2025 Nebraska Volleyball State Championships: Freeman, Milford, Norris all earn state titles

Congratulations to the three schools from the southeastern part of Nebraska that captured state titles at the 2025 NSAA Volleyball State Championships this weekend in Lincoln: Freeman (C2), Milford (C1) and Norris (B)!

It was a literal banner weekend for our part of the state with three schools claiming titles, one (EMF) finishing third and three others earning spots in the final eight of their respective classifications. A roundup of the three championship matches and final results for all seven of our local teams that competed this week follows below, along with our tournament preview and broadcast schedule for games aired on KWBE and Ol' Red 99.5.

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The 2025 Nebraska Volleyball State Championships begin this week in Lincoln!

Meet the seven Southeast Nebraska schools that qualified for the 2025 installment of the tournament, and check out our complete coverage calendar to find out when you can listen to the games on Ol' Red and KWBE! 

Game results and upcoming schedules, with potential broadcast information, will be updated after every round. Start times are approximate and are subject to change. You can listen to any game on Ol’ Red on 99.5 FM on your radio or online wherever you are; you can listen to any game on KWBE on 1450 AM on your radio or online wherever you are.  

Class B:

Norris:

The Titans have been one of the best volleyball teams not only in their class but in the state here in 2025. They're the #1 seeds in the Class B tournament and have lost only nine sets all year in their 35-1 campaign, and three of those came in their only loss of the year to Elkhorn North on October 14 - and they're the #2 seed in this field. That could be a tantalizing championship match on Saturday night if both teams make it that far. Norris swept Beatrice and Standing Bear in the district tournament last week and will kick off their title defense against #8-seed Gering in the first match of the tournament on Wednesday morning. 

RESULTS:

Quarterfinal: #1 Norris 3, #8 Gering 0 [25-23, 25-10, 25-8]

Semifinal: #1 Norris, 3, #4 Waverly 1 [26-24, 21-25, 25-15, 25-18]

Championship: #1 Norris 3, #2 Elkhorn North 1 [25-22, 25-23, 25-27, 25-12]

Class C1:

Milford:

Another one of the very best teams in their class all season, Milford has dominated just about everyone they've faced this year, with a 77-8 set advantage and a 30-1 record. The Eagles' only loss was a 2-1 decision to reigning state champs Lincoln Lutheran on a neutral site on September 11 - and since then they've won 23 in a row. Milford was challenged on their path to the state tournament though - they needed four sets to beat Malcolm in subdistricts and then rallied from two sets down to defeat Kearney Catholic in their district final. But the Eagles are here as the #2-seed in C1, and they'll face #7-seed Adams Central to start off the tournament on Wednesday morning. 

RESULTS:

Quarterfinal: #2 Milford 3, #7 Adams Central 1 [23-25, 25-18, 25-14, 25-20]

Semifinal: #2 Milford 3, #6 Malcolm 0 [25-18, 25-22, 25-23]

Championship: #2 Milford 3, #8 Holdrege 1 [25-13, 16-25, 25-15, 25-19]

Class C2:

Johnson County Central:

Southeast Nebraska is extremely well-represented in the C2 field, and there might not be a better representative in the tournament than Johnson County Central. There are a few one-loss teams in the field, as you've already read about, but the Thunderbirds are the only undefeated team in any of the six brackets, coming into play this week with a sterling record of 31-0. JCC has lost only five sets all year - one to each of their presumed semifinal opponents, Freeman and Thayer Central. The 2025 MUDECAS A Division champs defeated Elmwood-Murdock for the third time in a two-week span to win their district final and come into the state tournament as the #1 seed. They'll begin their quest for a state tournament against #8-seed Yutan. 

RESULTS:

Quarterfinal: #8 Yutan 3, #1 Johnson County Central 2 [17-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-17, 15-11]

Freeman:

Since falling to Johnson County Central in the MUDECAS A Division finals in mid-September, Freeman has been nearly unbeatable: the Falcons' only loss was a five-setter against aforementioned Elmwood-Murdock, and since then they've swept all five teams they've faced - including a revenge win over E-M and a sweep of Archbishop Bergan in the district final. The #4-seeds in the C2 field, Freeman is 26-4 overall and is a seasoned and versatile team, and would love a third shot at JCC in the state semifinals - but only if they can get past Thayer Central in the quarterfinals on Thursday night. 

RESULTS:

Quarterfinal: #4 Freeman 3, #5 Thayer Central 1 [25-18, 25-23, 21-25, 25-20]

Semifinal: #4 Freeman 3, #8 Yutan 0 [25-21, 25-12, 25-14]

Championship: #4 Freeman 3, #6 Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 1 [25-23, 16-25, 25-18, 29-27]

Thayer Central:

Thayer Central has come back with a vengeance since losing in the state championship match last year. Even with a number of their top players from last year moving on, the Titans have long looked the part of one of the best teams in the class. They won their first 16 matches of the season before JCC defeated them in a matchup of unbeatens, and though they've been tested in a lot more matches this year than some of their counterparts, TC still comes into the tournament as the #5-seed with a 26-5 record after outlasting Hastings St. Cecilia in the district final. 

With Freeman facing Thayer Central in the quarterfinal, a JCC win in its first match Thursday would guarantee one Southeast Nebraska school will be in the C2 championship match on Saturday at 1 PM.

RESULTS:

Quarterfinal: #4 Freeman 3, #5 Thayer Central 1 [25-18, 25-23, 21-25, 25-20]

Class D1:

EMF: 

They've only been playing together for a couple of years, but in that time Exeter-Milligan/Friend has become one of the best teams in the state. The Bobcats are back in the state tournament after an impressive run to the championship game a season ago, but they needed to pull out all the stops to get here: EMF outlasted Tri County in five sets in the final round of the subdistrict tournament before defeating Sutton in five sets in the district final - that win earned the Bobcats some revenge, because Sutton beat them twice back in September. Aside from those two matches, EMF has only lost to Freeman, Thayer Central and Johnson County Central - three state tournament teams from one class larger. EMF is the #4-seed and will first face #5-seed Ansley-Litchfield on Thursday afternoon.

RESULTS:

Quarterfinal: #4 EMF 3, #5 Ansley-Litchfield 0 [25-12, 25-12, 25-18]

Semifinal: #1 Amherst 3, #4 EMF 1 [22-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-23]

3rd Place Match: #4 EMF, #6 Shelton 0 [25-18, 25-21, 25-18]

Class D2:

BDS:

This year's Bruning-Davenport/Shickley squad had to overcome the losses of many of the key players who helped the Eagles win the D2 third-place match in 2024. The path hasn't always been smooth, but BDS has navigated it expertly to earn another appearance at the state tournament for this highly decorated program. BDS defeated Dorchester and Meridian in subdistricts before outlasting Hay Springs in a back-and-forth five-set affair in the district final. At 22-10, the Eagles are the #7-seed in the bracket this year, and must first face second-seeded Sumner-Eddyville-Miller in a matchup of two triple-barreled school names in the first game of the second day of the tournament. 

RESULTS:

Quarterfinal: #2 S-E-M 3, #7 BDS 0 [25-12, 25-21, 25-10]