• Lincoln Arneal
• Nov 13, 2024 Updated 21 hrs ago – Husker Illustrated

Keri Leimbach practiced her signature several times. 

 The Lincoln Lutheran senior wanted to make sure it was perfect when she signed the financial aid agreements on Wednesday morning to officially join the Nebraska volleyball program. 

 “I made sure my signature was good,” Leimbach said. “I’m just really excited to be a part of the program. It just shows that hard work pays off, and I’m just really excited and blessed.”

 Leimbach was one of five players to join the second-ranked Huskers. NU also added outside hitter Teraya Sigler, middle blocker Manaia Ogbechie, opposite Ryan Hunter and setter Campbell Flynn. 

 The Huskers’ class was ranked No. 2 by PrepVolleyball, trailing only Texas. Sigler headlines the group as the No. 1 player in the nation as rated by PrepDig and PrepVolleyball. Sigler, Flynn and Ogbechie will play in the Under Armour Next All-America Game in January.

 Leimbach said she’s looking forward to having everyone together in Lincoln soon. The newcomers have gotten to know each other through playing USA Volleyball and attending summer camps. 

“All of us just have a really tight bond, and all of us are really excited to get on campus,” she said. “It hasn’t really set in with any of us yet. Nebraska is the No. 2 team in the world right now. It’s just crazy how we are coming in this January. I know all of us are really excited for this opportunity and it’s just surreal.”

 Signing day capped off a week-long celebration for Leimbach. On Saturday, she helped Lutheran win its fourth straight Class C-2 state championship at her future home, the Devaney Center.

 The 5-foot-4 libero averaged six digs per set during her senior season and recorded 45 aces for the Warriors. Leimbach finished her prep career with 2,063 digs. She was also a three-year captain for Lutheran and a four-time all-state selection.

 Because every title-winning team lost seniors, each championship felt different. Leimbach said each one was special because of the work to earn those gold medals.

 “It was an amazing feeling knowing that all my hard work has paid off,” she said. “With everything I’ve been blessed with growing up around that program, it’s amazing knowing I could come out on top like that.”

 PrepDig ranked Leimbach as the top prospect in Nebraska and 40th nationally. She played club volleyball for Nebraska ONE and will get to see one of her club teammates, Wisconsin signee Natalie Wardlow, next year in the Big Ten. 

NU coach John Cook said in a release that Leimbach will bring energy and elite passing abilities in addition to serving as the Warriors’ captain the past three seasons.

 “Keri is a homegrown Nebraska girl who loves the school and the state. She’s always dreamed of being a Husker,” he said. “She’s calm and consistent on the court but not afraid to speak up and be fiery when it’s needed.”

 Sigler, Hunter, Flynn and Leimbach will all room together when they enroll in January. Ogbechie will get to Lincoln after she graduates in early June.

 “When you come early, you get to build relationships with the coaches and the players and just get used to the campus before going into my first season in August,” Leimbach said. “It was really important for me to be familiar with the area and be confident in myself there.”

 Sigler, a 6-foot-3 outside hitter, averages 5.7 kills per set on a .373 hitting percentage for Horizon High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. As a junior, she won a state championship for Horizon and was named Gatorade Player of the Year. She plays in the state semifinals on Saturday. 

 Sigler won a gold medal at the 2023 U19 World Championships and the 2023 U19 NORCECA PanAm Cup. She also played on the U21 team that captured gold at the 2024 NORCECA Continental Championship. Sigler also won national titles with her club team, Arizona Storm, and earned MVP honors both years. 

 “Teraya has a heavy, heavy arm, but she’s also a very good all-round six-rotation player,” Cook said. “She has amazing leadership skills and is a vocal leader who will be a voice in our gym from Day 1.” 

 Flynn was teammates with Sigler at the U19 World Championships, winning the gold medal. She also represented the United States at the 2023 U21 World Championships. Flynn played club volleyball for Legacy, the same club as NU sophomore Harper Murray and 2026 commit Gabby DiVita. 

 Flynn led Mercy High School in Rochester Hills, Michigan, to a Division 1 state championship last year while being named Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year. The 6-3 left-hander is ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect by PrepDig, while Prepvolleyballl has her No. 7. 

 “Campbell is very active at the net, almost like another attacker out there at times,” Cook said. “Her decision-making and leadership will be a great benefit to our program. We’ve been watching Campbell since she was 12 or 13 years old, and she’s always wanted to be a Husker.”

 Ogbechie is the newest member of the recruiting class, verbally committing to Nebraska in May. This summer, she earned MVP honors at the U19 NORCECA Continental Championship in Honduras.

 The 6-3 middle blocker averages 3.3 kills per set with a .307 hitting percentage and 87 blocks for Oaks Christian High School in Santa Rosa Valley, California, north of Los Angeles. She was the second-rated middle blocker according to VB Adrenaline and the No. 4 prospect in California by PrepDig. Her father, Nkem, played football at Stanford, and her aunt, Kaego, was a hall-of-fame volleyball student-athlete at Harvard. 

“Manaia can touch 10 feet, 6 inches already, and we’re excited to see how she can develop in our strength and conditioning program,” Cook said. “The other impressive thing about Manaia is that school is extremely important to her and her family, and she has very high professional goals.”

Hunter was the Charlotte Observer North Carolina Player of the Year and a first-team all-state selection. She led Cox Mill High School to a Class 4A state runner-up finish, averaging 4.3 kills per set, hitting .317 with 169 digs, 51 blocks, and 49 aces. 

The 6-2 left-hander missed her senior year after suffering a knee injury last spring while playing with Triangle VC. She is ranked No. 30 by PrepDig and No. 39 by PrepVolleyball and was the second-highest rated opposite by VB Adrenaline. 

“Ryan has a bubbly personality, but when the game starts, she’s an intense competitor,” Cook said. “Ryan wants the ball in the big moments and likes to take the big swings.”