• All-Nebraska teams
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University of Nebraska at Kearney volleyball coach Rick Squiers calls middle blocker Nikki Scott the whole package.
“A hard worker, a great attitude, a great student and a talented player,'' he said. “She's kind of what you hope every recruit can become.''
That's what makes it so fun, he said, to see all the postseason awards pile up for the Broken Bow senior. She was a first team Division II All-American, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference player of the year and the RMAC academic player of the year for a second straight season.
She adds to her haul today by being named honorary captain of The World-Herald Division II All-Nebraska volleyball team.
Rachel Muller of Bellevue University is captain of the NAIA squad and Sabina Piegza of Western Nebraska heads the junior college division after voting by coaches across the state.
Other Division II first-teamers are Tali Fredrickson, Jennifer Hefner and Leigh Connot of Wayne State, Ellen Thommes and Lizzy Mach of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Erica Burson and Cola Svec of UNK.
Squiers said Scott was the heart and soul of the 33-3 Lopers, especially on offense. She led No. 12 UNK in kills (3.18), blocks (0.78) and hitting percentage (.413). Her hitting percentage ranked fourth nationally.
“We knew we could count on her for more than a dozen kills a night and hitting over .400,'' Squiers said. “Even when she didn't get set, she drew a lot of attention so other people could be in an ideal situation. She just played hard every night and every day in practice. She tried to get better every day she was here.''
NAIA
Bellevue's Muller also was an All-American, chosen for the third team after leading the Bruins to the NAIA national tournament and a No. 14 final rating.
The senior outside hitter from Millard North also was chosen as the player of the year in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Coach Trish Siedlik said other coaches knew they had to stop Muller to stop the 29-10 Bruins.
“She is a very competitive player, and it showed on the court when it came to crunch time,'' Siedlik said. “She usually had a big play for us when we needed a point.''
Muller averaged 3.46 kills per set and had a .244 hitting percentage. She's joined on the first team by teammates Maureen Wardian and Jordan Broady. Others are Jessy Livers and Susan Rollman of Doane, Kendra Schwein and Melynne Kessler of Hastings, Laura Brammeier and Ashley Jedlicka of Nebraska Wesleyan and Kali Brayfield of Dana.
Muller was always double-teamed, Siedlik said, so she learned to help her teammates by passing and digging the ball. She also learned to put a lid on her emotions on the court.
She once would get so overwhelmed by the pressure, she would get physically ill.
“By senior year,'' Siedlik said, “she thrived on it.''
Junior colleges
Western Nebraska's Piegza wasn't your typical talkative setter, Cougars coach Giovana Melo said.
But in her quiet way, she made her presence felt, directing her team to a 42-4 record and a third-place finish at the national junior college tournament.
“She knew when a hitter was hot and when they were not,'' Melo said. “She knew the right time to set the right person.''
Piegza was one of two first-team All-Americans on the Cougar roster, along with outside hitter Kaleinani Kabalis. They are among four Cougars named to The World-Herald's first team.
The others are libero Cami Weimer and middle blocker Paulina Piegza.
The two Piegzas, sophomore sisters from Poland, hope to play together again at the Division I level. They have several offers and plan to make some recruiting visits after the Christmas break.
“They make a really good combination,'' Melo said. “It's very weird the way the two of them function. They don't have to say a word to each other. Sabina trusts Paulina a lot so she set her a lot.''
Kabalis also is entertaining several Division I offers.
The Cougars are joined on the first team by Riley Callan and Ashley Wurdeman of Central Community College in Columbus, Erica Brown and Brandi Dye of North Platte Community College and Carly Morehead of Southeast Community College.
Contact the writer:
444-1034, marjie.ducey@owh.com
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