Call it a full-circle moment for this Lincoln East graduate who will play NCAA match at Devaney [Video]

On a nervous Selection Sunday, Annalee Ventling-Brown wanted to see the yellow and blue Jackrabbit logo on the screen.

She didn’t care where. Texas, Pittsburgh, anywhere. A trip home? That works, too.

The Lincoln native will take the court in her hometown when South Dakota State plays Miami in an NCAA first-round match at 4:30 p.m. at the Devaney Sports Center. Nebraska plays Florida A&M at 7 p.m.

The winners of those two matches will square off at 7 p.m. Saturday.

“Originally, I was just shocked to see our name up there and then I was like, ‘Oh wow, I get to go back and play in the town where I originally started playing volleyball,” Ventling-Brown said. “It’s where my love for volleyball first started.”

Call it a full-circle moment for the middle blocker, who wrapped up her high school career during a pandemic-altered season at Lincoln East in 2020.

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