Another week. Another start of a newsletter with new Nebraska volleyball coach Dani Busboom-Kelly. Man, did they knock if out of the park in Lincoln yesterday day or what? Nebraska volleyball seems to be in good hands.

As for the hard court? Big conference title wins last week for a slew of girls teams including: Lincoln North Star (Heartland), York (Central), Wahoo (Trailblazer), Lincoln Christian (Centennial), Cross County (Crossroads) and Gothenburg (Southwest) among others.

We have a full updated Power 20 ready for you with some big conference title bouts sets for this weekend as well in the East Husker, Southern Nebraska and Mid-States Conference. But, that’s for next week.

In the meantime, dream big, kids. Dream big.

Nebraska Girls Hoops Power 20

1 - Millard West (18-1): What we called a “sneaky good” game with Bellevue West turned into a 75-32 drubbing. It says more about the Wildcats than it does the Thunderbirds. Last ranking: 1.

2 - Millard North (17-2): Still just two losses. Both to Millard West. Last ranking: 2.

3 – Bellevue East (14-3): Tonight’s matchup with Lincoln Pius X will likely determine where some of the top Class A and Class B teams finish in the rankings heading into the state tournament. Last ranking: 3.

4 - Lincoln Christian (19-0): Rolled through the Centennial Conference tournament, just like we asked. A few more blowouts needed to stay this high. Last ranking: 4.

5 - Omaha Skutt Catholic (19-1): We have flip-flopped more than a politician on the Skyhawks, but Molly Ladwig’s 50 burger against Omaha Central has us changing our mind once more. Sorry. Last ranking: 10.

6 - Omaha Westview (17-2): Westview didn’t necessarily do anything wrong, but Skutt’s impressive win combined with the Bellevue West loss to Millard West (BW are Westview’s only two losses) causes a small drop. Last week: 5.

7 – Millard South (11-7): The loss last week was to Waukee (IA) Northwest so doesn’t penalize them on this side of the river. A looming matchup with Lincoln North Star to end the season is way more important. Last ranking: 7.

8 - Omaha Westside (12-6): The Warriors could ride an 8-game winning streak into the postseason and very few will want to play them. Last ranking: 8.

9 - Lincoln Pius X (17-3): See above for big game alert tonight. Last ranking: 9.

10 – Lincoln North Star (14-4): Won the HAC Tournament and last night got a better than it looks 54-43 win over Bellevue West. Sneaking up the Class A power points as well. Last ranking: 11.

11 - Lincoln Southwest (14-4): Silverhawks need to figure out a way to get two of their last four to get a little momentum into district play. Last ranking: 6.

12 - Gretna East (13-5): The Griffins might be the most athletic team in the state. Which means they could always have a chance. Can they win out to district play and stay here? Last ranking: 13.

13 – Milford (18-1): The Eagles keep winning, but they have to do it impressively. They are checking that box as well. Their length could be a problem for any team on this list. Southern Nebraska final on Saturday against Thayer Central. Last ranking: 15.

14 - Bellevue West (10-7): Lost a pair, first to No. 1 Millard West and then to Lincoln North Star last night. Now, Kearney and Lincoln Southwest coming up next. A chance for two big wins. Last ranking: 14.

15 – Omaha Marian (9-9): The Crusaders have survived a difficult week that saw their coach Tom Tvrdy resign. But, they added a win over Lincoln Southwest to their resume on a schedule that may be the toughest in Class A. Last ranking: 18.

16 - Omaha Central (9-10): Yes, we knew it would be a tough three game stretch for the Eagles, but the previous wins keep them here. Last ranking: 16.

17 - Papillion-LaVista (9-9): Took No. 3 Bellevue East to the wire and the Monarchs are hoping that their 85-48 win over Lincoln Southeast is the beginning of a six-game winning streak to end the regular season. Last ranking: 19.

18 – Kearney (14-2): Yes, the record is gaudy. But, they have beat just two Nebraska teams with a winning record (Lincoln High and Malcolm) and not a single team in this ranking. Big chances against Bellevue West, Millard West and Omaha Westview would change our mind. Last ranking: 12.

19 – Norris (13-5): Here come the Titans for the first time this season. Some weird losses in there, but Norris has some quality wins as well. Also, 13-3 since opening weekend. Of course, the Power 20 jinx sees them playing Skutt, Elkhorn North and Marian in their next three outings. Last ranking: NR.

20 - Bennington (15-4): Hard to know where else to go here, but the Badgers have done enough to earn this last spot. Who’s next? Gothenburg, North Bend Central, Minden, Crofton. Last ranking: NR.

Special Mention (listed alphabetically by class): Lincoln High (11-5), Waverly (13-3), York (16-2), Gothenburg (15-1), Minden (17-2), North Bend Central (15-6), Crofton (17-3), Elkhorn Valley (19-0), Guardian Angels CC (17-2), Oakland-Craig (17-3), Elm Creek (19-1), Pender (20-2).

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Lincoln North Star. The Gators have figured things out again after a mid-season lull. Word from other coaches is they have moved back to a more aggressive 1-3-1 trap (we aren’t insiders, you can see it on film). From one coach, “if they keep playing like that, they will be in the state finals.”

COACHES POLL: You can catch the coaches poll each Monday (boys) and Tuesday (girls) over on nebpreps.com as well.

Winter Preview Season

The NSAA winter championships kick off this weekend with the state wrestling duals in Kearney at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds. The crew will be doing previews and recaps for all of the NSAA championships this winter. And, the first one dropped yesterday.

For wrestling, we have partnered with the awesome team at NEWrestle to provide full coverage of each of the three wrestling championships. You can read the duals preview right here.

State bowling is set for next week at Lincoln’s Sun Valley Lanes. With team brackets set (boys, girls) and 30 individuals qualifying for that competition in each class. Our full preview will be on the NSAA website later today.