul Kenney and NU President Jeffrey Gold. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska)" />
 <figcaption>Former Nebraska volleyball coach Terry Pettit accepts the Regents Award from NU Regent Paul Kenney and NU President Jeffrey Gold. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska)</figcaption>
 </figure>Prior to taking over at Nebraska, Mike Devaney said his father watched film of the NU team’s 1961 season. His father, he said, couldn’t believe that the team, which had talented players like Bob Brown and Larry Kramer, had won only three games that year.Bob Devaney coached at NU until 1972, winning eight Big Eight titles, playing in nine bowl games and claiming national championships in 1970 and 1971. He later served as NU’s athletic director from 1967 to 1992.Mike Devaney said his father criss-crossed the state to build support for the football team and make “Go Big Red” a state motto. His father, he said, was a masterful speaker and communicator who made everyone in the audience feel like he was talking to them.Pettit, a 79-year-old native of Crown Point, Indiana, got a teaching job at Louisburg College in North Carolina on the condition that he coach the golf, tennis and volleyball teams.In volleyball, he molded a group of players who had never played the sport, winning the state junior college title after losing the first set of the season, 0-15.Pettit famously applied for the head volleyball coaching job at Nebraska in 1977 after the women’s basketball coach at Louisberg, Paul Sanderford (who would later coach at Nebraska), found an advertisement for the Husker opening in a waste basket.<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IMG_2647-300x200.jpg" alt="Mike Devaney, son of the late NU football coach Bob Devaney, accepts the NU Regents Award from Paul Kenney, the chairman of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, and NU President Jeffrey Gold. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska)" />
 <figcaption>Mike Devaney, son of the late NU football coach Bob Devaney, accepts the NU Regents Award from Paul Kenney, the chairman of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, and NU President Jeffrey Gold. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska)</figcaption>
 </figure>Over 22 seasons at Nebraska, Pettit built the Huskers into a national power in a sport then dominated by teams on the West Coast. He frequently recruited players who were great athletes in other sports, training them into great volleyball players.Pettit’s teams won 21 conference titles, qualified for the NCAA tournament 17 times, and played in six final fours, winning it all in 1995 over Texas.Now retired in Fort Collins, Colorado, Pettit is a published author and poet who produces a regular podcast on leadership and volleyball called “Inside the Coaching Mind.”In his comments, Pettit said Lincoln business owners never said no to helping build the volleyball program by buying tickets, sponsoring tournaments, purchasing a new scoreboard and bringing in ranked teams to play the Huskers.<h2>Past recipients of the University of Nebraska Regents Medal:</h2>2023 — Howard and Rhonda Hawks2017 — Richard “Dick” Holland (posthumously)2016 — The Abel Family and Tom Osborne2014 — Walter Scott, Jr.2013 — Mike Yanney and Dr. Gail Walling Yanney2011 — Robert B. Daugherty (posthumously)2009 — Bill and Ruth Scott2007 — Charles W. Durham

Two ex-Husker coaches receive rarely given NU award

By: Con Marshall CSC Sports Information

CHADRON, Neb. -South Dakota Mines&nbsp;jumped out to a 10-7 first quarter lead, but was&nbsp;kept off the scoreboard the rest of the way as&nbsp;the Chadron State Eagles won their seventh&nbsp;consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference&nbsp;game&nbsp;of the season&nbsp;35-10&nbsp;Saturday afternoon in Rapid City. &nbsp;

With the win, Chadron State improved to 7-2 overall and 7-0 in the RMAC. ​It's the first time the Eagles have won seven straight conference&nbsp;contests&nbsp;since 2008 when they&nbsp;went on&nbsp;to win the RMAC crown&nbsp;with a 9-0&nbsp;mark.

​The victory&nbsp;also&nbsp;allowed the&nbsp;Eagles&nbsp;to reclaim the Eagle-Rock Trophy&nbsp;and&nbsp;keeps&nbsp;them at the&nbsp;top&nbsp;of this&nbsp;RMAC standings along with CSU Pueblo, which&nbsp;overcame a 21-0 deficit to&nbsp;slip past previously-unbeaten Western Colorado 24-21 on Saturday.&nbsp;​Western Colorado will be the&nbsp;Eagles' opponent this coming Saturday, November 8&nbsp;at Elliott Field in Chadron.&nbsp;&nbsp;

​After falling behind,&nbsp;the Eagles scored on three&nbsp;quick-strike&nbsp;pass plays in&nbsp;the&nbsp;opening half&nbsp;and added two touchdowns in the&nbsp;fourth quarter, the first on a 30-yard pick six by linebacker&nbsp;Logan O'Brien&nbsp;and the second&nbsp;on a one-yard touchdown by&nbsp;Anthony McMillian&nbsp;that punctuated a&nbsp;long, ground-oriented drive that helped run out the clock.&nbsp;​&nbsp;Quarterback&nbsp;Aidan Thompson&nbsp;completed&nbsp;19 of 31 passes for 244 yards&nbsp;with standout wide receiver&nbsp;Tommy Thomas&nbsp;catching&nbsp;11&nbsp;of the tosses&nbsp;for 136 yards. That&nbsp;gives Thomas 61 receptions for 746 yards and a dozen touchdowns this season.&nbsp;

​Showing lots of spunk,&nbsp;South Dakota Mines opened the scoring&nbsp;by&nbsp;taking the opening kickoff&nbsp;75 yards in 11 plays before settling&nbsp;for a 24-yard field goal&nbsp;by&nbsp;Bryson Patten.

​The Eagles responded in a hurry,&nbsp;going&nbsp;81 yards&nbsp;to the end zone&nbsp;in four plays.&nbsp;The drive was&nbsp;capped by a&nbsp;short toss from quarterback&nbsp;Aidan Thompson&nbsp;to&nbsp;Tommy Thomas,&nbsp;who after&nbsp;making the catch&nbsp;while&nbsp;coming&nbsp;out of the backfield,&nbsp;juked his way past a couple of defenders&nbsp;and turned&nbsp;it&nbsp;into a&nbsp;43-yard touchdown.&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/wilson-yee/10862">Wilson Yee</a>&nbsp;kicked&nbsp;first of his five&nbsp;extra points&nbsp;to put CSC&nbsp;ahead 7-3.

​The Hardrockers&nbsp;fought back&nbsp;after&nbsp;taking possession of the ball&nbsp;at the own&nbsp;43-yard line by stopping the Eagles on a fourth&nbsp;and five situation.

​Passes from quarterback&nbsp;Gage Baker of 14 yards to Josh Morales and&nbsp;21 yards to Blake Borchers were the big plays before Baker went the&nbsp;last&nbsp;two yards to the end zone&nbsp;after the Eagles were penalized for pass interference.&nbsp;The touchdown was scored on the final play of the opening quarter. &nbsp;

​Strangely,&nbsp;the extra point attempt, which was good&nbsp;putting Mines ahead 10-7, was kicked at the opposite end of the field when the second period began.

​Following the kickoff, Thompson and Thomas connected on a 17-yard pass, but&nbsp;the quarterback&nbsp;bobbled the next snap from center&nbsp;for a nine-yard loss,&nbsp;and the Eagles had to punt. &nbsp;

​However,&nbsp;the Hardrockers were called&nbsp;for&nbsp;roughing punter&nbsp;Brodie Eisenbraun,&nbsp;giving CSC&nbsp;the ball again and&nbsp;a first down.&nbsp;On the next play,&nbsp;the Eagles scored on a perfectly-placed pass from Thompson&nbsp;to&nbsp;sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/garet-schlabs/10849">Garet Schlabs</a>&nbsp;at full stride for a 33-yard TD&nbsp;and a 14-10 lead after Yee added the extra point.

​Chadron State also scored&nbsp;again&nbsp;after&nbsp;linebacker&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/reese-jacobs/10815">Reese Jacobs</a>&nbsp;intercepted Baker's pass&nbsp;and returned it five yards to the&nbsp;Hardrockers' 25. &nbsp;On the&nbsp;first play after the turnover, Thompson found senior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/rollin-george-iii/10808">Rollin George III</a>&nbsp;wide open in the end zone and a&nbsp;21-10 halftime&nbsp;margin.

​There was no scoring in the third period, but the Eagles added&nbsp;two TDs in the fourth stanza.&nbsp;

​Senior linebacker&nbsp;Logan O'Brien,&nbsp;already the&nbsp;recipient of the&nbsp;conference's Defensive Player of the Week&nbsp;three times&nbsp;this fall,&nbsp;got the first&nbsp;when he swiped&nbsp;Baker's pass and took it 30 yards to paydirt. It was the second time this season that he's&nbsp;had a pick-six and it's&nbsp;the third of his career. &nbsp;

​Later in the final frame,&nbsp;Chadron State&nbsp;ran about six-and-a-half minutes off the clock&nbsp;while putting together an 11-play, 75-yard drive, nearly all of it on the ground. &nbsp;Anthony McMillian&nbsp;went the final&nbsp;yard after taking a direct snap from center.&nbsp;

​The Eagles finished with 428 total net yards, giving them&nbsp;six consecutive games when they've exceeded 400 yards&nbsp;of offense.&nbsp;&nbsp;After having just 34 yards rushing in the first half, they&nbsp;finished with 39 carries for 169 yards.&nbsp;Datuawn Pearson&nbsp;paced the ground game with&nbsp;15 carries for 74 yards.

​Safety&nbsp;Tucker Peterson&nbsp;among the tackle leaders with six solos and two assisted stops while&nbsp;besides&nbsp;returning three kickoffs for&nbsp;55 yards. Linebacker&nbsp;Cooper Walton&nbsp;also&nbsp;participated in eight tackles&nbsp;and&nbsp;edge rusher&nbsp;William Stemler&nbsp;had seven, including a sack&nbsp;that forced the Hardrockers to punt after they'd earned three first down and driven passed midfield. Chadron State has all big games from here on out, facing Western Colorado (8-1, 6-1 RMAC) next Saturday at home for Senior Day and closing the year against CSU Pueblo (8-1, 7-0 RMAC).&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762133782329.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By: Con Marshall CSC Sports InformationCHADRON, Neb. -South Dakota Mines&nbsp;jumped out to a 10-7 first quarter lead, but was&nbsp;kept off the scoreboard the rest of the way as&nbsp;the Chadron State Eagles won their seventh&nbsp;consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference&nbsp;game&nbsp;of the season&nbsp;35-10&nbsp;Saturday afternoon in Rapid City. &nbsp;With the win, Chadron State improved to 7-2 overall and 7-0 in the RMAC. ​It's the first time the Eagles have won seven straight conference&nbsp;contests&nbsp;since 2008 when they&nbsp;went on&nbsp;to win the RMAC crown&nbsp;with a 9-0&nbsp;mark.​The victory&nbsp;also&nbsp;allowed the&nbsp;Eagles&nbsp;to reclaim the Eagle-Rock Trophy&nbsp;and&nbsp;keeps&nbsp;them at the&nbsp;top&nbsp;of this&nbsp;RMAC standings along with CSU Pueblo, which&nbsp;overcame a 21-0 deficit to&nbsp;slip past previously-unbeaten Western Colorado 24-21 on Saturday.&nbsp;​Western Colorado will be the&nbsp;Eagles' opponent this coming Saturday, November 8&nbsp;at Elliott Field in Chadron.&nbsp;&nbsp;​After falling behind,&nbsp;the Eagles scored on three&nbsp;quick-strike&nbsp;pass plays in&nbsp;the&nbsp;opening half&nbsp;and added two touchdowns in the&nbsp;fourth quarter, the first on a 30-yard pick six by linebacker&nbsp;Logan O'Brien&nbsp;and the second&nbsp;on a one-yard touchdown by&nbsp;Anthony McMillian&nbsp;that punctuated a&nbsp;long, ground-oriented drive that helped run out the clock.&nbsp;​&nbsp;Quarterback&nbsp;Aidan Thompson&nbsp;completed&nbsp;19 of 31 passes for 244 yards&nbsp;with standout wide receiver&nbsp;Tommy Thomas&nbsp;catching&nbsp;11&nbsp;of the tosses&nbsp;for 136 yards. That&nbsp;gives Thomas 61 receptions for 746 yards and a dozen touchdowns this season.&nbsp;​Showing lots of spunk,&nbsp;South Dakota Mines opened the scoring&nbsp;by&nbsp;taking the opening kickoff&nbsp;75 yards in 11 plays before settling&nbsp;for a 24-yard field goal&nbsp;by&nbsp;Bryson Patten.​The Eagles responded in a hurry,&nbsp;going&nbsp;81 yards&nbsp;to the end zone&nbsp;in four plays.&nbsp;The drive was&nbsp;capped by a&nbsp;short toss from quarterback&nbsp;Aidan Thompson&nbsp;to&nbsp;Tommy Thomas,&nbsp;who after&nbsp;making the catch&nbsp;while&nbsp;coming&nbsp;out of the backfield,&nbsp;juked his way past a couple of defenders&nbsp;and turned&nbsp;it&nbsp;into a&nbsp;43-yard touchdown.&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/wilson-yee/10862">Wilson Yee</a>&nbsp;kicked&nbsp;first of his five&nbsp;extra points&nbsp;to put CSC&nbsp;ahead 7-3.​The Hardrockers&nbsp;fought back&nbsp;after&nbsp;taking possession of the ball&nbsp;at the own&nbsp;43-yard line by stopping the Eagles on a fourth&nbsp;and five situation.​Passes from quarterback&nbsp;Gage Baker of 14 yards to Josh Morales and&nbsp;21 yards to Blake Borchers were the big plays before Baker went the&nbsp;last&nbsp;two yards to the end zone&nbsp;after the Eagles were penalized for pass interference.&nbsp;The touchdown was scored on the final play of the opening quarter. &nbsp;​Strangely,&nbsp;the extra point attempt, which was good&nbsp;putting Mines ahead 10-7, was kicked at the opposite end of the field when the second period began.​Following the kickoff, Thompson and Thomas connected on a 17-yard pass, but&nbsp;the quarterback&nbsp;bobbled the next snap from center&nbsp;for a nine-yard loss,&nbsp;and the Eagles had to punt. &nbsp;​However,&nbsp;the Hardrockers were called&nbsp;for&nbsp;roughing punter&nbsp;Brodie Eisenbraun,&nbsp;giving CSC&nbsp;the ball again and&nbsp;a first down.&nbsp;On the next play,&nbsp;the Eagles scored on a perfectly-placed pass from Thompson&nbsp;to&nbsp;sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/garet-schlabs/10849">Garet Schlabs</a>&nbsp;at full stride for a 33-yard TD&nbsp;and a 14-10 lead after Yee added the extra point.​Chadron State also scored&nbsp;again&nbsp;after&nbsp;linebacker&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/reese-jacobs/10815">Reese Jacobs</a>&nbsp;intercepted Baker's pass&nbsp;and returned it five yards to the&nbsp;Hardrockers' 25. &nbsp;On the&nbsp;first play after the turnover, Thompson found senior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/rollin-george-iii/10808">Rollin George III</a>&nbsp;wide open in the end zone and a&nbsp;21-10 halftime&nbsp;margin.​There was no scoring in the third period, but the Eagles added&nbsp;two TDs in the fourth stanza.&nbsp;​Senior linebacker&nbsp;Logan O'Brien,&nbsp;already the&nbsp;recipient of the&nbsp;conference's Defensive Player of the Week&nbsp;three times&nbsp;this fall,&nbsp;got the first&nbsp;when he swiped&nbsp;Baker's pass and took it 30 yards to paydirt. It was the second time this season that he's&nbsp;had a pick-six and it's&nbsp;the third of his career. &nbsp;​Later in the final frame,&nbsp;Chadron State&nbsp;ran about six-and-a-half minutes off the clock&nbsp;while putting together an 11-play, 75-yard drive, nearly all of it on the ground. &nbsp;Anthony McMillian&nbsp;went the final&nbsp;yard after taking a direct snap from center.&nbsp;​The Eagles finished with 428 total net yards, giving them&nbsp;six consecutive games when they've exceeded 400 yards&nbsp;of offense.&nbsp;&nbsp;After having just 34 yards rushing in the first half, they&nbsp;finished with 39 carries for 169 yards.&nbsp;Datuawn Pearson&nbsp;paced the ground game with&nbsp;15 carries for 74 yards.​Safety&nbsp;Tucker Peterson&nbsp;among the tackle leaders with six solos and two assisted stops while&nbsp;besides&nbsp;returning three kickoffs for&nbsp;55 yards. Linebacker&nbsp;Cooper Walton&nbsp;also&nbsp;participated in eight tackles&nbsp;and&nbsp;edge rusher&nbsp;William Stemler&nbsp;had seven, including a sack&nbsp;that forced the Hardrockers to punt after they'd earned three first down and driven passed midfield. Chadron State has all big games from here on out, facing Western Colorado (8-1, 6-1 RMAC) next Saturday at home for Senior Day and closing the year against CSU Pueblo (8-1, 7-0 RMAC).&nbsp;

Chadron State hammers Hardrockers to stay perfect in RMAC, 7-0

🏈 Western Nebraska High School Playoffs Scoreboard

◼ Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 62, Potter-Dix 14

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663982235627.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>🏈 Western Nebraska High School Playoffs Scoreboard◼ Ashland-Greenwood 47, Chadron 13◼ Bridgeport 38, Wausa-Osmond 18◼ Garden County 73, Crawford 18◼ Hemingford 50, Stanton 26◼ Leyton 63, Pawnee City 14◼ Omaha Skutt Catholic 49, Gering 7◼ Sidney 21, Pierce 14◼ Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 62, Potter-Dix 14◼ Wynot 64, Mullen 13◼ York 24, Scottsbluff 21

It's gameday everyone! On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to discuss the opening weekend of action vs Laramie County Community College and Eastern Wyoming Community College.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="The Post Podcast" allowtransparency="true" height="315" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:315px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=6r4r9-72e7e2-pbblog-playlist&share=1&download=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=1b1b1b&size=315" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>It's gameday everyone! On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to discuss the opening weekend of action vs Laramie County Community College and Eastern Wyoming Community College.

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #4 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl

By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information Director

CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State volleyball snapped an eight-game losing streak in rousing fashion with a 25-21, 25-20, 25-15 straight sets win over Black Hills State as part of the RMAC Power Pod on Saturday at the Chicoine Center.

After facing Black Hills State (6-15) on the road in Spearfish twice earlier this year and failing to win, Chadron State (5-16) ensured that welcoming the Yellow Jackets to their home floor would be a different story. The Eagles were simply dominant, hitting a season-best .409 (the fifth-best single-match hitting percentage in an RMAC game this season) and hammering home 52 kills, a season-high for a three-set match. 

Freshman Shelby Harding hit a career-high 12 kills on a .611 hitting percentage and added a team-high 13 digs. Mataya Ward matched Harding with 12 kills on a match-high 30 attempts, hitting .333 on the night. 

Other offensive stars included Gibson Beckler (eight kills, .368), Kally Kirkwood (seven kills) and Chloe Grady (seven). Grady, who tied a season-high with her seven kills, was errorless on 10 attempts for a sparkling .700 hitting percentage, which is CSC’s highest by any player with 10 attempts or more this year. 

Setter Jillian Donovan contributed another double-double with 25 assists and 12 digs while redshirt sophomore Cydnie Eskew competed in all three sets in a collegiate match for the first time in her career, setting a new career high with 15 assists plus four digs. 

The Eagles had 52 kills, 50 assists and 57 digs, plus four aces and five blocks. Black Hills State hit .130 for the match and did not register a block. 

The two teams went back-and-forth early, but Chadron State seemed to grow more and more dominant as the match went on. In the first set, CSC and BHSU had 10 ties between 0-0 and 13-13, but the Eagles went to Harding for back-to-back kills to take a 15-13 lead. 

Soon after, a Bella Adams/Kally Kirkwood block ignited a 4-0 run with kills from Kirkwood and Ward plus a Harding ace to put CSC up 20-15. Chloe Grady recorded back-to-back kills followed by a combo block with Ward to put the Eagles ahead 24-18, and although the Yellow Jackets saved three set points, CSC closed out the set 25-21. 

Black Hills State was determined to even the score, using a 5-0 run to move in front 11-7 in set number two. Chadron State one-upped BHSU’s run after trailing 13-11, winning six points in a row that featured three kills in a row from Harding to take a 14-13 lead followed by Gibson Beckler and Bella Adams kills to help add on. Chadron State won the final three points of the set, highlighted by a Grady/Harding block, to win 25-20.

Mindful of the Yellow Jackets coming back from two sets down in the schools’ first meeting of the year, Chadron State kept its foot on the gas and did not allow any signs of life for Black Hills in the third set. The Eagles fed Mataya Ward, who slammed home kills on four of the first five CSC points of the set. 

Chadron State effectively ended the match with a 6-0 scoring run to jump out to a 10-2 set lead. The Eagles benefitted from three BHSU attack error plus an ace from Ward in that span, and two more BHSU errors gave the Eagles a 13-4 lead later on. From that point on, Chadron State never led in the set by less than eight points and punctuated the sweep with a kill from Kirkwood. 

Chadron State hit .500 as a team in set three, with 16 kills and no attack errors on 32 attempts. By contrast, the Yellow Jackets had six kills and six errors on 27 tries for a .000 third-set percentage. 

The Eagles will try to establish a winning streak with another RMAC Power Pod match this Saturday at 3 p.m. against New Mexico Highlands (9-12). Before that happens, Black Hills State and New Mexico Highlands face one another in a neutral-site match at the Chicoine Center on Friday at 6 p.m.

By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information DirectorCHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State volleyball snapped an eight-game losing streak in rousing fashion with a 25-21, 25-20, 25-15 straight sets win over Black Hills State as part of the RMAC Power Pod on Saturday at the Chicoine Center.After facing Black Hills State (6-15) on the road in Spearfish twice earlier this year and failing to win, Chadron State (5-16) ensured that welcoming the Yellow Jackets to their home floor would be a different story. The Eagles were simply dominant, hitting a season-best .409 (the fifth-best single-match hitting percentage in an RMAC game this season) and hammering home 52 kills, a season-high for a three-set match. Freshman Shelby Harding hit a career-high 12 kills on a .611 hitting percentage and added a team-high 13 digs. Mataya Ward matched Harding with 12 kills on a match-high 30 attempts, hitting .333 on the night. Other offensive stars included Gibson Beckler (eight kills, .368), Kally Kirkwood (seven kills) and Chloe Grady (seven). Grady, who tied a season-high with her seven kills, was errorless on 10 attempts for a sparkling .700 hitting percentage, which is CSC’s highest by any player with 10 attempts or more this year. Setter Jillian Donovan contributed another double-double with 25 assists and 12 digs while redshirt sophomore Cydnie Eskew competed in all three sets in a collegiate match for the first time in her career, setting a new career high with 15 assists plus four digs. The Eagles had 52 kills, 50 assists and 57 digs, plus four aces and five blocks. Black Hills State hit .130 for the match and did not register a block. The two teams went back-and-forth early, but Chadron State seemed to grow more and more dominant as the match went on. In the first set, CSC and BHSU had 10 ties between 0-0 and 13-13, but the Eagles went to Harding for back-to-back kills to take a 15-13 lead. Soon after, a Bella Adams/Kally Kirkwood block ignited a 4-0 run with kills from Kirkwood and Ward plus a Harding ace to put CSC up 20-15. Chloe Grady recorded back-to-back kills followed by a combo block with Ward to put the Eagles ahead 24-18, and although the Yellow Jackets saved three set points, CSC closed out the set 25-21. Black Hills State was determined to even the score, using a 5-0 run to move in front 11-7 in set number two. Chadron State one-upped BHSU’s run after trailing 13-11, winning six points in a row that featured three kills in a row from Harding to take a 14-13 lead followed by Gibson Beckler and Bella Adams kills to help add on. Chadron State won the final three points of the set, highlighted by a Grady/Harding block, to win 25-20.Mindful of the Yellow Jackets coming back from two sets down in the schools’ first meeting of the year, Chadron State kept its foot on the gas and did not allow any signs of life for Black Hills in the third set. The Eagles fed Mataya Ward, who slammed home kills on four of the first five CSC points of the set. Chadron State effectively ended the match with a 6-0 scoring run to jump out to a 10-2 set lead. The Eagles benefitted from three BHSU attack error plus an ace from Ward in that span, and two more BHSU errors gave the Eagles a 13-4 lead later on. From that point on, Chadron State never led in the set by less than eight points and punctuated the sweep with a kill from Kirkwood. Chadron State hit .500 as a team in set three, with 16 kills and no attack errors on 32 attempts. By contrast, the Yellow Jackets had six kills and six errors on 27 tries for a .000 third-set percentage. The Eagles will try to establish a winning streak with another RMAC Power Pod match this Saturday at 3 p.m. against New Mexico Highlands (9-12). Before that happens, Black Hills State and New Mexico Highlands face one another in a neutral-site match at the Chicoine Center on Friday at 6 p.m.

🏐 CSC blasts by Black Hills State in sweep

On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jeff Thurman, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Women's Basketball team, and discussed the team's journey this preseason and where the most growth has been shown. Plus, getting you prepared for the first regular season games of 2025, beginning on Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="🎙️ Knight's Weekly #3 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Women's Basketball Coach Jeff Thurman" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=ird6q-19aa04a-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=1b1b1b" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jeff Thurman, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Women's Basketball team, and discussed the team's journey this preseason and where the most growth has been shown. Plus, getting you prepared for the first regular season games of 2025, beginning on Friday.

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #3 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Women's Basketball Coach Jeff Thurman

Ansley-Litchfield def. Brady 25-12, 25-17, 25-21 (3-0)

Dundy County Stratton def. Hitchcock County 25-23, 30-28, 25-18 (3-0)

Elkhorn South def. North Platte 25-22, 25-11, 25-16 (3-0)

Garden County def. Potter-Dix 25-18, 25-14, 25-5 (3-0)

Hershey def. Doniphan-Trumbull 25-12, 25-23, 16-25, 25-16 (3-1)

Ogallala def. Gothenburg 25-13, 25-23, 25-18 (3-0)

Perkins County def. Mitchell 25-21, 25-13, 22-25, 25-23 (3-1)

Southwest def. Maywood-Hayes Center 25-21, 25-22, 25-19 (3-0)

Ansley-Litchfield def. Brady 25-12, 25-17, 25-21 (3-0)Dundy County Stratton def. Hitchcock County 25-23, 30-28, 25-18 (3-0)Elkhorn South def. North Platte 25-22, 25-11, 25-16 (3-0)Garden County def. Potter-Dix 25-18, 25-14, 25-5 (3-0)Hershey def. Doniphan-Trumbull 25-12, 25-23, 16-25, 25-16 (3-1)Ogallala def. Gothenburg 25-13, 25-23, 25-18 (3-0)Perkins County def. Mitchell 25-21, 25-13, 22-25, 25-23 (3-1)Southwest def. Maywood-Hayes Center 25-21, 25-22, 25-19 (3-0)

Area NSAA Volleyball Sub-Districts and District results from 10-28

Coming off the bye week Coach Long talks about how the team spent its time without a game, what it will be like to face two former Chadron High School stars, gambling in college sports, NIL, transfer portal, D2 advantages and much more!

<div><iframe title="Jay Long Show - 10/28/25" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=qempz-19a83f9-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=c73a3a" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Coming off the bye week Coach Long talks about how the team spent its time without a game, what it will be like to face two former Chadron High School stars, gambling in college sports, NIL, transfer portal, D2 advantages and much more!<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661545665356.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
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🔊 PODCAST: Jay Long Show - 10/28/25

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Savannah Bananas are known for selling out ballparks across the country — and Nebraska fans are making sure the Cornhusker State isn’t left out of the fun.

In October 2025, the team announced its 2026 “Banana Ball World Tour” schedule, with Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium earning a spot among the 20 most in-demand venues out of 71 cities nationwide. According to team owner and Banana Ball founder Jesse Cole, more than 4 million fans have already joined the lottery list for tickets.

Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium ranked #12 overall, a standout position considering the lineup includes some of the most iconic venues in sports. The top 20 features 11 Major League Baseball stadiums and eight football stadiums, showing just how broad the Bananas’ appeal has become.

Top 20 Most Popular Stops for the 2026 Banana Ball Tour

Landing at #12 puts Memorial Stadium in impressive company. Most of the venues ahead of Lincoln are home to professional baseball or football franchises, meaning Nebraska fans have shown the same level of enthusiasm as some of the largest markets in the country.

For a stadium that already holds the NCAA record for most consecutive football sellouts, Nebraskans’ passion for the Bananas proves that when it comes to live sports, the Cornhusker State shows up.

Cole, who’s become famous for blending baseball with entertainment, said the demand has been “unlike anything the sport has seen,” noting that the team has sold out every game since 2020. The 2026 tour expands to 71 cities, stretching coast to coast, with several new stadiums added due to overwhelming fan interest.

If you haven’t seen a Bananas game yet, imagine baseball crossed with a circus act, improv comedy, and a pep rally — all at once. “Banana Ball” features no bunting, bat flips encouraged, and even dancing players. The rules are faster, the show louder, and the crowds bigger every year.

That mix of fun and competition seems to resonate with Nebraskans. When Memorial Stadium transforms from a football landmark into a baseball stage next year, it’ll join a small club of venues capable of drawing tens of thousands of fans for the one-of-a-kind event.

By Allison Peck<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761665303936.jpeg" alt="Banana Ball City Selection Show October 10, 2025 where Nebraska was announced as a destination for the 2026 Tour. (Courtesy Jesse Cole/Facebook)" />
 <figcaption>Banana Ball City Selection Show October 10, 2025 where Nebraska was announced as a destination for the 2026 Tour. (Courtesy Jesse Cole/Facebook)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. — The Savannah Bananas are known for selling out ballparks across the country — and Nebraska fans are making sure the Cornhusker State isn’t left out of the fun.In October 2025, the team announced its 2026 “Banana Ball World Tour” schedule, with Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium earning a spot among the 20 most in-demand venues out of 71 cities nationwide. According to team owner and Banana Ball founder Jesse Cole, more than 4 million fans have already joined the lottery list for tickets.Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium ranked #12 overall, a standout position considering the lineup includes some of the most iconic venues in sports. The top 20 features 11 Major League Baseball stadiums and eight football stadiums, showing just how broad the Bananas’ appeal has become.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjesse.cole.129%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0DLKuX4BG178EKfqc1RXo3aJHFYWGyqhmhSap5njeUvt6XvZVkQBmtYCjamPWuD8Xl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="652" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><h2>Top 20 Most Popular Stops for the 2026 Banana Ball Tour</h2><ol>
 <li>Chicago, Illinois – Wrigley Field – 172,169 ticket submissions
</li><li>Detroit, Michigan – Comerica Park – 171,551
</li><li>Minneapolis, Minnesota – Target Field – 127,356
</li><li>Knoxville, Tennessee – Neyland Stadium – 125,031
</li><li>Cincinnati, Ohio – Great American Ball Park – 124,844
</li><li>Denver, Colorado – Coors Field – 117,379
</li><li>Atlanta, Georgia – Truist Park – 116,904
</li><li>Milwaukee, Wisconsin – American Family Field – 114,707
</li><li>Foxborough, Massachusetts – Gillette Stadium – 107,492
</li><li>St. Louis, Missouri – Busch Stadium – 104,576
</li><li>College Station, Texas – Kyle Field – 102,559
</li><li>Lincoln, Nebraska – Memorial Stadium
</li><li>Eugene, Oregon – Autzen Stadium
</li><li>New Orleans, Louisiana – Caesars Superdome
</li><li>Arlington, Texas – Globe Life Field
</li><li>Iowa City, Iowa – Kinnick Stadium
</li><li>Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Kenan Stadium
</li><li>Anaheim, California – Angel Stadium
</li><li>Orlando, Florida – ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
</li><li>New York City, New York – Yankee Stadium
</li>
 </ol><h2>A Big Stage for the Big Red State</h2>Landing at #12 puts Memorial Stadium in impressive company. Most of the venues ahead of Lincoln are home to professional baseball or football franchises, meaning Nebraska fans have shown the same level of enthusiasm as some of the largest markets in the country.For a stadium that already holds the NCAA record for most consecutive football sellouts, Nebraskans’ passion for the Bananas proves that when it comes to live sports, the Cornhusker State shows up.Cole, who’s become famous for blending baseball with entertainment, said the demand has been “unlike anything the sport has seen,” noting that the team has sold out every game since 2020. The 2026 tour expands to 71 cities, stretching coast to coast, with several new stadiums added due to overwhelming fan interest.<h2>The Banana Ball Craze</h2>If you haven’t seen a Bananas game yet, imagine baseball crossed with a circus act, improv comedy, and a pep rally — all at once. “Banana Ball” features no bunting, bat flips encouraged, and even dancing players. The rules are faster, the show louder, and the crowds bigger every year.That mix of fun and competition seems to resonate with Nebraskans. When Memorial Stadium transforms from a football landmark into a baseball stage next year, it’ll join a small club of venues capable of drawing tens of thousands of fans for the one-of-a-kind event.

Nebraska Goes “Bananas”: Memorial Stadium Among Top 20 Most In-Demand Stops on 2026 Banana Ball Tour

Story by NU Athletic Communication

*-Braden Frager finished with 21 points, including six 3-pointers. NU has had three players hit at least five 3-pointers in the two exhibition games (Mast-7 and Essegian-5 vs. BYU).

*-Nebraska hit 15 3-pointers which would have eclipsed last season’s high.

*-Kendall Blue had a team-high five assists and no turnovers in 14 minutes off the bench

*-13 of the 15 players who played broke into the scoring column, as no Husker played more than 18:14

*-Nebraska averaged 90.5 ppg during its two exhibition wins

*-Nebraska improves to 20-0 all-time in exhibition games against in-state foes

On using the next week to figure out rotation spots.

“The one thing about this team is that it could be somebody different every night. And you know, Reink I think went for eight points in his 13 minutes, but you know, Ugnius (Jarusevicius) had a day in practice last week where he looked like Reink in the BYU game, where he hit 7 threes. So you know it could be anybody’s night, and our guys have to be okay with that. You might not play as much on certain nights, you know, we have talked about that, and I think this team is very selfless and very unselfish. If we continue with that throughout this season, we have a chance.

“Well, I think Jamarques (Lawrence) has been great with it. I thought Kendall (Blue) I said gave us good minutes, Sam and Cale both can initiate for us, and then you got Reink and Berke brought the ball down the floor quite a bit tonight as well. So again, I know I talked earlier about the point guard by committee, and we got a lot of guys that can initiate for us.”

“Well, I think he was the one guy that you know, played well against BYU, and he was the one guy that didn't score. So you know it was good to see, like this is what Braden can do. He can really get it going. He’s very streaky when he gets hot like that, and you saw it. It’s almost like there is nobody else on the floor, and you know sometimes that’s a great thing and sometimes it’s not. But you know, he really took the lid off the basket. Pryce obviously had it going as well between the two of them; they’re making 10 threes. Last week, it was Rienk and Connor that made 12 threes combined. That's the beauty of Braden Freger; he’s athletic. You know, I would love to see him go in there with two hands on the one he got going to the rim there in the

2nd half, but overall, this is a very important game for Braden, you know, to see that thing go in the hoop, and hopefully be a confidence builder for him heading into the open.

On what he can take from this game, giving them confidence going into the season

“I can go back and look at the film, but for the first 14 or 15 minutes, we did some good things. We were within striking distance. We made a few shots. We made a few plays. We followed our script. We followed our scout. Just like anything, we wanted to get off to a good start, and we did. That gave us confidence right away. Their Big Ten bodies and athleticism just wear on you.”

Fred (Hoiberg) and their staff do a great job of their offensive actions. They are a tough guard, whether we switch ball screens or hedge. It has been an emphasis for us because we have to be better defensively in the half-court. And tonight, it's tough, because their bodies are different. We aren't going to see that type of athleticism and bodies night in and night out in our league. But it's a great experience for us.

On returning 3 of 4 top scorers from last year and being projected to finish 5th in their league

“It's not where you start, it's where you finish. We feel like we have taken a step. We have had some heated practices over this fall and summer. We have some good depth now. Going into my fourth year I feel like we have that athleticism, which didn’t show tonight because their athleticism is a bit different then ours. But we do have good athleticism, and I like our depth. I like the direction that we are headed. Quick turnaround for us, on Wednesday and our home opener on Friday. Just trying to stack days. We can teach film here tonight and be better. And just constantly working on the process to be better.”

Story by NU Athletic Communication*-Braden Frager finished with 21 points, including six 3-pointers. NU has had three players hit at least five 3-pointers in the two exhibition games (Mast-7 and Essegian-5 vs. BYU).*-Nebraska hit 15 3-pointers which would have eclipsed last season’s high.*-Kendall Blue had a team-high five assists and no turnovers in 14 minutes off the bench*-13 of the 15 players who played broke into the scoring column, as no Husker played more than 18:14*-Nebraska averaged 90.5 ppg during its two exhibition wins*-Nebraska improves to 20-0 all-time in exhibition games against in-state foesNebraska Head Coach Fred HoibergOn using the next week to figure out rotation spots.“The one thing about this team is that it could be somebody different every night. And you know, Reink I think went for eight points in his 13 minutes, but you know, Ugnius (Jarusevicius) had a day in practice last week where he looked like Reink in the BYU game, where he hit 7 threes. So you know it could be anybody’s night, and our guys have to be okay with that. You might not play as much on certain nights, you know, we have talked about that, and I think this team is very selfless and very unselfish. If we continue with that throughout this season, we have a chance.On narrowing down the guard spot“Well, I think Jamarques (Lawrence) has been great with it. I thought Kendall (Blue) I said gave us good minutes, Sam and Cale both can initiate for us, and then you got Reink and Berke brought the ball down the floor quite a bit tonight as well. So again, I know I talked earlier about the point guard by committee, and we got a lot of guys that can initiate for us.”On Braden Frager“Well, I think he was the one guy that you know, played well against BYU, and he was the one guy that didn't score. So you know it was good to see, like this is what Braden can do. He can really get it going. He’s very streaky when he gets hot like that, and you saw it. It’s almost like there is nobody else on the floor, and you know sometimes that’s a great thing and sometimes it’s not. But you know, he really took the lid off the basket. Pryce obviously had it going as well between the two of them; they’re making 10 threes. Last week, it was Rienk and Connor that made 12 threes combined. That's the beauty of Braden Freger; he’s athletic. You know, I would love to see him go in there with two hands on the one he got going to the rim there in the2nd half, but overall, this is a very important game for Braden, you know, to see that thing go in the hoop, and hopefully be a confidence builder for him heading into the open.Midland Head coach Tyler ErwinOn what he can take from this game, giving them confidence going into the season“I can go back and look at the film, but for the first 14 or 15 minutes, we did some good things. We were within striking distance. We made a few shots. We made a few plays. We followed our script. We followed our scout. Just like anything, we wanted to get off to a good start, and we did. That gave us confidence right away. Their Big Ten bodies and athleticism just wear on you.”On defensive intensity in the first halfFred (Hoiberg) and their staff do a great job of their offensive actions. They are a tough guard, whether we switch ball screens or hedge. It has been an emphasis for us because we have to be better defensively in the half-court. And tonight, it's tough, because their bodies are different. We aren't going to see that type of athleticism and bodies night in and night out in our league. But it's a great experience for us.On returning 3 of 4 top scorers from last year and being projected to finish 5th in their league“It's not where you start, it's where you finish. We feel like we have taken a step. We have had some heated practices over this fall and summer. We have some good depth now. Going into my fourth year I feel like we have that athleticism, which didn’t show tonight because their athleticism is a bit different then ours. But we do have good athleticism, and I like our depth. I like the direction that we are headed. Quick turnaround for us, on Wednesday and our home opener on Friday. Just trying to stack days. We can teach film here tonight and be better. And just constantly working on the process to be better.”