Flatwater Free Press

This story is made possible through a partnership between Flatwater Free Press and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.

Google’s Nebraska data centers consumed about 732 million gallons of water in 2025, the tech giant recently self-reported.

Viewed one way, that’s a lot of water: More than Omaha Metropolitan Utilities District customers use in an average week, combined, according to data from MUD.

Viewed another way: It’s less than you think. Google data centers consumed about as much water as it takes to irrigate between 2,500 to 3,500 acres of central Nebraska cornfields, according to Anthony Schutz, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law professor. 

Nebraska irrigates about 9.1 million acres of agricultural land, UNL experts say. 

“It remains a small amount relative to that,” Schutz said.

Water has emerged as a point of contention as companies could look to build more data centers in Nebraska, potentially adding to a current crop that already includes Google’s three data center locations in Omaha, Papillion and Lincoln, Meta’s Sarpy County data center and others.

Local residents and water professionals worry that new data center construction could use up water in certain parts of Nebraska, where water availability can vary widely and where wide swaths of this agricultural state are suffering through extreme drought.

Anticipating water issues, the data center industry is harnessing new technology and working to become more efficient with both its water and power usage. But the amount of water a data center uses can vary widely by company and location. New state legislation could soon force companies to disclose their annual water use and power demand.

“The majority industry across data centers and energy, I think my view is we’re doing the right thing, but is there a percentage of bad actors that are going to be that drunken sailor or pirate that doesn’t care? Yeah,” said Pete Marin, the CEO of T5 Data Centers, which owns, operates and develops data centers in the Midwest and across the country. “It’s unfortunate you can’t get 100%, right? Because somebody new to the game is going to say, ‘Wait a minute, I can come in and just take advantage here?’”
How data centers use water

On an April night, residents who live around Adams gathered for a special meeting to discuss the large tracts of nearby land that Omaha-based energy company Tenaska had recently optioned, potentially to build a natural gas plant and data center project. 
Much of the meeting at the Adams Community Building focused on water. 

The group of nearly 70 attendees wondered: How many center pivots running in southeast Nebraska equals the water usage of a data center? They debated the point, did math, tried to compute how much water might be sucked out of the ground if a new data center were built in Gage County.

Here’s a problem, though: The amount of water a data center uses can vary from little to millions of gallons per year, with companies taking various approaches, according to experts studying the industry.

And here’s another: The only way to know how much water or power that data centers guzzle is if the companies that own them are transparent. While some like Meta, Google and Amazon are, others, like xAI, are less transparent, said Jonathan Koomey, a researcher who has studied data centers since the 1990s.

Not all companies report water usage the same way. Meta self-reports water withdrawal, which translates to the total amount of water the data center takes in from the local water supply. From 2020 to 2024, Meta’s 4-million-square-foot Sarpy County data center withdrew anywhere from 26.7 million gallons to 37.5 million gallons, with the numbers varying each year.

For its Nebraska data centers, Google reports withdrawal and consumption, which shows how much water is used and not returned back to the local water supply. Google built its Papillion data center in 2019, an Omaha data center in 2022 and then announced the Lincoln project in 2023.

The company self-reported consuming 46.6 million gallons of water in Nebraska in 2022. But that figure spiked to 134.7 million gallons in 2023 and skyrocketed to about 732.1 million gallons in 2025. The company also has a data center just across the Nebraska border in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which the company self-reported consuming more water than any of its other data center locations in 2025 at 1.3 billion gallons. And companywide, Google expects its data center water consumption to grow.

Data centers can use water to cool the building and the computer servers inside the building. Keeping everything cool ensures the equipment inside doesn’t malfunction.

These centers also use many methods and technologies for cooling, some of which are also used by large office buildings, airports and other industrial-scale facilities, Koomey said. 

One example: Evaporative cooling systems, which typically use large amounts of water that evaporates into the atmosphere, Koomey said. Another is an air-cooled chiller system, which uses either water, coolant or a combination that can be recycled for years, through a “closed loop,” Marin said.

All T5 data centers built in the last 10 to 15 years use closed-loop systems. Some haven’t had to be flushed out and refilled with liquid since they began operations, Marin said.

Currently, evaporative cooling generally uses more water, while closed-loop cooling typically uses more electricity, creating a balancing act for data center companies and utilities. 

“What’s best? It depends on the data center, its design, the local climate, if you have enough water, if you have enough power, what people want, what they’re willing to devote their resources to,” said Eric Masanet, a University of California, Santa Barbara engineering professor. 
Depending on water availability, Google uses evaporative cooling or closed-loop, air-cooled chiller systems, Ben Townsend, the company’s head of infrastructure and sustainability, said in an email. The company assesses local watersheds before and after building.

Meta’s Sarpy County data center uses a combination of evaporative and closed-loop cooling.
To complicate the situation further, any coal, nuclear or natural gas plants supplying power to the data center could also use water.

In North Carolina, there has been talk of barring data center companies from using evaporative cooling. But Koomey argued to the Flatwater Free Press that this is a bad idea since technology is changing. A ban, he said, could actually lead to increased electricity use and more water consumption from that industry. 

As the water worries continue, advances are being made that could soon allow data centers to use far less of it, said Dan Diorio, vice president of state policy at the Data Center Coalition.
“I think water use will go down, certainly,” he said. “I think the new technologies are going to be very water efficient.”
Nebraska water availability

Water availability isn’t created equal in Nebraska, with some areas of the state far more fortunate than others. Omaha’s water utility can supply about triple the amount of water it needs on an average day, pulling both from wells near the Platte River and surface water from the Missouri River. Meanwhile, Lincoln withdraws water from wells near the Platte River.
Groundwater supply is variable east of Seward County, while west of the county, there’s a lot more, according to Schutz.

• Water withdrawal from surface water like rivers and streams is primarily permitted by the state. 
• Water withdrawal from groundwater is primarily permitted by Natural Resources Districts.
• Omaha’s Metropolitan Utilities District can supply about 320 million gallons of water per day, but demand averages about 98 million gallons a day. 
• In its service territory, MUD currently has at least 10 data centers that are considered high-water-use customers.
• Lincoln can supply about 110 million gallons of water per day.
• Lincoln has one data center in its service territory. 
• “In all areas of the state, we have a planning process in place, and the objective of that planning is again to protect all existing users in those given areas, and then we can kind of look at then beyond protection, what sort of opportunities are there for additional developments, and … we’re very fortunate to have a framework like that,” said Jesse Bradley, director of the state Department of Water, Energy, and Environment.

While data centers have typically located within urban areas, developments have moved farther out to suburbs and rural areas as fiber and infrastructure have improved, Diorio said. This raises concerns for water professionals in Nebraska who worry data centers might choose an area that either doesn’t have enough water already or whose water supply is already fully allocated. 

That’s especially concerning since about 99% of water consumption in the state comes from irrigation. With water use expected to rise due to droughts and higher temperatures from climate change, water policy and allocation is top of mind, said Crystal Powers, water extension educator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“From a logical, common-sense perspective, we really need to stop putting industry in areas where they can’t be supported” by natural resources like water, said John Winkler, general manager of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District. “… It doesn’t make sense to put a data center in an area that’s very water insecure to begin with.”

Kyle Hauschild, general manager of the Nemaha NRD, said he has received an outpouring of questions and concerns from Adams-area residents about where the potential Tenaska project could go. He said there might not be enough water to supply a potential data center and gas plant underneath the area where Tenaska optioned land in Gage County. 

Both Hauschild and Winkler said their NRDs are updating regulations to account for future water use. 

Some swaths of Nebraska have available water, while in other parts of the state, both surface and groundwater are fully allocated, Powers said. 

For groundwater, this means that for a new user to come online, an older one will first have to stop using water. Additionally, surface water primarily hinges on annual precipitation, and its supply varies more than groundwater, said John Hay, an energy extension educator at UNL. 

Water professionals in Nebraska are still getting their heads around what new data center developments could mean for their jurisdictions. Hay said energy and water professionals would “feel a lot better” if they could know how a new data center plans to use water, where that water will be going, total annual use and maximum daily use. 

The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment will begin to collect information like annual water use and energy demand later this year, following a new state law requiring this passed by the Nebraska Legislature during its 2026 session. 

Bradley said the state agency will then see what it receives and what information holes remain. He said the legislation is a “great start” and will help for future planning.

Data center researchers Eric Masanet and Jonathan Koomey said the pressure being put on this industry to be more efficient and transparent is a good thing. 

“I work with a lot of people in the tech industry, they’re pouring trillions into this industry, like we should hold them to account and make them install the very best technologies that minimize energy and water,” Masanet said. “They should be a lot more transparent. We should demand it, because you know they’re …(investing) tons of money … If anyone could do it, it’s this sector.”

The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraska’s first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter.

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Maxine Marie Berg was born on May 14, 1930, to Arthur and Viola (Nichols) Berg. She met the love of her life, Norman, at a country school dance. On April 14, 1948, they were united in marriage at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church near Verdon, Nebraska. Together they built their home and life on the family farm south of Barada.

Maxine devoted her life to her family as a farm wife and homemaker. She was independent woman and strong-willed, never afraid to speak her mind. Wonderfully stubborn in all the right ways, she carried herself with determination, grace and a spirit all her own. She had a deep love for chickens, gardening, canning, and baking, and she delighted in sharing those passions with her children and grandchildren. She became well known throughout the Barada area for her homemade noodles and cinnamon rolls. She also found great joy in feeding and watching the hummingbirds and wild birds through every season.

Their love story, which began at a young age, truly stood the test of time. Norman and Maxine shared 66 blessed years of marriage before Norman was called to Heaven. Maxine was a devoted member of the Barada Global Methodist Church, the Barada Sewing Circle, and the Barada Bells Choir. Her life was marked by love, compassion, kindness, and an unwavering faith in God. Her passing leaves a deep void in the hearts of her family, friends, and all who were blessed to know her.

Maxine is survived by her daughter, Pam (special friend George) of Falls City; sons, Rick (wife Fran) of Shubert and Gerald (wife Betty) of Falls City, sister Dorothy (husband Harry) of Nashville, Indiana.    

Her beloved grandchildren include Craig Dungan (wife Mara), Becky Vonderschmidt (husband Justin), Brian Kuker (late wife Cassandra), Stephanie Kuker, Crystal Eickhoff (husband Robert), Desi McQueen (husband Brandon), Cassie Gaddis (special friend Joe), Shelby Kuker, and Eli Kuker (wife Shelby).

Maxine was also blessed with 19 great-grandchildren, one great-great-granddaughter, and numerous step-great-great-grandchildren.

She was welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven by her parents; her husband, Norman; their infant son born at rest in 1953; her brother, Dale Berg; her sister, Marcelin Bahr; and a great-granddaughter born at rest.

Viewing will be held Saturday afternoon until 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 5:00 p.m. at Dorr and Clark Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be held Monday, June 1, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at Barada Global Methodist Church in Barada, Nebraska, with Pastor Mike Hader officiating. Interment will follow at Barada Harris Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest beside her husband.

Family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church.

As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be sent to the family for a special memorial to be designated at a later time.

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   Voters may check their registration at https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov  or by contacting the Richardson County Clerk’s Office at 402-245-2911.

   Voter registration is taken at the Office of the Richardson County Clerk during regular business hours until Friday, May 1 at 6:00 p.m.  Voters can also register at http://ne.gov/go/NEreg2vote. The deadline for any voter registration form other than in person is Monday, April 27.  

   Early Voting in person will begin on Monday, April 13 at the Office of the Richardson County Clerk during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  

  Early voting applications are also available to request that your ballot be mailed to you if you are unable to vote at your regular polling place. An Early Vote Ballot Application form can be found in today’s edition of the Falls City Journal and the Humboldt Standard and on the Richardson County website www.richardsoncounty.ne.gov.  

 Voters are also reminded that a photo identification will be required before casting a ballot. Valid forms of photo identification are a Nebraska driver’s license (from DMV), Nebraska state ID (from DMV), Nebraska college ID (public or private), Nebraska political subdivision ID (state, county, city, school, etc.), United States Passport, Military ID, Tribal ID, Hospital, assisted-living facility or nursing home record.  

  Voters who reside within the following All-Mail voting precincts are reminded that they will receive their ballots in the mail on or after April 20, 2026: Arago/Barada, Salem, East Muddy and Grant/Nemaha.  Please notify the County Clerk’s Office with questions regarding 

the All-Mail ballots.  If you reside in either one of the All-Mail precincts, check your voter

registration at  https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov  to ascertain that your address and the 

political party that you are wanting to cast your ballot for are correct.

Please contact the County Clerk’s Office at 245-2911 if you have further questions or 

need more information regarding the 2026 Elections or Nebraska’s Voter ID Law. 

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He married Patricia Ann Darling on October 29, 1955 at Falls City. They established their home in Falls City.

Ed served in the U. S. Navy

Ed was raised in rural Falls City and graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1953. He then went on to attended Creighton University. He enlisted in the U. S. Navy and following his honorable discharge he became employed at John Deere with Friesen Implement and then started farming, raised livestock and had a dairy, moving to the farm in 1959 and back into Falls City in 1992. He was a member of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Falls City Elks Lodge #963, served on the NRD Board for 10 years, Airport Authority Board for 20 years and Rural School District Board member for 6 years.

Ed is survived by his wife of 70 years, Pat of Falls City, children, Steve and his wife Marsha of Falls City, Chuck and his wife Donna of Falls City, Catherine Goza of Greeley, CO, Teresa O’Grady of Falls City, Thomas of Louisville, KY, Kristy O’Grady of Dallas, TX, daughter-in-law, Janyce O’Grady of Falls City, brother, Jim and his wife Cindy of Elkhorn, NE, sixteen grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Leon and Paul, son, Mark and a grandson, Jason O’Grady.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, January 9, 2025 at 10:30 A. M. at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church with Father Jim Meysenburg officiating. Inurnment will be in Falls City Catholic Cemetery.

A Parish Rosary will be recited on Thursday at 6:30 PM at Dorr and Clark Funeral Home. The family will receive friends after the rosary at Dorr and Clark Funeral Home.

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“Part of a successful harvest for producers/sellers is making sure their assets are protected. Understanding the law and how it affects them plays a key role in that process.” said Terri Fritz, PSC Grain Department Director.

Under the Grain Dealer Act, if producers/sellers want to ensure their transactions with a licensed grain dealer are covered by the grain dealer’s security posted with the PSC, they must demand payment within 15 days of completion of their contract with the dealer. Producers/sellers who choose not to demand payment within 15 days after completion of their contract will be unsecured creditors of that dealer and forfeit any protection from the grain dealer’s security.

Director Fritz said, “It’s important for the producer/seller to understand that it is their responsibility to demand payment within a set timeframe to ensure they are covered.”

Grain Warehouse operators are also reminded by the PSC of the Emergency Storage Policy. In order to store grain on the ground, an Emergency Storage application form must be filed with, and approved by, the Commission.

A list of Licensed Grain Dealers, along with the PSC Emergency Storage 2025 memo and Emergency Storage application form can be found on the Grain Department page of the PSC website. 

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• The Rule of Law: Respect for the rule of law is essential to the functioning of our democratic society, justice, and the protection of individual rights and liberties. Everyone stands subject and accountable to the law. We remain committed to ensuring all Nebraskans have access to the judicial process and that the process remains fair and accessible to all.
• Independent Judiciary: Judges must be able to decide cases based on the law and the facts, free from political pressure and influence, public opinion, or fear of reprisal. An independent judiciary safeguards individual rights and ensures that the law is applied consistently and fairly.
• Separation of Powers: The separation of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches is a cornerstone of our constitutional framework. It prevents the concentration of power in any single branch and promotes a system of accountability through checks and balances that preserves liberty and prevents abuse. All branches should recognize and respect the roles and responsibilities of the others to maintain the integrity and stability of our government.
• Right to a Defense: We further affirm the essential ethical obligation of every lawyer to provide zealous and competent representation to all clients—regardless of their popularity, public opinion or the nature of the legal issue at hand. At the core of our adversarial legal system is the principle that every person is entitled to a fair hearing and a vigorous defense. Lawyers are duty-bound to represent their clients with loyalty, diligence, and skill regardless of the clients’ identity, status or standing in the community.

Upon our admission to the practice of law, Nebraska lawyers take an oath to uphold the constitutions of the United States and the State of Nebraska. Regardless of practice area, political affiliation, or position, the undersigned organizations are united in their defense of the rule of law and these core principles of our constitution and justice system. The law cannot defend itself; the rule of law endures because of the vigilance and commitment of those sworn to uphold it.

Nebraska State Bar Association

Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys

Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorneys Association

Nebraska Defense Counsel Association

Adams County Bar Association

Buffalo County Bar Association

Dodge County Bar Association

Lincoln Bar Association

Sarpy County Bar Association

Saunders County Bar Association

Scotts Bluff County Bar Association

Legal Aid of Nebraska

Richard Moberly, (in his individual capacity) Dean, University of Nebraska College of Law

Joshua P. Fershée (in his individual capacity) Dean, Creighton University School of Law

What is Law Day?

Law Day, held annually on May 1, is a national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law. Law Day provides an opportunity to understand how law and the legal process protect our liberty, strive to achieve justice, and contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share.

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Jack Bert McNealy, 75, of Humboldt, Nebraska was born on January 24, 1948 in Humboldt, Nebraska to Verle “Sandy” and Helen (Kerns) McNealy.  He was raised in Humboldt where he received his schooling.  As a young man, Jack was a member of Boy Scout Troop 387 Humboldt and also earned his Eagle Scout. He graduated from Humboldt High School with the class of 1966 and attended one year of college at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.  On September 9, 1967, Jack was united in marriage to Linda Kanel at Dr. Heim’s house in Humboldt.  To this union three children, David, Lisa Jo, and Jim were born. 

Jack and Linda raised their family on a farm southwest of Humboldt.  He drove a truck for Duane Masonbrink and then began raising hogs and farming.  In the mid 1970’s, Jack and Linda purchased the Humboldt Sale Barn and later acquired the Hog Market from Duane Masonbrink.  The couple operated the sale barn for many years before eventually selling the business.  Jack continued to stay busy and worked on many different business projects including working with Ron Wilhelm.  He also started his own construction company called McNealy Construction and became owner of “The Camp” bar and restaurant.  Jack truly was the definition, the “Jack” of all trades.  In his spare time, Jack enjoyed fishing, taking hunting trips, spending time with his friends and family “downtown”, and reading.  He had a large collection and loved nothing more to read books, especially his favorite author Louis L’Amour.

Jack passed away on Monday, December 4, 2023, at the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska having reached the earthly age of seventy-five years, ten months, and ten days.  He is preceded in death by his parents; daughter Lisa Jo Schaardt, step-father Elza Pohlman, and brother Bill Pohlman.

Jack is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Linda of Humboldt, NE; sons: David McNealy and wife Vicky of Humboldt, NE, Jim McNealy and wife Candie of Humboldt, NE, son-in-law Steve Schaardt of rural Table Rock, NE; grandchildren: Craig Schmit and wife Ali of Humboldt, NE, Jacob McNealy of Lincoln, NE, Casey McNealy of Lewiston, NE, Hank Schaardt of rural Steinauer, NE; Peyton Schaardt of Humboldt, NE, Jayden McNealy of Lincoln, NE, Jaylie McNealy of Humboldt, NE, great-granddaughters Haley and Taya Schmit of Humboldt, NE, a sister Kim Sosin of Omaha, NE, a brother Michael McNealy of Bellevue, NE; and many other relatives and numerous friends.

Family will greet friends from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at the Humboldt Ag Building, 1034 4th street in Humboldt, Nebraska.  Inurnment will be at the Humboldt Cemetery at a later date.

Memorial contributions may be given the family’s choice with a later designation.

Condolences can be shared online at www.wherrymortuary.com.

Services entrusted to Wherry Mortuary-207 N. Nemaha ST-Humboldt, Nebraska 68376 (402) 862-2915.

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*Both teams are nicknamed the Bobcats so for the purpose of this article the teams will be referred to by their college names.

In the first set College of the Ozarks had a comfortable 9-5 lead, before Peru State was able to cut the lead to two with kills from Erison Vonderschmidt (Falls City) and Allison Schneider (Humphrey) as they trailed 10-8.

The Ozarks then extended its lead out to 14-8. Peru State struggled to catchup in the first half as they were trailing 20-13 to the Ozarks. Peru State tried to claw its way back trailing by five later in the first after a kill from Vonderschmidt and a block assist from Allie Schneider and Elli Williams (Olathe, Kan.).
The College of the Ozarks ended up taking the first set 25-18.

Peru State and the College of the Ozarks would trade points for the first 20 points of the set as it was knotted at ten in the second. The Ozarks then went on an 8-2 run as they were dominating the second set up 18-12.

Kills by Addison Schneider (Humphrey) and Keiley Hein (Omaha) had Peru State within five trailing 19-14. Unfortunately, College of the Ozarks would hold Peru State to two points the rest of the set as Peru State lost the set 25-16.

Peru State and College of the Ozarks would again trade points in the beginning of the third set. Then Peru State went on a 5-0 run to take a 14-7 lead with kills from Hein and Schneider and blocks by Hein, Schneider and Williams.

The College of the Ozarks then would get the score within one point as they trailed 15-14. Kills by Hein and Vonderschmidt extended the Peru State lead out to 18-14.

College of the Ozarks would get the score within two points trailing 20-18, then Peru State finished the set on a 5-1 run with kills from Shealie Wiebers (Papillion), Kennedy Miller (Plattsmouth), Hein and Vonderschmidt as Peru State won the set 25-19.

Peru State started out the fourth set hot scoring the first four points with help of kills by Hein and Williams. The College of the Ozarks then went on a 19-5 run to make the score 19-9 for College of the Ozarks.

The Ozarks held Peru State to three points the rest of the set as they won the set 25-12 and won the match 3-1.

Here’s what head coach Madison Kindle said about the loss…

“Road games are really tough to win, and we are still trying to figure out what is going to work for us,” said coach Kindle.

Hein led the team in kills with 17, Vonderschmidt and Wiebers finished with nine and six respectfully. Williams led the team in blocks with three, Wiebers and Hein each had two.

Allie Schneider finished with a team high 28 assists and Chantal Paniagua (Santo Domingo, D.R.) finished with a team high 12 digs.

 Peru State Volleyball goes .500 at College of the Ozarks Tournament 

The Peru State volleyball team went 2-2 at the College of the Ozarks tournament this past weekend. The Bobcats are now 5-5 overall. Below is a breakdown of how the four games went. 

Day 1 Friday, September 1, vs. Haskell Indian Nations L 2-3 

In the first set Haskell and Peru State traded points as it was 10-all early. Then Haskell was able to get out to a 17-13 lead before Peru State clawed its way back. The Bobcats tied the game at 17 after kills from Chantal Paniagua (Santo Domingo, D.R.), Addison Schneider (Humphrey), Erison Vonderschmidt (Falls City) and Sammy Marinus (Omaha). 

It was tied 20-all late in the first set before Haskell ended the set on a 5-1 run to take a 1-0 lead. 

Peru State held a 12-8 lead in the second set with help of kills from Khami Itzen (Lincoln) and Kennedy Miller (Plattsmouth). Haskell was able to get the score within one point trailing 14-13, before Peru State went on its next run. 

The Bobcats were then up 18-14 after errors by Haskell and a kill from Kalyssa Fox (Casa Grande, Ariz.). Later in the second set Peru State was leading Haskell after kills from Addison Schneider and an ace by Alyssa Bock (Plattsmouth) to make the score 23-16. Haskell tried to climb its way back but ultimately the Bobcats won the second set 25-22. 

Peru State scored the first four points of the third set with the help of three kills by Vonderschmidt. Haskell and Peru State then traded points before Haskell took a 14-10 lead. Haskell kept Peru State a four-point distance for much of the third set. 

The Bobcats would get within two points trailing 19-17 after a kill from Miller. Haskell ended the third set on a 6-1 run to win the set 25-18. 

Haskell and Peru State traded points for almost the entirety of the fourth set, then a few errors and a kill by Bock gave the Bobcats a 28-26 set win to force a fifth. 

Haskell got out to a fast start in the fifth set leading 8-3. The Bobcats then went on a 6-1 run to tie the fifth set at nine apiece with kills from Shealie Wiebers (Papillion) and Vonderschmidt. 

Haskell would end up taking the fifth winning 15-12 and winning the game 3-2. 

Vonderschmidt led the team in kills with 20, Addison Schneider finished with ten and Fox had seven. Allie Schneider (Humphrey) led the team in blocks with three. Allie Schneider had 42 assists. Paniagua led the team in digs with 26. 

Day 1 Friday, September 1, vs. University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy W 3-0 

The Bobcats got on UHSP up 8-3 after a couple of kills and an aces from Vonderschmidt and a kill by Keiley Hein (Omaha). The Eutectics would get within three trailing 14-11 in the first before the Bobcats extended their lead out to 18-11 with the help of a few errors by UHSP. 

The Bobcats kept their lead at around seven or more for much of the first set. Peru State won the first set 25-17 after a kill from Wiebers. In the second set the Bobcats and Eutectics traded points early, then UHSP was up 13-9. UHSP was able to keep their lead at four in the middle of the second set. 

Peru State would then get within one trailing 17-16 after a kill from Wiebers. UHSP then had set point at 24-19 as it looked like they were going to tie the game but then five points from the Bobcats tied the set at 24 with kills from Hein, Vonderschmidt and Wiebers. 

Peru State came back and won the set 28-26. 

In the third set the Bobcats were up 12-7 after a service ace from Olivia Gordon (Oskaloosa, Iowa). Peru State then went on a 7-3 run to take a 19-10 lead with the help of kills from Vonderschmidt and Hein along with an ace from Allie Schneider. 

Peru State held its lead throughout the third set winning 25-16 and sweeping UHSP 3-0. 

Wiebers and Hein led the team with nine kills and Vonderschmidt fell behind them with eight. Vonderschmidt led the team in aces with five. Elli Williams (Olathe, Kan.) and Vonderschmidt each have three blocks. Rylee Hellbusch (Plattsmouth) finished with a team-high 16 assists. Paniagua led the team in digs with 13. 

Day 2 Saturday September 2, vs. Baptist Bible College W 3-1 

Peru State led 12-8 early in the first before the Bobcats were able to extend its lead out 18-11 with the help of kills from Wiebers, Vonderschmidt and Addison Schneider. The Patriots were able to cut the Bobcats lead to two trailing 20-18. 

Peru State was able to power through for a 25-23 set win after kills from Wiebers and Vonderschmidt. 

The Patriots and the Bobcats traded points in the beginning of the second set before Peru State extended out to a four-point lead with kills by Williams, Hein and an ace from Paniagua to make the score 13-9. 

Baptist Bible College and Peru State then traded points as the Bobcats held a slight 19-18 lead. Peru State finished the set on a 6-1 run winning the set 25-19 with the help of kills from Fox, Addison Schneider and Hein. 

Peru State started the third set out hot up 6-0 after kills from Wiebers and Hein and aces from Gordon. Baptist Bible wouldn’t give up that easily as they were able to climb its way back into the game and tie it at 14. The Bobcats and Patriots then would trade points back-and-forth. Baptist Bible College was leading Peru State 19-18. The Patriots ended the third set on a 6-2 run winning 25-20. 

The fourth set was tight in the beginning but Peru State was able to put its foot down as they started up 11-7 after a kill from Williams. 

Peru State finished the fourth set on a 14-5 run winning the set 25-12 with help of kills by Reagan Osterhaus (Wetmore, Kan.), Addison Schneider and Vonderschmidt as well as an ace from Bock. 

Vonderschmidt led the team in kills with 15, Addison Schneider finished with ten and Wiebers had eight. Hellbusch and Gordon each had three aces. Williams had a team-high four blocks. Gordon had 26 assists. Paniagua led the team in digs with 22. 

Day 2 Saturday September 2 vs. Sterling College L 0-3 

It was 10-all early in the first set after Osterhaus had a kill. The Bobcats then would take a 16-14 lead in the middle of the first set after an error from the Warriors and a kill by Williams. 

Sterling then went on an 8-2 run to take a 22-18 lead towards the end of the first set. The Warriors took the first set 25-21. 

The Bobcats had the momentum up 13-8 in the second set after kills from Williams, Osterhaus and Hellbusch. Sterling was able to come back and tie the game at 14. Peru State was then leading 19-16 after an error from the Warriors. 

Sterling was able to tie the game at 21-all and then Bobcats and Warriors were trading points until Sterling ended up winning the set 26-24. 

In the third set Sterling was up 10-7 after an attacking error. The Bobcats were able to trim the Warriors lead down to one trailing 13-12 after a kill from Hein. Sterling then extended its lead out to six up 19-13. 

Peru State went on a 6-2 run as they trailed 21-19 after kills from Fox and Osterhaus along with an ace from Vonderschmidt and an error on the Warriors. Sterling ended up winning the set 25-20 and sweeping the Bobcats 3-0. 

Fox led the team in kills with 11, Osterhaus finished with nine and Hein had eight. Gordon had three aces, Williams and Vonderschmidt each had two blocks. Hellbusch finished with a team-high 15 assists. Paniagua had 14 digs to lead the way for the Bobcats. 

Here’s what head coach Madison Kindle said about the tournament… 

“We are slowly trying to figure out what is going to work best for us,” said coach Kindle.” Need to find consistency and battle through close matches.” 

Kindle continued… 

“Proud of this team for battling through five matches this weekend. Open up this week with a great exhibition against UNK (University of Nebraska-Kearney) before conference play begins.” 

Peru State hits the road to take on University of Nebraska-Kearney on Wednesday, September 6, at 6:00 p.m. 

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Nikki McKim earned second place in the Special Awards – Leadership, all classes together, “Freedom of Information” for coverage of Beatrice 911 and the Richardson County Commissioner. “The Freedom of Information” award is given as a means to publicize the  efforts to preserve free speech and transparency in government. First place went to the Fairbury Journal News editor Gordon Hopkins  for his coverage on a wind farm campaign organization.

Chelsie Alexander earned first place in the Agricultural Advertisement category for the National FFA Week ad. She earned second place in the Single Retail Advertising Idea-black and white category for her McPeak Open House advertisement. Chelsie also earned third place in two separate categories, including Building Circulation and Reader Interaction both with “the Babies of 2021.”

Chelsie Alexander and Brian McKim earned third place in Special Single Section for the 2022 Spring Sports Preview. 

Brian McKim earned third place in the category of Personal Sports Column for his column “Right or Wrong, its my Opinion.”

Nikki McKim earned first place in Feature Photography, for a photo from the 2022 Hot Air Balloon Festival in Falls City titled,  “Hot Air Balloon Festival Blown Away.” She took second place in the Single Feature Story category for the article titled, “I’m excited about the Department we have and what the future holds,” about the Richardson County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Hardesty’s quest for building a new jail. Nikki McKim and Alexander McKim placed second in Headline Writing  for the article titled, “The Kids are not all right,” about bullying in local schools. Nikki also placed third for her  Feature Series titled, “A 20 year rivalry becomes deadly,” telling the story of a triple murder near Preston, NE. 

Entries were judged from thousands of separate newspapers all over Nebraska. 

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