State Volleyball 2025

Another edition of the State Volleyball Tournament is in the books. I'll start again by thanking those who helped make this possible: 

• Started off the tournament with bringing our Johnson County Central Media Productions student crew to help broadcast the tournament. Our crew covered four games including two of the Class C2 quarterfinal matches and two of the C2 semifinals. Thanks again to Nathan Ladehoff & Taylor Siebert with StrivTV for the opportunity again to help broadcast state.

• I also photographed some games for the Beatrice Daily Sun. A big shoutout again to Luke Nichols who has been great to work for multiple years, allowing me to help photograph high school sports in southeast Nebraska. 

• On Championship Saturday, I took my usual post covering three games for Callam Sports Photo. Thanks again to Michael Callam for helping work around my schedule to still try to work as many of the championship events as possible. 

Recapping the tournament, you can still see the recordings of our broadcasts of the state tournament on the NFHS Network (search for the NSAA). The games we covered were JCC vs Yutan & Freeman vs Thayer Central in the quarterfinals, and Yutan vs Freeman & Oakland-Craig vs Laurel-Concord-Coleridge in the semifinals. Thank you also to Karen Hunzeker and Scott Straka for helping on the broadcast side!

Games I covered for the Daily Sun include the JCC quarterfinal and the Freeman championship games. Please check out the Beatrice Daily Sun for more coverage & photos. Saturday's championship games (D2, D1, C2) are all available for purchase via Callam Sports Photo. Please visit their website for galleries & ordering.

Here are a few of the photos from the tournament. Thank you again to everyone who helped make this week a memorable one!

JCCÕs Riley Wellensiek prepares to serve during the fifth set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs Molly Weber reaches for the ball during the first set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCC coaches react after a score during the first set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs Ashley Beethe and Riley Wellensiek celebrate a score during the first set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs Molly Weber and Angel Buchanan attempt to block an attack during the second set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs Molly Weber and Riley Wellensiek react to a point during the third set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. The Thunderbirds await the starting lineups prior to the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs Riley Wellensiek reacts to a score during the second set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs student section showcases their signs during the third set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs Ashley Beethe reacts to a point during the third set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs Riley Wellensiek serves during the third set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs Riley Wellensiek sets during the third set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs Ashley Beethe passes the ball as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs Riley Wellensiek sets in front of Molly Weber during the first set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. The Thunderbirds react after a point during the first set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs Ashley Beethe swings during the first set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCC cheerleaders react to a score during the second set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. JCCÕs Ashley Beethe sends an attack over during the fourth set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. The Thunderbirds celebrate a point during the third set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. The Thunderbirds celebrate a score during the fourth set as the Yutan Chieftains defeat the JCC Thunderbirds, 3-2, in the C2 State Quarterfinals on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. FreemanÕs Shiloh Wallman serves during the first set as the Freeman Falcons defeat the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. Freeman celebrates a point during the first set as the Freeman Falcons defeat the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. FreemanÕs Alicia Johansen swings during the first set as the Freeman Falcons defeat the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. FreemanÕs Addison Kastanek reaches for the ball during the first set as the Freeman Falcons defeat the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. Freeman head coach Lexi Holland cheers on the Falcons during the second set as the Freeman Falcons defeat the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. FreemanÕs Alicia Johansen reaches for the ball during the second set as the Freeman Falcons defeat the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. FreemanÕs Reagan Rinne and Brecken Albers Dorn react after a play during the third set as the Freeman Falcons defeat the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. FreemanÕs Aniston Bartunek sets during the third set as the Freeman Falcons defeat the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. FreemanÕs Reagan Rinne celebrates a point during the third set as the Freeman Falcons defeat the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. The Freeman Falcons rush the court after defeating the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. FreemanÕs Alicia Johansen and Reagan Rinne react after the Freeman Falcons defeat the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. FreemanÕs Addison Kastanek and Alicia Johansen reach for the championship trophy as the Freeman Falcons defeat the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb. The Freeman Falcons hold the championship trophy after defeating the LCC Bears in the C2 State Championship on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, in Lincoln, Neb.