Season Preview: Greater KC Suburban Red

<p>The season is off and running! We are a little tardy on previews but today we highlight the Greater KC Suburban Red conference. We believe the champion will come down to two teams in Lee's Summit and Park Hill South. North Kansas City and St. Joe Central should be in the middle of the pack. </p> <p><strong>Lees' Summit (21-6 record in 2020)</strong></p> <p>They were a set away from handing Liberty North their one loss of the year at sectionals last fall. This is a thought that surely stuck with them through the offseason and they will be hungry heading into the 2021 campaign. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="99226" first="Ashlyn" last="Bellamy"] is back after a stellar sophomore high school and club season. She is among one of the top hitters in her class. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="123656" first="Jordan" last="Stout"] also returns after going down late in the season. She is an agile middle who moves well pin to pin. </p> <p><strong>Park Hill South (10-11 record in 2020)</strong></p> <p>The Panthers had a strong showing in Flordia to open their 2021 season. They return enough pieces to push Lee's Summit for a conference title this fall. OH [player_tooltip player_id="102555" first="Isabel" last="Day"] is back for her third year as a starter. [player_tooltip player_id="102458" first="Alex" last="Dvorak"] is back for her fourth and final year in the lineup. She is one of the top middles in the area. She has shown the ability to hit in the front and behind the setter and is key in the blocking game. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="102449" first="Keegan" last="Good"] will again anchor the back row for South. </p> <p><strong>North Kansas City (7-17-4 record in 2020)</strong></p> <p>We don't want to count North Kansas City out of the race just yet. They didn't have as strong as a season last year as expected but with another year of experience and strong pieces, they can make some noise. Returning to the lead the way is high-flying [player_tooltip player_id="99224" first="Calissa" last="Minatee"]. She is a difference-maker and when they can get her the ball good things tend to happen. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id="122726" first="Yanni" last="Washington"] and [player_tooltip player_id="119194" first="Chloe" last="Reese"] return for their final year. Both can swing a heavy ball and look to help turn around things in 2021. </p> <p><strong>St. Joe Central (10-13-4 record in 2020)</strong></p> <p>Central had an up and down season a year ago and graduated some key weapons. The cupboard is not bare with the return of seniors Isabella Flaska and Ella Moody to score points. Look for Anna Davis to continue her stellar play behind the block this fall to keep the offense in system. </p> <p><strong>Staley (15-11-2 record in 2020)</strong></p> <p>A year ago, Staley was a win away from advancing to the sectional round. They saw most of their offense depart from 2020 and will depend on new faces to keep their winning ways in 2021. [player_tooltip player_id="119205" first="Kalia" last="Morris"] is the leader defensively and has been a staple in the Falcon lineup. Junior Ady Horn will be counted on to set and hit from the right side this year. Look for senior Macy Tauke to pick up some of the scoring load in her final run. </p> <p><strong>Oak Park (3-18-1 record in 2020)</strong></p> <p>2020 was a tough season for Oak Park. They were able to get two wins early in the season but then struggled to find an consistency. They have always had young talent, so we'll see if they can take the next step this fall and scratch out a few more wins. [player_tooltip player_id="123470" first="Kira" last="Cherry"] has been a high-quality player on the club circuit. When the team is passing, she should be able to score points for Oak Park. Sophia Rodriguez will look to improve on her junior season and garner more kills. </p>