The Nebraska Juniors won the USA Volleyball Junior Olympic 18-and-under championship this weekend in Miami, going (9-1) at the national tournament.

"Its a super-cool feeling," said tournament MVP Gina Mancuso, "no one has ever done it from Nebraska. Its like a really cool feeling. You have nice bragging rights."

"This was amazing," said Lincoln East product Natalie Ebke. "It didn't hit me for a few days. We are the best in the nation. Its amazing."

The Nebraska Juniors were led by four Division I players, including incoming Huskers Gina Mancuso and Haley Thramer, UCLA-bound Lauren Cook, and Jamie Straube who is headed for Iowa State.

"This is 10 steps up from high school volleyball," Ebke said. "It's putting all the best players in the state on one team. Its exciting to play against all these amazing players and know you can hang with them and win it all."

"Its nothing like the competition here," said Cook. "It's all California teams, Texas teams; these are the top players in the country. We're just small little Nebraska girls."

It's the first national championship by a Nebraska-based team at the highest level of club volleyball, and Lauren Cook hopes this cements their legacy as the greatest class ever to emerge from the state.

"I hope people look at us and say, 'Wow, they left a mark here. They left the state as really great volleyball players.' I hope we can leave that tradition and leave that legacy."