School: Lincoln Pius X High School
Student: Abbey Hugo
Nebraska Prep Volleyball creator, Berk Brown is getting ready for Nebraska’s upcoming club volleyball sea-son.
After just finishing the high school volleyball season Brown has created an All-State with three teams and honorable mentions with schools of all sizes from all over the State.
“High school and club are a lot different in that during club there’s a tournament only every couple weeks and high school is a much shorter sea-son,” Brown said.
Brown originally cre-ated his website Nebraska Prep Volleyball in August of 2013 because his two daughters play, but also in hopes that Nebraska volleyball and Nebraska volley-ball players would get the expo-sure they deserve.
“I guess that’s my mis-sion,” Brown said, “Nebraska has a lot of great volleyball players and they aren’t getting the recognition they deserve because a lot of times they’re overshadowed by football.”
Brown, who started journalism his senior year of
high school and graduated from Midland University with a degree in journalism, has also made a Facebook page, and Twitter and Instagram accounts for Nebraska Prep.
Those interested in reading and catching up in everything high school volley-ball related can purchase a year-ly subscription for $29.99 or a monthly subscription for $2.99.
“What makes us dif-ferent is we do video highlights and podcasts,” Brown said, “We also feature and promote players with interviews so people get to know them, I don’t think people see many websites like that.”
Neb. Preps is always trying to find new ways to pro-mote women athletes and vol-leyball so there are few things they’ve added to the website.
“We are working towards streaming video of live matches,” Brown said, “I’d also like to plan a showcase tour-nament with Nebraska teams versus some of the best in the nation.”
With Brown’s full time job being Nebraska Prep Volleyball, along with recruit-ing help for volleyball athletes, he spends most of his time at high schools or club volleyball matches.
In order to record accurate rankings, Brown talks to as many coaches as he can across Nebraska. His rankings are based on what he’s seen during games, player’s versatil-ity and what he’s learned from the coaches he’s talked to.
“I really try and focus on teams from all across Nebraska, not just the Lincoln and Omaha teams,” Brown said.
Brown’s favorite part about his job is get-ting to know the players who he believes are the best student ath-letes and kids in Nebraska.
“It’s the hard work and determination that the girls learn through volleyball and the growth in their volleyball skills that make them better peo-ple,” Brown said, “That’s why I love my job.”
Brown believes vol-leyball should get the same publicity as all other sports, like football and basketball. He also believes volleyball should get the same amount of coverage as boys sports.
“Unfortunately vol-leyball doesn’t quite get the respect it deserves,” Brown said, “Girls sports and athletics have improved so much over the last few and according to the cover-age, girls still fall short.”
Behold the benchwarmer.Some were born to be ballers, all-
stars of the elite athletic class. They get all the glory and fan appreciation. And then there are those who just get…the bench.
These kids work their tails off to watch their teammates do the competing. For some, this job is loathed and detested, and the only thing the bencher wants to do is get off that bench.
But for others, the bench is not a seat of shame. In fact, they learn how to make the best of the realization that fame and glory are not in their grasp.
These kids are the ones who hold the team together. Their positivity, humor, and carefree attitude pull the team through the tough times when everyone would rather hang their heads.
There are plenty of perks to sit-ting on the bench. The XChange inter-viewed multiple athletes who are familiar with this status, but kept their names
anonymous in order to protect their identi-ties.
“We get to wear long sleeves!” one former football benchwarmer said.
The starters aren’t allowed to wear long sleeves because they might fumble the ball. Thus, the benchwarmers have successfully avoided all opportunity to catch pneumonia.
“The squishy chairs are the best part of sitting bench,” one volleyball bencher said. “If they are hard metal chairs it’s a bad day.”
Some benchers really see the humor in their situation.
“We inspire the starters…and give them comic relief,” one football player said.
It is said that the slow runners make the fast ones look better. This is very true for many of the benchwarmers. If it weren’t for them, the starters would just be seen as average, and that’s prob-ably not a perspective they are used to.
“I think that the benchwarmers are honestly the backbone of the team,”
another football benchwarmer said. “Otherwise there’d be no one to laugh at.” Benchwarmers have a special job on the team, too. If they don’t do it right, chances are the whole game is lost.
“Water bottles have to be spread out along the bench and not clumped at the end, or else everyone gets mad at you,” another volleyball player said.
The volleyball benchers must also make sure that the sweat towels are always in reach of the starters when they see their own rare bench time.
They also have their own cheer-ing rituals for each type of point scored. If the other team’s mistake was the cause for a point, one only rises half way off the bench.
When Pi-Hi scores their own momentous point, however, the bench rises all the way and hands go flying in the air.
When the team scores an espe-cially magnificent point, there’s an invis-ible line on the floor that all the benchers subconsciously know to jump towards.
Insanely loud cheering is also a require-ment for this type of point.
Sadly, there are also disadvan-tages to a being a benchwarmer.
The non-starters on the foot-ball team aren’t allowed to drink from the green Gatorade water bottles during games.
“Yeah, if we want water, we have to lick the dew drops off the grass. Or the starters’ cleats,” one benchwarmer joked.
At the football pre-game meals, the starters always eat first, leaving the non-starters to fend for themselves with the leftovers.
“Actually, we’re not even allowed to eat. Ever,” one benchwarmer said. “One time I tried to sneak a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my closet and Brock Wordekemper came in and slapped it out of my hand.”
That was a joke. So here’s to the kids who love their sport enough to bleed and sweat and cry for the sake of the starters. No one knows sacrifice like the benchwarmers do.
6 December 12, 2014SportsHumor from the bench: benchwarmers tell all
Alli DavisStaff Writer
Kaitlin VanLoonEditor-In-Chief
Nebraska Prep Volleyball exposes high school stars
GRAPHIC BY KAITLIN VANLOON
Last year the Pius girls won the Nebraska School Activities Association U.S. Cellular Cup. This award is given to all the girls participating in sports or other organizations for the 2013-2014 school year.
This award will be received at halftime of the Class B state football championship on November 25 at Memorial Stadium. Tim Aylward, the athletic director of Pius, and a student athlete will receive the award on behalf of the teams. Each year the NSAA gives this award to the school who accu-mulated the most points. The points are based on how the team does at state. The top eight places in state receive points ranging from fifty for first to fifteen for eighth.
The girls scored 312.5 points in total last year which was the highest in the Class B division.
The organizations included are basketball, softball, volleyball, tennis, play production, music, speech and journalism among oth-ers. All of these teams contributed to the points earned and helped win
the championship for the girls. Over the years, the NSAA has presented
this award to the Pius girls four times. They won this award in 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2014. All of these were in Class B except 2013, which was in Class A. In 2013, the boys and girls also won the combined championship. “I think we won because we all work real-ly hard and we have great coaches who motivate us and push us hard,” sophomore tri-sport athlete Ellie Jilek said.
SportsNovember 14, 2014 7
PHO
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IN D
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Erin DolphStaff Writer
Kaitlin VanLoonEdito-In-Chief
Pius X rewarded by NSAA for excellence in activities
NSAA U.S. Cellular Cup trophies from 2007, 2009 and 2013.
The girls basketball team begins there season on November 17 this fall. There are a few returning starters from last season’s breakout year and team, but there is usually one person who comes out of nowhere to have their name known. Senior Alex Hewitt is gearing up for the season to try to get on the varsity team and help them win a title this year. “I am going to try to push my teammates and work hard this season,” Hewitt said. There are a few people who have a different perspective as to what her commitment to the sport is. “She leads the team by example and she encourages her teammates,” Assistant coach Stephanie Novotny said. Hewitt also has a lot of strengths on the team and what really propels her forward throughout the season. “[She is] always there
for the teammates and is very encouraging to other members of the team,” teammate Maddie Simon said. Others think it is just another sport, but to Hewitt it is one of the most important things in her life. “I have played the sport since the third grade. I am part of the team and I encourage my teammates to make the right choices on and off the court,” Hewitt said. Hewitt may be just another player on the basketball court, but there is something special about her that defines the character and integrity she has. “[Alex has the] ability to be a leader and she contributes the ball very well on the court,” Simon said. This season the girls basketball team is looking for a title for the school, but in order to do that they will have to look beyond the starters and discover another basketball player on the roster that could be a difference-maker on the team.
College of it pays to visit.
Pius X Students:Visit Doane during your senior year of high school and receive a $1,000 grant renewable for four years.
doane.edu/visit
Alex Hewitt preps for basketball season
Axel MalmstromStaff Writer
Hard work throughout fall season yields successful results
Almost all fall sports, except volleyball, have come to a close. Boys and Girls cross country finished very well at both Districts and State. Girls, who ended up as runner-up at Districts, pulled out a State cham-pionship. “We worked really hard the week after Districts and got in the mindset that we wanted to win State,” junior cross country runner Ellie Beierman said. “I’m proud of my teammates, everyone stepped up and all the juniors stepped up when we took on the leadership role.”
The boys won the District tournament and also fin-ished well at State with a runners-up trophy. “During our workouts our main goal was to stay together and beat Scottsbluff,” senior cross country runner Clay Simpson said. “We lost to them by only seven points and last time we lost to them by 28, so this was a huge accomplishment.”
According to junior Jared Yost the boys cross country team took to heart something Coach O’Boyle told them countless times over the season: it’s a team effort. “Taking what Coach O’Boyle has told us, next year I think we should focus on running as a pack,” Yost said. Although girl’s golf didn’t finish how they had hoped, after the first day of the State tourna-ment both junior Audrey Kuehn and Senior Chelsea Wilkinson were in the top 15. “It was a little difficult to prepare for State because our coach wasn’t able to be with us, but we knew we had to focus on having positive attitudes and doing our best,” Kuehn said. Golf finished eight out of twelve teams at the State tourna-ment, with Wilkinson finishing 28th and Kuehn 27th out of 80 golf-ers. Girls softball had an amazing first day at Districts beating Auburn and number one ranked Beatrice. "We went to the UNL challenge course to bond as a team and get ready for Distrcits," senior
softball player Becky Brokaw said. On the second day they lost to Norris and then Beatrcie in with an extra innings by one point. "We learned this year to always have eachother's back and that applies in life too," senior softball player Jess Ramaekers said. Volleyball finished with a runners-up title at Districts after beating Beatrice in three sets and losing to Norris in four. Entering Sub-state at ninth they beat eighth Gross Catholic in three sets in order to enter the State tournament. After a hard fought playoff game versus Gretna, Pius football lost 34-49. The boys of fall have finished another football sea-son and this year they met their goal. “Coach Aldrich kept saying ten or more throughout the whole season,” senior football player Thomas Hoefner said. “We wanted to make it to playoffs and we did that.” Boys tennis completed the State tournament as runners-up. Number one singles finished
at third place and number two singles, as well as, number one and two doubles finished second in their divisions. “We had a great overall season,” senior tennis player Adam Olson said. “We had to prepare ourselves mentally and with prac-
ticing a lot I think that's what made us successful.” Pius fall sports are improving each year. The coach-ing style of the Pius coaches and leadership of the student-athletes are what is making state runners-up and championships happen.
SportsOctober 17, 2014 7
Freshman boys draw their bows and aim at the target.
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ITH
This year archery has been added to the curriculum of the Freshman physical education class.
Freshman PE provides an opportunity for students to stay active while trying new activities.
If not for this class, most students would otherwise never get a chance to try archery. Some of the Catholic grade schools didn’t have the means to offer archery to their students.
“I enjoy archery because it’s different than other sports. My favorite part is when you release and get to see it go fly-ing,” Molly Boatman, a freshman who is doing archery for the first time, said.
Archery has been a gen-erally positive experience for the freshmen and it’s a nice break from the orthodox activities they had been doing. A majority of freshmen were in agreement that it’s the best sport they have done in the freshman physical educa-tion class thus far.
Each class generally consists of about thirty people so they have to have an efficient way to give everyone a chance to shoot. To accomplish this they split into teams of five and rotate the groups through.
Obviously archery could be potentially dangerous due to the sharp objects moving at high speeds. Therefore, safety is another aspect that is taken very seriously.
The gym is secured so that no one can enter while archery is in session. Also the teachers use whistle commands so the students know when it’s safe to get a bow, begin shoot-ing, or retrieve arrows from the target.
Also, the P.E. teachers were required took take a one-day training course to be appro-priately prepared to teach and supervise archery.
Although this year's archery program was a success, the teachers have considered having an older class, such as team sports, do archery next year opposed to the freshmen.
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U771-036477_C9 MyStyle Fall Print AdB/W4.875 x 10Pub: Pius X-ChangeSwanson Russell
MyStyle Checking available to persons age 16 to 25. Requires $50 opening deposit and enrollment in e-Statements. The following applies if option selected: 1$50 cash deposited in your account within 30 days of month-end following your 10th point-of-sale debit card transaction if conducted within 2months of account opening.2$2 ATM Usage Fee at non-UBT ATMs is waived on fi rst 20 transactions per statement cycle; some ATM owners may assess a surcharge of which we have no control and are not able to waive. 3$10 cash deposited to your account within 30 days of month-end following your enrollment in Mobile Banking. Other restrictions apply. Member FDIC.
FREE DESIGNER DEBIT CARD. ATM FEE FREEDOM. $50.
Just one of the many ways you can build your MyStyle account.
Visit ubt.com/mystyle, call 800-297-2837, or stop in to any ubt branch to learn more.
Choose 3 options, then go be you:
• $501
• Free Designer Debit Card
• ATM Fee Freedom2
• $10 Mobile Banking Bonus3
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Freshmen take a shot at archery
Abbey HugoSports Editor
Freshman boys collect their arrows.
