Five 2021 Players to Watch from the Columbia Basin Big 9 4A Division

<p>The middle of Washington State often gets overlooked when compared to the Spokane and Seattle areas.   Here are five players we think will make a big impact in 2020 from the Columbia Basin Big 9 4A division.  </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="96986" first="Mackensi" last="Melusky"], 5’ 7”, Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialist, West Valley</strong><br /> You always want to be the outside hitter that can pass instead of just a defensive specialist.   At 5’ 7” Melusky has embraced that aspect of recruiting and that experience will make her a versatile piece of the West Valley puzzle in 2020.   Ball control and her ability to connect with her setter Lexi Barbee will likely be key to her earning time as an outside hitter rather than a DS. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97004" first="Alex" last="Toth"], 5’ 10”, Outside Hitter, Wenatchee</strong><br /> Wenatchee went 10-2 in league play last year and brought back some valuable pieces of that team.   Toth will be tasked with elevating her game to keep up that standard.   This team could take a step forward in 2020 and Toth’s performance as a leader will be just as important as her production on the court.  </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97008" first="Alayna" last="Just"], 5’ 6”, Setter, Eastmont</strong><br /> Just was asked to carry a significant amount of her team’s offensive load in 2019 to compensate passing that was shaky at times.   This year her success and the success of Eastmont will rely on her ability to better the ball in difficult situations and put her hitters into good positions to score points as much as it will her ability to score points herself.   She is undersized and crafty.  Her next step is to become a consistent provider for her hitters.  </p> <p><strong>Kaycee Hazard, Outside Hitter, Sunnyside</strong><br /> Sunnyside had a difficult year in 2019.   Hazard was one of the bright spots for the team.   Head coach Erin Koerner and the Grizzlies will likely not be shooting for a miracle turnaround this year, but a solid year hitting and passing from Hazzard could help them take a big step forward and set the tone for future teams.  </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97042" first="Ebony" last="Johnson"], 5’ 4”, Setter, Eisenhower</strong><br /> Eisenhower graduated seven seniors from the 2019 team that went 3-7 in league play.   Johnson’s experience with that group could be key to helping her develop her new varsity teammates through the early season to make them competitive in league play.   Expect her ball control to have a big impact on how the Cadets fare in 2020. </p> <p>With the COVID-19 restrictions still in place, it is hard to see how much progress can be made by the incoming senior class.   They will be relying on their previous experience to develop their own game and the games of their underclassman coming into the 2020 season.  </p>