Though Omaha Skutt came up just short of a 10th straight Class B volleyball title, the SkyHawks are well represented on the All-Omaha area team.
Three Skutt players -- Addison West, Abbie Hagedorn and Meghan Anderson -- earned first-team honors. The other first-teamers are Gretna's Elle Heckenlively and Lily Zimmerman, Elkhorn North's Reagan Wallraff and Bennington's Hayden Liebsack.
West, Hagedorn, Wallraff and Liebsack are repeat first-team selections. Anderson moves up from last year's second team, while Dragons' player Heckenlively and Zimmerman were ineligible for the All-Omaha area team last season as Gretna competed in the Metro Conference.
West, the honorary captain, led the SkyHawks in kills with 476. She had 83 kills in three state tournament matches, including 35 in a first-round win over Gretna and 31 in the championship match as Norris claimed the title.
Hagedorn smashed 325 kills, including 17 in the final against the Titans. She also led the SkyHawks in aces and was second in digs.
Anderson, the Skutt setter, led Class B in assists with 1,261. She dished out 61 in the five-set loss to Norris in the final.
Omaha Skutt coach Renee Saunders credited the Titans for playing a solid match in the championship while ending the SkyHawks' state-record string of consecutive titles at nine.
"Both teams played hard, and we had nothing to be ashamed about," she said. "I've got nothing but respect for that program and I'm still very proud of all of our players."
Heckenlively, a member of last year's All-Metro Conference first team, had another big season for the Dragons. Despite missing the early part of the season because of injury, she finished with 257 kills -- 23 in the first-round loss to Skutt at state.
Zimmerman was another reason why Gretna reached the state tourney for the 16th time. The junior libero had 506 digs and was second on the team in assists behind setter Maggie Miller.
The youngest member of the first team, Elkhorn North's Wallraff had an outstanding sophomore season after pounding 424 kills as a freshman. She led Class B in kills with 662 and was third in the state behind Superior's Reagan Meyers (839) and Fremont's Mattie Dalton (673).
Liebsack smashed 428 kills to help Bennington get back to state for the third straight year. She also was one of the top servers in Class B with 79 aces.
Selections are based on observations by World-Herald staff writers and nominations by coaches.
First team
*H -- Addison West, Omaha Skutt, 6-1, Jr.
H -- Reagan Wallraff, Elkhorn North, 6-0, So.
H -- Elle Heckenlively, Gretna, 5-10, Sr.
H -- Hayden Liebsack, Bennington, 6-1, Jr.
H -- Abbie Hagedorn, Omaha Skutt, 5-11, Sr.
S -- Meghan Anderson, Omaha Skutt, 5-11, Sr.
L -- Lily Zimmerman, Gretna, 5-6, Jr.
* denotes honorary captain
Second team
H -- Logann Dostal, Gretna, 5-9, Fr.
H -- Koco Janssen, Gretna, 5-9, Fr.
H -- Gretchen Seagren, Wahoo, 6-1, Sr.
H -- Avery White, Omaha Skutt, 5-10, Jr.
S -- Nyah Potthoff, Gretna East, 5-9, Sr.
S -- Hayden Booth, Elkhorn North, 5-8, Jr.
L -- Nicole Ott, Omaha Skutt, 5-6, Sr.
Honorable mention
Arlington: Addilyn Hilgenkamp. Ashland-Greenwood: Marley Glock, Raeghan Bridges, Averi Bridges, Tayva Burkey, Raeghan Craven. Bennington: Evynn Olsen, Kate Sebree, Keatyn Liebsack. Blair: Taylor Mostek. Conestoga: Ava Tegels, Maggie Fiene. Douglas County West: Jamison Badje, Kiya Johnson, Amelia North, Mallory Shaw. Elkhorn: Addie Hunt, Bailey Ferguson, Lauren Fast, Macie Burson. Elkhorn North: Shay Heaney, Payton Palmer, Reagan Gurzick. Elmwood-Murdock: Annie Backemeyer, Zoe Zierott, Brooke Goudie, Charley Hanes, Lucy Backemeyer. Fort Calhoun: Emilee Thayer-Mencke, Sophie Weeks. Gretna: Maggie Miller. Gretna East: Hailey Levinson, Maggie Williams, Maddie Schnell. Louisville: Kelsey Haynes, Teghan Swenson, Finley Meisinger. Mead: Stella Charles, Lauren Miller, Jersey O'Brien. Omaha Brownell Talbot: Quinn Iverson, Avery Nichols, Becky Hoban, Katie Picard. Omaha Christian: Emma Wheelock. Omaha Concordia: Eliza Schmidt, Breckynn Snyder, Alyse Moulton, Natalie Perkinson. Omaha Duchesne: Elizabeth Layson, Kaitlyn Bodnar. Omaha Gross: Sienna Miller, Adara Fowlkes, Mariah Dutcher. Omaha Mercy: Lauren Schmidt, Maggie Lindauer, Stella Cox. Omaha Roncalli: Zelie Floersch, Marth Lampe, Addie Clarke. Omaha Skutt: Kiera Link, Avery White. Platteview: Abree Plueger, Maddy Stukenholtz, Brooklyn Stehlik, Kady Vanosdall, Kaylee Masloskie. Plattsmouth: Riley Pletka, Josey Freel. Ralston: Lexi Norman, Sadah Willey. Wahoo: Audrey Waido, Elena Estudillo, McKenna Smith, Chloe Kasischke. Wahoo Neumann: Brooke Thiele, Jenna Sladky, Kyler Cada, AJ Bosak, Nicole Blum, Graycen Cernik, Cami Kumpula. Weeping Water: Haylee Stackpole, Brinkley McAdams. Yutan: Mylee Tichota, Gabi Tederman, Mckenna Jones.
Photos: 2024 Nebraska high school state volleyball championships