Northwest's Asche honored by NCA all-star invite

Brittany Asche will wind up her high school volleyball career in style.

Asche will play in the Nebraska Coaches Association all-star match beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Lincoln North Star High School.

Asche said she was thrilled to be picked for the annual event.

"It's something you always hope for," Asche said. "I remember watching the all-star games. You look up to those girls. I don't know if I expected it or not, but it's such an honor."

Asche, at about 5-foot-7, will be the shortest player on the Blue team. She's joined on the squad by Grand Island Senior High setter Brigette Root and libero Alex Miller.

Grand  Island's Bill Root will coach the Blue team.

Grand Island Central Catholic's Tali Fredrickson, Ord's Kelli Peterson and Ansley's Skylar Rohde will play for the Red team.

"I'm excited, but I'm really nervous because there will be tough competition," Asche said. "All the best will be there. I don't want to mess up."

Asche, who reported for the game on Sunday, wasn't sure what position she would play.

Asche was the third-leading attacker for the Class B state runner-up Vikings last year with 214 kills. She was also second on the team in digs with 464, had 28 ace serves and 343 serve receptions.

Northwest coach Diane Rouzee said Asche was a valuable player for the Vikings.

"I think she's on the (all-star) team because she's a great passer, a great hitter and has a great work ethic," Rouzee said. "She's done a lot for our team the last few years."

Asche played some varsity as a sophomore, then came on strong for her junior and senior seasons.

"Her personality is great as far as her desire and competitiveness," Rouzee said. "She got stronger and more consistent as she got older. She had a lot of shots as a senior that she didn't have as a sophomore or junior. She wanted to do whatever she could do to get the ball to go down.

"She had a good serve and she's an excellent passer, an excellent server and digger. She did a great job for us there."

The Vikings went 32-4 last year and defeated eventual Class B state champion Lincoln Pius X twice during the regular season before falling to the Thunderbolts in the state championship match.

"That's still the upsetting thing about it, even right now," Asche said of the loss in the finals. "But hey, at least we made it there."

Asche will attend the University of Nebraska-Omaha this fall. She is considering a medical field such as pharmacy, but isn't quite sure yet what she will do.

She definitely will miss volleyball, if she's not playing.

"Yeah, I'll miss it a lot," Asche said. "Hopefully maybe I'll play some intermurals. There might be a possibility of walking on. It's not out of the question."


NCA All-Star Volleyball
Blue Team
Ann Ahrens, Minden; Terra Andreasen, Bellevue East; Brittany Asche, Grand Island Northwest; Jena Isaacson, Holdrege; Carly Jenson, Millard North; Alex Miller, Grand Island; Kelsey Petersen, Kearney; Brigette Root, Grand Island; Shelby Schultz, Cambridge; Chelsea Snyder, Omaha Skutt; Anna Wagner, Lincoln East; Jessica Way, Lincoln Southwest; Katelyn Wheeler, Falls City Sacred Heart.
Head coach -- Bill Root, Grand Island.
Assistant coach -- Linda Johnson, Meridian.

Red Team
Erica Beacom, Elkhorn; Megan Bober, Elmwood-Murdock; Cara Carson, Omaha Gross; Leigh Connot, Lincoln Pius X; Paige Dollison, Omaha Marian; Tali Fredrickson, Grand Island Central Catholic; Jennie Hutt, Papillion-LaVista; Elaina Knowles, Omaha Marian; Michelle Kuester, Norfolk Catholic; Mollie Lacy, Lincoln Pius X; Kelli Peterson, Ord; Skylar Rohde, Ansley; Erica Waggoner, Alma.
Head coach -- Mike Smith, Alma.
Assistant coach -- JJ Toczek, Papillion-LaVista.